The 3rd Annual Transgender Community Ice Cream Social will take place Wed., June 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St. Attendees at the free event will celebrate Pride on the rooftop deck while networking, listening to the sounds of DJ X-tasy and, of course, eating ice cream. The Center and Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream are co-sponsors.
Equality Vines is partnering with YWCA Metropolitan Chicago and VSA Partners to launch Respect Wine ( including a rose ), offering support through action to the #metoo movement. For every bottle purchased, $5 goes to YWCA Metropolitan Chicago to help in their fight to empower women and eliminate racism. See https://yshop.org/products/respect-wines.
For Father's Day, Benny's Chop House, 444 N. Wabash Ave., is offering a Chef Prepared Prime Rib Dinner, featuring a 16-ounce USDA prime rib with truffled double-baked potato and natural jus, served with the restaurant's signature house salad for $44.99. The full dinner menu and children's menu will also be available starting at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 17. See www.bennyschophouse.com .
For the dad who is a golf fan, Commonwealth Tavern, 2000 W. Roscoe St., will open at 10 a.m. on Father's Day to broadcast the final day of 2018 U.S. Open on 12 TV screens, including a 70-inch plasma. While watching the action on the course, patrons can enjoy brunch until 2 p.m. with a $3 Build-Your-Own Mimosa Bar and $6 Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary Bar. See CommonwealthChicago.com .
Cindy's, atop the Chicago Athletic Association hotel at 12 S. Michigan Ave., welcomes fathers and families to smoked and roasted feast featuring Smoked Snake River Farms wagyu beef cheeks with Texas caviar, grilled sweet potato and poblano cream. The limited-run special can be accompanied by the Bonfire cocktail made with wagyu fat-washed Pikesville rye, Belgian biscuit malt, palo santo and Benedictine. For something sweet to complete the feast, there's strawberry rhubarb pie with roasted vanilla ice cream. Call 312-792-3502 or by visit CindysRooftop.com .
For Father's Day, Lawry's The Prime Rib, 100 E. Ontario St., guests can take home Lawry's Father's Day package that includes four 24-ounce seasoned ribeye steaks, two quarts of horseradish slaw, one pint of crispy onion strings and a bowl of Lawry's famous homemade potato chips for $275. To-go orders must be placed at least 48 hours in advance; call 312-787-5000 or email Shannon at stauschman@lawrysonline.com .
River Roast, 315 N. LaSalle St., is hosting a Father's Day cookout. A riverside patio grill will have sausages, burgers, chicken and fish; also, the Old Fashioned Bar will feature a variety of bourbon, whiskey and ryes. Also, there's the live blues music. River Roast's cookout is from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and costs $55/adult ( $15/kid ). Call 312-822-0100 for reservations.
The Blackstone, 636 S. Michigan Ave., invites guests to experience the "Exactly Like Nothing Else" package this Father's Day. Upon booking the package, guests can enjoy a stay in The Blackstone's historic Smoke-Filled Suite; exclusive access to The Blackstone's private Iwan Ries & Co. locker stocked with the hotel's hand-selected, single barrel batch of KOVAL Distillery whiskey and a supply of cigars, as well as access to the members-only Iwan Ries Lounge and more. Call 312-542-3436 or visit https://www.theblackstonehotel.com/stay/specials/exactly-like-nothing-else-a-smoke-filled-experience.
Italian Village Restaurants, 71 W. Monroe St., is offering rosemary-encrusted prime riba 12-ounce cut of meat slow roasted with Chianti button mushrooms and horseradish cream sauce, served with a baked potato and choice of mixed green salad or soup. For the bacon-loving dad, Executive Chef Jose Torres is serving a double-cut bacon wrapped pork chop.
On Sunday, June 17, Hakka Bakka, 1251 W. Fullerton Ave., will serve a Father's Day meal combo featuring a lamb shammi burger, fries and a drink for $10. A twist on traditional shammi kebabs from South Asia, the burger patties are handmade with minced lamb and Hakka Bakka's house blend of spices. See HakkaBakkaRolls.com .
Frontier, 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave., has unveiled its unique summer menu. Chef Brian Jupiter's new menu blends unique proteins like antelope and wild boar with summer ingredients. Dishes include antelope cheesesteak ( $16, shaved antelope, peppers, mushrooms, red wine onion jam, provolone, hoagie, french fries ), shrimp spaghetti ( $17, homemade pasta, trinity, garlic, cream, thyme, spicy 'ndjuna, chives ) and rhubarb & strawberry crostata ( $9, semolina custard, balsamic reduction, green chartreuse ice cream ). See www.thefrontierchicago.com .
