Where Should They Go This Weekend?!

By now everyone knows that the Jersey Shore crew is invading the 312 this weekend.

All going down Friday, Nicole "Snookie" Polizzi is set to host Manor; Mike "The Situation" and Pauly D will be fist pumping their way through Lumen; and hopefully J-WOWW won't throw a fist when she makes an appearance at after-hours hot spot, RiNo.

And because these hardcore East Coasters are not familiar with our neck of the woods, it's only proper to be a good host and point out some restos they might enjoy during their stay:

Pickle enthusiast Snookie would certainly feel at home at Steve's Deli because she can go absolutely crazy. They wouldn't even look at her like she's nuts if she bypassed their amazing Reubens for a handful of extra-large dill pickles.

Or if she's feeling adventurous, she can head up to Risqué Café in Wrigleyville for fried pickles. It's a little harder for her to "suck the juices out," but we're sure she'll be satisfied nevertheless.


The old-school meat lasagna at Jay's on Taylor should satisfy "The Situation." (Photo: Jay's on Taylor)


J-WOWW claims she only eats 500 calories a day—which is absolutely crazy by the way—so we'll send her off to Berry Chill so she can load up on froyo. With no toppings, she can get a small cup of Strawberry-Banana (110 calories), Maqui-Blueberry (120 calories) or Original (100 calories).

The boys will be looking for a little more sustenance, but one place they should avoid is Rockit Bar & Grill because owner Billy Dec has already made it clear that he's not that into them.

That's aight. We feel like they'll be more comfortable at Jay's on Taylor and La Scarola, especially Jay's for its back dining room where they can order heaving plates of chicken Vesuvio and meat lasagna. Plus, La Scarola serves up the best veal parmesan in the city.

One more thing: For the rest of the week, my name is A-WOWW.

Brunch Predictions for New Year?! Bring It On!

Local food writer Carly Fisher of Chicago Brunch Blog makes some predictions on what to expect in early-morning meals in 2010:

"Small Plates: We’ve all been there. Forced to make a decision among 20 awesome brunch choices only to settle with a stack of double chocolate raspberry pancakes with liquified candy bar syrup that has as much appeal half way through as filing taxes. Roof at theWit is already serving smaller plates to encourage sharing and having a well-balanced breakfast."

Also. Fisher's Top 5 List of Brunch Spots Hot Right NOW:

Bakin' and Eggs: "Great food, attentive service and minimal wait time at a brunch-specific restaurant. Never thought I'd see it happen.
Considering the popularity of this spot, we were seated within 10
minutes and received our food in a timely manner. Had a fantastic
frittata here—and it was actually as advertised, not an omelet-dubbed frittata. Excellent tea from Rare Tea Cellar and Intelligensia coffee, plus Lovely pastries."

Birchwood Kitchen: "Consistently awesome food and service, including really interesting and well-prepared brunch specials. The Croque Madame makes me weep."

Hot Chocolate: "I hate, hate, hate waiting for a spot for brunch, but I just can't resist the Mexican Hot Chocolate, baked eggs and breakfast sandwich here. Call me selfish, but I also hate children and this is
more of an 'adult' brunch with dark walls and minimal stroller interaction, so that's an added bonus."

Nana: "A brunch spot that makes me leave my neighborhood to go to the other side of the planet in Bridgeport with a raging hangover and not
regret it. Beautiful restaurant, great service and perfectly crispy
potatoes. Love the twist on classic eggs 'Benny' with the Nanadict."

Publican: "The food at Publican is sort of a given, but the best part about brunch here is that you get the best elements of the restaurant
at a much lower price-point, which is great for broke-ass bitches like
myself. Get the scrapple and the red-wine poached eggs."

Experts Weigh in on What to Expect in 2010

Arturo Gomez of Rockit Ranch Productions (Photo: Arturo Gomez)


What big trends should you expect in the New Year?!

NBCChicago.com spoke to a number of local experts, including Arturo Gomez of Rockit Ranch Productions (Rockit Bar & Grill, Sunda, Underground) and yours truly, on what to look forward to in dining, nightlife, music and more.

Says Gomez:

"This year, guests will be cautiously optimistic. The effect of the economy will have people searching for value-added experiences, but operators will see continually increasing guest counts.

"As far as hospitality trends themselves, microbrews and small batch beers continue their popularity and whiskies and gins will be everywhere, with vodka falling behind from its pre-eminent position in the cocktail category.

"Asian and Latin cuisine are where people want to eat now, and that's only going to be expanded upon. Casual, relaxed dining where you aren't emptying your wallet for a night out is not only the way of 2010, but will likely be the preferred dining trend that's here to stay."

