You have got to be kidding me!

Thrillist Chicago today writes about the Bottomless Bacon Baskets at Whiskey Road (1935 N. Damen Ave., 773-315-2540). Did someone order the angioplasty?!

Celebrity chef spotted

"Iron Chef" Michael Symon


I've never caught an episode of Food Network's "Iron Chef," but if local culinary king Dirk Flanigan, exec chef at The Gage (24 S. Michigan Ave., 312-372-2979), takes time out of his busy schedule to send me a giddy email letting me know that he just had dinner at his restaurant with current Iron Chef Michael Symon and hot restaurateur/chef Paul Kahan (Avec, Blackbird), then it must be a biiiiiig deal.

Deal(s) of the day . . .

Tonight, Quartino (626 N. State St., 312-698-5000) launches its monthly wine-tasting event where guests get to sample a variety of vino. But the best part of this party is that you get to take a bottle home! The featured winery is Azienda Agricola Gomba Boschetti Barolo from Piedmont, Italy. It's $30 for four wines, appetizers and the take-home bottle ($45 for Barolo). 7-9pm.

And another wine event happens at Webster's Wine Bar (1480 W. Webster Ave., 773-868-0608). They're featuring 25-30 reds from Austria, Germany and Switzerland paired with appetizers, music and mingling. Tasting begins with a brief presentation by sommelier Jeremy Quinn. Reservations required. 7-9pm. $30.

Ha!

From a poster on LTHForum.com:

"The former Hey Sushi (2630 N. Clark St.) space now sports an awning for an Irish bar named Crossroads. Who thinks, 'You know what Lincoln Park's really lacking? An Irish bar!' Since I live about a block away, I'm hoping it's more gastropub than frat boy bar."

Last Girl Standing no longer standing alone

(Photo: Chicago magazine)


Chicago magazine's Last Girl Standing Sarah Preston—one of my partners in crime on the nightlife scene—is getting hitched (!!!), and somehow during all that engagement madness she managed to post this on all the places you need to go to watch March Madness.

'Check, Please!' . . . Pu-Leeze!

Can I get something off my mind?! Really?!

I dig what NBC-5 is trying to do by allowing more so-called "regular" people to voice their opinion (yeah, not reviews) on their favorite restaurants on "Check, Please!," but if I hear one more person say something like "It's my favorite (insert cuisine here) restaurant in the city . . .," "They give you the biggest portions . . ." or—the one that really drives me nuts—"You can order anything off the menu and you can't go wrong . . ." I am really going to scream. I mean let's get some variety in there, can we?!

Wine bars and nightclubs at the mall?!

Consumers are going to be soon swapping shopping for sipping at malls, says CNNMoney.com.

Deal(s) of the day . . .

If you're going out after work this evening, then you probably already know that you can find all sorts of deals and specials on food and drinks:

Check out the new bar menu at A Mano (335 N. Dearborn St., 312-629-3500) that's $5 every day. Guests can order house-cured mixed olives, a bruschetta trio or an Artisan cheese plate. Or go for the $5 pizza special every night between 5-7pm for selections like the traditional Margherita, fennel sausage Fatto A Mano or wild mushroom & caramelized onion.

Make your way to offbeat, yet trendy pizza parlor Il Fiasco (5101 N. Clark St., 773-769-9700) for half-price bottles of wine. And if you come back Thursday-Saturday, you'll get free pizza at the bar between 5-7pm.

Torch Tuesdays happens every week at Martini Park (151 W. Erie St., 312-640-0577), where guests may nosh on free passed appetizers between 5-8pm during sets of standards and classic live music.

Selections from the new bar menu at Room21 (2110 S. Wabash Ave., 312-328-1198) are offered for only $2.10 every Monday-Thursday from 5-6pm. Indulge in fun foods like spicy fried calamari, fried shrimp cocktail, the Kleiner-style Caesar salad and blue cheese housemade chips.

And go for the exotic spread at Tizi Melloul (531 N. Wells St., 312-670-4338), which features cocktails, appetizers and a hookah session for only $10 every Tuesday.