Weekly Planner: Topolobampo's Winter Menu, Rhine Hall's Extended Hours, DMK Pretzel Buns and More

Winter Beach Vacation Across Mexico at Topolobampo

Hot on the heels of last year’s coveted Best Restaurant win at the James Beard Awards, Topolobampo is keeping things fresh with a new seasonal tasting menu, dubbed “Winter Beach Vacation.” The perfect transportive experience for Chicago’s coldest months, the menu takes guests across Mexico, through several courses inspired by seven destination beaches selected by Rick Bayless. Regions include Sinaloa, Baja California Norte, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Yucatan, Chiapas and Tabasco, which lend themselves to vivid, beachy dishes like Yucatan octopus pibil and Oaxacan seared scallops with yellow mole and uni. 

Howells & Hood’s 5th Anniversary  

Hard to believe it’s already been five years since Howells & Hood blessed Michigan Avenue with its presence – and it’s countless beer taps. In celebration of its upcoming anniversary, the massive restaurant is celebrating in style March 1 with a beer bash. Starting at 4:00 p.m., the restaurant will tap various of five varieties of Goose Island’s Bourbon County beers, including Bourbon County Stout, Bourbon County Barleywine and Bourbon County Coffee Stout. Altogether, there will be 13 rare beers to sample, while attendees enjoy the photo booth and video DJ. 

 

Rhine Hall’s Extended Hours

Now you don’t need to wait quite as late in the week to make your way to Rhine Hall, thanks to the distillery’s new Wednesday hours. Beloved for its fruit brandies (including a brand new banana version), Rhine Hall’s tasting room and bar is now open a day earlier, from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. And they’ve got some Wednesday-exclusive specials to help lure you, too, including $20 cheese boards with a flight of four spirits, $5 distillery tours (free for industry members) and $5 apple brandy old fashioneds from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. 

Pretzel Buns at DMK Burger Bar

Big burger news: DMK Burger Bar, one of the city’s most revered destinations for cheffy burger creations, has added pretzel buns to its repertoire. After years spent exclusively using fluffy potato buns, now guests have a more decadent option to choose from. Specifically selected to compliment DMK’s grass-fed beef patties, with a lightly salted crust, mild sweetness and rich texture in perfect harmony with the fragrant, earthy meat. The bun is available at the original Lakeview location, along with outposts on Navy Pier and in Oak Brook and Lombard.