Lady Goes Gaga Over 'Goddess'

Pop icon Lady Gaga apparently ate well during her weekend stint in Chicago.

First, it was reported here exclusively that she was spotted chowing down on a burger at Kuma's Corner.

Now we just found out that Debbie Sharpe—celebrity caterer who's served for the likes of the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and U2 backstage—served the star and her staff during the Rosemont Theatre concerts.

She gleefully proclaimed in a series of tweets that her cafe/store Goddess and Grocer satisfied all:

"Does anybody know where to buy 5-factor bars in Chicago? Am catering Lady Gaga and they're on the rider."

"Everybody at gaga is gaga over our catering."

"Another #1 hit from goddess & grocer catering for lady gaga show."

"They're going GaGa for our red velvet cupcakes."

"Oprah's crew digging their dinner at GaGa show."

"Microwaving lavender filled teddy and now it's to bed. Loved catering for Lady Gaga and crew but totally exhausted."

Soooo hawt.

Stage Bites: The Weekly Dining & Drinking Guide

pH Productions' musical sketch show "It's Only Rock & Roll, But I Like It" is part of the "Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival" at the Theatre Building. The show goes down 7pm Saturday. (Photo: pH Productions)


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


The Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival at Theatre Building. You'll laugh your ass off during this annual festival featuring more than 130 shows with 100 local and national sketch comedy troupes. Whether you're looking for something sexy, topical, outrageous or just plain weird, you're certain to find it here during its eight-day romp. Through Jan. 17. Get tickets here.

Cooper's: Located directly across the street from the theater, plus Thursdays are half-price pizza night!

Matsu Yama: One of the area's best sushi spots still doesn't charge a corkage fee for BYOB, plus dinner for two is less than $35. Favorites: Godzilla and Jack Chen's White Dragon Roll.

Sapore di Napoli: It's not only BYOB (also no corkage fee!), but the authentic Neapolitan pizzas are definitely on point. Highly recommended are the traditional Margherita and Quattro Stagioni (tomato sauce, mozzarella, artichokes, Kalamata olives, mushrooms, prosciutto).


Vintage 51 at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN. (Photo: Horseshoe Casino)


Killer Joe at Profiles Theater. Greed, family values and high society clash in this thriller dealing with a Texas clan whose murder plot spirals out of control. Sounds like a regular episode of "All My Children" to me. Through Feb. 28 (8pm Thursday, Friday; 5pm, 8pm Saturday; 7pm Sunday). Get tickets here.

Cafe Too: The well-meaning BYOB offers contemporary American dishes on a seasonal, rotating menu. Also known for one of the best deals in the area: three courses for $18 or five for $24—if you're really hungry.

Holiday Club: You're certain to be worked up after the performance, so blow off steam here with specials on sweet tea vodka and beer on Fridays; shots of tequila and more beer on Saturdays as deejays spin 1990s hits. Most menu items are under $10.

Nick's Uptown: The rowdy after-hours bar features live blues, soul or R&B every Friday and Saturday. Sadly, no drink specials.


Steve Harvey at The Venue at Horseshoe Casino. Count yourself among the lucky ones if you snagged tix to the sold-out show by one of the Original Kings of Comedy. The stand-up comedian, actor and syndicated radio host is certain to give the audience some tips based off his number-one best seller, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. 7:30pm Saturday.

Village Square Buffet: Every Friday and Saturday, they're doing a Seafood Feast for $32.99. You'll delight in the crab legs, chilled shrimp, seafood stews, smoked seafood, shrimp scampi and more.

Vintage 51: Offering a vibe found more often in River North, this cool wine bar offers a nice selection of vino, microbrews and signature, hand-crafted cocktails. Just remember, they still smoke in Indiana.

Lady Gaga Makes Low-Key Appearance at Kuma's

Lady Gaga in blond wig, black leather coat and sunglasses at Kuma's bar. (Photo: JenerationX)


You'd expect the queen of the "shock 'em scene" in wild and crazy gear 24/7, but she was pretty low key when she made a stop at heavy-metal burger joint Kuma's Corner before her Saturday show at the Rosemont Theatre.

The manager said she wore a leather coat, black sunglasses and her signature flowing platinum locks. No crazy hat, no crazy undergarments. Shocking, huh?!

More important, she ordered beer and the signature Judas Priest Burger, a flamboyant sandwich suiting her personality and topped with bacon, bleu cheese dressing, apples, walnuts and dried cranberries.

The crowd at Kuma's, known for their low-key and non-fazed attitudes, of course didn't bother her.

Hmmmmm, I wonder if Kuma's would consider adding a Gaga Burger to the menu. Now that would be something!

Golden Local Debate: Rebar vs. Roof?!

Roof (Photo: Meredith Gregory)


Which hot spot hotel hang rocks the most?!

That's the question NBCChicago.com's posing on its first poll of the decade for Golden Local: Rebar vs. Roof.

Trump's glamorous Rebar is over the top, sexy and offers one of the best views in the city, overlooking the Chicago River as well as fireworks at Navy Pier.

And Roof, sprawling high above on the top level of theWit, is equally captivating with panoramic views of the Loop's architectural masterpieces.


Rebar(Photo: Steve Becker)


Of course, there's so much more: the cocktails, the cuties and the cuisine, which both bars have managed to get right in their short existence.

Which one is your favorite?! Cast your vote here.

Right now they're pretty much even in the poll . . .

Protect Your Pockets with Dining Deals to Thrill . . .

You're going to have to wait until next month for the third-annual Chicago Restaurant Week, where you'll get three-course meal deals on more than 150 eateries in town.

But what are you going to do in the meantime as you recover from all that spending you did over the holidays?!

A number of restaurants around town feel your pain, so before you head out, make sure you check this guide:

THURSDAY

There's a daily $15 Tiffin lunch menu at Wave, at the W Lakeshore hotel. Executive Chef Kristine Subido has created an exotic, three-course treat of dishes that are also healthy. There's a chopped salad of Romaine, tomato, cucumber, crispy pita and Kalamata olives; Wisconsin Fontina croquettes in a smoked tomato sauce; and grilled chicken tikka paired with smoked paprika-glazed vegetables.

If you're looking for something to do right after work, head to River North's Elate, in the new Felix Hotel, for happy hour deals that won't set you back. During the week 4-7pm, if you buy a cocktail in the bar, items are $3. We recommend the Elate Burger with creamed leeks and Applewood bacon, chicken sandwich or BBQ pizza.

Province gets props for a value-oriented offering that's $25 for lunch and $35 for dinner. Plus, if you get there right after work (5-6:30pm), you can snap up free appetizers at the bar. There's also a signature cocktail for $6.

Soup's on over at Southport Grocery & Café, which is offering its soup-and-salad special for $7. Get a half bowl of soup paired with half a salad, or upgrade to the poached shrimp salad for an additional $2. That's available through Friday.

Since the weather's so crappy, you should take a late lunch, go "home" early and head to Pizzeria Via Stato instead. From 2:30 to 4:30pm, they're doing half-price tavern pizzas. We cannot get enough of their crispy thin crusts, which feature yummy toppings like housemade sausage, hand-pulled mozzarella, and seasonal vegetable toppings such as raddicchio, organic fingerling potatoes and roasted fennel.


Province's slow-cooked Alaskan halibut with artichokes, green garlic and preserved lemon. (Photo: Laurie Proffitt Photography)


FRIDAY

Instead of hitting up the usual fast-food joint, head to Custom House for their new $5 burger during lunchtime. It's topped with caramelized onions, house-cured bacon and a house-made steak sauce on a poppy seed and fennel bun. Add a side of hand-cut fries for $3.

Right now you probably shouldn't be anywhere near the 900 Shops, but we'll cut you some slack if you're going to Frankie's. Their daily special is $5 glasses of wine and Prosecco, which were all handpicked by Master Sommelier Alpana Singh.

At Nacional 27, you can actually indulge in a three-course dinner paired with a glass of sparkling sangria for only $20.10. Through the end of March, you can take advantage of the offering, which comes with a choice of signature dishes, including smoked chicken empanadas, marinated grilled skirt steak, vegetable paella, farm-raised chicken mole verde and Gunthorp Farms suckling pig.

SATURDAY

Now this is a book club we can get down with! Hopleaf hosts Drinking & Writing Volume III, where participants will discuss famous drinking writers as they drink and write. Event includes guest speakers and appetizers. 4pm. $15.

Hold on to those Blackhawks and Bulls ticket stubs, because Viaggio Ristorante & Lounge will give you 25 percent off your meal (tax, tip and beverages not included).

SUNDAY

Sushi Samba's lively SAMBABRUNCH includes three cocktails (choose from caipirinhas, Bloody Marys, Mimosas or fresh-fruit Mocktails), plus exotic brunch dishes like Asian pear pancakes, a South American frittata, Kobe sliders and Doce de Leite French Toast. 11am-3pm. $16 for adults; $8 for children.

MONDAY

And cozy neighborhood hang May Street Market offers a budget-friendly feast Monday through Wednesday. You'll get three courses for $25; changes seasonally.