The fifth annual Chicago Restaurant Week is right around the corner, running Feb. 17-26. More than 200 Chicago-area restaurants will participate by offering prix-fixe menus at $22, $33 and $44 (excluding drinks) during lunch and dinner.

To kick off this year’s edition, the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau is hosting the “First Bites” bash, Thursday, February 2 from 6-9 p.m. at historic Union Station. Guests will enjoy bites from over 50 Chicagoland chefs, including our very own Federico Comacchio of Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush, Luigi Garcia of Riva Crab House, and Victorio Padilla of Tuscany on Taylor. Guests can create their own food pairings with Moet Hennessy wines, Belvedere cocktails and Blue Moon beers. Groupon is sponsoring a dessert lounge for those with a sweet tooth.

Tickets are available online and 100 percent of net proceeds will benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

• Chicago Restaurant Week [website]
• First Bites Bash [website]
• Stefani Restaurant Week Menus [website]

Admission Details:
Must be 21 years or older with valid photo identification to be admitted to the First Bites Bash.

Business or cocktail party attire is suggested.

Doors at Union Station will open (Jackson Street entrance only) at 6 pm. Transportation and parking recommendations will be provided to ticketholders via email prior to the event.

This Valentine’s Day indulge in a sweet treat and help a fantastic cause, all at the same time!  $1 from each special dessert sold will be donated to Stefani Children’s Foundation. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Stefani’s Children’s Foundation and we’re hoping it’s are most successful fundraising year yet! All money raised is donated to numerous children’s charities such as Children’s Memorial Hospital, Maryville Academy, Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, Cystic Fibrosis and United Cerebral Palsy.

Below is a list of the delicious dessert featured at each of our restaurants:

Riva Crab House on Navy Pier

TIRAMISU – $8 
kahlua, espresso, mascarpone, dutch cocoa

www.RivaNavyPier.com | 312.644.7482

Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush

TARTUFO AL CIOCCOLATO – $8
Italian Zabaione cream center, surrounded by chocolate gelato, caramelized hazelnuts and cocoa, served with warm Tahitian Vanilla sauce

www.PhilStefanis437Rush.com | 312.222.0101

Tuscany on Taylor

TIRAMISU – $6.50
kahlua, espresso, mascarpone, dutch cocoa

www.TuscanyChicago.com | 312.829.1990

Tuscany Oak Brook

HEART SHAPPED PASSION FRUIT
WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TART – $9
Pistachio sauce, mixed wild berries

www.TuscanyChicago.com | 630.990.1993

Tuscany Wheeling

CALZONE DI NUTELLA – $8
delectable dark chocolate with hazelnuts and mascarpone cheese, folded in the middle of our homemade pizza dough

www.TuscanyChicago.com | 847.465.9988

[Updated: Friday, December 30, 2011]

*Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush | 312 222 0101:  Availability before 7:00pm and after 9:00pm.  Alessandro, our wonderfully talented singer, performing on the floor throughout the entire evening. Almalfi Package still available! Click here to view details.

*Riva Crabhouse Navy Pier | 312 644 7482:  Very limited availability.  Fireworks at 8:15pm and Midnight.

*Tuscany on Taylor Street | 312 829 1990:  Availability throughout.

*Tuscany Oak Brook | 630 990 1993:  Availability at 5:00pm and after 9:00pm.  Live music until 1:00am.

*Tuscany Wheeling | 847 465 9988:  Availability at 6:00pm and earlier and 9:45pm or later.  Live music until 12:30am.

*Tavern on Rush | 312 664 9600:  Sold Out

*Crystal Gardens Navy Pier | 312 595 5424:  Sold Out

Riva Crab House at Navy Pier has teamed with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, one of our neighbors at Chicago’s bustling Navy Pier, to make a deal for you!

The folks at Chicago Shakespeare Theater know dinner and show make the perfect pair, and so we are offering TWO tickets to Elizabeth Rex, playing through Jan. 22, 2012 AND Dinner For Two at Riva Crab House. All you have to do is answer one simple question:

What is your favorite season at Navy Pier & why? Give us your reasons, and we’ll pick the very best one to enjoy dinner and a show for two! Contest ends January 6, 2012.

