Fall is officially here, Chicago, but it seems like we’re trying to hang onto summer a bit, and temperatures will be in the 70s all weekend. It could rain a bit though, so don’t forget to grab your umbrella on your way out of your Chicago condo!
Events
Gourmet food takes center stage this weekend at the second annual Chicago Gourmet, “a celebration of food and wine”. Over 50 local chefs will be on hand conducting food demonstrations and gourmet food samplings, and there will be wine tastings and seminars given by world-class sommeliers. Ted Allen, Rick Bayless, Graham Elliot Bowles and Tony Mantuano are just a few of the celebrity chefs who will be there. But just like the gourmet food they serve, tickets to this event don’t come cheap: $150 gets you in for one day and a two-day pass will run you $250. Saturday 11am-6pm, Sunday 11am-5pm in Millenium Park. This will definitely make for a memorable weekend.
Take a trip to the theatre this weekend to hear “Conjunction Junction” and all your old favorites with Schoolhouse Rock LIVE! The Attic at Hamburger Mary’s on Clark St. hosts a live musical version of the Emmy Award-winning 70s cartoon every Thursday, Friday and Saturday till October 3rd. Tickets are only $10! Doors open at 7:30pm and the show is at 8pm. The Attic is located upstairs from Hamburger Mary’s at 5400 N. Clark St.
Looking for something a bit different? Experience a twist on the traditional circus this weekend with UniverSoul Circus! All your circus favorites will be there, including clowns, acrobats and aerialists. They call this circus the “circus with soul” and indeed it is. The 16th annual show will feature performers from China, South Africa, Russia, Brazil and the U.S. Shows go on Friday 7:30pm and Saturday 12pm, 4pm and 7:30pm in Washington Park at 5531 S. King Drive. Tickets range from $11-$31. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind performance!
Restaurants
Come on down to River North this weekend for some amazing, authentic Mexican food with flair. Mercadito already has locations in New York and Miami, and this new addition to the Chicago dining scene is not going unnoticed. Mercadito is doing things a little differently with wide selection of ceviches and different kinds of salsa and guacamole. But never fear, they’ve still got your favorites like chile relleno and mole chicken. Try one of their unique tequila drinks like the pera té: black tea infused with tequila with mezcal, pear and agave. Open daily from 5pm-midnight, Mercadito is located at 108 W. Kinzie.
If you can’t afford Chicago Gourmet but are still looking for something a little more upscale, try the afternoon tea at the Palmer House Hilton. This traditional and elegant tea is held in the warm and inviting Palmer House lobby. With all the posh touches you might feel like you’re spending a fortune, but the tea is offered for just $35. Champagne is available for an extra $10 and kids are only $25. Tea is served daily from 2pm-4pm and reservations are required. Call 312.917.3404 to reserve your place today. The Palmer House Hilton is located at 17 E. Monroe.
Sunday brunch is calling, and there’s no better deal than the $24 brunch sampler at Cafe des Architectes on the Magnificent Mile. Cafe des Architectes offers chic French cuisine, and a celebrated brunch. Their brunch sampler is served Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30am to 5pm and includes fresh juice, your choice of fresh fruit kabobs, smoked salmon, brioche French toast and much more. This is truly an amazing bargain. Cafe des Architectes is located in the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower at 20 E. Chestnut St.
Movies
Experience your favorite musical on the big screen! In this remake of Fame, a group of talented young dancers, singers and musicians hone their skills at a top New York school for performing arts and try to make it in this highly competitive world while still enjoying life and what it means to be young. Now playing.
Check out Bruce Willis’s latest sci-fi flick, Surrogates. Robots take the place of humans at work and in other daily activities while the humans they’re designed after control them from the comfort of their own homes. But something in this perfect society goes wrong when someone commits the first murder in years, and Bruce Willis has to get out there and do some old fashioned human detective work. Opens Friday.
This Friday see Dennis Quaid starring in the futuristic thriller Pandorum. Astronauts awake from “hyper sleep” on an abandoned spaceship and cannot remember where they are or why they’re there. While exploring the ship they discover that it’s not as abandoned as they thought and whatever is there is not friendly!
Tags: chicago events, chicago gourmet, chicago mercadito opening, events, movies, palmer house hilton, restaurants, this weekend in chicago
