Guest Post: The Broke Wino

A special post to the blog—thoughts on The BIN 36 Challenge from the other side of the bar...

By Sam Klingberg

BIN, House of Blues, and the cobs,
via abaynoash's photostream.

Tucked away between the House of Blues and Harry Caray's is BIN 36. It's a Chicago watering hole, literally, as on any given night it's populated with a blend of regulars, business travelers, tourists, winos, and whoever else finds themselves in need of some good juice just north of the Loop. But BIN 36 is also something of a conundrum.

It's a wine bar that refuses to carry well-known producers at the sacrifice of well-made artisanal wines from virtually unknown places in the world: Burgenland, Rueda, or even New Mexico, for example. Try to order a Napa Cab, they don't have one.

A Rueda vineyard, where Verdejo reigns,
via reflejandome's photostream.

It's a restaurant that dares to offer 46 different cheeses in a country that all but assumes Cheddar is yellow, Mozzarella is white, and both come in a shrink-wrap homogenized eight ounce block in the refrigerated section of the supermarket.

It's a cathedral for all things under-appreciated, but not in an elitist, socially awkward hipster way. Even though it's located in the center of River North, a restaurant Mecca and a natural habitat for the upscale Chicago epicure, the staff is unpretentious, casual, and passionate about who they are and what they serve.

They wear t-shirts and don't use made up accents, yet they can still guide you through the esoteric wine list, suggest a good pairing for items off their menu, or just talk animatedly about the crazy sparkling Chenin Blanc from Peru they just poured for you.

Their enthusiasm for wine is not only tangible, it's contagious. I love bringing non-obsessed friends with me because it's a comfortable environment, the wine is fantastic, yet affordable, and it's a guarantee that someone will leave almost as much in love with the fermented juice as I am. Almost.

Though, what makes the BIN 36 Challenge so exciting to me is that I'm forced to explore and expand my palate through their extensive wine and cheese selection during a one-month binge course, and I'm basically doing it for free. Even though I've been around the oenophile block a time or two, artisanal cheese is a whole new frontier for me, and at any rate, I can never taste enough wine.

Plus, once they revamp all the flights after the challenge is over, I get to do it all over again.

(Sam Klingberg is also known as the Broke Wino, which he's used as the namesake for his wine blog, The Broke Wino. You can also follow him on twitter like we do. He's @brokewino.

And Sam? Thank you—you're the man!)

New Farm Menu and TasteLive at BIN

Nichol's Farm beets

It's Thursday, and when Thursday rolls around it means one thing. Phil's working his Green City Market magic over at the cafe in Wicker Park. But this week, there's a bit more going on than that...

First off, here's Phil's prix-fixe menu for tonight:

nichol's farm baby beet salad

growing power farm arugula, iron creek watermelon

goat cheese marshmallow

pairing: 2008 sauvignon blanc, "silex," blanc preys tourain

day boat scallops

river valley ranch chanterelles, tapioca pearls, growing power farm baby swiss chard,

leaning shed farms tomato vinaigrette

pairing: 2007 gewurztraminer brandborg, umpqua valley

strawberry shortcake

orange scone, fresh strawberry compote

creme fraiche chantilly

pairing: 2007 brachetto d'aqui, "rosa regale,"

castello banfi, piedmont, italy

The scallops

It's been great to watch Phil evolve with this farm menu concept over the Summer—he's really hitting his stride now with these dishes. I mean, just look at those scallops. Truly beautiful. And I can't even begin to tell you proud we are of what he's done with this concept.

But like I said, there's a bit more going on tonight. Obviously, the Challenge is underway and if you've been paying attention online, you've seen that people are really embracing this idea. We had someone finish all eight cheese flights and all twelve wine flights in the first week alone! And if you haven't started yet, there's really nothing to worry about. There's still three more weeks before the deadline. Plenty of time, right?

And we make it easy to entice you into the restaurant. Every Wednesday we're still hosting our mini-bin school classes, which are just a half hour long and if paid in advance, only $10. Each class is themed, and held in the kind of way that you might talk about wine with your friends at home. It's casual and interactive and not only are you tasting some cool wines, but we're giving you 20% a store or dining purchase after the class. As you can see, we like the incentives. But mini-bins aside, tonight we've got a little something special going on at BIN 36. We're participating in TasteLive!

