Weekly Planner: Donuts and Cocktails for a Good Cause, Pumpkin Fest, La Sirena Clandestina Brings Back Brunch and More
Bombos for Boobies
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and restaurants and bars across Chicago are showing their support in all sorts of ways. One of the most colorful is the promo taking place through the end of the month at BomboBar at Bar Siena. It’s called Bombos for Boobies, so that should get your attention. Partnering with The Lynn Sage Foundation’s In Good Taste Campaign, BomboBar has created a special bombolini made with pomegranate buttercream filling and a dusting of pink sugar. Sold in pairs (naturally), the pastries are $5 and presented in pink boxes. For every pair purchased, DineAmic Group is donating $1 to Lynn Sage.
Brunch at La Sirena Clandestina
Another reason not to sleep in too late on Sundays: La Sirena Clandestina has brought back brunch service. The Fulton Market restaurant is once again serving its Latin-accented brunch on Sundays from 10 AM-2 PM. Past brunch hits like hanger steak with creamed yucca and fried egg are joined by fresh newcomers. Expect dishes like poached lobster tail Benedict with avocado mash, malagueta hollandaise and poached egg; buttermilk doughnuts with cinnamon-sugar and coffee anglaise; and French toast with caramelized banana, pacoquinha, coconut pudding and huckleberry syrup. For drinks, look for refreshing quaffs like the LSC Mimosa made with aperol, grapefruit, and bubbly.
Pumpkin Fest at Chez Moi
Mid-October is high time for pumpkins, especially with Halloween right around the bend. Aptly, Chez Moi is hosting a weeks-long Pumpkin Fest, celebrating all things gourds in seasonal dishes, drinks, and a special brunch on weekends through the end of the month. These specials include pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon butter, French toast with pumpkin pie mascarpone, a pumpkin omelette with sauteed pumpkin, mushroom and garlic and a drink called The Great Pumpkin featuring Grand Marnier spiced pumpkin. Later in the day, make room for pumpkin soup, pumpkin ravioli, bacon-wrapped seared pork loin with apple-pumpkin-raisin chutney, and wild rice roasted mini pumpkins.
Weeknight Boilermakers at The Heavy Feather
In case you needed another excuse to drink your way through the work week, The Heavy Feather has you covered with its new weeknight boilermaker specials. Available Monday through Thursday, the upstairs bar in Logan Square features a boilermaker menu with unique combos like Cava Mistinquett Brut + Brandy, Graham Beck Brut Rosé + Bourbon, Tecate + Tequila, and the Chicago Handshake, which pairs Old Style with Malort. Oof!
Rewind Wednesdays at CH Distillery
In other bar news, CH Distillery is getting nostalgic with its brand new Rewind Wednesday series. Each week, the crafty West Loop bar and distillery features $9 special cocktails and a variety of old-school board games, like Candyland, Sorry, Connect Four, Battle Shop, Operation, and lots more. It’s a fun, kitschy way to get over the work week hump.
Fall Beers at Forbidden Root
Just in time for cooler weather, Forbidden Root has rolled out an exciting lineup of new brews. Ever the inventive beer destination, the West Town brewery’s new roster includes a Sparkling Rosé Ale made with Niagara grapes, a smoked brown ale with maple called Breakfast Club and the Purple Pils, which is a more floral pilsner.
Drink Pink at 312 Chicago
Finally, round out October on a high note by drinking altruistically. In line with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 312 Chicago has partnered with Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University to donate $1 per cocktail from their special Drink Pink Menu all month long. And there’s lots to pour over too, thanks to head bartender Jennifer Knott, who has amassed a menu of pink cocktails, a mocktail and rosé. The Pretty in Pink contains Lighea Moscata, Cocchi Americano Rosso, and Peychaud’s bitters; Destiny features broVo pink vermouth, fino sherry and hibiscus bitters; the strawberry-shrub lemonade is a booze-free tipple with housemade strawberry shrub, lemon and simple syrup; and rosés include the Di Giovanna Rosato di Nerello Mascalese and the Sokol Blosser Ros of Pinot Noir.
- Matt Kirouac