Tacit: Expressed or carried on without words or speech
I admit that in my almost seventy years on earth I have never used the word tacit. It’s never come out of my mouth. I’ve never written or typed the word. I knew the definition but I did look it up before writing this just to do a double-check. And yet, when the word showed up in a recent Wordle game, I came up with it correctly on my second guess.
I’m not telling you this to brag, although most people I know who play the game either got it on their fifth or sixth guess if they got it right at all. But, recently there have been complaints about how unfair the game has become and this is the word they used to prove their point.
SIGH! PEOPLE, IT’S ONLY A GAME!
I do understand that it can get frustrating. One day last week the word was SHAKE. After the second row, I had the s, h, a and e in the proper spots. Only one space to go. Should be easy, right? For row three, I went with SHARE. BUZZ! Next row I tried SHALE. BUZZ! Two rows left. How about SHAME? BUZZ!! One row left. One final guess. It was either SHADE or SHAKE. Hmmm…I went with SHADE. BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZZZZZ!!!
I’m sure some of my reactions included “oh shit” or “are you fucking kidding me?!!”, but then I moved on with my life. I never once thought of starting a Wordle protest. It never crossed my mind to write a letter to the New York Times to complain about the game has become harder since they recently became the owners. I save those letters to complain about Maggie Haberman and her coverage of the former guy who lives in Florida….but I digress.
I play Wordle for a couple of reasons. It gets my brain moving early each morning. I like to see how others figure out the word puzzle and compare it to the way I worked. It’s interesting to see their thought process.
Wordle is five minutes of daily mindful fun, but that’s all it is. Hmmmm…I guess I didn’t need almost four hundred words to express this. I guess that was tacitly understood.
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Wordle: Chill with the complaints; it’s just a game Read More »
It was a fundamental, two-hand chest pass from Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine to DeMar DeRozan in the third quarter of a Feb. 9 game in Charlotte. Big bucks were at stake, and the NBA’s most-invested fans were watching closely.
DeRozan caught the pass from LaVine on the move, took a dribble to get into the paint and hit a running jumper off one leg while drawing a foul. The bucket put the Bulls up 67-56 on the Hornets with 7:18 left in the third quarter. It appeared to be a textbook assist from LaVine, but it wasn’t scored that way.
Hundreds of statistical data points — assists, rebounds, steals, blocks and more — are recorded during an NBA game, many of them requiring interpretation in real time. These days, there’s money riding on seemingly every one of them, including LaVine’s chest pass to DeRozan.
LaVine was not credited with an assist on the play. Sportsbooks had offered the over/under on LaVine’s assists for the game at 5.5. He finished with five assists.
Large online betting communities had teamed up on LaVine’s over on assists, including it in long-shot parlays with big payouts. They thought a stat correction was warranted. The NBA did not.
Kenny McAndress, a 28-year-old bettor and social media personality in Philadelphia, looked back at the LaVine decision two weeks later and said, “That one just felt like it was so cut and dry. I have to rethink how I do my bet construction, because I want to avoid assists.”
Frustrated bettors have taken to social media routinely to question how plays that impact their bets are scored. A lot of the time, there’s disagreement over the interpretation on a close play, like whether a pass truly does “lead directly to a made basket” to qualify as an assist. A handful of complaints, however, have prompted the league to issue corrections. When that happens, some sportsbooks end up paying out on both sides of wagers: the side that was the winner by the initial ruling and then the other side after the box score is corrected.
“Our fans are obsessed with statistics,” Scott Kaufman-Ross, a senior vice president for the NBA who oversees the betting space for the league, told ESPN. “We agree that it’s critical that we get it right. We’ve felt this way for a long time, even before sports betting was legal. Of course, there is a brighter light being shined on some of our statistics given the rise of sports betting, but it’s always been critical for us to get our stats right.”
It’s a conundrum with no definitive solution for the league, bookmakers or bettors. Human error is inevitable. Ultimately, most stakeholders realize that stat-keeping mistakes are — and always will be — part of the game.
Stat corrections happen in every sport. The NFL, for example, releases weekly reports on stat changes. Recent corrections made by the NBA have received more attention, though.
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The NBA refutes any notion that there has been an uptick of stat corrections. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the league’s official statistician, the NBA has issued far fewer stat corrections over the last three seasons than in prior seasons. Neither the NBA nor ESB provided the percentage of games that receive corrections, but both entities — and multiple sportsbooks — characterized them as “rare,” especially considering that millions of data points are inputted throughout the season.
In the final week of January, however, the NBA issued multiple corrections. At least two of them were preceded by an outcry from bettors on Twitter and in media coverage, including from ESPN. An assist erroneously credited to Chris Paul was given to Mikal Bridges a day after a Utah Jazz–Phoenix Suns game on Jan. 24, and, three days later, the NBA awarded a steal to Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards that he initially wasn’t credited with during a game against the Golden State Warriors. Bettors brought attention to both.
“There is no rash of corrections in terms of volume,” Kaufman-Ross said in a February phone interview. “I think people are paying attention to it more.”
Indeed, they are. In a way, the increased fan engagement the NBA predicted when pivoting its position on sports betting is now evident when bettors are pointing out the league’s mistakes. No one expects them to stop, but more transparency and communication from the league is needed, bettors say.
“I don’t know where this goes, if policy doesn’t change, because, right now, there’s nothing that forces them to do anything,” McAndress said.
Basketball is a difficult sport to score live. The action is fast-paced with fewer and shorter breaks than baseball or football. Upwards of six people make up the stat-collection teams that are assigned to each NBA game. Four are on-site: a primary and secondary caller, and a primary and secondary inputter provided by the home team. At least one NBA employee from the league’s New Jersey office is assigned to each game and is connected directly to the secondary caller on site via a headset. They all have access to video replay from approximately a dozen different angles and the ability to communicate with each other about judgment calls. Still, even with all the technology, mistakes happen, and they cost bettors and bookmakers money.
A daily sports betting news and information show (6-7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) that aims to better serve the millions of sports fans who participate in sports wagering and help educate general sports fans with in-depth analysis. Watch >>
For decades, the standard house rule for sportsbooks in Las Vegas has been not to recognize stat corrections. Wagers are traditionally graded on the stats initially released. But newer bookmaking companies, like FanDuel and DraftKings, have taken a new approach to corrections, even if it costs them.
“There are probably a handful [of stat corrections] a year that are higher-profile that maybe people notice,” Karol Corcoran, general manager of FanDuel’s online sportsbook, said. “We appreciate that it’s difficult for our stat providers to get everything right 100 percent of the time.”
