Thursday, February 21, 2008

Margarita madness . . . and more

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Adobo Grill celebrates "National Margarita Day" on Friday with $5 margaritas at all its locations. (Photo: Adobo Grill)


Get out! Get out! Get out . . . this weekend:

AlphaWomen.com Launch Party. The new community-based web site hosts this launch event tonight at Sofitel (20 E. Chestnut St.). Its purpose? It's for women across the United States and globe to connect with one another and discuss “real” issues and experiences. From 6-9pm, guests will mingle, enjoy hors d’oeuvres and P.I.N.K. Vodka specialty cocktails. Party-goers will also get the chance to indulge in complimentary hand massages from Sephora and H20+, mini makeovers by Bare Essentials and fashion tips and styling by wardrobe consultant Julie Watson. The first 100 guests get a fabulous swag bag filled with glamorous gifts. $30 in advance; $40 at door. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Lung Cancer Alliance Organization. Call 312-464-8111 for more info.

Hooray for Rosé. Get the real deal on this "misunderstood wine" during a tasting from 6-8pm. Just don't call it white Zinfandel! This is the wine for spring’s awakening and to ceremoniously bid winter an early adieu. WineStyles Chicago (1433 W. Belmont Ave., 773-549-2227). Free.

Margarita Madness. Take the edge off handbag shopping with a little tequila at Bess & Loie (1015 W. Lake St., 312-226-2247) accessories boutique tonight from 6-9pm.

Whiskey Seminar and Tasting. Master of whisky Martin Duffy leads this seminar to help you learn the differences and similarities between a variety of Irish and Scotch whiskies at popular North Center restaurant, Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro (3905 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-248-3905). Tonight 7-8pm. $10.

Chicago Restaurant Week. It's finally here and starts on Friday at area restaurants. See the full list of participants here, including Prosecco (710 N. Wells St., 312-951-9500), NAHA (500 N. Clark St., 312-321-6242) and Kiki's Bistro (900 N. Franklin St., 312-335-5454).

National Margarita Day! Hey, it's any excuse to start drinking on the weekend. So celebrate Friday with a margarita or two or three . . . All Adobo Grill locations (1610 N. Wells St., 312-266-7999; 2005 W. Division St., 773-252-9990) celebrate with a $5 margarita special in honor of the occasion. Also, raise your margarita glass at Blue Agave (1 W. Maple St., 312-335-8900), Agave (3115 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-404-1800), Salud (1471 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-235-5577) or Zocalo (358 W. Ontario St., 312-302-9977), which also offers half-price appetizers in the bar from 5-7pm and live Latin music every Friday.

Four-Course Fridays. Every Friday at Il Fiasco (5101 N. Clark St., 773-769-9700), the Italian shop offers a new menu for $39 per person (exclues tax, tip, gratuity). Get there early tonight for a special art show with a meet and greet with the artists from 6-8pm. There will be complimentary appetizers and it's free to get in.

Flashback Fridays. Friday kicks off a late-night event at Rednofive (440 N. Halsted St., (312-543-4998) featuring veteran deejays known for their energetic styles. Julian “The Night Ninja”, Tim "Spinnin" Schommer, Frankie "Hollywood" Rodriguez, Flipside, "The Boogieman", "Too Kool" Chris and others are the spin stars. The launch event features Jesse De La Pena and Frankie “Hollywood” Rodriguez. Friday 10pm-4am. $20.

BYOB Taste of Rogers Park. Jean Iverson, author of BYOB Chicago, stops by Taste Food and Wine (1506 Jarvis Ave., 773-761-3663) to sign books and discuss the BYOB scene in Chicago. They'll be pairing complimentary wines with tastings from Taste of Peru (6545 N. Clark St., 773-381-4540) and Pakistani eatery Luzzat (1505 W. Jarvis Ave., 773-764-1065). 6-7:30pm Saturday. Free.

Rock the World. Just in case you're not down with all the Oscar parties going down on Sunday, Sonotheque's Joe Bryl is bringing something completely different. He's spinning some mad music at Danny's Tavern (1951 W. Dickens Ave., 773-489-6457) that includes Bollywood beats, German grooves, Spanish soul, Turkish funk, Cambodian Garage, Brazilian Psychedelia and Japanese rock. Alrighty then! 9pm-2am. Free.

Another one bites the dust: The Cheese Stands Alone

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(Photo: The Cheese Stands Alone)


Lincoln Square gourmet shop The Cheese Stands Alone (4547 N. Western Ave., 773-293-3870) calls it quits.

After five years in business as the place to go for husband-and-wife team Matt and Sarah Parker's handpicked selections, the store is closing this weekend. They carry more than 100 cheeses from around the world, specializing in fine European cheeses like aged Gouda, so if you're looking for a deal, they just might be on sale this weekend.