3/8 Let's Talk & Dine Together International Women's Day Celebration
POWER. PARITY. POSITIVE COLLABORATION.
DINNER + CONVERSATION
What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than to Dine Together as one city to celebrate women? Twenty of Chicago’s leading Let’s Talk women restaurateurs invite you to our collaborative surprise multi-restaurant tasting dinners for takeout (pick up & delivery) across Chicago. This unparalleled dining experience is paired with a moderated zoom conversation by Congresswoman Marie Newman with our Chicago Let’s Talk Womxn restaurateurs (now 30 strong) on March 8th 7-8pm. Dinner orders must be placed by March 4th. Support Let’s Talk and share this event and order link with all in your circles.
Converse with the Let’s Talk Womxn and hear our perspectives on parity, power and positive collaboration. Learn about our food, our businesses, our journey fighting the crisis, and our Let’s Talk collaboration – over twelve cities and 350+ women restaurateurs – to lift each other up in the midst of this debacle. Let’s Talk is delighted to unite our cities around the country to “Dine Together & Let’s Talk” on IWD: Chicago, DC, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Lexington, Cincinnati, Boston, SF Bay Area (Louisville, Seattle, LA TBD). Engage with us and send us your questions on instagram @LetsTalkWomxn or Twitter @rohinivermilion.
This is an evening to share with all in your social and corporate circles, especially all the men. Championing parity is far from solely a women’s cause. Invite your colleagues, friends, daughters and sons and join Dine Together & Let’s Talk to change the dialogue around parity, power, and positive collaboration.
The $85 four-coursed dinner for two adults or $160 eight-coursed dinner for two adults includes the zoom conversation. Fees/taxes and cocktails are additional. Order dinner by March 4th. You will receive a zoom link by March 6th. Pick up dinner 3-6pm on March 8th across five zones in Chicago. Dine Together with us & Let’s Talk on March 8th 7-8pm.
Our Zoom Host is The Chicago Network. Marketing Let’s Talk Partners include The Chicago Network, International Women’s Forum Chicago, The Network of Executive Women, Mariano’s Grocers, Choose Chicago, 1871, Illinois Restaurant Association and Beam Suntory.
MENU CHOICES:
Two Surprise Multi-Restaurant Dinners:
– 4 courses $85 for two, plus tax/fees (omnivore or vegetarian)
– 8 courses $160 serves up to four, plus tax/fees (omnivore or vegetarian).
The omnivore menu will contain pork, beef, chicken, or lamb.
HOW IT WORKS:
– Pre-order for pickup on Monday 3/8 from 4pm-6:00pm at 5 different locations in Chicago (West Loop at Paramount Group, Uptown at Demera, Northbrook at Prairie Grass Cafe, Marianos in Vernon Hills, Marianos in Naperville)
– Menu selections will be revealed upon package pickups which will include savory menu items and desserts from multiple restaurants. Cocktails are add-ons. See below for list of 17 participating restaurants
– All meals are prepared to reheat at home with instructions
– Zoom link will be sent so Chicago can dine together and hear from the Let’s Talk Women in your city on March 8th from 7:00pm-8:00pm. Learn about the women restaurateurs, their food, their journey fighting the crisis, their business, and their incredible collaboration.
