Dining

Dining out: Where to score March Madness specials

Posted March 13, 2024 9:10 am

Rick West

Follow @dhrickwest

Enjoy the NCAA basketball tournament with a Final Fourange cocktail at Old Town Pour House in Oak Brook and Naperville or City Works Eatery & Pour House in Vernon Hills and Schaumburg. Courtesy of Bottleneck Management

There’s madness in the air as the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments bring opportunities to gather with fans at your favorite hangout to watch some games, eat some eats and drink some drinks.

Bring on the Madness

• College hoops fans can catch every magical moment of the tournament at Old Town Pour House in Oak Brook and Naperville from March 19 to April 8. To celebrate, they’re serving the Final Fourange, a boozy orange crush cocktail with Ketel One Oranje, triple sec and a mix of citrus flavors. Diners visiting during the tournament will receive a scratch-off ticket offering them a shot at winning prizes that include gift cards and bar bites. Doors will open early on March 21-22 to make sure fans don’t miss any of the action. Seating and standing room are first-come, first-served. Reservations for large groups are available in a limited capacity through a private events form. The same tasty orange libation is available at fellow Bottleneck Management restaurant City Works Eatery & Pour House in Vernon Hills and Schaumburg.

Head to Bar Louie locations in Bolingbrook, Naperville and Oakbrook Terrace for some March Madness and bar bites. Courtesy of Bar Louie

• Bar Louie is treating rewards members to a free bar bite with any purchase of $15 or more throughout March. Sounds like madness if you ask me. Root on your alma mater or favorite Cinderella story with plenty of TVs, daily drink specials and both late-night and regular happy hours. There are suburban Bar Louie locations in Bolingbrook, Naperville and Oakbrook Terrace.

• Pinstripes is offering a slam dunk dining offer from March 19-31with their Final Four Gaming Menu. Choose any four starters for $50 or enjoy $15 buckets of beer all day. And if you make a reservation and dine in, you’ll be registered to win tickets to the Final Four in Phoenix. Suburban locations are in Northbrook, Oak Brook and South Barrington.

WhirlyBall has a special menu for March Madness, as well as beer bucket specials. Courtesy of WhirlyBall

• Head to WhirlyBall in Naperville or Vernon Hills for March Madness specials from now until April 8. Pair it with bucket specials to maximize your basketball-watching experience.

• Enjoy madness, but not necessarily the basketball type? Head to Bonefish Grill on March 20 for the March Martini Madness Dinner. It’s a $55 per person, four-course dinner with specially paired mini martinis. Start with a crab and avocado salad paired with a Castaway Cosmo martini, followed by scallop and shrimp scampi with a Hpnotiq martini. Course three features Rockefeller butterfish paired with the Enchanted Rose martini. End the evening with drunken coconut pie and an Island Breeze martini. Bonefish has locations in Algonquin, Orland Park, Schaumburg and Skokie.

Thursday, March 21, has been declared Rick Bayless Day in Chicago to celebrate the 37-year anniversary of Frontera Grill. Courtesy of Galdones Photography

Celebrating a Chicago icon

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has declared Thursday, March 21, Rick Bayless Day in Chicago in honor of the 37-year anniversary of Frontera Grill. It’s a sentimental milestone for Bayless because he got his culinary start at the age of 8 in his parents’ Hickory House restaurant, which was open for 37 years in Oklahoma City. A ticketed dinner is being hosted on March 21 to honor Bayless with throwback dishes from Frontera’s original 1987 menu, plus exclusive wine and cocktails, mariachi music and more. A limited number of tickets may still be available at Resy, but no promises.

Tokio Pub in Schaumburg is hosting a Street Food Festival during the month of March. Courtesy of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants

Taking it to the streets

There’s still time to enjoy Tokio Pub’s Street Food Festival in Schaumburg. There are new flavorful specials during the month of March, including shrimp and garlic fried rice, coconut bao and more, plus the return of Taco Time. One hour, one day, once a week throughout Street Food Fest, Tokio Pub will offer $1 tacos. They reveal the day on their Instagram account. Restrictions apply, including no modifications, no substitutions, dine-in only and limit of five tacos per order.

Grill House in Northbrook has added several new permanent menu items based on guest recommendations. Courtesy of Grill House

Grill House owners hear you

The customers have spoken, and the Grill House in Northbrook listened. After surveying guests for feedback, ownership has added several new items to the permanent menu. Many of the items coincide with Lent, such as beer-battered Alaskan cod, Parmesan-crusted Lake Superior white fish, fried calamari and lobster bisque. “We have the most wonderful and loyal customers,” owner Nick Drivas said. “We’re always grateful for their feedback and suggestions.”

• Send dining events to rwest@dailyherald.com.

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