The official Chicago Restaurant Week starts February 18th, and with over 200 restaurants participating, it might help to have a few suggestions before you starting making reservations. Restaurants will be offering prix fie menus, costing $22 for lunch and either $33 or $44 for dinner. At those prices, it makes sense to make reservations now. Below, the Chicagoist food staff gives you our recommendations for some great meals and great deals. more ›

Chicago’s best bartenders gathered last night to showcase their best for 42Below’s Cocktail World Cup Competition, this year themed “Carnival of the Cocktail 2011”. Winners from the Chicago competition will go on to compete at nationals in New York City, where winners will form Team USA (a team with a winning past) and go on to compete in New Zealand for the international Cocktail World Cup competition. So how did our hometown boys and girls fare? more ›

One of our favorite local mixologists has won $100,000 on the reality show "On The Rocks." The show, which pits bartenders against each other in a series of themed challenges, broadcast its final episode on Saturday night. Drawing Room mixer Charles Joly took home top honors, mixing up a cocktail called the Absolut Tea Time. The show is sponsored by Absolut, so the contestants had to make up a cocktail using the new Absolut Wild Tea (perhaps not the most inspiring ingredient, from our point of view) and Joly mixed it with with sloe gin, grapefruit and lemon juices, agave syrup and grated ginger. Knowing Joly, if he mixed it, it was pretty amazing. According to the Stew, he announced that he was taking his check "back to Chicago - Chi-town." Joly is a proud south-sider, and has worked in the industry in Chicago for 13 years. Good for you, Charles. more ›

Anthony was impressed by the food at the Drawing Room when he visited a couple months back and we've always loved the cocktails of Charles Joly and Tim Lacey. Now the Drawing Room and the LUNGevity Foundation have teamed up to raise funds for lung cancer research. more ›

A couple months back we wrote about Hum Spirit a rum-based liqueur infused with hibiscus, cardamom and ginger. Seger is ready to foist Hum Spirit on the rest of the world with a launch party at Pops for Champagne (601 N. State St., 312-266-7677) the Hum Spirit launch will feature cocktails crafted by Seger, Charles Joly of the Drawing Room and the Violet Hour's Stephen Cole. If that doesn't draw you over to Pops, maybe the $3 PBRs and $5 Jameson shots will. this is all part of Pops's "Shift Drinks" series featuring guest bartenders every Monday night in their downstairs bar. more ›

As we discussed in our review last week, the cocktails are the high point of dining at The Drawing Room. Watching an expert mix the cocktails that he designed is a joy, and Charles Joly is an affable and knowledgeable mixer. He was also kind enough to provide us with the recipe for our favorite drink of the evening, The Nooner. more ›

At least among our limited circle of friends, the Drawing Room is a restaurant masked by confusion. Despite their intense PR efforts over the past couple of years, some seemed unsure about what, exactly, the Drawing Room is. “Isn’t that just a nightclub?” “I have no idea where that place is, and I’ve walked past it a thousand times!” “Isn’t that, like, a hidden strip club?” Admittedly, the last one was a bit of a stretch. We had visited Le Colonial, their upstairs neighbor, at least 10 times without noticing the entrance and staircase leading down to the basement restaurant. We’re very glad that streak has finally been broken. The Drawing Room is a gem of a place; small and cozy, beautifully designed, offering interesting, well-priced food and amazing cocktails. more ›

Thursday night some of Chicago's best chefs will be preparing dishes for Toque, an event to benefit Children's Oncology Services, Inc. The benefit takes place at Harold Washington Library Center (400 S. State Street) and will includes cocktails and a degustation menu as well as both a silent and live auction. Tickets are $250 each. Bill Kurtis, founder of Tallgass Beef Company, will be the Master of Ceremonies and the Chef Coordinator for the event is Michael Kornick of MK, one of our favorites. Featured Chefs include: more ›

Food & Wine magazine released its "Cocktails 2009" guide this week. Listed in the guide's contents are the top 100 bars in America. Chicago charted five bars on that list, which will only reinforce the belief of some that Our Town's moment in the culinary zeitgeist is over. more ›