I debated writing this post, because it is sort of personal. But, ultimately, I think it’s a worthwhile topic to raise for discussion.

I recently had a doctor of mine reprimand me for having an unhealthy lifestyle — because I have a drink or two most nights. Wine with dinner, a couple cocktails with friends, nothing I consider abnormal or excessive. But, according to this doctor, one of two drinks a week would be alright. My habits, he implied, verged on alcoholism.

As I sat in his office, defenses, refutations, and curses filled my head, all the things I wanted to say to him. But instead of saying these things, I just sat there. I sat there as tears filled my eyes, feeling judged and accused in a place that was supposed to be safe and comforting. I wish I could say that I said nothing because it wasn’t worth the fight. But I said nothing because I felt ashamed. This man actually made me question what I do and how I live.

But, like Socrates said (in so many words), there is nothing wrong with a little self examination. And I have emerged on the other side of examining my life, feeling pretty well assured that my relationship with alcohol is entirely healthy. There are so many messages in our society about the dangers of alcohol. And I strongly believe that this attitude towards alcohol is actually what makes it dangerous. In Europe, children grow up having a little bit of wine with dinner. They are taught that wine and spirits are something that can be healthily and happily enjoyed every day. Drinking is part of the culture, part of eating, part of family, and part of socializing — part of life. And because of this, you will hardly ever see any abuse problems in these countries.

In the United States, on the other hand, you find very few households where children grow up being exposed to a healthy consumption of alcohol. Alcohol is treated as illicit and dangerous, something that is strictly prohibited. And, of course, when kids are out on their own, drinking becomes a form of rebellion. Abuse, dependence, and overuse follow — and then alcohol becomes dangerous.

When I first went off to college, this was the kind of drinking I was exposed to. Kids my age drinking cheap alcohol in excess. No one wanted to taste and enjoy what they were drinking; they just wanted to be drunk. I had to watch my classmates stumble home with strangers and throw up all over the sidewalk, and I quickly came to despise the culture of it. This is what drinking was to me, and I wanted nothing to do with it.

And then — Rome. I studied abroad in Rome, and came to love wine, spirits, and the culture of drinking that exists over there. Huge carafes of red and white wine were plopped down on every dinner table; aperitifs of aperol and prosecco were had with friends; limoncello was drank at the end of every meal. I once had the owner of a small restaurant give me and my friends small glasses of grappa because I wasn’t feeling well. I met, mingled, and engaged with people who I couldn’t speak a sentence to, over a bottle of wine. And back home, I have met some of my best friends in this industry. People who can engage in the delight, pleasure, and variety of wine and appreciate the stories and effort that surround its creation.

Here’s what I think: If we all approach alcohol with a stick, warning yourselves that any more than a drink or two a week will cause us harm, then it probably will. But if we approach alcohol as a healthy and fun part of life, then it will be just that.  

Salud.

Posted by Jane.

One of my nicknames–misapplied, I argue, but it stuck–is “Surly”. And sure, it’s kind of cute, and maybe I secretly don’t mind it all that much. That being said, I was tickled pink at the novelty of the name when Surly Brewing’s glorious releases first hit the Chicago market some time last year. Imagine my pleasure when I tried the brews and found out that Surly, imported from the Twin Cities, makes some darn good beer!

The culmination of all this excitement [as excited as a supposedly surly person can get, anyway!] happened today, when I got a call from the head honcho of Lush. You heard it here first, dear reader: Lush on Halsted is going to have Surly’s Bender, a self-described “brown ale/porter/apa” on tap, for purchase in a growler, meant for immediate consumption on our new outside patio. Tomorrow. I dare you to wait to get it home.

So if you catch me with a growler full of the brown stuff sitting outside at Lush, go ahead and say “Hey, Surly!” I promise I’ll smile. And lift my glass.

