{"id":64282,"date":"2025-07-14T07:21:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T07:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/64282\/"},"modified":"2025-07-14T07:21:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T07:21:13","slug":"savor-class-act-opens-bastille-day-items-ravenswood-on-tap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/64282\/","title":{"rendered":"SAVOR Class Act opens, Bastille Day items, Ravenswood on Tap"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2014Seeing \u201cSigns\u201d:\u00a0Iconic comedienne\/actress Lily Tomlin<\/strong>\u00a0will appear at Chicago\u2019s Siskel Film Center on Thursday, July 24, at 1 p.m. for a sneak preview of the newly restored\u00a0The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, according to a release. Before the film, Tomlin will engage in a short on-stage dialogue. Wife Jane Wagner created this one-woman show for Tomlin in 1985. Asked recently if she sees any signs of intelligent life in the universe at the moment, Tomlin replied, \u201cI see a lot of intelligence, but we apply that intelligence so stupidly.\u201d Tickets can be purchased at\u00a0this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And now on to culinary items\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014A touch of Class:\u00a0Class Act<\/a>\u2014the debut concept from Executive Chef Nicolai Mlodinow, alongside its accompanying speakeasy, Nightcap\u2014has officially opened in Bucktown.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"ClassClass Act. Photo by Landry Hudman <\/p>\n

The new concept aims to offer an immersive, communal tasting menu experience that blends culinary artistry with creative mixology and a spirit of connection, according to a press release. Hidden behind a sleek black fa\u00e7ade, Class Act takes guests on a three-room progressive journey anchored by a 16-seat communal table beneath a dramatic nine-foot floating gold cloud sculpture.<\/p>\n

The experience straddles the line between dinner party and performance, encouraging guests to engage with the culinary team in an open kitchen setting as they enjoy Mlodinow\u2019s whimsical tasting menus paired with imaginative cocktails, curated wines, or spirit-free options. After dinner, guests slip through a hidden passage into Nightcap, a velvet-draped speakeasy offering bespoke drinks in a plush, mood-lit setting. The debut menu, \u201cGrowing Up,\u201d features a squash blossom filled with parmesan mousse and topped with micro flowers; and globally inspired creations like Blackened Seafood, Taco Truck and Celebration. Reservations can be made through\u00a0OpenTable<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014French twist: Western Springs spot\u00a0Petite Vie<\/a>\u00a0is celebrating\u00a0Bastille Day\u00a0<\/strong>on July 14.<\/p>\n

Petite Vie, the French brasserie from James Beard-nominated Chef Paul Virant, is inviting guests to toast the day with spritz specials and $2 oysters. Located in downtown Western Springs, the intimate caf\u00e9 will offer a complimentary spritz to diners in honor of the French holiday. The specials include the Bastille, Lillet, Cherie Chamomile, Parisienne and Astoria spritzes.<\/p>\n

Those looking to celebrate a little early can enjoy Petite Vie\u2019s French-inspired brunch, served Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The menu features hors d\u2019oeuvres like black truffle goug\u00e8res and foie gras mousse, plus hearty entr\u00e9es such as duck confit poutine, cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e French toast and savory buckwheat galette. Guests can also indulge in bistro staples like quiche, steak frites and Croque Madame, alongside a curated selection of French cheeses and housemade pastries.\u00a0\u00c0 la carte\u00a0options include eggs (any style), brunch potatoes, pommes frites, pain au chocolat and kouign-amann.<\/p>\n

\u2014French twist, part two: On Monday, July 14, at 6:30 p.m., in honor of Bastille Day, guests are invited to join\u00a0Uvae Kitchen & Wine Bar<\/strong>\u00a0in Andersonville and indulge in a curated five-course dinner inspired by the flavors of France and paired with exquisite wine selections from Jules Martin of Albert Bichot Wines. Menu highlights will include watermelon burrata paired with ros\u00e9, caramelized onion tart paired with Chablis, filet tartare accompanied by a beaujolais, braised duck breast paired with Sautenay Premier Cru, and more.<\/p>\n

Admission is $110\/person; visit\u00a0this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Milk money: Also on July 14, Chef John Manion of\u00a0El Che Steakhouse & Brasero<\/a>\u00a0will be donating all proceeds from his Spilt Milk Family Meal event to support Birrieria Zaragoza, the family-run restaurant working to reopen after a recent fire.<\/p>\n

