Local

September 10; 1:30 and 2:30 PM

Big Bowl has close ties to local growers. They have partnered this year with Heritage Prairie Farm in LaFox, IL, where they have two acres of farmland set aside to grow 19 varieties of sustainable and organic produce. All of the varieties have been personally selected from heirloom seeds by Executive Chef and Partner Marc Bernard. Big Bowl employees make bi-weekly trips to the farm to tend the fields, and the results can be seen on the stir fry bar and in fresh, seasonal specials.

A Big Bowl cooking demonstration and football are always in season, especially in the fall and during this year's inaugural Magnificant Mile Shopping Festival when Chef Dave Histed gets an assist Sunday, September 3 from Bears right tackle, J’Marcus Webb.

Starting at 1 p.m. at the Shops at Northbridge, 520 N.

This is the time of year when we take full advantage of the fantastic farmers markets in Illinois. The variety of produce is delicious, and we love supporting our local growers. Big Bowl Chefs will demonstrate how to use the bounty of a trip to the market to create your own Farmers Market Stir Fry at home.

THERE’S MORE!

The be-all, end-all of summer food events is July 21 when the Green City Market Chef's Barbecue returns for its 11th year.

Join us on Thursday, July 14 for our first ever Lettuce Wine & Dine You Lincolnshire wine dinner event, featuring the variety of flavors that are Lettuce Entertain You® Restaurants, featuring Big Bowl & Wildfire!  Guests will be taken on a culinary journey through Eastern & Western cuisines, while enjoying cocktails and wine pairings along the way!  The delicious trip includes an assortment of Big Bowl signature starters such as Shrimp Summer Rolls, followed by a s

Join us Thursday, June 9, from 4-7pm for the next Fortune Hour at Big Bowl Ohio, when we continue to focus on all things local. This month will feature Bronwyn Weaver from Bron’s Bees and Heritage Prairie Farm, both in LaFox, IL. Attendees will enjoy complimentary passed appetizers, a cooking demo and jar of local honey! The event will also include $4 Sangria made with local honey and seasonal strawberries as well as $3 Goose Island 312 drafts.

Reservations are recommended. Please call Big Bowl at 312-951-1888.
60 East Ohio
Chicago, IL 60611

Take in some sunshine and blue skies with location libations crafted by Master Mixologist Adam Seger, creator of hum Hibiscus Spirit, sample complimentary appetizers selected for each cocktail selection and then take the drink recipes home for free courtesy of us to recreate another great time.

The opportunity to give the Earth one giant hug of appreciation comes around again on Saturday, March 26 for the globally celebrated Earth Hour.

As in years past, all Big Bowl locations will participate by turning off and dimming as many lights as possible from the designated Earth hour of 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.(your local time).

When the Family Farmed Expo begins this week in Chicago, Big Bowl will have a seat at the table.

Executive Chef Marc Bernard will be one of the panelists on the Farm to Table Connection - producers and restaurant owners learn lessons from veteran restaurateurs and vendors on how to source local products.

Each year during our Chinese New Year celebration, one of our favorite things to do is to give free dumpling cooking classes.* Why do we do this? Well, we love Chinese New Year. It’s about new beginnings and creating good fortune for yourself and others, and this is one of the ways we like to say thank you to our guests.

But why dumplings?

Even the hardiest winter warriors appreciate coming in from the cold, especially those with kids or anyone who needs a mental health day now and again. The ideal place? A day at the museum when it's free.

When winter starts to settle in and unsettle us with its cold temperatures, the equalizing factor is soup - a bowl of goodness that's hot, warm and comforting.

At Big Bowl, the hot and sour soup remedies the cold with its depth of flavor, heat and zing. A classic soup from China's north which knows a thing or two about the cold, hot and sour soup is both yin and yang. No wonder it so easily warms after coming in from the cold.

The season is all about whirling (and falling) on the ice skating rink with your favorite someone, rooting on the kids or just yourself taking in the moment.

Just because the weather is getting cooler, it does not mean that our local farmers are hibernating like bears. It's true, you won't find strawberries, but it's squash season and the brussel sprouts are coming in...there is a plethora of beautiful produce available. In addition, you can find local cheeses and baked goods, local meats, eggs and poultry.
"But where are they? They are not in the usual spot." Like any sensible people, they have moved indoors.

Pint-sized creatures and other masked goblins will soon be on the prowl for Halloween, which means cities throughout Illinois have designated days and hours for trick-or-treating. Click here for a complete list.

As a reminder, communities are also providing a check-list of safety measures that can apply to any city. Take a look here for a refresher.

