Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Roka Akor's New Spring Menu

Chef Ce Bian of Roka Akor Chicago, 456 N. Clark, brings spring dishes and cocktails to the table. The new fare, which incorporates seasonal ingredients, includes robata-grilled skate wing with wakoga, spring pea and radish ($28); Heirloom tomato salad, black garlic, shiso oil, soy vinaigrette ($15); hamachi and mebachi tartare with sudachi ($16) and uni nigiri with Wagyu tartare and caviar ($22).

Spring cocktails are the Aviation (Opihr Oriental spiced gin, Maraska Maraschino cherry liqueur, Marie Brizard Parfait Amour liqueur, lemon, Giffard Creme de la Violette and a brandied cherry); North by Northwest (Imbue bittersweet vermouth, BroVo lavender liqueur, grapefruit, lemon) and By Any Other Name, Classic Sour (Brugal extra dry rum, Combier Liqueur de Rose, grapefruit, lime, Peychaud's bitters, egg whites, rose water mist). Cocktails are $13 each. roka


James Beard Eats Week



The NFL Draft isn't the only new event to Chicago for 2015. The James Beard Awards, the food industry's biggest event-- think of it as the Academy Awards of the food industry-- comes to town for the first-time ever and the city hosts James Beard Eats Week (April 30-May 8) for the occasion. Look for restaurants paying homage to the James Beard Foundation offering food and drink specials for the occasion. For a list of events, visit: jamesbeardeatsweek




Sunday, April 26, 2015

Rockit Hosts Beard & Boxing Event

Rockit Bar & Grill, 22 W. Hubbard, hosts Beard & Boxing, an event benefiting the James Beard Foundation 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. May 2. The evening includes a viewing of the highly anticipated Mayweather/Pacquiao bout along with a night of food specials created by Rockit Group restaurants, spearheaded by Chef/Partner and Beverage Director Kevin Hickey. Food stations, serving passed dishes, include host executive chef Amanda Downing, Rockit Bar & Grill, Duck Inn, Bottlefork, Sunda and Ay Chiwowa! The drink for the evening-- the Pugilist Punch (liqueurs infused with duck fat wash, botanicals and sparkling wine) Tickets are $125; $75 for James Beard members. rockit

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Stan's Donuts Partner with Signature Room

Stan's Donuts & Coffee has partnered with Chef Cardel Reid of the iconic Signature Room at the 95th for a limited edition treat for its monthly guest chef donut series. Chef Reid's creation, a cinnamon coffee cake old fashioned with a brown sugar-bourbon glaze, is available through May 1 at both the Streeterville and Wicker Park locations ($3.25). stansdonuts

Get Untapped at Candemonium! Canned Beer Festival

Franklin Tap, 325 S. Franklin, hosts a canned beer event featuring about 50 varieties from over 20 breweries, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. April 22.  Below is a list of canned beers being offered (the asterisk denotes 16-oz offerings all others are 12-oz). franklintap

Wheat/Witbier:
4 Hands Contact High 5%
21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon 4.9%
Avery White Rascal 5.6%
*Bell’s Oberon 5.8%
*Brasserie Lefebvre Blanche des Bruxelles 4.5%
*Finch’s Wet Hot American Wheat 5%
*Half Acre Akari Shogun 5.5%
*Milwaukee Brewing O-Gii Wit 8.3%
New Belgium Snapshot 5%
Revolution Bottom Up Wit 5%
*Two Brothers Ebel’s Weiss 4.9%

Berliner Weiss/Gose/Radler:
*Evil Twin NOMADer Weiss 5%
Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose 4.2%
Boulevard Ginger-Lemon Radler 4.1%

Lager/Pilsner:
Ballast Point Longfin Lager 4.5%
New Belgium Shift Pale Lager 5%
Ska Mexican Logger Lager 5.2%
*Stiegl Goldbräu Märzen 4.9%
Firestone Walker Pivo Hoppy Pils 5.3%
Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils 5.3%
Sierra Nevada Nooner Pils 5.2%
Sixpoint The Crisp 5.4%

Pale Ale/IPA/IIPA:
Boulder Beer Hazed & Infused 5%
*Half Acre Daisy Cutter 5.2%
Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale 6.5%
Revolution Fist City 5.5%
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 5.6%
*Tallgrass 8-Bit Pale Ale 5.2%
Ballast Point Sculpin IPA  7%
*Bell’s Two Hearted IPA 7%
*Finch’s Threadless IPA 6%
Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA 7.5%
*Half Acre Senita IPA 7%
Revolution Anti-Hero IPA 6.5%
Ska Modus Hoperandi IPA 6.8%
*Surly Furious IPA 6.2%
*Surly Overrated West Coast IPA 7.3%
Destihl Hoperation Overload IIPA 9.6%
*Evil Twin Molotov Lite IIPA 8%
*Finch’s Hardcore Chimera IIPA 9%