– Last day to pre-order is March 4 by 6pm
PARTICIPATING LET’S TALK RESTAURATEURS:
– Rohini Dey, Ph.D. Let’s Talk Founder, founder JBF Women’s Leadership Program (Vermilion)
– Mary Aregoni, Chicago Let’s Talk Chicago Co-Host (Saigon Sisters)
– Sophie Evanoff, Chicago Let’s Talk Chicago Co-Host (Vanille Patisserie)
– Clodagh Lawless, Chicago Let’s Talk Chicago Co-Host (The Dearborn)
– Deann Bayless (Frontera Group)
– Beverly Kim (Parachute, Wherewithall)
– Tigist Reda (Demera)
– Sarah Stegner (Prairie Grass Cafe)
– Genie Kwon (Kasama)
– Christine Cikowski (HBFC)
– Laurence Noguier (Bistronomic)
– Julia Shell (The Dandy Crown)
– Julia Momose (Kumiko)
– Sandra Holl (Floriole)
– Mindy Gohr & Esther Griego (Bittersweet)
– Amy Morton (Found Kitchen, Social House)
– Agnieszka Rapacz (TeaGschwendner)
– Jodi Fyfe (The Paramount Group)
– Geri Guidot (Savory Crust)
SOME MENU ITEMS & COCKTAILS:
-Saigon Sisters (Stir fry beef noodle with mushrooms, truffle, egg, togarashi) – gluten free
-Vanille Patisserie (Amber bar caramel mousseline)
-Vermilion (Blackened chili tamarind ribs or eggplant, tamarendo India meets Latin America, south Indian curry leaf lemon rice)
-The Dearborn (Pork and Lamb Meatballs Basque-inspired piperade, feta cheese, soft boiled egg, chive or Vegetarians Mozzarella & Mushrooms Arancini Basque-inspired piperade, feta cheese, soft boiled egg, chive)
-Found (Vietnamese influenced Caramelized Pork Rice Bowl fried shallot, scallion, cucumber, Thai chili or Vietnamese influenced Caramelized Cauliflower Rice Bowl
fried shallot, scallion, cucumber, Thai chili
-Parachute (Pork belly Ssam with Gotham Greens Lettuce Wraps, Ssamjang sauce, pickled garlic, and spicy radish kimchi or Vegetarians Smoked Phoenix Bean Yuba with Gotham Green Lettuce Wraps, Ssamjang Sauce, pickled garlic, and spicy radish kimchi)
-Kasama (VegetariansRoasted vegetables with goat butter and laminated flatbread)
-Demera (Meats Messob or Assortment of 9 different vegan dishes with injeras)
-Frontera Grill (SHORT RIB ENCHILADAS SUIZAS or VEGETABLE ENCHILADAS SUIZAS)
-Prairie Grass Cafe (Confit of vegetables with chopped salted pecans, Capriole goat cheese, and pomegranate seeds)
-Bistronomic (Exotic fruits cheese cake with Grand Marnier coulis)
-Floriole (Hibiscus lime pie with a coconut crust) – gluten free
-Honey Butter Fried Chicken (2 Piece Fried Boneless Chicken,Corn Muffins,Honey Butter)
-Bittersweet (Sour Cherry Clafoutis with Vanilla Creme Anglaise) – gluten free
-Kumiko (Satsumaimo Old Fashioned cocktails)
-The Dandy Crown (Nobody on the Beach cocktails)
3/20 Celebrate International Women's Month with The Abundance Table
A four course meal kit featuring dishes from chefs Debbie Gold (Barn Steakhouse/Found Kitchen), Sarah Stegner (Prairie Grass Cafe), Beverly Kim (Parachute/Wherewithall), Sandra Holl (Floriole), & Dana Cree (Pretty Cool Ice Cream)
Roasted Three Sisters Garden Calabrese broccoli, butternut squash, pea shoots & pecan oat crumble
– $100 meal kit for 2pp + $100 donation to the Abundance Setting
– Kit includes wine from Cream Wine and beer from Marz Brewery plus a copy of Parachute’s Bing Bread Cookbook
– A one hour Zoom call w/ chefs will be held on March 20 from 6-7 pm
The BAD has returned, well sorta and there are other new and exciting menu choices. Please give Chef Hunter a high five. He has done a great job updating the menu.
Love (and chocolate) is in the air.
The bread team has created the most stunning and delectable babka filled with chocolate and raspberry. It will only be around until Valentine’s Day.
Everything has turned chocolate on the pastry side of the kitchen. We have chocolate canelé, chocolate kouign amann, chocolate dipped heart tarts . . . Other menu additions include heart linzer cookies and blood orange posset.
We are open on President’s Day and we would love to see you. Looking forward to longer days and the arrival of March.
Join us to celebrate the amazing work that Growing Power does to help bring more real food to Chicago’s south and west sides. This summer alone they will employee 200 teens and 150 head-start preschoolers at city farms. Come enjoy delicious food, a drink or two, and help Growing Power to grow delicious and nutritious vegetables while supporting over 350 youth this summer with art, cooking, food and fitness, as well as environmental education!
Food and desserts provided by:
Floriole
Our House Pizza
*more to be announced
$10 donation upon entry includes 1 drink ticket. Additional drink tickets available for $5
Growing Power is a national nonprofit organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds, and the environments in which they live, by helping to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food for people in all communities.
We love this time of year because each week brings something new and exciting from the farmers market which means there are constantly new seasonal items appearing up in our cases. Additionally, you may have noticed a few exciting changes on the breakfast and lunch menus recently. For breakfast try our new lightened up egg white frittata or go all-in with the egg sandwich – a winning combo of cheddar spread, bacon and pickled onions on a fluffy brioche roll. Our beloved ricotta toast is now topped with a bright heap of strawberries and finished with a drizzle of lavender honey! Bon Appétit!
