In this issue:
- This Saturday, August 30 - “Garden Party” Dinner with Music at *Don Roth’s Blackhawk* in Wheeling
- Next Saturday, September 6 - Cocktail and Dinner Party at the New *Wine & Vine* in Elmhurst
- “Are You Fishing with a Pole or a Net? The Difference Is Important”

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Hope to See You Saturday for a “Garden” Cocktail and Dinner Party with Live Music at Don Roth’s
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This Saturday, we kick off Labor Day weekend with a party at one of our favorite North Suburban spots, Don Roth’s Blackhawk in Wheeling. We’ll be hosting a “Garden Party” outing on Don Roth’s beautiful garden patio. Again, the party takes place this Saturday, August 30, and includes not only a cocktail party gathering (cash bar) and terrific 3-course seated dinner, but also live music throughout the evening.

This great gathering is $45 for members and $47 for guests and walk-ins, space permitting. Walkins are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to register in advance, as space is limited and we don’t want to turn anyone away.

Please sign up right away for this fun event, at www.gourmetconnections.com/singlepage.html.

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Next weekend, Saturday, September 6, from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m., we kick off the fall party schedule in downtown Elmhurst. Join us for the festivities at the bright new Wine & Vine, a wine-focused American eclectic café. This unique little restaurant, just south of the railroad tracks on York Street, serves up some delicious dishes from a highly visible kitchen right in front of you.

Choose from six great entrees like Prime Rib, Sauteed Atlantic Salmon, Shrimp Scampi, Pasta Pesto, Chicken Piccata or Brown Sugar Pork Chop. This great little gathering is $40 for all members and $42 for guest and walk-ups.

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Details for This Saturday’s Party at *Don Roth’s Blackhawk* and Next Weekend’s at *Wine & Vine*
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When? - This Saturday, August 30, 7:00 – 10:30 p.m.

What? - Kick Off Labor Day Weekend on a High Note — Enjoy a “Garden Party” Cocktail and Dinner Party Accompanied by Live Music at

Where? -

Don Roth’s Blackhawk Restaurant

61 N. Milwaukee Ave. (just north of Dundee Rd.) in Wheeling

Join lots of other singles in kicking off the Labor Day weekend on a high note. Don Roth’s Blackhawk Restaurant has long been known for serving outstanding food, often accompanied by live musical entertainment. This dinner party will provide a chance to share mouth-watering food, scintillating conversation and camaraderie with single friends old and new as you enjoy flavorful prime rib, pork, seafood or chicken specialties at the venerable Wheeling establishment.

Start the evening with a one-hour cocktail party (cash bar). Then, sit down to a delectable dinner in the delightful outdoor garden. During and after dinner, enjoy live music. Besides Don Roth’s musical tradition, the restaurant has become known for tasty specialties like its signature roast prime rib of beef and its Spinning Salad Bowl, all served in a congenial atmosphere.

Enjoy your choice from six sumptuous entrees:
- Broiled Tilapia - Macadamia Nut Crusted with Fruit Chutney
- Broiled 9 oz. Center-Cut Pork Chop with Hot Chunky Spiced Apple Sauce
- Fresh North Atlantic Salmon with Fresh Cucumber - Dill Sauce
- Roasted “Blackhawk” Chicken - Half Chicken on the Bone, Roasted with Spicy Herb and Garlic Seasonings and Assorted Peppers
- 10 oz. Prime Rib of Beef, Slow Roasted in a Halo Heat Oven and Served Au Jus
- Large Gulf Shrimp - Sautéed in Garlic and White Wine Sauce

Dinner also includes a tossed green or the Roth’s famous Spinning Salad, your choice of Potato, Vegetables or Rice and Flourless Chocolate Cake with Berry Coulis for dessert. Your evening is $45 for members for dinner, entertainment, taxes and tips for advance reservations. Guests, non-members and walk-ups are welcome for $47. Dressy casual attire. Park in the lot.

To register for this fun event, go to www.gourmetconnections.com/singlepage.html .

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When? - Next Saturday, September 6, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

What? - Enjoy Noteworthy American Eclectic Cuisine and Sparkling Conversation at the New Wine-Focused Café

Where? -

Wine & Vine

105 S. York Road (at Park Ave. just south of RR tracks) in downtown Elmhurst

Enjoy a unique singles dinner party, featuring the delightful, mouth-watering, wine-focused American eclectic cuisine at Wine & Vine. This upbeat bistro is located in downtown Elmhurst, just south of the tracks. The new chef at Wine & Vine has mastered his cooking techniques and intriguing sauces at restaurants like Marché.

Though the restaurant is just 6 weeks old, the initial reviews for Wine & Vine have been highly favorable. Combine the café’s wonderful fresh cuisine and welcoming atmosphere with a little wine (more than 30 choices by the glass) and sparkling conversation, and you have the ingredients for a delightful evening.

Mix and mingle with other single friends, old and new, during a get-acquainted cocktail hour (cash bar) in the restaurant’s couch-filled lounge area. This will be followed by a seated dinner party in the cafés attractive dining room.

