March Brings Marche du Printemps, the Easter Hop Bunny Train and New Kosher Vendor Bebe's Eatery to the Chicago French Market

CHICAGO, IL, March 03, 2013 (Press-News.org) Visit the newest vendor, Bebe's Eatery, opening March 1, shop a variety of local artisans during Marche du Printemps, March 4 to March 29, or catch a ride on the Bunny Train, March 23.

Bebe's Eatery Joins Chicago French Market March 1

The Chicago French Market is continuing to expand its food offerings for local professionals and Chicagoland commuters. The newest addition is Bebe's Eatery, set to join the market March 1, providing a fresh and delicious kosher option for guests. Bebe's will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner using only the freshest ingredients to create delectable sandwiches, salads, wraps, pastas and sides.

Visit Bebe's in the morning for the perfect breakfast nosh of fresh baked muffins and Danishes along with the finest lox and egg bagel sandwiches. All dairy products are Cholov Yisroel while baked goods are Pareve and Yoshon and meat is Glatt Kosher.

Bebe's was created as a collaborative initiative from a variety of popular suburban North Shore kosher restaurants, including: The Sandwich Club, Emma's Bagel Cafe and Srulie's Essen Delicatessen. It will offer favorites from each restaurant including the Fire Cracker Chicken Wrap, Eggel Bagel Deluxe and the popular Schnitzel Pastrami Sandwich.

Bebe's Eatery will operate under the supervision of the Chicago Rabbinical Council and each meal is packaged to ensure freshness and kosher compliance. Every Friday Bebe's will offer family-sized grab and go meals and a variety of challahs perfect for the Shabbat table or a weekend dinner party or brunch. From roasted chicken to kugel, Bebe's Eatery is the only kosher grab and go in downtown Chicago.

Bello Tea Celebrates National Nutrition Month

Bello Tea at the Chicago French Market will mark National Nutrition Month this March by promoting its matcha tea. Matcha is a Japanese green tea which has been part of the culture for more than 800 years. Its soothing velvety taste makes it a great drink for every day. Stop by Bello Tea for their creative matcha drinks including Matcha Latte, Peppermint Matcha, Coconut Matcha Latte, Blueberry Matcha Latte, White Chocolate Matcha, and Chorella Matcha (prices ranging from $3.50 to $4.75).
March also is National Caffeine Awareness Month and Bello Tea has a simple caffeine fact to share. Did you know that tea has far less caffeine than coffee? It's a great alternative and Bello Tea has many varieties with different levels of caffeine. Black tea, mate and matcha contain about 30% of the caffeine of coffee. During the month of March, any customer mentioning the promo code CFM 10, will receive 10% off their entire purchase.

Visit City Fresh Market for a Special Chance to Win Chocolate Easter Egg

To celebrate Easter, City Fresh Market is having its third annual Chance to Win Chocolate Easter Egg. The prized egg is estimated to be 36 inches in height and contains a whopping 15 pounds of chocolate. This is the perfect centerpiece or home decoration for the Easter holiday. The drawing begins on Friday March 1 and runs through Thursday March 28. No purchase necessary.
In addition to its everyday meat and poultry lineup, City Fresh Market will have plenty of fresh lamb, duck and hams for you to pick up for Easter brunch or dinner.

Delightful Pastries Presents its Special Easter Menu

Delightful Pastries is expanding its menu to accommodate the Easter holiday. During the month of March stop by the pastry shop for new selections including: Lamb Cakes with Buttercream ($14 to $18), Bunny Rabbits Cupcake Baskets ($3.25), Mocha Chocolate Bundt Cake ($9.99), Rum and Raisin Yeast Babka ($7.49), Italian Ricotta Cheesecake ($20) and several seasonal pie options including Rhubarb Strawberry ($24). If you prefer savory items, Delightful Pastries has you covered with Lamb and Spinach Pies ($48), Asparagus Quiche ($40), Ham and Swiss Cheese Quiche ($40) and White Borsht Soup with Fresh Sausage ($6.99), just to name a few. All orders must be placed by Tuesday, March 26 by calling (312) 234-9644 or by emailing info@delightfulpastries.com.

EJ Sushi Presents Samples of Popular Maki Rolls

If you haven't tried EJ Sushi's Godzilla Roll ($12.95), Shrimp Tempura Roll ($7.50) or Volcano Roll ($7.95), you can enjoy complimentary samples from the chefs every Saturday during the month of March. EJ will be rotating samples each Saturday so stop by every weekend to try them all.

