Celebrate local dining establishments during Chicago Restaurant Week, as you explore eats, treats and drinks in your neighborhood.
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Perilla joins the 14th annual Chicago Restaurant Week.
What better a time to support local restaurants? Choose Chicago announces the return of Chicago Restaurant Week (through April 4). The annual event provides foodies with the ideal occasion to sample specially curated, prix-fixe menus from restaurants that are part of Chicago’s nationally lauded culinary scene. Accounting for the effect of the pandemic on small businesses, the program has been adjusted to include dine-in menus for restaurants with limited indoor and alfresco service, as well as delivery options and carry-out menus.
Best Bets For Brunch Lovers
Sample Korean-inspired street food, a newly debuted weekend brunch and original craft cocktails at River North’s Miki’s Park. The menu includes a Korean bloody mary; bulgogi hash with fried egg, house marinated bulgogi, ribeye, diced potatoes, peppers, onions and melted cheese; and K-F-C chicken and waffles (“Korean-fried-chicken”) with waffles and gochujang maple syrup. Dine-in, takeout and delivery, 109 W. Hubbard St.
Enjoy weekend brunch, lunch or dinner at Sociale Chicago, the globally inspired eatery offering brunch on Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 3pm. Diners can try two of chef’s signature chilaquiles verdes made with corn tortillas, salsa verde, chicken tinga, fried shallots, two sunny side eggs, queso fresco and lime crema. For lunchgoers, wood-fire pizzas are on the menu, alongside french fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, parmesan truffle fries, house made chips or a side salad. Dine-in, curbside pickup and no-contact delivery, 800 S. Clark St.
Located at the Good Eats Group alongside Sociale Chicago, Café Press Chicago serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and brews custom blends from local coffee shop Sparrow Coffee Microroaster. Baked goods are made fresh daily, along with sandwiches, flatbreads, and handblended and -steeped coffees. The brunch menu serves up two signature breakfast BLTs with turkey, thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon, lettuce and tomato, with swiss, chimichurri-mayo and two grade A eggs on toasted local panini bread. Dine-in, takeout and no-contact delivery, 800 S. Clark St.
Best Bets For Italian Fare
Italian restaurant and wine bar Testaccio is providing a three-course Restaurant Week menu created by executive chef Jacob Solomon with traditional Roman-style comfort food dishes. The selections showcase artichoke bisque with rosemary and Sicilian oil; bucatini carbonara pasta with pancetta, spinach and cured egg; porchetta with pistachio pesto and Moroccan whole roasted cauliflower. For dessert, indulge in the restaurant’s Roman chocolate bar or affogato with espresso and vanilla gelato. Dine-in, takeout and delivery, 2456 N. California Ave.
With a Tuscan-inspired menu spotlighting handcrafted wood-fired pizzas, starters, salads and desserts, as well as cocktails to-go, wine and beer listings, Sono Wood Fired is providing lunch, dinner and pizza selections for Restaurant Week explorers. Select one 14-inch handmade chef’s specialty wood-fired pizza and a choice of a mixed greens or zesty Caesar salad. Pizza options include the crispy barbecue chicken, soppressata diavola, and the funghi pizza with oyster and cremini mushrooms, gruyere and more. Pickup and delivery, 800 S. Clark St.
Spend a night in Little Italy at Italian Village in the South Loop, the twinkle-lit venue with murals of the Tuscan landscape on its walls. With a specialty Restaurant Week menu, the restaurant’s bruschetta, four cheese ravioli, lasagne, chicken marsala and minestrone soup are featured offerings. For dessert, enjoy canolis with a creamy ricotta filling, chocolate chips and a fried pastry dough, or sample the tiramisu with ladyfingers soaked in brandy, espresso and sweet mascarpone cream. Indoor and outdoor dining, takeout and delivery, 2502 N. Clark St.
