The forecast says 50 degrees and partly sunny (at least so far) for Monday, April 13 -- sounds like Cubs home opener weather to us! So far, the boys in blue have been playing pretty well on the road -- of course we say that every April. Celebrate the return of baseball to the North Side (the Cubbies take on the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley at 1:20PM) at these fine drinking establishments around town.
Pay your respects to the patron saint of Cubs baseball at Harry Caray's Tavern today. The Wrigleyville bar will open at 6AM to host a live broadcast with Eric and Kathy from WTMX, while the Mix-101.9FM promotions team will also be on hand with plenty of giveaways. A $10 brunch buffet will feed the masses from 6-9AM. This is a perfect spot to arrive early and set up shop for the day.
Another Wrigleyville mainstay come opening day is Sheffield's, where the Cubs mania will kick off promptly at 8AM. A home opener beer brunch will start the day off right until 12PM. New Holland Brewery will join in the action, with giveaways and beer specials. At the ripe hour of 9AM, Cubs fanatics can join in on the Cubs Fan Showdown, which will pit competitors against each other in the categories of trivia, enthusiasm and attire, and the rather curious "special talent" portion of the contest. Judges will send the winners to Wrigley for the opening day game. (Aspiring contestants should RSVP for their shot on Sheffield's Facebook page.) Everyone else can stick around Sheffield's to watch the Cubs take on the Rockies while indulging in an all-you-can-eat barbecue spread.
Timothy O'Toole's in Streeterville is home to 45 TVs, all of which will be tuned -- with sound -- to Monday's game. Drink specials for the Chicago holiday include $15 buckets of five Old Style bottles, $6.50 Smirnoff Twist martinis, $7 Jagermeister and Red Bull "baseball bombs" and select bottles of wine for you classy baseball fans for $14. You'll be singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in no time flat.
Division Street is sure to be rocking in honor of the Cubbies, especially with The Lodge opening its doors at 10AM for the festivities. Enjoy free hot dogs and $3.50 Bud Light drafts, and enter to win seats on the bar's party bus up to Wrigley Field along with rooftop tickets to see the opening day game. Let's hope luck is on your (and the Cubs') side.
The roomy Stretch Run Sporting Club and Grille in River North will be airing the match-up on more than 240 TVs while serving up food and drink specials including $3 Bud Light bottles and "Blue Cubs on the Rocks," a concoction of blue curacao, Bacardi Limon and Sprite, garnished with grenadine and a maraschino cherry, for $4.50 each.
At O'Donovan's, located a ball's throw from Wrigley Field in the North Center neighborhood, you can watch the game while sucking down $10 Coors Light and Miller Lite pitchers and bottles of Old Style for $1 off. Stick around from 4-10PM to get $2 half-pound burgers with fries with the purchase of a drink. That shouldn't be a problem.
