Three top picks for Chicago's Restaurant Week 2016

Chicago Restaurant week is here!  Over 350 restaurants will offer special dining deals from January 22 through February 4. This annual two-week culinary celebration offers prix fixe menus starting at $22 for lunch and $33 and/or $44 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax, and gratuity).

Check out our favorite participants below!

Bella Bacinos (75 E. Wacker Dr.)

Try Bella Bacinos (75 E. Wacker Dr., Chicago; 312-263-0070) for both lunch and dinner during 

restaurant week. For lunch, Bella Bacinos is offering a roasted red pepper soup, Tuscan minestrone, or insalata mista to start. Next, guests have a choice of three of their signature Pizza Cups Milano, which were featured at the 2015 world’s fair in Milan, Italy, and a dessert of tiramisu or a cannoli ($22). For dinner, the prix fixe menu includes two salad options, choice of veal scallopini, grilled salmon, or rigatoni Napoletana pasta, and dessert of tiramisu or flourless chocolate cake ($33/$44 with wine pairings).

http://www.choosechicago.com/listing/Bella-Bacino-s/53098/

Ixcateco Grill (3402 W. Montrose Ave.)

Don’t miss the authentic Southern Mexican cuisine at Ixcateco Grill (3402 W. Montrose St., Chicago; 773-539-5887) for dinner during restaurant week. To start, guests can choose between a Mixed Salad with mangoes, goat cheese, and cashews with an agave ginger dressing or Miniature Sopes topped with slow-roasted Poultry Carnitas. The entrée includes either Pollo en Red Mole or Lomo de Puerco, adobo marinated wood grilled pork loin with in a tomatillo orange sauce. Finally, guests will finish the evening with house-made Pecan Flan ($33).

http://www.choosechicago.com/listing/Ixcateco-Grill/55372/

Osteria La Madia (59 W. Grand Ave.)

Another Italian favorite, Osteria La Madia (59 W. Grand St., Chicago; 312-329-0400) is also offering

both lunch and dinner during restaurant week. Guests will begin with an Anti Pasto, choosing from items such as fire roasted crispy artichokes or cheesy tomato fondue. Then, there will be a choice of salad, such as the arugula salad with local apples in a walnut vinaigrette, or the Roasted Heirloom Beet Salad. The entrée includes several choices from La Madia’s Pizza and Pasta Menu, including the Tagliatelle all’Amatriciana or the triple pepperoni pizza with white truffle oil ($22 lunch, $33 for three course dinner, $44 for four course dinner).

http://www.choosechicago.com/listing/Osteria-La-Madia/50786/

It’s not too late to make your Chicago Restaurant Week reservations

Chicago's 8th Annual Restaurant Week, produced by Choose Chicago, began on Friday. It isn’t too late to get a great reservation at eatitupchicago.com.

New to the Chicago Restaurant Week lineup this year are Acanto, Bottlefork, Fig & Olive, Gibson's Bar and Steakhouse, LuxBar, Mariano's, Moto, Parrot Cage Restaurant, Porkchop (Hyde Park), RM Champagne Salon, The Duck Inn, to highlight a few. This year marks the first time foodies can experience CRW at O'Hare InternAirport. If you're traveling, be sure to stop by Wicker Park Sushi (Terminal 2), Stefani's Tuscany Café (Terminal 1) or Goose Island Brewery (Terminal 3). Five Mariano's locations, including Bucktown, Lakeshore East, Ravenswood, South Loop and West Loop will offer a variety of ‘Lunch for 2' options at these participating locations.

The 14-day promotion continues through Thursday, February 12 and is packed with delicious prix fixe menus starting at $22 for lunch and $33 and/or $44 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax and gratuity). Dynamic offerings from more than 250 restaurants throughout the Chicago area, including 33 new participating restaurants are now available online at eatitupchicago.com.

Have you tried Maxwell’s at the Club (500 N. Kingsbury, 312-527-5800)? This hidden gem is located inside the East Bank Club and offers live music nightly in its bar on Tuesdays through Fridays. Here’s your chance to experience it and enjoy their Chicago Restaurant Week deal. 

Maxwell’s $22 lunch special features:

Starters

(choose one)

Shrimp Cocktail

tender shrimp, two house-made sauces

Brussels Sprouts Salad

toasted walnuts, shaved Parmesan, lemon, olive oil

Roasted Beets, Beets and Beets

fresh red, gold and striped beeds with red onion and balsamic glaze

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

butternut squash, onion, carrots, red bell pepper, corn, zucchini, kale; vegetarian

Entrées
(choose one)

Kale, Farro and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
dried cranberries, toasted walnuts; walnut-oil vinaigrette;
choice of roasted chicken breast or roasted salmon

Salmon
plank-roasted; brown rice; lemon-butter sauce on the side
Taco Sampler
one tender pulled pork and one griddled seafood and shrimp; lime-cilantro slaw, queso fresco, house-made salsa; corn tortillas 

Desserts

(choose one)

Seasonal Fresh Berries

marscapone-sabayon sauce with orange zest, orange liqueur, brandy

Tres Leches Cake

sponge cake laced with three types of milk: evaporated, condensed and cream

Sorbet, Gelato or Ice Cream

Chocolate Mousse Cup

Maxwell's $33 prix fixe dinner offers:

Starters

(choose one)

