Tag Archives: Italian food

appetizers, bars in Chicago, Chicago restaurants, food and wine, lunch, spirits and cocktails, wine and spirits

Chicago restaurants summer ‘holiday’ news 2018

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You know, almost any day of the week all year you can celebrate a declared holiday. For example, coming up is Single Working Women’s Week (July 29-August 4, 2018) and Single Working Women’s Day August 4. Check it out if you see any hard-working single women in your life.

But, we digress. Here in Chicago, our restaurants are constantly surprising us with ‘holiday’ specials, so here are a few happenings you might like, organized by dates of occurrence. Enjoy!

Green City Market’s Chef BBQ 2018, Lincoln Park (approximately 1817 N. Clark). On Thursday July 19, 5:30-8pm, attendees will get to try tasting portions prepared utilizing fresh produce, meats and craft beverages made with ingredients provided by local farmers and vendors. (Click here for a complete list of participants.)

Use public transportation, taxis, and ride-shares because parking could be tough. Limited parking is available in the Chicago History Museum lot at their regular rate ($19-$32 depending on how long you’re there). Tickets at GCMBBQ.eventbrite.com. RAIN or SHINE. – no refunds. Supported by Breakthru Beverage, FIG Catering, Midwest Foods, and Tablescapes.

Castaways, 1603 N. Lake Shore Dr. at Chicago’s popular North Avenue Beach, is the perfect spot to throw one back in honor of Discovery Channel’s #SharkWeek. Sunday July 22 to Sunday July 29 Castaways will offer a special “The Hammerhead” cocktail for $9 each. The ocean-colored cocktail is made with Captain Morgan Coconut Rum, pineapple juice and blue curaçao.

Four Entertainment Group (4EG) outlets will celebrate Shark Week by donating $1 from every full-price signature house cocktail sold at aliveOne, Easy Bar, Estelle’s, Remedy, and The Owl – 50 cents to Chicago’s Shedd the Straw Campaign and 50 cents to For a Strawless Ocean. All week, you can see free showings at all locations of movies like Free Willy, JAWS and other aquatic-themed films while you make cash donations to support both initiatives aimed at reducing plastic straw waste in our oceans.

Carnivale, 702 W. Fulton Market, says summertime in Chicago calls for a cool patio for drinks and good company. HAPPY HOUR: Monday-Friday 4:30-6:30 in the lounge and on the patio. An unmatched chilled white wine list. Lively entertainment every Friday night. INDUSTRY NIGHT: Every Sunday enjoy $1 Coronitos with a shot and 25% off appetizers. SAMBA DANCE NIGHT: Dance the night away starting July 17th and every third Wednesday of the month.

Green City Market’s Chef BBQ 2018, Lincoln Park (approximately 1817 N. Clark). On Thursday July 19, 5:30-8pm, attendees will get to try tasting portions prepared utilizing fresh produce, meats and craft beverages made with ingredients provided by local farmers and vendors. (Click here for a complete list of participants.)

Use public transportation, taxis, and ride-shares because parking could be tough. Limited parking is available in the Chicago History Museum lot at their regular rate ($19-$32 depending on how long you’re there). CTA Bus routes that stop at the event include 22 Clark, 36 Broadway, 73 Armitage, 151 Sheridan. L stops nearby: Sedgwick Brown Line (walk east on North Avenue to Clark) and Clark/Division Red Line (walk north on Clark). Tickets at GCMBBQ.eventbrite.com. The event will be held RAIN or SHINE. No refunds. The event is supported by Breakthru Beverage, FIG Catering, Midwest Foods, and Tablescapes.

Piccolo Sogno, 464 N. Halsted, celebrates its 10th anniversary all this month of July: a delicious Italian staple, Tagliolini with summer truffles for only $10 along with $10 bottles of Prosecco. They’re also celebrating National Lasagna day on July 29.  Chef Priolo and and partner Ciro Longobardo say that Piccolo Sogno is their “little dream,” and eating their lasagna might just be yours! Lasagna Tipica di Bologna (traditional lasagna with green pasta sheets layered with béchamel and Bolognese sauce, $16) – deemed by some as the best in Chicago. And the ambiance here – including the lovely patio – is absolutely delightful. You might even feel like you’re in Italy.

Connie’s Pizza, 2373 S. Archer or at McCormick Place. Since 1963, Italian family recipes and pizza – also in your Midwest grocer’s frozen section. July 29 they’re celebrating their 55-year anniversary on National Lasagna Day. Every order of Mama Sue’s 55-year-old lasagna recipe – kept alive by popular demand – comes with a $5.50 discount off the regular $12.99 price. Such a deal! They can host a party or bring it to you with delivery, catering and pizza shipping anywhere in the United States. 312.CONNIES (312.266.6437), visit their website and follow the restaurant  on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Dairy Queen, a perennial favorite of all soft-serve fans, is out to help sick kids. On Miracle Treat Day Thursday, August 2 2018 they will be donating $1 from every  Blizzard® Treat sold at participating DQ Grill & Chill® and Dairy Queen locations throughout the U.S. Donations go  to the local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.  All kids want to have fun, so DQ® will Miracle Treat Day support critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care to help save and improve the lives of local children.

