Chicago q, 1160 N. Dearborn St., will celebrate Mardi Gras Feb. 5-9 with a menu in which Chef Art Smith will play a part. Smith, together with Ideology Corporate Chef Justin Ferguson, have created a menu that pays homage to the deep-rooted Creole traditions of the various south Louisiana regions. Some of the items will include boiled Louisiana crawfish, red beans and rice, crawfish cornbread ( topped with crawfish etoufee ) and bread pudding. Call 312-642-1160.
bellyQ, 1400 W. Randolph St., is launching a new brunch menu, showcasing Chef Bill Kim's newest Asian-style dishes every Sunday at 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Highlights from the new menu include the sausage, egg and cheddar sliders with blueberry compote, stir fry long noodle with pea shoots, egg and napa cabbage ( $13 ), and an entire section of the menu dedicated to homemade dumplings ( all $7 ). The menu is at https://gallery.mailchimp.com/e3d56fa54e87f998360a6a505/files/2016_Brunch_Menu_Version_2_0.pdf.
Pastoral's Appellationthe new 75-seat wine bar, restaurant and retail store at 5212 N. Clark Stis now offering weekend brunch. Additionally, Pastoral Andersonville is Pastoral's first location to offer morning counter service breakfastthe only one of its four locations to do so. To coincide with its brunch and retail breakfast launch, Pastoral Andersonville will also debut its second seasonal art exhibition within the dining area.
Spanish restaurant Mercat a la Planxa, 638 S. Michigan Ave., relaunched its brunch menu to feature a selection of new dishes laid out in a special prix fixe format. For $27, guests can customize a three-course meal and enjoy complimentary seasonal fruit and churros with espresso dulce de leche. A few of the items are soft scrambled eggs served with poached lobster and spinach; a traditional Spanish tortilla served with house-smoked salmon; and traditional Spanish Torrijas bread pudding. See MercatChicago.com .
Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya ( formerly Kukai Ramen & Izakaya ) will open their first Midwest location in Wicker Park at 1482 N. Milwaukee Ave., aiming for a late February opening. Founded in 2003 in Japan, Kookai Ramen increased to more than 20 locations in Tokyo, and was then brought over to the United States in 2012 as Kukai Ramen & Izakaya. Kizuki offers customizable, made-to-order ramen dishes featuring a variety of broths, toppings and four different types of noodles; the menu also features 18 small plates including chicken karaage, chicken wings, Japanese pork bun, prawn cutlets and more. See Kuzuki.com .
Community Tavern, 4038 N. Milwaukee Ave., is hosting a five-course dinner featuring a selection of Bordeaux wine pairings on Wed., Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. Dishes wil include chilled seafood, sweet-potato gnocchi, pheasant and porcini pate, navarin of lamb and grilled pear. The cost is $75 per person; call 773-283-6080.
The restaurant Moto, 945 W. Fulton Marketwhich lasted more than 11 years and even survived the passing of its creator, chef Homaro Cantu ( who died in April )has been sold to the Alinea Group ( Nick Kokonas, Grant Achatz and others ), The Chicago Tribune reported. The Alinea folks have Next, at 953 W. Fulton Market, and are developing the former iNG space, 951 W. Fulton Market, into Roister. Moto will serve its last meal Feb. 14.
County Barbeque, 1352 W. Taylor St., is partnering with Off Color Brewing for "DinoS'mores & Dinosaurs: a tap takeover" on Thursday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m. Featured menu items include the Dino Bone, a giant beef rib with fries ( $18 ) and a S'mores Sundae ( $3 ). There's no admission fee.
The movie Groundhog Day will be shown Sunday, Jan. 31, at 8 p.m. as part of PBR Movie Night at The Boiler Room, 2210 N. California Ave. The Boiler Room is infamous for itsr PB&J Special, which includes a slice of pizza, 16 oz, PBR and a shot of Jameson for $8.50. RSVP at http://do312.com/events/2016/1/31/pbr-movie-night-groundhog-day.
At mk, 868 N. Franklin St., Pastry Chef Lisa Bonjour and Wine & Beverage Director Jordyn Sotelo are hosting a cocktail and baking class Sunday, Jan. 31, at 4:30 p.m. Bonjour will teach guests how to make a chocolate tart, while Sotelo will demonstrate how to craft a cocktail made with bubbly Prosecco, Luxardo Aperitivo and citrus. Price for the class is $20 per person, or free to anyone who stays for dinner afterward at mk; email lbecker@dmkrestaurants.com to reserve.
