Here in Chicago, winter months are meant for drinking a beer that’ll stick to your ribs. A tall pint of stout as dark as the 5pm sky and a head of chocolate frosting foam will nourish the heart and warm the soul against biting winds and seasonal captivity. Small Bar on Division is getting a jump on welcoming winter’s tonic with a Stout Blowout—an event featuring more than a dozen different thick and frothy brews. Come and taste what the local favorites have in the roasted malt variety, like Hell’s Black Intelligencer from Three Floyds in nearby Munster, Indiana, or Grumpess from Solemn Oath in Naperville. Other kegs hail from nearby Michigan and Kentucky, while one has traveled all the way from Copenhagen. There will be a few highly sought after limited-release stouts from both New Belgium and Goose Island. The tapping is free while pints are going for $8 or less. If you wish to make a date out of it the staff will be more than happy to offer pairing suggestions with their dinner menu. (Jessica Burg)
November 20 at Small Bar Division, 2049 West Division, (773)772-2727, 6pm, free.
Can’t-Miss Dining & Drinking Events (Fall Arts Preview 2021) Undoubtedly, there has rarely been a time in U.S. history when it was more challenging to open a restaurant. Still, the wheels are in motion to open the doors on three very promising Chicago restaurants before the end of the year.
After Blackbird: Restaurateur Donnie Madia says “We Are In a Different World” (Fall Arts Preview 2021) Donny Madia of One Off Hospitality Group and I met in the dining room of avec River North. I wanted to hear what transformations—aside from closures—have been wrought upon One Off Hospitality by the recent health catastrophe. Throughout this conversation, common themes emerged around the communication and newfound sense of community spirit that has been established.
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