Goodness, how is it the last month of the year, again?! It must be because we’ve been having so much fun so we didn’t even notice how time flied. While we’ve published plenty of holiday festivities from winter pop ups, holiday cocktails, Christkindl market, and family-friendly events, there are just so many more things going on that we’ve got to put on your radar too. So, whether you’re ready, here comes our list of things to do in Chicago this December. Let’s finish the year on a high note.
Eat & Drink
Celebrate The Aperitivo Revolution at Gioia
1133 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
Aperitivo is the Italian pre-dinner tradition taking America by storm, representing a state of mind that encourages partakers to sit back and relish in the company of one another. Gioia’s new aperitivo menu features small snacks or “cicchetti,” including fried calamari and stuffed olives, that pair perfectly with the variety of classic and innovative cocktails like the iconic Espresso Martini or the seasonal SnowBall. For $25 per person from 4:30 – 6:30 PM, guests can pair one drink and one cicchetti for the perfect appetite enhancer before their delicious Italian meal.
Intimate Dinner at Proxi
565 West Randolph Street Chicago, IL 60661
At Proxi, Chef Andrew Zimmerman combines two of his great loves: travel and cooking. Inspired by street food but not restrained by it, his menu wanders freely through Asia, India, Mexico, and beyond but still feels completely at home in Chicago. On Wednesday, December 14th and Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 6:30pm, guests can join Chef Andrew Zimmerman and Wine Director Alex Ring, for a five-course dining experience at The Chef’s Counter. Diner’s can expect to enjoy a thoughtfully prepared five-course menu, featuring flavors and techniques from Japan and beyond.’
A variety of sake bottlings have been chosen to perfectly pair with each dish. Whether you’re an advanced sake enthusiast or a novice, this event is not to be missed! Tickets are available for $135 per guest, and with only eight seats available, diners are sure to enjoy an intimate and engaging evening at Proxi.
Tasting Room at Chicago Winery
739 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
Beginning Wednesday December 14, Chicago Winery will open the doors to its Tasting Room that is sure to be the supremely sippable spot for Chicago wine tastings. Choose from three flights and go to town as you compare, contrast, and determine your favorites. The Tasting Room is available for walk-ins Wednesday through Friday from 4:00 to 9:00 PM and on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8:00 PM. Please let me know if you’re interested in sharing the news with your readers, or if I can help answer any questions.
Beatles Brunch at City Winery Chicago
1200 W. Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60607.
City Winery Chicago’s Sunday brunch series is back! Enjoy unlimited brunch food with purchase of brunch buffet. Alcoholic beverages are available for additional purchase. Join Phil Angotti and Friends for a celebration of the music of the Beatles with some of Chicago’s most sought-after musicians. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $37 with brunch buffet included.
Date Night at Untitled Supper Club
111 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60654
Untitled Supper Club opened in the summer of 2012 and is a contemporary revival of a classic Prohibition-era supper club, hidden away in the heart of Chicago’s River North neighborhood. This is the perfect place for a cozy, late-night date with style, elegance, and high-end spirits. With multiple uniquely designed rooms and four bars — the Library, Cabaret, Backstage and Drawing Room — Untitled offers live music and titillating cabaret-style performances while enjoying award-winning food and libations. Chic and sexy, Untitled is lively and designed to provide an undeniably unique, sensuous dining experience.
Art, Music, and Theater
Renee Robbins Exhibition at [Salonlb.]
1010 W 35th St Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60609
[salonlb.] will present a solo exhibition by Chicago-based artist, Renee Robbins titled “Simple Pleasures and Silver Linings: An Unseen Universe”, on Friday, December 16th, with a special reception from 7-10 pm during Bridgeport’s Third Fridays gallery walk. This exhibition is a mini retrospective of Robbins’ vast body of work that explores the dynamic world and its complex relationships between humans, nature, and the cosmos, through luminous visual environments both real and imagined. This exhibition immerses the viewer in an otherworldly landscape of flowering botanicals and celestial bodies viewed at the subatomic and telescopic levels, as it surveys Robbins’ wondrously detailed collections of paintings and etchings.
