Boogie.

This weekend we celebrate your right to drink.

That's it. Because without the repeal of Prohibition, we'd all be sipping sodas right now. 312DD's rounded up a bunch of bashes right here for your pleasure.

Of course, there's so much more going on this weekend:

THURSDAY

No doubt Galleria Unico (44 E. Superior St.) will be filled with all the local stylistas, as Havilah Boutique hosts a Passion for Fashion holiday runway show. Nosh on appetizers by Adobo Grill and HUB 51; all proceeds benefit Kids Fight Cancer, with DJ Rock City spinning. 7-10pm. $10 suggested donation; RSVP to fashionshow@zapwater.com.

When DJ "Jazzy" Jeff (of "Fresh Prince" fame) spun at Lumen last summer, the place was packed with old heads and new schoolers jammin' out to everything from soul to salsa. This time he's slinging the beats at Underground, and hopefully he brings along another hot MC. Only New Yorkers can get away with that. 9pm-4am. $20.

FRIDAY

Doesn't it feel good to give?! Go all out at Imerman Angels' third-annual toy drive at Le Passage. The high-energy cocktail party includes an open bar and appetizers from 6-8:30pm, but the festivites continue till 10. It's technically a toy drive, but this time $10 of each ticket goes directly to purchasing Children’s Memorial Hospital a mobile, technologically advanced "fun center" that'll have a Wii video game. $30 in advance; $40 at door.

More than ever these days we need to network and Rednofive's providing an ideal atmosphere with Face2Face, a social networking party for online friends. Comped gift bags, appetizers and cocktails. Proceeds benefit the Sue Duncan Children's Centers and Friends United for Juvenile Diabetes Research. 8pm-4am. No cover?! (Maybe or maybe not)

Iconic local spin star Jesse de la Pena returns to Cuatro for his First Fridays event. He's certain to rock out with hip-hop, Latin, funk, soul, rock and house. 10pm-2am. No cover.

SATURDAY

If you dare brave the crazed shopping strip of the Mag Mile—bursting with SNAILS and tourists—you'll need to slip into La Boule de Noel, the Park Hyatt's seasonal Parisian macaroon boutique. Located on the first floor of the hotel, it's cranking out a number of delicious housemade treats in flavors of white chocolate peppermint, cranberry pecan, rum chestnut, chocolate Earl Grey, orange spice cake or brandy cherry white chocolate. They're $2 (each); $24 (dozen); $35 (two dozen) and go great with an espresso or hot tea. 800 N. Michigan Ave., 312-335-1234.

For those skipping the downtown crowds, there's no better place to be than the Do Division Holiday Walk happening on Division Street (from Ashland to Leavitt). Stop at the Barefoot Bubbly Cocktail locations (Caffe Gelato, Pump, Porte Rouge) for champagne; indulge in a free horse-drawn carriage ride; or just hang out in numerous bars and restaurants along the stroll. Noir (1726 W. Division St.) will also host a party where you'll get up to 25 percent on apparel, appetizers and cocktails. Noon-until.

Salsa lovers, rejoice! The Hot Salsa Kitchen is back, but they're partying in a brand-new venue at Dance Connection (3117 N. Clybourne Ave.). This one's actually an all-ages event, with DJ Kimani Rashad spinning and a dance lesson by Elba Diaz. Get ready for salsa, mambo, cha-cha and a little bachata. 9pm-1am. $10.

SUNDAY

OK. And if you're shopping for someone who has unique taste, why not check out the Goth Wintertime Craft Faire?! Who knows what you'll find, as the affair will have more than 20 local Gothic artists and crafters offering jewelry, toys, leather, candles and more. Noon-8pm. No cover.

Scoops galore

Ladies, he's single and can cook! Strapping new one sixtyblue executive chef Michael McDonald reportedly turned down an opportunity to be on "The Bachelor." (Photo: one sixtyblue)


There's all kinds of hot tips going down on Dish, from the re-opening of Tiny Lounge (finally!) after a two-year absence to new one sixtyblue exec chef Michael McDonald turning down ABC's "The Bachelor" reality dating show (whoo hoo, he's single!) because he's so swamped in the kitchen.

