Scene and Be Seen
Looking for Nightlife Exclusives? Get you Cheeky Card!Call me a typical guy, but my Greek palate includes gyros and well, gyros. That’s why I jumped at the chance to attend the “A Night in the Kouzina” charity event at the River East Art Center, which benefited the National Hellenic Museum.
Upon entering the gallery, the aroma of roasted lamb and the sight of flaming cheese immediately grabbed my attention. I opted to start with a beverage. Most of the white wines were from Santorini Island, commonly thought of as one of the most beautiful places on earth. Who knew it was also the home of some wonderful grapes? I consider myself to have an above average knowledge of wine, but I was tongue-tied by the pronunciations of these grape varietals. The most common grape used was Assyrtiko (a-seer-tee-koh) – this grape results in a wine that is very crisp and acidic, providing a refreshing start to the evening. My favorite white wine of the evening was the 100% Assyrtiko from Domaine Sigalas.
Moving from the wine tasting to the “Kouzina”, I found no shortage of exciting new foods to try. We started with a Greek classic, Saganaki, the ooey, gooey, lemony, flaming cheese. In this dish (if you’re not in the know) is the Greek cheese, Kasseri. It has been soaked in brandy and is lit on fire, usually tableside. Another star of the night was the chilled shrimp and orzo dish prepared by Jimmy Bannos, Jr. Jimmy is the son of the Chicago Chef’s Hall of Fame inductee from Heaven on Seven. He’s also the head chef in a new restaurant, the Purple Pig, hitting the Mag Mile soon. When I asked what to expect from the new restaurant, his reply was “cheese, wine and swine!” They’ve figured out a way to get my three favorite things all under one roof.
Other great dishes included the lamb shank and arugula salad from Chef Carrie Nahabedian of NAHA and a duck gyro with a “veggie pie” from Chef David Schneider of Taxim.
I made my way back to the wine tasting to get an education on some Greek reds. A range of wines were offered from the well-known Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to indigenous varietals like Xinomavro (ksee-no-ma-vro) and Mavrodaphne (mahv-rroh-dahf-nee). But my favorite red was the Agiorgitiko (ayor-yeet-ee-koh) from GAI’A Wines. This dark red wine was intense with mild tannins, which allowed the rich fruitiness to shine through. Agiorgitiko is also known as St. George…I think I will stick to that name when ordering.
As for my Greek palate, consider it expanded. I’ll be sending out the invites to my Kouzina soon.
