Cena con Amici rustic authentic Italian pop-up dinner

I am hosting my first of a series of pop-up dinners to preview my forthcoming authentic Italian caffe and I'd love if some of you would join us. It'll be a casual, family-style, BYO authentic Italian meal and sure to be a lot of fun! Here's all the details and link to purchase tickets: http://cenaconamici.brownpapertickets.com

Cena Con Amici
"Dinner with friends"
Rustic authentic Italian pop-up dinner

Date/time: March 30th, 7pm
Location: Give Me Some Sugar, 2205 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL 60618
Cost: $65/person includes 4-course family-style BYO meal and tax. Gratuity is not included.
Purchase tickets: http://cenaconamici.brownpapertickets.com
Contact info: [email protected], 773-317-8971, http://www.anewdawnchef.com

In partnership with Chef Alekka Sweeney of Give Me Some Sugar, Chef Dawn Wilson of A NEW DAWN personal chef service presents "Cena con amici" (Dinner with friends), an evening of rustic hand-crafted Italian food and lively conversation with soon-to-be great friends. Join us for this pop-up preview dinner offering a sneak peak into Caffè Villaggio, Chef Dawn's authentic Italian caffè, coming soon to Roscoe Village. Gather around our communal table inside Give Me Some Sugar's charming cake decorating studio and enjoy this made from scratch authentic Italian feast prepared with a combination of seasonal local and imported Italian artisanal ingredients.

Cena Con Amici Menu:
($65/person, family-style, BYO)

Antipasto della casa
Bountiful spread of assorted local (West Loop Salumi) and imported Italian cured meats and cheeses, crostini, and "fantasia della chef" (market-driven small bites from the chef's imagination)

Pici cacio e pepe
Hand-rolled thick rope-shaped pasta with a simple sauce of pecorino Toscano , cracked black pepper, and toasted olive oil breadcrumbs.

Maiale al latte
Slagel Farms pork shoulder braised in milk, lemon, and Tuscan herbs until tender and succulent and served over creamy polenta.
Contorni :Two seasonal side dishes

Dolce sorpresa
"Surprise" dessert provided by Chef Alekka



Chef Dawn Wilson
As the owner and driving force behind A NEW DAWN personal chef service since 2006, Executive Chef Dawn Wilson has provided catering, personal chef services, and cooking instruction to many clients in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs to rave reviews. She developed her culinary style with stints at Bin 36, Cafe Las Bellas Artes, several catering companies throughout Chicagoland, as the Culinary Director for Whole Foods Market-Northbrook teaching cooking classes and running the private event program, and as the fresh pasta-maker at Balena.

In 2011, Dawn moved to the small Tuscan town of Colle Val d'Elsa where she worked at the rustic Slowfood restaurant, Officina della Cucina Popolare, learning the secrets of Tuscan cuisine. Following her stage at Officina, she traveled and tasted her way around Italy with stops in many regions including Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, Veneto, Piedmont, and Lazio.

Chef Dawn is looking forward to her next adventure as she opens a small authentic Italian neighborhood caffe in Roscoe Village, Chicago's charming "Village within the City". The casual, inviting caffe will feature an espresso bar, breakfast and lunch daily, and family-style communal dinners a few times per week. The authentic Italian menu will focus on hand-made pastas, artisan cured meats and cheeses, panini, and piadine using a combination of seasonal, local and imported Italian ingredients lovingly hand-crafted with the upmost care and rustic simplicity characteristic of Italian cuisine. For a sneak peek into the forthcoming caffe, check out Chef Dawn's preview pop-up dinners, "popping" up at unique locations around Chicago this spring!



Give Me Some Sugar
Chicago's premier cake decorating studio!
Located in the Roscoe Village neighborhood, classes are available Wednesday through Sundays for all skill levels. Classes include basic cake decorating, Fun with Fondant, Cake Balls & Pops, Cookie Decorating and much more! Classes are taught by expert cake artist Alekka Sweeney and Jerry Korab. We invite you to shop at our boutique and learn the best tips and tricks to cake artistry.

In addition to a full calendar of classes, Give Me Some Sugar also serves as a beautiful private event space for parties big and small. The Shop at Give Me Some Sugar, has some of your instructors' favorite baking items as well as a full selection of unique gifts and retail items! Anything from cake pans, colored sprinkles to Vintage Aprons and Cupcake Earrings. Give Me Some Sugar is a "one-stop-shop" for all things decorating.

