ML - Michigan Avenue

2013 - Issue 4 - Summer

Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!

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ON THE TOWN RIGHT: Sally Schwartz toasts the 10-year success of Randolph Street Market. BELOW: She's a huge fan of NoMI's fresh oysters. continued from page 80 recently than October, but I was in the bar. I had a friend in from California, and we went to see the I Love Lucy revue, which was so much fun, and we came up here and had drinks, which was great. [Cocktails are served] Cheers! Here's to 10 years of Randolph Street Market. Thank you. It's so much fun—almost bizarre. The whole thing just strikes me as, "I can't even believe I did this." Nobody can. So how did you do it? I started an event planning company in 1985, and I really hit the go-go '80s. People were going crazy; it was about excessive displays of wealth. Then the '90s hit, and I started doing serious events around the country for Hewlett-Packard and General Motors. I was really a big shot—and then my marriage fell apart. When you go through a divorce, you reevaluate everything. I've always loved antiquing, and I wanted my own thing. I didn't want clients; I didn't want to wait for somebody to hire me to do a party for them. It seems like such a natural fit for you to have created Randolph Street Market with your event background. I think of [the market] like a big seating chart, and I create pockets of energy with different vendors. It's like this family that comes together once a month, and I know who the troublemakers are.... I also look at the merchandise: "What's going to look good next to this?" With a shopping obsession, it could be a dangerous job. It is! The problem is, the minute I start walking around and pulling out my checkbook, [the vendors] all want me to buy from them. And I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. How do you avoid the temptation? Well, items go fast. People are buying from shoppers of the last generation who wore stuff once, but bought 35 pairs of a Ferragamo shoe—those who really spent money shopping didn't wear stuff more than once. I have so much appreciation for my vendors because they're the ones schmoozing the little old ladies. They've built all this trust. What's your favorite vintage find? I have a wonderful Norma Kamali sweater coat that has all these giant iridescent, pearl-essence discs. It is so cool. It makes noise, it's really shiny and shimmery, and I feel like a slippery pearl. It would go well with the oysters. [Eating oyster] Down the hatch! Oysters really seem kind of gnarly [in general], but these are good. It's very, very fresh. But that's what I love about NoMI. What's in store for the market this summer? I'm trying to create more of a cruise ship atmosphere. I want people to feel like they can stay for the whole weekend. We have massage therapists, a beer garden, more lounges for people to hang out.... Where do you see the market going in the next 10 years? I'd like to take it on the road—take the best of Randolph Street to other markets across the US. If you could go back and tell Sally one thing that you've learned over the past decade, what would it be? I would tell her to have more fun—but I think I've had a lot of fun! MA 82 "I love to sit at NoMI's bar and drink Champagne. It's just a great place to stop before shopping, after shopping...." FORTUNE TELLER 2 oz. Tito's Handmade vodka ¾ oz. lemon juice ¾ oz. Lillet Rose ¾ oz. simple syrup 3 dashes of Peychaud's bitters ½ strawberry 1 sprig of mint —SALLY SCHWARTZ Fill a Collins glass with ice. Mix first five ingredients, and strain over ice. Garnish with strawberry and mint. PAR AVIÓN 1 oz. Macchu pisco ½ oz. honey ¼ oz. Campari Prosecco Lemon peel 3 raspberries Shake pisco, honey, and Campari. Strain into a coupe. Top with Prosecco. Rim edges with lemon peel, and discard. Garnish with raspberries. Fortune Teller and Par Avión, two of NoMI's killer cocktails. MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 080-082_MA_Flavor_OntheTown_SUMMER13.indd 82 6/18/13 12:12 PM

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