Weekly Planner: Black Friday, Tea at Brindille, Formento's To-Go and More

Black Friday Dinner at Joy District

In spite of all the discounted shopping deals, Black Friday always puts a dent in people’s pockets. Which is why it’s important to seek out a bargain meal on the first official day of the holiday shopping season. Joy District is the perfect spot, featuring a “Dinner on Us” promo on Friday, November 24. An ideal, comforting way to soften the blow of the expensive season, the restaurant is offering diners a complimentary dinner equal to their beer, wine and liquor bill. Which is a pretty incredible deal, unless you drink like a fish. Reservations for the deal are required, and it’s available in the dining room only starting at 4:00 p.m. 

New Menu at The Dearborn

As more and more diners and shoppers descend on downtown Chicago for the holiday season, more and more area restaurants are filling up with cozy, wintry specials and new menu items to help fuel hours of shopping and sightseeing. One such place is The Dearborn, conveniently located in the Block 37 mall, across the street from the famed Christkindlmarket. The centrally located restaurant is a haven for downtown denizens this season, especially considering its brand new lineup of dishes from chef Aaron Cuschieri. This includes house-cured salmon belly with lentil pancakes, butternut squash agnolotti, short rib with corn polenta and chili-pork sausage and street corn with mashed potatoes and Parmesan creme. Additionally, The Dearborn is also offering whole house-baked pies for the season, available in flavors like pecan, apple, pumpkin and key lime through the end of the year. 

 

Joy District
Joy District

Architectural Tea at Brindille

One of the best ways to get into the merry spirit this time of year is with afternoon tea at Brindille. The River North restaurant puts a chic spin on the tradition, with periodic appearances from special guest attendees, exotic teas and sweet and savory bites by chef Carrie Nahabedian and pastry chef Craig Harzewski. The next version takes place November 30 from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. For this one, special guest Carol Ross Barney will put the city’s architecture in the spotlight, discussing the nearby Riverwalk and other famous Chicago projects while guests savor finger sandwiches, scones and crumpets. The cost is $65 per person and reservations can be made by emailing info@brindille-chicago.com. 

Formento’s To-Go 

As the holiday season heats up, the temperatures keep cooling, and the desire for takeout and delivery becomes that much more important for Chicagoans. It helps to have great options like Formento’s to bolster our cold-weather dining habits. The restaurant just rolled out a new to-go menu, available for pickup at adjoining sandwich shop, Nonna’s. Look forward to pastas, entrees and that famous chocolate cake, along with most of the rest of the regular dinner menu. Food is also available for delivery via GrubHub, Caviar and Postmates, in case you’re lucky enough to live within delivery radius. 

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