They offered a plethora of menu options, of course adding the St. Pat's staple of corned beef and cabbage. TJ called me and emailed me repeatedly with questions, options and suggestions. They were quite invested in making our experience safe, fun and delicious. TJ was willing to discuss permanent menu changes to reflect celiac-friendly and celiac-adaptable options. He also asked about gluten-free desserts and breads and pastas. My fingers are crossed that he will be one of the first to change their menu a bit to make it permanently celiac-friendly. If so, that will be a major accomplishment for our supper club! I gratefully provided him with suggestions and resources.
We had a wonderful turnout, even had one last minute attendee, Nicole, who became a member that afternoon. As usual, we had some non-celiacs attend the festivities, as friends and family are always welcome. Steve watched them drink their beer with his mouth watering, so we may be counting on him in future events to help us enlighten the restaurants on the different GF beers available to us so we can participate in the libations.
Grace O'Malley's is from the folks behind Chicago Firehouse and the Wabash Tap. Named after the legendary Irish Noblewoman turned chieftan and pirate (and who does not love a noble lady chieftan and pirate? Argh!), the woody restaurant and saloon features Irish pub favorites as well as more upscale fare. High tables and stools line the lively front bar area and make for prime dining space, while a loft-like opening over the bar brightens up the wood-clad interior. Rich woodwork and several booths beckon in the more intimate back dining room, where our event was held. The room was intimate, yet with a really lively atmosphere helped along by the party seated next to ours. CHIC (cute hats in Chicago) is a dining club of ladies with big, ornate, unique hats in all colors and with much adornment. They were fun to chat with and were a pretty feisty bunch, much like us.
As mentioned, TJ and Jennifer worked tirelessly on the menu, even adding creme brulee as they heard it was a crowd-pleaser (or, um, because I love it). The food was everything we expected it would be and more. The desserts even surpassed last year. We had pretty evenly dispersed menu selections among the group and everyone seemed to enjoy their meals. I was o'pleased that they added the corned beef and cabbage to stick to the St. Pat's theme and was very happy to try both desserts. Everything was just delicious.
Here is the menu:
Appetizers
Shrimp Skewers
Sauteed Calamari
Salad
Chunky Vegetable
Main
New York Strip
Blackened Tilapia
Chicken with Wilted Spinach
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Dessert
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Creme Brulee
Overall, It was an awesome evening with great conversation and great food. We always have a lovely time and our group is just so much fun and so upbeat that every experience makes me look forward to the next one. Our thanks to the staff of Grace O'Malley's. For those coming downtown to the museums or the South Loop area, I highly recommend checking it out.
We look forward to seeing everyone next month and...
For additional pictures, please go to the link below.
http://msnusers.com/metroceliacs
contact us at: MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com
Thanks to TJ and Jennifer and all the attendees for making it such a fun event.
Jenny and Tanya
MetroCeliacs - Chicago
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