Category Archives: Chicago restaurants

appetizers, brunch, burgers, carryout in Chicago, Chicago restaurants, dinner, food and wine, holidays, lunch

3 Chicago restaurants with news for spring 2017

April 6, 2017 Barbara Payne, Editor

Firecakes Donuts will operate for two months a pop-up donut counter inside Lou & Grey, the contemporary women’s apparel store at 3442 N. Southport Ave. Locals and visitors alike are finding it a place to grab a great cup of coffee and a fabulous donut. Or visit Firecakes Lincoln Park store, 2453 N. Clark St. or its Hubbard Street location, 68 W Hubbard St.

Firecakes Donuts also operates a Donut Truck in the Loop on weekday mornings and, in season, in the evenings and on weekends at various neighborhoods around Chicago. The Donut Truck also can be booked from private events and catering; please call 312-329-6500 for more information. Delivery, catering and pre-orders are available. Please place orders by 3 p.m. for next day pickup or Chicagoland delivery. Firecakes also serves a giant birthday cake donut that serves 2-3 people and an ice cream donut sandwich. Firecakes Donuts serves coffee from La Colombe Roasters. Major cards are accepted. For more information, please call the stores at 312-329-6500 (W. Hubbard St.) and 773-666-5277 (N. Clark St.)

Weber Grill Restaurant, 539 N. State St. (also Lombard, Schaumburg, Indianapolis), on Easter Sunday (April 16^th) offers grownups traditional holiday favorites, plus either Mimosa ($7) or Backyard Bloody Mary (Absolut vodka, housemade bloody Mary mix served with smoked sausage & Gouda skewer and a mini backyard brew 10.5). Along with their brunch plate, kids get Easter eggs filled with candy and special treats.

Brunch “A-la-carte” Features Served Until 2:00pm – Grilled Steak & Eggs Southwest Style Skirt Steak and Eggs Any Style Guajillo Salsa, Breakfast Potatoes ($17.50); Chocolate Cherry Pretzel Bread French Toast Fresh Strawberries, Whipped Cream ($10.50); Double Smoked Bourbon Glazed Ham Benedict, hollandaise, toasted English muffin grilled asparagus, breakfast potatoes ($14); Kid’s Brunch Plate (Twelve & Under), choice of scrambled eggs or pretzel bread French toast ($6.50).

Weber’s full Dinner Menu served all day plus two specials: House Smoked Bourbon Glazed Ham, horseradish cream sauce, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus ($16); and Wood-Roasted Leg of Lamb, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus, rosemary jus ($20).

Snap Kitchen is excited to introduce three internationally inspired dishes, each boasting a unique primary health benefit. With an obsession for food innovation and believing that eating healthy should be really fun, Snap Kitchen was inspired to create three incredible new Bowls with Benefits, available in store or for delivery. The product of the collaboration between Snap Kitchen’s research and development chefs and dietitian, each bowl is based on a super-flavorful take on cauliflower rice, topped with nutrient-rich ingredients. The lineup includes a Whole30-approved bowl and vegan option.

The Tex-Mex Chicken Bowl is Snap Kitchen’s take on the classic burrito bowl, with anti-inflammatory ingredients and superfoods like turmeric and spirulina for a whole new spin. The Tex-Mex bowl contains:

Spanish cauliflower rice with a smoky flavor from smoked paprika and mega anti-inflammatory benefits from turmeric;
spirulina crema made from cashew, avocado, and spirulina that offers up healthy fats and B vitamins;
topped with fajita veggies and chicken, and homemade red salsa.

Meatball & Kimchi Stir Fry Bowl with natural probiotics and nourishing prebiotics to get your gut in check. This bowl features:

kimchi fried rice made from cauliflower rice stir fried with fresh garlic, ginger, and kimchi;
grass-fed beef meatballs made with sautéed ginger, onion, and mushrooms for a tender texture and veggie bonus;
kimchi with fermented cabbage and sea vegetables featuring naturally occurring probiotics;
plus organic edamame, stir fried veggies, and ginger sesame vinaigrette.

