Dining out: Local breweries offer Links & Drinks, CPK celebrates 40 years and more
Golf and beer go together like, well, beer and pretzels or beer and pizza. You can enjoy both putters and pilsners at 12 suburban breweries with a new promotion spread across the suburbs. Also, CPK is celebrating 40 years by bringing back some popular menu items and a promotion from the past, and it’s almost restaurant week for eateries on Evanston’s Central Street.
Links & Drinks
A dozen local breweries have teamed up to create a 12-hole mini golf course spread across the suburbs.
Links & Drinks was designed to showcase the “links” between brewing buddies on the local beer scene. Each brewery has a custom-designed hole you can play for free at their location from April 7-30, each with a QR code. The more places you play, the more entries you get into the prize drawing. Play them all for a chance to win the grand prize.
Participating breweries include Art History Brewing in St. Charles, Blind Corner Brewery in Naperville, Brother Chimp Brewing in North Aurora, Bubblehouse Brewing Co. in Lisle, Church Street Brewing in Itasca, Mikerphone Brewing in Elk Grove Village, Noon Whistle Brewing in Lombard and Naperville, Skeleton Key Brewery in Woodridge, Solemn Oath Brewery in Naperville, Soundgrowler Brewing in Tinley Park and Sturdy Shelter Brewing in Batavia.
This is 40
California Pizza Kitchen is turning 40, and to celebrate, they’re bringing back some classic menu items and enlisting the help of a former employee.
Through May 19, guests will be able to revisit favorite menu dishes from the past, including the Rosemary Roasted Potato and Grilled Chicken Pizza, Chicken Milanese, Waldorf Chicken Salad and Tortilla Spring Rolls.
The anniversary also sees the return of its “Thank You Card” promotion. Now through May 11, every adult guest for dine in, takeout or delivery will receive a card with a hidden prize to be revealed during their next visit. Prizes range from meal discounts to cash prizes of up to $40,000.
CPK also feigned a midlife crisis with a new ad campaign featuring former staffer and current actor Busy Philipps. The self-proclaimed “huge fan” of the restaurant starred in “We’re 40 & Fine with It!,” a mockumentary about the restaurant embracing streetwear fashion and culture to remain relevant, before Philipps urges them to stick to what worked for 40 years.
The restaurant has suburban locations in Deer Park, Geneva and Schaumburg.
More anniversary celebrations
Clara’s Restaurant in Woodridge, which celebrated its 38th anniversary on March 13 by rolling back prices to 1987 rates, will keep the nostalgia rolling until April 10 with more nightly specials.
On Tuesdays, the homemade lasagna is going for the 1987 price of $6.75. Wednesdays will feature a plate of pasta with tomato or meat sauce for $4.50 (add two handmade meatballs for $1.25). Thursday specials include pasta with primavera sauce for $6.75 and a trio of mini cannoli for $1.50.
Guests can also enjoy half-off bottles of wine, and each dine-in visit to the restaurant at 6550 Route 53 comes with a raffle ticket for a chance at a gift card and a Clara’s T-shirt.
Coming soon
When Fogo de Chão welcomes guests to its fourth suburban location, expected to open this month in Schaumburg, there will be a new addition to the menu. The 45-year-old Brazilian restaurant chain known for churrasco dining is adding a new signature upgrade to the lineup that will include butter-bathed lobster tail, jumbo lump crab cake and roasted bone marrow and black truffle butter.
Plus, the new spring cocktail menu will feature Franca 75 and a Skinny Caipirinha. Seasonal sides include tomato mozzarella soup, an apple manchego salad, spring hummus and more.
Fogo de Chão also has locations in Naperville, Oak Brook and Rosemont.
Restaurant week
North Shore diners should start gearing up for the first Central Street Restaurant Week in Evanston, which takes place April 7-13.
Thirteen businesses, including Celtic Knot Public House, Comida Cantina, Curt’s Cafe, DeSalvo’s Pizza, Foodstuffs, Great Harvest Bread Co., Hartigan’s Ice Cream Shop, Jilly’s Cafe, Leonida’s, Parlor on Central, Pinto Thai, Ten Mile House and The Fat Shallot, will offer special deals and menus during the event.
• Send dining events to rwest@dailyherald.com.