Posted by Erin

The outdoor patio at our newest location has been open for the last three weeks, and our neighbors have been putting it to good use.  It’s time to let the secret out, however, so a week from today we’ll be hosting our first party in our new outdoor space.  Helping us with the fun will be our friends from Three Floyd’s Brewing, Indiana’s own hopheads extraordinaire.  They’re releasing their Fantabulous Resplendence XI Anniversary Ale, and we’re hosting the official release party on Saturday, June 28 from 5-8pm.  The party is free, we’ll be passing out samples of the Fantab and other beers and grilling up some goodies on the hibachi.  We’ll also be offering beer-to-go via our shiny, sexy new Growlers (pewter handles boyee!).  There’s nothing like great beer two liters at a time. 

No RSVP is necessary, but if you’re planning on coming please let us know so we can be prepared.  So come by, grab some beer and chill in the sunshine with your favorite Lushes!

[UPDATE]

The party was fantastic, many thanks to all who came out and spent time with us!  The turnout was huge, the beer was flowing and the patio stayed packed for hours. It was such as success that we’ll be doing more in the future–keep an eye on this blog for updates!

Special thanks to Sally the Beer Girl, Lincoln from Three Floyds and to that guy who kept distracting me while I mopped.

Image borrowed from www.seriouseats.com

Momofuku Ko sounds like an awesome restaurant. Chef David Chang is a 2007 James Beard Award winner, a 2006 “Best New Chef” from Food & Wine and the 2007 “Chef of the Year” according to Bon Appetit. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to eat dinner there. Momofuku Ko has only 12 seats, and all meals are by reservation only. Reservations can only be made online at 10am for dinner the next day. No scalped reservations, no planning ahead. If you’re insanely lucky, you get a seat–if not, you’re stuck using your imagination like the rest of us.

Fortunately, aiding your mouthwatering imagination are countless blogs devoted to discussing and celebrating fantastic food. Eager to document their rare opportunity, foodies have been bringing their digital cameras to Ko and posting pictures online (1,2,3), giving the less fortunate a better idea of what they’re missing. This practice became so common (and apparently intrusive) that last week Chef Chang had to take the extraordinary step of banning photography in his restaurant.

Predictably, this ruling caused a big reaction in the food blog community. It also prompted comment and debate on the practice in the chef community. I don’t have a strong opinion either way. I understand a diner’s urge to chronicle and celebrate their meal with a photo, and I understand a chef’s interest in controlling what goes on in the dining room.  The debate over whether an artist can control how the audience experiences their work is a long one, and one I don’t have particularly well-articulated thoughts on.

What I do believe strongly about is that appreciating fine cuisine is a lot like trying to find a date–it’s best done in person, but if necessary the internet is a surprisingly useful tool. Yes, it would be best if I visited Schwa, Moto, Alinea et. al. multiple times a month to hone my palate and appreciation for excellent food. Yes, it would be best if my single friends joined spin class, took improv classes at Second City or did whatever it is that single people do to meet people nowadays.

Unfortunately we can’t always follow our passions directly and instead find ourselves searching for alternatives. For my friends that means surfing Match.com, for me that means reading about great meals more often than I eat them. Chef Chang dismisses the foodie blog craze by with his pithy quote of “It’s just food. Eat it.” He misses the point, however; fine cuisine is not just food. It can be art, anthropology or even philosophy. It can challenge more than your palate and satisfy more than your hunger. While I can’t taste food through pictures, I can learn through their study and I can live vicariously through the stories of those who were there to eat. So can others, hence the existence of countless media outlets that take food love well beyond recipes.

While I spend more time on wine sites than food ones, you have to admit that food blogs have more going for them. The dishes are often expertly plated and designed, and the endless parade of rare ingredients and exotic techniques provide fodder for endless pages of conversation. Average Joe Blogger can much more easily obtain a table at a top restaurant than he can build a world-class cellar, making it easier to give first-person accounts of what is happening in the most progressive kitchens.  For those who want to learn from and be inspired by these meals, those blogs (photos included) are a surprisingly rich source of protein.  In that vein, I can understand how a chef would want to make sure that, once seated with the meal in front them, his patrons don’t let a lens or screen get between them and an amazing dish.

