Tilted Kilt’s weeklong grand opening starts Monday at Clock Tower

3 comments January 13th, 2010

Giveaways for the Tilted Kilt’s weeklong grand opening at the Clock Tower Resort in Rockford starting Monday include airline tickets and tickets for Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago BlackHawks and Rockford RiverHawks games, weekend getaways and a luxury recliner.

Rockford’s is the franchise’s 29th location. Read my My Last Bite dining review.

Faith Center hosts free Thanksgiving dinner for 400

Add comment November 19th, 2009

Faith Center, 4721 S. Main St., Rockford, will host a free dinner Wednesday, Nov. 25, for about 400 people.

Dinner will be served from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and reservations are required. Register at thankfulfriendsdinner.com or call 815-964-8000.

You may attend the event without having dinner from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. There will be music and giveaways, including plane tickets from the Chicago Rockford International Airport.

List of restaurant don’ts too delectable

3 comments November 10th, 2009

These two lists of 100 Things Restaurant Staff Should Never Do (the first 50 HERE; the next, HERE) in the New York Times is incredible, stupendous, so on-target you’ll be shouting “YES!” and clamouring for your favorite eateries to train their staff this way on what not to do.

A few of my favorites:

17. Do not take an empty plate from one guest while others are still eating the same course. Wait, wait, wait.

40. Never say, “Good choice,” implying that other choices are bad.

52. Know your menu inside and out. If you serve Balsam Farm candy-striped beets, know something about Balsam Farm and candy-striped beets.

57. Bring the pepper mill with the appetizer. Do not make people wait or beg for a condiment.

58. Do not bring judgment with the ketchup. Or mustard. Or hot sauce. Or whatever condiment is requested.

77. Do not disappear.

97. If a guest goes gaga over a particular dish, get the recipe for him or her.

I’m going to put a copy of this list in my purse when I’m reviewing local eateries for our My Last Bite dining-out feature that runs in GO on Fridays. Maybe I’ll just randomly pick a number or two and see how the eatery measures up.

Other ideas? What are your favorites on the list? Other pet peeves?

Rockford retirement community chef in Chicago culinary contest

1 comment November 3rd, 2009

The days of pureed peas and lukewarm meatloaf are gone at today’s retirement communities.

So says the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, which is hosting its own “Iron Chef” competition Monday through Wednesday at McCcormick Place Lakeside Center in Chicago. The group has 5,300 member organizations.

Christina Fox of Wesley Willows Retirement Community  in Rockford is among competitors from the Chicago area and Maryland and California as well who will race against the clock to create dishes using a secret ingredient. Area chefs will judge their culinary creations.

I’ll follow up to see how Fox fares.

Win dinner for two, with beer paired with each of five courses

21 comments October 15th, 2009

You have to eat. It’s October. Why not combine food with the one beverage that goes hand-in-hand with the month — beer?

The Olympic Tavern, 2327 N. Main St., Rockford is taking the idea to a five-fisted level. At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, the eatery is offering a five-course dinner, each course paired with a Sprecher brew,  for $45.

And here’s the even tastier part: You can win two free tickets by posting on my blog in “comments” the flavor of beer you’d develop if you could and what a few of the ingredients would be. I’ll pick my favorite and let you know by 9 a.m. Tuesday if you’re the winner.

Sprecher makes some 20 different kinds of beers and eight types of sodas in Glendale in Milwaukee County in Wisconsin. Founder Randy Sprecher will be at the Olympic to talk about his brewing style and food pairings.

Here’s the menu (subject to change based on availability):

Oktoberfest Wilkommen - Thuringer, Knackwurst, & Bratwurst with twin drunken mustards - Sprecher Oktoberfest

Greens, Gala Apple, Candied Walnuts, & Gorgonzola Crumbles? - Sprecher Shakparo Gluten Free Beer

Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar Soup with Pretzel Crostini - Sprecher Pub Ale

Black Pepper & Coffee Crusted Buffalo Tenderloin, Roasted Cipollini Onion & Dark Beer Jus - ?Sprecher Black Bavarian

Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding & Bourbon Caramel Sauce - Sprecher Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout

For more information, call 815-962-8758.

