James and Esther's Engagement at Birchwood Kitchen

On June, 30, 2012, my friend James proposed to the love of his life, Esther, at their favorite restaurant, Birchwood Kitchen.  Birchwood Kitchen uses the freshest locally sourced, seasonal ingredients to prepare delicious gourmet dishes.  Everything is made from scratch, including all of their condiments and salad dressings.  Not only is Birchwood Kitchen an affordable BYOB restaurant, they also cater for large events and parties.  This was one of the most touching engagements I've ever been a part of and I hope these pictures portray how beautiful this evening was.  [Note: Pictured above is a Bittersweet Bakery custom cake that is composed of yellow layer cake with creme brulee filling, enveloped in a silky dark chocolate ganache and topped with fresh flowers.  Contributed to the engagement party by the adorable, Ms. Dorothy Shu.]

2211 W North Ave

  Chicago, IL 60647

(773) 276-2100

4 1/2 stars on Yelp

Please excuse the arm... friggin' Paul.

In addition to Birchwood Kitchen's gorgeous backyard patio, the indoor cafe is also beautifully simple and clean.

Goat cheese canape, pickled beet, walnut pesto on top a slice of pumpernickel.

Japanese shrimp cakes topped with ginger aioli.

Truffled deviled egg.  I ate at least three of these that evening.

Prosciutto americano canape, black pepper-honey poached pear, on top a sliced baguette.

Green apple, sunflower slaw.  Creamy, tart, and fresh. 

Tomato-yellow watermelon salad, basil, lime.  Delightfully sweet and refreshing.

Roasted potato spears with house made ketchup.

Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and not a hint of greasiness. Just perfect.

Mini beef burger with white cheddar, bacon, tomato, aioli, and a brioche bun.  My favorite of the evening.

Mini southwest turkey burger, greens, tomato, pickled red onion, chipotle aioli, and a brioche bun.  The turkey burger was just as juicy and flavorful as the beef burger.  Very tasty!

Milk n' Cookies.  Miniature chocolate chip cookies topped on top of a shot glass filled with ice cold milk.  Made by the wonderfully creative, Ms. Susan Yi.

A cotton candy machine made for a fanciful sweets option that brought back childhood memories.  The bags of candied popcorn inspired me to create this caramel popcorn favor for another event.

Birchwood Kitchen graciously allowed us to set up a dessert table in their restaurant.  Truffles were made by the lovely Ms. Jane Lee.  Chocolate drizzled pretzels were made by the fabulous Ms. Jennifer Hur.  The Red Velvet Cuppiecake recipe can be found here.  Photo courtesy of Mrs. Amy Moon.

The adorable party favors.

Congratulations to the newly engaged couple, James and Esther.

Big thanks to Birchwood Kitchen, Mr. and Mrs. Moon, Susan, Jennifer, Jane, and the rest of the guests for a fabulous party. 
Happy eating. 

xoxo
Grace