Restaurateur/Chef Satoko Takeyama and her partner Dr. Jee H. Kimowners of Chicago spots Wasabi and Ramen Takeyawill open sister restaurant Yakitori Boogytori at 932 W. Algonquin Rd., Arlington Heights, on Tuesday, Feb. 2. At Yakitori Boogytori, more than a dozen kinds of chicken skewers and 10 kinds of vegetable skewers, along with beef and seafood skewers, are slowly cooked on high quality Kishu bincho charcoal imported from Japan. In addition to yakitori, Boogytori's menu includes about 30 small Japanese plates such as sashimi, silken tofu, daikon radish salad, grilled rice balls and mozuku seaweed salad. See " Yakitori Boogytori" on Facebook.
At Analogue, 2523 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chef Alfredo Nogueira will partner with Pork Mafia's Phil Wingo to create a special five-course Cajun menu featuring various cuts of Mangalitsa pork on Wed., Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. Dishes will include beignets, gumbo with smoked pork, and glazed Ham with collard greens and cornbread. The cost will be $55/person; visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2487901.
Sophie Evanoff, owner of the French-inspired artisanal patisserie Vanille, has announced that Vanille Lake View's ribbon-cutting will take place Thursday, Feb. 4, at 3243 N. Broadway, at 5:30 p.m. On Friday-Sunday, Feb. 5-7, customers will have the chance to help celebrate with some special offers including a free macaron for anyone who stops by. Also, the first 25 customers through the door each of those three mornings will receive a $25 Vanille gift card for their next visit, and everyone can enter to win a $500 Vanille gift card to be given to one lucky customer. See VanillePatisserie.com .
On Saturday, Feb. 6, the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation ( IRAEF ) will welcome 12 culinary teams and nine management teams composed of high school ProStart® students from across the state to compete in the 15th Annual Illinois ProStart® Invitationala full day of culinary and restaurant management competitions. The event will be held at McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr., 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
On Super Bowl Sunday ( Feb. 7 ), guests who host their Super Bowl parties at Frontier will enjoy more than half off Executive Chef Brian Jupiter's famous whole smoked animal pig parties ( $225; normally $500 ). Chicagoans can also cater their Super Bowl party at home with Frontier's specialty Super Bowl menu to go; available items will include pulled boar sliders, sausage platter, wings, mac 'n cheese and more.
Acre, 5308 N. Clark St., will have $1 oysters, $2 sliders, $4 select drafts and $10 wood-fired pizzas for Super Bowl Sunday. Reservations are recommended; call 773-334-7600.
Beginning on Super Bowl Sunday ( Feb. 7 ) at 12 p.m., football enthusiasts and others can head to Oyster Bah, 1962 N. Halsted St., for favorites like the Maine lobster roll and the crispy one-sided red snapper. Going forward, the restaurant will open every Saturday and Sunday at noon for lunch. See OysterBah.com .
Roti Modern Mediterranean is offering catering optons for Super Bowl parties. The organic chickpea hummus, free-range chicken and salmon are among the items available. For larger parties, the Any Way You Want It Buffet feeds 15 and comes with two entrée options, two sides, and a salad for $180. See http://roti.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Chicago-Catering-Menu_6-2015.pdf.
Andersonville restaurant Ombra, 5310 N. Clark St., will welcome Giovanni Sicilia of Heritage Wines and its resident "buongustaio" ( man of good taste ) Paolo Bressan to celebrate Venetian Carnevale on Tuesday, Feb. 9. Admission is $55/person ( including tax and gratuity ), and reservations must be made; call 773-506-8600.
Frontier, 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave., celebrates Fat Tuesday with an authentic Louisiana shrimp boil on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 6 p.m. For $33 per person, guests will enjoy an all-you-can-eat shrimp boil, complete with potatoes and corn. Frontier will feature additional food and drink specials, including $10 red beans and rice, $13 shrimp po'boys, $5 Hurricanes, $6 Sazeracs and $4 Abitas. Seating is first-come, first-served; visit www.thefrontierchicago.com/events-tickets.
For Mardi Gras, Howells & Hood, 435 N. Michigan Ave., will celebrate Mardi Gras with a limited edition selection of Cajun dishes on Feb. 9-15. Items will include Louisianan Frire Melange ( $17 ), with crawfish, rock shrimp, oysters, Andouille sausage, okra, pickled Anaheim chilies and Tabasco aioli; Oyster Po Boy ( $16 ), with breaded Gulf oysters, dill pickle mayo, hoagie roll, shredded lettuce and sliced tomato; and gumbo ( $8 ), with chicken thigh, Andouille sausage, "The Trinity" and long-grain rice. Howells & Hood will also feature the Simon Sazerac's Purse cocktail ( $13 ), consisting of FEW Rye, Persimmon Sage simple syrup, Peychaud's Bitters, house fernet rinse and lemon peel garnish.
