Wine tasting, $20 select bottles of wine
Wine tasting, $20 select bottles of wine
A bi-weekly sampling featuring a different theme each event.
Get your acceptance speech ready at one of these Chicago Oscars parties. Oscar night can be an evening of celebrating the magic of Hollywood with black tie and tails for a benefit event, or it could be a low-key, relaxed party at home with themed menus based on the nominees of the year. No matter how fancily you choose to celebrate, there are a number of places around town that will be able to fit your bill as you toast the movies that keep us entertained all year and throughout our lives. Gene Siskel Film Center
The Siskel Center hosts the only offical Oscar party in town ? it’s sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Pictures and requires what’s being called “business attire or awards glam” for all its patrons, which means come right from work or feel free to get decked out to the nines. Hollywood would be proud. The broadcast, which will be shown in full HD glory at the center, starts at 7 p.m. but the gala kicks off at 6 p.m. and goes all the way to midnight. A silent auction will run through the evening and prizes will be raffled. The price of admission ($150) gets you a full buffet as well as bar, and you get to take home the same program you’ll be seeing in the hands of all the actual Oscar-goers up on screen.
Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club
All your red carpet viewing desires will be fulfilled at Lakeview’s Kit Kat Lounge, where the viewing party kicks off at 5:30 p.m. and continues until the Best Picture envelope is opened. Hosting the party will be resident diva Candi Stratton, who will be hosting as Kit Kat’s Cher and performing during the commercial breaks. Just to sweeten the deal, Kit Kat will have four gold-painted Oscar-esque male models strutting on the lounge’s red carpet and serving out complimentary samples of St. Germain liqueur. A special tapas menu will be served, and the first 50 guests to the lounge will recieve special Oscar-themed gift bags courtesy of St. Germain, which will be served in the $5.50 Oscar-tini, another special creation for the evening.
The Chopping Block
Sometimes you just want to stay home and chill out with friends, watch the big show and maybe chow on some good homemade food. Thankfully the folks at The Chopping Block have taken the thought and indecision out of the menu selection (do I serve Slumdog Millionaire samosas or gumbo for Benjamin Button taking place in New Orleans? Decisions, decisions) and re-created their monthly class schedule in honor of some of Hollywood’s biggest hits.
Sign up for classes like “As Good As It Grits,” “Brave-tart,” “It’s a Wonderful Knife,” “A Room With A Stew” and “Under a Tuscan Sun” to hone your culinary skills for a home-based bash. The Chopping Block will also have movie-themed displays at both locations, and Hollywood-style discounts to get your silver dollars in their silver-screen inspired pockets.
Tapas Valencia
In conjunction with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Associate Board, Chicago Magazine and Tapas Valencia will be having a “Dark Knight” on February 22. The relocated suburban tapas favorite will be celebrating its recent opening with an Oscar viewing party as a benefit for JDRF. With the timely Batman theme, plenty of TVs will be on site to make sure you don’t miss a single statue presentation (go Heath!), a red carpet entrance for everyone attending, specialty drinks and a full tapas menu. In addition, a silent auction to support JDRF will run all night, and prizes will be up for grabs for the best-dressed attendee. Tickets are $50 in advance and $55 at the door.
Center on Halsted
The black tie events continue at Center on Halsted, Chicago’s community center for the LGBT community. Starting at 6 p.m., attendees will fight their way across the red carpet through the paparazzi to the Billie Jean King auditorium, which will be the site for their annual viewing party. Wine will flow and hors d’oeuvres will be passed, raffles will be held and silent auction goods will be up for grabs. If you want to celebrate in style, be prepared to drop a pretty penny ? a “celebrity table” for eight runs $1,500 and garners you special placement for watching the show, as well as raffle tickets and champagne on hand. Not ready to make that kind of commitment? Tickets start at $75 and will get you a raffle ticket as well, which could result in you being whisked off on a trip for two to Hollywood.
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Before Liza Minelli hit the stage in fishnets, green fingernails and fake lashes, Chicago was brimming with Broadway acts and burlesque shows. But after reaching its peak during Prohibition, the once-popular stage performances went cold with the repeal. Over the past few years, however, cabaret has made a comeback in these local haunts.
Blue Bayou
Skip the movies at Southport’s Music Box and head across the street for a live show instead. The New Orleans-inspired Blue Bayou Bar and Grill hosts a French Quarter burlesque show every Thursday night, starring local cabaret queen Michelle L’Amour. The show kicks off around 10:30 p.m. when L’Amour slips into a scandalous striptease number on the venue’s signature bar-top stage. The free performance allows you to put your money where your mouth is with the restaurant’s Cajun and Creole-tinged menu, featuring Louisiana favorites like lump crab cakes and classic jambalaya. And if you’re lucky enough to catch the lady’s garter, Blue Bayou will buy you a congratulatory tipple.
3160
3160 Owner Jim Flint has turned this popular Lakeview spot into a nonstop cabaret, and the acts just keep getting better. Local showstoppers, including a few nationally known names, take the stage Wednesday through Sunday. Velvet curtains, theatrical lighting and several disco balls provide a classic cabaret backdrop in the venue’s rich brown interior. The space also houses a number of cocktail tables, a jukebox with over 100 selections, an antique-style bar and a baby grand piano that serves as a focal point. Flint’s handpicked lineup of high-energy performers provides a familiar mix of music and comedy, while his drink list offers a fun mix of classic and contemporary concoctions. And since there’s no cover, you can splurge on the booze.