Posted by Lance

TERRAGUSTO

1851 W Addison St
Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 248-2777

I love Italian food. I love crazy weird Italian wine. I love to eat Italian food with this crazy Italian wine. It may be genetic, but I don’t fight it. Bring it on…food ecstasy with my very favoritest wines. I want a tummy full of yum right now. Thus, I am highly recommending that you try your hand at BYOBing at Terragusto. Do it now. Call for a reservation first, but do it now.

The place is itsy. The ambience is rustic, in a loud and warming kind of way. The use of space and the setting is very fitting, considering that Terragusto is all about eating, drinking, and engaging in a Tuscan sensory overload. This restaurant is incredibly affordable, intimate, and BYOB…no corkage, but you pitch in $1 bottle recycling fee per drinker. The kitchen is within sight, and smell!, of your table. The ingredients are super season and fresh, mainly local, and primarily sourced from sustainable farms. If ramps are in season, than ramps are on your plate! Toss in delicious homemade pasta and rock on…life is really fantastic. The servers are eccentric and interesting, but apparently a bit inconsistent. Just have another glass of wine and get over it. They are knowledgeable about their products and may be freaky foodies just like you!

So, as you may have guessed, I like to be intellectually stimulated by my wine. I want to taste it, think about it, try it alone and again with food, talk about it, taste some more, and then drink it. Terragusto is a great place to play with your wine…BYOB it up with a wild range of wine from Lush (‘cause we are just down the street and love it here!) and definitely get the chef’s menu or 3 course tasting menu. And, share with your dining partners!

Although I haven’t visited since the winter, I am seriously craving earthy, well constructed, outrageously delicious Italian food. Check out www.terragustocafe.com for the seasonal menu BEFORE you go so as to better plan your wine selections. I would suggest bringing a range of light, crisp, and refreshing whites to wine with a bit more stuffing, spice, and tannin. Although Amarone is tempting, be careful on getting too heavy and overpowering your yummy dish. Pink is nice, as well as sparkling. Stick with minerally, acidic wines, but do experiment with a bit of oak or cream if you feel adventurous. And remember to drink what you like!

I have scouted the menu a bit and listed a few wine options for y’all. Enjoy! Tell friends, take friends, and show up hungry AND thirsty! Your table will be laden good food and drink. Promise.

Antipasti Forte (Strong Appetizers…like She-ra!)

baked polenta with asparagus & fonduta fontina

organic polenta served with farm-fresh asparagus & creamy truffle-scented fontina cream sauce

*2007 Almondo ‘Bricco Ciliegie’ Roero Arneis, Piedmont, Italy

Oh my goodness, this is my most favorite wine right now. Bright, floral, lush orchard fruit and citrus blossoms mingle well with crispy acid and a long peachy, minerally finish. Clean, fresh and focused. Amazing with food or a porch swing. $22.75

Primi Piatti (1^st course; Pasta)

ravioli con salvia e noci

pasta stuffed with 4 cheeses, tossed in brown butter with walnuts, sage & ricotta salata

*2006 Bruna ‘Le Russe Ghine’ Pigato, Liguria, Italy

You can seriously taste the steep cliffs and crashing ocean in this wine. The area is impervious and steep, located near the coast, where the mountains run down into the Ligurian Sea. The vines lie in very narrow terraces and it is very hard to work in the vineyards. Pigato is closely related to Vermentino, and native to the area. The grapes have red reflection on the skin when ripe, and the wine usually has prevalent minerality and often marked acidity. As the wine warms up in the bottle and in the glass, some tropical scents of papaya and pineapple pop up, followed by refreshing and charming notes of white peaches. The juice keeps on changing up…river stones, petrol, and a finish with some balsamic scents of mint leaves leave me perplexed and certainly intrigued. Firm, unique and quite lovely. $30