Crepe Dinner, June 11
Put on your beret and join us for a fun crêpe dinner at Floriole on June 11.
Menu:
asparagus and fava bean salad
buckwheat crêpe filled with smoked gouda and spinach, topped with a farm egg and crisp lardons
sweet crêpe filled with roasted strawberry rhubarb jam and topped with buttermilk sherbet
*hard cider, beer, wine and other beverages are available for purchase
Join us all weekend to celebrate Bastille Day. We will be tasting fine French wines, cheeses and chocolates, running happy hour specials, and hosting kids crafting events up at the farm table.
Friday, July 14, 3-5pm- French wine tasting
Saturday, July 15, 3-5pm – Cheese tasting
Sunday, July 16, 3-5pm- Chocolate tastings (enjoy a complimentary chocolate with each cup of coffee that day)
We will continue the celebration all month long with our July Specials
More events
There are many other events at the cafe and in the community coming up this summer so mark your calendars!
June 10: Watercolor floral wreath crafting with Joslyn at Floriole. Tickets and info HERE
June 16: Crepe party fundraiser for LFC at Floriole. All ages are welcome! Tickets and info HERE
July 4: The cafe will be closed for Independence Day.
July 5-9: Taste of Chicago. More info to come on a schedule of Sandra’s Chef Demos!
July 20: Green City Market Chef BBQ – Tickets and info HERE
Seven years ago this month we quietly opened our doors and hoped for the best. After several years of carting around a tent, folding tables and all the baked goods we could stuff into our mini van to the Green City Market, we were thrilled to have walls and a roof over our heads. Our opening crew was comprised of less than 8 and today there are close to 35 Floriole team members! I don’t have many clear memories of that first day, sadly it’s a bit of a fog. I know that it was so exciting and exhilarating; a dream come true.
Thank you to all the people who have supported Floriole from our days at the farmers’ markets and at the shop. Through the years, your kind words of encouragement and constructive criticism has kept us going and shaped what we have become. We are forever grateful to the hardworking and talented individuals who bake, clean, manage and provide great customer service. It takes a team to keep this place running and we couldn’t ask for a better group to get the job done.
On Friday April 21st, please join us as we celebrate our seventh year at 1220 W Webster Avenue. There will be cake!
Easter and Passover
We are here to help with your celebration needs. Pickup April 10th and 11th for Passover and April 15th and 16th for Easter. Orders require 48 hours notice and will be taken online and in the cafe.
Art by Cynthia Winter
Cynthia Winter is a Chicago architect. She is inspired by the vast urban landscape yet delights in capturing the color and detail of interior still life. The magic brew of pigment and water allows her to create abstractions of the world she sees. She travels with a pocket size watercolor color kit instead of a camera. In Chicago, she cruises the lakefront via bicycle, capturing water and waves, the autumn symphony of color, the emerging green in the spring and the winter icescape from her skyscraper studio. In the west, she grabs the sun sky mountain desert and sketches from the passenger seat of her convertible as the landscape slowly passes.
Stop in and check out her work displayed at the bakery. All pieces are available for purchase.
As we get closer to spring, the menus are lightening up, new items are arriving and our kitchen is once again open until 5:30pm. On the savory side, we have a new turkey club, a hot dish of duck confit and sweet potatoes that we call the Duck HP, and new seasonal salads. The bread team has resurrected Boston brown bread and hot cross buns will appear later in the month. Pastry is turning out cream cheese danishes, goat cheese and cherry galettes and working on a new cookie. Stay tuned for special items for Passover and Easter.
Crêpe Dinner March 19th
The first crepe dinner was a success and we are looking forward to another this month.
The March crêpes dinner menu will feature:
buckwheat galette with crab and shallots in mornay sauce, mixed greens with meyer lemon vinaigrette
“suzette” rolled sweet crepe filled with yuzu and tangerine butter, citrus salad and burnt orange caramel
cider:
a selection of French cidre brut from Normandie and locally produced ciders
Tickets for the dinner on March 19, 2017 are available for $30 per guest. Reserve seating by calling Floriole at (773) 883-1313 or here.
Pi Day
We are looking forward to celebrating 3.14159265359 – every baker’s favorite number. To mark the day we will have individual “Pi”neapple upside-down cake for $3.14. You don’t need an excuse to enjoy this cake but this sure is a good one.