Best Bets For Dinner Favorites
Steaks, lobster mac and cheese, crabmeat cocktails and lavish desserts are being offered at Wacker Place’s Morton’s The Steakhouse. Try the 6-, 8- or 12-oz. filet mignon, the prime New York strip, the bone-in ribeye, or sample the 24- or 42-oz prime porterhouse steak. Miso-marinated sea bass, red king crab legs and cold water lobster tail are also featured, as well as an exquisite list of starters, such as the bacon-wrapped sea scallops, Nueske’s bacon steak, SRF wagyu meatballs and prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella. Indoor dining, takeout and delivery, 65 E. Wacker Place
The city’s rooftop indoor and outdoor bar at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel serves views of the Chicago skyline and an extensive menu of bites, appetizers to share, sweets, mains, sandwiches and salads. Delight in the grilled short steak with orange sweet Brussels sprouts and roasted Gunthorp Farms chicken breast with white bean ratatouille, parmesan polenta and lemon salsa verde. For dessert, choose from the triple chocolate hazelnut cake with a raspberry drizzle, the bourbon apple tart or the flavor-of-the-day cookies. Indoor dining and takeout, 1 W. Wacker Drive
Remington’s brings steaks, soups, sandwiches, a la carte options, seafood and cocktails to the table. Offerings showcase the 12-oz grilled pork chop with mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts; the slow roasted prime rib with au jus and a loaded baked potato; and a seasonal selection of fresh fish served with asparagus. Sip on the restaurant’s old fashioned with Old Forester, rich demerara syrup, bitters and essential oils, or try a gimlet with Hendrick’s Gin, fiorente elderflower and housemade lime cordial. Indoor dining and takeout, 20 Michigan Ave.
The rooftop bar and restaurant located in the South Loop’s Wit Hotel provides visitors with cocktails, spirits, eats and bottle service. Offering Neapolitan-inspired pizzas made in the eatery’s hearth oven, options include the margarita, mushroom, spicy garlic chicken, spinach and artichoke pizzas. Have dessert and drinks all at once with the s’mores martini with Absolut vodka, Godiva chocolate liqueur, Bailey’s Irish Cream, a graham cracker rim and toasted marshmallows. Indoor dining, 201 N. State St.
The River West Korean American venue, Perilla is giving Restaurant Week guests the option of a three- or four-course meal to try the restaurant’s most beloved menu items. The three-course dinner gives the choice of appetizers such as chicken, pork or vegetable dumplings, or honey butter potatoes; an entree lik the Korean JJ noodles or stir fried glass noodles; and a choice of side with plates including grilled cheshire pork belly, bulgogi or roasted vegetables with rice. The four-course menu provides the choice of Korean fried chicken wings, sauteed Brussels sprouts, honey butter potatoes or a scallion pancake. Dine-in, curbside pickup and no-contact delivery, 401 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Travelle at The Langham’s chef de cuisine Jeff Vucko provides guests with their choice of appetizers, entrees and dessert from pastry chef Danielle Marelli. Patrons can select from appetizers such as the roasted broccolini with Carr Valley cheddar mornay, frikkah and spiced honey, or peas and carrots with fennel velouté and almond pistou. Entrees span from the diver scallops with cauliflower, shiitake and allium to the spring chicken with za’atar, fregola and cherry. For dessert, enjoy a decadent lemon yogurt bar with almond shortbread, yogurt mousse and white chocolate lemon curd. Takeout only, 330 N. Wabash Ave.
American seafood, sides, salads and grilled steak, chicken and salmon are offerings at Francois Frankie, led by executive chef Mikey Sheerin. Eventgoers can sample the French onion soup gratinee with cave-aged gruyere, the sustainably raised Scottish salmon with sauteed spinach and the buffalo fried chicken with crispy chicken tenders, buffalo sauce, blue cheese, ranch coleslaw and a baguette. For dessert, indulge in the chocolate chip skillet cookie with vanilla ice cream, the banana cream pie or the black forest chocolate cake with nutella and strawberries. Outdoor dining, takeout and delivery, 222 W. Randolph St.
Best Bets For Selections From The Sea
Located at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago, Fisk & Co. serves Belgian-style mussels, creative cocktails and has 10 beer taps. White wine steamed PEI mussels with shallots, garlic, parsley and lemon are featured, as well as lemongrass Thai curry mussels with ginger, serrano, cilantro and coconut milk. Starters include the famed frites with a choice of garlic aioli, remoulade or curry ketchup; oysters on the half shell with lemon; or the king crab salad. Dine-in, takeout and delivery, 225 N. Wabash Ave.