Events starring the city's leading chefs occur throughout the year but one of the best takes place Friday, October 15 at Macy's on State Street, the Chicago Celebrity Chefs Ball. The event is the major fundraiser for Meals on Wheels, the organization that delivers food the elderly and homebound.

Chicago's best chefs, including Big Bowl's Marc Bernard, will be offering a taste of their restaurants. There's also dancing, a casino and great cocktails. Tickets are still available at the door.

For photography student Jacob Yeung, being at the right place at the right time proved to be everything.

A Big Bowl host and carry-out staffer, Yeung accompanied Executive Marc Bernard and the team to the annual Green City Market's chefs barbecue over the summer. His job that evening: photograph the event, which would provide photos for the restaurant and practice for Yeung. Yeung is two years shy of earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in fine art photography at Columbia College.

You may be wondering, “What on earth is Big Bowl doing on a home improvement show?”  If you have not seen this show, you are in for a surprise.

No, we are not talking about any kind of St Patrick's day special. We are talking about our mantra; organic, eco-friendly, local and sustainable. We are covering all of the bases by adding Goose island Green Line Pale Ale* to the draft selections.

One aspect of the beverage offerings at Big Bowl is that we have a very fun beer list. We offer a range of domestic favorites; some familiar and some not, a nice assortment of Asian beer, and a great section of micro brew and craft beers.

For two days, chefs from all eight Big Bowl locations gathered in Chicago to talk, eat and experience farm-fresh food, starting from a visit to Nichols Farm and culminating with a feast in the backyard of Executive Chef Marc Bernard. Each chef prepared a dish, inspired by the farm visit and Bernard's garden. The purpose? To taste truly fresh local ingredients and to be inspired. Look for Bernard's upcoming blog post for more details.

Chef Ozzie Ocegueda from Big Bowl on Cedar thinks that this has been one of the best summer growing seasons in the past few years. The variety that has been available at the farmer's market has been amazing, and the flavors outstanding. There are just some summers where you get the perfect combination of sun and rainfall that brings everything to ultimate fruition.

Ozzie has been spending a couple of days every week picking up what's best at the market, and he decided that it was time to give back.

Who are the people at Big Bowl and what do they do? Meet them here under the Spotlight.

Who: Bobby Rogers

Alias:  Triple B for "Big Bowl Bob"

Years at Big Bowl: 10

Position: Divisional Trainer, Staff Whisperer.

What you would do if you weren't working at Big Bowl: professional tri athlete and a personal
trainer with a focus in nutrition.

A best friend may not tell the whole truth and a child might "forget" essential details, but you can always count on numbers. According to a recent tally of Big Bowl best selling new menu items, Cashew Chicken rules the roost.

Since the new menu rollout earlier this summer, Cashew Chicken is preferred about 27 percent more than the second most popular dish, Steak and Noodles. But if you dine at the Edina restaurant in Minnesota, you prefer this chicken dish 50 percent more often.

Bangkok Shrimp and Scallops comes in at No.

You're invited to Fortune Hour Thursday, July 8 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for complimentary appetizers paired with Singha, the popular beer of Thailand, and TY KU, the original sake based liqueur. The event, held at the Ohio location only, will also feature specially priced Singha at $3 and TY KU cocktails for $5.

Walk or bike to the Green City Market, pick up truly farm fresh eggs, peruse table after glorious table of just picked seasonal produce and then take a seat to watch Executive Chef Marc Bernard's cooking demonstration at 10:30 a.m., tomorrow, June 26. You'd be hard pressed to find a better way to spend a Saturday morning in the city.

We can't think of a better reason to be blue this weekend than carving out some time for 2010 Chicago Blues Festival, from June 11 to June 13 at Grant Park. It's the largest free blues festival in the world and remains the largest of Chicago's music festivals drawing more than 640,000 people who prove why the windy city is the "Blues Capital of the World."

Big Bowl in Schaumburg is bringing the farmer closer to the community through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

Every Wednesday beginning June 16 through October, Simply Wisconsin will drop off locally grown produce, organic eggs, meat, and other products to the Big Bowl in Schaumburg, allowing consumers who have purchased a seasonal “share” to enjoy organic fruits, vegetables and other items directly from nearby farms.

Big Bowl at Ohio and Rush is often the first stop before or after an architectural tour of Chicago. The tours are launched within walking distance and provide a fun, informative and panoramic view of the city. It’s a great way to preserve and sustain Chicago’s rich, cultural history.

Big Bowl supports local farmers’ markets, and buys seasonal produce for the menu from some of the same vendors as those at Chicago’s Green City Market. GCM celebrates its 12th year this season and has been named one of America’s Best Farmers’ Markets in the country by Travel and Leisure magazine.