Oscar Night at Commonwealth Tavern

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Commonwealth Tavern, 2000 W. Roscoe, hosts an Oscar Night viewing party beginning 7 p.m. Feb. 28. The star of the evening will be Oscar-inspired drinks that include the Red Carpet martini (Patron, Patron Citronage, raspberry, cranberry) and Golden Statue cocktail (Ciroc Peach, peach puree, Champagne) along with Right Bee cider. Specialty theme-drinks are $5.

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Cider Summit Festival @Navy Pier

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Cider Summit Festival, the largest event of its kind in the region, returns Feb. 27 to Navy Pier’s Grand Ballroom, 600 E. Grand. Two session for the summit, featuring more than 140 ciders both regional and international samples from as far away as Spain, are available: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 -8 p.m. 

Owners and cider masters will be on hand to guide guests through the samplings (four-ounce portions) along with supplying information on the crafting process. New to the event is the Cider Cocktail Lounge featuring food and cider pairings. Also new this year is the Fruit Cider Challenge, where guests can vote on their favorite pilot batch created specifically for the event. Admission is $35 (each session requires a separate ticket), and includes a souvenir tasting glass, eight tasting tickets, and a one dollar donation to Heartland Alliance. VIP tickets, that include all the above plus two additional tasting tickets, are $40. Ages 21 and over. Designated driver tickets aew $5. Click here for tickets (until 11:59 p.m. Feb. 26) and more information. 

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Chef Roby's PRIMO Officially Opens

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Award -winning certified master chef of pastry and sugar artistry Chef Alain Roby, owner of All Chocolate Kitchen officially opens his new concept PRIMO, 33 S. Third Street, Geneva today (Feb. 24).

The restaurant features shared plates, artisanal cheese and desserts. The restaurant also boasts a fine wine list. Menu items include short ribs in a red wine sauce; seared lamb shank and Portobello mushrooms and green spice lentil; crostini au fromage (pictured) and Grandmother Louise's eggplant confit. 

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Cantina Laredo Milagro Tequila Dinner

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Cantina Laredo, 508 N. State, hosts a Milagro Tequila dinner 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27. For the occasion Chef Hector Rivera prepares a four-course menu featuring sope de brisket; sundried tomato chipotle soup; a choice of pork tenderloin with chile de arbol sauce or redfish with langostino corn sauce and a dessert of Key lime pie. Each course will be paired with tequila-based cocktail. Guests will also be feted to sampling various Milagro pours. The dinner kicks off  with a cocktail reception at 7 p.m.

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Flagship's Leap Day Deal: 29-cent Drafts

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Flagship Bar & Grill, 1622 W. Belmont, salutes Leap Day (Feb. 29) with 29-cent Miller Lite and Coors Light drafts (only) until supplies run out.

Separately the bar now offers daily specials that include:  $6 salads and wrap, $5 glasses of select wines; $20 Coors Light or Miller Lite buckets (Monday); $7 burgers, $4 drafts, $4 Jameson (Tuesday); $3 select Mexican beers, $4 Avion Silver tequila, $2 tacos (Wednesday); $3 Blue Moon drafts, $4 Fireball shots (Thursday, trivia night begins at 7 p.m.); Happy Hour deals 6-9 p.m. (Friday) and $3 Busch Light and PBR Tallboys, half-off Sky bombs (Sunday).

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Lottie's 8th Annual Dive Bar Crawl

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Lottie's, 1925 W. Cortland, hosts its Eighth Annual Old School Bar Pub Crawl beginning 2 p.m. Feb. 28. The includes school bus transportation, with refreshments, to four neighborhood bars and a buffet at Lottie's after the crawl (7 p.m.). Bus boarding registration begins at 1 p.m. The bus leaves at 2 p.m. Click here for tickets ($15).

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Geja's Winemaker's Dinner

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Geja’s Café's, 340 W. Armitage, Winemaker's Dinner series continues with a four-course M. Chapoutier Winemaker Dinner, 6:30 p.m. March 7. 