FanDuel’s rule on stat corrections is centered on the official box score distributed by the NBA and is written generally enough to allow for changes. The sportsbook ended up paying out on both sides of recent bets impacted by stats corrections.
“What we’re trying to do is ensure that the experience our customers are having is not negatively impacted by some of these mistakes,” Corcoran said. “It’s — excuse my language — kind of a s—-ty experience when you lose a bet just because of a mistake. Sometimes it’s blatantly obvious that you have the mistake; other times it is discretion, so we try, where it’s feasible, to kind of make it up to the customers.”
McAndress, a young Philly sports bettor and media personality, has more than 3,500 members on his Discord server, Moonshot HQ. On Feb. 9, he recommended a five-leg parlay featuring LaVine to get more than 5.5 assists against the Hornets to the community.
Moonshot HQ buzzed after LaVine’s pass to DeRozan in the third quarter. Username alopbanana was among the first to notice that LaVine had not been awarded an assist, posting, “bro wtf.”
21EnerG weighed in next: “They robbed Lavine of an assist on the and one.”
“That’s 100% an assist,” added simm.
Guy summed up his feeling with, “They hate us.”
The chatter gravitated to twitter with scorned bettors posting videos of the play and tagging the @nbastats account.
Here is a video of the LaVine-to-DeRozan play:
Here is a video of an example of an assist on the NBA’s website.
Both plays look similar, but the NBA did not issue a correction.
In an email response to a fan questioning why an assist wasn’t awarded to LaVine, an NBA representative wrote, “Thank you for contacting us about a play in the Feb. 9 Bulls-Hornets game. Please know that assists are credited at the discretion of the arena’s in-game statisticians. Additionally, please note that the NBA Operations team does not credit or remove assists postgame; only assists credited to the wrong player are updated.”
McAndress says responses to questionable scoring decisions often go unaddressed by the NBA, which fuels the betting community’s frustration.
“Other than someone like us, if we lose a bet on a particular example, other than us finding it and going to fight about it, who else is complaining about a missed rebound or a missed assist,” McAndress said. “I’m sure that this is something that’s probably happened naturally for as long as they’ve been keeping stats.”
The NBA says it is always looking for ways to improve its process, but there were no changes planned for stat collection at this point.
“Unlike some other sports, where you have a play then 30 seconds between pitches or 40 seconds per play, our game is happening in real time — a steal, a block, an assist, a three, a turnover … all that stuff is happening at a really fast pace. It is challenging to do,” Chris Berrisford, director of basketball operations for the NBA, told ESPN. “We have a lot of statistics, and they’re happening quickly. I think given how many stats we have and the pace of our game, I think we should feel pretty good about it’s rare, but it will happen.”
And when the stat-keeping mistakes happen, it’s a good bet that gamblers will be the ones to spot them first.
Just when we were done with Super Bowl and Valentine specials, we fall into Mardi Gras, which means Paczki beers, then St. Patrick’s Day stuff. In the meantime, I expect to see some fundraising events for Twisted Hippo, which was destroyed by fire this week. As I hear of them, I will update here.
After hearing about this new brewery back in August, it seems that Hop District Community Brewing Co. will be opening at 23 E 31st St. in LaGrange Park. Patch reports that no specific opening is set, but they are in the process of permitted.
With the anticipated lifting of many mask requirements in Chicago public places, I’d like to remind all of us to please stay respectful of induvudual establishments’ policies, and of people who choose to remain masked. I have read that some spaces with distilleries may continue to require stringent measures, as they are federally licensed.
11:00 am – 9:00 pm • Goose Island Tap Takeover
Old Town Pour House, 1419 N. Wells St., Chicago 312‑477‑2800 Map
In celebration of our 10 year anniversary, we’re partnering with Goose Island for one of their largest tap takeovers ever. The taps, passed apps, and music will be flowing for a takeover like no other. The first tapping will be at noon. The restaurant will be open at 11 a.m. with limited reservations available until noon, then the restaurant is open for regular tables on a first-come, first-served basis.
On Friday, 45+ taps will be taken over by Goose Island, featuring iconic and exclusive brews including a variety of Bourbon County Stout (2 yr. Reserve Rye, Cherrywood, Midnight Orange, Barleywine, and others!), vintage pours of acclaimed brews like Matilda, Lolita, and Gillian, over 20 barrel-aged selections, and more. Also featured proudly on tap by the Old Town Pour House team, is their collaborative beer with Goose Island, Bottlenectar. The light-bodied and crisp pale ale is one of the top brewery/restaurant collaborations around, incorporating the Huell Melon Hop – One that has been growing in popularity among top brewers – which offers an incredibly compelling finish. An additional 17 taps will feature a variety of core and vintage brews by Virtue Cider, a Goose Island sister brand, highlighting an amazing lineup of their intriguing and refreshing ciders.
Entry to the tap takeover is FREE. More details and the full tap list are available here.
12:00 pm • Iron&Glass Hop Butcher Pickups
Iron&Glass, 632 S. Weber Rd., Romeoville, IL (815) 782-5559 Map
& Iron&Glass Minooka, 104 Ridge Rd., Minooka, IL (815) 255-2114 Map
It’s Hop Butcher for the World time!
All Sides are Green – 8.5% Nelson Sauvin, Simcoe & Riwaka-hopped Double India Pale Ale
Blizzard of ’67 – 10% Citra, Mosaic, El Dorado & Ekuanot-hopped Triple India Pale Ale Brewed With Honey
Order now, pickup Friday
Minooka: ironglasstapminooka.shopsettings.com
Romeoville: ironglasstap.shopsettings.com
12:00 – 4:00 pm • 2 Fools Reopening
2 Fools Cider, 1864 High Grove Ln., Ste 100, Naperville, IL 630-995-9973 Map
Our new location is finally opening!This weekend 12-4 PM you can have a sneak peak of our brand new cidery!
Stop by to grab our exclusive to-go ciders, along with 4-packs and brand new merch!
Our menu includes:
Peach Sauced 10%
Lemon Zinger 6.9%
Raspberry Zinger Sauced 10%
Chocolate Strawberry 6.9%
Orange Whip 6.9%
Blood Orange Sauced 10%To celebrate our re-opening, we will be having great LIVE music Friday and Saturday, paired with food from our friends at Fernando’s Street Kitchen
Foreign Exchange Brewing Co. will be supplying the beer at the taproom all weekend for those of you that want a little double dry-hopped double IPA with your Pinehopple, Rosé, and Tart Cherry ciders.
