Dining events: Chinese New Year and Fat Tuesday deals
Chinese New Year
Big Bowl ushers in the Year of the Ox Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 11-14, with special dishes including Moo Shu Pork, Long Life Noodles with Shanghai Beef to symbolize longevity, Black Pepper Sea Scallops and banana cheesecake to symbolize bringing a sweet life to the new year. Available for dine-in or carryout. Reservations required.
Big Bowl is at 215 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire, (847) 808-8880, and 1950 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 517-8881, bigbowl.com/.
Saving Tiny Hearts
Order up your favorite meal from Katie's Kitchen and feel good about it, too. Now through Sunday, Feb. 14, the breakfast and lunch cafe is honoring Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week by donating 10% of every bill - dine-in or carryout - to the Saving Tiny Hearts Society. For info on CHD, see savingtinyhearts.org/.
Katie's Kitchen is at 623 N. Wolf Road, Des Plaines, (847) 803-3544, katieskitchenonline.com/.
Paczki day!
Mardi Gras is Tuesday, Feb. 16, and Scratchboard Kitchen is celebrating by opening early that day - from 7:30-11 a.m. - to offer King Cake Donuts (topped with purple, green and gold sprinkles) and paczkis (filled with housemade raspberry hibiscus jam). A dozen doughnuts is $30 and a dozen paczkis is $40. Or order a combo box - two King Cake Donuts and two paczkis - for $12.
Scratchboard Kitchen is 5 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights, (847) 749-3103, scratchboardkitchenah.com/.
Fat Tuesday specials
Shaw's Crab House: 1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 517-2722, shawscrabhouse.com/schaumburg/. It's already time for Mardi Gras?! Shaw's is celebrating with $2 fresh oysters on the half shell, chilled mussels and shrimp cocktail all day, plus all draft beer is on special for $5 and glasses of wine and select drinks are $8. Deals are available from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, for dine-in at the restaurant or on the heated patio and carryout. Reservations required.
Tokio Pub: 1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 278-5181, tokiopub.com/. At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, Tokio Pub is hosting a socially distanced four-course Fat Tuesday Cocktail Dinner for $65 per person on the all-seasons patio. Dine on Po' Bao with fried oysters paired with a Sirarcha Bloody Mary, the Crazy Cajun Roll paired with a Tsunami Slammer, the Creole Ramen paired with a Gin Gin Fizz and the bananas Foster paired with Shinshu Sazerac. Reservations required.
North Shore Restaurant Month
There's still time left to take advantage of North Shore Restaurant Month: Takeout Edition, which runs through the end of February. Check out the participating restaurants' deals at visitchicagonorthshore.com/winter_restaurantmonth.
Margaritas & queso
While it might seem a little early to celebrate National Margarita Day, which is Monday, Feb. 22, On The Border is honoring the day now through Feb. 28 with a $5 1800 Grande 'Rita made with 1800 Silver Tequila. Add a Meltdown, which is extra tequila, Blue Curacao, Sour Apple or other liqueurs, to your 'rita for a bit extra. Since you'll probably be hungry, On The Border is obliging with the return of Queso Fest. Now you can indulge in Texas queso fries, melted queso fundido, queso steak torta (fajita steak with Mexican white cheese, pico de gallo, lime chimichurri and queso in a toasted bolillo roll), cheesy queso enchiladas (two cheese enchiladas topped with queso and pico de gallo that's served with Mexican rice and beans) and grilled queso chicken (mesquite-grilled chicken breast under queso and sliced avocado accompanied by sautéed vegetables and cilantro lime rice).
On The Border is at 1512 S. Randall Road, Algonquin, (847) 960-3915; 1915 Glacier Park Ave., Naperville, (331) 472-8740; 535 N. Lakeview Pkwy., Vernon Hills, (224) 433-5450; ontheborder.com/.
• Due to evolving COVID-19 restrictions, note that these offerings are subject to change. Send restaurant news to clinden@dailyherald.com.