This weeks Hot Breakfast Special!

In honor of "National Hot Breakfast Month," the special for this week is a breakfast poutine!  What is poutine you ask...Well let me tell you.  Traditionally, poutine is a Canadian dish from Quebec, made with french fries, topped with brown gravy and cheese curds.  Here at 2 Sparrows, we have the traditional dish, made with Wisconsin cheese curds and topped with two farm fresh eggs from Little Farm on The Prairie.  Stop by this week and let us know what you think of our version of this Canadian classic!

A dinner with 2 Sparrows and Virtue Cider!

On Friday, February 22, 2 Sparrows will be welcoming Virtue Cider for a dinner highlighting the Chicago-based craft cider company’s offerings, along with a complementing menu from Chef Gregory Ellis. Acclaimed Brewmaster and Founder of Virtue Cider, Greg Hall, will be in attendance, along with others from the team, to personally present their craft ciders, including a first look at the brand new “The Mitten.” February in Chicago is all about cider, with two world-class events taking place, including CiderCON, a mix of education and networking opportunities for cider producers from February 6-9, ending with Cider Summit on February 9, the largest tasting of artisanal ciders from around the world.

2 Sparrows is taking part in the festivities by giving diners the opportunity to enjoy Virtue’s cider offerings, including Red Streak, Lapinette and The Mitten – which is currently still aging in barrels and will be released just days before the cider dinner. Virtue Cider combines modern craft fermentation and aging techniques with local, family-farms producing heirloom apples to create crisp, complex, and flavorful Midwestern ciders. Working with seasonal ingredients and local sources, Chef Ellis has put together a four-course menu, with dishes that complement the flavors in each cider, and vise versa.

First Course

Arugula, pears, apples, hazelnuts and smoked Manchego cheese with citrus-ginger vinaigrette

Red Streak

Second Course

Crispy chicken with giant white beans, kale, mushrooms and micro greens

Lapinette

Third Course

Roasted pork loin with buttered faro, preserved lemons and Brussels sprouts

The Mitten

Fourth Course

Spiced apple Pavlova

The Virtue Cider dinner will begin at 7:00 pm and is priced at $50 per person, including all three
cider varieties. Additional tastes of the ciders will be poured during the fourth course.

Reservations for both dinners are required by calling (773) 234-2320.

January at 2 Sparrows

January promises to be an exciting month here at 2 Sparrows.  We have two dinners planned.  The first will showcase Greek Wines on January 18^th and the second will feature the beers from Revolution Brewing on January 25th.  Both evenings begin at 7pm with limited available seating. 

Little is known about Greek Wine, other than it comes from Greece.  On January 18^th, we plan to educate you on on what lies beneath the surface.  Greek wine not only has a rich history, but is a wine region growing in popularity due to the increased recognition of making great wines.  The wines for this dinner are brought to the United States by Ted Diamantis of Diamond Wine Importers, considered one of the nation’s top wine importers.  Over decades spent traveling and tasting, Ted has cultivated a keen knowledge of Greek wine and has focused his work on bringing an awareness of the unique varietals to the American market. 

Wineries featured will include some of the highest regarded winemakers in Greece, including Domaine Skouras, Domaine Sigalas Alpha Estate, and Domaine Karydas.  What types of wines do they make?  White, red and sweet wines made from grapes most have never heard of: Moscofilero, Assyrtiko, Xinomavro and Aghiorghitiko. 