We are all proud of our accomplishments to make this cidery a killer space for you, your friends, and family.
4:00 – 8:00 pm • Fire & Smoke BBQ at Mikerphone
Mikerphone Brewing, 121 Garlisch Dr., Elk Grove Village, IL Map
Fire & Smoke is back from 4p-sellout
4:00 – 8:00 pm • Soul & Smoke
Sketchbook Brewing Co. – Skokie, 4901 Main St., Skokie, IL Map
POP-UP inside the Skokie Taproom!
Enjoy the delicious meat and veggie BBQ and comfort food of Evanston’s own Soul & Smoke! (Also at the Evanston taproom on Saturday)…
4:00 – 10:00 pm • Barrel Aged Throwdown
The Church Street Brewing Co., 1480 Industrial Dr. Ste. C, Itasca, IL (630) 438-5725 Map
It’s a Barrel Aged Throwdown between our two Righteously Awesome Brewers, Michael and Andy!
First up is Andy with his Crandemic: “Was it all a dream? Will anything be the same after the Crandemic? This Wine Barrel Aged Ale w/ Cranberry and Vanilla is a smooth, balanced brew that will put your fears to bed.”
Up next, Michael with Persimmonary: “Mine is a wine barrel aged ale based off a traditional Korean holiday punch called Sujeonggwa, that uses persimmons, ginger, and cinnamon. It taste great served cold as the punch commonly is, but we will also offer it heated up and served like a German Glühbier for an extra warming effect in the final stretch of cold weather.”
BE THE JUDGE! TAPROOM ONLY RELEASE WHILE SUPPLIES LAST
4:00 – 9:00 pm • Goodstuff Eats BBQ Pop-Up
Temperance Beer Co., 2000 Dempster St., Evanston, IL (847) 864-1000 Map
Goodstuff Eats will be serving up some delicious BBQ in our lot this winter!
Try their baby back ribs, pastrami sandwiches (with Dilly Dally Provisions spicy beer mustard & skokie provisions pickle!), brisket sandwich, smashed pork shoulder, and smoked sweet potatoes and mangoes.
See their full menu here.
4:00 – 10:00 pm • Cocina Azteca at Sketchbook Evanston
Sketchbook Brewing Co., 821 Chicago Ave. # E2, Evanston, IL (847) 859-9051 Map
Homemade tamales and salsas from Cocina Azteca, an Evanston family-owned business. Order at the bar every Friday!
4:30 – 9:00 pm • Cultivate Community Table Pop Up
Brothership Brewing, 18781 S 90th Ave, Unit E, Mokena, IL 708-995-7014 Map
Join us on Friday as we kick off our 2nd anniversary weekend with Cultivate Community Table. They have put together a killer Brothership themed menu with a little something for everyone. Check it out and come hungry!
5:00 pm • 9th Hour GRAND OPENING!!
9th Hour Brewing Co., 136 Cedar Ave., Lake Villa, IL Map
9th Hour grand opening weekend!
Come check out THREE awesome new beers from 9th Hour Brewing!
Emily’s Ale: Strawberry Blonde
Nature Walk: Spruce Tip Pale Ale
First Hour Haze: Hazy IPA
Friday 2/25
Teacher Happy Hour 3-6pm
Food from 15 Lakes @ 5pm
LIVE MUSIC from Lenny Bains @ 7pm
Saturday 2/26
Food from Mijo’s Tacos @ 5pm
LIVE MUSIC Travis & Mike of Dollar Giraffes from 7:30-10pm
5:00 – 9:00 pm • Guapo Taco – Tacos de canasta
Steam Hollow Brewing Co., 450 S. Spruce St. Unit C, Manteno, IL Map
The most sought after Taco Truck from the Chicago area! Catch them while you can!
*Note, truck is cash only. There is an ATM inside the taproom.
5:00 – 7:00 pm • Friday Beer Tastin’ feat. Church Street Brewing
Cork Keg & Spirits, 1603 N. Alpine Rd., Ste 113, Rockford, IL Map
Our weekly tastings are back!!!
Come by this Friday to sample beers from Church Street Brewing Co. and get your weekend started off right!
5:00 – 8:00 pm • Restaurant Pop-Up : Uncle Cam’s
Oswego Brewing Co., 61 S. Main St., Oswego, IL (331) 999-1991 Map
Uncle Cam’s serves up hot sandwiches and soup served fresh with the best local ingredients! Their menu is crafted using fresh ingredients from local vendors and small businesses.
Uncle Cam’s will be in the OBC Tap Room from 5-8PM
5:00 – 9:00 pm • Burn’n Bull
Black Horizon Brewing Co., 7560 S. Quincy St., Willowbrook, IL (630) 413-4964 Map
Burn’n Bull by Chef Jeff, bringing his amazingly delicious Southern inspired BBQ at BHBC! Come and get yours with our tasty beers, live music by Paul Cullen, and a great time!
5:00 – 9:00 pm • Four Course Revolution Beer Dinner
Gillerson’s Grubbery, 33 W. New York St., Aurora, IL 630-340-3719 Map
Head out to Gillerson’s Grubbery to enjoy four amazing courses paired with some of your favorite Rev Brews.
Course 1: Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Bacon Aioli paired with Rev Pils.
Course 2: Seafood Taco paired with A Little Crazy.
Course 3: Smoked Cornish Game Hen with Jalapeño Cranberry sauce and grilled mango Spanish rice paired with Baphomet Bock.
Course 4: Arnie Flan paired with Vanilla Deth.
Tickets will be available here.
6:00 pm • Candle Making Pop-Up
Obscurity Brewing and Craft Mead, 113 W. North St., Elburn, IL (630) 320-2255 Map
We are SO excited to be partnering with MXVII Candle Co. at the Mead Hall for a candle making pop up!!!
Event is Friday, February 25th at 6pm
Tickets can be purchased on drinkobscurity.com.
Price of $60 includes the price of a candle, the glass and a glass of mead/ or an N/A mock tail. Tip & tax are also already included!
Guests are to arrive 15 minutes before the event starts to get their beverage, and have time to relax before we start at 6!
You will have the choice of two scents – Love Spell or Forever Red and will be in a special seasonal jar.
Pick up will be on Saturday, the 26th at The Mead Hall – 11am.
6:30 – 8:30 pm • Bites & Brews with Marz
318 Coffeehouse, 302 S 3rd St Geneva, IL (630) 845-3180 Map
Hang out with Marz Community Brewing in Geneva this Friday for some Bites and Brews!!! @318coffeehouse is hosting us for a great pairing and good time!