New Art Installation
Cynthia Winter is a Chicago architect. She is inspired by the vast urban landscape yet delights in capturing the color and detail of interior still life. The magic brew of pigment and water allows her to create abstractions of the world she sees. She travels with a pocket size watercolor color kit instead of a camera. In Chicago, she cruises the lakefront via bicycle, capturing water and waves, the autumn symphony of color, the emerging green in the spring and the winter icescape from her skyscraper studio. In the west, she grabs the sun sky mountain desert and sketches from the passenger seat of her convertible as the landscape slowly passes.
Bakers love Valentine’s Day because we get to be a little cheesy and make cute conversation heart cookies, fancy heart pastries and lots of chocolate items. Our Valentine’s inspired line up is on point this year with a beautiful heart shaped orange flower and lemon mousse topped with blood orange compote and dipped in chocolate. As is our tradition, we will have chocolate canelé starting this weekend. They will be around for about two weeks . . . so get them while you can!
Upcoming Events
Best Baguette Chicago
Taste baguettes and breads from Chicago’s top bakeries and help decide who makes the best baguette in town!
On February 16th at SOFITEL Chicago Magnificent Mile, the finalists will compete for bragging rights in front of a jury of professional chefs and celebrities.
You will be able to follow the jury’s deliberations as well as tasting all the baguettes and breads yourself and talking to the bakers. All bakers will display their baguettes and other breads for the public to sample before the audience chooses their favorite.
Join us to discuss how farmers and chefs are reviving heirloom grains & heritage meats as a means of restoring the flavor and nutritional value of our food, while also improving soil quality and biodiversity.
buckwheat galette filled with crab in mornay sauce
“suzette” rolled sweet crepe filled with yuzu and tangerine butter, citrus salad and orange caramel
and cider, bien sûr!
Flowers!
Last year I signed up for a flower CSA with Avium Flowers and the bouquets were the highlight of my week. I’m looking forward to subscribing again this year and Floriole will be a pickup location! Subscribe here.
Avium is Chicago’s flower farm; committed to operating fully within the city limits of Chicago. We are focused on growing blooms and foliage, including native perennials and herbs, and using sustainable growing methods.
The holiday menu is up and we are taking orders. Please place your order by December 21st for pick-up December 24th. Orders for other dates will require at least 48 hours notice.
Sunday Supper at Floriole December 18th
After visiting Paris earlier this year, Mathieu lamented that crêpes in chicago just aren’t the same as they are in France. The next month we were planning a crêpe dinner menu!
Crêpe Night – two courses + cider $25
Savory buckwheat galette filled with alpine style cheese, cider caramelized onions and ham
Sweet crêpe filled with quince butter, honey ice cream and toasted almonds
We are a collection site for Chicago Cares: Warm Up Chicago. Please consider bringing in new or gently used hats and gloves or for Chicagoans in need. It’s getting cold out there!
Here we are. It’s November! That means that Thanksgiving is around the corner and the holidays will be here before we know it. We are excited to release our Thanksgiving menu and hope you will order some sweets and bread from Floriole for your holiday spread. Without further ado, I present to you our 2016 Menu.
You are welcome to place your order at the bakery, over the phone or in our online store. We will begin accepting orders November 1st and all orders must be placed by November 18th at 5pm. Please help us by ordering early!
Friendsgiving!
We are really excited to have a Friendsgiving Sunday Supper at Floriole this year. Gather up your favorite buddies and celebrate the Sunday before Turkey day. We will be cooking up a three course traditional turkey dinner $30/person. Tickets here.
Sweet Sugar, Sultry Spice book event November 5th and collaboration
Stop by for a pomegranate milk chocolate scone, our November collaboration pastry. The recipe is from Malika Ameen’s baking book pictured below.
Join us for tea, sweets, special talk and book signing with chef / author Malika Ameen and her new baking book Sweet Sugar, Sultry Spice: Exotic Flavors to Wake up Your Baking with a collection of over 75 recipes to raise your desserts to a whole new level.
The book discussion will be moderated by Sandra Holl and Floriole Bakery will provide a selection of treats from the book with specially selected teas from Rare Tea Cellar. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. Tickets here or at the bakery.
Le Coin de Mathieu
Dear readers,
Sandra. Stella and I are just back from 2 weeks of vacation. One week in France and one in Italy. Great times, great food.
There’s only one reason we were able to go on vacation: our awesome team.
If you own a small business, you know how worried you can get when leaving your baby. But when you are lucky like us, you are able to do that and enjoy your time off.
