Plan: 2008 Heartland Gathering in Chicago Aug 8-10

[CaliPoutine]

Any new plans made?

[Jean Blanchard]

The suspense is killing me too! Can't imagine how much work this takes though since you're doing this on your own.

[ronnie_suburban]

The suspense is killing me too!  Can't imagine how much work this takes though since you're doing this on your own.

←

LOL! Well, volunteers are certainly welcome. If folks (especially those in the Chicago area) are interested in helping out with some of the 'taskery,' please just shoot me a pm.

I promise to revert asap with details about Friday and Sunday. My apologies for the delay. It's been a seriously busy period at work over the past couple weeks and I wasn't really expecting it.

=R=

[elfin]

Ron, please count me in for the Saturday dinner. I can't wait! Let me know if you want me to do anything to help.

[Fresser]

The suspense is killing me too!  Can't imagine how much work this takes though since you're doing this on your own.

←

LOL! Well, volunteers are certainly welcome. If folks (especially those in the Chicago area) are interested in helping out with some of the 'taskery,' please just shoot me a pm.

←

Ronnie tells me that he needs help with host & hostessing roles. Since the ladies are clamoring for Heather Duster to make an appearance, which ladies be willing to don a tux and join me as Butler and French Maid Greeters for the Heartland party?

I promise not to scare the kids in attendance. Well, at least not intentionally...

[ronnie_suburban]

Activities for Sunday August 10 . . .

Several people have asked about Sunday's activities and we have a plan so exciting that I'm not sure I'll be able to wait for it. We will visit the Maxwell Street Market, one of Chicago's truly distinctive culinary and cultural treasures. Even better, we'll have none other than David Hammond to lead us. Mr. Hammond is an expert not only about the Maxwell Street market and its history but also about Mexican regional cuisine. His 6-part "Beyond the Burrito" series, which appeared in The Reader, Chicago's alternative newspaper, is a fantastic resource on the regional cuisines of Mexico -- and where prime examples of these cuisines can be found throughout Chicagoland. Having Mr. Hammond at the helm should make the experience particularly enjoyable and informative, as he will provide context for much of what we'll see and taste on our tour.

We will begin at about 10 am by meeting at predetermined spot near the market. These details have not yet been finalized. The tour should take about 3 hours and will consist of plenty of walking. It's a rain or shine event and admission is free. As such, there's no need to sign up and payment is not required. You'll have all sorts of opportunities to buy food and beverages (and tube socks) from the local vendors during the tour. No set meal will be provided but the eating opportunities will be vast, excellent and varied.

While it is a few of years old, Hammond and some friends assembled a video record of the Maxwell Street Market, which can be viewed by clicking here: Gorilla Gourmet: Maxwell Street Mexican.

Additionally, the aforementioned pieces (and more), penned by Mr. Hammond, on Mexico's regional cuisine can be found be following these links:

Mexican Regional Cuisine Index: http://dchammond.com/index.php?id=6

Two Takes on Yucatecan Cuisine = http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stor...aurants/070316/

This should be a great, inexpensive way to wrap up our diverse weekend of eating and cooking.

=R=

Edited May 6, 2008 by ronnie_suburban (log)

[Amy Viny]

Looks GREAT Ronnie. Thanks for all your hard work!

[Sam Iam]

I've been searching through the thread for a Friday event schedule, and haven't found anything, and my poor old eyes are hurting swinting at this monitor. Can someone help me out?

Thanks!

Edited May 6, 2008 by Sam Iam (log)

[Jean Blanchard]

Maxwell Street event sounds great. Even though I've lived in this area all of my life, I've never actually done Maxwell Street...with a guide no less! Once again, thanks for all the efforts to make this a memorable weekend.

[Fresser]

Activities for Sunday August 10 . . .

While it is a few of years old, Hammond and some friends assembled a video record of the Maxwell Street Market, which can be viewed by clicking here:  Gorilla Gourmet: Maxwell Street Mexican.