Davenport’s Piano Bar & Cabaret
It’s not enough that Wicker Park has already laid claim to saucy, sought-after spots like Violet Hour, Debonair Social Club and Flat Iron. The neighborhood also claims one of the city’s most notable cabaret joints. Davenport’s Piano Bar and Cabaret hosts a number of theatrical acts, but it’s Fridays and Saturdays with Daryl Nitz and George Howe (or Mr. Entertainment and Mr. Music) that captivate the club’s trendy crowd. The duo has been performing together for eight years now and for the low price of a CTA bus ride, you can catch their cabaret-style “Experience.” Part of that experience includes audience participation, piano requests, comedic relief and music ranging from pop hits to jazz numbers. Additionally, Davenport’s Piano Bar and Cabaret, in conjunction with the Chicago Cabaret Professionals, will host a special holiday performance this year. The show takes place Monday, December 1 and Tuesday, December 2 at 7:30 p.m.; proceeds from the evening will benefit Teen Living Programs and Save The Children.
Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club
This modern-day supper club attracts a diverse crowd of Broadway-lovin’ babes and theater junkies. A regular lineup of female impersonators including Madame X, Traci Ross, Angelica Love Ross, Candi Stratton and Kathryn Cole entertain guests with lip-synching skills and swaying hips. Kit Kat’s drink list, boasting over 70 cocktails, are almost as entertaining as its glitzy divas. Try the kitty’s dream with vodka, orange and cream or the Peggy Lee martini with vodka, orange, banana liqueur and cranberry.
Drury Lane Water Tower Place
OK, so it’s not the type of place to sit back and sling drinks, but there are plenty of those places nearby. After taking a quick hiatus from Chicago’s bustling theater scene, this historic downtown space is back in full swing with a monthly cabaret concert series. Performances take place on Mondays and tickets typically run around $25. A full crew of Chicago Cabaret Professionals-including performers, producers, writers, directors, composers and lyricists-reel in herds of locals and a handful of tourists, too. The series currently runs through December, and with any hope, will live on long after.
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Fall is in full swing and Chicago’s glorious days of sipping cold brews and crisp whites, al fresco-style, are coming to a close. As the leaves turn different shades of red, the stuff in your glass should follow suit. Here are four local spots where you can find fall-friendly wines – all red, all blended, all cheap.
Galleria Liqueurs (Lakeview): Bogle Phantom
What could be more fitting for Halloween season than a wine called Phantom? At $21.99, it is the priciest of our picks, but Bogle’s unique mix of fruit and spice in this one make it quite a steal. The blend of Petite Syrah (55 percent), Zinfandel (42 percent) and Mourvedre (3 percent) touches on notes of plum and cherry, with just a tinge of black pepper. Phantom’s robust character stands up well to hearty foods, and tastes just as good when paired with a brisk autumn evening. If you’re on the hunt for something la little less costly, but just as spicy, check out Galleria’s sale table, topped with bottles for $15 and under.
Que Syrah Fine Wines: Le Paradou Viognier, Cotes du luberon
Not far from Galleria is a smaller wine shop known as Que Syrah. Locals love this place for its frequent free weekend tastings (check Que Syrah’s website for dates and times) and affordable pickings. Not to mention the owner’s vast vino knowledge and food-pairing recommendations. We went with the Que Syrah staff recommendation and left with a bottle of Le Paradou Viognier: Cotes du luberon, a basic blend of Grenache (60 percent) and Syrah (40 percent). There’s a good balance between these two grapes, which are often used together. The first few sips are a tad overpowering; tone it down a notch and avoid the tongue-gripping dryness by giving the bottle some time to breathe.
In Fine Spirits: The Wolftrap
In Fine Spirits has a split personality. It’s one part retail boutique and one part low-key lounge. Belly up to the bar first and you can try a glass of The Wolftrap before heading next door, where you can purchase a bottle of your own. The $10.99 bottle tag puts this wine on par with the cost of a single glass in most restaurants. And its lowbrow price is quickly masked by the wine’s dense blend of Syrah (60 percent) and Mourvedre (39 percent). Owner Shane Kissack is a fan of this South African wine and says that not enough people drink wines from the region. It’s those unique southern soils that give these grapes their smoky flavor and enough character to stand up to the heaviest of fall comfort foods like braised short ribs and pork tenderloin.
Armanetti Wine Shoppe and Beverage Mart: Clayhouse Adobe Red
Beer connoisseurs and wine aficionados can go head-to-head here, thanks to Armanetti’s extensive selection of worldly vino and imported brews. The shop is small, sure, but don’t expect this one to be a quick trip; there’s just too much to look at. In fact, you may want to bring some extra cash, as it’s a near-guarantee that you’ll be leaving with more than just a bottle of the Clayhouse Adobe Red. The Clayhouse is another blended wine, and that almost feels like an understatement. Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, Syrah, Malbec and Cabernet dance in harmony, rather than compete with one another’s character. Zinfandel holds the highest quotient here, but the flavors that come through are far from dry or peppery. Instead, the wine’s lush fruit structure plays nice with spice by bringing it down a few bars, $12.99.
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