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appetizers, brunch, Chicago restaurants, food and wine, seafood

Osteria La Madia

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Update: As of March 25, 2017, Osteria La Madia is closed. The owners are now focused on building their Firecakes brand.
Osteria La Madia, 59 Grand Ave., sits in the heart of the red-hot River North section of downtown Chicago – a great place for drinks and unique appetizers. Or try their handmade, wood-fire-grilled pizzas or a full meal from among entrees that include fresh seafood to short ribs and housemade pastas with a variety of proteins. Several salads on offer range from a selection of greens with unique dressings to a full-meal version of Ahi Tuna Nicoise.
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The bar and a small seating area form a cozy spot at the front of the divided space. Then a line of booths leads down a short path to the main two-level, large, airy dining area set with varying size tables and comfortable chairs. And the wood-fire grills are centered at the back of the space; it’s cool to watch the pizzas being made behind the protective glass shield. The overall effect is of a room that’s spacious with cozy areas. The decor is unobtrusively simple yet modern with a truly comfortable ambiance.
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Osteria La Madia's fabulous Spinach cheese fondue
Osteria La Madia’s fabulous Spinach cheese fondue

Our server happily recommended favorites when we asked. She especially recommended the Spinach & Taleggio Fondue appetizer. Picturing something oozing with oily cheese, we hesitated but decided to trust her – she said it is the restaurant’s most popular appetizer. We were amazed when she brought out a platter with a huge slab of puffy, clearly-wood-fired, pita-type bread that dwarfed a small crock of beautifully smooth and creamy-looking green sauce drizzled with truffle oil. The proper approach, she explained, was to rip off a piece of the bread, place it on your individual plate and spoon some of the green stuff over top. Wow, it was really good. Would never believe it was spinach – rich with the velvety consistency of heavy cream without betraying the slightest hint of iron, as spinach can sometimes do, or greasiness, as melted cheeses often do. The truffle oil dribbled on top gave the fondue extra pizzaz. The Sardinian bread was made of the same dough they use for their pizzas, several of which we’d tried and enjoyed on an earlier visit. They offer a wide variety of unique pizza toppings and offer several of them at bargain prices during their bar-only happy hour (currently 4:30 to 6:30 M-F). Excellent way to slake your thirst and gratify your hunger after work.

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Our other appetizer, the mussels in a tomato onion broth was simply scrumptious. The mussels perfectly cooked, the broth deeply flavored with stock and tomato and just a hint of spice. I couldn’t resist mixing some of the dark, rich, red broth with some of the spinach fondue. It turned out to be a fabulous flavor combination, although mixing the colors green and red results in a not-too-attractive shade of grayish brown. I didn’t care; it tasted SO good.
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The heirloom tomato salad was in season and just delightful. The bright range cherry tomatoes were super sweet and tasty. And the thick slice from a giant red tomato reminded us both of the tomatoes our fathers used to grow. Hard to get much better than that. The burrata was gooey and creamy and good.

Housemade ricotta-stuffed tortellacci with summer vegetables and truffle shavings
Housemade ricotta-stuffed tortellacci with summer vegetables and truffle shavings

Our entrees: scallops were nicely seared without being overdone, while the side dish of farro was a bit salty; the housemade ricotta-stuffed pasta and vegetables were all good individually without feeling quite melded in the overall dish. In any case we enjoyed both dishes, and they went perfectly with the fine, light red wine our server recommended from among the nicely rounded list of wines by the bottle and by the glass (priced as 4oz, 7oz and full bottle portions). A shared dish of strawberry gelato along with an after-dinner liqueur put a mellow ending on a nice evening. We’d gotten there early and by the time we finished, the place was hopping with diners, including several large families sharing a meal together.

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The whole experience was lovely, with wonderful service in comfortable surroundings. We’d recommend visiting Osteria La Madia any time; check their hours of operation here. In case you don’t want to fight traffic or pay through the nose for parking, get to La Madia in a snap via the 156, 36 or 22 buses or the Red Line (Grand/State station). It’s a short walk from any of those lines. You’ll feel welcome while you’re there and leave feeling glad you came.

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And by the way, the same folks who operate La Madia also operate the top-rated Firecakes bakeries. If you like donuts, do not fail to visit one of their locations. Hint: We highly recommend the coconut cream-topped cake donut. And La Madia recently started offering brunch on Saturdays and Sundays (10 – 3pm) and guess what? You can feast on Firecakes donuts there in addition to either their prix fixe brunch or lots of variety priced a la carte.
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The restaurant provided a meal to facilitate this review. All opinions are strictly those of the writer.
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