TasteLive is an online community of wine drinkers, producers, and retailers, built around the idea of sharing information and tasting notes via the internet—and more specifically, via twitter. Our tasting tonight is centered on Argentina wines, and to give you an idea of the capabilities of this thing, we're co-hosting the event with The Cheese Store in Beverly Hills and NY Vintners in New York. And I quote, 

"Wines of Argentina and TasteLive will host wine bloggers from around the United States and winemakers from Argentina for a virtual tasting of Trophy and Gold Medal winning wines selected from the prestigious Argentine Wine Awards, whose judges include Masters of Wine from countries around the world.

Simultaneously, The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, NY Vintners of New York and Bin 36 in Chicago will host TasteLive Tweetups in-store with these stellar wines. Guests will follow the winemaker and blogger conversation on a TasteLive computer screen hosted by CellarPass, the online reservation tool for planning and booking wine country events, as well as post their own notes through their iPhones and Blackberries using the hash tag #winesofargentina."

We'll be tasting wines like the '09 Salentein Reserve Chardonnay and '09 Dominio del Plata Ciros de Susana Balbo Malbec Rosé 2009, plus a Torrentes or two, a Viognier and more. So yeah, between Wicker Park and TasteLive at BIN, we obviously won't be having any fun tonight.

If you think the Argentina tasting is up your alley, then don't be shy and hang out with us tonight by emailing your reservation here. And if tonight doesn't work out? Well don't sweat it, we're doing it all over again next month just before the Challenge comes to a close! But of course, not being at BIN tonight should only mean one thing—you're with Phil, chowing down on his 3-course prix-fixe in Wicker Park.

Right?

Farm Fresh and Olive Oil Powder

By Phil Rubino

Olive oil powder—it puffs in your mouth!

I know BIN 36 has everyone excited about The Challenge and free wine and cheese and even dinner and all that, but I want some attention, too! Tonight will be the second and final night of this week's Green City Market prix-fixe menu, and we took some time yesterday to break down a bit of what went into the menu I came up with—for those unfamiliar to the prix-fixe, I'm doing this every week for Wednesday and Thursday, centering the menu around what I find at the market that morning that the farmers have and is in peak season. Check it out.

Peaches and plums from Mick Klug.

For the first course, I was really impressed by the stonefruit Mick Klug had yesterday morning. His peaches have been spot on this summer, and though the plums aren't at their peak anymore, they're still solid—and what you see above is the fruit getting pickled. That bit of acid plays off the sweetness of the fruit, and complimented the main component of the dish really well. And that main component was...

We made these bad boys Sunday, then let them age and
do their wonderful drying magic.

Pork and lamb sausage! The dish is simple and a bit rustic, but with homemade links and the pickled fruit from Klug, I was pretty happy with the result.

The sausage with a stonefruit panzanella.

I was really inspired by some incredible eggplant for the main. Genesis Growers, a local farm that had quite a bit of trouble with rain and flooding earlier this summer, had these stellar baby eggplants called fairytale eggplants, and as you'll see in the finished dish, I really wanted to showcase the vegetable. But there's more to a dish than that—a lot more. Nick Nichols had some great looking red and white striped Swiss chard yesterday and Green Acres had some truly incredible garlic.

Garlic puree using Green Acres' awesome garlic.

In the end, I had some great tuna from Carl Galvan at Supreme Lobster and seared that to go with the rest. Here's the final plate—and notice the whole, oven roasted eggplant:

Nichols farm red & white striped Swiss chard,
Genesis Growers fairytale eggplant, Green
Acres'garlic puree, warm anchovy vinaigrette.

And that white powder on the plate? Yeah, easy to make a joke about what absolutely inappropriate thing it might be, but no matter how far in the gutter your mind is, it's not that. It's an olive oil powder. Yup, olive oil powder—just having a little bit of fun with the diners! And the powder? Just a small bite of the stuff and it blows your mind. Like taking a bite of a cloud. Literally. Only, the cloud tastes like olive oil!

That's Green Acres' garlic on the right.

And the strawberry shortcake was such a huge hit last week, that I brought it back for this menu to close out the dinner. Each week we're noticing more and more people are coming in for the prix-fixe, which is great to see—I'm literally buying from the farmers at the market, so in reality buy eating with us for this menu, you're only one person removed from directly supporting the farmers. And that one person? Well, it's just little ol' me.

And for $25, it's really easy to take an hour or so in the middle of the week and enjoy a well-paced, limited time offered, seasonal dinner. Cheaply!

