Weekly Planner: Lone Wolf and Rhine Hall Turn Three, Green City Market Goes Indoors, Steadfast Serves Lunch and More
Lone Wolf and Rhine Hall Turn Three
Congratulations and celebrations are in order, because two of Chicago’s finest boozy establishments are marking their third anniversaries with parties this weekend. First is Rhine Hall, West Town’s brandy distillery, which is hosting a party from 2:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. on November 5. The free-to-attend event will feature special cocktails made with Rhine Hall’s flagship apple brandy and grappa, plus snacks provided in partnership with Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine and Sable Kitchen & Bar. In addition to drinks and snacks, the event will feature a raffle with potential to win two branded rocks glasses. Plus, any guest who tags Rhine Hall in a social media post will be entered to win a private tour of the distillery for 10 people.
The next day, Lone Wolf celebrates its own three-year anniversary in the West Loop. They’re hosting a Three Floyds tap takeover for the occasion, all day long from noon until 2:00 a.m. In addition to limited edition Three Floyds apparel, beers on tap will include Zombie Dust, Gumballhead, Blood of the Sunsets, Permanent Funeral, La Noche se Nueve, Wig Splitter, Red Death and Dark Lord 2016.
Green City Market Goes Indoors
A sure sign that winter is coming: Chicago’s foremost farmers’ market, Green City Market, is heading indoors for the season. After its summer run, the Lincoln Park mainstay is heading to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum through April, 2017. The first indoor market of the season takes place this weekend, Saturday, November 5, from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., with dozens of local vendors slinging everything from cheese and bread to fall produce and meat. The rest of the market dates for the indoor season are November 12, November 19, November 23, December 3, December 10, December 17, December 21, January 7, January 21, February 4, February 18, March 4, March 18, April 1, April 15 and April 29.
Steadfast Serves Up Lunch
There’s lots of lunch to be excited about these days downtown, starting with the beautiful new Steadfast restaurant that opened recently in the Loop’s Kimpton Gray Hotel. The glistening restaurant from The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group just debuted lunch service, making it a surefire hit for business meetings, power lunches and generally delicious midday meals. The menu runs the gamut from beef tartare with oyster mayo and gougeres with lemon caper goat cheese, to wood-roasted suckling pig and a New York strip steak. The sandwiches are also some of the most inventive we’ve seen in a while, including a roasted lamb tartine with carrot labneh and a vegetable muffaletta with grilled eggplant, squash, tomatoes, olive spread and herb focaccia.
Lunch and Brunch at Ironside Bar & Galley
Another new lunch option downtown is River North’s newly opened Ironside Bar & Galley. Not only is the bar and restaurant offering lunch, but they’ve added weekend brunch as well. The lunch menu, available Monday through Friday starting at 11:00 a.m., is the same as the dinner menu, with habit-forming items like lobster tater tots, deviled eggs, seafood bisque, crab quesadillas, duck tamales, inventive burgers, and plenty more. Brunch service, which runs from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on weekends, features the regular lunch and dinner menu, plus numerous a.m. originals. These include a crab cake Benedict served on biscuits, hangover hash with slow-braised brisket, a souffléd omelette, a chorizo-filled breakfast burrito, and Cap’N Crunch French toast, to name a few. The brunch beverage program consists of spiked coffee drinks, Bloody Marys with optional lobster tater tots garnish, and the Get Loose Juice, which combines New Amsterdam vodka with a rotating selection of freshly squeezed cold-press juices.
Wing Wednesdays at Honey Butter Fried Chicken
More reason to love Avondale’s chicken Mecca: every Wednesday is now officially Wing Wednesday at Honey Butter Fried Chicken. Each week, the promo entails 10 wings for $10, available 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Guests can select from Honey Butter’s buffalo wings or red chili wings, along with rotating monthly specials.
Cellar Series at Travelle Kitchen + Bar
Wine and spirits step into the spotlight as part of Travelle Kitchen + Bar’s new weekly Cellar Series, which runs every Thursday through December 15. In partnership with Chicago-based Tenzing wine and spirits company, the program provides customers with tastings of each week’s featured beverages, along with light bites from chef Ricardo Jarquin. The theme for next week is “Bordeaux VS California Cab, Old World vs New World,” followed by specials like “Stirred vs Shaken Cocktails” on November 17, “Wine Tasting 101” on December 1, and “Holiday Cocktail Class” on December 15. Each week, the Cellar Series takes place from 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. and costs $25 per person. Space is limited, so make a reservation by calling Travelle or visiting their website.
Election Day Pizza Promo
At long last, the end of the campaign season is upon us with the arrival of Election Day. And especially considering how grueling the past year has been in politics, we could all use a little comfort food to celebrate the finale. Robert’s Pizza Company has the perfect incentive. On November 8, the Streeterville restaurant will offer 20% off discounts to anyone who shows their “I Voted” wristband or receipt.
- Matt Kirouac