The food menu is designed by Chef Greg Ellis to complement the wines that were selected for the menu.  Here is a look at the food and wine pairing:

1^st Course

caponata

2011 Domaine Skouras Moscofilero, Peloponnese

2^nd Course

whitefish, tomato, onion, kalamata olive, celery root, lemon

2011 Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko, Santorini

3^rd Course

sweetbreads, black eyed peas, garlic, red pepper, oregano

2008 Domaine Karyday Xinomavro, Naoussa

2008 Alpha Estate “Hedgehog Vineyard” Xinomavro, Amyndeon

4^th Course

lamb, wild mushrooms, cous cous, chickpeas

2010 Domaine Skouras Saint George, Nemea

20076 Domaine Skouras “Grand Cuve” Aghiorghitiko, Nemea

5th Course

olive oil cake, green cardamom, orange

2004 Domaine Sigalas “Vinsanto,” Santorini

Revolution Brewing took the Chicago craft beer scene by storm beginning in 2010.  With a demand for more full flavored and larger variety of beers by the consumer, Revolution set out to fill that demand.  We are extremely excited to partner up with one of Chicago’s hottest new breweries.  Our Sous Chef Emily Cook put together a fantastic menu for the evening to pair with some of Revolution’s staple beers, as well as some of their highly sought after limited releases.  The menu and beer pairings are as follows:

1^st Course

sunchoke soup with pumpkin seed cracker

Double Fist- Double India Pale Ale

2^nd Course

bay scallops, pickled blueberries, kale salad

Bottom Up Wit- Belgium-Style White Ale

3^rd Course

braised goat, sweet potato and scallion latke, espresso crème fraiche

Eugene Porter- Robust Porter

4^th Course

selection of artisinal cheese and accouterment

Coup D’Etat- French Style Saison

5^th Course

caramel-apple upside-down cake

Straight Jacket- Barrel Aged Barley Wine

We really hope one or both of these dinners will intrigue you to make reservations.  Please call us to reserve your table or if you have any additional questions at 773-234-2320.  

2 Sparrows hosts a Natural Wine Dinner!

2 Sparrows is thrilled to announce the menu for our natural wine dinner.  General Manager Steven Fladung selected the five wines from two different producers for their unique characteristics and Chef Elijah Duncan prepared a menu to highlight their distinct flavor profiles. The allure of natural wines lies within the intricate flavors dictated by the treatment of grapes in the vineyards and native yeast strains that affect the wine during fermentation. “Everything takes place within the vineyards, the wine turns out how it turns out,” because of the natural, uncontrolled fermentation processes, explains Steven.

The evening begins with a NV Domaine Schaetzel Cremant d’Alsace, made from the Pinot Auxerrois grape. Flavors of apple, raspberry, and cherry are prevalent in the wine.  To complement the fruit characteristics in the wine, Chef Elijah chose a basil sorbet and cardamom shortbread.  Pearly red tobiko, also known as flying fish roe, will accent the fresh herbal and warm spice flavors. 

The first still white wine that will be poured is Domaine Schaetzel Pinot Blanc, Cuvée Reserve 2006.  Beautifully aged, deep notes of honey, lemon, and caramel, are present in this glass.  A trio of squash preparations consisting of butternut, kabocha, and pumpkin squash will be served. 

The third wine of the evening is a distinctly flavored Turner-Pageot 2010 Marsanne/Rousanne with a slight sweetness and many layers of flavor derived from wild yeasts.  The bright and cider-like flavors will be matched with shrimp and scallops, accented with avocado, nori, orange, and miso.

Fourth course will center around a 2009 vintage Turner-Pageot “Le Rouge” Grenache, with rich berry and currant flavors.  Short ribs, braised in red wine, will be served with smoked potatoes, crispy kale, shaved daikon radish, and a Buffalo Trace gastrique to enhance the savory smokiness of the ribs and potatoes.

For dessert, we are pouring a 2007 vintage Pinot Gris from Domaine Schaetzel.  The flavors of the wine include honey, saffron, apricot, and lemon notes and will be served with French macaroons.  The macaroons will be filled with Fromage D’Affinois, and served with tart cherry jus, candied thyme, and Marcona almond shavings.

Five courses and five wines will be served for $65 per person plus tax and gratuity.  To make a reservation, please contact the restaurant at 773/234-2320.

Tur-duck-en Making Class!

