March of Dines

Between St. Patty's Day, S and Passover there is no shortage of reasons to throw your diet to the winds. Hell, you have at least three more months before bathing suit weather. Dine today, diet tomorrow and enjoy yourself at these holiday feasts and dining specials.

St. Patrick's Day
Everybody is Irish (and/or drunk on St. Patty's Day, Sunday March 17. The following events take place on St. Paddy's unless indicated otherwise.

Kit Kat with half-priced green cocktails and martinis on Sunday, March 17. Sunday brunch will be served, complete with performances by Diva Madam X, and the half-priced libations will continue into the evening, when Kit Kat's full dinner menu will be available. A special Shepherd's Pie entree will be served with the Kit Kat salad for $14, so you and your merry band of revelers definitely won't go hungry.

Through March 24, celebrate the luck of the Irish at Bel 50 with a corned beef hash gourmet waffle featuring diced corned beef, onion and cabbage topped with a fried egg and served on a green, parsley and scallion infused waffle.

The Gage, an authentic Irish restaurant on Michigan Ave., offers a line-up of rustic, modern American interpretation of authentic Irish fare, washed down with a selection of traditional Irish beers and whiskeys. Live Irish music will entertain diners on Saturday and Sunday.

Mayne Stage celebrates St. Patty's Day on Fri., March. 15, with an Irish buffet featuring corned beef and cabbage, music from Switchback at 8 p.m. and a dance performance from the Colleen Quirk Step Dancers.

You can't get more Irish than the Irish American Heritage Center so stop in at its 5th Province Pub, (of course an Irish American heritage center has its own pub) For $10 enjoy music, dance, children's activities and food from noon until midnight.

Start early at Horizon Café on Friday, March 15, with specials including a $15.99 corned beef and cabbage dinner, corned beef and Swiss omelets and emerald shakes.

Mahoney's Pub & Grille welcomes bagpipers and an Irish dance performance followed by live music at 6 p.m.

Green Kegs and Ham at the grand opening of Brewstone in River North on Thursday, March. 14, with an all-day St. Patty's Day party. $3 green beer drafts, $4 Irish liquors, or choose the $30 ticket option for drink and cocktail specials and food buffet from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Easter
Every hotel and large-scale restaurant will be offering buffet brunch and dinner, usually at inflated prices. Rather than fight the crowd at the buffet, try some of these smaller scale dining experiences.

RPM Italian (pictured) celebrates Easter with a variety of brunch specials, including salmon and asparagus, eggs with ham and French toast. The restaurant also has a variety of dinner specials, such as halibut and Sunday Gravy.

Autre Monde in Berwyn will offer a limited choice three-course brunch menu for $25 per person.

Barrington Country Bistro presents a three-course prix fix lunch 11-3 for 38$ per person.

Blind Faith Café in Evanston serves up brunch featuring eggs Florentine, warm peach crepes, banana almond pancakes, eggs mornay, omelettes, quiche, mimosas and fresh pastry.

Deleece on Southport will serve leg of lamb, shrimp Newburg, berry cheesecake French toast and its incredible breakfast pizza.

Benny's Chop House menu will feature prime beef tenderloin Benedict with Worcestershire hollandaise for only $14.99.

Passover
A traditional Passover doesn't have to be spent with Aunt Sheila and Uncle Mortie. Easter dining may get all the press, but traditional Passover meals are also available at area restaurants.

oe's Stone Crab dishes up Passover dinner on Monday and Tuesday, March 25 and 26 with gefilte fish, chopped liver (vegetarian chopped liver, too), matzo ball soup, and a choice of roast chicken, brisket or halibut. Shared side dishes include potato pancakes and ginger glazed carrots. Chocolate macaroon pie for dessert, all for $45.95 per person. A similar menu is also available at fellow Lettuce Entertain You spot, Mon Ami Gabi for $36.95 per person.

Gathering your family and friends around a table at Glenview House for traditional Seder favorites with a three-course Passover tasting menu including matzo ball soup, choice of lemon and olive roasted chicken or sweet and sour brisket (both served with potato kugel and braised red cabbage). Apple and cherry crumble ends the meal. It's $35 per person for either lunch or dinner.

Other Stuff

Celebrate Chicago chefs during Chicago Chef Week, March 17-22. Area restaurants are offering three course meals all week. Lunch menus are $22 per person, dinner for $44. Some restaurants are offering menus for lunch and dinner otherwise L = lunch only, D = dinner only. Among the participants are; 2 Sparrows (L), Atwood Café (D), Autre Monde (D), Avec (D), Bistro Bordeaux (D), Blackbird (L), BOKA (D), Baume & Brix (D), Browntrout (D), David Burke's Prime House, Epic, Filini Restaurant & Bar, Fred's at Barneys, Gemini Bistro (D), Graham Elliot Bistro (D), GT Fish & Oyster (L), Japonais, Lockwood, Lula (D), Mercat a la Planxa, Michael Jordan's Steak House, North Pond (D), Perennial Virant (D), Publican (L), Sable (D), Table Fifty-two (D), Trenchermen (D), Wave, Vermilion and Zocalo (D).

Brew and view with a Japanese Twist! Slurping Turtle will launch "Beer & Bincho Movie Nights" starting Monday, March 25, and continuing every Monday thereafter. The event will feature a different movie theme each week, along with specials, such as Togarashi Popcorn ($2), Mini Ramen Bowls ($7) and various Bincho specials starting at $3.50.The inaugural week's theme is classic horror movies.