Results tagged “specials”

Wine dinners abound throughout the city. 312 Chicago is hosting a dinner tomorrow night at 7 p.m. featuring the latest release from Hewiston Wines' "Mad Hatter" shiraz. It's part of a national tour promoting the 2006 vintage just hitting restaurants and wine shops right now. Winemaker Dean Hewiston will be in attendance.

         

"Have you ever been to one of our family dinners?" Rob Levitt of mado asked us Monday night at the LTHForum GNR awards dinner. Allowing that we hadn't, Levitt's eyes lit up. "They're fun and, with this one, you're gonna be in for a real treat."

                

Baconfest Chicago proper won't be for another six months, but if Saturday's VIP pro cookoff is any indication organizers Seth Zurer, Michael Griggs and Andre Pluess might want to have some ambulances at the ready. Or at least some Lipitor. We won't get into another debate about how played out the bacon meme is; haters will hate, lovers will love. But there was a sense of fun among the crowd Saturday. As vocal as the pro- and anti-bacon folks can be, the overall vibe was lifted from Alfred E. Neumann: "What? Me Worry?" Few took themselves seriously at the cookoff and levity reigned. So did excess.

If there was a world without beer (perish the thought) and we had to drink wine all the time, we'd go with a good rioja all the time. Well, most of the time.

You can always count on mado to go where few other restaurants will go in their quest to adhere to serving all things head-to-tail. Lately Rob Levitt's been on a mutton kick that will continue for the foreseeable future. Mutton — older, mature lamb &3151 is noted for its richness in flavor. Because it's a tough meat, however, mutton is best cooked long and slow.

• Tonight: The Store (2002 N. Halsted) is hosting "Martini Madness," benefiting Cabrini Connections, an organization that provides mentoring and tutoring to children living in Cabrini Green. $40, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
• Saturday: VeganMania, a festival of all things vegan, takes place at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse (1419 W. Blackhawk) from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Best thing about this is it's free.
• Sunday: The Publican's monthly beer dinner will feature selections from St.Feuillien. Cost is $40 for the family-style dinner, $15-$20 extra for the beer. (837 W. Fulton Mkt., 5-10 p.m.)

Continuing its year-long celebration of ten years in business, BIN 36 is serving $3 cheese flights throughout the month of October. The promotion also coincides with the rollout of BIN 36's new cheese menu.

Taxim, the Wicker Park restaurant that has received overwhelmingly positive reviews (in our opinion it's probably the best new restaurant to open this year) for its innovative take on Greek cuisine, is teaming up with one of Greece's best wineries to put together a dinner that, on paper, is going to blow diners away.

So we didn't get the Olympics? Relax! People still gotta eat and, regardless of the outcome, supporters and opponents of the bid would have had a reason to drink tonight. Here are some events coming up in the next week of note.

It's Labor Day weekend, but that doesn't mean all of us are grilling for possibly the final time this season. Here are some events, tastings, dinners and special offers to keep you busy this weekend and beyond:

So far this week we've already given you the heads-up on the mado/Webster's Wine Bar/Bluebird collaborative dinner and the Chicago Botanic Garden's Pepper Weekend. 'Course the big thing for us is the Publican/New Holland beer dinner Sunday. If those three don't tickle your fancy, try these events.

• Get out and enjoy Province's new outdoor patio. It opens today. (161 N. Jefferson)
• According to Time Out Chicago, Nightwood opens for brunch Sunday from 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Now we'll get to see if the lines run Lula-long.
• No Sleep 'til Bridgeport. St. Jerome Croatian Church's 103rd annual Velika Gospa gets underway at 10:15 a.m.. Lots of cevap, oysters, hearty Italian fare and sweets to be had here. (28th and Princeton). That'll be followed by the procession of St. Rocco di Simbario on Sunday

Julie & Julia opens in theaters today and restaurants throughout the city are offering specials in honor of the late Julia Child using recipes from her seminal cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Today, we're rounding up a few for the Buffet and we've added our favorite portrayal of the French Chef, Dan Aykroyd's performance from the early days of "Saturday Night Live."

• Through Sunday: Pilsen's annual Fiesta Del Sol festival kicked off last night on Cermak from Morgan to Throop. Very good eats to be had at Fiesta del Sol.
• One of the highlights of this year's Retro on Roscoe Festival is the 15th Annual Windy City Chili Cook Off. The cookoff is open to anyone over 18. No beans allowed.
• Flemings Prime Steakhouse (25 E. Ohio, 312-329-9463) is offering that burger above as part of its "5 for $6 Until 7" menu. that's eight ounces of hand-shaped ground Prime beef, seasoned with salt and pepper, pan-seared and finished in flemings' broiler.

In another year of quality restaurant openings, Birchwood Kitchen (2211 W. North Ave., 773-276-2100) has become another favorite for their gourmet sandwiches made from locally sourced ingredients.

Stephanie Izard just twittered that tickets for her first of five Wandering Goat dinners will go on sale 11 a.m. tomorrow at her website. Izard also announced that she'll be joined by "Top Chef" season 1 semi-finalist Lee Anne Wong. And you thought tickets for Wilco's UIC Pavilion gig were gonna be in demand.

• Today: Dunlay's on Clark Street (2600 N. Clark) and 10 Cane Rum are hosting an patio party featuring a Trinidadian sugar cane crusher. guests will be able to taste fresh-squeezed sugar cane juice. 3-7 p.m.
• Saturday: Eivissa chef Dudley nieto will lead guests on a crash course in making paella. The $25 course includes samples, instruction and sangria; a take home paella kit is also available for an extra $10. (1531 N. wells, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
• Saturday-Sunday: The debut Taste of River North festival will be a great way to sample food from @Spot Café, Citizen Bar, PROSECCO, Zocalo, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Ai Japanese Restaurant, Italiasia, Bella Luna, Excalibur, Fleming’s, Roy’s Chicago and others. tickets for food are $1 each.

