Bottomless Mimosa Brunches Will Have You Bouncing Around Like The Easter Bunny

Mimosas photo via lianasbananas.com.

Remember when Easter used to be all about you, with the Easter egg hunts, Easter baskets and new Easter dress clothes?!

You can somewhat return to the good ole days with this roundup of bottomless mimosa brunches happening on Easter Sunday:

Cheers To A Collection of Cocktails Paired With Cuisine

Carol Donovan's "French Citrus" cocktail is meant to complement Hearty's shrimp 'n' grits dish. (Photo: Hearty)

We're deep into spring mode . . . which is supposed to mean lighter cocktails and cuisine. But that's not always the case as I found when I interviewed several of the city's top 'tenders for my latest spirits story.

As they go about creating their menus, they're more concerned with what's in season, with rhubarb and sage leading the way, and what pairs well with their chefs' dishes. And gin, surprisingly, appears to be big as the weather heats up at spots like Balena, Three Aces and Yusho.

Find out what these guys are shaking up—and stirring—at DiningChicago.com.

This Is What A Carnivore's Dream Looks Like

Tavern on Rush's 'Tavern Kobe Club' via Krebs' Foodspotting page.

Tavern on Rush just introduced a bunch of new items for its spring menu, and it's quite impressive.

Especially of note is the massive Tavern Kobe Club of two Kobe patties, three decks of white Sourdough, bacon, lettuce, tomato and horseradish mayo. For some reason, that little ditty from the spot with the Golden Arches is playing in my head, but you'll pay $19.95 for this burger.

Peep the new items below:

It's A Wrap, For Paul Virant . . .

(Photos: Jamco Creative)

Award-winning chef Paul Virant (Perennial Virant, Vie) teams up with Falafill for his very own signature wrap.

With proceeds benefiting the Frontera Farmer Foundation, the wrap consists of organic black bean falafel (his own recipe), spicy mayo, pickled peppers, pea shoots, cilantro, and lemon-garlic vinaigrette.

In keeping with an organic theme, the black beans and pea shoots come from Three Sisters Garden, a small farm located in Kankakee. The peppers are made in Virant's kitchen at Perennial Virant.

It's available only in April for $6.50.

Important Stuff Happening In April

Chuy Valencia photo via the Chicago Reader.

Chicago's dining scene never slows down, as evidenced by some very cool events happening in April:

Former Top Chef Texas contestant Chuy Valencia, who formerly was a partner in Lakeview spot Chilam Balam, is writing a cookbook and needs your help. He's testing recipes for M.E.A.L.S.: Menus, Entrees, Anecdotes, Lies and Some truth to protect the innocent and equally evil and needs guinea pigs. The event happens April 2 at a private home, and you can possibly get an invite by tweeting him @chuyvalencia.

Freebie Alert: Mercadito!

Party all night at Mercadito, then return for brunch the next day, and they'll treat you special.

Through April, the trendy Mexican restaurant's offering complimentary chilaquiles (strips of fried corn tortillas simmered in salsa, and served with cheese, eggs, or beans) for those who bring a receipt from the night before.

Trust us when we tell you that it's the perfect hangover cure . . .

5 New Brunches That Rock!

The Four Seasons' Allium restaurant features this sinful display of desserts during brunch. (Photo: Allium)

If you ask me, brunch should be an all-day occasion instead of a few hours.

And while we all have our favorite go-to spots, it's always good to see what else is out there. To give you an idea of what's hot and new, I stopped by You & Me This Morning to chat with host Jeanne Sparrow about my favorite new brunch destinations in Chicagoland.

Yes! That means we even featured the 'burbs, this time highlighting acclaimed chef Dan Pancake's Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits in Berwyn.

Also getting props were the Four Seasons' Allium, Storefront Company in Bucktown, Logan Square's Jam, and BLT American Brasserie in River North.

Happy eatin'!

A Recipe For . . .

. . . Linguini with Black Pepper, Fava Beans and Bacon Cream.


Instead of cracking open a can of chicken noodle soup to celebrate these last days of National Noodle Month, you should do it up in high style.

We tracked down NoMI Kitchen chef Sean Pharr for his ridiculously decadent recipe for Linguini with Black Pepper, Fava Beans and Bacon Cream: