Happy Mardi Gras Everyone! Today is Fat Tuesday and it only seems right that we announce what so many have been asking... “Chef Julius, when is the next pop-up?”

Well, we have a date! Our next popup restaurant experience is April 3, 2015 and we are going “Back To New Orleans!” As many of you know, our first New Orleans themed pop-up was the one that set in stone that we would continue to do this. It was one of our most popular events and many of you always ask when are we doing it again? That time has come, spring will be upon us…who knows, maybe RAMPS will be in season by then. One can only hope.

New Orleans is one of the greatest food cities in the world. So taking the time to visit through food is guaranteed to be a good time. I plan to bring back a few dishes from the original event, also I will showcase what’s currently happening on the NOLA food scene.

We have a new location, which we are very excited about. We are still serving 6-8 courses of food. And as always, there will be a few food surprises.

The wine is included with the meal and tickets must be purchased in advance, to guarantee your place. Here is a quick sampling of what’s in store:

Crawfish Pie

Tasso Relish

Planters Punch

Duck and Chicken Andouille Gumbo

Turducken Roulade with Sherry Gravy

PRALINES!!!!!

………………………………………

Laissez les bons temps rouler,

Chef Julius

Tickets

Dinner with Wine $85.00 USD The VIP Experience $125.00 USD

Dinner Details

VIP Experience starts at 5:30pm

Doors Open for Dinner at 6:30pm

Dinner Starts at 7pm

Location: Kitchen Chicago, 324 N. Leavitt St. (just west of Damen)

Parking: Free street parking is available

***NOTE: When purchasing your tickets, please include food allergy information in the “Add special instructions to the seller” section. ***

We are heading back to FOX News Chicago today for “Gourmet Pot Pies Made Easy”! January is all about comfort food and the pot pie is one of our favorites. Can’t wait to share a few fun tips!

Recipe and video coming soon! To place an order, email us at chefjulius@taleof2chefs.com or call 312-326-1948.

Special thanks to our friends at Goode Foods Inc.

We had big fun at our  blow out 2014 New Year’s Day Brunch Pop-Up, and although our 1st pop-up of the year doesn’t fall on New Year’s this time, we are super excited to share brunch recipes & tips on FOX News Chicago. Check out the demo and recipe below.

Watch the segment and try the recipe!

Black Eye Pea and Spinach Soup

1 can Goode Foods Black Eyed Peas

1 cup vegetable Stock

1 small shallot (small diced)

3 cloves garlic (diced)

4oz tomato puree

4oz baby spinach

2TB olive oil

1TB Chef Julius’ Creole Rub

Chef Julius’ Salt Blend

Chef Julius’ Pepper Blend

Directions:

In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil on medium/high heat for 2 minutes

Next add the shallots and sauté 4-6 minutes until the shallots start to caramelize. Lower the heat if necessary, you don’t want the shallots to burn

After the shallots caramelize add garlic, spinach and half the tomato puree at the same time. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the spinach wilts.

Lower the heat and add the black eye peas, vegetable stock and Creole dust.

Add the rest of the spinach and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve hot.

This soup is still very chunky. It should be served hearty with just a little amount of the broth.

And here’s our 2014 menu. The menu below is designed for pickup & delivery service.  In-home, private chef services are available upon request. Wine is also available by request.  Please give us a call for a free menu planning consultation - 312-326-1948.

COMPLETE THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR 10 | * 500.00 *
- Oven-ready organic Jerk Fried turkey

-Traditional cornbread stuffing or chicken andouille sausage & chestnut stuffing

-Vanilla kissed sweet potatoes or espresso roasted sweet potatoes

-Herb roasted baby red potatoes with romesco & shallots or Epicurean Butter mashed potatoes

-Brussels sprouts with duck bacon & thyme or broccoli with garlic, ginger & sweet chili

-Roasted root vegetables

-Turkey gravy or wild mushroom gravy

-Cranberry sauce with orange & mint

-A dozen dinner rolls

-Sweet Potato Pie

*This meal can also have the following protein substitution in place of the turkey:

Pinot Noir Braised Beef Short Ribs

Calvados Braised Chicken

Herb Roasted Whole Pork Loin

DINNER A LA CARTE

CHEF’S BREAD (dozen)
Goat cheese Cornbread Muffins 28

“Very Corny” Cornbread Muffins 25

Garlic Bread Loaf 22 each loaf

more…

The time has come for the final “Pop-up Restaurant Experience” before the holiday season. Yearly this event has been the most difficult to plan. I am fully aware that you have a ton of holiday dinners to attend. This means you are very likely to eat standard holiday dishes, many many times (smile).  Well, I want to change all of that. We are going to have a blast! For the final popup of 2014, we present “A Chef Inspired Holiday”.

