RaviniYUM

If you've never been to Ravinia before, take some lessons from us.  It was our first time going, and I'll admit that I'm pretty impressed with us.  And judging by how many people came to our picnic table asking about our food, I'd say other people were impressed with us too.

Lesson 1:  Toast to the night.

Any epic evening with fantastic company deserves to be properly recognized with a proper toast.  In our case, we toasted with wine and pomegranate spritzers.

Lesson 2:  Set the mood.

Once the light fades, all you'll have is candlelight to eat your food by.  Ravinia even sells these awesome wine bottle candelabras that plop right in your empty wine bottles...which means you'll have to polish off a bottle prior to it getting dark.  Oh, darn!

Lesson 3:  Feast!

The crowing glory of the night was our 3 course fondue spread.  Salad and cheese fondue with crusty French bread, broccoli, and apples for an appetizer.  Oil fondue for cooking shrimp and chicken with various dipping sauces (peanut, BBQ, and raspberry chipotle, to be exact).  Chocolate fondue with fresh strawberries, apples, and rice krispy treats for dessert.  Use one less fondue pot by simply putting a Crock Pot bag in the fondue pot for the cheese fondue, and remove it for the chocolate fondue (yes, sometimes I am smart).

Lesson 4:  Sit back, relax, and enjoy the atmosphere.  

Yes, Ravinia is CROWDED.  But grab a picnic table near the back (forget sitting on the lawn when you can have an entire table to yourselves!) and bask in the glorious success of a perfect night.

Who was playing, you ask?  Carrie Underwood.  You can tell where our priorities were.