St. Patrick's Day Parade queen, NBA player Iman Shumpert stop by Windy City Weekend
CHICAGO (WLS) -- This week on Windy City Weekend, we're celebrating Val's early birthday with an exciting guest-filled show!
Joining Val and Ryan for Host Chat was NBA player and the winner of season 30 of "Dancing with the Stars," Iman Shumpert! He talked about filming for season six of the hit show, "The Chi".
Sip and Savor
Trez V. Pugh III looked like a king on his throne as he sat on a Chesterfield sofa and sipped coffee imported from Cameroon at his 47th Street location in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood.
It's appropriate for the founder and CEO of Sip & Savor Coffeehouses, because he said his team of baristas treats customers "like royalty."
"Every day I think about Black excellence," Pugh said. "Every time we open our doors, we're trying to give what we call the 'Sip Experience,' that platinum experience."
The vibe at Sip & Savor Coffeehouses, with two locations in Bronzeville, one in Hyde Park, and one in Forest Park, is supposed to make customers feel right at home.
"The reason I call it 'a house' is because I want it to feel like a house," Pugh said. "Nice art on the walls, copper ceilings in here, music playing; I want you to be able to relax."
The self-described "Mocha Man" is prominently featured on the Sip & Savor Instagram page, shown in reels walking into the coffeehouses and enjoying the drinks. The page has 11,000 followers and hundreds engage their posts every day.
"Right now there's so much buzz about Sip & Savor, and it isn't just me," Pugh said. "I've surrounded myself with a team."
Pugh said what separates Sip & Savor Coffeehouses from the rest is that they're a community-based space with express concern for issues like financial literacy, generational wealth and the wellbeing of all people.
The founder and CEO said he believes in the "Five Cs": crisp, clean, classy, consistency and customer service. To be successful and have longevity, Pugh said his patrons' experience mattered more than turning an immediate profit.
"You don't go into this to make money right away," Pugh said. "I went into it to make a difference. Ultimately though, you do want to make money. You do want to be able to pay employees a good salary where they can earn a decent living."
The menu at Sip & Savor includes coffee and teas from around the world as well as a variety of sweetened lattes, mochas, and blended drinks.
A favorite of customers is the "Bama Mocha," which is named after Chicago's own Barack Obama. It consists of two shots of espresso, your choice of milk, and both dark and white chocolate to represent the former president's parents. A pump of coconut syrup and pineapple syrup finishes the drink to pay homage to his time in Hawaii.
According to Pugh, the future looks bright for Sip & Savor despite economic concerns.
"There's still a bunch of challenges out there and we look forward to taking them on," Pugh said. "And of course being in the Marine Corps, we never did give up so, I persevere."
For more information on Sip & Savor Coffeehouses, visit sipandsavorchicago.com.
Kitchen Possible
Kitchen Possible founder Katie Lowman said she was impressed with the bright flavor of 10-year-old Kevin Calderon's strawberry-blueberry crepes at the nonprofit's recent cooking class at Gads Hill Center in Chicago.
"Did you squeeze some extra lemon on there?" Lowman said. "You've got a really nice finish on that one."
Calderon is one of many students, 8 to 12 years old, who attend Kitchen Possible's weekly cooking classes in Chicago's Pilsen, East Garfield Park and Hyde Park neighborhoods.
Lowman founded the organization several years ago because she wanted to use her home cooking talents to do something meaningful for underserved kids.
"On any day when I'm feeling out of control, nothing makes me feel more in control and powerful than cooking," Lowman said. "Kitchen Possible is all about bringing that feeling to kids who need it the most."
Through its Empowering Menu Fundraiser, Kitchen Possible was supported by 35 leading restaurants in Chicago including Frontier, Steingold's of Chicago, Honey Butter Fried Chicken, and Esmé.
Earlier this year, Kitchen Possible was the charity partner for Chicago Restaurant Week's First Bites Bash, and three students who participated in the program were able to cook for the attendees.
"There's nothing like seeing the face of a kid who thought they couldn't make something, who got in there and tried really hard, and ultimately made something amazing," Lowman said. "It's one of the best feelings I've ever felt."
Kitchen Possible volunteer Brittany Williams said kids are enriched by the program and even cook the recipes they learn in the classroom at home for their families.
"I think when you're a kid, food seems magical," Williams said. "When they cook it themselves I feel like they have a more intimate understanding of what goes into preparing food and it demystifies cooking for them."
"We end up going straight to the grocery store to buy a lot of the ingredients that we don't have," said Dolly Argüello, whose son, Pedro, attends the cooking classes. "Given that there's a lack of resources in the community, it benefits a lot of the kids here."
Lowman said Kitchen Possible is more than just teaching kids cooking skills. She also imbues every recipe with life lessons like the need to persevere.
"We help them to feel confident in their ability to make things happen as they learn to make food and we talk about and learn things that can set them up for success far outside of the kitchen," Lowman said.
Six years into its founding, Lowman says her goal for Kitchen Possible is to recruit more volunteer leaders and start classes in other neighborhoods. She said the work can be overwhelming but running the organization has helped her to feel she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to.
"There's nothing I'm more proud of in my life," Lowman said. "It has grown in a way that's just really, really cool."
For more information on Kitchen Possible, visit kitchenpossible.org.
Spend or save?
"Scream VI" - SPEND
In the sixth movie of the "Scream" franchise, four survivors of the Ghostface murders leave Woodsboro, California to get a fresh start in New York. But, they find out a new killer isn't far behind.
"Champions" - SPEND
Woody Harrelson stars in his newest movie "Champions" as a minor league basketball coach who, by court order, has to coach a team of players with intellectual disabilities.
"UnPrisoned" - SPEND
Starring Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo, "UnPrisoned" has a single mother's life turned upside down when her father is released from prison and moves in with her and her son.
"65" - SAVE
"65" stars Adam Driver as a pilot who crashed on an unknown planet, only for him to discover it's actually earth... 65 million years ago.
95th Oscar Academy Awards
Don't miss out on some of the best movies of the year! The 95th Oscar Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be live on Sunday March 12, at 7 p.m. on ABC7.
Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade
Val and Ryan are joined by the queen of the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade, Casey Doherty. Casey received her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law and works in the data privacy field. Her father's side has family roots from Kilkenny, Ireland. She has always admired the past queens of the St. Patrick's Day parades and is thrilled she was chosen this year.
RELATED | Chicago St. Patrick's Day 2023: How to watch Chicago River dyeing, parades, and more
Everyone's Irish around St. Patrick's Day, and ABC7's going all-in on the green to showcase one of Chicago's most cherished traditions. The 68th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade airs Saturday, March 11 at 12:30 p.m.
ABC7's live two-hour broadcast will embrace the sights, sounds and fun of an Irish celebration in Chicago along with highlights of another famous Chicago tradition, dyeing the Chicago River green, a yearly event since 1962.
ABC7's honorary Irish hosts, anchor Judy Hsu and Meteorologist Larry Mowry, will be in the broadcast booth and will be providing parade color commentary along with Karen Ryan, producer of a documentary detailing the history of Chicago's St. Patrick's Day Parade. ABC7 Reporter Liz Nagy will cover all the excitement and pageantry on the street.
