Publican - News and Events

A la carte menu available Sundays

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:42:00 +0000

Publican is happy to announce that the a la carte menu will now be available Monday through Sunday. Our monthly beer dinners will continue with our four course prefix menu, to match the beers highlighted.

Brewery Ommegang-The Brewmaster Series

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:22:00 +0000

Please join us Sunday, February 21st, 2010 for yet another exciting beer dinner. This month we present Phil Leinhart the Brewmaster of Brewery Ommegang straight out of Coopers Town, New York. Phil will be on hand to speak about his portfolio of excellent Belgian style ales.
Ground was broken for Brewery Ommegang in the fall of 1997, not far from the birthplace of baseball. Based on traditional Belgian farmhouse architecture and set on a former hop farm in upstate New York, Brewery Ommegang was born with the philosophy that truly unique ales must be built from the ground up. Now brewing five award-winning Belgian-style ales and offering daily tours and tasting, plus a full calendar of special events, Brewery Ommegang is a place where brewing is an art and partaking is a passion.

Witte- welcome beer

Three philosophers
ricotta raviolo, egg yolk brown butter black pepper and black truffle

Ommegeddon
wood over roasted lobster, dried apple, salt cod stuffing and sweet potato chips

Ommegang (Abbey Ale)
choucroute

Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison)
pound cake, ginger, citrus and cream

The price of food is 45 dollars, beer will be $15-20.
Reservations are encouraged. 
For more info please contact us @ thepublicanrestaurant.com  837 West Fulton Mkt. Chicago 60607 (312) 733.9555 

Dogfish Head craft brewery “Ancient Ales Beer Dinner” at The Publican

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:52:00 +0000

On Sunday, January 17, 2010, please join us as we kick off the new-year: a brand new brew masters series, we begin our tour with the “Ancient Ales Beer Dinner” presented by Donn Bichsel of the Dogfish Head craft brewery. Donn will be on hand along side an archeologist to discuss the beers and their conception.

Chateau Jiahu
-tuna speck, coco nibs, cara cara oranges and green olives

Sah’tea
-salt and pepper shrimp

Theobroma
-crawford farm lamb navarin and roasted leg

Midas Touch
-ricotta, honey and peaches

The price of food is 45 dollars, beer will be $15-20.
 Reservations are encouraged. 
For more info please contact us @ thepublicanrestaurant.com  837 West Fulton Mkt. Chicago 60607 (312) 733.9555 

New Years Eve at The Publican

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:02:00 +0000

Join us as we celebrate the new year!

Four course pre fix menu:
~~Family style~~

Salad of endive, radicchio, orange fresh herbs & buttermilk vinaigrette

Bouchot mussels with pork confit roasted tomatoes & fingerling potatoes

Mixed roast of Crawford farm heirloom pig with smoked quince vinaigrette and brussels sprouts

Seasonal dessert

In addition to the 4 course prefix menu we are also offering a grand seafood collection for an additional $30/guest this includes:
(needs to be ordered in advance)

Dungeness crab, stone crab, oysters, mussels, little neck clams, jumbo shrimp, periwinkles, nantucket bay scallops & octopus ceviche

Optional beer pairing availble

Vanberg & DeWulf holiday dinner at The Publican

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:25:00 +0000

On Sunday, December 13th, as part of The Publican’s yearlong series of beer dinners; The Brew Masters Series, we are more than ecstatic to welcome Don Feinberg & Wendy Littlefield of the Vanberg & DeWulf Imports. In our opinion Don and Wendy are two of the foremost experts on the importing of Belgian beer into the USA and they just so happen to be some of the most pleasant people we have met. Please join us for a night of warm seasons greetings, magical Belgian beer, and wonderful cuisine. Don and Wendy will be on hand to share their knowledge, expertise, as well as a special holiday raffle.

A little back-story on the beery couple: Don Feinberg & Wendy Littlefield’s keen interest in all things Belgian was kindled thirty years ago. They eloped at Yale, set sail for Europe and took up what would be a three-year residence in Brussels. When their companies transferred them back to New York, they brought with them the rights to a then little-known strong golden ale called Duvel. At first they set about proselytizing to restaurants, bars, and shops in their spare time and on weekends. It later became a full time project as they continued this effort then working with distributors to push their favorite beer.

It is no exaggeration to say that Vanberg & DeWulf essentially built the market and distribution network for Belgian beers in the States. Don and Wendy introduced signature beers from each of Belgium’s great indigenous Belgian brewing styles. In addition to Duvel, they launched the sour red beer, Rodenbach, the abbey-style ales of Affligem, the wacky Kwak, the lambics of Frank Boon, as well as the saisons of Brasserie Dupont, strong ales of Brasserie Dubuisson (aka Scaldis), the light abbey beers of Slaghmuylder (aka Witkap), and the bieres de gardes of Brasserie Benifontaine in neighboring French Flanders. Nearly two dozen beers from the last four breweries make up their portfolio today.