In partnership with sommelier Zachary Greatting, Chef Dawn Wilson of A NEW DAWN personal chef service presents "Cena con Amici" (Dinner with friends), an evening of rustic hand-crafted Italian food paired with Italian wines and lively conversation with soon-to-be great friends. Join us for this pop-up preview dinner offering a sneak peak into Caffè Villaggio, Chef Dawn's authentic Italian caffè, coming soon to Roscoe Village. Gather around our communal table inside Brix Catering's charming event space and take a trip though Italy's diverse culinary regions with this made-from-scratch, seafood-focused, authentic Italian springtime feast paired with exceptional Italian wines and prepared with a combination of seasonal, local and imported Italian artisanal ingredients.

Date: May 7, 7pm
Location: Brix Catering and Events, 1463 W. Leland, Chicago
Tickets: http://cenaconamicispring.bpt.me/

Regional Springtime in Italy Menu:
$70/person, 4-course family-style meal
Wine pairings additional $30/person

Antipasto della casa (Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont)
Bountiful spread of assorted local (West Loop Salumi) and imported Italian cured meats and cheeses, crostini, and "fantasia della chef" (market-driven small bites from the chef's imagination)

Culurgiones di primavera con bottarga (Sardinia)
Hand-made traditional Sardinian stuffed pasta with spring vegetables, torn burrata, and shaved Bottarga di Muggine, the prized Sardinian delicacy of cured, dried mullet caviar.

Calamari ripieni e tonno alla Messinese (Sicily)
Stuffed squid and seared Ahi tuna over an intensely flavorful sauce of tomato, olives, and capers.
Contorni :Two seasonal side dishes

Frittelle di Ricotta con gelato all'olio d'oliva (Puglia)
Ricotta fritters, olive oil gelato, Meyer lemon curd




Chef Dawn Wilson
As the owner and driving force behind A NEW DAWN personal chef service since 2006, Executive Chef Dawn Wilson has provided catering, personal chef services, and cooking instruction to clients in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs to rave reviews. Formerly a Research Scientist with Biology and Molecular Genetics degrees from Loyola University and University of Chicago, Dawn's passion for cooking and entertaining led her away from the lab and into the kitchen. She developed her culinary style while working at Bin 36, Cafe Las Bellas Artes, and several catering companies in Chicagoland. As the Culinary Director for Whole Foods Market-Northbrook, she taught cooking classes and launched the private event program. Chef Dawn helped introduce and execute the fresh hand-made pasta program for the opening of Balena, the italian-inspired concept from Boka Restaurant Group and B. Hospitality Co.


In 2011, Dawn moved to the small Tuscan town of Colle Val d'Elsa where she worked at the rustic Slowfood restaurant, Officina della Cucina Popolare, learning the secrets of Tuscan cuisine. Following her stage at Officina, she traveled and tasted her way throughout Italy with stops in many regions including Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, Veneto, Piedmont, and Lazio.


Chef Dawn is looking forward to her next adventure as she opens a small authentic Italian neighborhood caffe and market in Roscoe Village, Chicago's charming "Village within the City". The casual, inviting caffe will feature an espresso bar, breakfast and lunch daily, and family-style communal dinners a few times per week. The authentic Italian menu will focus on hand-made pastas, artisan salumi and cheeses, panini, and piadine using a combination of seasonal, local and imported Italian ingredients lovingly hand-crafted with the upmost care and rustic simplicity characteristic of Italian cuisine. For a sneak peek into the forthcoming caffe, check out Chef Dawn's preview pop-up dinners, "popping" up at unique locations around Chicago this spring!



Brix Catering and Events
A boutique catering and events company.
Brix Catering & Events is a dynamic team combining the skills of a classically trained chef and sommelier with corporate catering and management expertise. Hire Brix for traditional catering, an elegantly-coursed meal, wine pairings, chef demonstrations, or full scale event coordination.

Chef and Owner Zachary Greatting started Brix Catering & Events in 2012 as a passion project, to bring food and wine pairing to people's homes. After completing culinary school at Kendall College, and the Wine Intensive at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone, Zachary worked as Assistant Sommelier at the two Michelin starred restaurant Ria. It was during this time that the original idea for Brix came to fruition. After Ria closed, Zach took a position in wine sales, which allowed him the time on nights and weekends to start catering. One wine dinner led to another, and referrals grew the business from a hobby to the full service catering and events company that Brix is today.