Packed with plant-based ingredients full of antioxidants, the Mediterranean Mezze Bowl is the most beauty-full meal at Snap Kitchen yet. This bowl features:

kale and cauliflower tabbouleh with zucchini, onion, jalapeno, and garlic;
golden turmeric chickpeas full of nutrients from turmeric, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast;
vegan tzatziki that starts with cashew crema with chopped cucumber, lemon zest, mint, and dill for a tangy addition to the bowl’s flavor lineup;
beet hummus full of nutrients like betalains with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification benefits that give your skin a healthy glow;
plus roasted red bell pepper and eggplant, and Kalamata olives.

Order ahead or get them for delivery on the new Snap Kitchen app for iOS – it’s a beautiful app with full color pics that’ll make you even hungrier.

Chicago restaurants

Chicago chefs “Food Fight” to benefit scleroderma

March 23, 2017 Barbara Payne, Editor

Three popular chefs from Chicago will compete in the 9^th Annual Food Fight for Scleroderma (an as-yet not-curable disease that tightens skin and sometimes internal organs) on Sunday, May 7, 2017 at AceBounce (230 N Clark St) in Chicago. Nicole Pederson (Found), Andres Padilla (Lena Brava) and Jared Wentworth (Trench) will each present a dish to a panel of judges and an audience of food-lovers. Guests vote for their favorite dish of the night. Judges score based on taste, creativity and presentation. The winning chef is announced at the end of the evening.

The competing chefs will also have a restaurant, brewery and distillery from their respective neighborhoods to provide additional food and drink. VIP reception ($145) from 4 to 5pm. General admission ($95) cocktail reception from 5 to 6pm, then the competition will take place between 6 and 8pm.

appetizers, brunch, Chicago restaurants, food and wine, live music and food, seafood, spirits and cocktails, wine and spirits

Tortoise Supper Club – drink up and give to worthy causes

March 12, 2017 Barbara Payne, Editor

Feel welcome in the cozy classy atmosphere of Tortoise Supper Club

Just discovered the Tortoise Supper Club during a press event featuring D.E.W. Tullamore Irish whiskey’s “DEW and a Brew” tour through Chicago. Love the leather-and-wood ambience and loved the food and service, too. Now this cozy, classy restaurant, known for its steaks, chops and fresh seafood, is inviting us to come have a special cocktail so they can donate $3 per drink to the worthy cause of the month.

Cocktails for a Cause teams the supper club each month with a local non-profit to help raise awareness and funds for that organization. The restaurant/lounge creates an original limited edition cocktail and donates $3 of every one sold to that month’s non-profit partner.

This month, Tortoise Supper Club teams up with The Miracle Center, which provides arts-education-based programming for inner-city Chicago kids. Through its afterschool and summertime programs, youths aged 11 – 22 work together to develop full-scale theater productions that are then performed for the general public. These programs help kids strengthen their creative problem-solving abilities and build self-esteem by developing their leadership and general life skills.

Curtain Call is this March’s Cocktail for a Cause. House-infused dill vodka is mixed with fresh-squeezed lime juice and a housemade honey syrup, finished with a couple dashes of grapefruit bitters and garnished with a touch of grapefruit zest. Even if you’re not a huge fan of mixed drinks, this one sounds like a winner.

No reservations required. Just come in and relax this month, meet the owners who are almost always onsite greeting guests, and know that 3 bucks of your Curtain Call price will be donated directly to The Miracle Center.

P.S. Weekly specials include Half Priced Signature Cocktails on Wednesdays, Sautéed Frog Legs and Buttermilk Battered Cod on Fridays, Northwoods Dry Rubbed Prime Rib on Saturdays and $1 Oysters / $1 Shrimp Cocktail from 4:30 – 6:30 pm on weekdays. Live Sinatra-style jazz music is played in the lounge every Friday and Saturday night.

