Great Ethnic Restaurant Wine Dinner Series

Take a vicarious trip to El Salvador, Poland or Cuba by participating in A Taste of California’s eighth annual Great Ethnic Restaurant Wine Dinner Series, through November. The unique event, which is comprised of Monday evening dinners, pairs cuisine from some of the city’s most outstanding ethnic restaurants with A Taste of California wines. Camille Stagg, award-winning food, wine and travel author, will be the host.
“Tucked away in the corners of Chicago lie some amazing ethnic restaurants just waiting to be discovered,” says John Davis, president of A Taste of California, a Windy-City-based wine-of-the-month club. “Anyone who loves to eat should experience these hidden jewels. They won’t believe the food, and they’ll also be pleasantly surprised at just how complementary California wine is to exotic cuisine.”
Stagg selected the restaurants participating in the dinner series in order to get a true sampling of the adventuresome cuisine that Chicago has to offer. She and the chef proprietor of the restaurants will be on hand during the evenings to provide dining commentary and answer questions. All dinners begin at 5:30 p.m. with a reception and follow with the meal being served at 6:30 p.m. Participating restaurants and dates are as follows:
Restaurant Izalco
Salvadoran Cuisine
Monday, Oct. 21 — 1511 W. Lawrence Ave.
Family-owned by David and Marleni Villis. Specialties include Tamal Salvadoreno (cornmeal tamal stuffed with pork); Sopa de pollo (chicken soup); Asopado de camarones (shrimp and rice soup); Empanaditas de platano con leche (empanadas stuffed with milk custard); Pupusas Tipicas (corn meal stuffed tortillas with various fillings, such as fried bean and cheese).
Lutnia Continental Café
Polish Cuisine
Monday, Nov. 4 — 5532 W. Belmont Ave.
White tablecloths, fresh flowers and candles enhance this top-rated Polish cuisine, which incorporates fruits, beets, mushrooms, cheeses, dill, poppyseeds and many other familiar ingredients. House specialties: Half roast duck flambeed in orange sauce; stroganoff tenderloin flambe served in a pastry shell; stuffed boneless quail with cranberry sauce. Desserts include homemade apple cake and blintzes.
Café La Guardia
Cuban Cuisine
Monday, Nov. 18 — 2111 W. Armitage Ave.
The original Café La Guardia was founded in 1950 in a small town outside of Havana and this cozy café reflects a small town feeling. Specialties include Havana black bean soup, Papas rellenos (mashed potato balls stuffed with seasoned ground beef, breaded and fried); Plantains, sweet or green; yuca frita (fried casava). Entrees include: Pernil de cerdo asado (sliced pork lightly sauteed with onions and garlic sauce); Ropa Vieja (shredded beef cooked in tomato sauce with potatoes, olives, onions and peppers); Jumbo shrimp Catalina (sauteed shrimp in flavorful tomato-wine sauce).
Celebrating 20 years, A Taste of California now serves 40,000 members. John Davis created A Taste of California after receiving numerous requests for advice on wine during his more than two decades as a wine merchant and restaurateur. A Taste of California introduces its members to the widest possible variety of wine all at affordable prices, while providing information about the wines and wineries.
The cost for each dinner is $58 per person with tax and gratuity included; Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express are accepted. Reservations are required (last year was a total sell out); call A Taste of California at (773) 235-9463.