Weekly Planner: Cooking Classes, Happy Hour at Tack Room and New Brunches
Cooking Class at Commons Club
Class is always fun when you get to eat your work. And you don’t need to worry about detention. Commons Club is in the midst of a cooking class series titled “Cooked!”, with the next event taking place March 30. The series if designed for both kitchen newbies and culinary pros, inviting attendees into the Virgin Hotels Chicago’s kitchen to cook alongside chef Moosah. Each class includes a themed globally inspired lesson with cooking demonstration and three-course chef’s dinner, a sake shot and a cocktail of your choice, plus an apron and cooking diary to take home. The cost is $85 per person and reservations can be made by calling the restaurant. The next classes take place April 27 and May 25.
Happy Hour at Tack Room
The latest happy hour in town can be found in Pilsen’s historic Thalia Hall, where the saloon-themed Tack Room now features a weekly promo on Fridays from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. During this time, guests can sip on $8 cocktails like Mezcal Corpse Revivers and Mistral Pisco Sours, the latter made with chocolate and espresso pisco, plus allspice liqueur, lemon and egg whites. To further entice, Tack Room’s aptly dubbed “Happiest Hour” also features live Latin music by local bassist Jaime Garza.
The Moonlighter Launches Brunch
One of the newest brunch menus in town can now be savored at Logan Square newcomer The Moonlighter. Available every Saturday and Sunday starting at 11:00 a.m., brunch features inventive comfort fare by chef Mickey Neeley, whose menu boasts the likes of corn flake-crusted bananas Foster French toast with vanilla bean pudding and a country breakfast burger with fried beef patties (!), bacon, American cheese and sausage gravy. This being a bar after all, it’s no surprise that the brunch cocktail game is strong as well. Look for the Winter Shield, a low-ABV option made with Cynar, sherry, lemon and soda water; and the Carthay Boulevardier with High West Double Rye whiskey, Contratto aperitif, Bonal quinquina aperitif wine and Cocchi Torino vermouth.
New Brunch at Francesca’s on Chestnut
In other brunch news, Francesca’s on Chestnut has upped the ante on the weekend tradition with a new menu all its own. Just in time for the turn of the seasons, fresh menu additions include shrimp and grits with Italian polenta, South Carolina shrimp and tomatoes; arancini Benedict with prosciutto, poached egg and hollandaise; and rigatoni alla Paesana with roasted sausage, wild mushrooms, peas and a light tomato cream sauce.