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545 North Bar & Grill

Monday, April 1, 2013

Get Out for the 'First Friday' of Spring

Dinner, shopping or just strolling in downtown Libertyville. Make a night of it!

Main Street Libertyville will celebrate its "First Friday" of spring from 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 5. Stroll through the downtown where you'll find surprises on every corner, from live entertainment to exhibits. Select stores and restaurants will also offer customer specials. Here are some of the highlights: More participants may be added during the week.Visit www.mainstreetlibertyville.org for updates or check out their Facebook page.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Did Libertyville Chef Paul Caravelli Make it to the Finals on 'The Taste'?

Warning! Spoiler Alert!

Libertyville Chef Paul Caravelli's run on ABC's "The Taste" has come to an end. Caravelli was eliminated at the end of Tuesday's semifinal episode. He was one of three contestants sent home, leaving just four—Khristianne, Diane, Gregg and Sarah—to move on to next week's finale. Tuesday's episode took on a "Seduction" theme, with contestants on Chef Ludo Lefebvre's team—including Caravelli—using items like lobster, Dover sole, champagne, caviar and truffles to create their spoonful (or taste) for the first round. The aim, Chef Nigella Lawson said, was to "leave the sexy on the spoon." Lefebvre's team ultimately won the first round, winning assistance from guest judge Ingrid Hoffman. For the second round, contestants traveled to a nearby …

Dr. Mark Solomon

12:15 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Good Job Paul - you know where I stand on you and the Blackhawks - I figured that since Taste and the Hawks were on at the same time, you needed a litle foul language in the kitchen to compete with the fights on the ice.   more ›

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Did Libertyville Chef Paul Caravelli Make it to the Semifinals on 'The Taste'?

Warning: spoiler alert!

After a competition that saw contestants using items like oxtail, pig blood and bull testicles, Libertyville chef Paul Caravelli and six other contestants have now made it through to the semifinals on ABC's "The Taste." The Feb. 26 episode was titled "Nose to Tail." For both the team and solo rounds, contestants had to use what their mentors referred to as "off-cut" ingredients—basically any part of an animal. In the team round, Caravelli chose to make beef bourgignon, or beef burgundy. Though his dish wasn't selected to be presented to the special judges for the team round, Caravelli's team won the chance to work with the special judges for the solo round. During the solo round, Caravelli made sweetbreads with oxtail broth and celery root…

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Did Libertyville Chef Paul Caravelli Make it to the Top 10 on 'The Taste'?

Warning: Spoiler Alert!

Libertyville Chef Paul Caravelli once again landed in the middle-of-the-pack on Tuesday night's episode of "The Taste" on ABC, leaving him in the competition for yet another week. Caravelli and his fellow chefs on mentor Ludo Lefevbre's team won the first round of the sandwich challenge, which meant they got to work with guest judges Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone in the solo round. For the solo round, Caravelli made a steak and fried green tomato sandwich.  Prior to plating his sandwich to be presented to the judges, Caravelli was happy with how the sandwich was coming together. "It's coming out exactly how I wanted it to be," said Caravelli. "I'm very happy about this." Mentor/judge Nigella Lawson was pleased. "I like that a lot," she …

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Did Libertyville Chef Paul Caravelli Make it Through Another Week of 'The Taste'?

Warning: spoiler alert!

Though he was concerned that the lamb he served to the judges on Tuesday night's episode of "The Taste" came out of the oven just a bit undercooked, judges Anthony Bourdain and Nigella Lawson praised the dish—and Libertyville chef Paul Caravelli made it through another episode. Much like the Feb. 5 episode, Caravelli fell amongst the middle-of-the-pack after the solo round Feb. 12, advancing him one more week in the competition. Tuesday night's theme saw the contestants pairing food with wine. During the team portion, each of the mentors presented five ingredients to their teams, and the contestants had to use at least one of the ingredients. Caravelli and his fellow members of chef Ludo Lefevbre's team had these to choose from: white miso…

Linda

1:39 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013

Love the show....you go Paul! You've made Libertyville proud by even making it on that show!   more ›

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Libertyville Chef a Contestant on ABC's 'The Taste'

Paul Caravelli, executive chef at 545 North Bar & Grill, will be featured on the next episode, which will air Feb. 5.

When Paul Caravelli decided to apply to be a contestant on ABC's new show "The Taste," he wanted to show off his personality. He sat down with his agent, had a beer and "filled it out like a Frenchman. "I filled it out and was like, 'F-you, you're never going to pick me,'" Caravelli laughed. "Instead of censoring myself, I wrote it up like I was just talking to another chef. I showed them my personality." It worked. Two days later, Caravelli, who is the executive chef at 545 North Bar & Grill in Libertyville, got the call. "I was like, really? I didn't think I stood a chance," he said. After a few phone interviews, Caravelli auditioned in Chicago. He had to answer some questions on camera, and he was told not to censor himself. One of the …

Dr. Mark Solomon

11:43 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Coincidence that both 545 chef Paul Caravelli and the Blackhawks are both at the top of their game - I think not! I watch the Hawks at 545 and never miss a good meal or a goal!   more ›

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