Chicago (January 13, 2016) – Pastoral’s Appellation, the new 75-seat wine bar and restaurant that offers guests food and wine with a sense of place, and which is an extension of the retail store at 5212 N. Clark Street in Andersonville, will officially open for weekend brunch beginning Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 16 – 17. Additionally, Pastoral Andersonville will be Pastoral’s first location to offer morning counter service breakfast – the only one of its four locations to do so. To coincide with its brunch and retail breakfast launch, Pastoral Andersonville will also debut its second seasonal art exhibition within the dining area.
Appellation Wine Bar & Restaurant’s Inaugural Brunch Menu
Appellation’s lively new brunch will offer guests a simple, authentic approach to brunch food and libations. The menu was created by Chef Jesse Williams, who attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. As the former head chef of Birchwood Kitchen, and an Uncommon Ground and Floriole veteran, Chef Jesse has applied her successful brunch experience to create a menu featuring a range of rustic and creative cuisine that focuses primarily on high-quality, seasonal ingredients accented by the cheeses Pastoral has championed for more than 10 years. Table service will include signature dishes such as Baked French Toast, Eggs Baked in a squash-herb cream sauce with Prosciutto, Steak and Eggs and a Warm Mushroom & Kale Salad. The brunch menu will be accompanied by libations from Appellation/Pastoral’s acclaimed wine buyer and educator, Mark Wrobel.
Introducing Pastoral Andersonville’s Early Morning Counter Service
Pastoral Andersonville will be the hometown cheese shop’s only location to offer weekday counter service breakfast, debuting Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7 a.m. The casual, European-style breakfast will feature Counter Culture coffee, Rishi tea, Katherine Anne drinking chocolate and high quality sweet and savory pastries from Evanston’s Hewn Bakery, as recently featured in The New York Times. Additionally, Appellation’s Chef Jesse will provide Pastoral Andersonville retail with delicious specialty toasts, house-made granola with yogurt and other treats available for a morning nosh. Counter service breakfast items are available for takeaway, or guests may enjoy breakfast at one of the wooden café tables in the Appellation space or the standing bar area near the retail space. There will be no table or bar service.
“We’re thrilled to expand our offering with weekend brunch and weekday breakfast counter service,” said Greg O’Neill, co-owner/co-founder of Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine. “Chef Jesse is renowned for her brunch dishes and will make Appellation a fun and delicious addition to the morning scene in Andersonville.”
New Winter Art Exhibit
Pastoral is committed to showcasing unique and inspired works from local artists, which rotate seasonally. To coincide with the launch of Appellation’s brunch, Pastoral will unveil its second seasonal art exhibit on Monday, Jan. 18, featuring colorful paintings from talented Andersonville artist Robert Porazinski that are also available for purchase. Pastoral will host a public art opening of his new series of paintings entitled “Interruptions” with a free cheese and wine reception that evening from 6 – 8 p.m. The current exhibit will be featured through mid April.
A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Porazinski worked as an illustrator and designer for a variety of clients including the Museum of Science and Industry, Illinois State Lottery and the Chicago Tribune. Concurrently, he continued to paint and exhibit his work at a variety of venues such as the University Club, Harold Washington Library, and Evanston Art Center. His most recent paintings investigate the tradition of hard-edge painting from the late 60’s and explore the mutability of form.
Hours and Offerings
Beginning Jan. 16 and 17, Appellation Wine Bar & Restaurant will offer weekend brunch, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Starting Jan. 19, Pastoral Andersonville will open at 7 a.m. on weekdays for counter service breakfast. The shop will open at 9 a.m. on Sat. and Sun. to coincide with the start of brunch at Appellation Wine Bar & Restaurant.
For more information, please visit pastoralartisan.com or call Pastoral at 800.721.4781. Appellation accepts online reservations at www.AppellationChicago.com or by calling 773.358.7181. Visit and “Like” Appellation on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AppellationChicago
About Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine
Founded in 2004 by Ken Miller and Greg O’Neill, Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine is a series of national award-winning neighborhood cheese, specialty food and wine shops offering the highest quality, cut-to-order domestic and international specialty cheeses, freshly baked breads, perfectly chosen accompaniments and small production wines, along with hand-crafted, cheese-loving beers and spirits. Pastoral also offers custom gift collections, gourmet sandwiches and salads, picnics and catering. Pastoral is committed to providing the highest level of service and education for customers, striving to make shopping for and consuming artisan goods enlightening, approachable, fun and delicious. Pastoral welcomes customers at four Chicago neighborhood locations, and ships nationwide at www.pastoralartisan.com. Pastoral was named “Outstanding Retailer of the Year” in 2007 and 2012 by the Specialty Food Association. In 2012, the Company opened Bar Pastoral, an award winning, Michelin Guide recommended cheese & wine bistro serving shareable fare, in a cozy, inviting neighborhood setting.
About Appellation
Launched in October 2015, Appellation is a 75-seat bistro serving food and wine with a sense of place. Led by Chef Jesse Williams and featuring a menu of approachable and rustic dishes, Appellation encourages guests to sip and savor appetizers, entrees, and other shareable plates featuring the fine cheese and wine offered in Pastoral’s retail locations. Appellation serves lunch and dinner during the week, as well as brunch and dinner on weekends. For more information, follow Appellation on Twitter @AppellationChi, and like the wine bar and restaurant on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AppellationChicago
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