Ultimate Plus℠ Package

Extend the magic of Wright Plus to a unique four-day experience, including accommodation. Immerse yourself in six spectacular events in four unforgettable days.
Featuring:

• Exclusively Wright Dinners, private dining at an exquisite Wright-designed home
• Invitation only Chairman's Reception at a private home in Oak Park and Private Twilight Tour of Wright’s Home and Studio
• Prairie Homes and Gardens, a delightful Friday Excursion to discover Chicago-area Prairie design and landscape, including the magnificent Avery Coonley Estate
• Sunday Smart Start at the Robie House, featuring behind-the-scenes tours of Wright's masterpiece and viewings of original Robie House furnishings at the Smart Museum of Art
• The celebrated Wright Plus Housewalk
• Three nights accommodation in a deluxe room (double occupancy) at the historic Carleton of Oak Park, Official Hotel of Wright Plus 2010.

Ultimate Plus Weekend Package:

Purchase Tickets Now

$1950 FLWPT member; $2150 non-member
Single room supplement: $300

Each package includes a box lunch at the Wright Plus housewalk on Saturday, May 15. Please note your preference of Vegetarian, Turkey, or Roast Beef sandwich in the notes section of the checkout page when you place your order.

For more information, .

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Exclusively Wright Dinners

Saturday, May 15. 7 pm.

Enjoy an exclusive, intimate experience combining a magical Frank Lloyd Wright space and the exquisite cuisine of an acclaimed chef. Champagne, live music, private tours, conversations with the current owners and culinary creations by a celebrity chef make memories of a lifetime. Limited number of guests per home.

Hills-DeCaro House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1906), Oak Park, IL - FILLED

Relish a rare opportunity to dine in and tour this exquisite home that reveals the influence of Wright's seminal trip to Japan. Relax with drinks in a newly recreated pergola that originally stood on the grounds, and admire a piece of Chicago history – a restored ticket kiosk from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Guests will be treated to the cuisine of chef Leonard Hollander.

Isidore Heller House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1896), Chicago, IL

Relax in the spacious elegance of one of Wright's seminal creations in historic and beautiful Hyde Park. Experience one of his earliest explorations of three-story designs. Savor a return performance by Chef Daniel Herskovic who thrilled guests in 2009 with his culinary creations and chocolates.

Arthur B. Heurtley House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1902), Oak Park, IL- FILLED

Dine in style in this breathtaking and meticulously restored example of the Prairie style. This National Historic Landmark is the work of a confident artist experiencing unprecedented professional success. Enjoy a gourmet dinner surrounded by brilliant art-glass windows and gleaming wood details. Award-winning chefs Gale Gand and Rick Tramonto will be joining us for what will be a truly spectacular evening. In addition, guests will learn from renowned sommelier Scott Tyree, formerly with Tru in Chicago.

Harry S. Adams House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1913)

Experience the gracious ambiance of the home that is Wright's Oak Park finale. A unified vision of Prairie ideals, the Adams House provides the perfect setting for Chef Dave Esau’s delectable seasonal menu.

Above photographs: James Caulfield.

Participating chefs

Gale Gand

Gale Gand, executive pastry chef and partner at Chicago’s famous Tru (www.trurestaurant.com), Gand www.galegand.com is also the author of seven cookbooks and host of Food Network’s “Sweet Dreams.” She was recognized in 2001 as Outstanding Pastry Chef by The James Beard Foundation and Bon Appetit magazine, and in 1994 as one of Food & Wine’s Top Ten Best New Chefs.

Rick Tramonto

Rick Tramonto is executive chef/partner at the world-renowned four-star fine-dining restaurant Tru, in Chicago. Tramonto is also culinary director of Tramonto’s Steak & Seafood, and RT Sushi Bar & Lounge. His awards include James Beard Foundation Win for Best Chef, Midwest Category 2002; Robert Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence; Rising Star Chefs Award 1994; and Food & Wine Magazine Top 10 Best New Chefs 1994. His Tru accolades include Outstanding Service Award from The James Beard Foundation in 2007, Four-star Mobil, and Five-diamond AAA.

Dave Esau

Dave Esau, chef and owner of Dave’s Specialty Foods, attended Dumas Pere L’Ecole de Cuisine Culinary School, Glenview, Illinois in 1985, while working at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Chicago. He then studied in Lyon, France, with Michelin 2-star Chef Michel Chabran. After returning to Chicago in 1987, Dave worked as a chef at D&J Bistro in Lake Zurich, Illinois. He has also been a chef at The American Club, the Midwest’s only 5-Diamond resort in Kohler, Wisconsin. Eight years ago Chef Esau opened Dave’s Specialty Foods in Chicago.

Daniel Herskovic

Daniel Herskovic, founder of the catering businesses www.chefdaniel.com and creator of Mayana Chocolate (www.mayanachocolate.net). Chef Herskovic graduated from the California Culinary Academy and attributes his artisanal approach to his apprenticeship in pastry and cooking under Chef Paul Bertolli, a leader of the International Slow Food Movement.

