Elmhurst

Guests will treat themselves to dozens of dishes prepared by some of the western suburbs’ most celebrated chefs at the Elmhurst Memorial Hospital Guild’s Chef Fest 2010. The annual culinary event takes place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 25, at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.

Currently, 30 chefs from local restaurants, bakeries and caterers will generously provide the food for the annual fundraiser, which will benefit Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare projects and programs.

“We are thrilled to celebrate our 10th year with such wonderful support from these chefs,” says Byron Spencer, co-chairman of the Chef Fest. “Thanks to them, this event grows larger every year.”

Drummer Tom Leddy of Elmhurst recently performed at Levon Helm’s “Midnight Ramble” in Woodstock, N.Y. Helm, who was the drummer for the legendary rock group The Band, hosts a nationally acclaimed concert series that features his own 10-piece band, plus a featured guest artist. 

Leddy performed with the Pete Special band to a packed house. The show was recorded for the “House of Blues Radio Hour” with Dan Aykroyd, and will be aired nationally this weekend. The full concert will be available online for the next three weeks; for more information, visit www.thebluesmobile.com.

Leddy, who currently freelances and plays with Pete Special, is the percussion instructor at John Hersey High School and Elk Grove High School. He teaches privately in his Elmhurst Studio. For more information on his music and teaching, visit www.tomleddydrums.com.

Capture your opponent's queen in the 14th Annual Elmhurst District 205 Chess Tournament at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17, at York Commons, York High School. Elmhurst children as young as the second grade and through to high school are welcome to compete in this tournament that receivels nearly 200 children.

Tom Paravola of It’s Good to Be King in Elmhurst will run a raffle, of which all tournament participants are entered into. Also, pizza by the slice will be sold during the tournament.

Participants must bring a signed permission slip and pay the $3 tournament fee. All participants receive a certificate. The top four in each category receive ribbons, and the tournament champion’s school receives a trophy.

For more information, contact Linda Lunt at (630) 834-3859.

Happy Aunt’s Day from Aunt Millie’s Bread, which sponsors Aunt’s Day on March 8 “to help give aunts the recognition they deserve.” This year’s winner of the company’s Favorite Aunt Contest is Sara Klaas of Elmhurst.

 She was nominated by her nephew, Kenny Reuter, of Metropolis, who wrote, “Sara uses her outgoing personality and positive attitude to bring motivation to all those around her. She exemplifies this every day, inspiring the patients she works with at Shriners Hospital in Chicago. What she does for her patients and the community is amazing! Sara has founded many different programs in the community for adolescents with spinal cord injuries. GLAHM Camp, a self-esteem/body-image camp for girls and a Wheelchair Bodybuilding Camp for teen boys are a few examples. My aunt Sara is caring and passionate in all aspects of her life. She is an inspiration that many look up to!

Matt Isles, expert Australian wine enthusiast, will be pouring his Robert Parker 90+ rated Australian wines from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 4, at Good Earth Market, 555 S. York St., Elmhurst.

This month, the Good Earth Market travels "Down Under" each Thursday, focusing its seminar study on winemakers south of the equator: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America. On Thursdays only, customers receive a 10 percent discount on purchases of six bottles throughout the store.

No registration is required for Thursday’s educational program on the culinary and wine arts. For details, call (630) 279-5550 or visit www.goodearthgreenhouse.com.

From Baroque classics to world premieres, Chicago's Millennium Chamber Players brings its wide range of appeal to Elmhurst for a concert.

Part of the Music at Bethel Concert Series' 11th season, the chamber ensemble will perform at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 7, at Bethel United Church of Christ, 315 E. St. Charles Road, Elmhurst. Pieces being presented include Samuel Barber’s Dover Beach for baritone and string quartet, Schubert’s Piano Trio in B flat major and Brahms’ Quintet in F minor for piano and string quartet.

Chicago's Millennium Chamber Players. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Sensuous, meditative, relaxing, challenging and complex are the adjectives ClaySpace uses to describe working with clay, definitely qualifying it as a shared experience for two. 

From greenhouse to grocery, the blend of offerings at the Good Earth Market includes a fine wine component that calls upon the talents of wine cognoscente Matthew Conti. It’s not an unusual pairing for the River Forest resident, who practices law, while serving as director of wine and spirits for the market, where he uncorks a series of tasting programs and wine dinners. Good Earth is the brainchild of Elmhurst natives Regan (of Egg Store family fame) and Tom Cronin.

Matthew Conti serves wine to guests including Susan (left) and Dino Pelafas of Elmhurst during his wine seminar at Good Earth Market. Since growing up in the food and beverage business, Conti has been refining his connoisseur credentials. STAFF PHOTO BY ERICA BENSON

Java havens — as varied as their baristas — brew retro to contemporary chic ambiance. Here are a few of the suburbs’ most notable coffee destinations.

GROUNDS FOR APPEAL
ADDRESS 3242 Oak Park Ave., Berwyn,
PHONE (708) 749-2233
Calling it a retro coffee house, owner Wendy Back says Grounds For Appeal is a total labor of love, featuring comfortable couches and chairs, along with books and a TV area where patrons can watch movies. A psychic is available by appointment each Wednesday. “Everybody loves her,” Back says. “She’s been here eight years now.” Back devises the changing array of beverage recipes, joking, “It’s my therapy (to) make up names and create something. People make the business — I love it here.”

Owner Wendy Back takes a coffee break at Grounds For Appeal in Berwyn, where live music is also on the menu. STAFF PHOTO BY BILL ACKERMAN

Use poetry to speak your mind and let your friend know they're one of a kind in the 6th Annual Friends Poetry Contest, where the Elmhurst Public Library is looking for the best.

The Friends of Elmhurst Public Library is looking to challenge and celebrate Elmhurst's most talented young poets with a contest that runs through March 13. The contest is open to fourth- through twelfth-grade students who reside in Elmhurst or attend a school located in Elmhurst.

The winner of each age group will receive a $50 City Centre gift certificate; second-place winners in each age group will receive a $25 City Centre gift certificate. The Elmhurst Public Library will display the winners from each age group, and first- and second-place winners and students receiving honorable mentions will be asked to read their works in a program at the Library to be broadcasted on local cable TV. (See below for the complete contest rules and requirements.)