Spring Has Sprung

The unseasonably warm weather has had restaurants all around town scrambling to open their outdoor dining spaces. Among those ready for al fresco dining in the city are:

Zed 451 , 739 N. Clark, has opened its rooftop deck which seats more than 100.

Elate , 111 W. Huron, has 26 outdoor seats

Athena , 212 S. Halsted, 2,500 square foot patio situated under a retractable dome with seating for 150.

Carmine's , 1043 N. Rush, seats up to 78.

Carnivale , 702 W Fulton, patio seats 30.

Rosebud Trattoria , 442 N. Dearborn, seats up to 28.

The Purple Pig , 500 N. Michigan Ave., veranda, seats 40

Chicago Cut Steakhouse , 300 N. LaSalle, patio along the Chicago River seats 120.

Frontier , 1072 N. Milwaukee, 2,500 square-foot beer garden with seating for 100.

Lottie's Pub , 1925 W Cortland, outdoor patio for 63 guests.

Phil Stefani's , 437 N. Rush, just steps off Michigan Avenue, the patio seats 45.

Quartino Ristorante , 626 N. State, has a street side patio that seats 85.

Riva Crab House , Navy Pier, the café's outdoor seating for 125, overlooking Lake Michigan

Tavern on Rush , 1031 N. Rush, 114-seat patio was voted "Best Outdoor Dining" by Chicago Scene Magazine.

Davanti Enoteca , 1359 W. Taylor Street, has 11 tables which seat 30.

Suburban locations ready for outdoor dining include:

Francesca's Fiore , 7407 W. Madison, in Forest Park with si tables, 20 seats.

Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse , 2105 Spring Rd in Oak Brook, boasts outdoor capacity to seat 200 including a lounge area with three fire pits.

Rosebud Italian Country House & Pizzeria , 560 Waukegan in Deerfield, patio seats 90.

Tuscany Wheeling , 550 S. Milwaukee in Wheeling, accommodates about 60 guests.

In Other News

Porkchop , 941 W Randolph, in the meat-packing district, is under new management and has updated its menu to include traditional Southern, four burger varieties including a vegetarian option, which was sorely lacking on the original menu.

LM Restaurant Group is opening two new restaurants; Troquet , which opened March 8, and Brasserie by LM , slated to open Wednesday, March 28. Brad Phillips, currently of the Pump Room , will serve as the chef partner for all three restaurants.

Gibsons , 1028 N. Rush, will hold a second installment of their 2012 Sommelier dinner series with an exclusive dinner hosted by winemaker Jeff Stewart on March 28. The five-course dinner features wines from Hartford Court Winery for $140 per person.

Next week: Rick's Pick's for Easter and Passover

Image Courtesy: thepurplepigchicago.com