Leonard Hollander

Leonard Hollander joined Marion Street Cheese Market as Executive Chef in spring 2009. He has worked with some of the most prestigious chefs and fine dining establishments in Chicago, including Ambria and Avenues at the Peninsula Hotel. His continuously evolving cuisine is rooted in local and seasonal ingredients as is Marion Street Cheese Market’s mission to make diners comfortable in an enjoyable and unique way.

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Chairman's Reception and Twilight Tour

Thursday, May 13. 6 to 8 pm.

George D. Webb House (Henry K. Holsman, 1910).

Photo: James Caulfield.

Start off your Wright Plus experience with a rare Twilight Tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park. Proceed to an elegant reception at the spectacular George D. Webb House (Henry K. Holsman, 1910, Oak Park, IL). Modern American Homes called the Webb House “an attractive country residence combining elegance with good taste.” Mingle with fellow Wright enthusiasts, donors and VIP guests at this invitation-only event. Enjoy Latin cuisine from Oak Park's newest hot spot – Maya del Sol, while exploring this grand private residence.

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Friday Excursion

Prairie Homes and Gardens

Friday, May 14. 8 am to 5:30 pm.

Savor Chicago-area Prairie period marvels on an all-day excursion. Visit the Coonley Estate with its privately-owned Avery Coonley Residence, Coach House, Gardener’s Cottage and Playhouse in Riverside. Wander through the estate’s sunken garden and elegant lily pool, and admire the spectacular interiors. Then travel to Lincoln Park’s Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool. Originally a Victorian garden, this hidden treasure is one of Chicago’s most notable Prairie landscapes. While in Lincoln Park, explore notable buildings by architect Joseph Lyman Silsbee, Wright’s first employer in Chicago. Enjoy a delicious lunch at historic Café Brauer, overlooking the newly restored Nature Boardwalk at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Café Brauer was designed in the Prairie style by architect Dwight Perkins in 1908. Continental breakfast and deluxe motorcoach transportation included. Space is limited.

Avery Coonley Estate

Avery Coonley Residence (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1907)
Avery Coonley Coach House and Gardener’s Cottage (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1911)
Avery Coonley Playhouse (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1912)
Thorncroft Residence (William Drummond, 1912)

Photographs courtesy Dr. and Mrs. Eastman.

The Avery Coonley House represents one of Frank Lloyd Wright's finest early structures. The Coonleys had investigated the architect's other homes and remarked that they saw in his work "the countenances of principle." Wright stated in his autobiography, "This was to me a great and sincere compliment. So I put my best into the Coonley House."

The luxurious complex is an aesthetic expression that boasts a design unified by free spirited movement of squares, rectangles, and circles. The building materials – wood, glass, metal and stucco – contribute the essence of their natures to the composition, in true Wrightian spirit. A color scheme derived from nature – browns, greens and gold – adds to the rhythm of the design. The plan divides the various functions of the house into separate wings, in one of Wright’s first uses of a zoned floor plan. Elaborate gardens, containing terraces, shallow planters and a large reflecting pool, make the setting as impressive as the grand residence itself. Across from the Coonley Playhouse is Thorncroft, a classic example of Prairie School architecture, built as a teacher’s residence for the Coonley Estate’s private school.

Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool (1936-38)

Built during the 1930s with Works Progress Administration funding, the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool was originally a Victorian garden that had existed on its site since 1889. Inspired by Jens Jensen, Frank Lloyd Wright and the traditions of the Prairie School, Caldwell replicated a Midwestern prairie, complete with local stone, wildflowers and a stream. One of the city’s most important historic landscapes, the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2002.

Café Brauer (Dwight H. Perkins, 1908)

Photograph courtesy Lincoln Park Zoo.

Formerly known as South Pond Refectory, Café Brauer, on the grounds of Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, was designed by architect Dwight H. Perkins for the Brauer family, restaurant entrepreneurs. With its idyllic lagoon-side setting and intricately detailed interior, it evokes early-twentieth-century grandeur. After closing as a café in the 1940s, the building was used for storage until 1987 when The Lincoln Park Zoological Society began a $4.2 million restoration project. Café Brauer was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and received Chicago Landmark status in 2003.

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Sunday Smart Start at the Robie House

Sunday, May 16. 8 am to 12:30 pm and 9:45 am to 1:30 pm.

Photographs: Tim Long

Cap off the weekend with a festive morning in historic Hyde Park. Enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the restoration of one of the 20th century's most influential buildings. See newly restored spaces, including the third floor. Wander through Hyde Park's beautiful streets as you make your way to the Smart Museum of Art where guides will interpret related works from the collection. The morning concludes with a gourmet box lunch. Space is limited.

For more information on the Ultimate Plus Weekend Package, . Program subject to change.

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