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WINDYCITYMEDIAGROUP

DINING Fat Rice bakery, Frontier dinner, marathon specials
by Andrew Davis, Windy City Times
2019-10-08


—James Beard-Award winning Chef Abe Conlon and Partner Adrienne Lo revealed a new expansion of their daytime Asian-inspired bakery The Bakery at Fat Rice, which will now become The Bakery & Cafe at Fat Rice. Announcing Ashley Robinson ( Spiaggia, Spinning J Bakery ) as head chef of The Bakery & Cafe at Fat Rice, the new venue will continue to share fan-favorites ( such as the Portuguese egg tarts, the Macau rice crisp, the Ceylon snickerdoodle ), but will now also offer savory ( and several gluten-free ) items such as The Mega Maki—an egg white frittata with sushi rice, sweet egg threads, pickled ginger, smoked shiitake mushrooms and bonito.

—"A Night with Virtue at Frontier"—a one-night-only collaborative five-course dinner by James Beard Award Semifinalist Brian Jupiter of Frontier and Erick Williams of Virtue Restaurant & Bar—will take place Thursday, Oct. 10, at Frontier, 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave. Menu highlights include options like hen & peas ( roasted Cornish hen, red peas and okra with burnt cornbread sauce ), salt baked lamb shanks ( turnips, mustard greens, lamb bacon, lamb jus ) and more. Tickets for the dinner are $90, with optional $25 beer pairings or $35 wine pairings; visit TheFrontierChicago.com/happenings.

—Greek spot Avli Taverna, 1335 W. Wrightwood Ave., will treat runners who order seafood orzo ( $22 ) to a complimentary cup of Ikarian longevity soup on Saturday, Oct. 12, during dinner. Guests must show proof of Chicago Marathon registration. Reservations are encouraged and can be made at Avli's website or 773-857-5577. Avli Taverna is open for dinner on Saturday at 5-10 p.m.

—Rosemont's The Rose Hotel, 5200 Pearl St., will have a Chicago Marathon special. Marathon-goers staying at The Rose Hotel Chicago O'Hare, Tapestry Collection by Hilton will receive 10 percent off any breakfast, lunch or dinner item from the lobby's restaurant menu. Participants should show their race bibs to receive the discount. Runners will also have the opportunity to carbo-load the night before the event with a special pasta menu item featuring pappardelle pasta with shrimp, tomato ragu, Grana Padano cheese, asparagus and kale ( $18 ).

—Frenco restaurant Bistronomic, 840 N. Wabash Ave., will celebrate the Chicago Marathon Friday-Sunday, Oct. 11-13, with seasonal pasta dishes ranging from $13.10 to $26.20, including Chef Martial Noguier's housemade fettuccine, ravioli, gnocchi and linguine. For lunch and brunch, spectators can add bottomless mimosas for $33.95. Make reservations at Website Link Here .

—Ocean Prime Chicago, the seafood/steak dining destination at 87 E. Wacker Dr., will be providing a complimentary glass of sparkling wine to each marathon runner on Sunday, Oct. 13. Runners must show their bib numbers.

—Lottie's Pub, 1925 W. Cortland Ave., will celebrate the 2019 Chicago Marathon with $2.62 mimosas all day on Sunday, Oct. 13. Additionally, marathon runners who present a race ID can enjoy 26.2 percent off all food with their group. Guests can reserve tables by emailing Lotties@PioneerTavernGroup.com .

—To help runners refuel on the Chicago Marathon weekend, Onward, 6580 N. Sheridan Rd., invites guests to Sunday brunch beginning at 10 a.m. Highlights include a duck sausage sandwich ( caramelized onions, Gruyere, fried egg and potato hash; $15 ), Southern crawfish Benedict ( Old Bay hollandaise, Yukon potato hash; $17 ), Mama Maria's chiliquiles ( carnitast, salsa roja, cilantro and eggs any style; $15 ) and more. Guests can celebrate the runner in their group with a bottomless mimosa special for $15 ( two-hour limit with purchase of lunch or brunch specialty ) or brunch cocktails. See OnwardChi.com.

