Storyline:
Mark Overberg
Photos: Mel Hill, Mark and Teresa Overberg
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John Wocher |
We had turned down one too many
off-line invitations. Olivia had just turned a year old. She had yet to
let go of Mommy long enough to allow me to spirit her from her daily
tasks for a night of fun in a city that doesn't sleep (well, not till
6am anyway). A lull in an otherwise overwhelming workload and an
invitation from esteemed West
Coast Wine Net board regular John
Wocher (logging in from Japan) to enjoy a fabulous meal in one of my favorite cities
with a passel of epic Aussie Shiraz was the straw that broke the camels
back. John would be in town to check on his "Chicago cellar",
and fellow winegeek and Cleveland Party Animal extraordinaire Larry
Meehan rose to the challenge (bait?) to arrange the details.
We decided to breeze into the Windy
City aboard the Amtrak. We enjoyed our early morning train ride in,
sipping on Heidsick
and Monopoles '85 Diamant Bleu
and munching on golden fried Caribe cheese wafers (The Atkins Cracker)
with Crème Fraîche, chopped boiled egg and onion, and topped with
Sevruga Caviar. We've done this before, and find it much more appetizing
than the Amana Radar-Pastries and bottled latte that the dining car
offers. The trick is avoiding the rueful stares of the less
well-provisioned fellow passengers. As I munched, I mused on the irony
that we were a couple of gangsters smuggling booze in to Chicago, and
found myself wishing I had packed the wine in an empty violin case.
 With a timely theme of Stellar
Aussie Shiraz and rumors of Petrus,
we were already hooked, but the proposed venue of Chicago's MK
restaurant added to our excitement. MK is the celebrated restaurant of
Chef and restaurateur Michael Kornick.
Michael is a 1982 Culinary Institute of America graduate. He has worked
with Barry Wine of the Quilted Giraffe in NY, and served as Chef at
notable restaurants in New York, Boston, New Orleans and Chicago,
receiving many awards and much critical acclaim for himself and his
restaurants along the way. The setting of MK is a very tastefully and
cleverly renovated paint factory in Chicago's exciting River North
gallery district. Although we dined in the private dining facilities on
the 2nd floor, we did spend some time upon arrival in the inviting
lounge/reception area. It had a splendid view of the spacious but
elegant dining area and loft. Business was booming. Not being shy, we
chatted with a few of the lounge guests. The crowd was friendly, smart,
good looking and had obvious good taste. We were directed upstairs to
the private facility where we encountered a group of even finer
folk.
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In
attendance
John Wocher
Larry Meehan
Gary and Connie Sharp
Mel Hill
Scott Manlin
Kelly Sallaz
Brian Colfac
Dan Gordon
Rowen Bell
Edward Robinson
Mark & Teresa Overberg
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97 Rochioli River Block Chardonnay
90 Charles Heidsick Champagne
81 Penfolds Grange
93 Penfolds Grange
94 Penfolds Bin 707
94 E&E Black Pepper Shiraz
94 AusVetia Shiraz
96 Clarendon Hills Astralis
96 Barossa Shiraz "The Malcolm"
96 Charles Melton Barossa Valley Cabernet
Sauvignon
96 Parker Coonawarra Terrarossa First Growth
97 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz
98 Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz
89 Chateau Gazin
94 Chateau Petrus
90 Sean Thackrey Taurus Mourvedre
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12
Monster Aussies, 2 frightfully elegant Pomerols and a FrankenMeehan
Blend