2 Sparrows is excited to announce our culinary class series, beginning with a Turducken-making class in November.

Turducken is a turkey, stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken. Recipes often include different dressings stuffed within the birds to enhance the different flavor profiles. Fabled to have been created in various locales across the country, Turducken is traditionally associated with New Orleans due to a number of butchers specializing in speedy deboning and assembly.

It was brought to the mainstream culture when John Madden, the NFL analyst, was served a Turducken by the Saints Public Relations department during a Thanksgiving Day game in New Orleans. Enamored with the layered poultry creation, Madden served them to his crew during Thanksgiving games for the next few seasons.

During the class, Chef Greg will demonstrate the assembly of a turducken, and will have one prepared for attendees to sample. Beverages will be available a la carte.

The class will be held on Wednesday, November 7. The classes start at 6:00, and the price per person is $30. To reserve your space, call 773/234-2320.

2 Sparrows Apple Dinner!

We’re excited to announce our Ellis Family Farm Apple Dinner, an homage to the beautiful varieties of apples currently gracing the market. Four courses will be served, with an optional Vander Mill Cider flight and à la carte beverages from our full bar.

First course is a salad of shaved Cortland apple and daikon radish. The shavings will be served twisted into a fettuccine-like nest, with marinated enoki mushrooms and fresh herbs.

The second course will be scallops, dredged in housemade pancetta “dust” after searing and served over a parsnip purée. Jonagold and Honeycrisp apples will be made into vinaigrette. The sweet notes of the vinaigrette will be complemented by the spicy flavor of candied Thai chiles and will balance the mild scallops and crisp, peppery pancetta.

The third course will be a tender Duroc pork loin from Compart Family Farms, roasted and crusted in dehydrated Northern Spy apples. The loin will be served with Three Sisters Garden polenta, crispy salsify, and a warm red cabbage slaw.

The dessert course will be an apple pavé. The pavé consists of thinly sliced Honeycrisp, Northern Spy, Jonagold, and Cortland apples shingled and baked. The dessert will be served chilled, with almond crumble, a drizzle of sweet tarragon oil, and mascarpone cream.

The featured Vander Mill ciders will include Apple, Apple Cherry, Apple Blueberry, and Totally Roasted, an apple cider featuring cinnamon roasted pecans. Vander Mill Cidery, in Spring Lake, Michigan, handcrafts ciders from a blend of Michigan Apples. Once pressed, the juice is never pasteurized, and is never sweetened or processed. The flight will be available for $25. 

All four courses will be served for $40 per person plus tax and gratuity. To make a reservation, please contact the restaurant at 773/234-2320.

2 Sparrows End of Summer Pig Roasts!

We’re excited to announce the menu for our End of Summer Pig Roast!  Since the roast on the 7th has sold out, we have added an additional date, on Friday, September 14th, to accommodate all of our excited guests.  Reservations are still available for the 14th, so call soon!

In a slight departure from our previous dinners, the meal will be served family-style to the table. The price is $35 per person for the dinner, exclusive of tax and gratuity, with beverages available a la carte. With one 7:00 seating, we are quickly filling up! To reserve, call 773/234-2320.

The main event, an 80-pound hog from Catalpa Grove Farm, will be slow-roasted throughout the day on Friday.  Several Southern-inspired side dishes will complement the pig. We’re excited to be able to take advantage of the beautiful summer growing season, and will highlighting produce from Ellis Family Farms and Nichols Farm and Orchard, as well as other farms featured at Green City Market. The sides will include sweet corn fritters with honey, a wedge salad, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, and peach cobbler.

Our featured spirit for the evening is Angel's Envy, a Bourbon Whiskey brand new to the Chicago market.  Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson launched Angel's Envy in April of 2011 after a lengthy career with Jack Daniels.  The uniqueness of this product come from extended aging in port wine barrels, creating caramelized fruit notes with robust aromas and smokey undertones.  Four handcrafted cocktails will be featured specially for the event.  These cocktails are available one night only so you don't want to miss out!