Your evening’s choices of truly distinctive entrees include:
- Sautéed Atlantic Salmon – Sautéed Atlantic Coast Salmon with Creamy Parmesan
Polenta and Seasonal Vegetables Cooked in White Wine and Vegetable Broth
- 12-oz. Brown Sugar Pork Chop, Marinated in a Brown Sugar and Herb Mix with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables
- Chicken Piccata – Pan-seared to a Golden Brown, Lightly Breaded Breast of Chicken with Lemon-butter Piccata Sauce served with Rice Pilaf
- Chef Hank’s “The Pesto” – Made with Rare Imported Olive Oil, Fresh Basil, Parmesan Cheese and a Trilogy of Roasted Nuts over Bowtie Pasta
- 12-oz. Prime Rib Roasted in Garlic and Herbs served with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Shrimp Scampi – Jumbo Gulf Shrimp Sautéed in Garlic and White Wine Sauce over Linguini with Imported Parmesan Cheese

Also included are your choice of soup or a house green salad, and coffee or tea. Your evening is $40 for dinner, taxes and tips for advance registrations. Guests and non-members are welcome for $42. Advance reservations are very much encouraged, but walk-ups will be accepted at the door for $42. Dressy casual attire. Park on the street or in nearby municipal lots.

To sign up for this terrific party, go to www.gourmetconnections.com/singlepage.html.

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Singles Notebook – “Get-Real” Thoughts and Opinions from Jim “Senny” Senhauser

“Are You Fishing with a Pole or a Net? The Difference Is Important”

Last week, I posted a sample listing of reasons that I compiled as to why anyone should be interested in dating me. I encouraged each of you to put together a similar roster of your personal attributes and preferences to post in your profile if you are currently participating in online dating. It is a highly effective way to let potential dates know who you are and what you are looking for up-front.

Since then, a few people have asked me why I would put such specific information on my tastes and preferences. Why would I pit who I did not vote for in the last presidential election? Why would I put things like I would accept your dog, but not your cat? Why would I single out certain political talk shows that I do not respect?

Some of you may be surprised at my answer. You may say to yourself, why would I want to limit my choices by clearly cutting out some possibilities without giving women who might not fit these criteria a chance? Speaking bluntly, I am not interested in dating a woman who does not fit my lifestyle. By the same token, I certainly wouldn’t want to date somebody who is uncomfortable with my tastes, interests and preferences, and feels that I would crimp her style.

You have a choice as to how you pick the people that you date. You can choose to fish with a pole or with a net. I am not trying to find EVERY woman who might have the attributes in which I am interested. I am only trying to uncover the one who is most closely aligned with my values and tastes.

To further this approach, I announce as early in the relationship as I can (or even before it starts) what my views on key issues like religion, politics, pets, smoking, drinking, drugs, sports, ethics and values are. Sure, it will likely cut out a lot of potential dates, but these are the ones who are the least likely to fit my needs in the long run. When it comes to the “dating dance,” I am looking to be compatible with one person, not popular with everybody.

Others of you may take the approach of trying to haul in as many suitors as possible, and then to sort through all of them to take your pick. That is like fishing with a net. Doing so has a chance to maximize your possibilities. It is especially effective if you are really flexible or genuinely tolerant when it comes to who you are willing to “try out” and possibly even end up with.

The other benefit of the “net” method is if you are still shaping who you are and what you are looking for in a date or mate. Studies have shown that dating preferences are most often formed and shaped based on your actual dating experiences. This reinforces the concept that not everybody can describe what they are looking for, but they know it when they see it.

So, when it comes to finding that man or woman (or those men or women) to date, you can fish with a pole or a net. But, the trick is for you to decide and fashion your approach up-front, based on how choosy you wish to be.

As you can imagine, the worst approach is to cast a broad net and then fall into a relationship with someone who violates a number of the strongly held views and interests that you hold dear. That dilemma is likely to cause you lost time and lost respect for either yourself or your partner. Worse yet is if it leads to open contempt.

Don’t get me wrong, it is nearly as bad to fish with a pole if you have such stringent, rigid or totally intolerant qualifications that you become a perfectionist.

In conclusion, if you are looking to date, I urge you to first look inside yourself – at how choosy you are and where you want to end up. In that way, before you date, you’ll be able to decide whether you are going to fish with a pole or fish with a net. Believe me, the difference is VERY important.

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I hope that you are getting ready for a big weekend. Be sure to join us for Saturday’s outstanding “Garden Party” event at *Don Roth’s Blackhawk* in Wheeling.

205 - 5 = 200

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Successful Single! ©2008 - Success Singles Club, Ltd. (formerly the Gourmet Advocates, Ltd.)

Jim Senhauser’s “Singles Notebook” column (used with permission) is ©2008 IdeaTree, Ltd., Chicago, IL 60613. “IdeaTree” is a registered trademark of IdeaTree, Ltd.