9:00 am – 4:00 pm • Energy City Releases for Pickup
Energy City Brewing, 917 First St., Batavia, IL 630-597-5581 Map
The Bistro Cabana series continues this Saturday with another tropical banger: Bistro Cabana Mango & Pink Guava! If the warming weather doesn’t put you in the mood for sunny days, this heavily fruited Berliner will seal the deal. We paired succulent mango with tropical pink guava for a comforting yet exotic experience.
In addition to our new Bistro Cabana, Bâtisserie Coconut Biscotti and Bistro Smoothie will be available for tasting this Saturday at the brewery! Crunchy biscotti cookie meets creamy coconut in this imperial stout. Crack open one of these cookies to reveal 10% warming alcohol and the complexity within. Contains milk sugar.
Order at our website now for Saturday pickup.
10:00 – 11:00 am • Stacey’s Bootcamp HIIT Class
Crafted 1979, 19200 LaGrange Rd., Ste. E, Mokena, IL 708-860-2826 Map
Come in and work out with Stacey as she has you work off those beers from the week. She adjusts the workout to all levels. High-Intensity Interval Training at its finest. Plus we reward you for finishing the class with a draft pour of your choosing. This cost is $12
12:00 – 10:30 pm • Dark Lager Day
Goldfinger Brewing Co., 513 Rogers St., Downers Grove, IL (630) 541-9728 Map
Dark Lager Day is back!
Come by Saturday to celebrate the beauty of Dark lagers.
This year we will be tapping 3 dark lagers:
– Black Lager (Schwarzbier)
– Złotonator Doppelbock
– Czech Dark Lager
Our friends from Cultivate have a delicious “Hearty European Bierhalle” style menu and will be serving it up fresh inside the taproom from 4-8pm!
12:00 – 4:00 pm • 2022 Naperville Ale Fest – Winter Edition
Frontier Park, 3380 Cedar Glade Dr., Naperville, IL Map
A time-honored tradition, Naperville Ale Fest – Winter Edition is Illinois’ largest outdoor beer fest. It will be cold, yes, but also filled with beer! We’ll feature more than 150 craft beers – with a strong focus on beers only available in winter. Since most beer fests happen during the summer months, it’s rare to get a chance to try this many stouts, porters, barrel-aged beers, winter warmers, and giant double IPAs all in one place.
Tickets are $55 and include entry to the fest and 18 3oz samples.
For tickets and the latest brewer and food truck list, visit napervillealefest.com.
1:00 – 11:00 pm • Dortmunder/Vienna Lager release party with Jim Soule!
Black Lung Brewing Co., 2217 N IL-83, Round Lake Beach, IL (224) 643-7204 Map
We are releasing two new beers in four packs of 16 ounce cans! These are Riff Tracks 2 & 3, our Dortmunder Export Lager and our new Vienna Lager! We also have Jim Soule live at 8 PM!
1:00 – 8:00 pm • Dark Horse Pop-Up
Alter Brewing Co., 2300 Wisconsin Ave. #213, Downers Grove, IL 630-541-9558 Map
Look who’s back, back again, it’s Terrell and his amazing Dark Horse Pastries; bring a friend.
Join us on 2/26 at 1pm for some delicious new eats from one of our favorite chefs.
2:00 – 7:00 pm • Goodstuff Eats BBQ Pop-Up
Temperance Beer Co., 2000 Dempster St., Evanston, IL (847) 864-1000 Map
Goodstuff Eats will be serving up some delicious BBQ in our lot this winter!
Try their baby back ribs, pastrami sandwiches (with Dilly Dally Provisions spicy beer mustard & skokie provisions pickle!), brisket sandwich, smashed pork shoulder, and smoked sweet potatoes and mangoes.
See their full menu here.
2:00 – 5:00 pm • Parson’s Chicken Challenge
Solemn Oath Brewery Still Life, 2919 W. Armitage Ave., Chicago Map
This Saturday, Parson’s Chicken and Fish, the chicken (& fish) champs of Chicago cruise across Armitage to take your tastebuds to Texas with piping hot bowls of Chef Hunter’s Lone Star-style chili.
Doors open at noon for beers. Bowls going out 2-5pm or sold out.
2:00 – 6:00 pm • Biker Dude Smashburger
Mikerphone Brewing, 121 Garlisch Dr., Elk Grove Village, IL 847-264-8904 Map
2:00 pm • Polar Plunge Team Fundraiser
Rt 66 Old School Brewing, 110 Bridge St., Wilmington, IL (815) 476-2220 Map
OSB is Freezin’ For A Reason and taking the plunge! Join us on February 26th for our Polar Plunge fundraiser event.
Camron W. who is from Braidwood and an equestrian athlete in the Special Olympics will be joining us! Camron will be here to tell us about the equestrian sport in the Special Olympics. We will have a specialty beer as well. Proceeds raised from the specialty beer will be donated to OSB’s Polar Plunge team!
LIVE MUSIC by The Jib Brothers 2:00-5:00!!
Girl Scouts will be selling cookies from 2-5 pm also!
3:00 pm • Pop-Up Kitchen: Libertad!
Sketchbook Brewing Co. – Skokie, 4901 Main St., Skokie, IL (847) 588-0652 Map
Skokie’s own Libertad returns, serving up Mexican and Latin American comfort food.
Sat: 3-8 • Sun: 2-6
Count on us for delicious food every weekend!
4:00 pm – 12:00 am • Mardi Gras @ IBW Lodge #1
Illuminated Brew Works, 6186 N. Northwest Hwy., Chicago (708) 669-7287 Map
Come celebrate MARDI GRAS with the Krewe of Mystic Illuminates at IBW LODGE #1.
We’ll be flush with fresh, delicious IBW beer and we’ll have plenty of FREE FOOD to fill your swollen belly’s. We’ve got boudin, muffulettas, king cake and other yummies. If you want to bring some treats to share, don’t be shy!
Come in costume and get your first beer on us!
Bring your A game or, at least, your C game and let’s light this thing up properly.
If you know how to have fun without being a freaking drag on the other people around you, than this is the place for you. Come on and get yourself some!
5:00 – 8:00 pm • Saturday Night Food Truck – Billy Bricks Pizza
Buffalo Creek Brewing, 360 Historical Ln., Long Grove, IL 847-821-6140 Map
Thin-crust, Neapolitan-style pizza, baked in an authentic wood-fired, brick oven is the centerpiece of a simple menu along with some treats!
