Weekly Planner: Crêpes Dinner, More New Brunch, Rosé Day and More
Crêpes Dinner at Floriole Cafe & Bakery
One of the most unique Sunday supper series in the city keeps going strong on June 11, as Floriole Cafe & Bakery rolls out its next crêpes-focused dinner. Giving guests a taste of France, the second installment in the dinner series focuses on late-spring ingredients and dishes inspired by the owners’ travels, all paired with European-style cidre. This week’s three-course menu starts with a raw asparagus and fava bean salad, followed by an entree course of buckwheat crêpes stuffed with smoked gouda and spinach, topped with a farm egg and crispy lardons. For dessert, it’s a sweet crêpe with housemade roasted strawberry-rhubarb jam and buttermilk sherbet. Tickets for the dinner, which starts at 6:30 p.m., are $30 per person. Call Floriole to reserve your spot today.
Brunch at Ēma
Another week, another new brunch menu, as Ēma becomes the latest restaurant in Chicago to add brunch to its repertoire. And this one may be one of the coolest brunches yet. Now served on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., chef CJ Jacobson’s brunch offerings draw inspiration from across the Mediterranean. The result is a wholesome, fresh and flavorful menu that’s as delicious as it is vibrant. Try the lamb ragu and baked egg with harissa and grilled bread; or the kefta and eggs with housemade yogurt. For something on the sweeter side, there’s yogurt with granola, dates, berries and pomegranate molasses.
Brunch at The Blanchard
While one new brunch menu pays homage to the Mediterranean, another one focuses on France. Lincoln Park’s The Blanchard is another restaurant adding brunch to the weekend equation, now available Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The handiwork of executive chef Ryan Burns, the brasserie-inspired menu features an assortment of sweet and savory brunch dishes, all rooted in French classics. This includes steak frites, croque madame, citrus zest crêpes, Japanese pork belly Benedicts and more. The cocktails are pretty unique in and of themselves. Created by acclaimed barman Michael Simon, the drink list is inspired by the movie Cocktail, featuring the likes of Singapore Slings, Hurricanes and Alabama Slammers.
National Rosé Day at RM Champagne Salon
With June 10 being National Rosé Day, it’s an apt time to pay a visit to one of Chicago’s quintessential wine bars, RM Champagne Salon. To celebrate the occasion in style, the Parisian-inspired parlor is offering up a special one-day-only rosé wine flight with offerings from Provence, Sonoma and Italy, all focused on organic and biodynamic practices. Each flight consists of three 2-oz. pours for $11 total, and to sweeten the deal, $1 from every flight will go right to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. RM will also be pouring AIX Rosé by the glass for $11, with a portion of the proceeds going to the foundation as well.
Summer Fridays at Arbella
With summer nearly upon us, bars and restaurants are tapping into those leisurely warm-weather vibes with early Friday hours and extended happy hours. This is precisely the case at Arbella, which just introduced its “Summer Fridays” programming for the season. This means the bar opens early on Fridays at 3:00 p.m., with happy hour extended through 7:00 p.m. During this time, select cocktails go for $9, including the Punch in the Dickens (pictured), made with rum, oolong arakku, demerara and lime; and the Chilcano featuring cucumber-infused pisco, lime and ginger beer poured over a green cube of cucumber and kiwi ice.