Fumare Meats will Offer Traditional Easter Pascal Ham

Just in time for Easter, Fumare Meats will be featuring Pascal Ham. These locally produced hams are 1 to 2 pounds each and are a customary European tradition. The day before Easter, many eastern Europeans would pack a basket with some of their foods to be blessed at church. Be part of the tradition this year by stopping by Fumare for a unique Easter treat.

Klay Oven Kitchen Celebrates St. Patrick's Day with Chicken Green Masala

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Klay Oven Kitchen. During the entire month of March, the Indian food eatery will be featuring a very special entree, Chicken Green Masala. The dish offers a boneless piece of chicken, simmered in fresh cilantro, mint and spinach sauce served with rice and Nan bread ($8.50).

Lavazza Espression Introduces New March Beverages

Lavazza Espression will be showcasing three beverages during March.
Espresso Monterosa ($3.59)
A delicate concoction of custard and berry compote artfully combined with espresso and whipped cream.
Espresso Melba ($3.59)
Espresso combined with peaches, Italian drinking chocolate and Amaretto chips crowned with whipped cream.
Gelato Melba ($5.55)
Vanilla gelato layered with peaches, Cioccolata Italiana and amaretto chips crowned with whipped cream.

RAW Supports Your Cleanse with New Health Drinks

Look to RAW's new beverage cooler this March for its new line of freshly pressed juice extract drinks ($10.50 each), served in a custom glass bottle. With the environment in mind, RAW will offer a $1 refund toward your next purchase upon the return of each bottle. Call RAW at (312) 831-2729 for a custom 3-day supply of juice to support your cleanse.

Wisma's March Madness Meals

With March comes March Madness and you don't want to watch the games on an empty stomach. Wisma has your snacks covered with its Roasted Tomatillo Salsa ($6), Spicy Pasilla Pepper Dip ($6), Spinach and Mushroom Dip ($5), Goat Cheese and Pesto Dip ($5), Smoked Salmon and Caper Dip ($5) and a Grilled Olive Hummus ($4). Pair any of these with Wisma's Homemade Tortilla Chips ($5/bag).

Chicago French Market March Events and Entertainment

Monday, March 4 to Friday March 29- Marche du Printemps
8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Chicago French Market continues to support local artisans with its spring feature Marche du Printemps. Rotating visiting artisans will sell their unique jewelry, accessories and more; daily from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from March 4 through March 29.
Modeled after the French Christmas market, Marche de Noel, Marche du Printemps provides a fantastic atmosphere and unique shopping options, with plenty of opportunities to find something new to spruce up your home or wardrobe.
Artists will sell all types of jewelry, accessories, kid's items and many more gift options. A variety of new items will be featured at the Chicago French Market during this time as well.

Thursday, March 7- Lunchtime Music with Lee Barrie
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Complimentary

Lee Alec Barrie is a contemporary jazz guitarist whose style has been compared to Larry Carlton, Chuck Loeb and other popular contemporary jazz guitarists. Barrie was professional by age 14, starting out with a teenage rock band, playing Beatles, Beach Boys and Chuck Berry tunes plus some classic R&B.
These early musical relationships lasted well into his twenties and he had the privilege of recording with Lipps Inc., a Minneapolis-based band best known most for its number one hit "Funkytown" in the late 70's. Barrie's evolution as a guitarist was accelerated when he began to experiment with a Roland guitar synthesizer, which allows his electric guitar to take on the sound of a wide range of instruments. He now has the opportunity to solo as a saxophonist, flutist, organist, violinist and many others, all while playing on the guitar. He chooses the instrument based on the style and mood of the song.
Barrie's idea for a "virtual band project"-whereby he plays solo over his pre-recorded jazz backing tracks-evolved naturally. Having taken a break from professional performances for a number of years, he became a self-taught jazz pianist, which gave him the technical and musical skills to arrange and record his own instrumental backing tracks at his home recording studio. A lunch hour featuring the live music of Lee Alec Barrie, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 7 is sure to be an energizing and memorable experience.

Friday March 8- International Woman's Day

Celebrate International Woman's Day, March 8, by picking up something special for the lady in your life at the Chicago French Market. The holiday has been observed since the early 1900s, a point in history when population and the industrial sector were booming and women began to seek the equal rights they hold firmly to this day. Woman's Day is celebrated widely throughout Europe by gifting a bouquet of flowers to the women in one's life. Les Fleurs is in its third year honoring this holiday, and has a beautiful array of arrangements to light up anyone's day.

