Archive for April, 2007

Volume VI – Issue 17 April 25, 2007

In this issue:
- This Saturday, April 28 – Italian Dinner/Dancing to the Moods at *3 Olives* in Norridge
- Next Saturday, May 5 – Derby Day Cocktail Party and Dance at *Café Zalute* in Rosemont
- Tonight, (Wed. April 25) – “Motown” Martini Party at *Dover Straits* in Hoffman Estates
- “What’s Causing Today’s Rising Gas Prices? How Do They Affect You?”

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This Saturday, Why Not Get Into “the Moods”? Motown Martini Party Tonight
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Whether you live in the city or the suburbs, you’re sure to enjoy the next two Gourmet Advocates parties, both of which are easily accessible from either locale (with lot parking).

Let’s start with this Saturday, April 28, when we’re at the western edge of the city (actually on the Norridge/Chicago border) at the popular restaurant and nightclub, the 3 Olives. There, you’ll not only get to enjoy our usual pre-dinner cocktail party (cash bar), but also some delicious Italian cuisine. Then, after dinner the excitement grows, as you jump to your feet to dance or just bob in your chair while listening to the exciting Temptations-style show band, “the Moods.”

And your entire evening is a mere $40 for members and $42 for non-members and guests. Signups are progressing well. Reserve your space for this high-energy event right away at: www.gourmetadvocates.com/singlepage.html

Then, next Saturday, May 5, the Gourmet Advocates and Friends of Friends will together host a “Derby Day” Cocktail Party and Dance at one of our favorite places, Café Zalute on Devon Avenue (at River Road) in Rosemont. We’ll be celebrating the “Run for the Roses” in style with a cocktail party (cash bar), appetizers and a light supper buffet and dancing to our own DJ until midnight. And it is an “open party” and $17 for advance reservations and $19 at the door for walk-ins.

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*Friends of Friends Singles*–
Tonight – Wednesday, April 25 from 6:30-10:30 p.m. –
Join the Friends of Friends “Famous Martini Party” for Motown Night at

Dover Straits

1149 W. Golf Road (3 blocks W. of Higgins) in Hoffman Estates

Our sister organization, Friends of Friends Singles, host the next “Famous Martini Party” at the popular Dover Straits restaurant in Hoffman Estates. This great chance to meet new friends gets started after work and runs from 6:30-10:30 p.m.

It will be “Motown Martini” Night, with live entertainment from singer Vic Flanagan. Vic puts on a great show, mixing some pop standards with Motown and R&B favorites. There will also be lots of drink specials and a tableful of substantial appetizers. This entire fun evening is $7 ($5 for Premier members). No RSVP is required. Just show up.

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Details for the Next Two Great Gourmet Advocates Parties – Hope You’ll Join Us!
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When? – This Saturday, April 28, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. (with Music till Midnight)

What? – Give Your Weekend an “Up Note,” with Delicious Italian Cuisine and Live Music for Dancing at the Popular Restaurant and Nightclub Where? -

The 3 Olives

8313 W. Lawrence Ave. (in Lawrence/Cumberland Shopping Center) at Cumberland Ave. on the Norridge/Chicago border in Norridge

Enjoy delicious Italian dishes at the popular restaurant and nightclub The 3 Olives. This gem has quickly become known not only as a well-regarded Italian restaurant but also a destination for top-flight entertainment on weekends. This particular party will highlight an appearance in Chicago by the high-energy show band, “the Moods,” that perform songs by the Temptations.

Your delightful evening begins with a cocktail party (cash bar) in the lounge area, followed by a plated dinner. Your choice of entrees includes:
- Tilapia in Crosta – Potato-crusted Tilapia, over Sautéed Green Peppers and Chopped Tomatoes
- Lobster Ravioli, with Sautéed Fresh Mussels in Creamy Tomato Vodka Sauce
- Grilled Salmon Fillet with Sautéed Spinach, Lemon, Garlic and Butter Sauce with Mashed Potatoes
- Chicken and Sausage Giambotta –Sautéed with Peppers, Tomatoes and Red Wine Sauce with Oven-roasted Potatoes
- Seafood Risotto – Arborio Rice with Clams, Mussels, Sea Scallops, Calamari and Shrimp
- Veal Scaloppine Piccata – Veal Medallions Sautéed with Lemon Butter Sauce and Capers, served with Spinach and Oven-roasted Potatoes
Also included with dinner is your choice of a house salad or soup, plus coffee.

Your party is $40 for members and $42 for non-members for dinner, entertainment, taxes and tips for advance registrations. Walk-ups will also be accepted at the door for $42 (space permitting). Dressy casual attire. Park in the lot.

