Weekly Planner: Bastille Day Edition
Roots Handmade Pizza Rolls Out Happy Hour
Comfort food is the bill of fare at Roots Handmade Pizza’s new happy hour, available at both its West Town and Lincoln Square locations. Because the only way pizza can get any more delicious is if it’s bargain pizza. Great for after-work snacking and drinking, or leisurely neighborhood noshing, happy hour now runs Monday through Friday from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. While many happy hours focus on drinks, Roots keeps food in the spotlight with half-pried appetizers like mozzarella sticks, fried ravioli and loaded hummus. Of course, there’s also half-priced specialty pizzas as well. To drink, there’s half-priced Ketel One drinks in West Town or Svedka drinks in Lincoln Square, while both outposts have $5 Greenbush drafts.
Bastille Day at Cochon Volant Brasserie
With one Independence Day down, there’s still one more big one to go this month, as France prepares to celebrate Bastille Day on July 14. In Chicago, you can partake in the festivities with a visit to one of the city’s finest French establishments, like Cochon Volant Brasserie in the Loop. The restaurant is featuring a variety of specials for the holiday, including $10 glasses of select French sparkling wines, $5 Chartreuse shots, $1 oysters and $15 steak tartare. Specials are available all day long while supplies last.
Bastille Day at Chez Moi
If a prix fixe menu is more your style, head to Chez Moi in Lincoln Park on July 14. The classic French bistro is going all out for the occasion with a three-course prix fixe dinner menu adjoined by classic Pastis Champagne cocktails. There will also be a la carte specials and Veuve Clicquot will be in attendance, hosting raffles throughout the day for gift bags and magnum-sized bottles of Champagne. The prix fixe starts with appetizer options like gazpacho, salmon tartare and asparagus salad, followed by entrees like coq au vin, bouillabaisse and grilled rib-eye with bearnaise and fries. For dessert, choose between a mille-feuille with raspberries or a parfait. The cost for the tasting is $39 per person, with a $5 up charge for the rib-eye. Veuve will be on hand, available at $20 per glass or $100 per bottle.
Cochon Rosé Patio Pig Roast at Mon Ami Gabi
In other French news, Lincoln Park’s venerable Mon Ami Gabi is hosting a special summer shindig of its own on Saturday, July 15, with rosé and roast pig in tow. Taking place from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., the special Bastille Day-inspired festivity marks the restaurant’s first annual “Cochon Rosé,” wherein Mon Ami Gabi partners with Moet Hennessy for an afternoon of French BBQ, pink bubbly and more. The pig roast will take place on the restaurant’s patio, accompanied by sides and summer drinks. All-inclusive tickets for the party are $68, and they can be purchased by calling the restaurant.
Wine Dinner at RPM Italian
It may not be French (or Bastille Day), but there’s still plenty of reason to be excited for RPM Italian’s next wine dinner, set for Tuesday, July 18. For the event the restaurant has partnered with old and vinegar producer San Giacomo for a five-course spree of wine-paired dishes. Drawing inspiration from the seasons, dishes to be served include a porcini and bresaola salad with heirloom spinach, porchetta with fresh corn polenta and more. The menu costs $85 per person, and dinner takes place at 7:00 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, visit RPM Italian’s website.