Lovely (a bake shop) is a bright space of country charm on a sketchy stretch of Milwaukee that sells great espresso drinks, Intelligensia coffee, cookies, muffins, mini-pies cupcakes and a ton of other pastries. We're kind of obsessed. Which is why their new "somethings on sale every day" sign made us happy. Monday: Buy any coffee, espresso drink, or tea and get 50% muffins. Tuesday: Buy any coffee, espresso drink or tea and get 50% cupcakes. Wednesday: Buy any coffee, espresso drink, or tea and get 50% off mini-pies. Thursday: Buy any coffee, espresso drink or tea and get 50% off cookies. (Limit a dozen per customer for each day.) Friday: Buy any sandwich (comes with a side) and get a free mini-cupcake or cookie.

• Tomorrow: The Alliance Francaise de Chicago's cooking class series focuses on chocolate tomorrow. This interactive class will prepare these easy desserts: Chocolate Sorbet, Frozen Chocolate Soufflé, Chocolate Fondant with Crème Anglaise and Chocolate Chestnut Terrine. $75 Members, $85 Non-Members, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (810 N. Dearborn)
• Tomorrow and Sunday: Gary Wiviott's Low & Slow BBQ: Master the Art of Barbecue in 5 Easy Lessons is in its second printing and the success couldn't happen to a nicer fellow. Wiviott and co-author Colleen rush will be signing copies of the book 11 a.m. tomorrow at The Book Stall at Chestnut Court (811 Elm St., Winnetka) and noon Sunday at Barnes and Noble Oakbrook (297 Oakbrook Center). This book will change the way you approach BBQ.
• Monday: Chalkboard (4343 N. Lincoln Avenue Chicago, IL 60618 773-477-7144) will host Mac McDonald, son of a Texas moonshine maker, winemaker and Owner of Vision Wine Cellars on Monday, June 15 for a four-course wine dinner beginning with a reception at 7pm. The cost of the dinner is $100 per person all inclusive.

• Today and Tomorrow: Better late than never on this item. These are the final two days to take advantage of the $5 "Burker" Week at David Burke's Primehouse. Primehouse's 40-day dry aged "Burker" is available during lunch for the wonderful price of $5.
• Saturday: With "Top Chef Masters" set to premiere in a couple weeks, "Top Chef: The Tour" hits Green City Market tomorrow with Season 4 also-ran and Izard BFF Antonia Lofaso and Radhika Desai, the former chef at Between Boutique and Café who's headed for New York. Lofaso and Desai will offer recipe tips, do demonstrations and say what an honor it was to be on "TC" from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Tuesday: Happy Birthday to Cyrano's Bistrot and Wine Bar, turning a prepubescent 13. Didier Durand is honoring the occasion with a beaujolais tasting featuring 13 producers of the varietal. the event is sponsored by House of Glunz, which will also take pre-orders on the wines featured for pickup after the event at House of Glunz. the event starts at 6 p.m., followed by a six-course dinner at 7. Cost is $69.95.

As Italian beef sandwiches go, there are at least 10 we would recommend before heading to Al's #1 Italian Beef; none when it's summer. The last thing you want is to have all that meat and wet dough sitting in your gut like a stone when the temperature reaches 80.

For those of us whose weekend won't revolve around NRA Show 2009, here are some events for you to consider:

The economy may still suck, but it's been a banner year for restaurants, bars and their PR firms. At least from a marketing perspective. They've been able to smoothly segue from offering "economic stimulus" packages to "tax day relief" specials. To be fair, some of the offers are pretty damn good. Following is a list of some of the better deals around tomorrow for you to dole out what cash you didn't send to the IRS.

Today marks the start of Passover, which means Easter is right around the corner. Easter is also one of the most popular brunch days of the year, if only to see a parade of silly hats.

In "Quick Bites" a couple weeks back we noted that chef Kendal Duque was leaving Sepia (123 N. Jefferson St.), with NoMI chef Andrew Zimmerman replacing him.

One person who probably loves beer more than us is Bob Skilnik. If you haven't read his musings on beer, you're missing a real treat and may actually learn something. Skilnik delves deep into the history of beer, with a particular emphasis on Chicago's history with the suds. Example: did you know that the recipe for Miller Lite was purchased by Miller from Meister Brau?

     

A few weeks back in the Friday Buffet, Laura posted a notice about a special that SushiSamba Rio was running for brunch. We’d been there a couple of years ago, but that was for a sushi and booze-laden lunch. A touch skeptical about their brunching abilities, we braved the blizzard and ventured north this past Sunday.

Let's focus on some post-Valentine's, pre-Restaurant Week events this week:

Winter is generally a down time for restaurant business; our current banana republic economy isn't helping matters. That, and the range of options for diners wanting to have a night out on the town, is the impetus for the second annual Chicago Restaurant Week February 20-27. Sponsored by the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, 130 restaurants — from the 5-star Zagat rated concepts to off the beaten path diners — will offer 3-course prix fixe lunches for $22 and $32 prix fixe dinners.

    

Last October, The Aztec World opened at the Field Museum. The exhibit focuses on the daily lives of the Aztecs, as well as the development of their civilization and culture. To tie in with the theme of “everyday life,” the Field Museum has teamed up with 16 Chicago-area restaurants, including Adobo Grill, Cuatro, Cafe Ba Ba Reeba and Zapatista, to bring some dishes inspired by the ancient Aztecs to life. The Taste of the Aztec World starts on Sunday, January 11th and runs through January 17th.