The inspiration for this dinner came from the numerous people that have told me how they dread going to holiday dinner parties. Their reasons are hilarious: Too much cheap wine, too much dry turkey and waaay too many wanna be Food Network dishes. So to answer that, we offer you these promises:

- No Turkey
- Plenty of Great Wine
- And for a few hours you just may forget about the drudgery of the holidays

With regard to the food, we will be using some ingredients that you’re used to having this time of year but we’re going to have some fun. A few of the courses are:

Fennel Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Braised Cabbage & Apricot Mustard

Angolotti Pasta with Morels, Favas and Smoked Peacevine Cherry Tomato Sauce

Tiki’s Flatbread – Duck Bacon, Melted Leeks, Sweet Corn, Taleggio, Truffle Cream & Merken

As always we will serve at least 8 courses* and the wine is included. Something special for this pop-up is our True VIP Experience.

For VIP guests, the evening starts with a pre-event private dining session with Chef Julius. Guests will be seated at VIP Tables for appetizer courses and Chef-crafted custom cocktails based on your spirit of choice.

Also, VIP guests will receive a customized Gift Bag stocked with all the things one needs to get them through the holiday entertaining season: two of Chef Julius’ seasonings blends, wine,  olive oil, and one of Chef Julius’ favorite cooking products from Epicurean Butter, Texas Pete Brand Sauces, or Nature Isle Tropical Gourmet.

Saturday, November 8th
6:00pm | Dinner
The Centered Chef Food Studios
177 N. Ada Street (between Randolph & Lake)
Tickets: The VIP Experience – $125, Dinner & Wine – $85

We had an AMAZING time participating in one of the hottest events of the season!

The New South Pop-Up with Chef Julius: Bringing refinement and a lil bit of haughtiness

The anticipation is over family and friends. Our first Pop-Up of the summer is July 27th and we’re cooking up tantalizing dishes that will give you a new perspective on southern and low country cuisine.

As many of you know, we can’t mention the south without dipping into New Orleans. In the next couple weeks I will be taking a pilgrimage to the south and bringing that inspiration back to create one of our most unique pop-up restaurant experiences to date. We will have an incredible time along with some awesome wine.

We are pleased to announce dates for two FUN Summer Events:

Taste of Chicago 2013- Cooking Demo

July 10th – 4:30pm

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… July 27th – 3pm

The Seafood Pop-Up - March 2014

Everyone should know we are taking this next pop-up VERY seriously… Not that we don’t put a tremendous amount of time and care into all of our meals. But this one will take things up a notch. Here is a preview of a few of the courses.

1st Course – Pan Seared Scallops with Lavender Butter Cauliflower, Charred Tomatoes and Black Truffle 

2nd Course – Chef Julius’ Award Winning Chilean Seafood Chowder

3rd Course – REAL Lobster Bisque with “Very Corny” Cornbread Croutons and Truffle Honey

Date: Saturday, March 29, 2014 @ 7pm

Location: The Centered Chef Food Studios| 177 N. Ada Street

Ticket Options: $100 Dinner with Wine, $85 Dinner Only

Since Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year, we figured many of you will be celebrating throughout the weekend. So we have extended our delivery period and added a fun new “Do it Yourself” Valentine’s Day experience.

Option 1: Do It Yourself Valentine’s Day Dinner
Our Gourmet Dinner has been simplified and made ready to prepare in a few easy steps. The finest ingredients will be purchased, packaged and delivered to you, with detailed instructions. We have done all the prep work for you, so you can have fun in the kitchen.

Price: $45 per person

*Orders must be placed 24 hours prior to delivery time for Valentine’s Day Weekend
*Wine pairings are available

Menu includes your choice of one protein:

Carmenere Braised Kobe Beef Short Rib

Mango Jerk Chicken (leg/thigh or wing breast) – Jerk Seasoning, Mango Pepper Sauce

Herb Risotto – Risotto Base (rice, shallot, leeks, chicken stock,

chanterelle mushrooms, truffle cream, Parmesan cheese, parsley, thyme, tarragon and lavender)

Option 2: Chef Delivers Valentine’s Day Dinner
For the ultimate indulgence, Chef Julius’ Gourmet Dinner (featured above) can be delivered fresh and fully cooked for you on Valentine’s Day. The finest ingredients go into all our dishes and we guarantee an award-winning fine dining experience in the privacy of your home.

Price: $65 per person

*Orders must be placed 24 hours prior to delivery time for Valentine’s Day Weekend
*Wine pairings are available

For more information call Chef Julius at 312-326-1948.