Fourth of July Dining Guide 2015

There are few things more American than pigging out on barbecue and drinking yourself stupid. Embrace your inner patriot this Fourth of July at any one of the following dining/drinking destinations in Chicago to celebrate our American freedom; especially the freedom to eat and drink with reckless abandon. 

 

Pinstripes
Pinstripes

Pinstripes: With a front-row seat for the downtown fireworks displays, you can't beat the views at Pinstripes in Streeterville. Especially when there's a special four-course holiday menu in place, courtesy of chef Cesar Gutierrez. Get hungry for antipasto platters, market salads, filet mignon, pine nut-crusted halibut, and housemade gelato. The prix fixe menus cost $49 per person, available at 7:30 p.m. Fireworks start at 9:30 p.m. Tickets available here

Municipal Bar + Dining Co: You can basically drink the American flag at Municipal Bar + Dining Co this year. On July 4, the bar will offer $4 red, white, and blue Moscow Mules. Additionally, sliders will be $2, with options like mini Reubens, crab cakes, and Municipal Dip, a riff on a French dip made with roasted prime rib, au jus, and fresh horseradish sauce. 

Chicago q: Start your holiday weekend off on the right foot with brunch at Chicago q. In honor of the Fourth, the Gold Coast barbecue restaurant is opening for brunch on Friday, July 3, from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Menu items include carrot cake pancakes, barbecue aplenty, and three kinds of eggs Benedict, American Kobe brisket over cheddar-chive biscuits, smoked chicken over honey butter cornbread, or pulled pork over fried green tomatoes. 

Bread & Wine: Head up to Irving Park's esteemed neighborhood nook, Bread & Wine, to partake in a casual, holiday-appropriate barbecue for the Fourth. The low-key evening features chef Caleb Trahan's take on barbecue, with drunken barbecue chicken, carrot-raisin slaw, smoked potato salad, baked beans with white bread, and yellow cake with fluffy icing and pop rocks. The cost for the feast is just $25 per person and reservations can be made by calling Bread & Wine. 

The Signature Room: If it's a seat with a view you're looking for, you can't do any better than The Signature Room. The 95th floor restaurant near the top of the Hancock Tower is prime seating with a gorgeous downtown vista any day of the year, but it's especially apropos when there are fireworks to marvel at. You couldn't get any closer to the Navy Pier action if you tried. Don't bother trying, because this is the best. It's even better when you're sipping on red and blue drinks like strawberry basil mojitos or a blueberry fizz.

Harry Caray's Tavern: If heights aren't your thing but you're still concerned about getting a front-row seat, then head to Harry Caray's Tavern on Navy Pier. One of Chicago's preeminent waterfront dining and drinking destinations affords a glorious view of the fireworks shows on the Fourth and throughout the summer. A large patio provides plenty of seating, while a walk-up bar allows passersby to purchase a drink or two and meander down the Pier to gawk at the show and the skyline. 

Frontier: One surefire way to celebrate all-American pastimes for Fourth festivities is by cooking a fish fry. Frontier does just that on Sunday, July 5, where for $20 per person, guests can indulge in a melee of patriotic comfort. Starting at 3:00 p.m., the barstaurant will be all-you-can-eat fried catfish, hush puppies, potato salad, and corn. Drink specials include $7 Citadelle Gin drinks and $5 Oskar Blues Yella Pils. Tickets are available on Frontier's website. 

LUXBAR: In honor of the Fourth of July AND the Grateful Dead's 50th Anniversary three-night stint at Soldier Field, LUXBAR is hosting an especially celebratory brunch all weekend long. The Grateful Dead-themed brunch will feature music from the Grateful Dead and American Beauty pale ale from Dogfish Head, brewed with organic granola. Pair that with any of chef Michael Shrader's brunch dishes, like pancakes, eggs Benedict, waffles, and more. 

- Matt Kirouac

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