5:00 pm • Lake County Craft Beer Festival
Lake County Fairgrounds, 1060 E. Peterson Rd., Grayslake, IL Map
The Lake County Craft Beer Festival is BACK for its 7th year! Featuring local, regional, and national breweries, distilleries, and wineries
sampling specialty and seasonal beers, plus music, food, games, and entertainment!
And this year, it’s going to be all that and a bag of chips, with a 1990’s theme!
Our Walkman will be blasting some fly tunes, so bust out your finest mood rings, neon windbreakers, and frosted tips, especially if you want to join in our costume contest, aiight?
*ALL attendees MUST be 21 years of age or older – no exceptions.
Ticket $50 in advance (through 2/23), $60 at the door.
Check out LCFairgrounds.com for more info and tickets.
5:00 pm • Chicago Fire Season Kickoff
Revolution Brewery & Taproom, 3340 N. Kedzie Ave., Chicago (773) 588-CANS
& Revolution Brewing Brewpub, 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago (773) 227-BREW
Cheer on the Chicago Fire during their first home game vs Inter Miami at the Taproom or Brewpub. With our new designated watch corner, you’ll be able to meet other Chicago Fire fans and cheer them on together. So grab your Hazy Pitch, find a spot, and enjoy the game! There will also be giveaways and raffle opportunities at this event.
Our friends BABYGOLD BARBEQUE will be onsite doing a pop-up shop at the Taproom beginning at 5pm.
5:00 – 9:00 pm • Food Truck Saturday with Dulce Tentaciones Mexicanas
Black Horizon Brewing Co., 7560 S. Quincy St., Willowbrook, IL (630) 413-4964 Map
Absolutely delicious, authentic, made fresh to order food by Dulce Tentaciones Mexicanas! We’re excited to have them back again at BHBC! If you missed them the last time, you better stop in and get some! Join us and enjoy our tasty beers, great food and awesome live music by Matt Strom! Bonus! Yes please!
6:00 – 9:00 pm • Keep the Stein with Maplewood
Rock Island Public House, 13328 S. Olde Western Ave., Blue Island, IL 708-388-5513 Map
Don’t miss out on Keep the Stein with Maplewood Brewery & Distillery. We join our friends from Maplewood to tap some big classics and some limited releases!
9:30 pm • North Stars Pride Night After Party
Haymarket Pub & Brewery, 737 W. Randolph St., Chicago (312) 638-0700 Map
The Chicago North Stars women’s hockey team are doing their first pride night!
The evening starts at 7 pm at Fifth Third Ice Arena, 1801 W Jackson Blvd, practice home for the Chicago Blackhawks, where the elite women’s team The Chicago Norths will face off against The Red Liners of the Chicago Gay Hockey Association. Along with spectacular hockey there will be entertainment both pre game and at intermissions.
After our game we will move just down the road to Haymarket Pub & Brewery for a few pints of world class beer and some of the best drag and variety acts Chicago has to offer! Bring your dollars; both to tip these amazing performers and to get some raffle tickets or bid on silent auction items donated from The Blackhawks and other local businesses.
$10 suggested donation at the door, all funds raised at this event will go towards sending the Chicago North Stars to compete for a National title in Pittsburgh this spring.
10:00 – 11:00 am • Beer & Yoga
Imperial Oak Brewing Co., 501 Willow Blvd., Willow Springs, IL (708) 559-7311 Map
Join us for a 60 minute guided yoga lesson every Sunday from 10am-11am in the Willow Springs Savage Oak Room.
After you’ve reached a higher physical, mental and spiritual plane, reach for your cool down pint in the pub! Just $20 covers your class and your first pour of any IOB beer.
Our space is limited to 30 people, so come a little early to grab your spot and stretch. Please remember to BYO yoga mat and $20 (cash only).
10:30 – 11:30 am • Beer&YOGA Sunday at the LV Taproom
Harbor Brewing Co., Lake Villa, 136 Cedar Ave., Lake Villa, IL Map
If you haven’t already signed up for one of our amazing beer & yoga classes, please do!
$10 for a 60 minute class
$5 for Mug Club Members
Steve Willis is a very experienced and friendly instructor!
If you’d like to sign up, please message us with names and email addresses! Hope to see you there!
Please bring your own mat.
11:00 am – 1:00 pm • Free Donuts & Drafts at the WCBC!
Will County Brewing Co., 1142 W. Jefferson St., Shorewood, IL (815) 582-4157 Map
Join us at 11 AM the last Sunday of every month for a pairing of delicious Orland Park Bakery and refreshing Will County Brewing Craft Beer. The Donuts are ALWAYS FREE with any craft beer purchase in the brewery while supplies last.
12:00 – 3:00 pm • 1st annual charity chili cook-off
Metropolitan Brewing, 3057 N. Rockwell St., Chicago (773) 754-0494 Map
Know what pairs well with chili? Beer. Let’s throw down.
To compete: $20 entry fee, fill out our registration form, choose a charity.
To attend: $10 to taste all the chilis and vote for your favorites.
Entry fees and attendance fees are 100% rewarded to the top prize winner. 50% cash to the winner, 50% to the charity of their choice. Additional prizes will be awarded for best vegan or vegetarian chili, spiciest chili, and most creative chili.
More info, and registration form here.
12:00 pm • Polombia x Maplewood Pączki Pre-Order Deadline
Maplewood Brewery & Distillery, 2717 N. Maplewood Ave, Chicago (773) 270-1061 Map
We’re partnering with our new friends over at Polombia Chicago to bring you collab Pączki! Pączki Packages include (4) Pączki made with Maplewood beer & liqueurs & your choice of (1) 4-pack of beer!
Pączki Box Includes: – (1) Guava Coconut Pączki, (1) PBJ Pączki made with Maplewood Pistachio Liqueur, (1) Maplewood Wild Forest Berries Pączki made with Softcore Mutation: Foeder Raspberries, & (1) Cafe con Nutella Pączki
Pre-orders start at 12pm Sunday, 2/20 and end at 12pm Sunday, 2/27.
Place your order here.
Pre-order pick ups will be available to pick up INSIDE the Lounge from 12pm-9pm on Fat Tuesday, 3/1.
12:00 – 5:00 pm • Chicken Truck Sunday in Oswego
Oswego Brewing Co., 61 S. Main St., Oswego, IL (331) 999-1991 Map
The Country Grill chicken truck comes every Sunday, rain or shine, to Oswego and brings the finest rotisserie chickens, ribs, homemade sides and wraps!
Check out our menu.
If you want to pre-order, just send us a Direct message what food you want us to reserve and at what time you plan to pick it up!
12:00 – 8:00 pm • Pączki Fest at Marz
Marz Community Brewing, 3630 S. Iron St., Chicago (773) 837-0145 Map
Sunday is Pączki Fest! And we are releasing our Pączki Stout!
A Pączki (pronounced “Poonch-kie” or “ Pan Chky” depending on how (un)Polish you are) is a traditional Polish pastry that is released every Fat Tuesday by bakeries all over Chicagoland.
And every year, to honor our Polish heritage, we brew the Pączki Stout, a Double Milk Stout with lactose and cocoa nibs, to create our own liquid version of this gluttonous moment.
The Pączki Stout is inspired by our annual tradition of eating pastries every Fat Tuesday accompanied by a stout or porter.
Made with Peruvian cocoa nibs that mimic the flavor profile of the chocolate pudding filling that can be found inside some Pączki, the double milk stout clocks in at 6.5 percent ABV.
The Peruvian cocoa nibs help emphasize the roast in the chocolate malts that we added. And it’s not too sweet that you will not want to eat a Pączki along with it.
Come Celebrate with us from noon to 8pm!
1:00 – 8:00 pm • Smittytown Market
Temperance Beer Co., 2000 Dempster St., Evanston, IL (847) 864-1000 Map
Come support some of your favorite local vendors directly at our indoor market. Grab a beer, browse, and buy!
3:00 – 5:00 pm • Sports Trivia at Alter Brewing Co
Alter Brewing Co., 2300 Wisconsin Ave. #213, Downers Grove, IL 630-541-9558 Map
This one’s for the sports fans!
Come show off your knowledge of everything SPORTS! Your host Jason will be quizzing your teams through four increasingly difficult rounds of questions covering all sorts of professional (and some non-professional) sports from across the globe!
While we’re testing your teams, Alter Brewing Company will be keeping you fueled up with craft brews, PLUS the top teams will win bragging rights and prizes, so bring your friends, family, and even your enemies (if they’re good at trivia) to increase your chances of winning.
Feel free to order in delivery from one of the awesome local restaurants (we highly recommend Dan’s Pizza!) to enjoy during the event, as well.
Due to limited capacity, reservations will be taken for indoor tables for the time being – simply email [email protected] to reserve a table for your team.
4:00 pm • Red’s The People’s Pie!
Rock Island Public House, 13328 Olde S. Western Ave., Blue Island, IL 708-388-5513 Map
Everyone’s favorite Detroit Style pizza is back!!! Menu coming soon; make sure to get here early!
7:00 – 10:00 pm • Weekly Movie Night
Pilot Project Brewing, 2140 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago (773) 270-5995 Map
THE WORLD TO COME. Hosted by LGBT Women’s Club
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When you’re ready to write something, whether it’s a blog post, a novel, or something in between, do you start with an outline? Or can you make a writing journey without a map, trusting your ability to get and idea and capture it? Or are you somewhere in between? That’s where I am, in between.
Personally, I’ve just re-discovered a scene I wrote for my second novel, “My Biology Professor’s Murder,” back in July 2021. That was before I bought “How to Write a Mystery,” the handbook from Mystery Writers of America that’s been the subject of my last few posts.
I am setting this novel in summer school for my narrator, so I wanted to write about it in summer. Writing about narrator Daisy MacDonald’s first adventure, which happened in January, was something I could do all year long — until it got to the scenery. For that book, “My Roommate’s Murder,” I’d have been outside in winter weather and soaking up notes.
Bit “My Biology Professor’s Murder” is going to be in summer school, as Daisy tries to make up for the classes she dropped after her roommate died (and she helped the town police with the case). So I needed a hot day to write the opening. Last July, I found it — but I wasn’t sure until I put it away for awhile.
I didn’t get back to the notes until last week. But I re-read the scene, and it’s the new beginning. That puts me firmly in the “never outline” camp, led in the handbook by Lee Child, who also edited the book (with help from Laurie R. King, whose work is more familiar to me).
“Think of the good novels you’ve read,” Child wrote in his “Never Outline! The argument for spontaneity.” He continued, “What was it you like about them? Probably many things. A strong and confident voice, no doubt, telling the tale with aplomb and authority. Through characters who for no obvious reason seem more real than made-up. Whose plight could be yours. Whose end could be yours..”
Child argued that very few of the reasons a story gets remembered (such as the ones above) have anything to do with plot. “Plot is the only element of the three” (character, voice, plot) “capable of being planned,” he wrote.
But the “always outline” camp, described byJeffrey Deaver in the handbook, may appeal to some readers more methodical than I am becoming. I was once the sort of kid who had to have page one just gorgeous before going on to page two — and it took a while.
But I am closer to joining what Deaver and others call the “‘pantsers,’ as in seat-of-the.” I write a scene down when it crosses my mind, so that it doesn’t get out the other ear and escape. (You’d think that with an Imaginary Writers’ Room on duty, ideas would never escape my mind, but you’d be wrong.)
Deaver favors outlining partly because it is efficient; it saves time and energy. Instead of throwing out a long manuscript that isn’t working, “If you outline, look at what happens. You don’t write the first chapter. You stick a Post-it note on your wall, saying ‘Big Exciting Chapter 1.’ Then you step back and start filling in plot points on other Post-its. You’ll realize within two or three weeks that what you’ve been working on isn’t a book worthy of your — and your readers’ — time. You pitch out a dozen Post-its and start on something else.”
There are other writers in the book writing about “hybrid” ways. I like to think of my own version of that as a jigsaw puzzle. When I do a puzzle, I separate pieces with straight edges from the others, then build the frame of the puzzle first. Then I know where various other pieces will go. More about that method, and some of my kindred spirits in it, in later posts.
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Founded in 2007, Cal’s Angels, a regional pediatric cancer foundation, is celebrating 15 years of granting wishes, raising awareness, and funding research at their annual Got Hope Gala on February 26. In 15 years the organization has raised millions of dollars to fund pediatric cancer research in Illinois and Iowa hospitals, helped lobby and pass Cal’s Law in Illinois, and helped countless families and children during their battles with cancer.
“We’re thrilled to be celebrating 15 years at the gala this year. Last year, we hosted the event virtually but this time we get to be in person again. The gala has 1,000 attendees and is an exciting time for guests to learn about our mission. Only 4% of what the government spends on cancer research is directed towards treating pediatric cancer which makes every donation that more meaningful,” Stacey Wahlberg, President and Co-Founder of Cal‘s Angels.
