—Saddle up: Lucky13 Hospitality Group is opening the new concept Stolen Saddle in the heart of Wrigleyville, at 3505 N. Clark St.—the site of Bamboo Club.
The venue, opening April 4, will be the largest country bar in the city. It will house three floors, a full patio and a menu packed with Tex-Mex staples and game-day classics alike.
Stolen Saddle’s rotating menu will feature Tex-Mex favorites (savory queso, tacos and burritos), mixed plates, bowls, salads and desserts. Game-day must-haves will include smash burgers, wings and nachos. The bar menu will have items such as a spicy watermelon, coconut pineapple or avocado margarita; whiskey-packed Bourbon Hurricane; or a classic Lemon Drop Martini; in addition, there will be a range of draft and bottled beers, frozen drinks and other options.
The venue has the capacity to house over 1,100 total guests, including a 250-seat patio with seven exclusive cabanas available to reserve. I can only imagine how this space will be during Cubs home games.
—Cool cafe: Cafe Yaya—from James Beard Foundation award-winning Chef Zach Engel and Partner Andrés Clavero—officially opened March 12 in the heart of Lincoln Park at 2431 N. Lincoln Ave.
Cafe Yaya is an all-day dining and event destination for the neighborhood, and employs a counter service model. Guests can begin their mornings with savory bourekas, crispy sweet baklava, challah, and other treats crafted by long-time Galit Pastry Chef Mary Eder-McClure, all paired with a unique coffee selection from Sparrow Coffee Roastery and tea from Rare Tea Cellar. Dinner offerings include lamb burger, topped with za’atar mayo, amba mustard, lettuce, onion and pickles, all served on a soft potato roll; various dips, including caramelized onion miso labneh; grilled sweetbreads; and wood-roasted chicken with challah croutons and shmaltz vinaigrette. Desserts include carrot cake.
Also, In its dedication to fostering connection, the restaurant features a versatile second-floor space designed for both community events and private gatherings.
—How sweet: Hershey Super Sweet Adventure will reopen at Chicago’s Water Tower Place on Friday, March 21, with more activities, games and interactive fun celebrating some of The Hershey Company’s most beloved confections, including Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolates, Twizzlers Twists and Jolly Rancher candies.
Guests will become “Sweet Seekers in Training,” unlocking the wonder behind Hershey’s candies by exploring immersive environments and earning delicious rewards.
Tickets start at $24.99 each and are available at www.HersheySuperSweetAdventure.com. Ticket options include timed entry, flexible entry, discounted bundles, birthday party packages and more.
—Pie anxiety: WGN has brought back its Chicago Pizza Madness season again—and has expanded the field from 68 to 128 restaurants.
Reflecting the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament format, all 68 of the 2024 Pizza Madness participants (play-in round places included) are returning and can be found in last year’s “Where to find them” post. Additionally, 60 new pizza places are joining the tournament.
—Perry good: This March, guests dining at Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille’s locations in Oak Brook, Schaumburg and Vernon Hills can experience an exclusive selection of off-the-menu plates and the customer favorite Primal Flight—available for a limited time.
Seasonal plates (for dine-in or to-go) include turtle gumbo, The Three Kings Mignon (applewood-smoked bacon-wrapped Filet Mignon, the “king of steaks,” topped with king crab and truffle butter, made from the “king of mushrooms”), roasted hamachi and white chocolate cheesecake. For steak connoisseurs, the Primal Flight ($99) is a curated selection of Perry’s Reserve Texas Akaushi Wagyu beef: three-ounce selections of New York strip, filet mignon and ribeye.
Also, there are specials such as the Military Menu. A special three-course menu with six curated choices is exclusively available to active-duty service members and veterans. It is available before 6 p.m. daily; reservations and a valid military ID are required.
—Ghana get you: There will be a private dinner event with Top Chef finalist and award-winning Chef Eric Adjepong as he presents his new cookbook, Ghana to the Word, at The Table of Crate, located at Oakbrook Center, on Tuesday, March 18, at 6:30-9 p.m.
Guests will be immersed in new flavors and have the opportunity to taste the recipes that Adjepong developed for this book. Tickets are $145 per person and includes the full meal, beverage, tax and tip; RSVP here.
—Simply the chefs: The award-winning humanitarian non-profit organization Chicago Chefs Cook will host its inaugural “I Cook For” benefit on March 20 at the renowned Four Seasons Hotel Chicago’s Adorn Bar & Restaurant at 6-9 p.m..
More than 25 of the city’s most celebrated chefs, pastry chefs and mixologists will gather for a special evening designed to showcase their culinary artistry and raise critical funds for local and global causes. Some of the participating chefs will include Arshiya Farheen of Verzênay Chicago; Paul Virant and Angelyne Canicosa, of Vistro Prime; Sahil Sethi, of Sifr; Donald Young, of Duck Sel; Carrie Nahabedian, of Brindille; Art Smith and Hector Guerrero, of Chef Art Smith`s Reunion; and Sarah Stegner, of Prairie Grass Cafe (one of the organization’s co-founders).
Admission is $200-$250/each; visit this link. (VIP tickets, at $250 each, include an exclusive early-access hour at 5-6 p.m. hosted by James Beard Award-winning sommelier Belinda Chang, the only BIPOC woman to win the award.) If you can’t attend but would still like to support, or if you’d like to make an additional contribution, visit this link.
—Tea, myself and I: Casa Chi by Chef Richard Sandoval will launch the Pour Decisions Boozy Tea Experience, debuting March 23 and available every Sunday at 12-4 p.m. for $75 per person.
The teapots are infused with creative concoctions like Jalisco Jasmine Margarita, Hibiscus Paloma Punch, Earl Grey Breeze and Chamomile Coconut Cooler. Sandoval’s menu features a fusion of Latin and Asian flavors such as appetizers like smoked swordfish with smoky mesquite, pickled chili and plantain chips; or guacamole with chipotle aioli and serrano pepper. Makimono and nigiri selections include angry tuna, hamachi and California roll, among others. The main course features the Hot Stone Casa Style with roasted vegetables, pico de gallo and tortillas, with a choice of prime skirt steak, shrimp or provoleta cheese; the meal concludes with a yuzu cheesecake topped with almond crumble and white chocolate. RSVP here.
—Simply the West: The West Town Chamber of Commerce has announced the second annual West Town Restaurant Week, taking place March 21-29.
This event promises a diverse array of prix fixe menus, special discounts and exclusive offers at more than 30 West Town restaurants, bars and cafes—plus a $100 gift card giveaway. Among the dozens of participating spots are Mama Delia (prix fixe menu for $45), West Town Bakery + Diner (one free cake ball with any coffee purchase), Roots Pizza (a free 12” cheese pizza for dine-in with the purchase of six mozzarella sticks), Beatnik West Town (prix fixe brunch menu for $30; prix fixe dinner menu for $450 and J.J.Thai Street Food (Thai bento box set for $25).
—The colors of the wind: For a cool (non-culinary) experience, visit Color Factory, which is inside Willis Tower. The seasonal installation transforms spring’s first signs of life into an immersive, larger-than-life experience. Wander through towering tulips in the Windy City Confetti Accumulation room—an ode to Chicago’s signature bloom—and take in the joyful hues of the season.
That’s the news for this week. Be sure to come back next week for more tasty treats! Don’t forget to get ALL the culinary news at SAVOR with Andrew.