Monthly Archives: February 2017

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

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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 25th, 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:

Red Beans and Rice, Slow-Cooked Red Beans | Smoked Pork | Andouille | Herbed Wh.te Rice. Mac & Cheese.  Pimentos | Peas | Wild Boar Bacon. Shrimp and Grits – Creamy Stone-Ground Grits | Andouille | Shallots | Garlic | Brussels Leaves | Cherry Tomato | Rich Shellfish Broth. King Cake – Cinnamon Swirl | Mardi Gras Icing *with hidden baby toy. Beverage pairings of Cognac Flights ($15) and Abita Beer Flights ($12) will be available to round out your dining experience. Enjoy Chicago’s largest selection of Abita Brewing Company beers,

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!

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appetizers, brunch, Chicago restaurants, food and wine

Winter news from 5 Chicago restaurants

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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).

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 tasting menu

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.”

Cheer the Oscars at Commonwealth

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.
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