Chicago restaurants, spirits and cocktails

3 new Scotch whisky brands from Brown-Forman

March 9, 2017 Barbara Payne, Editor

Brown-Forman (the world-class whiskey company that also owns Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, and Old Forester) recently unveiled its newly-acquired single malt Scotch Whisky brands at a cocktail party held at The Drifter, 676 N. Orleans, the hidden cocktail den underneath Chicago’s iconic Green River Tavern. The new brands include BenRiach, The GlenDronach, and Glenglassaugh.

These brands are new to Brown-Forman, but they’re iconic Scotch whisky brands with roots each date back to the 1800s. Each of these three distilleries offers both peated and unpeated single malts, many of which have become cult favorites in their own right.

A Drifter custom cocktail – Chilled Scotch Toddy

Brown-Forman tasting at The Drifter in Chicago

Comparing the ineffable characteristics of fine Socth whiskies

During the event, Global Brand Ambassador Stewart Buchanan led the group through a tasting of four of his favorite whiskies: The BenRiach 10, The GlenDronach 12, Glenglassaugh Evolution, and The BenRiach Curiositas.

And now you can now buy any of the new brands at fine retailers throughout Chicago.

appetizers, brunch, burgers, carryout in Chicago, Chicago restaurants, chicken, food and wine, seafood, spirits and cocktails

2 more Chicago restaurants with wondrously-warm-winter news

March 8, 2017 Barbara Payne, Editor

As the temperatures continue to be chillingly above normal, we can all feel free to keep exploring our restaurant options, sans hoods, gloves and scarves. Check these announcements out:

Seaside’s opens Monday, March 13 for carryout and delivery from the team behind Oyster Bah in Lincoln Park. The menu focuses on fried chicken, slow-cooked BBQ ribs, fresh Maine lobster, and sides, all fit for sharing. Harking back to childhood memories of the Jersey Shore, Oyster Bah and Shaw’s Crab House Partner, Bill “Seaside” Nevruz, brings family-style simple, delicious fare to take-home .

Seaside’s shares kitchen space at Oyster Bah. Order in person or online for pick up Mondays-Thursdays 5 -10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 4 – 11pm, and Sundays from 4 – 9pm. Or get delivery through the Door Dash app. Right now, diners who place an order through Door Dash can receive $5 off (with a minimum purchase of $15) by using promo code LETTUCEEATS.

Ella Elli, 1349 W. Cornelia Ave., the eleventh concept by 4 Star Restaurant Group (Tuco and Blondie, Crosby’s Kitchen, Remington’s), opened in Lakeview just off Southport Avenue last night, Tuesday, March 6. With culinary operations led by 4 Star Executive Chef Matt Eversman and branding and design development by Chicago-based Grip (Girl & The Goat, GT Fish & Oyster), the 75-seat concept is a warm, intimate lounge space to enjoy cuisine created with global influences, a unique wine list and classic cocktails.

Guests can enjoy dishes by 4 Star Executive Chef Matt Eversman, alongside Executive Chef Nolan Narut that range from charcuterie and toasts, vegetables and salads to pizzas and pastas, meats, fish, and desserts. Cured Meats and Pickles, Artisanal Cheeses and Steak Tartar, with toast options like the Prosciutto Butter Toast with radish and dill.

Vegetables and salads are stand-outs at Ella Elli. Crispy Grain Salad with goat cheese and shaved vegetables, Roasted Carrots with crème fraiche, harissa and pickled celery. From the wood-burning pizza oven comes Roasted Oyster Mushroom with goat cheese. Pastas include Rigatoni with roasted cauliflower, mint and chilies. Seafoods include Hamachi Crudo with persevered lemon relish and Wood-Oven Octopus with crispy potatoes and salsa verde. Meats: Burger Au Poivre with St. André triple cream and watercress, or Lamb Scottadito with spiced yogurt and harissa. Desserts include Profiteroles with mint gelato and espresso dark chocolate sauce, and Spanish Blue Cheese Beignets with cardamom powedered sugar, fresh lemon and fig-balsamic glaze.

brunch, Chicago chefs, Chicago restaurants, food and wine, spirits and cocktails, wine and spirits

3 Chicago restaurants with late “winter” news

March 6, 2017 Barbara Payne, Editor

It’s winter, right, people? 63 degrees? I don’t think so. 43 degrees? Not really. How about 70? Do I hear 70 degrees? In any case, it’s a great time to get out and try some of the delicious things going on at Chicago restaurants these days. Here are 3 of them.

