Take a Hop Around Town This Weekend

Chicago's finally getting the props it deserves when it comes to hops, as told in a 2009 New York Times story about the city's new wave of microbrews scattered throughout the trendiest neighborhoods.

So it's no surprise that you'll find beer-oriented bashes going down on the regular like Friday's Meet the Brewers event at Jake Melnick's Corner Tap.

They're bringing in the team behind Ravenswood's Metropolitan Brewery, who will deftly showcase a number of signature microbrew drafts, including Dynamo, Generator, Krankshaft and Flywheel. Beer enthusiasts should love this as they'll get unlimited pours paired with snacks.

That happens 6:30-9:30pm, and cover's $25.

There's so many more beer events happening this weekend, so bounce around . . .

THURSDAY

At In Fine Spirits' fifth-anniversary party, it'll be mostly wines that local distributors will be pouring, but also expect a few local craft brew gems. We're hoping the guys from Two Brothers, Metropolitan Brewing and Arcadia make a cameo. 6-8pm. $20 (advance purchase required).

If you're on a budget, one of the best bets of the night is at new River North hang The Fifth. The Thursday night special is the $5 Kobe burger and $1 off craft beer drafts.

Speaking of burgers, Hawaiian-themed Sola does a Burgers, Bacon and Beer night every Thursday. Pair the award-winning Wagyu Kobe burger with Two Brothers' Ebel Weiss beer.

FRIDAY

Warm up to Blue 13's hearty new winter menu that they've so thoughtfully paired with a number of full-bodied brews. Chef Chris Curren's take on the classic chicken 'n' waffles dish (Buffalo waffle, Pointes Reyes blue cheese, Great Lakes beer foam) goes well with the Great Lakes Eliot Ness. The decadent Rabbit Struedel (horseradish potato foam, glazed carrots, cipollini onions, Dijon vinaigrette) just makes sense with a Lagunitas Czech Pilsner. And the Drunken Wagyu Shortrib (glazed carrots, caramelized Brussels sprouts, egg noodles, wild mushroom stout sauce) gets the weekend off to a good start when complemented with a Murphy's Irish Stout.

SmallBar owner Phil McFarland says "people freak out" when he gets Bell's seasonal HopSlam—which is currently on draft at both locations in Wicker Park and Logan Square. He warns that this beer is not for the weak at 10 percent alcohol by volume, in comparison to Miller Lite's squirrely three percent ABV. Also new is Bell's Java Stout, a chocolaty sensation; 3Floyds Dreadnaught, another high alcohol, hoppy beer; and Allagash Brewing's Burnham Road, a smoked Belgian-style blonde that McFarland says is a rare draught to find in Chicago.

SATURDAY

With provocative names like Full Frontal Pale Ale and Dark-n-Curvy Dunkelweizen, how could you resist?! Piece's award-winning American-style pale and German-style wheat ales respectively go well with their New England-style pizzas. Plus, after a few of those you'll have the courage you need to get on stage for live-band karaoke. Band performs 11pm-2am every Saturday.

SUNDAY

Quirky James Hotel resto Primehouse is putting a new spin to the traditional Japanese Bento box by offering a number of funky-themed options during its newly tweaked brunch service. We're loving the idea behind the Hangover (which comes with mini Burkers,…fried quail eggs, fries, mac 'n' cheese, a Monti Cristo, sunglasses and aspirin), Little Bull (207L beef tips, grilled steak, shortrib dumplings) and a Mystery Box, where Executive Chef Rick Gresh gets "creative." Of course, you cannot go wrong if you pair any of these with a carafe of Bloody Mary amped up with Guinness. 11am-2pm Saturday, Sunday.

Go Down Under for a day as Sixteen pays homage to its executive chef's hometown. Frank Brunacci has gathered Australia's most famous brands for a walk-around tasting event, including Cooper's beer, wine, food, cheeses and more. 1-5pm. $35.

Sunday nights are laid back at Le Bar, now that they're serving up moules and frites. You'll get a full portion of black mussels steamed with Stella Artois. It comes with fries and aioli for $9.50, and for an additional $5 you can indulge in a Fat Tire, Guinness, Alpha King, Shiner Black or Goose Island.

