May | 2022 | Chicago Restaurant Examiner

Pride Month, June, 2022 is about to shine out in Chicago and in a bunch of countries around the world. Lots of local restaurants, coffee shops and bars are offering specials – some teaming up with vendors – to entice you to join them for a few hours, a day, or a whole Pride Parade weekend or month. If you’re feeling safe going out to such places and are in the mood, here are a few to get started with:

EASY BAR

Wednesday, June 1 through Thursday, June 30. Easy Bar in Ukrainian Village will team up with Seattle Cider Company and Bell’s Brewery to support The Trevor Project for Pride Month. Throughout the month of June, a portion of proceeds from any Seattle Cider or Bell’s product purchased will be donated to The Trevor Project.

The Trevor Project is the leading and only accredited national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people under the age of 25.

ESTELLE’S

Thursday, June 23 from 4 p.m. to close. Estelle’s in Wicker Park will host a Pride Party & Benefit for the Brave Space Alliance on Thursday, June 23 starting at 4pm. Snag swag like glow stick necklaces and bracelets along with Brooklyn Brewing The Stonewall Inn IPA drafts for $7 each. For every The Stonewall IPA Inn sold, $1 will be donated to the Brave Space Alliance. DJ Kinkshame will also spin jams from 12 a.m. to close.

Brave Space Alliance is the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ Center located on the South Side of Chicago that is dedicated to creating and providing affirming, culturally competent, for-us by-us resources, programming, and services for LGBTQ+ individuals on the South and West sides of the city.

2013 W North Ave. Chicago, IL 60647 | (773) 782-0450 | www.estelleschicago.com. Hours: Sunday – Friday: 4 p.m – 4 a.m. | Saturday: 4 p.m. – 5 a.m.

MATCHA CITA

Wednesday, June 1 through Thursday, June 30. Matcha Cita in the West Loop will donate a portion of proceeds from every Rainbow Waffle sold for the month to the Broadway Youth Center. The Rainbow Waffle is $9.95 and features strawberries, banana, whipped cream and sprinkles.

Broadway Youth Center offers comprehensive services to youth, ages 12-24 including a safe space for young people experiencing homelessness. The mission of BYC is to make life healthier and happier for young people who are transgender, queer, lesbian, bisexual, gay, and especially young people who do not have stable housing.

1017 W Lake Chicago IL 60607 | (312) 785-9597 http://www.matchacitachi.com. Hours: Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. | Sunday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

THE GRAYSTONE TAVERN

Wednesday, June 1 through Thursday, June 30. $35 Rainbow Shot Flight for Center on Halsted. In honor of Pride Month, The Graystone Tavern in Wrigleyville will host a month-long fundraiser for the nearby Center on Halsted. For $35, guests can enjoy a Rainbow Shot Flight, solo or with friends, featuring six shots colored red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. A portion of proceeds from all Rainbow Shot Flights lights sold in June will be donated to Center on Halsted, the Midwest’s most comprehensive community center dedicated to advancing community and securing the health and well-being of LGBTQ Chicagoans.

3441 N Sheffield Ave. Chicago, IL 60657 | (773) 666-5450 | www.graystonetavernchicago.com. Hours: Monday – Friday: 4 p.m. – 11 p.m. | Saturday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. | Sunday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

REWIRED PIZZA CAFE & BAR

Wednesday, June 1 through Thursday, June 30. Rewired Pizza Cafe & Bar will offer a Pride Latte created by coffee bar manager Jordan Reinhardt. The colorful and caffeinated drink features a house made fruity pebbles syrup, steamed milk, espresso and “pixie dust” edible glitter. Available Wednesday, June 1 through Thursday, June 30, the price ranges from small ($5) to medium ($5.50) or large ($6). Additional Pride specials for the month will include rainbow colored Truffled Deviled Eggs for $12 and Montucky Cold Snacks Pride Beer for $4.50.

A portion of proceeds from every Pride Latte, Truffled Deviled Eggs and Montucky Cold Snacks Pride Beer sold during June will benefit StandUp for Kids. StandUp for Kids is a national non-profit organization dedicated to ending the cycle of youth homelessness in local communities.