1,907 pounds of food collected at Chili Shoot-Out

Add comment October 13th, 2009

Snowflakes flew Saturday at the Rockford Speedway in Loves Park for the 29th annual Chili Shoot-Out but those who attended donated 1,907 pounds of non-perishable food for the Rock River Valley Pantry.

The event, presented by Cumulus Broadcasting, also handed out awards, with top winners listed first:

Best Chili: Glen’s Chili, Longhorn Chili Chicks, Better Than Sex Chili.

Best in Showmanship: Naughty Nurses, True Blood Chili, Octane

Red’s Tavern & Pizzeria in Harvard today celebrates 50 years

Add comment October 1st, 2009

My two daughters worked at Red’s during high school, so we ate a lot of pizza, the best thin-crust pizza around.

Ask for it slightly burned on the edges.

Congrats, Bonnie and Red.

Greenwich features food, and of course, art, at fair this weekend

Add comment September 14th, 2009

Go for the art but stay for the food, or vice versa, at this weekend’s Greenwich Village Art Fair on the grounds of the Rockford Art Museum.

Along with 125 artists displaying and selling their works, the fundraiser on Saturday and Sunday features:

* A crepery from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Attorneys Marcia Mueller and Chuck Prorok will make individually prepared sweet and savory crepes.

* An omelet station the same time on Sunday.

In each three-hour period, the duo cranks out about 150 servings of each item.

Vendors also give samples and sell gourmet foods, wine and beer. Plus there’s a bar.

The event raises money for the museum.

My favorite foods so far at Waterfront

Add comment September 5th, 2009

A few quick Waterfront takes on my On the Waterfront tastes so far:

1.  Apple fritters, apple fritters alamode, and caramel apple sundaes hit the judges’ sweet spots this afternoon at Taste of Waterfront at the Left Bank Stage. The result, East High School Booster Club won $325, and top honors with the Best of Show. Find these treats at Center Stage.

Other favorites of mine — I was among 10 judges — were The Arc’s chocolate covered strawberries with whipped cream and a jam-like drizzle on the side (at Oasis Stage), and the River City Cound Sweet Adelines garlic-heavy marinated mushrooms (at Center Stage.)

2. At the Admiral’s Club last night, of the meal chef Philippe Forcioli of Cliffbreaker’s Riverside Resort prepared, I liked best the savory Cajun Paella, with saffron rice that was light enough. The calamari was firm, but not too chewy. And the sausage had a bit of sardine taste that didn’t turn me off. It contained chicken and shrimp too.

3. The sweet peppermint stick in the Love Lemon Martini at Kortman’s superbly complemented the sour of the lemon.

Off to more eats tonight at Waterfront.

Dakota kid’s burger recipe featured in Red Robin cookbook

Add comment July 23rd, 2009

The Bacon Ranch Chicken Burger recipe invented by Daniel McCaslin, 12, of Dakota in Stephenson County, will be featured in the third annual “Red Robin Kids’ Cook-Off” cookbook.

The cookbook will be available for free download at redrobin.com starting Tuesday. His gourmet burger recipe is one of 50 selected for the book from kids ages six to 12. More than 14,000 entries were submitted. His burger is made with ranch dressing and seasoning, garlic, lemon peper seasoning, romaine lettuce, bacon, potatoes, chicken breast, sharp cheddar cheese and an onion bun.

The cookbook also features back-to-school safety tips from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The grand-prize-winning burger, the Holy-Peno Burger by Charlie Beckett, 8, of Rathdrum, Idaho, will be sold nationally at Red Robin restaurants from Tuesday to Sept. 13, with 50 cents from every Holy-Peno Burger given to the exploited children center.