Deal of the day . . .

Intimate Andersonville eatery La Donna (5146 N. Clark St., 773-561-9400) offers a low-key environment for customers wanting to enjoy the regional Italian fare.

And every Wednesday proprietor/chef Antonella Barbanente, who opened the restaurant in 1995, offers a deal you don't want to pass up. The three-course dinner special is only $19.95. It gives customers a chance to explore the menu of handmade pastas that are made on premises daily. How about the Rigatoni alla Sorrentina (pasta tossed in red sauce topped with fresh mozzarella & sweet basil)? Or perhaps you'd rather do something lighter like the Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino (spaghetti with virgin oil, garlic & crushed red pepper)? Or just go for one of the risottos like the Risotto Della Donna (with butternut squash, goat cheese & fresh sage) or Risotto Fantasia (with chicken, red apple slices, sugar, onions & brandy).

Whatever the case, you cannot go wrong. Also, pair your dishes up with select glasses of Merlot or Chianti, which are half off every Wednesday.

If money was no object?!

Hmmmmmm, if that question was posed to you, where would you dine in Chicago?

A Chowhound.com poster recently asked that question to fellow posters:

"Okay. I have a friend coming into town from Columbus, Ohio. We are going to dinner on March 14th and 16th. He told me last night - 'let's go somewhere very nice and money is not an object.' I told him to let me know what he liked and I would find a place knowing I would get good advice from the Chowhounds. He said he loves Italian and American foods. Something where it is relaxing, the atmosphere is great, as well as the food. He not been to Chicago in 10 years. He is staying at the W Hotel on Lakeshore for his conference. And is Spiaggia THE place for Italian?"

And here is just a taste of the interesting responses that came immediately flooding in:

"If someone told me, 'let's go somewhere very nice and money is not an object,' meaning that he is looking for something totally above and beyond anything else, the first three places I would try to get a reservation at are Alinea, Everest, and Avenues."

"Spiaggia would absolutely be the top high-end Italian. If money were no object I would do the Tour at Alinea with upgraded wine pairings. That will set you back about $400 per person without tax or tip. You're a bit too late for this, but the Foie Gras tasting menu at Avenues (pre-ban) was really outstanding. It was about $250 pp, not including wine, tax or tip. Tru would be another option, but the atmosphere might not be exactly what you're looking for (I love Tru, but it's a little like eating at an art gallery)."

"There is no question Spiaggia is the best Italian restaurant in the city. Other top restaurants are Everest and Les Nomades. I don't like Trotter's; Alinea is a diffrent game - small plates, unusual food; high quality."

"I had dinner tonight at Les Nomades . . . . It was a very, very good meal, and I would heartily reccommend it to anyone. The cost, with two bottles of wine and cocktails for a party of four was reasonable: $600 or so before tip. The food and the service were both outstanding."

"Of course it is all subjective, but I think Alinea is absolutely worth every penny. While Everest is good, Alinea provides a truly unique experience. I just don't think Everest stands out...it is very solid fine dining though."

And here's the one that had me cracking up to no end:

"Having read through this whole thread, I am wondering whether your friend realizes that Chicago isn't Columbus, Ohio. When your Country Mouse says 'money is no object,' does he know what he's getting into? Could you google and find out what 'somewhere very nice' means in Columbus? Because there is a whole world out there where a $600 dinner isn't in the picture—not anybody's picture."

The next big thing?

Artist Preach (center) with fans
(Photo: Nightlife Mag)


Who knows.

But if you're looking to get into the mix tonight, why not go over to Mix (2843 N. Halsted St., 773-528-7569), when new local artist Preach drops some hip-hop with a live band during his album release party, hosted by Konstant Groove Entertainment. Gotta warn you that the lyrics are a bit explicit, but hey, we're all adults here, right?!

Preach performs right after work from 6-9pm at this Lakeview video lounge. Tonight at Mix is also Flip It Tuesdays, when you flip a coin, call the cocktail, and they buy it. Huh?! OK, then!

Deejays Bliss, Abel and Vinny V spin hip-hop and house immediately after the show. Free parking.

Deal of the day . . .

Here are two great wine tasting events happening tonight that you don't want to miss:

Make your way to the seventh floor of NoMI (800 N. Michigan Ave., 312-239-4030) as Cellar Notes returns. Advanced Sommelier Fernando Beteta is on hand to educate guests on ports and madeira. Offering the unique option to blind taste the selections for the evening, Cellar Notes gives guests the opportunity to learn how to taste and evaluate wines or spirits, based on the subtle nuances in flavor, acidity, clarity and color of each selection without any knowledge of their identities. Other Cellar Notes events happening for the rest of the month: Jan. 15, Cotes du Rhone; Jan. 22, Spain; and Jan. 29, Whiskey. 5:30-7:30pm. $30.

Also, happening tonight is 2nd Tuesday Tastings, occuring at Cru Cafe and Wine Bar (25 E Delaware St., 312-337-4001). Guests will be treated to A Taste of Spain as they explore the regions of Rioja, Yecla, Ribera Del Duero and Jumilla as well as sample some of the delicious tapas of the Mediterranean. 6-8pm. $40.

It's Vegas, baby, for Charlie Trotter

(Photo: Charlie Trotter's)


Plan on taking a trip to Las Vegas any time soon?

You'll be happy to know that you'll be able to get a taste from home—in the form of our very own Charlie Trotter (816 W. Armitage Ave., 773-248-6228).

Restaurant Charlie is the only Chicago-based eatery going into the glamorous new Palazzo Las Vegas Hotel (3339 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, 800-442-4002)—the lavish resort under development adjacent to the famed Venetian Resort. There will be a massive launch event happening Jan. 17-19 when all the high-end shops and restaurants open. Other esteemed eateries will include CarneVino (Mario Batali), CUT (Wolfgang Puck) and Table 10 (Emeril LaGasse).