Midway into their Belgian beer careers, sensing that domestic microbrewers would soon begin interpreting Belgian styles, they built Brewery Ommegang on a 136 acre former hops farm in Central New York. It was the first brewery in this country to produce bottle- conditioned cork finished Belgian style ales. They subsequently sold the business to Duvel Moortgat.

From the start, and to this day Vanberg & DeWulf only works with independent, family-run, artisanal enterprises, believing in so doing, they would help to perpetuate some of Belgium’s most endangered styles and authentic brewers. They self-published beer writer Michael Jackson’s first US edition of The Great Beers of Belgium when main line publishers declined the classic work. They are constantly involved in culinary and other gastronic events across the globe and now live right here with us in Chicago IL.

Their steadfast, ardent support of Belgian beer has earned them recognition on both sides of the Atlantic; is it any wonder we are more than ecstatic to celebrate the holidays with them.

The dinner menu

Aperitif – Cuvee des Trolls

Course 1
Biere de Miel- sea urchin and halibut crudo, lemon vinaigrette, chervil, extra virgin
olive oil and kohlrabi

Course 2
Avec Les Bons Voeux- Stuffed Tagliatelle, parmesan, giblet sauce and perigord black truffles.

Course 3
Scaldis Prestige de Nuits- goose leg confit and smoked breast with parsnips and quince

Course 4
Scaldis Noel Premium.- ginger snap cake with roasted pine apple and clotted cream

The price of food is 45 dollars, beer will be $20- $30.
Reservations are encouraged.   For more info please contact us @ thepublicanrestaurant.com 837 West Fulton Mkt. Chicago 60607 (312) 733 

Sunday November 22, 2009

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:05:00 +0000

Come join us for a Sunday evening of Cider and cusine. The menu:

St. Drouin Perry Cider

Salad of fingerling potatoes, chorizo, & aioli

Sarasola Basque Cider

Pumpkin risotto with winter perigourd truffles

Cidre Bouche Brut

Roasted guinea hen with carmalized root vegetables

Givre Vintage 2007 Ice Cider

Dessert-Sweet Potato, brown butter & cream

Pome

The price of food is 45 dollars, Cider will be $20.
 Reservations are encouraged. 
For more info please contact us @ thepublicanrestaurant.com  837 West Fulton Mkt. Chicago 60607 (312) 733.9555 

Brewmaster Rob Tod of the Allagash brewing Co. Beer Dinner

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:20:00 +0000

On Sunday, November 15th, as part of The Publican’s yearlong series of beer dinners; The Brew Masters Series, Brewmaster Rob Tod of the Allagash Brewing Company will be joining us for an evening of hand crafted American made Belgian style ale and our cuisine made to match.

Allagash Brewing Company sold its first batch of beer in the summer of 1995. However their story, goes much further back to when in the early 1990’s founder Rob Tod saw something missing in the American beer market. Through his travels, Tod had sampled many of these unique beers and felt that the flavors and traditions of this European nation needed to be shared with the American drinking public. He designed a small 15-barrel brewhouse specifically to embrace the Belgian tradition of beer making, gathered the finest array of authentic raw materials and began his quest towards the production of traditional Belgian style ales.
Allagash began as a one-man operation, with Tod assuming all brewing duties in a small space located in a building on the outskirts of the maritime city of Portland. Allagash began with the release of its Allagash White, modeled after the traditional “White” beers of Belgium. Soon after, two experienced brewers were hired and Allagash released their second brew, Allagash Double Ale.
From the very beginning, Allagash has strived to produce the finest Belgian-style and experimental ales this side of the Atlantic. It began as New England’s original Belgian-Style brewery and has grown into one of the industry’s most distinguished and well-respected brands. Following the time-tested brewing traditions of ancient Belgium, Allagash now produces a broad-ranging portfolio of artisanal beers with uncompromising quality.

The price of food is 45 dollars, beer will be $20.
 Reservations are encouraged. 
For more info please contact us @ thepublicanrestaurant.com  837 West Fulton Mkt. Chicago 60607 (312) 733.9555 

October 11th The Publican presents a beer dinner with Dominique Firart of the brewery St-Feuillien

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:32:00 +0000

On Sunday, October 11th, as part of The Publican’s yearlong series of beer dinners; The Brew Masters Series, Dominique Firart of the brewery St-Feuillien will be joining us to present her family of beers along side our cuisine.

Brasserie St.Feuillien ( “Foo-Yen” ) had it’s start in the 7th century, when an Irish monk named Foylan—a name which later morphed into the more French "Feuillien"—was killed in the village of Le Roeulx. A chapel was built in his honor, which, over time, became the Abbey St. Feuillien du Roeulx. The abbey featured a brewery to support itself, but was destroyed in the French Revolution. In 1873 the Friart family resumed brewing operations and to this day a portion of the proceeds is donated to charitable causes around the world, making St. Feuillien one of Belgium’s oldest and most authentic Abbey Ales.

our tentative menu

St. Feuillien Triple the welcome beer

St. Feuillien Saison
game bird terrine, lyonnaise salad with sunny side up quail egg, pine nuts and crispy bacon.

St. Feuillien Imperial Whit
barbequed sturgeon, fried grits, braising greens, ham hock and pot likker.

