Sip on four cocktails specially crafted with Woodford Reserve during Morton’s Summer of Sips event Friday.
Courtesy of Morton’s The Steakhouse
Embrace summer with cocktails featuring Woodford Reserve at Morton’s on Friday or live music on the patio every Thursday at Violi in Oak Brook. If you’re over summer already, we’ve got a couple of Christmas in July notes that might pique your interest.
Sips of summer
Morton’s The Steakhouse wants to take diners for a ride down the bourbon trail with the Woodford Reserve Sips of Summer event Friday, July 19, when they’ll showcase four craft cocktails made with Woodford Reserve that will be complemented by curated food pairings. The event is $99 plus tax, inclusive of gratuity.
The featured cocktails are the Thai Julep (Woodford Reserve Double Oak, Thai basil, black pepper and exotic fruit), Summer Sour (Woodford Reserve Rye, papaya, pineapple, ginger and lemon), Smoke Break (Lapsang souchong-infused Woodford Reserve Bourbon, zucca, cardamom and orange) and Bourbon Pound Cake (The Wiseman Bourbon, stone fruit, vermouth and bitters).
Curated bites include Brie crostini, bacon-wrapped dates, chicken drumettes with Asian marinade, grilled shrimp skewers, bourbon Wellington and coconut marshmallow cookies.
Morton’s has suburban locations in Naperville, Rosemont and Schaumburg. Seating is provided, but the event is not a sit-down dinner.
Violi in Oak Brook is offering live acoustic music every Thursday on their all-weather patio through Labor Day.
Courtesy of Violi
Let the music play
Two staples of summer: outdoor dining and outdoor live music. You can enjoy both at Greek dining destination Violi in Oak Brook from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday through Labor Day on the enclosed, all-weather patio. Reservations are available at OpenTable.
Burger King’s new Fiery Menu debuts this week.
Courtesy of Burger King
Some like it hot
Spicy chicken is everywhere, so it’s no surprise Burger King is offering Fiery Chicken Fries and the Fiery Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich. But give them points for creativity on the rest of their new Fiery Menu, which includes Fiery Strawberry & Sprite, Fiery Mozzarella Fries and a Fiery Bacon Whopper.
The menu is available starting Thursday, July 18, with spice levels ranging from a mild level one on the drink to the level five chicken sandwich, which features a crispy breast filet coated with a fiery glaze and topped with crispy fiery-seasoned bacon, Pepper Jack cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and creamy fiery sauce. If that sounds a little too hot for you, they’re also offering Hidden Valley Ranch dip cups to help put out the fire.
Christmas in July, part one
It will look a lot like Christmas at Lucille Restaurant in Oakbrook Terrace when they host a Christmas in July brunch Sunday, July 21. Enjoy holiday decor, cheerful tunes and a visit from Santa while dining on an endless brunch buffet featuring food stations from fruit to seafood to carving to made-to-order breakfast items. There’s also unlimited Champagne, mimosas, bellinis and a Bloody Mary bar. It starts at 10:30 a.m. and is $75 for adults and $30 for kids 5-12.
The 2024 edition of the Lodi Tap House craft beer advent calendar is available for a special presale price through the end of July.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com, 2023
Christmas in July, part two
Get an early start on your Christmas shopping with a presale deal on the fifth annual Lodi Tap House Craft Beer Advent Calendar featuring 24 of Illinois’ finest craft breweries from across the state. There are 13 new breweries featured this year. A cider/mead version of the advent calendar is also available for pre-order. Both are offered through the end of July for $89, which is $10 off the regular price and ensures you’ll get one of the calendars, which traditionally sell out.
Participating breweries include suburban favorites like Mikerphone Brewing from Elk Grove Village, More Brewing Company from Huntley, Noon Whistle Brewing from Naperville, Riverlands Brewing Company from St. Charles, Pollyanna Brewing Company from Lemont and more (19 more, to be exact).
Goldfinger Brewing in Downers Grove is celebrating its fourth “Lagerversary” this weekend.
Courtesy of Goldfinger Brewing
Speaking of beer …
Goldfinger Brewing in Downers Grove is celebrating its fourth anniversary, or “Lagerversary” as they prefer, with a weekend of activities Friday through Sunday, July 19-21.
The brewery, located at 513 Rogers St., will close part of the parking lot and set up a large tent to accommodate the festivities, which include live music, an artisan market, food and exclusive beer releases. No tickets are required, but attendees can purchase drink tokens at the entrance.
Goldfinger will unveil two new beers during the weekend, including a Pre-Prohibition Style Lager made in collaboration with Live Oak that focuses on ingredients sourced from states bordering Lake Michigan. They’ll also introduce a dry-hopped Italian Pilsener, crafted in collaboration with Bierstadt Lagerhaus. Check the Facebook page for details.
• Email dining events to rwest@dailyherald.com.