Intro, 2300 N. Lincoln Park West, is now offering Dim Sum brunch, Sundays from 10am to 3pm. The unique and delicious menu can be ordered a la carte, or shared family-style at $22.95 per person. Check out: Smoked Salmon Bao, “Everything Spice”, Caper Szechuan Aioli, Chinese Homestyle Eggs with Pork Belly and Congee Rice and Chinese Donuts with Cinnamon and Espresso Milk. Full menu here and call 773-868-0002 to reserve.

Dovetail Brewery Taproom dog friendly photo by Cindy Kurman — Dovetail Brewery is dog friendly

Not a festival, not quite a market but absolutely a great time. Dovetail Brewery, 1800 W. Belle Plaine, will be hosting some of the tastiest artisanal local craft vendors in its taproom from noon to 5 p.m. on March 25. Stop by and create your own charcuterie board of assorted breads, cheeses and meats to accompany your favorite Dovetail beers. And by popular demand, Dovetail has added a 1 pm. tour on Saturdays. Stop by the brewery at either 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. to enjoy an informative and fun tour. Tour admission is $15 which includes your choice of three Dovetail 0.3L servings of beer.

Ēma, 74 W. Illinois, another LEYE restaurant, is having its first-ever wine dinner on March 29 at 6:30. For $75 a person (plus tax and gratuity) you’ll be treated to a mezze feast of Ema favorites and specialty dishes crafted by Chef CJ Jacobson and accompanied by wines from Sandhi Winery in Santa Barbara, California. Leading the event is winemaker and James Beard beverage book winner Rajat Parr, author Secrets of the Sommelier, and recipient of the 2015 James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Professional. Call 312-485-5778 or email emaparties@leye.com to reserve.

Chicago chefs, Chicago restaurants, food and wine, seafood, spirits and cocktails, wine and spirits

3 days only! 312 Chicago celebrates 19 years with $19 specials

March 3, 2017 Barbara Payne, Editor

As a thank you to customers in celebration of 19 years in Chicago’s bustling Theater District and across from City Hall, 312 Chicago, 136 N. LaSalle, and Chef Luca are offering *all* dinner entrees for $19 each as well as $19 bottles of select red and white wine. Starting on their anniversary, 3/12/17 and evenings through Tuesday 3/14, you can get everything at the party price – check the list below. Reservations are encouraged.

Here’s the complete menu:

Salmone, $27: Roasted Faroe Island Salmon, Tri-Colored Lentils, Cippolini Onions, Baby Spinach, Lemon Sauce
Branzino, $28: Mediterranean Skin-On Sea Bass, Cauliflower Puree, Manila Clams, Zucchini and Yellow Squash, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Garlic White Wine Sauce
Cacciucco, $29: Sauteed Scallops, Shrimp, Tuna, Mussels, Clams, Lobster, Light Spicy Tomato Broth, Grilled Garlic Crostini
Pollo, $23: Roasted Chicken Breast, Beech Mushrooms, Crispy Onion, Sweet Grilled Corn, Creamy Polenta, Chicken Succo
Maiale, $26: Roasted‎ Pork Chop, Black Tuscan Kale, Potato Cake, Prosciutto, Brandy Cream Sauce
Filetto, $35: Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Tri-Colored Fingerling Potatoes, Truffle Butter, Porcini Mushroom Sauce

burgers, Chicago restaurants, food and wine, holidays, spirits and cocktails

St. Patty’s Day in Chicago with D.E.W. and a Brew

March 2, 2017 Barbara Payne, Editor

One blazing-hot late morning, many summers ago, one of my then-husband’s acquaintances stopped by our house – probably to borrow a tool or something. I reflexively offered him a beer. He looked somewhat aghast and said, “Well I don’t think the sun is over the yardarm yet.”

