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Event
Rock the House 2016
The Third Annual Rock the House event will be held on February 27, 2016 from 7pm - 10pm at the School of Rock in Oak Park.
This year will be the best Rock the House ever! We are expanding to 2 stories and 3 bands.
8 Craft Brewers, 8 Special Chef Recipes, and Music with 1976, Heidi and Dave, and the School of Rock Show Team.
Sip craft beers from accomplished home brewers and taste culinary delights from chefs that call Oak Park home.
Check out this site and www.oprhc.org/rockthehouse2016 for updates on the chefs, brewers, bands, and this year's tasting glass!
Featured Chef: Urban Till
Growing up in Brooklyn, Chef William Johnson developed a passion for cooking at an early age. He enrolled in the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) during high school and later continued his culinary arts studies at Johnson and Wales University in Providence. A few years later, he returned to his hometown to work alongside the talents of Michael White and Fabio Trabocchi at renowned New York City restaurants such as Fiamma Osteria, Vento Trattoria, and Alto Restaurant. It was there, learning to cook with esteemed Italian-trained chefs, that he began his Italian transformation, learning everything about the kitchen: visiting the markets to choose the best produce, making pasta by hand, creating fragrant sauces, scaling and filleting Mediterranean fish, and butchering meat.
In 2009, he accepted the position of Chef de Cuisine at James Beard Award winner Barbara Lynch's Italian-inspired restaurant Sportello in Boston. Chef Johnson spent the next two years mastering his craft in simple, market-driven Italian dishes. With his technique firmly rooted in respect for Italys culinary traditions, Chef Johnson moved to Chicago in 2011 to open Filini Bar and Restaurant as Sous Chef. He was promoted to Chef de Restaurant the following year.
Chef Johnsons passion and love for Italian food translated to each dish at Filini, where he utilized the highest quality, freshest ingredients not only from Italian imports, but local farms as well, Urban Till being one of them. He attributes his commitment to seasonal ingredients to his time with Chef Michael White where he learned that fresh and simple is the hallmark of Italian cuisine. With a variety of refined and inventive Italian dishes, guests were exposed to handmade pastas, seasonal risotto, fresh house-cured salmon, and braised octopus, as well as adventurous multi-coursed tasting menus that change each weekend.
From Filini Chef Johnson spent time at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Greektown and then in Wilmette at the Avenue. Chef Johnson began to make improvements slowly by taking the restaurant into a fully Italian menu with some Midwestern touches. The restaurant was scheduled for a renovation and reopen as Contadino, Chef Johnson tried changing perceptions of Italian food on the North Shore.
It was then that Urban Till CEO Brock Leach lured him to Urban Till to serve as Executive Chef/General Manager of the Chicago operations. In his role Chef Johnson is responsible for understanding and predicting product trends, chef outreach, sales, product development and being a resource for chefs to collaborate ideas and help bring value to their establishments beyond the amazing products offered.
Chefs:
Melissa Elsmo: Melissa Elsmo makes you believe you can enjoy every meal just as she does: fully and enthusiastically. A trained chef and ardent foodie, Mel's passion for a good meal peppers her life. She is a regular food columnist for Chicago Tribune Media newspapers reaching more than 500,000+ readers in the Chicago area via print and on the web. As part of Chicagos underground supper club scene, she creates intimate 12-course dining experiences featuring her own recipes and artful approach to plating. Guests currently wait patiently for a seat around her table, but savvy food lovers can locate her at pop-up events around the city. Additionally Mel is a passionate volunteer and frequently uses her kitchen talents to assist local philanthropic organizations with their fundraising efforts.
The Carnivore Guys: Our focus is to connect our community with modern farms that improve on traditional farming methods; our beef is raised in uncrowded conditions and allowed to feed on verdant pasture and non-GMO, pesticide free, house grown and mixed grain. Our everyday hogs are pure Berkshire, raised in similar conditions on the same farm. Our animals never see a feed lot for "finishing" and live their whole lives on the farms that breed and grow them. Our fish are from sustainable wild fisheries or sustainable farms, where fishermen are taking pro-active measures to protect the environment, the consumer and the future.
