Monday, May 17, 2010

STAGE BITES: The Weekly Dining & Drinking Guide

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"My Brother's Keeper" is at Black Ensemble Theater through May 29. (Photo: Daniel Nicholas)


Every Monday look for the week's top performances paired with the best deals before and after the show:

My Brother's Keeper: The Story of the Nicholas Brothers at Black Ensemble Theater. Legendary tap dance siblings Fayard and Harold Nicholas are spotlighted in this energetic production that includes dance, singing and live music. Props especially go to Michael Bartlett as Michael Jackson and Kylah Williams performing as Dorothy Dandridge. 8pm Saturdays, 3pm Sundays through May 29. Get tickets here.

Anna Maria Pasteria: Old World pastas and Italian entrees at reasonable prices are the draw at this long-time neighborhood eatery. The spaghetti paired with Anna's homemade meatballs and classic lasagna with bolognese sauce are to die for.

Fontana Grill & Wine Bar: Hit up the cozy neighborhood delight on Sundays for buy-one-get-one-free, stone-fired pizzas. Choose from selections such as Margherita, Portobello & Italian sausage, and vegetarian with roasted red peppers, eggplant, zucchini and baby spinach.

Mixteco Grill: This Mexican BYOB is yet another favorite for affordable, flavorful dishes, but its brunch menu is truly something special. Head here with a bottle of bubbly and match it up with hearty portions of egg-licious dishes like Huevos Con Chorizo, Huevos Rancheros and Huevos A La Mexicana (Mexican-style scrambled eggs with tomatoes, Serrano peppers, onions, cilantro and avocado served with black beans). Brunch is 10:30am-2:30pm Saturday, Sunday.

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Dining room at Anna Maria Pasteria. (Photo: Anna Maria Pasteria)


Oh Boy! at City Lit Theater. This is the first Chicago performance in 92 years of the landmark musical comedy. Protagonist George Budd is hiding his bride from the disapproving aunt who controls his finances, while at the same time concealing from his bride the single woman who has innocently appeared in his bedroom. 8pm Thursdays-Saturdays; 3pm Sundays (May 21-June 27). Get tickets here.

Broadway Cellars: A number of specials are happening at the cozy area wine cafe: Rioja Restaurant Week continues through May 27 with Spanish entrees and Rioja wine flights; every Thursday diners can order a three-course, prix-fixe dinner for $23 (an extra $7 for three-ounce wine pairings); and weekend brunch comes with bottomless Bloody Marys and Mimosas (10:30am-3pm).

The Little India Restaurant: The space is tiny, but the menu is quite huge, so the easiest way to narrow it down is to go for one of their combo dinners: vegetarian (pastries, vegetarian curry, naan), chicken tikka (chicken tikka, chicken makhani, biryani, naan) and Mughlai (Cauliflower and potatoes, chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, rice, naan).

Moody's Pub: Not only can you get one of the city's best burgers here, but if you print out a coupon from their website, you can get two sandwiches for the price of one (also dinner!). The signature Moodyburger has the perfect amount of grease and comes with solid hand-cut fries for $8.

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The award-winning cheeseburger and hand-cut fries at Moody's Pub.


Crash Test Dummies at Martyrs. The folksy Canadian band, which had its heyday in the 1990s, is on a nationwide tour for "Oooh La La," which was just released last week. Noted singer/songwriter Rob Morsberger opens. 9pm Saturday. Get tickets here.

Brownstone Tavern & Grill: The food's pretty decent at Martyrs, but if you're looking to explore the area, there are so many options, including this friendly sports bar down the street. Saturday's special is the $6 BBQ pulled pork sandwich with fries. They also do $15 pitchers of Sam Adams.

Cafe 28: Hands down, one of the best Cuban restos in the city, especially for heaving portions of Ropa Vieja (steak, rice, plantains), Cuban roast pork and the pan-seared blackened duck breast served with a pasilla Portobello sauce.

Sola: You won't find typical Polynesian fare on the menu, but you will find influences in the hoisin-mustard-panko crusted tuna, scallops paired with celery root–coconut fritters, and salmon in a truffle-Teriyaki sauce. Don't miss out on the truffle Parmesan fries.

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