What to Eat This Week: Eat Chestnuts at Sola, Eat Dough at Bar Toma, Burn Your Mouth Off at Jake Melnick's, and Drink Beer at TWO
Dough Masters Dinner at Bar Toma
(Eat dough with this guy, Fabio Viviani)
Bar Toma's final Dough Masters dinner of the year takes place Monday, December 9, and they're bringing out the big guns with the help of chef Fabio Viviani of Top Chef fame and not-too-far-away Siena Tavern. The family-style dinner affair is the perfect holiday repast, featuring antipasti from Bar Toma and Siena Tavern, plus four of Viviani's pizzas, dessert, and espresso. And just because it's the holidays and we could all use a little extra comfort, the meal will be paired with Peroni. Dinner kicks off at 6:30 p.m. and costs $65 per person. Purchase your tickets here.
Beer Tasting and Passed Apps at TWO
Speaking of pairing things with beer, TWO ups the ante by hosting a free beer tasting with Goose Island Brewery on December 11. Held in honor of Goose Island's latest seasonal brews, the event features the likes of Bourbon County Stout, Lolita Belgian-style Wild Ale, Gillian Belgian-style Farmhouse Ale, and Bourbon County Coffee Stout, all served in conjunction with TWO's passed appetizers. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and is free to attend for those who RSVP. Do so by calling 312-634-8363.
Go Chestnut Crazy at Sola
The latest monthly prix fixe at Sola zeroes in on chestnuts, that most quintessential of holiday ingredients. Rather than just roast them over a fire and call it a day, the North Center restaurant shows the versatility of the cold-weather staple via a themed three-course menu. Available all month long, the menu opens with a warm parsnip soup with confit chestnuts, followed by Wagyu hanger steak with chestnut risotto, braised kohlrabi, Swiss chard, and port demi glace. For dessert, a chestnut fig pound cake with vanilla ice cream, vanilla-port syrup, and candied ginger. The menu costs $30 per person, plus $15 for optional wine pairings.
(Eat chestnuts here)
Crank up the Heat with XXX Wings
It's cold outside, so your best bet is to set your mouth on fire. Do so in a tasteful way at Jake Melnick's Corner Tap. The bustling River North restaurant is turning up the heat on its wings by infusing Trinidad Scorpion peppers into the wing sauce. In case you were wondering about that fierce-sounding name, Trinidad Scorpions are the world's hottest peppers, ranking 300 times hotter than a jalapeño. Obviously, those who order it are required to sign a waiver, lest they wind up like that portly villain in Dumb & Dumber. The wings are accompanied by a fire hat (naturally) and a few cooling agents, such as ice cream, bread, sour cream, and milk. Finish an entire order and be awareded a spot on Jake's Wall of Flame.