Sign up for this fun evening at: www.gourmetadvocates.com/singlepage.html
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When? – Next Saturday, May 5, 7:30 p.m. – Midnight What? – “Derby Day Celebration” Cocktail Party and Dance Featuring Delicious Northern Italian Cuisine at the Very Popular Where? -

Café Zalute

9501 W. Devon (just west of River Road) in Rosemont

Spring brings beautiful weather and fun seasonal activities including the “Run for the Roses.” “Derby Day” is the fun theme for the Gourmet Advocates Dining and Social Club and Friends of Friends Singles cocktail party and dance. This exciting event is at the popular Café Zalute in Rosemont. We have their entire upstairs bar area and part of the dining room. Don’t worry; you don’t need to dress like a jockey or a southern belle. Just think of a gathering, like the Derby, that is a fun-loving blend of all types of people.

Your enchanting evening features a cash bar and music from our own DJ for your dancing and listening pleasure. There will also be tasty hot appetizers and a light supper buffet of pizzas, pasta in marinara sauce and various finger foods from Café Zalute’s well-regarded kitchen. Come on out to celebrate, dance, twirl, eat and drink with all your single friends – the more the merrier!

It’s an “Open Party” for all members, non-members and guests, regardless of past participation. Your evening is $17 in advance or $19 at the door, covering the buffet, entertainment and dancing, taxes and tips. Past similar parties have drawn some of our largest crowds, so advance reservations with payment are highly advisable. Walk-ups at the door are welcome, but will be accepted only as space permits. Dressy casual attire. Park in the restaurant lot.

Sign up for this fun event right away at: www.gourmetadvocates.com/singlepage.html
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Are We Being Squeezed by Big Oil?

“What’s Causing Today’s Rising Gas Prices? How Do They Affect You?”

If you thought you had somehow turned the corner on rising gasoline prices, the latest increases no doubt serve to remind you that we’re far from seeing the price levels we became accustomed to several years ago. Over the past two years, each of us has experienced first hand the most aggressive price jumps in U.S. history. They impact nearly everything we do. Some of the ways may surprise you.

Politicians, realizing how perturbed the average Joe can get when the price of gasoline rises, often put their own spin on the causes and solutions to this problem. Aided by oil industry lobbyists, our lawmakers will often twist the economics of the gasoline market, using them as emotional fuel to bolster support for their favorite new drilling and exploration projects. Moreover, they’re fully aware that consumers rarely fully understand the economics of gasoline pricing. Here are some facts I have uncovered and my take on the issues of rising gas prices.

The largest U.S. gasoline suppliers, once referred to as the “seven sisters,” have in recent years dwindled to four – Exxon Mobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron Texaco. This reduction in suppliers came about not through rigorous competition but through mergers to lessen it. The fifth largest, Conoco Phillips, is also a combination. In the end, what had been an oligopoly became an even more powerful one. Needless to say, the gasoline market certainly does not engage in anything resembling pure price competition. What would be their incentive to do so?

The oil companies will note that the current upsurge in prices is caused in large part by the major rise in the price of crude oil. In fact, U.S. gas prices are determined primarily by refining capacity. There is not enough refining capacity in this country to meet our long-term needs, and genuinely little interest in building new refineries. Why would the oil companies want to invest in boosting refining capacity if it would mean investing to lower their prices and profitability? They can make as much or more money by selling less product.

Because there no real price competition, the oil companies do not eat temporary increases in the cost of crude oil. They merely pass along the costs almost instantly to consumers in the form of price hikes. These hikes usually last considerably longer than the events that triggered them. Price decreases take place more gradually. If suppliers can sell roughly the same amount of gas at $3 a gallon that they sell for $2.50 a gallon, where is their incentive to charge less?

It is also important to note that the oil companies maintain or raise their profit MARGINS for each round of price increases. Refining $70 per barrel oil costs no more than $40 per barrel oil. Still, the oil companies charge consumers more for their refining of the higher priced crude. Thus they ensure that they more than cover any possible reduction in usage by cash-strapped consumers. In this way, the oligopoly maintains a constant or increasing level of profitability, regardless of market circumstances. Without genuine competition or government control, they are assured of margin maintenance (and market control).

Political discussions and rhetoric about America becoming completely self-sufficient when it comes to oil is largely a fiction. While this is a patriotic notion, domestic drilling has more to do with increased profitability for the oil companies than lower prices for the consumer. Remember that the oil companies set prices and margins based on the world crude oil market, not what they’ll pay on the local market. And, since gas prices are set largely by refining capacity (rather than the supply of raw crude), whether future oil comes from Canada (our largest source), Alaska, Mexico or Arabia has a much smaller impact on prices than it does on prof1ts.

How else do higher gas prices affect our daily lives? Consider how the currently high interest rates are negatively impacting the housing market. What do higher gas prices have to do with interest rates? The Federal Reserve pegs interest rates to the consumer price index. As the consumer price index rises, the Fed boosts interest rates in response. What is the largest component of the rise in the consumer price index during the past year? Gasoline and the costs of other goods and services pegged to gas increases. So, unless you own oil company stocks, you are likely being squeezed three ways by the boost in gasoline prices – your transportation costs, the costs to transport the goods you use and your interest rates.