Steve Skrine: Owner and Grillmaster of Skrine Chops, Steve Skrine worked at the Chicago Board of Trade for over 22 years, but his real passion in life has always been food and cooking. For years he's made SkrineChops, his signature dish, for many friends, restaurants, pubs, charities and festivals throughout the city of Chicago and its suburbs. This year, he brings his generosity, skills and love of food to the Rock the House event, helping to make it bigger and better!
Su Jang: The owner of New Rose Catering grew up in her family's Chinese restaurant. Her father told her to learn to cook and she would always have a job. New Rose Catering was formed after Su was laid off from her healthcare marketing position and remembered her father's words and quickly began helping Oak Park, River Forest, and Forest Park busy families answer the dreaded "What's for Dinner?" question. In addition to providing weekly dinners as a personal chef, New Rose Catering also provides delicious and fun twists on classic dishes for small events catering.
Rich Klevgard: Graphic designer Rich Klevgard, from Oak Park has been recreating BBQ classics for well over a decade. His obsession with southern barbecue traces back to his boyhood boarding school days in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a car ride down an unpaved road through trees to a shack in the woods where the only smell was burning hickory and the sweet, awe-inspiring flavors of pork. Today, Klevard's dry rubs vary from sweet to savory with a hints of coffee, caramel, coriander, and a touch of smoked anise. His sauces, often based from locally harvested honey or herb infused rye whiskey, satiate but never overplay the deliciousness of smoked pork. Generous and enthusiastic, he enjoys using his culinary skills as a means to support various causes in the community.
Scratch Kitchen: Our mission statement is: A few things done perfectly, served in a fun environment, with great service. That fits perfectly for Rock the House!
Deno Andrews: A former corporate executive who opened Felony Franks in Oak Park, a gourmet fast-food concept restaurant that employs and trains men and women who have been to prison. Felony Franks proudly serves Chicago-style comfort food but has built a reputation on superior food quality and customer service. Some of the staples of the Felony Franks menu include the Misdemeanor Wiener, Parolish Sausage, Breakout Burgers, and the Big House Beef. Felony Franks will be featuring locally-made Italian Sausage at the Rock the House event.
Brewers:
Dave Kahlow - Rye IPA: Dave has been brewing for about 23 years and enjoys learning nuances about the brewing process and sharing the brewing experience with people throughout his life. Dave enjoys taking what appear to be simple ingredients and converting them into a variety of beer styles that can be shared with friends and family. Oh yeah, and Dave lived in Portland where he picked up a lot of good tips.
Doug Schenkelberg - Precious Flight of the Kiwi Hobbit IPA: Doug started brewing because of his love of craft beer and wanting understand the art and science behind making a good beer. He has been known to use spreadsheets to keep track of beers. He continues to brew to learn, share, and come up with fun names for the things he create. It also gives him a reason to use the word "saccharification." And, uh, the hops are from New Zealand.
Dru Williams Clark - Red Amarillo Ale: Dru had a super brew last year and is ready to kick it up a notch this year.
Rick Boltinghouse - Belgian: Renaissance Man. Father of Seven. Devoted Husband. Ardent Homebrewer.
Mike Hannah - Lemon Drop Hop Gazzette: Part of a father-son brewing team, Mike creates tasty brews on quality time.
John Orleans - Oatmeal Stout: By day, John Orleans is a mild-mannered "IT Guy" in the city of Chicago. Nights and weekends, you can find him brewing beer, smoking meats, and racing bicycles.
Graham Tillotson - Lemmy Nade IIPA: Graham lives in Oak Park and spends most of his time on the road consulting, but at home he has a house full of beautiful girls who put up with his basement brewery. He is supported by Charlie, his faithful shelter dog. The beer he will be bringing to the event is for Lemmy of Motorhead and it goes all the way to 11!
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LocationSchool of Rock (View)
219 Lake Street
Oak Park, IL 60302
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 21 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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