Secondi di pesce e carne (2^nd course; Fish or Meat)

organic free-range pork loin, Gunthorp Farms

š each selection is rubbed with our own herbed sea salt & roasted in cast iron,

then presented with baked polenta, the season’s best vegetables & a drizzle of extra virgin finishing oil

*2004 Bisci Rosso Fogliano, Marche, Italy

Traditional, yet very innovative, versatile, and food-friendly, this little blend of Barbera, Sangiovese, and Cab Franc does it all. Brilliant ruby red in color with an intense, fragrant, and fruity nose with notes of ripe blackberry, black cherry, and herbs. On the palate, it is dry and fresh, with soft tannins and a persistent finish. Take to your next BYOB – it will go with just about anything! I particularly love it with pesto. $17.25

dolci

always made with organic flour, local eggs, grass-fed whole milk, real butter, pure fruit, wild

honey & premium nuts - classic seasonal flavors combine for a satisfying finish to your meal

honey-scented panna cotta w/blueberries

*NV Cascina Chicco ‘Arcass’ Roero Arneis Vendemmia Tardiva, Piedmont, Italy

Difficult to grow because of its delicate skin, ‘Arneis’ in the regional dialect means ‘whimsical.’ The nose on this late harvest selection reveals intensely clean, elegantly refined aromas of quince jam, raisin and apricot jam followed by hints of candied fruit, almond, vanilla, honey, citrus fruit peel and lavender. The palate mirrors the nose, with initial sweet notes balanced by a lovely crispness and a silky, round body. The finish pleasantly lingers with intense flavors of quince jam, candied fruit and apricot jam. $47.50

Cheers,

Rachel

I’m a regular reader of the online magazine slate.com, and while most of the articles I read there are political in nature, they also occasionally post some extremely interesting articles in their Food and Drink section.  Their in-house oenophile, Mike Steinberger, does a good job posting articles that inform and entertain more seasoned winos while not intimidating the newbies out there.  His article posted today focuses on his search to find truly great wines that retail for under $150.

 I can attest to the effort involved in such an undertaking: inflation at home, devaluation of the dollar abroad and a rise in international demand make acquiring top-class wines an often expensive proposition.  Lush prides itself on offering great values at all price ranges, be it $10 or $1,000, and as such it’s not surprising that some of Mr. Steinberger’s selections can be found right at your neighborhood Lush.  I’ve featured his description on the wines we carry below; if you find your interest peaked on any of the other wines he mentions, let us know and we’ll get it for you.

 

WHITES

Domaine Huet. Huet is a hallowed name. Its wines, made of Chenin Blanc, come from the Vouvray appellation in France’s Loire Valley and are called Vouvrays. Huet showcases Chenin Blanc in all its protean splendor: dry (sec), off-dry (demi-sec), sweet (moelleux), even sparkling. The three dry bottlings (Clos du Bourg, Le Haut-Lieu, Le Mont) are the most versatile and affordable Huets, ranging in price from $25 to $40—a small tariff to pay for the finest white wines from the Loire and some of the best white wines on the planet.

 

REDS

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. An atypical Châteaneuf-du-Pape, in that it contains a hefty amount ofMourvèdre, but also one of the best. The Châteauneuf appellation is overrun these days with prestige cuvées, wines produced in small quantities that often sell for hundreds of dollars a bottle. Beaucastel makes one, the Hommage à Jacques Perrin, which goes for prices ranging from $350 to $500. But, in my opinion, those wines have nothing on the regular Beaucastel Châteauneuf, which can be found for $75 to $100 and offers lots of sun-splashed pleasure but also all the complexity and verve of a great Bordeaux or Burgundy.

 

 

 

Happy Lushing!

Posted by Lance

I would imagine that most people in the wine industry (or even those not in the wine industry) have given thought to pursuing a career as a sommelier. Food, wine, people — what could be better, right? But it also takes hard work, persistence, and passion; and with all the options for education and training, it’s a little hard to know where to start.