Thursday, March 7- Cabrini Green Legal Aid Wine Tasting Event
6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Ticket Price: $50

The Cabrini Green Legal Aid Young Professionals Board will host a special wine tasting at the Chicago French Market, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. March 7. The city's first and only year-round market place teamed up with the Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) to bring you a fun-filled evening of food, wine, craft beers and entertainment.
The CGLA provides high-impact, no-cost legal services to low-income Chicagoans in four areas of law including: family, housing, criminal records and criminal defense. They integrate legal and social services in order to improve legal outcomes and extend its impact beyond crisis support. Tickets are available online for $50 each until 5 p.m. on March 6 at cgla.net or at the door.

Wednesday, March 13- Lunchtime Music with Sipos and Young Band
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Complimentary

Chris Sipos and Rachel Young play acoustic music for the discerning listener. They delve into a multitude of genres ranging from upscale, in-vogue intonations to folk songs as haunting as the most ancient mountain hollow. A smoky jazz ballad sits beside a driving Johnny Cash-June Carter cover, while superb originals by Sipos are regularly stirred into the mix. The duo's appeal is enjoyable on a number of levels, soothing the audience with eclectic covers, and then slowly drawing it into deeper poetic waters.
The virtuoso guitar capabilities of Chris Sipos provide a superb tempo and temperament for every intricately arranged offering in the pair's songbook. While classically trained Rachel's celestial singing style offers the perfect vehicle for the duo's penchant toward music that shines a light on life's ever-changing spectrum of emotions.
Together Sipos and Young are proof positive that musical entertainment can communicate spirit and essence in a single wallop. Catch them for a complimentary Chicago French Market Lunch hour music special 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 13.

Thursday, March 14- City Fresh Cooking Demo with Greek Islands Restaurant
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Complimentary

Did you know it's smelt season? Every spring hundreds of fishermen hit the shores of Lake Michigan for their spring catch of smelt. Learn to pan-fry smelt and create great fresh recipes with Chef Peter Kappos of Greek Islands Restaurant. Chef Kappos will team up with City Fresh Market for a cooking demo from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 14.
Greek Islands Restaurant was founded in 1971 by a group of friends who realized the American dream and opened their own business after many years of hard work. From humble beginnings, they grew their business into the most popular Greek restaurant in the nation. To this day the original owners continue with the founding principles of great food, great service and value. From Greece they select and ship the highest quality extra virgin olive oil, superior wines and premier cheeses, herbs and seafood. All the ingredients to create the meal will be available for purchase at the market after the demonstration.
You also can tune in early for a sneak peak of the cooking demo on WGN-TV's Lunch Break segment on Tuesday, March 11 where City Fresh Market and the Greek Islands Restaurant also will be paired up.

Thursday, March 21- Rush Hour Music with Steve Justman
4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Complimentary

Folk musician Steve Justman joins the rush hour crowd from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. March 21. Justman is a Chicago area musician who specializes in performing Americana music. He has performed in many of the best acoustic venues in the Chicagoland area and is excited to return to the Chicago French Market.

Saturday, March 23- Hop the Bunny Train and Easter Egg Hunt
11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Complimentary

The Metra isn't the only train at the Ogilvie Transportation Center. Bring the kids and Hop the Bunny Train 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 23. The fun-filled ride will be followed by an Easter Egg Hunt at 1:30 p.m. Additionally, get a chance to meet the market's special guest, the Easter Bunny. Be sure to also stop by a variety of vendors to sample some of their finest dishes.

Wednesday, March 27- Lunchtime Music by Annalee Hooson Annalee Hooson
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Complimentary

A Chicago French Market favorite Annalee Hooson is back to perform her original and easy listening cover songs. Experiencing a live performance by Hooson, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 27 is a perfect way to unwind during your lunch hour.

About Chicago French Market
Chicago French Market is a European-inspired market offering an array of local produce, meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheese, wine, chocolates, pastas, artisan-made goods, specialty drinks, flowers, prepared meals and a seating area for customers. Chicago French Market's diverse group of local vendors stay open year-round, six days per week, and is located within the new MetraMarket development at 131 N. Clinton St. (between Washington and Randolph Streets).
Chicago French Market offers complimentary garage parking with entrances at 164 N. Canal St. and 165 N. Clinton St. for one hour or less with a minimum purchase of $20 or more (receipt required).
For more information, visit chicagofrenchmarket.com. "Like" Chicago French Market on Facebook at facebook.com/ChicagoFrenchMarket and follow the market on Twitter at @ChiFrenchMarket or at #ChicagoFrenchMarket.

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