Dusek's Board & Beer, 1227 W. 18th St., will offer something unique for Father's Day: a bootful of beer. The restaurant will offer extra large pours of its Thalia Hall Pilsner in a traditional 32-ounce German beer boot for $12. See DuseksChicago.com .
On Father's Day, Beatrix ( multiple locations ) will offer its Prime Burger and a cold local beer like Flywheel, Daisy Cutter, Sliced Nectarine and more for $15. Also, the pastry counter will have treats like the Magic Cookie, Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake or Joy Cookie.
Pete Miller's Steak and Seafood Naperville, 3032 English Rows, is offering Class of 2018 graduates and all fathers a free steak dinner through Sunday, June 17, when a full priced entrée is purchased. To redeem the offer, a $50 value, grads must simply show their 2018 diploma folder to their server to redeem, while dads must simply mention they are celebrating Father's Day with Pete. Reservations are required; see PeteMillers.com .
At Kings Dining & Entertainment, guests are welcome to try out the new summer menu, featuring selections like the Impossible Kitchen burger, towering ice-cream sundaes in flavors like strawberry shortcake and chocolate chip cookie; there's also Kings' new family-style meal service, offering table-service options perfect for sharing. After dinner, guests can head to the lanes with dine-and-bowl reservations, and bowling-pin painting for the kids; see www.kings-de.com .
Lincolnwood's L. Woods Tap & Pine Lodge, 7110 Lincoln Ave., is offering carryout for Father's Day. There will be starters like the chopped salad, buffalo wings and pulled pork sandwich followed by an entree like the chicken bucket or barbecue chicken. Desserts include a whole banana pie. Call 847-677-3350 to place an order.
French spot Bistronomic, 840 N. Wabash Ave.,will offer a two-course brunch menu and three-course, meat-centric dinner menu on Father's Day. The two-course brunch menu will be offered 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for $27, with the option to add bottomless mimosas ( 90-minute limit ) for $41; for dinner, Bistronomic will celebrate dad with a special three-course, meat-centric menu for $39 or $44 served with a Stella Artois at 5-9 p.m. Call 312-944-8400.
Booth One, 1301 N. State St., will have a special brunch for Father's Day. There will be a special a la carte brunch menu along with signature Booth One favorites like its new ham & hashbrown benedict, black truffle scrambled eggs, and buttermilk pancakes with seasonal berries. Advanced reservations are highly recommended; visit boothone.com/reservations/ .
Mon Ami Gabi, 2300 N. Lincoln Park West, is turning 20, and on Tuesday, June 19, it is celebrating with Veuve Clicquot on the patio as the sun sets. Signature Mon Ami Gabi hors d'oeuvres will be prepared by Chef Nelli Maltezos and paired with rose and Yellow Label brut. The cost is $65 per person.
Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya ( 1457 N. Halsted St. ) is teaming with the Japanese Cultural Center to host their first-ever Chicago Japanese Matsuri: A Traditional Japanese Summer Fest ( in the NEWCITY part of Lincoln Park ) on June 23-24. Japanese dishes, as well as drinks ranging from water to sake, will be available for purchase, although event admission is free. See chicagomatsuri.com .
The first wave of restaurants has been announced for Taste of River North, which will take place July 20-22 at Ward Park, 630 N. Kingsbury St. Some of the restaurants will include Da Lobsta, Bar Cargo, Texican and Ruth's Chris Steak House. There will also be music, the Wine & Art Walk, the Lurie's Kids Zone and a morning workout. See TasteOfRiverNorth.com .
Delightful Pastries, 5927 W. Lawrence Ave., is offering a gluten-free baking class Saturday, Sept. 8, 12-2 p.m. Students will learn to make two types of fluten-free cookies, panna cotta and chocolate cremeux. Also, the chef will show how to take one simple recipe and create variations of it. The class is $75/student; email Info@DelightfulPastries.com or call 773-545-7215.
Lawry's The Prime Rib is teaming with the Chicago Architecture Foundation to offer a Sunset River Cruise packag that involves one-stop shopping, dinner and a display of the city's architecture. The Sunset Cruise runs seven days a week through Oct. 5 and begins promptly at 5:30 pm at the southeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive ( lasting roughly 75 minutes ). The meal features Lawry's classics like the spinning bowl salad, California-cut prime rib with mashed potatoes and gravy, Yorkshire pudding and a mini-CC Brown's hot-fudge sundae. Pricing is $62-$119/person.
Lincoln Park's Gemini will get a big brother of sorts with the opening of the Gold Coast's Walton Street Kitchen + Bar from husband-and-wife veteran restaurateurs Ryan and Anna O'Donnell. Located at 912 N. State St.inside No. 9 Walton, a new luxury condo tower at the corner of State and Walton streetsthe two-level spot will spotlight American-leaning fare.
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