Marz is out of this world

Joe Fiely has just opened an upscale spot at 813 W. Fulton Market making the perfect spot for the after work crowd. Joe's Imports is bringing more than 250 different types of wines to the table and is already gearing up for the warm weather with a 15 seat patio to extend the indoor 65 seat capacity.

Chef Peter DeRuvo handles a menu based in Italy with items such as the raviolo with duck egg and blue crab mixed with chilies. The staff and apps were top notch, definitely demanding return visits to sample the main entrees.

The name Joe's Imports can easily be misunderstood as a retial store so why not Joe's Import Wines and More or possibly the same name on the website? I guess you will have to ask Joe himself as he is very personable and will be happy to help pair wines with any cuisine for guests.

The venue just began serving brunch on March 9 and is bringing in Glazed and Infused Donuts that should go well with bellinis.

Joe's is taking reservations on the phone at 312-736-1750 and more information can be found at JoesWineImports.com.

The St. Jane Hotel has risen from the ashes of the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago at 230 North Michigan Ave. The location is close to many attractions such as Milennium Park and tons of shopping.

The hotel's restaurant space Free Rein serves American food with a French flair. The chef paired Marz Brewing beers to his cuisine for a recent dinner.

Marz Brewing makes small batch beers at 3630 South Iron Street in Chicago. The range of tastes make the beer unique and stand out from the rest. The Jungle Boogie is a pale wheat beer and was sampled with the roasted sweetbreads. The Pineapple Milkshake may seem strange to go with the dry aged ribeye, but somehow worked very well. I could have easily wolfed down a second helping of the steak bathed in the tarot root puree.

Finishing things off with just a smidge of chocolate goat cheesecake paired with the Churros Y Chocolate selection was the perfect way to end the night.

Visit StJaneHotel.com for more on the property and check out MarzBrewing.com to wash it all down!