And speaking of hot bachelors, nightlife/dining impresario Billy Dec (Rockit Bar & Grill, Underground, Sunda) just announced that he got engaged over the weekend. Party girls everywhere are shedding tears . . .

I wanna be like Mike

Hungry Mag head honcho Michael Nagrant gives us a taste of what it was like to experience last night's $1,500-a-head Thomas Keller/Grant Achatz feast at Alinea:

"Tonight, I asked Grant Achatz if I could hug him. Fortunately, he had the foresight to preserve our collective dignity, and he said no. It wasn’t just the glass of Jean Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc, Rhone 2000 talking, either. Rather, it was a dish named Chestnut, quince, chocolate, baked potato."

Lucky @#$%^&*()@^!

Ouch, Alpana . . .

Feast of Fools host Fausto Fernós (left) with Alpana Singh (Photo: Feastoffools.net)


Local wine diva Alpana Singh gets called out by MenuPages for over-promoting her real job on her new vino-themed blog:

"FoodLife is owned by LEYE. And Alpana? Is the director of wine and spirits for LEYE. And as such presumably has a hand in selecting these $4.95-per-glass wines and signing off on the signs for the singles-friendly wine tastings.

Don't get us wrong—we know that when a restaurant employee blogs about his or her professional life, the blog serves as an extension of the restaurant brand. No one expects, say, Philip Foss to go on a screed against hotel dining, f'rinstance. But this kind of wide-eyed who-me advertorial gets our undies in a bunch."

Toast to Repeal Day!

I'm not going to get all wordy about the history behind Repeal Day, and by now you know the 75th anniversary's coming up on Dec. 5.

If you want to read up on which current local bars thrived during the Prohibition era and which ones were the first to get their liquor licenses after it ended, you'll find that here, here and here.

In the meantime, if you just want to party, a number of events happen Friday, but Thrillist just had to be first out the gate with theirs on Thursday. They're doing it at Wicker Park's Plan B with a complimentary whiskey tasting, burlesque dancers and even shoeshine boys! That's going down 7-10pm, but you must RSVP here to get in.

Didja know there was a Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails?! Chicago's new chapter hosts two parties on the big night. They're encouraging guests to dress in period clothing and head over to Clark Street Ale House right after work for the first one from 6-9pm. And, if you're still standing by 10pm, make a move to part two over at The Drawing Room. For $33, they're doing a Prohibition-era, prix-fixe food and drink pairing. There's also live music by the Ron Mills Orchestra, and a portion of the proceeds benefits Chicago's Greenhouse Shelter, which assists abused women.

At Andersonville liquor shop and lounge In Fine Spirits, the festivities include more pre- and post-Prohibition-era cocktails, 1930s music and staffers dressed like gang-stars. Go ahead and order The Capone (a citrus-y cocktail with Templeton Rye Prohibition Era Whiskey), Prohibition Cocktail (gin cocktail with a touch of apricot) or The Volstead Toddy (spicy-smooth blend of Batavia Arrack, Pendleton’s Whiskey and a touch of pastis that's served warm). 3pm-2am. No cover.

Moonshine mixes it up with professional swing dancers, live music, period attire and a special Dewar’s toast to Repeal Day. They're also giving guests “Dewar’s Dollars” to buy things like an old-fashioned shoe shine, barber shop shave and even more cocktails. 8pm-2am. No cover, but use the password "Dewar's" for admittance. Come dressed to thrill.

Servers at Room 21 will be dressed up as gangsters and flappers, and guests may order from a special menu for $19.33 that includes one Dewar's specialty cocktail. All Dewar's cocktails, such as the Old Fashioned or one infused with vanilla beans, are $5 for the night. 5:30-10pm.

Spring teams up with former Violet Hour mixologist Kirk Estopinal for a night of fun in the lounge. He's shaking up a host of new and classic libations like the G&T (North Shore #11, housemade tonic on the rocks) and The Spice Cart (brandy, triple sec, lemon, five spices). They're also introducing a new bar menu with savory items like maki rolls, squash wonton and short rib Gyoza. No cover.

New West Town sports bar The Fifty/50 celebrates with a dress-up period party and specials on classic drinks. 8pm-2am. No cover.

And Lush doles out the goodies in both the University Village and Roscoe Village locations. They're pouring free samples of classic cocktails from 6-9pm. No cover.