Available through April 3, Ocean Prime’s Restaurant Week dinner menu includes a choice of a first course, entrees, appetizers and dessert items. Seafood and steaks are on display, including sea scallops with parmesan risotto, an 8-oz filet with gouda potato cake and teriyaki salmon with shiitake sticky rice and soy butter sauce. Add on the garlic shrimp scampi, black truffle butter or specialty bearnaise sauce. Treat yourself to the five layer carrot cake, warm chocolate bread pudding or your choice of ice cream and flavored sorbets. Indoor dining and takeout, 87 E. Wacker Drive
Best Bets For Lunch Fare
After reopening March 10, American eatery The Dearborn is offering lunch and dinner menus just in time for Restaurant Week, with dishes including pizza, burgers, steaks, pastas, starters, salads and more, along with desserts from chef Julianna Westgor. To start, the restaurant’s shrimp, crab and fennel ceviche are on the menu, then sample the marinated beet burrata or opt for the buttermilk-marinated fried chicken. Indoor dining and takeout, 145 N. Dearborn St.
USDA Prime half-pound burgers, handcrafted with fresh, nourishing proteins, are on tap at gourmet build-your-own Burger Bar Chicago. Restaurantgoers can dine on two signature stackers and two sides such as the french fries, sweet potato fries, tater tots, parmesan truffle fries, housemade chips or a side salad for lunch. For dinner, select a signature stacker paired with Burger Bar’s famed fried pickles with urban sauce and one side option. Dine-in, curbside pickup and no-contact delivery, 1150 S. Michigan Ave.
Newly opened and serving up 18 bold flavors of jumbo wings, Charred Wing Bar boasts a flavor range from sweet to savory with high to low heat levels. Each wing is marinated for 24 hours and grilled to perfection. The lunch and dinner menu allows diners to select five wing flavors, famous fried pickles with urban sauce and two side selections that span parmesan truffle fries to housemade chips. Flavors include the Carolina “Strike Gold” with Southern mustard barbecue and house pickles, the spicy dry rub Fire “Spark It Up,” the Thai coconut red “Curry Fury” and more. Llocal pick-up, contactless curbside and delivery, 1150 S. Michigan Ave.
Irish fare is on the table at Emerald Loop Bar and Grill, with dishes featuring burgers, salads, fish and chips, soups and sandwiches. Delight in the restaurant’s seafood curry with curry-braised shrimp, salmon, cod, sauteed rice, pineapple and rice pilaf, or try the famed mac and cheese with a twist, including the “Mac Piggy” with pulled pork and brisket, and the “Mambo Italiano” mac and cheese with smoked pork belly and wild mushrooms with a butter crumb crust. Indoor and outdoor dining, takeout and delivery, 216 N. Wabash Ave.
Wines by the glass or bottle, cocktails, domestic and seasonal beers, and espresso drinks can be found at The Walnut Room. The dining menu spans Mrs. Hering’s 1980 Original Chicken Pot Pie with creamy chicken and a rich, flakey crust; caramelized Alaska salmon with whipped vegetables and sauteed salmon; slow-cooked braised short rib topped with herb bread crumbs; and Alaska almond-crusted cod and chips with lemon caper sauce, homemade slaw and seasoned fries. Indoor dining, takeout and delivery, 111 N. State St.
Best Bets For Vegetarian and Vegan Bites
Renowned celebrity chef Matthew Kenney has brought organic, globally inspired and mindfully sourced fare to Saks Fifth Avenue at Althea, alongside an extensive cocktail, beer and wine program. The lunch menu includes items like barbacoa taco with maitake and oyster mushrooms, pepita cream, toasted pepitas and avocado puree; and chickpea salad sandwich with sourdough toast, horseradish, garlic pickle relish, cherry tomatoes and dill. Dinner offerings showcase the venue’s spicy udon noodle with shitake mushrooms, coconut curry risotto and zucchini tomato lasagne. Indoor dining, 700 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 7
Offering vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian options galore, Indian-fusion restaurant Arya Bhavan creates plant-based dishes with flavorful ingredients and decadent spices. Featuring a lunch menu and two dinner menus, offerings include masala dosa, a thin golden crepe filled with spiced potatoes and onions and topped with coconut chutney; and uttapam with colorful lentils and a rice pancake with cilantro, bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, peas, Thai chili pepper and coconut curry on top. Takeout and delivery, 2508 W. Devon Ave.
Photography by: By Tim McCoy Photo; courtesy of brands