←

Unless we're expecting a simian contingent, I suggest this video be renamed Guerrilla Gourmet.

[ronnie_suburban]

I've been searching through the thread for a Friday event schedule, and haven't found anything, and my poor old eyes are hurting swinting at this monitor. Can someone help me out?

Thanks!

←

Soon to follow . . .

=R=

[ronnie_suburban]

Ron, please count me in for the Saturday dinner.  I can't wait!  Let me know if you want me to do anything to help.

←

With pleasure

Updating Thursday's stuff . . .

Dinner

=R= +4

Alchemist

newbie21

HeatherM

Alex

tammylc* + 1**

jesteinf +1

edsel

Lady T

prasantrin* +1*

Jean Blanchard +1

santo_grace +1

HOLLY_L

NancyH +1

Nina C.* +3*

nyokie6 +1

nsxtasy +1

yellow truffle +3

joiei*

Sam Iam +1

LuckyGirl* +1*

Elrushbo

stuart_s

daniellewiley +1

Amy Viny +1

white lotus +1

cat lancaster**

ricain** + 1**

-52- (38 definite, 10 probable, 4 waiting)

Only 'wait list' spots remain for Thurday's dinner, although it's likely that some who have signed up will drop out, as we have 10 "probables".

Drinks

=R= +4

HeatherM

Alex

tammylc* +1*

jesteinf +1

edsel

tino27 +1

Lady T

prasantrin* +1*

Marmish* +1*

newbie21

Nina C.* +3*

Jean Blanchard +1

santo_grace +1

HOLLY_L

NancyH +1

nyokie6 +1

nsxtasy +1

yellow truffle +3

joiei*

moreace01 +1

Sam Iam +1

LuckyGirl +1

Darcie B

kasw* +1*

stuart_s*

daniellewiley +1

Amy Viny +1

Aaron Deacon

white lotus +1

cat lancaster

ricain + 1

-59- (47 definite, 12 probable)

Only 1 spot remains for Thursday's cocktail session

Updated list for the Saturday event:

=R= +4

NancyH +1

torakris

edsel

LuckyGirl +3

Alchemist

CaliPoutine

Alex

tammylc

jesteinf +1

nsxtasy +1

Kerry Beal

Marmish +1

moosnsqrl +1

Osnav +1

prasantrin* +1*

tino27 +1

Sam Iam +1

nr706 +1

hsm +1*

rockandroller +1

joiei

Jean Blanchard +1

newbie21

hjshorter

moreace01 +1

HOLLY_L

santo_grace +1

daniellewiley +1

kasw +1

dls*

nyokie6 +1

Nina C. +1

LAZ +1

maggiethecat +1

Elrushbo

Darcie B

white lotus +1

Fresser

cat lancaster

HeatherM

Lady T

yellow truffle +3

Amy Viny +1

Aaron Deacon

sweintraub* +1*

karen m +1

ricain + 1

elfin +1

-86- (80 definite, 6 probable)

Only 4 spots remain for Saturday's group meal

Again, please take a look at the above lists and let me know if I have failed to record your status accurately.

Thanks!

=R=

[rockandroller]

Ronnie et al., Unfortunately plans have changed and now we will not be able to make the Heartland gathering in Chicago at all. Two people have left our department and we all have to split up the work, and some of my new work requires running a meeting that will take place over the days of the gathering, so we have to bow out.

So sorry to miss all the fun you guys will have. Pls count me and mr. rockandroller out.

[Sam Iam]

Add two to our Saturday reservation! Our son and DIL are back from seven years in Brussels, and are closing on a home in Deerfield in two weeks. YEA, a cheap place to bunk for the weekend!! !

[ronnie_suburban]

Ronnie et al., Unfortunately plans have changed and now we will not be able to make the Heartland gathering in Chicago at all.

