Eli's Cheesecake

HEADING WEST: Hard to believe, but the 25th annual “Windy City West” party in California is fast approaching, set for March 5 at Jerrod and R.J. Melman’s M Street Kitchen & Stella Rossa Pizza Bar in Santa Monica — where Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts will be honored as “Man of the Year.”Co-sponsored by the Waldorf Astoria Chicago, the food fare will include such Chicago-centric goodies as hot dogs, cheesecake, deep dish pizza and Italian beef. Among celebs with Chicago roots planning to drop by are Jennifer Beals, James Denton, Jim Belushi, Jane Lynch, Joe Mantegna, Amy Landecker, Richard Kind, Jeff Garlin, Peter Jacobson, Gigi Pritzker, Joel Murray, Ed Bernero and Adrian Zmed.

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Dr. Kathleen Merrigan (center) discussed the role of agricultural research with students and faculty from the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences (CHSAS), University of Wisconsin and Eli’s president Marc Schulman at the US Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., on January 10, 2012. From left: Bill Hook, CHSAS, Dantrell Cotton, University of Wiscons…in, Bobbie Briggs, CHSAS, Alex Villareal, CHSAS, Deputy Secretary Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, Lucille Shaw, CHSAS, Shelia Fowler, CHSAS, Molly Jahn, Dean of Agricultural and Life Sciences (former Undersecretary Research Education and Economics), University of Wisconsin, and Marc Schulman, Eli’s Cheesecake. USDA Photo by Bob Nichols

Eli’s Cheesecake is delighted to support Winter Bike to Work Day on Friday  January 20th  at Chicago’s Daley Plaza for the annual celebration of cyclists who don’t let low temperatures stop them from pedaling to work.

Coffee and tea from Caribou and Eli’s Cheesecake will be available from 6:30 to 9am.

Winter Bike to Work Day takes place on Jan. 20, the 27th anniversary of Chicago’s coldest day, when the official temperature at O’Hare International Airport was 27 degrees below zero.

At the holiday, a group of us from The Eli’s Cheesecake Company look forward to bringing to the Sunshine Activity Center, an evening program for adults with special needs. The evening includes dinner provided by Eli’s Chefs Antonio and Danny, Eli’s Turtle Cheesecake for dessert, Holiday Bingo and a special visit by Santa Claus bearing gifts.

Participating from Eli’s were Mary, Diana, Kathy (and husband Jeff), Lindsey, Kaitlin, Angelica, Donna, Elsa (and husband Jose), Marc, Donna, Korey, Antonio and Danny.

It was 70 years this week on December 7th, 1941 that America suffered its “Day of Infamy” with the Pearl Harbor invasion and the entry of the US into World War II. Over the next five years, over 16 million American men and women served our country including our founder, Eli M. Schulman. The menu above is from Eli Schulman’s “Victory Dinner” on May 18th, 1942 when he joined the US Army Air Corp.

Eli Schulman had opened Eli’s Ogden Huddle in 1940 and was called upon to use his foodservice experience to operate a series of PX’s for Army Air Corp in Texas, Colorado and Utah rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant.

Being a member of the Army Air Corp, Eli on the right was a part of the team providing support for the B-17 and B-24 Bombers that has such an important role in bringing World War II to an end.

Eli Schulman (on the right) was the host for Actress Ann Sothern when she visited the Army Air Base in Salt Lake City. Considered one of the most beautiful actresses her time, Sothern was at the top of her appeal in World War II appearing in a series of films and radio shows starring her as “Maisie,” a brassy Brooklyn burlesque dancer.

Eli’s Cheesecake history of creating specialty big cakes dates back to Eli Schulman’s days in the Army Air Corp in World War II. Eli, on the left, approves of the cake baked in his kitchen.

We join all of Chicago in expressing our sympathy and deep loss over the passing of Maggie Daley, our City’s  First Lady and Advocate for our Children, the Arts and our Environment. During the 22 years that Richard M. Daley served as Mayor, Mrs. Daley was at the Mayor’s side for so many important events and was so active individually supporting our City.

We wanted to share two events that demonstrate Mrs Daley’s involvement and concerns.

In 1988 shortly after our founder, Eli M. Schulman, passed away, the Chicago Park District named the playground at Seneca Park, across the street from Eli’s the Place for Steak, in his honor. That started a several year long campaign to raise funds to build the Eli M. Schulman Playground, rebuild Seneca Park and to purchase “Ben,” a equine sculpture by Deborah Butterfield.

The major fundraiser for the Playground was An Evening with the late Bobby Short at the Ritz Carlton Hotel held in 1999. The support and presence of the Mayor and Mrs. Daley was critical to the success of the fundraising effort.

In 2010, Temple Grandin, the renowned advocate for individuals with autism and animal science professor was in Chicago to receive an Award and accepted an invitation from Eli’s Marc Schulman to visit the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences. Being aware of Elizabeth Daley’s studies in autism research, an invitation was extended to Mrs. Daley and Elizabeth to visit the school to meet Temple Grandin, meet the students and tour the school. Although in treatment for her illness, Mrs. Daley could not have been more gracious spending over two hours at the school enriching so many students lives.

After Eli’s Cheesecake’s successful food drive to support the Greater Chicago Food Depository at Lights Festival Lane as part of the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, it is our tradition to join the celebration and food drive for Sharing It Day at the Merchandise Mart on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

Eli’s President Marc Schulman joined students from the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences and representatives from the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Jewel Osco with the hosts from the Merchandise Mart for the Sharing It Day Food Drive.

Eli’s Cheesecake was well represented at Sharing It Day by Danielle and Felicia who gave our contributor a slice of Eli’s Cheesecake.

Students from the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences accompanied by Assistant Principal, Lucille Shaw, and Ag Department Chair, Sheila Fowler,  greet Karen May of Jewel-Osco, the grocery sponsor of Sharing It Day at the Merchandise Mart.

Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences Senior Mohammed Shalabi is interviewed by Patrick Elwood of Fox 32 News.

Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences students thanks Mark Falanga, the President of Merchandise Mart Properties, for hosting Sharing It Day.