I looked back at him with my eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. I said “What the heck is a yard arm?” (See here for the origin of the expression.) He told me, and I snorted a little bit. “Hey,” I said, “I’m Irish. We don’t even know where the yardarm is.”

You won’t, therefore, be surprised to learn that my dad loved his shot-and-a-beer boilermakers. And what more perfect combination for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day?

Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey is on an educational “D.E.W. and a Brew Tour” multi-city adventure to educate drinkers on how different beers complement the malty and sweet flavors of Tullamore D.E.W., the second largest Irish whiskey producer in the world.

Sponsored by Time Out North America, the tour helps consumers appreciate the joys of sipping an Irish whiskey alongside a beer. Partners include Time Out, the trusted global brand for inspiring and enabling people to make the most of their city, and a dynamic group of independent breweries across the country. Below are the three Chicago spots where you can hunker down with D.E.W. specials and be part of the fun:

Haymarket (Chicago) http://www.haymarketbrewing.com/
Emmett’s Brewing Co. (4 locations) https://www.emmettsbrewingco.com/
Emerald Loop (Chicago) https://emeraldloop.com/

appetizers, brunch, Chicago restaurants, holidays, live music and food, spirits and cocktails, where to eat in Chicago on holidays

Winter bar news – aliveOne and Fifolet

February 15, 2017 Barbara Payne, Editor

aliveOne Bar comes alive in a few new ways this month. Every Sunday beginning February 19, aliveOne will host Living Room Sessions, an open mic comedy event from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Amateur comedians who want a shot at the stage can sign up starting at 5:30 p.m.

Every Sunday
6 pm to 1 am
Free to attend; $4 to $5 drink specials

Following Living Room Sessions, Dead Comedy at aliveOne will kick off at 10 p.m. featuring a two-hour stand up showcase with some of Chicago’s best comics. Sunday specials will include $4 Temperance brews, $5 Absolut Bloody Mary’s and FREE pool.

aliveOne and Bell’s Brewery will host a Hopslam Ale tapping on Wednesday, February 22; Hopslam beers are $7 all night.

Wednesday, February 22
5 pm to close
Free to attend; $7 Hopslam beers

Every weekday from 5 to 7 pm, aliveOne’s Happy Hour features half-price beer and cocktails.

And when you’re in the mood for old-school classic house music, aliveOne welcomes “Gramophone Records Presents – Clark St. Jams” in the back room starting 10 pm. No cover charge. How cool is that?

Fifolet to Host Four-Day Mardi Gras Celebration

Since we can’t all make it to Bourbon St. for Mardi Gras, Fifolet Cajun & Cocktails will be bringing the famous New Orleans festival to you right here in Chicago. Starting on Saturday, February 25^th, the new Wicker Part restaurant and bar will be ground zero for all things Mardi Gras. Four days of festivities will include everything from live music, Hurricane cocktails and face painting to authentic Creole/Cajun food specials, limited edition beers from New Orleans’ favorite brewery, Abita, and more.

Saturday, February 25, 5:00 pm – 2:00 am. 30¢ Beer Flights for 30 Minutes. For one night only, guests can enjoy 30¢ Abita beer flights for a period of 30 minutes. Guests will have the chance to partake in this promotion two times throughout the evening.

Taste of New Orleans. Executive Chef Kevin Crouse has created a special menu designed to allow guests to get a real taste of the Big Easy. Dishes on the Taste of New Orleans menu are available in half size portions to allow diners to taste as much as they want. In addition to signature menu items like Gumbo and Jambalaya, the following specials will be available:

Sunday Feb. 25 5pm-12am
Monday Feb.27 5pm-12am
Tuesday Feb.28 5pm-2am

*all available while supplies last.

