Lowcountry, 3343 N. Clark St., an all-you-can-eat snow crab buffet in honor of National Crab Day on Thursday, March 9, 5-10 p.m. The bottomless feast will be $49.99; Lowcountry fills the buffet with other seaside favorites, including corn on the cob, red potatoes, honey butter jalapeno cornbread, potato salad and cole slaw. Visit www.lowcountrychicago.com .
River Roast, 315 N. LaSalle St., will host a comedic "chef roast" and dinner benefiting Pilot Light Chefs on Thursday, March 9, 6-9 p.m. This year's roast will feature Paul Kahan ( One Off Hospitality ), Tony Mantuano ( Spiaggia ) and John Hogan ( River Roast ), who will prepare a collaborative four-course dinner followed by a roast; WXRT host Lin Brehmer will emcee. Tickets are $85; visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chef-roast-tickets-31643010095.
Floriole Cafe & Bakery's croissantwich in collaboration with Honey Butter Fried Chicken will be available until Sunday, March 12. Chef Sandra Holl teamed with Chef Christine Cikowski on the $10 sandwich; $1 of every sandwich purchase will be donated to the organization Pilot Light.
St. Patrick's Day special: Bernie's Lunch & Supper, 660 N. Orleans St., will team with Glendalough Distillery for a pop-up Irish cocktail menu March 11-18. Menu items include Irish coffee with Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey; Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey Old Fashioned; and an Irish Spritzer with Glendalough Poitin, Cinnamon Syrup, lemon, bitters and cider.
Hard Rock Cafe Chicago, 63 W. Ontario St., invites revelers to ring in the luck of the Irish on Friday-Saturday, March 10-11, for the ninth annual Get ShamROCKED bash. On Saturday, March 11, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., celebrate with live music from The Hat Guys, bagpipe performances from the Chicago Pipe Band and The Shannon Rovers; plus participate in family-friendly entertainment like face painting, balloon artists and more. Visit HardRock.com/Chicago.
Baker & Nosh, 1303 W. Wilson Ave., is marking St. Patrick's Day with Irish soda bread, available for pre-order March 11-19. The bread is baked fresh daily with raisins and caraway seeds, and is available in two-pound loaves for $9.
Jake Melnick's Corner Tap, 41 E. Superior St., will host a St. Patty's Day "Pre-Soak" breakfast on Saturday, March 11, 8:30-11 a.m. A $2 ( ! ) buffet-style brunch includes scrambled eggs with cheddar, corned beef hash, mini-potato pancakes, Belgian waffles with whiskey syrup, emerald fruit salad, hickory smoked bacon and grilled Irish soda bread. See JakeMelnicks.com .
American Craft Kitchen & Bar, 151 E. Wacker Dr., is offering a dinner buffet ( $24.95 per person ) for one night, March 11. Items will include homemade soups, boiled corned beef, lake trout filets with sticky bacon and flake almonds, and shepherd's pie. The buffet also includes assorted desserts and coffee, tea or soda. To make a reservation, call 312-565-1234, ext. 4496.
All Bottleneck Management Chicago locations ( The Boundary, Old Town Pour House, Howells & Hood, Sweetwater Tavern & Grill, and South Branch ) will offer specialty Irish dishes Saturday, March 11, and Tuesday, March 14 through Monday, March 20. Dishes include corned beef reuben ( $14 ), Guinness lamb stew ( $16 ) and shepherd's pie ( $16 ).
Lion Head Ultimate Sports Pub, 2251 N. Lincoln Ave., will offer Kegs & Eggs ( free breakfast buffet 8-11 a.m. with a beverage purchase ). There will be bagpipe players along with $3 Green Miller Lite and Coors Light Drafts, $5 Aluminum pints and Jameson shots. See LionHeadPub.com .
Travelle Kitchen + Bar, 330 N. Wabash Ave., invites guests to watch the Chicago River get dyed green from above. Starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 11, the lounge opens early for guests to reserve bar tables ( with a $50 minimum spend per person ) to take in the view. For those in search of a festive green libation, Travelle Kitchen + Bar is featuring the Cucumber Matcharita with mezcal, cucumber matcha juice, lime juice, Chareau Aloe liqueur and simple syrup. See TravelleChicago.com .
Hakka Bakka, 1251 W. Fullerton Ave., will bring back its chicken tikka wings Sunday, March 12-Monday, April 3, for March Madness. They are priced at $8 for eight pieces and include choice of a tikka ranch or cilantro aioli dipping sauce. See HakkaBakkaRolls.com .
Q-BBQ ( which has multiple suburban locations ) is bringing back its smoked corned beef for St. Patrick's Day as well as its Corona-battered cod for Lent. Q-BBQ specializes in authentic BBQ traditions from Memphis, the Carolinas, Texas and Kansas City. See Q-BBQ.com .