On Super Bowl Sunday, guests who order two or more Pi Gallery Bar pizzas on Grubhub or Doordash will receive a complimentary order of Pi's Dipping Sticks ( sausage and mozzarella breadsticks ). As an added incentive to eat pizza, Pi's concept centers around its "A Pi for a Pi" program where for every pizza sold, one is donated to feed Chicago's homeless.
Devon Seafood Grill, 39 E. Chicago Ave., is offering specials for Valentine's Day weekend. On Friday-Sunday, Feb. 12-14, there's a selection of special entrees such as one-pound lobster Tail, eight-ounce Filet Oscar or a six-ounce filet with an eight-ounce lobster yail with two seasonal sides for $55 per person. Guests are also invited to enjoy Valentine's Day dinner all weekend long at Devon Seafood Grill's more upscale downstairs dining room. See DevonSeafood.com/Chicago.
The Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel, will host HiBall Events' Valentine's 2016 dinner & show for the second year, on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the legendary Empire Room within the Palmer House Hilton, 17 E. Monroe St. Diners seated at intimate tables arranged for two or four people enjoy a romance inspired, three course meal and dancing to live entertainment performed by Sam Fazio with his jazz quartet. Couples' packages are $179-$250; see www.palmerhousehiltonhotel.com/promotions/valentines-day-2-2/ or ValentinesInChicago.com .
At Sable Kitchen & Bar, 505 N. State St., Chef Lawrence Letrero has crafter a five-course Valentine's Day prix fixe for $55/person, with an optional cocktail pairing for $45. ( The regular menu will be offered a la carte as well. ) See SableChicago.com .
At 312 Chicago, 136 N. LaSalle St., Chef Luca Corazzina has created a romantic Italian prix fixe menu, "Menu di Valentino," with four courses for $60/person + optional wine pairing for $85/person; available Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 13-14. Each course will have three different options so guests can select dishes based on dietary preference. Visit www.312chicago.com .
Salero, 621 W. Randolph St., is offering Valentine's Day menu specials. They include Maine lobster, clam and calamari paella for two ( $60 ); and grill strip loin with rapini, salt-crusted potatoes and mojo sauce ( $42 ), among other dishes. See SaleroChicago.com .
Couples who dine Friday-Sunday, Feb. 12-14, at a Fogo de Chao location will receive a Valentine's Dining Card good for a complimentary lunch or dinner toward their next visit. All Fogo de Chao locationsincluding Chicago, Rosemont and Naperville restaurantswill be open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14. Reservations are highly recommended; visit FOGO.com .
Rosemont's Estate at Gene & Georgetti, 9421 W. Higgins Rd., will transform into a supper club celebrating Valentine's Day with "A Fine Romance." The special evening includes a four-course dinner and live performances from Joan Curto, Tom Michael and Beckie Menzie on Sunday, Feb. 14. Seating for the show only begins at 7 p.m. and costs $25 per person plus tax and gratuity, with access to a cash bar. Reservations are required; call 847-653-3300.
Beef & Barley Chicago & Gastropub, 3001 N. Ashland Ave., is doing a Walk of Shame brunch on Sunday, Feb. 14 ( Valentine's Day ). It's for all of those singles out there who were looking for love the night before. There will be some themed punch-bowl specials and a new brunch menu for guests enjoy, as well as an old-school photo booth with some Valentine's Day-themed props. There will also be a single's themed soundtrack during brunch service.
Chicago's Best WingFest will return for its 17th year on Feb. 21, 2016, 1-5 p.m., at Bailey Auditorium, 1340 W. Washington St. There will be wings from 25 area restaurants, competitive wing-eating and six categories of wing competition, among other things. See Wingfest.net .
The Northalsted Business Alliance will host the Frost Fest Craft Beer Festival on Feb. 27-28, 2016. Through Dec. 28, 2015, there's a pre-sale offer that includes two tickets for the Frost Fest Craft Beer Festival at $50and admission is normally regularly $35 apiece. Tickets are available exclusively on www.northalsted.com .
Snap Kitchena healthy takeaway concept that has recently opened seven locations in the Chicagoland areahas released its winter menu. Some winter items include maple-roasted banana oatmeal, beef stroganoff, ginger-glazed salmon and quinoa "fried rice." See SnapKitchen.com .
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