MONDAY

Wisconsin's Tyranena Brewery, new to the Chicago scene, hosts an event at Bluebird for fans to sip through their selection of suds. You'll enjoy such mainstays as the Headless Man, Rocky's Revenge and Bitter Woman IPA, but they'll also sample a little Shaggin' on the Wood, a scotch ale aged in bourbon barrels. Snacks included. 7:30-9:30pm. $20.

TUESDAY

And look forward to free Tuesday tastings at Smoke Daddy, which highlights new, rare and small-production brews across the country. You'll also get pints of the featured beers for $6 and $10 for beer flights. On Jan. 26, look forward to selections from Samuel Adams Imperial Series. It's also $6 pulled meat nachos and live-music night! 7-9pm for tastings; live music at 9pm.

Socca Chef's Dish a Favorite of Food Network

Socca Chef/Owner Roger Herring with Art Smith. (Photo: Socca)


Lakeview's cozy French-Italian bistro Socca is off to a great start in 2010.

Look for it to celebrate its fifth anniversary next month with an all-star lineup of local chefs (Rick Gresh of Primehouse, Stephanie Izard of Girl & The Goat, Bristol's Chris Pandel, to name a few). Plus, one of its dishes was anointed "one of the best things" celeb chef Art Smith (Table Fifty-Two) ever ate on the popular Food Network series, The Best Thing I Ever Ate.


Socca's signature Shrimp Pizzette. (Photo: Socca)


He gushes over the signature Shrimp Pizzette, which comes topped with heirloom tomato sauce, fontina, basil and chili pepper. The Food Network show airs at 9pm CST Feb. 5.

Get it now because once the show airs, it's gonna be crazy over there . . .

Chef Radhika Desai is a Cheeky Chick of the Year

(Photo: Radhika Desai)


Sarah Levy (Sarah's Pastries & Candies) and Top Chef alum Radhika Desai (formerly of Between Boutique Cafe and Lounge) are two of 10 fab women honored during Cheeky's annual party for the Cheeky Chicks of the Year.

The party goes down at Sunda at 8pm Friday, with passed apps, cocktails and a deejay spinning.

Single guys may want to take note: It'll be a room full of eligible and gorgeous women, so you might want to make this your first stop of the night!

$25 a person; space is limited. RSVP required at cheeky@cheekychicago.com.

Bice Grill Closes for Renovation Until Spring

An astute foodie on her way to lunch at popular Streeterville spot Bice Grill alerted us all with a tweet that it was no longer:

"What?!? No more Bice Grill? So sad! Guess this will force me to branch out a bit more at lunchtime."

A call to the restaurant confirmed that it was indeed closed: The line was disconnected. But we followed up with a call to sister resto Bice Ristorante, where the manager said it closed last Friday.

"Business is slower at the beginning of the year, and it gets really cold for customers because of the ventilation system," he said. "Therefore we took this opportunity to shut it down, renovate and reopen in about six weeks."

Rumor has it that it'll transform into a completely new concept, so we'll just have to wait and see.

On the upside, if you're looking for a new lunch spot in the area, Epic launched service Tuesday, with contemporary menu items like hot-off-the-press paper-wrapped paninis; buttermilk fried calamari; raw bar selections such as jumbo prawn and King crab; and mini desserts from hot shot Pastry Chef Christine McCabe.

She Digs Delicious Eats Beyond Meat . . .

Chicago's a hardcore, meat-eating town.

So when Kelli Zink, the spunky entertainment news reporter for CelebTV.com, told me she was a vegetarian, I blurted out, "How can you survive here?!"

She's always making the scene at the hottest restaurants in town, surrounded by beautiful cuts of meat, so it's hard to believe she didn't feel out of place.

Zink makes it work, by getting creative at regular restaurants and not limiting herself to vegetarian-only spots. So for those considering a meat-free diet (or already on board), she offers her favorites of all time in the city:

Freshii: "They have soups, wraps and salads. You can customize all your meals and whatever crazy combination you come up with they will have it."

Green Zebra: "I can have everything on the menu and don’t have to worry about (biting into meat products by accident). It’s one of the few places you can go and it’s safe, but it can get expensive."