—La Storia, 1154 N. Dearborn St., will be offering a special pasta ( and risotto ) promotion to help Chicago Marathon runners ( and spectators ) carbo-load. On Oct. 7-12, guests can indulge in as much pasta as they like for $22/person. Some of the dishes include penne a la Mediterranean, linguine e pollo, risotto gamberi e zucchine and Saffron malloreddus.

—Marathon runners can stop by the bourbon-centric Baptiste & Bottle ( 101 E. Erie St., at the Conrad Chicago ) on race day and enjoy 20 percent off food for brunch or dinner for a party of up to six guests. ( Race bibs must be presented. ) Additionally, Conrad Chicago guests registered to run the marathon can relax with complimentary 10-minute massages at Baptiste & Bottle at 12-2 p.m.

—As part of the Designing Louder Than Words bottle box competition created by the Design Museum of Chicago and Aberlour Single Malt Scotch Whisky, more than 60 designers, architects and creators submitted box designs that were inspired by Chicago and could safely house a whisky bottle. The winner was Chicago architectural designer Taylor Mentzer, with her "Scorch.Box" design. The Scorch.Box is now a limited-edition box ( just more than 200 made ) that houses Aberlour's' newest expression: Aberlour Single Cask No. 22112, a 15-year-old first-fill bourbon barrel.

—Restaurateur Branko Palikuca—co-owner of The Dawson, Topaz Cafe, Amber Cafe and Citrine Cafe—has opened Papa Cenar at 2445 N. Milwaukee Ave. with partner Jordan Mozer. Papa Cenar offers shareable tapas and main plates with cocktails and a Mediterranean wine list. Dishes ( divided into The Land, The Sea and The Butcher ) include grilled octopus, smoked shortribs, patatas bravas, pork chops, farmer squash pisto, falafel, mussels and more. See PapaCenar.com.

—In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Ocean Prime Chicago, 87 E. Wacker Dr., is frosting its Signature Coconut Cake pink. One dollar from each cake sold will be donated to Gilda's Club—a free support community for men, women, teens and children living with cancer, along with their families and friends. This promotion is live through Oct. 31.

—City Barbeque ( CityBBQ.com ) will open its fifth location in the Chicago area at 123 N. Northwest Hwy in Park Ridge on Monday, Oct. 14, with a grand opening celebration ( with giveaways, games, prizes, live music and family fun including a kids' craft table, face painting and more ) Saturday, Oct. 19. City Barbeque will offer a variety of ways for folks to enjoy its barbeque and give back to the local Park Ridge Community Fund with 10 percent of grand opening sales.

—The Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame has postponed its Oct. 16 event inducting Sarah Grueneberg as Chef of the Year, Meg Galus as Pastry Chef of the Year, Ina Pinkney as Legendary Chef and Mary Kay Bonoma as Industry Leader. A new date projected for February 2020 will be announced. Tickets purchased have been refunded.

—On Oct. 17-Nov. 3, Headquarters Beercade, 213 W. Institute Pl., will host "The Nightmare Before Halloween: A Tim Burton Experience." In addition to backdrop moments from BeetleJuice ( tiptoe through the graveyards and sandworms ), Edward Scissorhands ( spooky castle with trimmed shrubs ) and Sweeney Todd ( beware of the barber chair ), guests can sip spooky cocktails, take part in Tim Burton-themed trivia and costume contents. There will also be three flavors of boozy candied apples—Pumpkin Spiced Rum Apple, with milk chocolate and pumpkin spiced walnuts; Sour Mash Whiskey, with caramel and pretzels; and Vanilla Vodka, with white chocolate and pretzels. See HQRiverNorth.com/tim-burton/.

—The Trotter Project—Chef Charlie Trotter's legacy foundation—is hosting its marquee event of the year, the Third Annual Excellence Gala: Women & Innovation. Friday, Oct. 18, 4:30-11:30 p.m., at The Lakewood, 1758 W. Lake St. Trotter's longtime friend and mentor Chef Carrie Nahabedian will be this year's honorary chair. Tickets for the event are $375-$475 each; visit TheTrotterProject.org/events-1/2019/10/18/3rd-annual-excellence-gala.