Shrimp Cocktail
tender shrimp, two house-made sauces
Bacon-Wrapped Roasted Dates
stuffed with goat cheese and almonds
Whipped Feta Cheese
Kalamata olives and lavosh
Baby Red Romaine
tarragon-buttermilk dressing

Entrées
(choose one)

Salmon
plank-roasted; brown rice; lemon-butter sauce on the side
Baby Back Ribs
American Family Farm ribs; fresh-cut fries
Roasted Amish Chicken
chicken breast, garlic-rosemary seasoned; roasted potatoes and vegetables
Broiled Lake Superior Whitefish
a favorite, served boneless; house-made tartar sauce on the side

Dessert
(choose one)

Coconut Snowball
a house specialty; vanilla ice cream rolled in toasted coconut, served with homemade hot fudge
Chocolate Soufflé Cake
crème anglaise, raspberry sauce
Seasonal Fresh Berries
marscarpone-sabayon sauce with orange zest, orange liqueur, brandy
Tres Leches Cake
sponge cake laced with three types of milk: evaporated, condensed and cream
Sorbet, Gelato or Ice Cream

For a complete list of participating restaurants and to find listings via neighborhood, visit www.eatitupchicago.com. Be sure to make reservations early, and check back often as restaurants and menus will be added daily.

Stay up to date with menus and new restaurant additions to the Chicago Restaurant Week lineup: follow @ChooseChicago on Twitter and Instagram, LIKE us on Facebook, and get social using  #CRW.

Chicago Restaurant Week is sponsored by 101.9FM The Mix, Goose Island Beer Co., Michigan Avenue Magazine, NBC 5 Chicago, Opentable, Serious Eats, Terlato Wines International

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FirstBites Bash Feb. 2 gives taste of upcoming Chicago Restaurant Week

 
United Airlines presents First Bites Bash, the official kick-off event for Chicago Restaurant Week, produced by the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau. Inside the magnificent Great Hall of Chicago Union Station, enjoy savory and sweet tastings from over 50 of Chicago's best chefs and restaurants.

Chicago restaurateur and Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard will host this event, from which 100% of net proceeds will benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Create your own food pairings with Moet Hennessy wines, Belvedere cocktails and Blue Moon craft beers. And the Groupon Dessert Lounge is sure to satisfy that sweet tooth!

Tickets for FirstBites on February 2 are $125 per person or $1250 for a table of 10.

Chicago Restaurant Week runs for ten glorious days in February when restaurants you’ve been dying to try offer delicious deals. This year’s 5th annual event will take place from February 17-26. To purchase tickets go to FirstBitesBash2012.com.

FirstBites confirmed participating restaurants include:

Dine Announces its Menu for the 3rd Annual Chicago Restaurant Week

More than 130 eateries throughout Chicago have prepared special menus for the 3rd Annual Chicago Restaurant Week, a food lover extravaganza Feb. 19-28. Indulge in gourmet three-course, prix fixe meals, just $22 for lunch and $32 for dinner.

West Loop favorite Dine (733 W. Madison St., Chicago; 312-602-2100) showcases a special menu, beginning with Baby Arugula with Blue Cheese Salad, with roasted pears, candied walnuts and sherry vinaigrette. Entree choices include Baked Tortellini and Cajun Shrimp, with spinach, Kalamata olives and bechamel sauce, or Farmhouse Chicken in Vinegar Sauce, with crispy pancetta and roasted fingerling potatoes. Enjoy Warm Chocolate Pudding with fresh ginger ice cream for dessert.

The menu is offered for lunch ($22) and dinner ($32). Prices are per person and do not include beverage, tax or gratuity.

To make a reservation, call (312) 602-2100 or visit http://www.dinerestaurant.com/. Follow Dine on Twitter for updates: @Dinerestaurant.

Dine Participating in 2nd Annual Chicago Restaurant Week

Attention Chicago foodies, the 2nd Annual Chicago Restaurant Week starts tomorrow. From Feb. 20-27, more than 130 eateries around the city will offer special deals for lunch or dinner, or both! Kurman's very own Dine (733 W. Madison St.; 312-602-2100) is offering a special prix fixe dinner for just $32 per person. From 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., customers can indulge on the three-course menu including Not So Much of a Wedge salad with baby iceberg lettuce, green onions, grape tomato, peppered bacon and St. Pete bleu cheese dressing, or the Spice Rubbed Prime Tenderloin with golden beet vinaigrette and a Brussels sprouts-horseradish salad.

For the main course, choose from the Garlic Rubbed 16 oz. Bone-In Ribeye with creamed spinach, jumbo asparagus and natural jus, or the Slow Dried Rummo Pasta with chili flakes, pan-roasted grape tomatoes, shallots and baby arugula. For the final course, enjoy desserts like the Ricotta Cheesecake with Bing cherry-Zinfandel gelato and sauce, the Seasonal Creme Brulee with a crisp sugar crust or the daily selection of Ice Cream or Sorbet.

Dine is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Breakfast is served from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Lunch and dinner are served from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Martini Bar and Lounge is open until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until midnight Friday and Saturday. Dining is available at the bar. Valet parking is complimentary. For more information or to make reservations, please contact Dine at (312) 602-2100 or visit www.dinerestaurant.com/.

For a complete list of restaurants participating in the 2nd Annual Chicago Restaurant Week, please press here.