A Cook’s Tour of Downtown Rockford May 20

From press release

River District Association (RDA), Rockford Public Library and Chocolat by Daniel present the fourth annual A Cook’s Tour of Downtown Rockford from 5 to 10 p.m., Thursday, May 20. Cost is $45 a person ($40 each for RDA members). Tickets will be on sale through 1 p.m., Thursday, May 20, based on availability. Tickets can be purchased in the River District office, 127 N. Wyman St., second floor, by phone at (815) 964-6221, or online at RiverDistrict.com (click on events).

A Cook’s Tour of Downtown is a gourmet food tour of 10 downtown Rockford restaurants. This event showcases each restaurant’s flair for combining unique flavors and for producing creative presentations. Walk or drive to each location. Start at any site and move at your own pace throughout the evening. One ticket gets you into each participating site where you can enjoy the featured sample size gourmet fare. Sponsor, Goose Island micro-brewery from Chicago, will have a free sample beverage at each place that is specifically chosen to complement the food being served there.

First Northern Credit Union is also sponsoring two free drawings that will be available for patrons to enter at Kuma’s Asian Bistro, 420 E. State St., throughout the event. Drawing 1—win a $100 VISA gift card; Drawing 2—win an opportunity to deposit $1,000 into a CD that earns 10 percent APY for 10 months.

Participating Cook’s Tour sites are as follow:

Bamboo, 514 E. State St.—Mini-Egg Rolls and Red Curry Chicken; Inspiration: Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia, by Elizabeth Gilbert. The author sets out on a yearlong journey of three countries while seeking to learn the meaning of her life. GOOSE ISLAND: IPA

Brio, 515 E. State St.—Andouille Corn Dogs and Caramel Bacon Popcorn; Inspiration: SOMETHING WICKE THIS WAY COMES, a great movie and book written by Ray Bradbury. A decadent carnival lures pre-teen boys to the dark side. So does caramel and bacon. GOOSE ISLAND: MATILDA

Capri Restaurant, 313 E. State St.—Chicken Cacciatore smothered with Capri’s homemade red wine and vegetable sauce. Inspiration: the song, “Felicia no Capicia”, by Louis Prima. GOOSE ISLAND: HONKERS

Chocolat by Daniel, 211 E. State St.—Chocolate Cinnamon Pave; Inspired by the Book, “CHOCOLATE EPIPHANY” by Francois Payard with 100 chocolate recipes. GOOSE ISLAND: PERE JACQUES

Deli Italia, 507 E. State St.—Food item: Trinacria Rolls (mediterranean seasoned meat and cheeses, stuffed into traditional Sicilian buns ground beef, sausage, lamb, with mint, oregano, tomato and other special Mediterranean spices. Vegetarian option available with spinach and ricotta and other cheeses) Inspired by the film, “CINEMA DI PARADISO”, about love, duty, and respect towards the art of cinema. The rolls are a collaborative effort between Downtown Deli Manager, Molly Flemming, and Sous Chef, Gloria Perez. GOOSE ISLAND: HONKERS

Hawk’s Nest, 310 S. Church St.—Food item: 312 Goose Island battered cod with mandarin orange slaw or Spicy Jamaican Jerk flavored wing over rice pilaf. Inspired by the movie, “THE MIGHTY QUINN”, starring a young Denzel Washington as Sheriff returning to his native Jamaica to solve a murder. GOOSE ISLAND: 312

Irish Rose, 519 E. State St.—Tuna Salad (marinated tuna with white spring onion, red wine vinegar, olive oil and fresh oregano), also available: Salmon & Pasta (with red onion, mushroom, homemade aioli and shell pasta) and Ceviche with Chips. Inspired by the book, “The Sun Also Rises” by Earnest Hemingway. Chef Mike Leifheit’s favorite excerpt: “In the back room Brett and Bill were sitting on barrels surrounded by the dancers. Everybody had his arms on everybody else’s shoulders, and they were all singing. Mike was sitting at a table with several men in their shirt-sleeves, eating from a bowl of tuna fish, chopped onions and vinegar. They were all drinking wine and mopping up the oil and vinegar with pieces of bread.” GOOSE ISLAND: SOFIE

Kiwi Cafe, 211 Elm St.—Chicken ala King over Biscuits – Inspired by the film Chicken Run by Wallace and Gromit. Chickens try to escape before being made into chicken pies by the evil owner of the chicken farm. GOOSE ISLAND: SUMMERTIME

Kuma’s Asian Bistro, 420 E. State St.—Chicken Egg Rolls and Crab Rangoon—Inspired by Tanner on Ice by Lawrence Block, which takes place in Burma (Rangoon): “Ever since his New Jersey assignment went awry in 1972, Tanner has—believe or not—been stuck in deep freeze. He has been thawed out however, and is ready to catch up on lost time. No sooner does he make himself available when he is recruited for another covert assignment destabilizing the government of Burma, the victim of a rebel movement. Exotic surroundings, drug trafficking, an exiled Russian beauty, and a mysterious dead man create an edgy and entertaining puzzle for Tanner to piece together.” GOOSE ISLAND: SUMMERIME

Octane, 128 N. Main St.—Chipotle Mango Grilled Shrimp Tacos—Inspired by the book, Gone Bamboo, by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. Set in St. Martin, the raucous and fun story is about a mob caper gone awry. GOOSE ISLAND: 312

Check out these inspirations at ROCKFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY or browse their selection of books, music, movies and more to find your own inspiration!