If you can't make it tonight, I hope you'll at least start thinking of us for next week and then on. As you can see from my fluffy clouds, we're having a blast.

(Phil Rubino is Chef de Cuisine at bin wine cafe and is taking Wicker Park to a whole new level!)

The Challenge: White Flights

Globe trekking via lovelydesign's photostream.

For more than 10 years now, I've been traveling the world, searching high and low for the latest and greatest wines, which basically makes me your personal wine shopper. What's more, I've brought these wines home to BIN 36, where they can be enjoyed at your leisure. Each flight offers you the opportunity to travel the world of wine without baggage, lines or delays. Take a look at some of the exciting flights available for you now:

Bubbles. Bubbles. Bubbles—via Becca923's photostream.

• BUBBLES

Nothing lifts the spirit or says “Let’s Celebrate" quite like a glass of sparkling wine. I recently found a real gem from Peru ... that’s right, Peru! The Non-Vintage Brut, Chenin Blanc, from Tabernero, Peru, is like Chenin Blanc on steroids. Gorgeous flavors of white peach, apricot and citrus will dance on the tongue all night long.

• SAUVIGNON BLANC v. CHARDONNAY

I love a good smackdown, and in different ways, this flight offers four. Here’s the lineup:

- Sauvignon Blanc, (France v. California)
- Chardonnay, (France v. California)
- Grape v. Grape: Sauvignon Blanc v. Chardonnay
- California v. France: In this battle, the BIN 36 Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay bring it to the French. You decide the victor.

• ITALIAN WHITES

Italy produces some of the cleanest, mouth-watering wines in the world. A few of my new favorites include the 2008 Tocai, Vinjuli, from Friuli, Italy, and the 2008 Pinot Grigio, Castello di Arcania, from Grave-Friuli, Italy. The Tocai is a real crowd pleaser, and the Pinot Grigio has more personality than any Pinot Grigio I've ever tasted. Get in and get some!

The original wine cave—it's since caved in—at
Wollersheim via Lance and Erin's photostream.

• WELL-TRAVELED WHITES

This flight showcases delicious white wines from unique places, such as this lively wine—the 2008 Seyval "Prairie Fume," from the Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin. The flavor is a cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, combined with bright citrus and fresh cut grass. Neighbors great with Chef's Chevre, a California-style goat cheese, one of America's first artisinal producers.

• NO GRAPE STANDS ALONE

Winemakers who successfully blend multiple grapes are like great chefs who produce delicious and beautifully balanced dishes. This flight celebrates such skill, and the 2007 Verdejo/Viura, Monte Palma, from Rueda, Spain, delivers fresh, white peach notes with pristine, nutty minerals for some lip smackin' satisfaction.

Alsatian slope via wilsondaniels' photostream

• EXPRESS YOURSELF

This flight is devoted to the real SHOW-OFFS! You'll find vibrant white wines that don’t believe in restraint, especially the 2007 Pinot Blanc, Chateau D'Orschwihr, "Bollenberg," from Alsace, France. One of the best I’ve ever had. Sip in style with this wine—that's definitely full of personality.

The Challenge: Thoughts on Cheese

A little truffle love in this Pecorino via
A Glutten-Free Guide's photostream

Well in the spirit of our contest, I was going to start talking about a different cheese flight with each blog entry. An ambitious challenge on its own, but if we're asking you to commit to us, well I'm ready to commit to this!

We all are excited about The Challenge, but I am especially excited because it brings our cheese program front and center. You have to understand that I have always been extremely proud of the cheese program here, not only because of the quality and varities that we offer, but because we really put a lot of effort behind each cheese we bring into the restaurant. Like wine was ten years ago, for a lot of people cheese is is an uncharted frontier. So many countries, and regions within each country, and towns within each region... and they all put out something different. Cheese-making is a truly global craft that is all at once complex, yet to so satisfying. And what a cool way to explore the world, you know what I mean?

Buffalo mozzarella via Cicius' photostream

Which is why I'm first going to write about our We ♥ Italy flight. Lately, the food of the mother country has been on my mind constantly, and cheeses from the "boot" are a part of these thoughts. People have been making cheese in Italy for hundreds of years, and in some cases thousands. And a good hand-crafted cheese? True art. So of course, I'm going to begin with the buffalo mozzarella. If the only mozzarella you've ever had is cow's milk mozz, then you really are missing out—and seriously need to high tail it to BIN to try this stuff. There's nothing like it. The cheese has a soft, almost liquidy texture from the delicate buffalo milk—light as a cloud—and offers a sweet and tart mouth experience. Honestly? You may never want cow's milk mozz again.