←

Add two to our Saturday reservation!

←

Updating Thursday's stuff . . .

Thursday Dinner at Blackbird

=R= +4

Alchemist

newbie21

HeatherM

Alex

tammylc* + 1**

jesteinf +1

edsel

Lady T

prasantrin* +1*

Jean Blanchard +1

santo_grace +1

HOLLY_L

NancyH +1

Nina C.* +3*

nyokie6 +1

nsxtasy +1

yellow truffle +3

joiei*

Sam Iam +1

LuckyGirl* +1*

Elrushbo

stuart_s

daniellewiley +1

Amy Viny +1

white lotus +1

cat lancaster**

ricain** + 1**

-52- (38 definite, 10 probable, 4 waiting)

Only 'wait list' spots remain for Thurday's dinner, although it's likely that some who have signed up will drop out, as we have 10 "probables".

Thursday Drinks at The Violet Hour

=R= +4

HeatherM

Alex

tammylc* +1*

jesteinf +1

edsel

tino27 +1

Lady T

prasantrin* +1*

Marmish* +1*

newbie21

Nina C.* +3*

Jean Blanchard +1

santo_grace +1

HOLLY_L

NancyH +1

nyokie6 +1

nsxtasy +1

yellow truffle +3

joiei*

moreace01 +1

Sam Iam +1

LuckyGirl +1

Darcie B

kasw* +1*

stuart_s*

daniellewiley +1

Amy Viny +1

Aaron Deacon

white lotus +1

cat lancaster

ricain + 1

-59- (47 definite, 12 probable)

Only 1 spot remains for Thursday's cocktail session

Updated list for the Saturday dinner at Immanuel Lutheran Church:

=R= +4

NancyH +1

torakris

edsel

LuckyGirl +3

Alchemist

CaliPoutine

Alex

tammylc

jesteinf +1

nsxtasy +1

Kerry Beal

Marmish +1

moosnsqrl +1

Osnav +1

prasantrin* +1*

tino27 +1

Sam Iam +3

nr706 +1

hsm +1*

joiei

Jean Blanchard +1

newbie21

hjshorter

moreace01 +1

HOLLY_L

santo_grace +1

daniellewiley +1

kasw +1

dls*

nyokie6 +1

Nina C. +1

LAZ +1

maggiethecat +1

Elrushbo

Darcie B

white lotus +1

Fresser

cat lancaster

HeatherM

Lady T

yellow truffle +3

Amy Viny +1

Aaron Deacon

sweintraub* +1*

karen m +1

ricain + 1

elfin +1

-86- (80 definite, 6 probable)

Only 4 spots remain for Saturday's group meal

Again, please take a look at the above lists and let me know if I have failed to record your status accurately.

Thanks!

=R=

[ronnie_suburban]

Details for Friday August 8 . . .

I know that many of you have been waiting patiently for the final piece of the puzzle to fill in and I'm happy that I can finally post about it.

As the 2008 Summer Olympics kick off in China, we'll be enjoying a feast at what is arguably Chicago's finest Chinese restaurant, Lao Sze Chuan. We'll have the large, private dining room on the 2nd floor of the restaurant all to ourselves. The menu will be pre-set. The meal, which will be served family-style, will include a variety of fantastic Szechuan and other regional Chinese dishes. The final price per person will range between $30-$40. This price includes beverages (soft drinks and beer), tax and tip. Hopefully, we'll be able to get a firm number in advance of the meal but there are no guarantees on that front. So please, plan for $40 per person and if it ends up being less expensive, consider it a bonus (and you will receive money back after the meal).

Unfortunately, there is no dedicated thread here about Lao Sze Chuan. However, some descriptions, images and general praise/discussion can be found here and here. The food at LSC is absolutely delicious, the cost is quite reasonable, and unlike a few 'finer' dining spots we investigated, Lao Sze Chuan will easily be able to handle a group of our size without service issues or having to 'dumb down' their menu.

