Christmas Dining, Drinking, and Dancing in Chicago
Before hanging your stockings and setting out cookies for the jolliest home invader of the year, you’d be wise to establish your Christmas dining itinerary. You don’t want to wind up bingeing on candy and thwarting your appetite for Bûche de Noël and steak. That would be naughty.
Dine richly and luxuriously on Christmas Eve at Paris Club Bistro & Bar, where classic French favorites like coq au vin, duck a l’orange, and moules frites will be on hand the day before the holiday, making for an apt foray into full-fledged familial merriment. Round out your meal with that famed, aesthetically stunning French pastime, Bûche de Noël. This yule log cake is made with dark chocolate and hazelnut, and also available for carryout.
Speaking of Bûche de Noël, Bad Wolf Coffee is also making their own version of the traditional dessert, with flakes of almond, brown butter, and toffee. It’s available for pre-order and takeout along with stollen wreathes, bread pudding, and cookies.
Because one cannot live on log-shaped cake alone, there’s a special Christmas Eve meal taking place at Chicago q that’s sure to beef up your dining schedule. The restaurant will be offering grilled marinated American Kobe brisket tri-tip with smoked Gouda potatoes au gratin and herb-roasted vegetables.
Celebrate the holidays in style with a multi-course tasting menu at Roka Akor on Christmas Eve. The festive degustation includes robata grilled scallops with truffled ikura; crispy fried lemon sole with chili ponzu and smoked sea salt; choice of entree course with options like sake steamed mussels and robata roast duck; and chocolate cake with ube ice cream for dessert.
Think way outside the stocking for Christmas Day dining with a little Latin American zest. Artango Bistro is open from noon until 8:00 pm on Christmas, featuring a special four-course prix fixe dinner menu perfect for those who prefer paella over marshmallow Santas. The menu includes five appetizer options, soup or salad, special Christmas entrees like pava relleno (stuffed turkey breast) and pato con pears (spiced duck breast with roasted pears, almonds, and red wine raising reduction), and a dessert menu. The restaurant is BYOB.
Of course, sometimes Christmas calls for bottled cocktails and dancing, in which case Slippery Slope is your holiday haven. The Logan Square bar and dance club is open on Christmas, filled with seasonally inspired cocktails, music, and classic Christmas movies on display.
Paris Club Bistro & Bar
59 W. Hubbard Street, Chicago
(312) 595-0800
Website
Bad Wolf Coffee
3422 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago
(773) 969-2356
Website
Chicago q
1160 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago
(312) 642-1160
Website
Roka Akor
456 N. Clark Street, Chicago
(312) 477-7652
Website
Artango Bistro
4217 N. Ravenswood Avenue, Chicago
(773) 697-7479
Website
Slippery Slope
2357 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago
(773) 799-8504
Website
