It was an Epic Night at Epic Burger! On Tuesday July 29th, the Zapwater crew put their event planning hats on and attended the official opening of eco-friendly burger joint, Epic Burger, located in the South Loop.The folks at Epic Burger called us in a crunch – they wanted to put together an event which would showcase their brand new flagship store, but did not have the time or resources to pull it of in two weeks! Have no fear, Zapwater is here!

We at Zapwater put our heads together, pooled our efforts (and our interns) and put together a spectacular event. From the gift bags filled with wonderful environmentally sound products donated from Katherine Anne Confections, Lululemon, Pivot Boutique, Chicago Honey Co-op, and Soulistic Studio and Spa and Epic Burger, to the excited crowd filled with Chicago movers and shakers, the night was a success!

But the main attraction of the night was of course THE FOOD! Epic Burger offers a new take on the classic burger joint. It offers great burgers that you can actually feel good about eating! Epic Burger is an eco-friendly establishment. From the all-natural ingredients to the environmentally sustainable packaging materials, every aspect of its production is GREEN! At the big event, guests enjoyed a sampling of the signature burgers and were the lucky first group to experience the debut of the BLT Burger! The burgers were passed, the fries were mowed, and the shakes were flowing.Thanks to hard work from the Zapwater crew and the Epic Burger staff, guests left with full bellies and definite plans to return to this new South Loop hot spot!

Allison P. Evans
Director of Business Development

Unlike most of my colleagues, I can’t really say I am much of a foodie. As a recent college graduate, my diet consists of the same several, pitiful staples: wheat bread, tomatoes, hummus and popcorn. Usually, these are consumed while watching the Food Network as I pretend that my paltry sandwich is whatever delicious comestible is being prepared on the tube. While many of my peers are turning to fast food to satiate their dietary desires, I would prefer to use my imagination. Lately however, my imagination can only go so far. With the smell of summer BBQ wafting through my neighborhood and only re-runs of Paula Deen on TV, I have been craving something tasty and new but still affordable and natural. Luckily David Friedman, founder of the new South Loop eatery Epic Burger, once had a similar dilemma!

Inspired by a road trip that left him longing for a quick yet fresh bite to eat, Friedman set out to create a burger joint that could be delicious, fast, affordable and above all, natural. Epic Burger’s staples are a bit different from my own, consisting of all fresh, natural ingredients including hormone and antibiotic free beef, Wisconsin made cheese and locally grown produce. Add freshly baked buns and cut to order French fries to this mix and you can start to see how Epic Burger got its name. The menu is uncluttered, consisting of only four burger and sandwich choices, their trans-fat free fries and a variety of real fruit smoothies. My suggestion? The All Natural Epic Burger that comes with all the traditional burger fixings and “epic sauce”. If you’re feeling like enjoying an especially epic meal, try it out with their one-year aged cheddar and a few slabs of nitrate free bacon.Although the official grand opening of Epic Burger is Tuesday July 29th, they’re now open to meet your meat needs. I am confident that even if your diet is a bit more thrilling than mine, Epic Burger will live up to its name!

Emma Richards
Intern

It’s not every week that you can start with an open house in the suburbs, followed by a Carnivale, topped off with a 2.0 grand opening event (complete with burlesque dancers) and then end the festivities by Dressing Up! Get ready, here we go!

Wednesday, July 16

3:00 pm
Our journey to Des Plaines to visit Feldco, Chicago’s own home renewal specialists, began in the late afternoon and was an hour and half reminder of why I live in the city, it only took that long to go 26 miles! In that time, we managed to wave at fellow drivers, call Allison’s grandma, watch planes land freakishly close at O’Hare and then some.

5:00 pm
Our task for the night was to host and staff a private reception for media and VIP’s, giving them a “behind the windows, siding and doors” look at the all-new Feldco showroom and headquarters.

8:30 pm
The night was a success, as drinks were poured (with one minor bartender finger injury) and RA Sushi was devoured, the crowd was truly impressed by the new Des Plaines facility.

Thursday, July 17

5:00 pm
Prepping for events entails a lot of work, including stuffing gift bags for guests. In preparation for a Friday afternoon/evening event at le Dress, I kidnapped our intern Ashley for a night of stuffing, staffing and dancing.

7:00 pm
After meticulously prepping 100 bags, we crossed over from Wicker Park to Bucktown for the Carnivale celebration at Akira. Proceeds from the door benefited Chicago Gateway Green, the non-profit organization dedicated to beautifying and greening Chicago, and served as the second of three pre-events for this years’ annual Green Tie Ball.

9:00 pm
A quick change and cab ride later, we found ourselves at Crimson Lounge, ready to participate in the Grand Opening 2.0 celebration. Scantily-clad burlesque dancers stole the stage and almost bared all (I was impressed!), and the Crimson Kitties made their debut dancing performance. Champagne, appetizers and DJ Kiss filled the night and I even had my own dance-off with one of my favorite DJ’s, Matt Roan!Friday, July 18

10:30 am
As the day begins with a totally crazy cabbie, what other kind is there really, I was ready to put the week to bed, but not before I “le Dress”ed it up at le Dress’s media event and official grand opening. The city’s newest dress-only boutique treated media and guests to champagne, wine, amazing truffles, cheeses and cupcakes (all from our great friend Rehanna at Chocolate Grape), toasting to the boutique’s success and walls of beautiful dresses. I myself felt a bit like Katherine Heigel, I tried on at least 27 dresses throughout the day!

7:30 pm
Equipped with two bottles of wine, I grabbed a cab and headed home, where I immediately toasted with my fiancé to a whirlwind 72 hours – Zapwater style!

Holly Ramsey
Publicist

Having celebrated his 68th birthday in the Windy City last week, The Beatles’ Ringo Starr and his blonde bombshell girlfriend Barbara Bach, were spotted shopping along the trendy Oak Street fashion district last Thursday afternoon.Making a pit stop at our client Chasalla (106 E. Oak Street), the friendly drummer picked up a STAR embellished belt buckle and a black D&G t-shirt with a white peace sign, meant for “a friend” he said.

Ringo’s famous style fits the aesthetic of Chasalla’s Rock n’ Roll vibe, especially with designers like John Richmond that harkens a feel with the rocker pant. Ringo even mentioned that he loves Replay jeans, a Chasalla staple.Starr is currently touring with his new band, All Star Band and performed at Northerly Island on Sunday. Hopefully he flashed his star power with his new Chasalla belt buckle.

Cassandra Mazur
Intern

The West Loop was jumping back in late June on the 27th. That Friday night the cast and crew of the John Dillinger bio “Public Enemies” hit Randolph Street hot spot Bon V (pronounced just like the French saying Bon Vie, meaning the good life) for the film’s official wrap party.

Stars started arriving into the crowded club around 11:30pm. Actors Giovanni Ribisi (best known for his stint on the television show “My Two Dads,” according to my co-worker Holly) and Stephen Dorff were first on the scene (in matching flannel shirts to boot), then came “Public Enemies” director Michael Mann. An hour later, Oscar winner and natural beauty Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose“) sashayed in looking casual yet cute wearing a floral tee and jeans. Even though he wasn’t in the movie, Chicago homeboy and “Entourage” star Jeremy Piven came out to support his colleagues.
So where was Johnny Depp the star of “Public Enemies” during the wrap party? Filming wrapped late that evening and he was still having some wine in the private dining room of Gibsons Steakhouse.

Oh well, there was enough star power at the two-floor 7,500 square-foot ultra lounge. I’m just getting ready for more star-studded nights and good times at my new favorite nightlife venue, Bon V!

Kiran Advani
Vice President, Lifestyle

If anyone knows me they know that I love two things: avocados and crab.

So when HUB 51 debuted their menu with Peekytoe Crab Nachos, I knew I was in for taste bud heaven. Upon my first official visit to the new River North restaurant, my table of four ordered the decadent dish. We were gleefully glad to see the heaping pile of Peekytoe Crab, Fresh Crisp Tortilla Chips, Homemade Guacamole and White Cheddar & Oaxaca cheese sitting in front of us in no time. Each one of us dove right in and I don’t know about anyone else, but my mouth was elated. I would have never thought to pair nachos and crab together, but I swear those chefs at HUB 51 are genius. Usually when I tell my friends about the nachos, they get a weird look on their face but trust me these nachos are incredible!

I have officially found my new favorite nachos of all time at my new favorite client HUB 51.

Annie Neyman
Senior Publicist

Happy 4th. Just in case you are wondering, we’re taking a long weekend. Zapwater will be closed July 4th and 7th. Enjoy your holiday weekend.

I have never gotten the chance to wear a hard hat in my life. However, I have always been fascinated with architecture and development and was incredibly excited when I got the opportunity recently to tour the Iron Horse Hotel in Milwaukee before its completion. Currently scheduled to open in September, the Iron Horse Hotel is located right in downtown Milwaukee and is the industry’s first modern luxury boutique hotel geared toward business and leisure travelers along with the growing segment of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Besides the excitement of getting to wear my first hard hat and get a sneak peak at a hotel that is sure to change both the hotel and nightlife scenes in Milwaukee, the experience was a unique blend of seeing different aspects of the hotel coming together while also imagining the finished product. The entire building houses an industrial chic aesthetic that results in luxurious yet understated rooms as well as a lobby that is destined to be a destination in itself. Between the restaurant Smyth and adjoining lounge, the Iron Horse Hotel is primed to become the “it” nightlife spot for visiting musicians and city residents alike.With the upcoming Harley Davidson 105th Anniversary celebration in September as well as the opening of the hotel itself, I can’t wait to see what develops next at the Iron Horse Hotel!

Rebecca Palkovics
Assistant Publicist