For this event, we are limited to 80 attendees. Our start time will be determined shortly but will likely be around 7:30 pm CT. As with the other events, if you plan to attend, please post here and include the number of people in your party. I'll maintain an ongoing list in exactly the same manner as I've done with the previously-announced events. Very soon, we'll be migrating the preliminary attendance lists that appear here on the thread to a separate web site and allowing people to 'lock in' their spots by pre-paying for the events they plan to attend.

Lao Sze Chuan

Chinatown Square Mall

2172 S Archer Ave

Chicago, IL 60616

312 326-5040

Thanks,

=R=

List of attendees for Friday night's dinner at Lao Sze Chuan:

=R= +4

-4- (4 definite)

Edited May 20, 2008 by ronnie_suburban (log)

[prasantrin]

I'm in! +1

Thanks for getting everything together! Your hard work is much appreciated!

[torakris]

Count me in for the Friday dinner! Just me... I'll take the seat next to Lucas.

Quick question

Is this restaurant anywhere near the Saturday venue or is it closer to the airport area? I will be flying in Friday and may aim to go straight to the restaurant if that is more feasible. Related question... How far away from O'Hare is the Saturday venue/hotel area?

[tammylc]

I'm in, plus 1 probable.

Thanks, Ronnie! Sounds great!

[CaliPoutine]

Count me in

[Alex]

I'm in.

[Sam Iam]

Please add Sam Iam and Joyce, and I'll let you know about our son and DIL.

Edited May 20, 2008 by Sam Iam (log)

[prasantrin]

Count me in for the Friday dinner! Just me... I'll take the seat next to Lucas.

Quick question

Is this restaurant anywhere near the Saturday venue or is it closer to the airport area? I will be flying in Friday and may aim to go straight to the restaurant if that is more feasible. Related question... How far away from O'Hare is the Saturday venue/hotel area?

←

Looks almost equidistant to the restaurant from either the airport or Evanston on the map (about 30 minutes from O'Hare, 40 from Evanston). O'Hare to Evanston is almost a 40-minute drive (according to Yahoo Maps).

[Fresser]

Save a Friday seat for the Fress Man, Ronnie!

[Alex]

Count me in for the Friday dinner! Just me... I'll take the seat next to Lucas.

Quick question

Is this restaurant anywhere near the Saturday venue or is it closer to the airport area? I will be flying in Friday and may aim to go straight to the restaurant if that is more feasible. Related question... How far away from O'Hare is the Saturday venue/hotel area?

←

Kris, are you staying in Evanston? I'm assuming you're not renting a car. If you are, no worries.

Neither Chinatown nor Evanston is terribly close to O'Hare, or each other. It's about 17 miles from O'Hare to Evanston, about 20 to Chinatown. (Of course, with that major trek from Yokohama to Narita, this probably sounds like a Sunday stroll.)

I've taken only public transportation out of O'Hare, so perhaps someone else can give you a cost estimate for a taxi; I'm guessing about $40-45 plus tip. Obviously one pays for convenience, but if I'm schlepping a big bag and just said goodbye to a 12(?)-hour flight and a visit with Customs, I think it would be worth it.

Otherwise...

For $2 you can take the CTA in from O'Hare to the Cermak-Chinatown station, a few blocks from Lao Sze Chuan. With the walk to the airport station and a transfer in the Loop from the Blue Line to the Red Line, I'd count on 1½ hours.

From O'Hare to Evanston, you can take a free shuttle to the Kiss-'n'-Fly station, where you can catch a $1.50 bus ride to Evanston. The bus ride itself is about 1¼ hours.

Getting from Chinatown to/from Evanston is very easy via the Red (and Purple -- thanks for the reminder, nsxtasy) Line. I strongly suspect, though, that you'll be able to find a ride or someone(s) to share a cab with.

Edited May 20, 2008 by Alex (log)