Pecorino Toscano in Tuscany storefront via thrown_art's photostream

Then there's our sheep's milk offering; the Pecorino Toscano. Italians love their sheep's milk cheeses—you'll understand why when you taste this one. It is both sharp and slightly salty, yet still a bit nutty in your mouth, but, you will taste the rustic side of Italy with this sheep's milk cheese. And this is cheese is PDO, which is an Italian classification that stands for Protected designation of origin. It protects things from happening like growing Georgia peaches in Arizona and still calling them Georgia peaches.

But wait, there's another Pecorino! Also a sheep's milk cheese, this second Pecorino we chose this cheese to contrast the Toscano—because this one is flavored with the earthy essence of truffles! I promise, it'll bring out your gutteral side. Enough said!

Imported gorgonzola dolce via Might Marta's photostream

And of course, no trip to Italy would be complete without a taste of Gorgonzola Dolce. Dolce meaning sweet, this cheese is rich, soft and slightly blue tasting. And let me say it again... this bad boy is rich! Both experieced blue eaters and neophytes will enjoy this wonderful, sweet Italian blue.

That's all I've got for now, but there's still seven more flights to touch upon. Man, I don't what's tougher... writing about eight cheese flights, or eating them!

Remember, The Challenge started yesterday and runs through and Sept. 18, and those who eat all eight cheese flights earn a free flight of cheese a month, for the next twelve months—wine, too—and if you do conquer both cheese and wine, we'll buy you dinner for two. Last night we already saw a small tweet-up gather in the lounge to encourage one another on, so let's see what happens in the days to come...

Feel free to comment with any questions you have on more information or even pairings with the cheeses.

And good luck!

Game On!

This is it. Your chance to prove your loyalty to BIN 36 for five weeks, with a hefty reward waiting for you on the other side, is here. We've got all sorts of stuff geared up for the blog—from tasting notes to cheese profiles and maybe even a guest blogger or two—but for now, I'm keeping this simple. Here's the gauntlet we've thrown down:

STEP 1:
Try all 12 BIN wine flights...

STEP 2:
Get 1 FREE wine flight each month for the next 12 months!

STEP 3:
Try all 8 BIN cheese flights

STEP 4:
Get 1 FREE cheese flight each month for the next 12 months!

Complete the 4-step program? We'll throw in dinner for 2.

It's that easy—if you have the cojones to step up to a little wine and cheese that is.

The Challenge

(Cheese, cheese, and more cheese via sergioesse's photostream)

Yes. It's true. These are the dog days of summer—it's hot and humid and the occasional rain only seems to make it even more steamy. So, as we were sitting inside the nice air conditioned restaurant, we came up with a great excuse for everybody to come on in and join us. It's the 1st annual (yes, we're hoping this will become a yearly event), BIN 36 Wine and Cheese Challenge.

The concept could not be any easier. All you have to do is come to BIN 36 at Marina City (sorry, the Wicker Park restaurant is not included this time around). Try all 12 of our wine flights between August 15th and September 18th (that's 35 days!) and drink a wine flight a month for the next year—for FREE. Or, if wine's not your thing, you can try all 8 cheese flights over the same time period, and eat cheese (one flight a month) for the next year for FREE. Yes. You can eat and drink for a year for free—maybe all the heat has gone to our heads???

(Will you take down The Challenge? via Loving Earth's photostream)

Maybe we have. Because, if cheese and wine for a year wasn't enough for you, if you conquer both challenges, we're throwing dinner for two into the mix. Two people. On us. A $100 night out, without even having to lay a hand on your wallet.

And, following "The Challenge," we'll be changing up the wine flights and cheese flights so there's no risk of getting bored. Kind of a last hurrah to our summer list, for all you die hards out there.

(John McLain is a die hard... via cdevroe's photostream)

And as far as how we'll keep track of all of this? Don't worry, we'll handle it all ourselves, so all you have to do is show up, eat, drink and have fun!

When you stop and think about it, it really comes down to this: we're asking if there are any hardcore wine and cheese loyalists out there who'd commit themselves to a month of wine, cheese, or both from just one place—us. And in return? We reward you. Big time. It's as simple as that.

So yeah. We're throwing the gauntlet down. It's a challenge—and no meek shall inherit this reward.

We look forward to seeing you soon.