The best thing about this new Trotter venture? The multi-tiered concept, which will be largely seafood focused, will also offer a la carte items. And Bar Charlie will be what they're calling a "restaurant within a restaurant." The counter-only seating area holds 18 guests, who will be able to order from the ala carte menu or enjoy a kaiseki-style Trotter experience by allowing chefs to prepare delicate sushi, sashimi and other Trotter creations right before their eyes.

UPDATE: Restaurant Charlie is scheduled to open in early February.

Fashion free for alls

Got a passion for fashion? A thrill for the heel? These three fabulous events happening this week should not be missed by the stylish set:

To kick off the release of the upcoming Fox Searchlight’s “27 Dresses,” a romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl that follows the story of a woman who has been a bridesmaid 27 times, SHE Boutique and Gen Art host a fashion feté showcasing 27 designer party dresses that you’re certain to love. The event will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 8 7-9pm at Crimson Lounge (333 N. Dearborn St., 312-923-2473).

Also, each guest who brings a gently used bridesmaid or prom dress will be entered in the drawing to win a custom-made dress from Bravo’s “Project Runway” designer Steven Rosengard at the conclusion of the event. The gowns will be donated to The Glass Slipper Project and will help contribute to those who cannot afford to purchase a dress for their high school prom.

The evening will commence with cocktails at 7pm and lead into SHE’s runway show featuring SHE’s very own party dresses at 8pm. Guests will enjoy cocktails and fashion to the musical beats of DJ Sye Young. Guests will receive a fabulous swag bag at the door with goodies from local Chicago retailers including a random selection of bags containing a pass to see the movie premiere on Jan. 10. No cover.


Also, Personal Vogue’s fashion show takes place Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 6:30pm. Benefiting the Service Club of Chicago, the event will feature a special collection of models, who are actually local media personalities, including Sarah Preston (Playboy.com, Chicago Magazine), Natalie Martinez (NBC-5), Ginger Zee (NBC-5), Lauren Jiggetts (NBC-5), Nancy Loo (FOX-5), Amy Freeze (FOX-5), Tera Williams (FOX-5) and drumroll, please, 312 Dining Diva!

We’ll all be stylin’ down a runway in contemporary gear from Neiman Marcus, but don’t make too much fun of us—we don’t do this for a living!

Guests will also be treated to bubbly and appetizers. A minimum $20 donation is requested at the door, with all proceeds benefiting the Service Club of Chicago.


And Thursday, Jan. 10 is the launch of Sushi Samba Rio’s Harajuku Thursdays, which aims to bring a snapshot of the Japanese street scene to River North. An invite-only Harajuku-themed fashion show showcases styles by AKIRA from 9-10pm, with doors opening to the general public at 11pm.

Melding music, style and cuisine, the evening will showcase trends from the famed Harajuku district, a mecca of Asian fashion and urban culture that has inspired designers and celebrity fashionistas across the globe. Every Thursday night, the upstairs Sugarcane Lounge will envelop guests with the high energy sounds of Japanese pop music (J-Pop) alongside dizzying images of Tokyo nightlife. Exotic Harajuku-themed dancers will perform atop traditional sake casks while Japanese anime projections provide a colorful backdrop to this sensory explosion.

Sushi Samba will offer their signature Japanese Happy Box, a twist on the traditional bento box, and sake flights (four varieties for $18) and bottle service from 9pm-1am. The Happy Box includes sesame-soy glazed edamame, yellowtail sashimi, tuna jalapeno sushi and shrimp & shiso leaf tempura for $10. Sake sommelier Monica Samuels designed the specialty Harajuku Sambatini cocktail exclusively for the weekly event, composed of Fukucho Ginjo sake, 10 Cane rum, lychee puree and raspberries ($11). 504 N. Wells St., 312-595-2300. No cover.

Cuban sandwich shop sounds good to me!

From Monica Eng in the Chicago Tribune's The Stew this morning:

"We love a good cortadito and Cuban sandwich. But with the closing of Rancho Luna and Cuban Island in Peterson Park, the northwest side has been hurting for a decent Cuban meal. So we were happy to hear about the new Con Sabor Cubano, scheduled to open at at 2739 W. Lawrence Ave. (773-728-2226) before mid January—ojala (I hope so).

According to Michael Perez, everyone in his Cuban-American family loves to cook so his dad Reynaldo (a longtime CTA employee) decided to lead them in the effort to open a family restaurant. Initially the Ravenswood storefront will offer pressed sandwiches—including Cubanos, ropa viejas (with shredded beef) and steak sandwiches—for $5-$7 plus a selection of Cuban-style coffees. 'We'll have espresso, cafe con leche and cortaditos (espresso with a squirt of milk),' Michael said.

After they get the sandwich biz up and running, Perez says they will branch out into other Cuban foods. But for now they're just trying to complete their city inspections so they can crank up the grill for those toasty sandwiches of pork, cheese, pickles and mustard. Yummm."

Deal of the day . . .

This new West Loop favorite is great for budget-friendly group outings.
(Photo: Beer Bistro)


The West Loop brew haven, Beer Bistro (1061 W. Madison St., 312-433-0013), offers 12 beers on tap and more than 85 choices in all. They've even taken the time to pair each beer with their food selections. And every Monday, Beer Bistro's big deals are the $5 pizzas and $2 PBRs (also recommended to go with the beer-battered chicken fingers) that perfectly complement the games on the many flat-screen monitors.

Come back Tuesdays for $2 burgers any way you want them.