—In honor of the release of Michael Jordan's proprietary blend, 2016 Barrel 23, Michael Jordan's Steak House—located inside the InterContinental Magnificent Mile at 505 N. Michigan Ave—will offer guests a three-course Domaine Serene pre-fixe dinner menu complete with wine pairings Friday-Sunday, Oct. 18-20, for $125/guest. Barrel 23 is a rare blend of pinot noir, crafted to unique specifications and made exclusively for Michael Jordan's personal cellar and renowned steakhouse in collaboration with Domaine Serene Winery. The wine will be first tasted at a wine dinner on Thursday, Oct. 10; see BrownPaperTtickets.com/event/4360668. To RSVP for the Oct. 18-20 dinners, see MJSHChicago.com.

—The Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence will return in January 2020 and the public can begin recommending choices spanning 15 categories across the region's culinary community today through Oct. 20. The Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence is the only Chicago-based awards ceremony that recognizes regional culinary originality and talent. The event will be held on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 at Venue SIX10, 610 S. Michigan Ave. Award winners from the previous three years ( 2017-2019 ) may not be nominated again in the same category, though they are eligible in other categories. Public recommendations are now open and may be made at banchetawards.com/ballot/.

—On Oct. 24-26, Chicago will welcome the James Beard Foundation's Taste America presented by Capital One for a weekend of food and conversation surrounding the non-profit's mission of cultivating a better food world for all. The program will include a "Raising the Bar" cocktail event on Oct. 24 and a gala dinner on Oct. 25. Visit JamesBeard.org/tasteamerica.

—Hubbard Inn, 110 W. Hubbard St., will reopen Friday, Oct. 25, after months of renovations. While still incorporating beloved elements from the original Hubbard Inn, guests will enjoy a new cocktail experience and artistic presentations of globally influenced American fare from Executive Chef Eric Babula ( Punch Bowl; City Works ), a Chicago-based chef originally from central Missouri.

—On Oct. 28, Nov. 1, Molly's Cupcakes South Loop, 1150 S. Wabash Ave., will offer its Graveyard Cupcake. The sweet ( #3 ) is chocolate cake dipped in ganache filled with Oreo filling, topped with buttercream, Oreo crumbs, and a Milano Cookie gravestone and gummy worms.

—Guests who visit Estelle's, 2013 W. North Ave., on Halloween night will enjoy a half off happy hour items ( except shots ) at 5-7 p.m., along with all-night specials like a $5 Halloween Mystery Shot, $4 featured drafts and $5 Tito's cocktails. Halloween party-goers can enjoy late night food until 4 a.m. as well as a $5 quesadilla ( chicken or cheese with sour cream and pico ).

—Fans of the Italian restaurant Balena ( which suffered extensive fire damage in 2017 ) are being invited Nov. 1-24, Wednesdays through Sundays starting at 5 p.m., a menu highlighting the favorite dishes from Balena courtesy of executive chef Chris Pandel at Dutch & Doc's, 3600 N. Clark St. Dishes such as the taglioni nero ( with sea urchin and crab ) and lemon kale orecchiette will be available. Reservations can be made via OpenTable or at bit.ly/BalenaPopUp.

—The culinary event Kouzina will return to the National Hellenic Museum ( NHM ), 333 S. Halsted St., 6:30-10 p.m., on Thursday, Nov. 7. The museum will present a collection of chefs—including Chef Louie Alexakis of Avli River North and Executive Chef Max Robbins of Longman & Eagle—showcasing signature dishes that have been influenced by Greek cuisine or culture. Tickets are $100 per person in advance or $125 at the door, and include food, wine and full access to the museum; visit NationalHellenicMuseum.org/calendar/kouzina/ or call 312-655-1234.

—Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry ( an event for those 21 and older ) is returning to Chicago for the 30th year on Friday, Nov. 8, at Revel Fulton Market. Notable chefs like Heather Terhune ( Tre Rivali ), Jon Brooks ( Beholder ) and Justin Sutherland ( Pearl & the Thief ) will be serving items. All of the proceeds support the No Kid Hungry campaign to end childhood hunger in this country. See Website Link Here .

Send items to Andrew@WindyCityMediaGroup.com , or follow on Twitter @Azygous60610 or on Instagram at azygous333.


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