[formidable id=2]

Experience the magic of New Year’s Eve at one of Chicago’s most visited destinations – Navy Pier!! Join us at Riva Crab House this New Year’s Eve and enjoy the best restaurant view of the fireworks as well as Chef Specials and a champagne toast at midnight.  Guests who purchase a glass or bottle of champagne will receive a special commemorative champagne flute (while supplies last).  There will be fireworks shows at both 8:15 PM and midnight. CLICK HERE to make your reservation or call 312.644.7482.

You can also celebrate the beginning of 2012 at Riva Cafe (located on the ground level, underneath the main dining room).  From 9:00pm – 1:30am guests can enjoy a live DJ, dancing, party favors, complimentary finger food with a cash bar and a champagne toast with fireworks at midnight!!!

RIVA CRAB HOUSE on Navy Pier
700 E. Grand Ave. | Chicago, IL 60611 | 312.644.7482 | www.rivanavypier.com

December is here and that means Winter Wonderfest has returned to Navy Pier! Winter Wonderfest is the perfect event for children of all ages (adults too!). The 11th annual event transforms Navy Pier into an indoor winter wonderland full of games, rides, music and a forest of beautifully decorated trees. New this year is an added week of family fun with 170,000 square feet of rides, inflatable slides, entertainment, stunning holiday lights and decor, and much more!

Check out www.winterwonderfest.com for admission, hours and discounts!

Riva Crab House will be offering a 10% discount* (food only) at lunch and dinner to all Winter Wonderfest patrons. There will also be a special kids menu priced at $5.95.

Kid’s Menu • $5.95

Hot Dog
Served with French fries.

Chicken Strips
Served with French fries and ranch dressing.

Mozzarella Sticks
Served with French fries and marinara sauce.

Cheese Burger
Served with French fries.

*Guests must show wristband to receive discount. Does not include private events. Cannot be combined with any other offer.

Navy Pier also has wonderful winter parking discounts to make it affordable for everyone to enjoy the holiday festivities!

Taste in food is a very personal thing, we all know this. Give the gift of variety with a Phil Stefani Signature Gift Card –whether seafood at Riva Crab House on Navy Pier, steak at Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush, or a romantic Italian date night at Tuscany–you’re covered! AND now until December 31, with EACH $100 Phil Stefani Gift Card you purchase, you’ll receive a complimentary $25 bonus card. CLICK HERE to purchase.

Give the gift of food, get the same in return…from Phil Stefani Signature Restaurants. Oh, and don’t forget… Phil Stefani Restaurants also feature a variety of private and semi-private dining options for hosting your next holiday event. Visit http://www.stefanirestaurants.com/holidays/ for more details.

Happy Holidays!

SOFA CHICAGO 2011 + The Intuit Show of Folk & Outsider Art Calendar Listing

The Art Fair Company presents the 18th Annual SOFA CHICAGO 2011 + The Intuit Show of Folk & Outsider Art at Navy Pier’s Festival Hall (600 E. Grand Avenue, Chicago, Ill. 60611) Nov. 4 – 6. This two-fair, three-day art event features contemporary art and design presented by more than 60 international art galleries and dealers at SOFA CHICAGO; and outsider art, ethnographic art, non-traditional folk art and visionary art at The Intuit Show. Joint lecture series and special exhibits are free with paid admission.  All artwork is for sale. Tickets are on sale now. One general admission ticket of $15 admits visitors to both fairs, related lecture series, special exhibits and events. $25 three-day passes and discounted student, senior and group tickets are also available. Catalogs are $15. Hours are Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 6, noon to 6 p.m. For tickets or more information visit sofaexpo.com and outsiderfolkartfair.com.