St. Feuillien Brune
wood roasted lamb with pickled cherries turnips and truffles.

St. Feuillien Cuvée De Noël
pumpernickel bread pudding with cidre and rum reduction and clotted cream.

The price of food is 45 dollars, beer will be $10- $20. Reservations are encouraged.
 For more info please contact us @ thepublicanrestaurant.com 837 West Fulton Mkt. Chicago 60607 (312) 733

On Sunday, September 20th Chris Bauweraerts presents the “Slow Brew Tour of Belgium” at The Publican

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:06:00 +0000

On Sunday, September 20th, as part of The Publican’s yearlong series of beer dinners; The Brew Masters Series, Chris Bauweraerts presents the “Slow Brew Tour of Belgium”.
Bauweraerts along with brother in law Pierre Gobron founded the d’Achouffe brewery 1982. In 26 short years Chouffe is now exported all over the world and enjoyed by a huge international audience. In 2006 Duvel Moortgat offered to buy Achouffe, providing ability to take distribution potential to new heights. This partnership allowed Chris to remain involved at the brewery while touring and passionately educating about Belgian beer. Chris now acts as a Duvel Ambassador, teaching beer lovers the world over about the renowned portfolio of Belgian beers offered by Duvel Moortgat. Chris will be on hand during the dinner to answer questions and conversate.

Duvel
salt cod and artichoke croquettes

Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
blue fin otoro crudo with olio nuevo, manzanilla olives, almonds and mint

La Chouffe Golden ale
farm poached egg, smoked frika, corn, red curry squash and sweat crab meat

Maredsous Dubbel
braised beef cheek with faro pappardelle and matsutake mushrooms

Maredsous Tripel
salted butterscotch and bananas

The price of food is 45 dollars, beer will be $10- $20.
Reservations are encouraged
For more info please contact us @
thepublicanrestaurant.com
837 West Fulton Mkt. Chicago 60607
(312) 733-9555

James Beard Foundation Benefit Dinner

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:28:00 +0000

The Evening of October 18, 2009

Join the chefs of Blackbird, avec and The Publican as well as Pamela Fitzpatrick of Fox & Obel, for a one-of-a kind benefit dinner supporting James Beard Foundation, celebrating, preserving and nurturing America’s culinary heritage and diversity

Chefs Becky Broeske, Koren Grieveson, Brian Huston, Paul Kahan and Mike Sheerin will team up to present a five-course meal. Pairings will feature Champagne Henriot, Napa Valley’s Blackbird Vineyards, Goose Island Beer Company and Three Floyds Brewing Co.

The cost is $125, tax and tip included
Reservations are required and can be made by calling The Publican at (312) 733-9555.

another successfull beer dinner

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:27:00 +0000

Beer dinner with the Great Lakes Brewing Co. and brewer Luke Purcell was a great success. Pairings were dead on, the execution of food was excellent and a great time was had by all.

Next up: Check out our video! Paul Kahan and Michael McAvena brewed a special beer at New Holland Brewing Co. for our next beer dinner. Video (and details about the event) are posted on our Facebook
page.

Brewing Videos

Publican / New Holland: collaboration

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:00:00 +0000

On June 12th, Chef Paul Kahan and Publican Beer Director Michael McAvena travel to Holland, Michigan to brew a collaborative beer with the New Holland Brewing Company. The beer, a loose interpretation of a bière de garde featuring an elevated level of Munich malt, will debut on August 23 for a special beer dinner.

Check out the video on our Facebook fan page.

Brewing Videos

A Special Dinner at the Publican

Fri, 01 May 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Please join Publican’s chef Brian Huston and Esporao’s winemaker David Baverstock for dinner. Fresh oysters, plenty of pork, award-winning portuguese wines, a brilliant chef, a legendary winemaker, convivial atmosphere, interesting conversation… and all of this for only $75! What more could one ask for on a Sunday?

Sunday, May 10, 2009
5:30 Reception
6:00 Dinner

Five-course dinner
Six wines
$75 plus tax & gratuity

www.esporao.com

James Beard Nominations

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:07:00 +0000

The Publican is pleased to announce nominations for the 2009 James Beard Foundation, including Outstanding Chef Paul Kahan, Best Restaurant Design, Thomas Schlesser, Design Bureaux and Best Restaurant Graphic Design, Jason Pickleman of JNL Graphic Design and Donald J. Madia.

Chef Paul Kahan's Reality Twitter Cooking Show

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 13:17:00 +0000

Ever wonder what goes thru a chef’s mind at work? Now’s your chance. Follow Chef Paul Kahan as he preps for service, works brunch and hopefully caps off the day with a beer mimosa. He’ll post photos, answer questions, etc. (All tweets will be direct from Paul, though transcribed for him since he’ll be kind of busy)

Follow at #pubam

Brunch Started March 15th

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:02:00 +0000

At the new Sunday brunch, you can go new-school (wood-fired egg with harissa, Gouda and grilled bread; fresh ricotta with roasted pineapple and hazelnuts) or old-school (waffles, grits, soft-boiled eggs, scrapple).