The menu for this highly-anticipated culinary event includes Geja's house salad, cheese fondue, beef tenderloin, chicken & jumbo shrimp entree, and flaming chocolate fondue for dessert with each course paired with a perfectly selected wine. The cost is $60 per person, all inclusive (wines, dinner, tax, and gratuity).

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Dollop Bake Shop Opens Today

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Dollop Bake Shop, an offshoot of Dan Weiss' Dollop Coffee Company concept, opens in Ukrainian Village, 1000 N. Damen, Feb. 19. Chef Axel Erkenswick will preside over the bakery/cafe. The bakery's specialty among the fresh-baked pastries will be sweet and savory croissants. 

On the cafe side the operation will feature a casual rotating lunch menu that includes soups, salads and sandwiches made from seasonal ingredients. 

Three additional locations are scheduled to open later in the year. In addition Dollop will partner with Hoosier Mama Pie Company to provide its six coffee shop locations with pastries.

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CH Distillery's Mixed Emotions

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CH Distillery, 564 W. Randolph, initiates "Cocktails Have Feeling, Too," a limited-run cocktail program beginning 5 p.m. March 2. The program, created by beverage director Azrhiel Frost, plays on the long-time theory that guest often pour out their feelings to the sympathetic bar attendant's  ear.

As such, Frost will design cocktails for guests sitting at the bar based upon their feelings by asking several key questions about their day, without knowing their spirit and flavor preferences. Cocktails are $12 each. The program runs 5-7 p.m. through March.

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Mac's Wood Grilled Cider Summit Event Tie-ins

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Mac's Wood Grilled, 1801 W. Division,  hosts a Cider Summit Chicago Pre-Party & Tap Takeover, beginning 4 p.m. Feb. 26. The event will feature eight limited release artisan ciders along with year-round varieties, including locally made Right Bee Cider created by husband and wife Katie Morgan and Charlie Davis.

Participants, featuring pours ranging from $6-8 each, include: Right Bee, Lincolnwood; Bantam Cider, Somerville, MA; Boonville Cider House, Boonville, CA; E.Z. Orchards, Salem, OR; Finnriver Cidery, Chimacum, WA; Citizen Cider, Burlington, VT; Sonoma Cider, Healdsburg, CA and Aspall, Debenham, Suffolk, Great Britain.

Cider Summit Chicago 2016, featuring more than 140 American and International ciders, takes place 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. Feb. 27 in the Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand.

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Founthead's "It Might Get Dark" Event

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Fountainhead, 1970 W. Montrose, host "It Might Get Dark," an event featuring dark brews and music, featuring rare and special releases including limited 2015 Goose Island BCS Rare, 6 p.m. Feb. 16. Draft pours will be $5-12. 

Participating breweries include: Founders Brewing Co, Kentucky Breakfast Stout 2014; New Holland Brewery, El Mole Ocho ALe; Solemn Oath, La Grappe Imperial Black Saison; B.O.M. Triporteur, Full Moon 12 Belgian Ale; Evil Twin Brewing, Even More Jesus' Imperial Stout, Anderson Valley Brewing, Huge Arker Imperial Stout 2014; Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Bam Noire Black Saison; and Brewery Vivant, Wizard Burial Ground Ba Imperial Stout. 

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Pavarotti Tribute @Glunz Tavern

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The Glunz Tavern, 1202 N. Wells, pays homage to famed operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti, 6 p.m. March 6. Special guest soprano Christine Steyer joins in the festivities.

The Chicago Gourmets! event, dubbed Pavarotti's Favorite Dinner, will be hosted by Paul Grosso and chef Didier Durand.

Click here to register and view complete menu.

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Frasca Pizzeria Gears Up For St. Paddy's Day

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It's never too soon to map out a plan for St. Patrick's Day. 

Frasca Pizzeria & Wine Bar, 3358 N. Paulina, St. Pat's wood-fire oven Guinness Pizza (Guinness stout crust topped with bechamel sauce, roasted onions, fingerling potatoes, bacon, three cheeses and signature) returns for one day only, 4:30-6 p.m. March 17, so mark your calendar. 

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