Of course, sh*t happens, and it did, it always does (even when we are around). So what matters is how it is handled. And it was handled wonderfully.
So, this coin is about recognizing the various individuals who contribute to our success by caring about the bakery.
Thank you to all of you!
James Beard Awards stay in Chicago!
That’s right! Chicago will continue to host the “Oscars of the food world”: The James Beard Awards, until 2021! The awards honor the “best of the best” in the industry from food writers and chefs to restauranteurs and bakers. In 2016, three Chicago chefs and restaurants received awards: Alinea, was named most outstanding restaurant in the country, Curtis Duffy, of Grace, was named best chef Great Lakes and Land and Sea Dept. won outstanding design for Cherry Circle Room.
Please consider supporting your favorite Chicago chefs and restaurants by nominating them here before December 1st!
Labor Day has come and gone and Le Coin de Mathieu is moving to the top of the newsletter.
Dear readers,
After 10 years of working two jobs, I’m finally down to one: I work for my wife.
I won’t say whether I had better boss or not, that might get me in trouble.
What I can share is that losing one job has lifted a heavy weight from my mind.
Of course, there is always something to do at the bakery: to fix, to improve, to create, but being able to focus on this is a blessing a long time coming.
I’ve written previously about the importance of gratitude and the awareness of what has been received. It was not my decision to go down to one job, but I already know I will look back happily on it.
Namaste!
Mathieu
September Pastry Collaboration with Leigh Omilinsky of Nico Osteria!
Leigh and I put our heads together to dream up a pastry that combines two of our favorite things: kouign amann and 20 hour apples. If you aren’t familiar with kouign amann, it is a flakey layered pastry somewhat similar to a croissant with the addition of salted butter and a hefty amount of caramelized sugar. 20 hour apples are an amazing way to take the humble apple and concentrate all its apply flavor. We added the apples to the center of the kouign amann and the result is great! Just try it, we think you will agree.
20 hour apple KA will be around at Nico and Floriole all month $4 each. Come and get it!
July was a hot and busy month but we made it through our first time at the Green City Market BBQ and the annual Sheffield Garden Walk. On top of that, we added a beehive to our rooftop garden. We feel like new parents and hope our babies make some tasty honey.
August has arrived along with corn, peaches, plums and tomatoes. The abundance of local produce is reflected in the pastry case and on the menu, from BLTs and blackberry tarts, to corn salad and peach galettes. It’s a great time to come in and try something new.
BLT with Green Acres heirloom tomatoes – upgraded to a club with the addition of sliced turkey and avocado. 100% yum!
Sunday Supper at Floriole – August 28th 6:30pm
Join us for a dinner that celebrates corn! Three courses for $30 and there is a special $15 menu for kids 12 and under.
First Course
cucumber ribbons, cherry tomatoes, corn and poblano pepper vinaigrette
Second Course
corn risotto, goat cheese and squash blossoms
Dessert
buttermilk corn custard tart with rosemary caramel corn
Pastry Collaboration
For the month of August we are collaborating with Meg Galus, executive pastry chef at Boka, Swift & Sons and Momotaro. She is a French Pastry School graduate and was a finalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef.
The collaboration bar is chocolate marshmallow topped with black raspberry pate de fruit on a buckwheat crunch base and the bar is enrobed in Illanka chocolate.
The best part about this collaboration is that we will be donating $1 for each bar sold to the Valrhona Clean Water Project.
Le Coin de Mathieu
Bees – The reboot!
Readers, if you follow this newsletter, you know that we tried to setup a hive on our roof top. Well, it did not go as planned… a month later, there was not a single bee alive. Where is the luck of the beginner ??
We were seriously disappointed and thought we were done for the year (and honestly not sure we would have tried again).
Well, well, well! Our new general manager Jonie, introduced us to her friends Dave and Jenie. They are also first year bee-keepers but they know their stuff. They came to the bakery and offered to give us a few frames from their hive!
They were able to split their hive, get worker bees to raise a new queen, get the queen mated and start laying.
So here we are, with a hive in much better shape than the first time around with frames getting full of honey and brood back on the roof.
Of course, we’re not out of the woods yet. Winter is coming (where did I hear that ??) and a lot of hives do not make it through. We will start feeding our bees a mix of water and sugar so they can build their reserves and hope for the best.
Dave and Jenie will stop by from time to time to help us keep things going. We already plan on exchanging city honey for their suburb honey and taste how they differ.