Then come to join Abita Brewing Company’s Official Mardi Gras Party at Fifolet, where they proudly host the party for New Orleans’ favorite brewery! $4 Purple Haze | $4 Light | $4 Mardi Gras Bock

Find the Abita rep at the party and your first beer is on him/her. And party to one of Chicago’s best New Orleans-style bands, Four Star Brass Band, all evening long.

Fifolet will offer a family-friendly environment from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Kids are invited to partake in face painting and non-alcoholic Abita Root Beers. Face painting, 5pm to 8pm. Local artist Amanda Cohen will paint the fun-loving faces of Fat Tuesday party-goers. Can’t decide on a design? Look to one of the many Mardi Gras masks that line the walls of Fifolet for some colorful inspiration!

appetizers, brunch, Chicago restaurants, food and wine

Winter news from 5 Chicago restaurants

February 10, 2017 Barbara Payne, Editor

In no particular order, here are listings of some Chicago restaurants that have recently introduced new dishes or features or events for winter 2017.

Ixcateco Grill, 3402 W. Montrose, intros 5 new menu items to its menu of authentic central and southwestern Mexican cuisine. BYOB. Apps include Ensalata de la Casa (Cincho Queso and almonds and greens on a crispy corn tortilla $7) and Queso Fundido (melted Chihuahua cheese with vegetables or wood grilled chicken, poblano rajas and molcajete sauce $9).

Ixcateco for authentic Mexican cuisine and BYOB

Entrees include Salmon en Crema (wood-grilled salmon with tomatillo cream sauce $19), Pozole de Camarones (grilled shrimp in an herb-enhanced hominy stew $20), or New York Strip a la Mexicana entree (in a mole agostadero sauce with chunky garlic mashed potatoes, dried fruit and garnished with sesame seeds $23).

Oyster Bah, 1962 N. Halsted, has expanded Happy Hour options with new half-price options on their special Happy Hour menu, in addition to their $1.50 oysters. Find ’em here (look for an anchor next to them). Imagine: half-price OnionBurger with a glass of half-price South American Malbec. Or a half-price Seafood Platter with a glass of half-price Sauvignon Blanc. They’re also celebrating Restaurant Week (menu here), and every Tuesday there’s a New Orleans style special at Oyster Bah.

Acadia, 1639 S. Wabash, Chicago’s repeating two Michelin-starred restaurant, introduces a new and exciting tasting menu that lets you sample Chef Ryan McCaskey’s dining room cuisine in a condensed three-course tasting menu offered exclusively at the bar. For $45 per person, you get a peek into the Chef’s legendary creations: “Snacks:” Fried Head Cheese, saffron aioli;
Puffed Beef Tendon, ramen packet seasoning; grissini, Iberico, Boursin. First course: Grilled Baby Octopus, Calamari, Fennel, Chorizo. Second: Wagyu Beef, vegetable ash, sprout leaves, smoked soubise. Dessert: “Milky Way.”

Commonwealth Tavern, 2000 West Roscoe St. in Roscoe Village, is throwing an Oscar party for the 89th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, February 26 at 7 p.m. Enjoy the red carpet shenanigans on eight 70-inch plasma televisions while sipping Oscars-themed drinks for $5 each: the Red Carpet martini (Patron, Patron Citronage, raspberry, cranberry) and Golden Statue cocktail (Ciroc Peach, peach puree, champagne) as well as a $5 Right Bee Cider.

Troquet River North Oscar, 680 N. Clark, is hosting a viewing party for the 88th Academy Awards on February 28th. The bar will be offering a selection Oscar themed cocktails, created by Beverage Manager Breanna DiMaggio, all available for $9. Additionally, guests who dine-in on February 28 will have the opportunity to enter a contest by submitting their Oscar predictions. The diner who makes the most correct predictions will receive a $50 gift certificate to Troquet River North (submit entries before 7:30 pm CST). And try one of their special Oscar-themed drinks like The MarShian (marshmallow vodka, orange juice, grenadine), the Sylvester Stallone (Town Branch bourbon, elderflower liqueur, orange bitters), or one of several others.

Chicago Restaurant Examiner