Monday, June 20 at 7 p.m. Additionally, Stewpendous Productions will host a special trivia night featuring a Celebration of Queer Pop Culture. Topics will include pop divas who provide the soundtrack of our lives, Broadway musicals honoring the drag kings and queens that have conftributed to making the art form, legendary queer trailblazers on televsion and more. Reservations are recommended by visiting https://rewiredcafe.com/monday-trivia-night/.

1100 W Thorndale Chicago, IL 60660 | (773) 360-1621 | www.rewiredcafe.com. Hours: Monday – Friday: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. | Saturday – Sunday: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Navy Pier will kick off summer this Memorial Day weekend when its widely anticipated free summer fireworks light up the sky at 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 28. But if you’ve got the time, plan to eat and enjoy some of the Pier’s other entertainments beforehand.

Fireworks at Navy Pier return at 9 p.m. every Wednesday and 10 p.m. every Saturday, through Labor Day. Navy Pier’s signature displays are synchronized to dramatic and popular music, and unique soundtracks for special occasions. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to find a great viewing spot along the Pier.

One of the best vantage points for viewing the fireworks is the Navy Pier Beer Garden, the city’s go-to destination for free, outdoor music all summer long, under the banner Live on the Lake. Opening night performances include John Kimler & Friends, Mike & Joe, and New Orleans funk and jazz artist Shamar Allen. Live on the Lake continues Sunday, May 29, with Fareed Haque, DJ Papa G, and Kofi & the New Roots, and on Monday, May 30, with Libido Funk Circus and Vintage Vinyl.

The Beer Garden is the local home of farm-to-foam beers from Tangled Roots Brewery, which creates a full range of light lagers and ales to dark, experimental brews made with hops grown on their farm right here in Illinois.

Visitors can also enjoy a mouthwatering experience at Ciccio (pronounced Chee-cho) officially opening from 11:00 a.m to.8:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 26. Owner Mario Ferraro is a second-generation Chicagoland restaurateur. His new venture combines traditional Italian cuisine with Chicagoland favorites, like Ciccio’s star menu item, the “Italian Beef” Sandwich. Ciccio’s boasts a 100 percent scratch kitchen giving guests quality in every bite.

New this year, Jake’s on the Lake brings one of Chicago’s favorite restaurants to Navy Pier. Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap (see our previous enthusiastic review) is celebrating its 20th year in business this July, as the city’s hottest destination for hot wings. Jake’s famous wings—once named best in the country by NBC’s Today show—come in heat levels ranging from Spicy Buffalo wings to Firecracker Wings to XXX Wings—packed with habanero, ghost pepper and scorpion pepper. To view the full menu, click here.

Pixar Putt, open May 28 through Aug. 20, lays out a course of 18 fun and interactive holes of mini golf at Polk Bros Park, each based on characters from such beloved Pixar classics as “Toy Story,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “Coco,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Wall-E,” and “Inside Out.”

Pixar Putt, co-presented by Rockefeller Productions and TEG Life Like Touring, will be open from noon to 10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays (with last entry at 8:30 p.m.) and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays (last entry 8:30 p.m.). Pixar Putt is also available to Private Groups and Corporate Groups. Get your tickets at www.pixarputt.com/chicago.

See Chicago Dance kicks off the 10th annual Chicago Dance Month with a free two-hour performance that samples styles from ballet to fire acts with six different Chicago companies sharing the Lake Stage in Polk Bros Park. The schedule features Nawja Dance Corps, 3 p.m.; Chicago Tap Theater, 3:20 p.m.; Raks Inferno, 3:45 p.m.; Movement Revolution Dance Crew, 3:55 p.m.; Visceral Dance Chicago, 4:05 p.m.; and Last Dance, 4:20 p.m. Live dance performances will return to Navy Pier at 3 p.m. every Saturday throughout summer at the Wave Wall.

Wave Wall Wax, a series featuring Chicago’s most recognized DJs spinning house and dance music, also begins May 28, with Steve “Miggedy” Maestro at 5 to 7 p.m. The series continues at 5 p.m. every Saturday through Sept. 3 at the Wave Wall Platform.

All events subject to change or cancellation. To view the full Navy Pier events calendar, click here.

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Monthly Archives: May 2022

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