Why hasn't anyone talked about this?!

An astute reader brought to my attention late last week an interesting tidbit:

Turns out the controversial Indian-British novelist and essayist Salman Rushdie—who was once married to former supermodel/"Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi—is an investor in the newly opened New York restaurant At Vermilion (480 Lexington Ave., 212-871-6600).

This Indian-Latin focused eatery is an offshoot of the Chicago original, which Lakshmi once told 312DD was "the best Indian restaurant in the country."

What makes it even more interesting is that "Top Chef 5" contestant Radhika "Rad" Desai, who's still in the running and is the exec chef at Between Boutique Cafe and Lounge, was the opening sous chef at Vermilion and has gotten major props for that menu's success today.

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Back of the House on Xmas

Adam Seger of Nacional 27 (Photo: Brenden Lekan Photography)


Restaurant Intelligence Agency's new Back of the House feature highlights holiday memories from local food and beverage stars:

What will be on your holiday dinner table this year?

Jill Barron (executive chef, MANA food bar): Oysters and caviar for Christmas Eve.

Tim Dahl (pastry chef, Blackbird): I grew up with kjottboller and lefse. This year it'll be lasagna and seafood soup.

Dirk Flanigan (executive chef, The Gage): Turkey with garlic and basil under the skin; crown of oyster and foie gras stuffing, with duck confit; the now famous Brie, bacon and Brussels sprouts; vanilla sweet potatoes with Spanish chorizo; cavatelli with a pot of my wife's homemade sauce.

Josh Kaplan (general manager/sommelier, mk): Traditional fare. My family does the cooking, not me. Although, every year my favorite item is the caramelized onion tart from Foodstuffs.

Carrie Nahabedian (executive chef, NAHA): For Christmas, we always do prime rib, whole-roasted with great rich side dishes: compote of pearl onions with bacon and cognac, celery root dauphinoise, roasted squash with hickory nuts. And all of my aunts' favorite cookies: cherry wonders, cream cheese chocolate chip cookies, toffee squares, nut cups, buckeye balls, cherry jewels.

Adam Seger (manager, beverage director, Nacional 27): A deep-fried turkey, a pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin from the Green City Market with a real lard crust and a two-year aged black-walnut-fed Newsome's country ham from Kentucky.

Erick Williams (executive chef, mk): Turkey dressing (as opposed to stuffing) -- a traditional family recipe that my mother makes using cornbread instead of regular bread. Giblet gravy, braised mustard and turnip greens, beef roast, turkey, tomato-stewed green beans, chitterlings, sweet potato pie, bread pudding, pecan tart.

Shelley Young (chef/owner, The Chopping Block): Traditional for sure. Mom cooks Christmas.

Observe World AIDS Day

Today's the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, so if you're looking to commemorate, 312DD's rounded up a few events:

Join others at W-Lakeshore's Living Room for an online viewing party for the launch of RED (WIRE), a new digital music magazine launched by U2 frontman Bono. For a $5 monthly fee, subscribers get access to exclusive tracks from artists like John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Coldplay and Jay Z. A portion of the proceeds benefits programs combating AIDS in Africa. Monitors will be set up carrying the live feed, as well as computer kiosks for people to sign up. All evening, you can also order the INSPI(RED) pomegranate-infused cocktail, with a portion of those proceeds benefiting (RED)WIRE). 3-11pm. No cover.

Green Dolphin Street's weekly Boom Boom Room observes the occasion with a special set by global spin star Ron Trent. He'll spin deep house, Latin and Afro-Latin beats, but arrive early for a special AIDS-themed fashion show produced by Fashion Empire. $5 Effen cocktails. 9pm-4am. $10.

And tickets are still available for the annual World of Chocolate party happening at the Chicago Hilton and Towers (720 S. Michigan Ave.) on Dec. 3. Sponsored by AIDS Foundation of Chicago, the party features sweet treats from more than 30 local restaurants, caterers and chocolatiers in an effort to fight HIV/AIDS. Participating restaurants including China Grill, Bistro Campagne, Mado and Terry's Toffee. You'll also get appetizers, open bar, live jazz and a holiday bazaar for those last-minute gifts. 6-10pm. Tickets start at $75.