I recently had the good fortune to meet (albeit virtually) Christie Dufault, the Wine Director at Quince, a celebrated restaurant in San Francisco. Christie was kind enough to share with me some advice she’s given to young people like myself, who are considering going down the path of becoming a sommelier.  

Thanks, Christie!

–

Not Necessarily Invited (but well-meaning) Advice for Aspiring Sommeliers

1. Be certain you love SERVICE.

Being a sommelier is above all about service- and not just serving wine. A sommelier must be able to perform every job in the front of the house and jump into all aspects of service when the team needs it. Remember, being a sommelier means working in the restaurant/hospitality industry. It does not mean working solely in the wine industry.

2. Study Study Study. Taste Taste Taste. 

Be sure that you have the desire to train your palate and to learn to be a fastidious taster.

Tasting wine analytically is not always fun at 9 o’clock  in the morning. Tasting wine professionally is obviously not the same as drinking wine. In addition, be prepared to taste and to study wine laws & regions of wines that you may not even like.

3.  Be an Assistant Sommelier.

You could be on the fast track to a great sommelier career if you assist an accomplished wine director.  Be a sponge- learn everything you can about wines, service, purchasing, public relations and more.  Work your butt off for your boss. Always make her look good.

4a. Get serious about food.

Eat. A lot. Know food. Cook-when you have time. Love food as much, no- more, than you love wine. Converse with chefs & cooks.  Go to the farmers market. Smell everything. Taste everything you can. Try as many different foods as possible: be open-minded. Think about which wines would pair well with the foods you are tasting/cooking/receiving. This will teach you MORE about wine than you could ever imagine. I promise.

4b. Dine out a whole lot.

 Spend your rent money at restaurants you really cannot afford. (Okay- don’t do that regularly, but once a year is acceptable.) Rather, dine out a lot, even at restaurants you can afford. Observe service. Study the menu. Study the wine list.

Ask questions. Recognize what you appreciate in service and food & wine pairing.

5. Be a wine ambassador to everyone. 

Never be a wine snob- but you knew that. Rather, be a wine ambassador. Encourage people to try new wines, to make discoveries. Always remember that wine in moderation is healthful, so embody that. A glass of wine at lunch? Naturally. The world might just be a more peaceful place if people drank more wine and drank more wine together.

Posted by Jane.

Uh-oh, the fiancee is out of town, so you know what that means!  After doing a little freelance work up at Lush Roscoe, Thursday night was dedicated to watching the NBA Finals and raiding the ol’ beer cellar.  As always, these beers were purchased outside the state of Illinois and are not available in this market.

Deschutes Brewing Company Hop Trip

Whoops.  Well, mistakes will happen.  Deschutes is a cool brewery out of Bend, Oregon, and the Hop Trip is their seasonal harvest ale.  Harvest ales are made during the annual hop harvest in the fall, and I first had this one in Boulder last November when visiting my family.  I didn’t realize that I had brought a bottle home until I started rooting around my beer assortment, and eight months was probably a little longer than this beer was intended to sit.  Oh well, here goes nothing.

The fresh, tangy, fruit-and-spice notes that I remember from this beer had definitely faded over the past 3/4 of a year.  At 5.5% ABV, this beer doesn’t really have what it takes to stand up to a long time in the bottom of my closet.  The malts were still fighting, giving a creamy, vanilla flavor that the beer didn’t showcase during its prime.  Still enjoyable, but hard to appreciate while knowing what I’d missed.  Family feasts, Cowboy football and harvest ales–fall is definitely my favorite time of the year.

Stone Brewing Company Arrogant Bastard Ale

This beer pretty well somes up the brewer’s approach to the “Extreme Beer” market.  Brew an intense, high-alcohol beer that blurs the lines between traditional styles, market it with a catchy (hopefully subversive) name and nurture your grassroots following as intensely as possible.  Drinking it pretty well sums up my consumer reaction to the Extreme Beer market: intense enjoyment followed by the inability to walk in a straight line.

