How much do you know about champagne?
“I’m fairly good. I have it once a week.”
–Carla Eldridge
“Absolutely nothing. I’m a fan of the well-made vodka gimlet.”–Brien Rullman
“Little to nothing. I’m not really clear on what I like.” –Jen Mayo
According to Bin 36 wine director Brian Duncan, all fit the guest profile he’d like to see walk in: “Ultimately, you should buy what you love. You can’t drink reputation. This benefit gives people a chance to decide what they like without bias.” It was Bin 36’s 3rd annual charity “Bubble Bath,” a tasting of champagne and sparkling wines from more than 24 area wine merchants/distributors. Proceeds went to CASA, the Court Appointed Special Advocate service for children caught in the court and child welfare turnstile. As Chef John Caputo whipped up impressive hors d’oeuvres, including the tasty fritto misto (roughly translated as “fried things”), guests whipped out their best wine gossip. On the horizon, for better or worse: plastic corks (!!) and aging in stainless steel.
— Terry Glover
Raising Rasa
At a family gathering at Fizz Bar & Grill in Chicago, generations sat around scarf-draped tables, noshing on finger foods to the sounds of fusion music. Soon the artistic offspring pulled parents and friends onto the floor, dancing ballroom, folk bhangra or dropping it like it was hot–all to celebrate the launch of Rasa Theatre Chicago, the city’s first dedicated to South Asian plays and artists. And for some company members it was celebrating a type of freedom–to pursue careers in the arts as opposed to the fields of medicine, convenience-store retail or cabdriving their parents chose. “We’re the first generation not to go into those fields. Our parents had to get where they were to get the money,” said actor Parvesh Cheena between dances with his mom. Ironically, Cheena plays a convenience store owner in movies “Barbershop” and “Barbershop 2.” Theater friend Rita Vreeland took pride: “It takes a lot of guts to start a theater company when there are so many of them.”
–Cheryl Jackson
