Monday, April 14
Mercadito drink guru Paul Sauter will swing by the Local Chicago (198 E. Delaware Pl., Gold Coast, 312-280-8886) from 9 to 11 p.m. to serve up one of his drinks, the You Make Me Bomba (rum, ginger syrup, cucumber purée, yucateca, and mint), with a portion of the proceeds going to the charity Un86’d, which helps restaurant professionals in need.
Tuesday, April 15
Tax season is over—that is, once you’ve finally stopped procrastinating and gotten your return in a few hours before the deadline. You can celebrate your contributions to the IRS with tax-day specials at best new restaurant Chop Shop (2033 W. North Ave., Wicker Park, 773-537-4440), which will have both six-ounce steak cuts from the butcher to cook at home and select bottles of wine to sip in-house for $10.99.
Wednesday, April 16
At lunch and dinner from April 14 through April 22, Bub City (435 N. Clark St., River North, 312-610-4200) will have a Passover-special pastrami platter with house-smoked pastrami, latke chips, deli mustard, and nary a speck of bread for $16.95.
Thursday, April 17
Grilled cheese reductio ad absurdum: the Zillion Dollar Grilled Cheese at deca Restaurant + Bar (Ritz-Carlton, 160 E. Pearson St., Gold Coast, 312-573-5160) is available through the end of the month. What makes it cost a zillion dollars—or its actual list price of $100, which may as well be a zillion dollars when you’re talking grilled cheese? It’s made with country sourdough and cooked in high-end olive oil, and the fixings include black Iberico ham from pigs that eat acorns in southern Spanish pastures, 40-year-aged Wisconsin cheddar infused with 24-karat gold flakes, Ellis Family Farms heirloom tomatoes, 100-year-old aged balsamic, white truffle aïoli, foie gras, and a sunny-side-up duck egg, plus a side of lobster mac-and-cheese.
Sunday, April 20
Get in on the Adult Easter Egg Hunt kicking off at Longman & Eagle (2657 N. Kedzie Ave., Logan Square, 773-276-7110) and sprawling all over Logan Square. Longman and other participating spots will have food and drink specials for the event, and the winners will get a gift basket filled with goodies from several neighborhood spots. Teams of two can sign up starting at 11 a.m. for $5, and the entry fee goes to the Logan Square chapter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago.