Daddy Day for Obama

Where did presidential hopeful and our very own rock star Senator Barack Obama chow down on Father's Day after he gave an uplifting speech at a South Side church?!

An Ultimate Insider tells 312 Dining Diva that Obama and family opted for Asian in the form of Roy's in River North.

That Obama. Always on the cutting edge. Brunch service at Roy's is brand new, and for more on the Hawaiian-inflected menu, check out this review from Gaper's Block. Chef/partner Kevin Dusinki highly recommends the Loco Moco, a traditionally Hawaiian breakfast item with a "tower of beef, fried rice, and eggs with a penthouse suite of crispy frisee of sweet potatoes." Oh, and don't forget the "bottomless" Mimosas!

Over 30 singles scenes

People are always asking me about where they should go when they're single and over 30.

Chicago Citysearch answers the question with the results of its latest poll, which includes such local faves as English, SushiSamba Rio and, of course, Tavern on Rush.

For the love of Rosé, Roots and more . . .

Oh, what a fabulous day you'll have if you attend one of these events:

Bistro 110's mega-popular Sommelier for a Day returns, this time paying homage to the rosé. Ahhh, that's right, they're sampling more than 20 wines for guests to pick the very best for the restaurant to add to its summer wine list. Event also includes appetizers created by executive chef Dominique Tougne. 6-8pm. $35 for Levy Preferred members; $45 for everyone else.

Wine lovers can also take A Tour de France Through Wine at
Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park. You'll get to sip a variety of more than 25 French wines with appetizers in the outdoor cafe. 6-8pm. $25.

Crust offers one of the most welcoming, coziest patios in the city, and guests can enjoy their specialty organic flatbread pizzas, salads and sandwiches out there. Every Monday, diners pay half price on bottles and glasses of wine.

Tonight is the debut of Havana Club at Juicy Wine Co., with budget-friendly cocktails and cuisine. For only $5 each, guests get mojitos and Cubano sandwiches (made with roasted pork, pickles and gooey cheese trapped in a roll and pressed thin). DJ Madrid spins Cuban-influenced music to set the mood. 7pm-2am Mondays. Free admission.

And the Boom Boom Room—the city's longest-running nightlife event—gets in a New York state of mind by hosting one of the Big Apple's hottest parties. The Roots, which happens every week at Cielo NYC, invades Green Dolphin Street with famed mixmasters Louie Vega and Kevin Hedge. This is the first time this exciting event has ever traveled, so make it a point to be there. 9pm-4am. Comp admission before 10pm. Get on the list at rsvp@boomboomroomchicago.com.

'Show us your tots!' . . .

Newport Bar & Grill bartenders Emily Wells (from left) and Brian Trombley accept the Golden Tot trophy from Tater Tot Trot founders Amy Murray and Sheri Piecuch. (Photo: Derrek Hull)


. . . was the tagline used to hook in four of the Southport Cooridor's watering holes for one of the quirkiest pub crawls ever.

Tater tot enthusiasts—or better yet Ambassataters—Amy Murray and Sheri Piecuch created the Tater Tot Trot in 2007 to celebrate a friend's birthday. In one evening they went from bar to bar in search of the best tater tots in town.

For the 2008 event, held on Saturday, they stepped it up a notch by creating a ballot, awarding the Golden Tot trophy to the winning bar and attracting more than 60 people—two of who came from as far as South Carolina and Kentucky just to join in on the festivities.

The theme was Rock the Tot, in honor of the election season, and participants judged tater tots on such criteria as presentation (variety of dipping sauces, quantity), taste (crispiness, texture, flavor, freshness) and bar/staff ("tot friendly," service, atmosphere). The featured pubs along the crawl were Newport Bar & Grill, Southport Lanes & Billiards, Schoolyard Tap and Messner's Wrigelyville, who all offered drink specials.

But it was Newport Bar & Grill, a divey neighborhood spot best known for its adjacent Laundromat, who went all out for the contest, offering free tater tots (always GOOD to bribe the people!), creating tot-centric signage and schmoozing with guests. It was no surprise that they easily nabbed the Golden Tot trophy, but they also had some of the tastiest tots on the crawl, as most of the guests raved about their Cajun-flavored potato bites that complemented the burgers and sandwiches.

The best moment of the night?! Right before the winner was announced, co-founder Sheri Piecuch made a joke about R&B star and Chicago native R. Kelly, who was just acquitted on all charges of child pornography.

"Too bad R. Kelly wasn't here to celebrate," she told the crowd. "You know how much he loves the tots!"

After hours for onephiles . . .

Swirl Wine Bar extends its hours into the late night, beginning this weekend, making it the city's first-ever after-hours wine lounge.

Every Friday deejays Lil' Mikey and Simply J spin exotic Brazilian, electronica and mushroom jazz until 4am; Saturdays you get Frique spinning deep house until 5.

Denied!

Eat & Drink Club member "Richard" attempted to talk his way into the Dana Hotel opening party. (Photo: Anonymous)


You know, some people just cannot leave well enough alone.

The Eat & Drink Club struck again, this time running about 10 or 15 deep! The object of their desire was the opening of the Dana Hotel & Spa, which hosted a fabulous party featuring some of the freshest sushi I've ever had from its Asian-focused eatery ajasteak that's set to open on Monday.

As always, they made up names, fast-talked employees, tried sneaking through a side door and brushed past the gatekeepers in an attempt to get into the party. Somehow they were all corraled and kicked the hell out.

From the tipster on "Richard:"

"He made an effort that night. And he, too, went around to a side door only to be escorted out moments later.

Tactic - the pointing really emphasizes how much he SHOULD BE ON THAT LIST."

Priceless.

This is not a joke

I just tried making reservations for tonight at graham elliot, and was told by the hostess that the earliest opening was 10:30pm!

What the critics are saying . . .

. . . about:

Tallulah: "The most fun dish on the menu is the least impressive technically. That would be the spicy lobster deviled eggs, a gussied-up version of a suburban potluck staple augmented with lumps of Maine lobster. (Just what June Cleaver would have whipped up, had she found an extra $20 in her apron pocket.) At $7 for two eggs (actually two halves), this is either a pricey egg dish or a bargain lobster dish."—Phil Vettel (Chicago Tribune) Read it all here.

Veerasway: "'Hot Bollywood Lollipops' turned out to be crispy, juicy chicken drumsticks, three to an order, plated in little dishes on pools of chile sauce and "ranch" raita—a fun play on hot wings, though not nearly as spicy as the menu warned."—Alison Neumer Lara (Crain's Chicago Business) Read it all here.

Viaggio Ristorante & Lounge: "Had Viaggio turned out to be like so many other restaurants of its kind, restaurants where the red sauce has no nuance and the endless menu no soul, there would have been no reason to take the overabundance of food home. But instead, Viaggio deftly wrapped the food to go, where it could be picked at during the ride home, nibbled on while watching Letterman, and enjoyed until every last bit was gone."—David Tamarkin (Time Out Chicago) Read it all here.