For $25 after 5 p.m., guests will enjoy a special collaboration steak sandwich created by Manion and Chef Jonathan Zaragoza, along with two sides from each chef. There will also be a live auction and raffles featuring contributions from some of Chicago\u2019s top chefs and restaurants, including Lula Cafe, Monteverde, Le Bouchon, Galit, Cafe Yaya, The Omakase Room, Sepia, The Coach House, Il Carciofo, Sifr and more. Donations to help Birrieria Zaragoza can be made\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014We have a wiener: On July 16, at 6 p.m., in celebration of National Hot Dog Day,\u00a0Cody\u2019s Public House<\/a>\u00a0in West Lake View will host a festive\u00a0Wiener Dog Meetup<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Dog lovers and their four-legged companions will enjoy an evening of complimentary bites, pet-friendly treats and drink specials. Beginning at 6 p.m., guests can enjoy FREE hot dogs, while pups will be treated to free pup cups and dog swag courtesy of Cody\u2019s. In addition to the pet-friendly offerings, guests can take advantage of drink specials available throughout the evening, including $5 Lagunitas, $6 house wines, $8 Classic Tito\u2019s vodka martinis, $8 Empress gin martinis and $9 espresso martinis.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u201cTap\u201d-notch: The eighth annual\u00a0Ravenswood on Tap<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0festival, hosted by the Greater Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce (GRCC), returns July 19-20 for a weekend celebrating the local Malt Row community.<\/p>\n

Featuring beer and spirits from local breweries and distilleries, Ravenswood on Tap\u2014located along Ravenswood Avenue between Berteau and Belle Plaine avenues\u2014celebrates one of the most prolific craft brewing communities in the country. The spotlight is put on local businesses in the neighborhood from restaurants to retailers, artisans, creators and more. The festival includes a suggested donation of $10 to benefit various organizations.<\/p>\n

Participating breweries and distilleries will include Begyle Brewing, Cultivate by Forbidden Root, Demo Brewing, Dovetail Brewery, Half Acre Beer Company, Hop Butcher for the World, Is\/Was Brewing, KOVAL Distillery and Spiteful Brewing. Food vendors will include Cafe Tola, Bad Johnny\u2019s Wood-Fired Pizza and Yum Dum Food Truck, among others. Entertainment will include axe-throwing; live painting; and music from acts such as Billy Joel Jr., Lydia Cash, Punk\u2019d, Serengeti and She\u2019s Crafty (an all-female Beastie Boys tribute act).<\/p>\n

\"LevainLevain Bakery and Pretty Cool Ice Cream\u2019s summer 2025 partnership. PR photo<\/p>\n

\u2014Cool runnings:\u00a0Levain Bakery and Pretty Cool Ice Cream<\/strong>\u00a0have come up with more ways to have people engaged in their collaboration.<\/p>\n

From Thursday, July 17 through Sunday, July 20, Levain will offer a brand-new dulce de leche ice cream flavor from Pretty Cool Ice Cream at both of the Levain Chicago shops at 840 W. Randolph St.. and 408 N. Clark St. Also, for National Ice Cream Day (July 20), the first 100 guests at each location to order ice cream will receive free, limited-edition Levain Bakery bucket hats. Lastly, in addition to Levain \u00e0 la Mode (an eight-ounce cookie with a scoop of Pretty Cool\u2019s toasted vanilla or dulce de leche, for $10.50), guests have been coming up with their own creations, such as affogato (ice cream with hot Levain coffee poured over) and ice-cream sandwiches (a scoop between two fresh-baked Levain cookies).<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the news for this week. Be sure to come back next week for more tasty treats! And please don\u2019t forget to subscribe to\u00a0SAVOR with Andrew<\/a>\u00a0for even more insider info.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2014Seeing \u201cSigns\u201d:\u00a0Iconic comedienne\/actress Lily Tomlin\u00a0will appear at Chicago\u2019s Siskel Film Center on Thursday, July 24, at 1 p.m.…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":64283,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,990,5386,1818],"class_list":{"0":"post-64282","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-chicago","9":"tag-food","10":"tag-il","11":"tag-illinois"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64282\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}