During the three day show Riva Crab House will be featuring a special VIP Lounge located on the Terrace outside of Festival Hall. Riva Cafe, located on the restaurant’s lower level, will also be open and will feature a special menu for both lunch and dinner. In addition, our upstairs, main dining room will be open and serving our regular lunch and dinner menus. So many options!!  Check out the menus below and make your reservation online today! Or, call us at 312-644-7482 and we’ll be happy to reserve your table.

As the temperature begins to drop and the leaves begin to fall, it’s inevitable that we say goodbye to the warmth of summer and embrace the festivities of the winter season.  Thankfully, Chicago has a ton of exciting things to do during the colder months, and Navy Pier is no exception!

For starters, Navy Pier offers amazing parking discounts all winter long! The promotion starts November 1 and runs through March 18.  Daily rates (before 5PM) are $6 off normal rates and everyday after 5PM you can park for only $10!

So now you’ve parked…what’s next?

Dinner at Riva Crab House

Riva Crab House is the perfect spot for date night with your special someone.  Enjoy a romantic table with a view as you dine on the freshest seafood on the Pier.  The dining room is tailor made for intimate conversation and incredible views of Lake Michigan and Chicago.  In addition to the extensive menu, Riva Crab House also offers a full selection of beer, cocktails and wines served by a wait staff that is there to tend to your every need.

Live Performance at Shakespeare Theater!

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary this season, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a leading international theater company, known for vibrant productions that reflect Shakespeare’s genius for intricate storytelling, musicality of language and depth of feeling for the human condition.

Now Showing: A Murder for Two (through Nov 27)

Coming Soon: Elizabeth Rex (Nov 29, 2011 – Jan 22, 2012)

Movie at IMAX

Undoubtedly one of the Pier’s BIGGEST attractions is the 440-seat Navy Pier IMAX Theatre. Featuring Chicago’s largest flat movie screen-a soaring six-story, 60 x 80-foot screen designed to enhance both 2D and 3D films.

Now Playing: Puss in Boots

Coming Soon: Happy Feet Two

Navy Pier: Winter Wonderfest

Starting  December 2, 2011 and running through January 8, 2012, Winter Wonderfest is the perfect event for children of all ages (adults too!). The 11th annual event transforms Navy Pier into an indoor winter wonderland full of games, rides, music and a forest of beautifully decorated trees. New this year is an added week of family fun with 170,000 square feet of rides, inflatable slides, entertainment, stunning holiday lights and decor, and much more!

Check out www.winterwonderfest.com for admission, hours and discounts!

We wish you all a warm and festive winter season and hope to see you at Navy Pier soon!

Friday, October 7 & Saturday, October 8

In anticipation of the Chicago Marathon, Riva Crab House on Navy Pier and Tuscany on Taylor will offer exclusive pasta specials available on Friday and Saturday night before the marathon.

Rigatoni Wild Boar Ragout $19

Tender braised Boar, Swiss Chard, red wine, herbs, Pecorino Cheese

Fettuccine Cape Sante $24

House made pasta, heirloom tomatoes, toasted garlic, basil, seared sea scallops

Pennette Primavera $15

Pennette served in a fresh tomato sauce and a medley of vegetables

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush will also feature a number of delicious pasta specials perfect for marathon runners, as well as their friends and families!

Rotoli di Ricotta e Spinaci $16

Rolled Crepes filled with fresh Ricotta Cheese & Spinach, baked with Aged Parmigiano and Butter

Rigatoni with Prosciutto, Panna e Piselli $17

Rigatoni tossed in a creamy sauce with Italian Ham and Green Peas

Pennette Primavera $18

Pennette served in a fresh tomato sauce and a medley of vegetables

Linguine alla Matriciana $17

Linguine tossed in a lightly spicy tomato sauce with onions and Pancetta ham

Pappardelle alla Bolognese $19

Pappardelle  tossed in our Meat Sauce Bolognese style

NEW THIS YEAR:  After the race load up on quality protein! Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush will be open on Sunday, October 9.  Guests who dine with us on Friday or Saturday will receive a special voucher for 20% off their food on Sunday.

Best of luck to all runners!!