This is another beer that came home with me from Colorado, but this was the first time I have ever had the chance to try it.  After the dissapointment provided by my geriatric Hop Trip, the first whiff of this Bastard indicated the night would not be for lost.  The first word that came to my mind came in all caps: CARAMEL.  Buttressed by some amazing and inexplicable notes of dark, dried fruit, this beer showed just how great a rich dose of malts can be.  The hops were fresh and piney and kept the beer from becoming an Aunt Jemima-esque syrupy mess, but it’s definitely the malts that steal the show on this beer.  After finishing the bottle, I can honestly say it’s one of my favorite beers.  Now I only wish I could get some here.

Until next time,

Lance

I guarantee that every staff member at Lush knew I would choose Mado as my BYOB of choice for this post.  Why not?  It’s brand new, it’s fantastically cool and it’s a five-minute walk from my door.  When those factors combine, the chances of me making it a regular haunt reach high levels.

Opened in April by a husband and wife team of chef/owners, Madois designed to be a haven of simple, unadorned dishes (often of a pan-Mediterranean influence) made with fresh and locally grown ingredients.  The birth of the restaurant was beautifully covered by Lush friend Michael Nagrant in this article for hungrymag.com.  Because the menu is flexible and likely to change between visits, I recommend bringing wines that have a wide range of pairing potential.

1) Charles de Fere Blanc de BlancsReserve - $10:  Who doesn’t love to start out their meal with a little bit of bubbly?  Perusing the menu, starting the conversation and waiting for your appetizers are always better over a few flutes.  This budget sparkler is crisp, fruity, and balanced enough to please sparkle enthusiasts and novices alike.

2) Domaine le Grands Bois “Cuvee les Trios Soeurs” Rose - $13.25: Stop the rose racism!  This delicious, fruity pink is a perfect wine to cap off a long, sunny summer day.  A traditional Cote du Rhone blend, the wine balances fresh acidity with rich fruit flavors and aromas, perfect for getting white wine drinkers to try some darker hues.  Rose is famous for it’s ability to go with different kinds of dishes, and this wine will work with everything from Mado’s fresh sunchokes to their succulent roast chicken.

3) Twisted Oak Torcido- $32.25:  What a freaky little wine.  Made from old, gnarly Grenache vines in Vallecito, CA, this wine will make you put on a mask and cape and add “Rhone Ranger” to your business card.  Spice and raspberry make up a magnificent nose, and the mouthfeel has a knock-your-socks-off intensity.  If the skirt steak and Gorgonzola polenta are on the menu tonight, you’re in luck.

Mado

1647 N. Milwaukee - 773.342.2340

Tre Kronor, a Swedish restaurant in North Park is deservedly well known for their weekend brunch, but underappreciated for their awesome dinner menu — and it’s BYOB!

With items like Toast Skagen, a Swedish ’sandwich’ of artic shrimp and dill, and Flaskfile, pork tenderloin with savory applesauce and braised red cabbage, I want lightweight reds with a hint of barnyard funk and rusticity to them. My three top picks would be:

1) Domaine Monpertuis 2005 Counoise - 100% Counoise, an oft blended grape in Chateauneuf blends, this wine is earthy, light, yet has a certain depth to it that is really appealing and food friendly.

2) Chateau Musar 1999 or 1995 (I won’t be picky) — Lebanese wine at its greatest, Musar is a catergory all its own. Sweet dried fruit, spices, and earth rolled up in layer after layer of flavors and textures. Yumm!

3) Sean Thackery’s Pleiades XVI — Thackery’s non-vintage kitchen sink blend has a wonderful lacy texture, with peppery spice and sweet fruit. Fresh, bold, and still grounded. Delicious!

Anyone else taken a bottle to Tre Kronor? Do share!

Posted by Jane.