Amber/Cream:
*Brewery Vivant Big Red Coq 6.5%
*Finch’s Fascist Pig 8%
New Belgium Fat Tire 5.2%
*Oskar Blues G’Knight 8.7%
Anderson Valley Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema 5%
Sixpoint Sweet Action 5.2%

Cider:
2 Towns Ciderhouse Bright Cider 6%
*Seattle Cider Dry Hard Cider 6.5%
*Vander Mill Ginger Peach 6.9%
*Vander Mill Hard Apple Cider 7%
*Vander Mill Totally Roasted 6.8%

Belgian-Style:
21st Amendment Monk’s Blood Dark Belgian Strong 8.3%
*Brewery Vivant Contemplation Bière de Garde 6.5%
*Brouwerij Het Anker Lucifer Belgian Strong  8%
*Brewery Vivant Triomphe BIPA 6.5%
Destihl Abbey’s Single 4.9%
Revolution A Little Crazy BPA 6.8%
St. Feuillien Saison 6.5%
*Surly Cynic Ale Saison 6.7%
*Tallgrass Velvet Rooster Tripel 8.5%
*Uncommon Golden State BPA 6.4%

Stout:
Anderson Valley Barney Flatts Oatmeal Stout 5.8%
*Finch’s Secret Stache 5.3%
Lion Stout 8.8%
Oskar Blues 2013 Ten Fidy 10.5%
Oskar Blues 2014 Ten Fidy 10.5%
*Tallgrass Vanilla Bean Buffallo Sweat 5%

Porter/Black/Scotch/Brown:
Revolution Eugene Porter 6.8%
21st Amendment Back In Black 6.8%
*Surly/Three Floyds Blakkr 9.99% scheduled to arrive by 4/22
*Oskar Blues Old Chub Nitro 6.9%
*Surly Coffee Bender Brown 5.1%

Blonde/Steam/ESB:
Ska True Blonde 5.3%
Anchor Brotherhood Steam 5.6%
*Robinson’s Iron Maiden Trooper ESB 4.7%
*Surly Doomtree ESB 5.7%

Cocktail Courier's Local Spring Collection

Cocktail Courier's spring lineup is now available. New beverage sets, designed by local establishments (prices vary), for the online retailer include: Paloma Diabla, Paul Sauter/Mercadito Hospitality (Tequila Avion, fresh grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, Fever-Tree club soda, habanero cinnamon syrup, bottle of agave nectar, one whole grapefruit: https://www.cocktailcourier.com/drink/paloma-diabla-2); Horse's Neck, Derek Mercer/Spiaggia (Bulleit bourbon, ginger-cardamom syrup, Scrappy's cardamom bitters, three whole lemons: https://www.cocktailcourier.com/drink/horses-neck/) and Jockey of Norfolk, Meghan Konecny/Scofflaw (Bulleit bourbon, Combier Liqueur d'Orange, ginger syrup, Angostura bitters, two bags fresh mint: https://www.cocktailcourier.com/drink/jockey-of-norfolk/). cocktailcourier

Paloma Diabla

Horse's Neck

Jockey of  Norfolk


El Tapeo Tasting Event

Executive Chef Franco Diaz, El Tapeo, located in the Le Meridien, 2100 Spring Rd., Oak Brook, hosts a tasting event featuring crafted cocktails and authentic Spanish fare, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. April 22. Festivities include live entertainment. eltapeo


Monday, April 6, 2015

Firecakes' New Donut

Chef Jonathan Fox of Firecakes Donuts, 68 W. Hubbard, in a salute to National Peanut Butter Month, has created the honey glazed, hand-cut raised yeast donut with whipped peanut butter mousse and raspberry and blood orange jelly; $2.97. firecakes


Chipotle's Australian Giveaway

Chipotle Mexican Grill is giving one lucky person the opportunity to attend Australia's Tough Mudder event Oct. 18 in Melbourne. The winner will receive two first-class roundtrip tickets and transportation along with $2500 cash and free entry to an event of their choice. In addition two first place winners will receive free burritos for one year. Entries will be accepted April 6-26. Entry details are available at Chipotle locations or by texting MUDDER1 to 888222. More details available at chipotle.com/toughmudder