HUB 51: "I’ve taken my out-of-town vegetarian friends here, and they have the veggie sushi roll which has beets on top of it. Their veggie burger is amazing because they make it from scratch. They tested several recipes until they got it right. I also like that they allow you to substitute items on the menu. Their staff is very accommodating for special diets."

Karyn’s Fresh Corner: "They have the takeout stuff, and you can do shots of wheatgrass and it’s really convenient and cool."

Karyn’s Cooked: I can take my friends who eat like 'normal' people and they still enjoy it. You can get pizza that still tastes like pizza."

Lo-Cal Corner: "They have the cheapest and healthiest wraps and soups, veggie chili, vegan cookies and brownies. In the store, they sell coconut water and Kombucha(carbonated Japanese fermented tea), which has an acquired taste."

Sneak Peek of Sable Kitchen & Bar!

Sable Kitchen & Bar, with former Atwood Kitchen exec chef Heather Terhune at its helm, is set to debut March 24 on the first level of the Hotel Palomar.

We got our hands on some really cool photos, a rendering of the restaurant (see above) and some artwork going into the space. You'll love this: Most of the portraits are superimposed over a molecule structure and a cocktail recipe.



As far as the overall design of Sable, the PR rep tells us to expect "a sleek and sexy space with seating for 158 guests, including bar, lounge, dining room and patio options, Sable is a refreshing update on the glamor of the 1940s, as old Hollywood charm mingles effortlessly with modern industrial touches and classic Chicago warmth.

"For the interiors, acclaimed California-based design firm the Puccini Group created a space that is at once soothing and sleek. At Sable, design tips its hat to the almost alchemical power of the bar and to the sophisticated comfort of the 1940s and 1950s."

The Drawing Room Gets Big Honors

Charles Joly of The Drawing Room (Photo: Charles Joly)


With all the cool clubs and bars around town, I'm a little shocked only two made it into the finals for the annual Nightclub & Bar Magazine awards program.

As always, Chicago was mostly overlooked in favor of its peers on the East and West coasts. And then to pour more gasoline into an open wound, the local venue that made it into the "Ultra Lounge of the Year" category is an adult club. Loop lap-dance spot Pink Monkey gets the nod.

At least they got it right when it comes to The Drawing Room. The sexy, subterranean spot is a finalist in two categories: "Cocktail Lounge of the Year" and "Bartender of the Year," with that honor going to magnificent mixologist Charles Joly.

Congrats!

What The Hell Is Going on Here?!

I tried to get some well-deserved R&R Friday afternoon, and apparently all hell broke loose.

According to NBCChicago.com, there will be no fist-pumping this weekend because the entire "Jersey Shore" crew scheduled to appear at local nightclubs Manor, Lumen and RiNo have canceled:

"Hordes of fist-pumping Chicagoans will be disappointed to learn that the four stars of the MTV reality show 'Jersey Shore' who were slated to hit the Chicago nightclub scene will not be coming after all.

Lumen nightclub, which was planning to host Mike 'The Situation and DJ Pauly D, announced Friday that the duo canceled because of 'scheduled appearances.'

The entire cast was pulled from all North American appearances in order to fly to Los Angeles for a major press junket hosted by MTV, according to their booking agent.

If Pauly D's Twitter account is to be believed, they're currently living it up in LA.

Jenny 'J-WOWW' Farley announced Thursday via her Twitter account that she wouldn't honor her commitment at RiNo, apologizing to her fans, but not giving a reason why.

But on Friday afternoon, she tweeted 'In the hotel room with @snooki sick... We r sooo congested.'

And we feel sooo sorry for you both.

A PR rep for the The LGN Group, which owns both Manor and Rino, confirmed Friday afternoon that Nicole Snookie' Polizzi, who was scheduled to appear at Manor, and J-WOWW's appearances were canceled due to an 'unexpected change' in their filming schedule.

Lumen officials said they planned to make it up to it customers by offering a hosted vodka cocktail reception from 9-10:30 p.m. and a Jersey Shore Look-alike contest with a $300 main prize.

But they won't be able to reimburse you for all that hair gel you bought in anticipation of tonight's shenanigans."

If this is all true, don't even think about coming back . . . go pump those fists elsewhere!