Just last year during the Got Hope Gala, Cal’s Angels raised more than $1 million. With this being one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the nonprofit, Cal’s Angels are aiming to break their record this year. You can purchase single, double, or corporate tickets (10 tickets per package) now via their website.
We can all agree. The battle with pediatric cancer is a horrible nightmare no child or family should ever have to experience. Cal’s All-Star Angel Foundation, Inc, often known as Cal’s Angels, is a 501(c)(3) pediatric cancer foundation with a mission of granting wishes, raising awareness, and funding research to help kids fighting cancer. On behalf of these young warriors and their families who never gave up hope in the face of adversity, Cal’s Angels has solemnly vowed: they will not stop until there is a cure for cancer.
Since their founding in April, 2007, Cal’s Angels have raised over $7.5 million, bringing an incredible amount of hope and support to thousands of pediatric cancer patients and their families. With a comprehensive list of programming, annual events, and other resources available, Cal’s Angels continues to lead a relentless battle for hope and life against pediatric cancer, making differences one day at a time.
Many nonprofit organizations faced unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic, and that is why the Got Hope Gala this year is even more significant for Cal’s Angels, and the many families and children they help. Of course, Cal’s Angels are ready to provide you an unforgettable night so you have more than just good feelings to take home with you.
This year’s Got Hope Gala will begin with a cocktail reception with small bites, followed by dinner and entertainment. During this phase of the gala, you can also purchase raffle tickets and participate in silent auction bidding. After the main program, there will be another live auction bidding. Finally, grab your partner and get on the dance floor to wrap up a night of doing good.
PS: Cal’s Angels is partnering with Men’s Warehouse this year to help you get the look you need! You can also enjoy a special package at Hilton Hotels for a full night of fun.
Featured Image Credit: Cal’s Angels
Polish culture has a profound place in Chicago’s history and the delights of its cuisine are found abundant. The pączki is perhaps the most popular and Chicagoland bakeries expect to sell thousands and thousands of them this Fat Tuesday.
A pączki is essentially a donut, filled with something sweet such as chocolate or fruit or custard and topped with icing or sugar. So just like a normal donut except for the fact that there’s a bit of alcohol and a very rich flour. They’re also a fan favorite every February as Chicago celebrates their iteration of Mardi Gras. You know we love a good guide so we’ve honed in on our 10 favorite spots around Chicago for the best pączki this year. Note, between COVID-19 restrictions and the snow-pocalypse of this past 24 hours, you may need to utilize your favorite delivery service or cross your fingers one of these is right around your corner for your pączki this year.
Image Credit: West Town Bakery
selected locations
West Town Bakery is offering three flavors this year: raspberry, vanilla and chocolate mousse – priced at $4.95 a piece. The paczkis will be available on Tuesday, March 1 at the following West Town Bakery’s locations:
West Town (1916 W. Chicago Avenue)
Wrigleyville (3626 N. Clark Street)
Financial District (190 S. LaSalle Street).
For those wanting to avoid lines, West Town Bakery is taking online pre-orders through tomorrow, February 24 at 12 p.m.! Find photos of West Town Bakery’s paczkis here.
Indulge in your inner sweet tooth this Fat Tuesday with Paczki offerings from your favorite Chicago breakfast destination. Available in all 16 locations in the Chicagoland area, Stan’s Donuts & Coffee are offering four Pazcki offerings to please chocolate and fruit lovers all over the city. Guests can choose from Vanilla Pastry Cream, Chocolate Pastry Cream, Cannoli Cream and Cherry Paczkis. Stop in to your nearest Stan’s from February 26 through March 1 to pick up your favorites or order online here.
3329 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
5442 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60630
Online | Pick up at 4650 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
6006 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60634
2445 N Harlem Ave, Chicago, IL 60707
1124 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
5523 S Narragansett Ave, Chicago, IL 60638
5450 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60630
5927 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60630
2907 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60608
For a fully encompassing list of all of the places to grab a pączki in Chicago this year, you can utilize this guide put together by Block Club Chicago. They have also put together a how-to guide on making your own pączki at home if you want to put your own spin on the Polish delicacy. And be sure to snap a picture of your pączki this year and send it to us at @urbanmatterchicago on Instagram! We’ll share your post for the festivities this year!
Pączki Featured Image Credit: Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
That’s right, Chicago’s mask and proof of vaccination mandates will end on Monday. This announcement comes on the heels of the statewide announcement last week that Illinois would lift its own restrictions on the 28th. There was initial uncertainty that the city would join the rest of the state in these softened restrictions but Mayor Lightfoot confirmed on Tuesday that most establishments will no longer be bound to the mandated restrictions.
Since August, Chicago and Illinois alike have had mask mandates in place to combat the two variants that ran rampant through the US. When the surge of the Omicron variant began in November, which drove cases and hospitalizations to record highs, Chicago began requiring places such as restaurants, bars and entertainment venues to verify proof of vaccination. The city and state reissued its mask mandate in August during the height of the Delta variant.
Those same establishments will no longer require a proof of vaccination or require a mask indoors, though private business do have the ability to decide if they want to continue enforcing. Places such as hospitals, public transportation, and schools will still require a mask in order to gain access.
Folks, thanks to the ongoing progress we’re making coming out of the #Omicron surge, we’ll remove the mask mandate and vax requirement for certain public locations on February 28. pic.twitter.com/Mjq3G1irMA
— Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) February 22, 2022
“It’s important for us to recognize this moment for what it is: a huge step forward in our effort to overcome COVID-19,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said at a Tuesday news conference.
This news comes as a welcome relief to many organizations, perhaps none more so than the Illinois Restaurant Association. Sam Toia, President and CEO of the IRA said in a statement, “Mayor Lightfoot’s announcement that the city will lift its proof of vaccination and mask requirements is an encouraging sign of better times ahead for Chicago’s restaurant community. This is a meaningful step that will increase consumer confidence and keep our restaurants on a steady path to recovery.”
Per the city (via Block Club Chicago), more than 1.8 million Chicagoans (68.7 percent of all residents) are fully vaccinated, and 76.5 percent of all Chicagoans have gotten at least one shot. This data is a major reason in the city’s decision to lift all mandates beginning on the 28th, though that does not mean the fight against the virus is over. Chicagoans are still encouraged to wear their masks, even if not required, and the city will continue administering vaccinations in the effort to get Chicago closer to the 100 percent vaccination mark.