To kick off March Madness, all three Tuscany Restaurant locations will participate in a week-long March Lasagna Madness in which a different lasagna recipe will be showcased each day during the first week of the tournament. The special is available for dine-in or carryout and is $14 at lunch and $16 at dinner. See TuscanyChicago.com .
Located in the heart of downtown La Grange, Steak & Vine ( 37 South La Grange Rd. ) will offer slices of key lime and apple pies for $3.14 to celebrate National Pi Day from 5 to 10 p.m. For additional information and to make a reservation, call 708-579-0520.
Delightful Pastriesthe European bakery in Jefferson Park ( 5927 W. Lawrence Ave. ) and Chicago French Marketwill offer customers mini pies for $3.14 at both locations for National Pi Day. Flavor options include banana cream and chocolate custard. Call 773-545-7215.
Also for St. Patrick's Day, Frontier, 1072 N Milwaukee Ave., will open early on Friday, March 17. Guests can enjoy Chef Brian Jupiter's full menu beginning at 11 a.m., in addition to a $5 Irish Whiskey menu that will feature a variety of mainstream and small batch Irish whiskeys. See TheFrontierChicago.com .
Northbrook's Prairie Grass Cafe, 601 N. Skokie Blvd., is marking St. Patrick's Day. Prairie Grass Cafe will serve its traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner accompanied by a slice of homemade Irish soda bread ( $22.50 ). During Saturday-Sunday, March 18-19, Prairie Grass' brunch will feature corned beef hash topped with a poached egg and served with sauteed potatoes and green hollandaise sauce ( $14.50 ). See PrairieGrassCafe.com .
Italian spot 312 Chicago, 136 N. LaSalle St., is celebrating 19 years in the Loop on March 12-14. As a thank you for nearly two decades of service, Chef Luca Corazzina is celebrating their 19th Anniversary by offering *all* of his dinner entrees for $19 each as well as $19 bottles of select red and white wine. The specials will continue March 13-14. See 312Chicago.com .
Cafe Robey, 2018 W. North Ave., is inviting Chicagoans to #EatToWin all through March, launching a social-media contest giving followers a chance to win one of three prizes: a trip to Mexico City, a staycation for two at The Robey or The Hollander, or dinner for two at the cafe. Cafe Robey invites guests to post their best photos from the restaurant all month long. On April 1, the top three photos shared with the most "Likes" will be crowned the winners.
Baconfest organizers have announced new ticket options. They include Bacon-Only ( $60 + plus fees ), Express Bacon ( $75 + fees ) and Group Tickets ( $65 + fees ). The 9th annual Baconfest will be held March 31-April 1 at the UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd. See BaconfestChicago.com .
Animale, 1904 N. Western Ave., has launched a Chef Burger series. Benefitting Meals on Wheels Chicago, Animale welcomes a chef every month to collaborate and offer his/her own variation of a classic patty. Kicking things off with Chef Ashlee Aubin of Salero this month, he will offer his signature lamb burger made with bread-and-butter pickles, fontina, red onion, kalamata olive aioli and bitter greens. See AnimaleChicago.com .
ZED451, 739 N. Clark St., is offering unlimited seafood every Friday for $35 per person. Items include Faroe Island salmon with Szechwan glaze; blackened tuna with hoisin and wasabi mayo; Lake Superior whitefish with lemon-tarragon beurre bland; and seared sea scallops with tomato-bacon jam and fresh parsley. See OpenTable.com or call 312-266-6691.
Caffe ArrivaDolce has opened at 6451 N. Sheridan Rd. Owner Jill Gross has brought an offshoot of ArrivaDolce Gelato & Coffee Bar to Rogers Park, complete with espresso drinks, freshly roasted coffee, homemade baked goods, locally sourced soups, gelato and other specialty products.
Portillo's announced three limited-time menu offerings, available now at stores nationwide. Guests can celebrate the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday with the Mint Chocolate Shake, composed of mint ice cream blended with chocolate fudge frosting from Portillo's chocolate cake. Portillo's also offers Lenten-friendly fare, including the brand's pepper and egg sandwich, featuring seasoned scrambled eggs topped with house-cooked sweet peppers on a choice of a croissant or French bread; and the tuna salad sandwich, topped with lettuce and tomato, served on a choice of a pretzel roll or croissant.
Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort has announced the return of its longstanding community tradition, Easter Brunch in the Grand Ballroom. On Sunday, April 16, two seatings ( 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. ) will give way to a family experience featuring modern farm cuisine, a petting zoo, a children's cookie craft area, a complimentary family portrait and a visit from the Easter Bunny. See Eventbrite.com .
Brindille, 534 N. Clark St., will be offering a Mother's Day tea on Sunday, May 12, 2-5 p.m. The tea service will feature Chef Carrie and Pastry Chef Craig's creations. Among the slated items will be crumpets, sandwiches, sweets, confections and, of course, tea. It will be $65/person, and there's limited seating. RSVP at info@Brindille-Chicago.com .
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