What an amazing wedding weekend. Two of Ernie’s good friends finally tied the knot this weekend. The ceremony was at St. Clement’s Church in Lincoln Park which is absolutely gorgeous inside with stained glass windows, intricate paintings and a black and white tiled aisle. Kelly was a stunning bride and the ladies looked lovely in a fresh summertime yellow. Dan was on his best behavior and the guys even wore bowties!
Their reception was hosted at Carnivale, which was a bit more non-traditional compared to hotels and banquet halls. The main dining room is eclectically decorated with a multitude of festive colors that somehow match and only a professional designer can pull off. From the ceiling hangs huge bell shaped lights covered in cloth. Along the west wall were hundreds of wine bottles in a custom wood rack that were illuminated with changing lights from red to green to blue.
The food was unbelievable, far and beyond blowing away any other wedding I can remember attending. Having said that Carnivale’s food is better than a wedding at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, CA is no small comment since that wedding set the bar extremely high as far as food goes!
The cocktail hour started with fresh guacamole and chips. Then, butler passed Mint Mojitos, Sangria and Margaritas accompanied the fine eats of empanadas, Ropa Vieja, mini-lamb chops and Seared Ahi Tuna. Although I couldn’t eat the empanadas due to the flour shell, I couldn’t have been happier with the other Primero plates. I can’t decide which is better, the Ropa Vieja or Mini-Lamb Chops! Ropa Vieja was a slice of sweet plantains fried till they were crispy and topped with braised beef and a spicy mayo sauce. The Mini-Lamb Chops completely melted off the bone and was seasoned with deliciousness. The Ahi Tuna was also amazing, served on top of a gluten-free homemade flax seed cracker with a drizzle of pureed avocado. All this before the main event!
Our beat salads arrived first and served with manchego cheese (one of my favorite types) atop a bed of arugula with light sherry vinaigrette. Dinner was served family style with three amazing options. After seeing the menu card, I was so happy for family-style so I could try every dish without having to eat off other people’s plates. The pan Roasted White Fish was my favorite of the three and served with fluffy red-yellow tomato herb rice and green beans to top it off. The Grilled Skirt steak was also totally amazing and served with a dark black bean and rice mixture. Lastly, the grilled Guatemalan chicken with potatoes was so moist and delicious. I was so full that I never even made it to the dessert table!
Check out a quick video of our weekend. Here’s to the happy couple! Congratulations!
Carnivale
702 W. Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60661
312-850-5005
http://www.carnivalechicago.com/
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