But for now, this is a very big step in the city, and the state’s, efforts in beating COVID-19.
Featured Image Credit: The Hill
Attention, movie lovers! The 23rd annual Chicago Irish Film Festival (CIFF) is back, bringing you the best features, shorts and documentary films from The Land of Storytelling. This year’s festival is a Hybrid Event with in-person events at Theater on the Lake, The Logan Theatre and Society for Arts from March 3-6, as well as an online format with digital passes available for at-home screenings March 7-13.
But with so many shorts and full-length films scheduled in the program, yet so little free time, what should you focus on? Well, you’re in luck, because our editor is a theater and movie nerd, and is offering her insider’s picks to guide you through this year’s CIFF!
PS: Check out our top pick for Chicago Theater Week as well!
6:30 pm Reception with 8:00 pm Screening
Tomás (Peter Coonan) is a successful television producer specializing in investigative journalism that over the years has made many enemies in Dublin’s criminal underworld. In search of peace and quiet, he and his wife Siobhán take their baby son Oisín to their holiday home on a remote island off the north-west coast of Ireland. Everything seems peaceful until one day Tomás returns from an urgent call and finds his wife and baby missing.
With warnings of an approaching storm, Labhaoise organizes a search party of islanders, and the next morning they make a grisly discovery – but it is not what they expected to find and the storm is getting closer. So, how is this classic stormed-in mansion setting going to end?
“This is the first year we’ve screened a feature film on opening night in quite a while, and it also happens to be in the Irish language, which is beyond exciting,” said Blackburn.
Tickets for the opening screening of “Doineann,” are available for $75, which includes a buffet, drinks, and festival opening festivities. For more information on how to fest for this year’s CIFF, visit www.chicagoirishfilmfestival.com. Filmmaker Damian McCann will attend the opening night, and it will be a perfect time for you to hear the experience behind creating this masterpiece.
Image Credit: Chicago Irish Film Festival
Looking to navigate grief or the loss of a loved one? This movie will stroke your heart strings from the beginning to the end.
It’s been two years since Róise lost her husband Frank. Isolated in grief she has cut herself off from family and community. Then one day the arrival of a mysterious dog, who seems intent on connecting with Róise, heralds a huge change, but is it for the better? Róise quickly comes to the conclusion that this dog is her beloved Frank, reincarnated. Róise is happy once more but is there a real future for her with a dog-husband?
Fort the past two years, more and more individuals have stepped out of the darkness and shared the truth behind Jehovah’s witness. As an outsider, it can be confusing, overwhelming, and sometimes even unpleasant when looking into the life of a religious sect.
In Debutante, Meg’s simple life revolves around her duties as a Jehovah’s Witness and a platonic relationship with her boyfriend Sam. It all goes well until she is summoned to a judicial committee hearing, where three well-meaning congregation elders shatter her carefully constructed world. And as Meg’s faith shattered, finally, she begins to get to know her true self.
Image Credit: Chicago Irish Film Festival
The artist is the child who survived. Then, in that case, for those of us who have been worn out by reality, we may need to look through a child’s eyes to find the glimmer of hope again.
The Lost Pig indeed started with a desolate reality. James, a farmer staring down the barrel of impending bankruptcy, is forced to make the difficult decision to sell his beloved pigs for meat. When one of the pigs escapes, 13-year-old Alice suggests a far-fetched idea to save the farm.
Image Credit: Chicago Irish Film Festival
Sunride
In our opinion, animation shorts are always one of the best pieces of any film festival. Because this is where the artists break away from the restriction of physical reality completely. Featuring a loose hand-drawn art style, Sunride takes you through a beautiful trip where a biker rides down the street to chase the sunrise — an adventure every biker can probably relate to!
Image Credit: Chicago Irish Film Festival
Alienated
A young barista has trouble convincing two “locals” she’s Irish — does that sound familiar? For anyone working in the hospitality world, I’m sure you’ve had a few times having to explain that you really ARE from Chicago! Then, this beautiful, poetic animation would surely resonate with your soul and bring you joy and tears both.
Featured Image Credit: Rósie and Frank – Chicago Irish Film Festival
Chicago Restaurant Week (CWR) is back. It’s in person– no masks, no vacs required. Here is highly anticipated event kicks off on Friday, March 25 and runs through Sunday, April 10.
For 17 consecutive days, participating dining establishments will showcase specially curated prix fixe menus with prices set at $25 for brunch and lunch, and $39 and/or $55 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax, gratuity and delivery).
Participants include a range of restaurants offering specially priced, prix fixe menus. In addition to in-person dining Chicago Restaurant Week is continuing their popular delivery and/or takeout specials yep took right during the pandemic.
“Chicago Restaurant Week offers residents and visitors a unique opportunity to experience the culinary and cultural richness of our great city and its neighborhoods,” said Glenn Eden, Board Chair of Choose Chicago. “From Bronzeville to Chinatown and Devon Avenue, you can go on an adventurous gastronomical global tour without ever leaving the city. It is no surprise that Chicago Restaurant Week is still going strong after 15 years, and it is now more important than ever to support our local restaurants as they are a critical part of our industry and the city’s economic recovery.”
This year’s Chicago Restaurant Week feature more than 329 participants representing 37 distinct Chicago neighborhoods, including 31 suburban restaurants.
66 participants are women, minority and/or black-owned enterprises. In 2022, 68 restaurants make their CRW debut and include a range of both recently opened and established locales, such as Jaleo (River North), El Solazo (West Lawn), Majani Soulfood Vegan Cuisine (South Shore), and Shang Noodle (South Loop).
They join a list of repeat loyalists such as Big Jones (Andersonville), Chez Joel Bistro (Little Italy/University Village), HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen (Pilsen), and Virtue Restaurant & Bar (Hyde Park).
A complete list of participating restaurants and their curated menu offerings can be found here.
Reservations are now open at eatitupchicago.com with additional restaurants onboarding daily. For reservations,
In lieu of the previous, large-scale CRW kick-off event, First Bites Bash, Choose Chicago this year will host two consumer-facing events to celebrate CRW. The first, in partnership with Let’s Talk Womxn, takes place Tuesday, March 8 from 6pm-9pm at Morgan Manufacturing, featuring 25 impressive female chefs and restaurateurs.
The second event takes place Tuesday, March 22 in collaboration with Immersive Frida Kahlo and will feature food and beverage tasting stations alongside an exclusive viewing of the stunning new exhibit. Tickets will be available for two different time blocks: 6pm-8pm and 8pm-10pm. Click here to learn more and purchase tickets.
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