Free Thanksgiving Dinner November 28, 2013 at Tapas Valencia

Tapas Valencia, 1530 S. State St. will be serving free Thanksgiving dinner to those in need on Thursday, November 28, between the hours of 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Space is limited so reservations are required. To make a reservation, call 312.842.4444.

A complete Thanksgiving meal will be served with all the trimmings, including beverages and dessert. This will be the fifth year that Tapas Valencia is providing this free Thanksgiving meal. The next time you visit Tapas Valencia, please thank them for their service to the community.

Tapas Valencia will also be providing a free Thanksgiving dinner at their Naperville, IL, location as well.

Porkchop on Randolph

Oink, Oink!
You have to love a restaurant that unabashedly has an image of a pig on it’s menu and Web site landing page. Porkchop at 941 W. Randolph St. celebrates the pig, serving up classic comfort food in a cozy, unpretentious atmosphere. Porkchop has created a restaurant with a pub-like feel.

Laid-back Feel

There is a theme going on here.

Seating is comfortable and relaxed. Instead of napkins, each table comes equipped with its own roll of paper towels, conveniently bolted to the tabletop. Open for lunch and dinner, Porkchop has a good assortment of soups, salads, sandwiches, and main dishes.


Supper Time!
On a recent visit, the general manager explained the menu and suggested some vegetarian items. For starters, we ordered the blackened fish tacos with chipotle mayo, cabbage, and cilantro as an appetizer. The fish tacos were moist, tender, and flavorful. Since the name of the restaurant is “Porkchop,” we had to try the grilled pork chop with smashed red potatoes and apple sauce as one of our entrees. Our waitress “talked” us into ordering the pan-seared spicy catfish with Old Bay butter. Both entrees were expertly prepared and beautifully plated. The pork chop was plump and juicy and reminded us of home. Pork chops with apple sauce was a staple at the family dinner table growing up. The pan-seared spicy catfish, on the other hand, was not part of our mothers’ culinary repertoire.

Finishing Touches
For dessert we had “the Maker,” a root beer flow with vanilla ice cream and a shot of Maker’s Mark bourbon and Mexican-style cheesecake, which was not on the menu. The float tasted like a traditional root beer float, but with a little extra kick thanks to the bourbon. The cheese cake was light and creamy, which made us wonder if it was ricotta instead of cream cheese—apparently the recipe is a secret, so we couldn’t confirm the ingredients.

It’s all good!

Give it a Try
Prices for lunch and dinner are moderate. Our grilled pork chop with smashed potatoes and apple sauce was priced at $14. The pan-seared spicy catfish $14. The fish tacos (came with three tacos) for appetizer was $9. The Maker’s Mark root beer float and cheesecake for dessert was $9. If you love pork and other comfort foods like fried chicken (one of their specialties), give Porkchop a try.

National Restaurant Association Show at McCormick Place

Restaurant Industry on Display
McCormick Place hosted the annual National Restaurant Association 2011 conference once again. The show ran from Saturday, May 21 through Tuesday, May 24 (today). The exhibit floor was lined with companies offering products and services related to the restaurant industry. According to the NRA, the restaurant industry is “one of the nations largest private-sector employers, with 12.7 million employees, and is expected to post sales of $580 billion this year.”

Sensory Overload
Not only a feast for the eyes, the NRA show featured food prepared on-site and available for sampling. I enjoyed a host of meat and poultry options, including prime rib, chicken wings, roast pork, and lamb, which was my favorite. The rack of lamb I sampled was prepared in a Turbo Chef oven. The Turbo Chef  ventless oven cooked the lamb remarkably fast (about 10 minutes), but it tasted as if it had been roasted in a traditional oven. 

Chandelier made of wine glasses

Samples, Samples, Samples
I also sampled an assortment of desserts and snacks: cupcakes, ice cream, and potato chips. There were plenty of beverages to sample as well; I had a hot cup of coffee to go with my red velvet cupcake.

I hadn’t planned on eating my way through the show, but I’m not complaining. Not at all.

"2011 National Restaurant Association Conference"

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About Last Night: Checking Out the Fish Fry at Weather Mark Tavern

I went to the Weather Mark Tavern, 1503 S. Michigan Ave., yesterday for the Friday night all-you-can-eat fish fry. Every once in a while I get a craving for fried food, (okay, it's more like an every day craving) and last night was one of those times. I was joined by a friend from the neighborhood and she ordered the same.

The Cruzan black strap rum-battered fish (two generous pieces) was light and not greasy. Served with the fish, red cabbage coleslaw (a favorite of mine) and steak fries. A homemade dill tartar sauce (another favorite--I dip the fries in it!?) is included on the side. For only $9.95, this meal is a bargain, especially if you order another serving, which my neighbor and I both did. You can order the "Anchors Away" fish fry any day of the week, but Friday is the only all-you-can-eat night.

Hot apple crumble with vanilla ice cream: the perfect fall or any time dessert.

Last but not least, was the apple crumble with vanilla ice cream for dessert, pictured above. If you're a regular at Weather Mark, chances are you've tried this meal-ending favorite.

For more information on Weather Mark Tavern, visit their Web site. To keep up with specials and events, check out their Facebook page as well.