So that pesky little Punxsutawney Phil saw his chubby shadow yesterday morning, thus forecasting six more weeks of blustery, nasty winter. Thanks a lot, Phil. We see that he has only *not* seen the shadow a handful of times over the past 120 years he's been in the prediction business, which makes us think the whole thing is bunk, anyway.
So, we face our fate of six more weeks of freezing temps, snowfall and possibly even rusty furniture reserving parking spots in the street. To get through it all, we've come up with six ways to make the next six weeks go faster:
1) From Feb. 2-Feb. 8, stop by Southport Grocery at 3552 N. Southport to get a free cupcake with the purchase of any entree, dine-in or carry-out. 773-665-0100.
2) Feb. 12-14, have a tiki-filled Valentine's Day with the three-course, prix-fixe menu at the newly renovated Trader Vic's, 1030 N. State St., 312-642-6500. $50 per person gets you a pupu platter, choice of entrée and romantic dessert for two.
3) Tuesday, Feb. 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., take a beer education class at Brasserie Jo, 59 West Hubbard St. for only $1. Learn how to choose the perfect winter brew to warm the insides. Call 312-595-0800 to make reservations.
4) Friday Feb. 20- Friday, Feb. 27, participate in the 2nd annual Restaurant Week. Restaurants will offer three courses for lunch ($22) and/or dinner ($32). Check out the unofficial guide for menus and more.
5) March 7, take a Chicago neighborhood tour of “Irish Chicago” or “Beautiful Beverly” to prepare for the upcoming St. Patty's Day holiday.
6) Speaking of St. Patty's Day, gear up for the city's annual downtown parade and dyeing of the Chicago River on Saturday, March 14.
And before you know it, it's mid-March, and *hopefully* the six weeks of winter will be over!
