Pennyville Station

Park Ridge Restaurant Week celebrates the city’s thriving food scene March 1-10

Park Ridge Restaurant Week is underway!

As the creation of Mayor Marty Maloney and the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Park Ridge Restaurant Week runs March 1-10 and includes specialty prix-fixe menus and specials at nearly 20 participating restaurants, including Harp & Fiddle, Daniel’s Charcuterie, Pennyville Station, Zaza Cucina, Don Juan’s Cantina, Patina’s Wine Bar, Rita’s Italian Ice, Clean Juice, Triple Scoop’d and more. And The Real Park Ridge and its publisher, Trent Modglin, could not be more excited to serve on the Restaurant Week committee to help sponsor this event.

If you haven’t noticed how far the Park Ridge food scene has come in recent years, now is your time to go and explore the new culinary additions to the area — or revisit your family favorites — for lunch or dinner. And then tell others. It’s an exciting time to live in Park Ridge for sure.

To see the list of participating restaurants, as well as the various specials and customized prix-fixe menus being offered through March 10, click here.

Don’t forget, LOCAL = GOOD. So get out there and support our wide array of wonderful restaurants during Restaurant Week 2024. Who’s hungry?

Rita’s opens March 1 and celebrates spring with a free day of Italian ice March 19

Sure, you may think seeing a few robins or March Madness on TV may signal the start of spring, but for us it’s the opening of Rita’s Italian Ice on Northwest Highway March 1. And to celebrate the official first day of spring, Rita’s will be giving out free ice to customers on Tuesday, March 19.

A popular destination, especially on summer evenings after nearby baseball and softball games, Rita’s typically offers 16 different Italian ice flavors and five frozen custard flavors (chocolate, vanilla and twist are mainstays), two of which are considered specialty flavors (like banana, cotton candy, strawberry, coffee, black raspberry, salted caramel, orange and mint) that get rotated out every two weeks, making each visit feel like a new experience.

Every time we think we settle in on a favorite item or two, we discover something new and exciting on the next visit and get diverted easily — in a good way. It’s just that kind of place.

157 N. Northwest Highway in Park Ridge. RitasIce.com

Fat Rosie’s Mexican restaurant set to open in Rosemont’s Parkway Bank Park

Big news out of Rosemont: Fat Rosie’s Taco & Tequila Bar has purchased the property where Park Tavern had been located since the Parkway Bank Park entertainment district originally opened in 2012. This family-friendly Mexican restaurant currently has locations in Schaumburg, Naperville, Lincolnshire, Lincolnwood and Frankfort and will operate some 9,000 square feet in Rosemont, which includes two levels and a roof patio. Expect Rosie’s to open sometime this spring.

Take advantage of Book Matches and Writers Groups at the Park Ridge Library

Are you in a reading rut? Want to discover new authors? Let the staff at the Park Ridge Public Library do a book match for you. Simply tell the Adult Services staff your reading preferences, and they will provide a personalized reading list of 5-6 titles they think you will enjoy. Not only that, but they’ll also put the books on hold for you if you’d like. To get started, fill out a simple form at ParkRidgeLibrary.org

The library also hosts a regular Park Ridge Writers Group in the third floor meeting room. If you’re in need of a creative jumpstart to finish a piece you’ve been working on or just looking for some positive critiques and support from other writers, this is your spot. Registration is limited. Sign up at ParkRidgeLibrary.org

Victory at Home: 1941-1945 exhibit opens March 1 at the Elmhurst History Museum

The Elmhurst History Museum announced its newest exhibition, Victory at Home: 1941-1945, opened March 1.

Spurred by the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States entered the Second World War in 1941, and President Roosevelt urged every citizen to answer the call to fight, whether overseas or at home. Through August 18, Victory at Home: 1941-1945 will examine the home front during World War II and explore the sacrifice, service and patriotism of Americans throughout the country, with a focus on those in Elmhurst and greater Chicagoland.

Located on the first floor of the historic Glos Mansion, the new exhibit will share the stories of the steadfast generation of civilians who helped lead the Allies to victory. The exhibit will include compelling artifacts, photographs, and interactive audio-video stations with hands-on experiences, journals, uniforms, WWII posters, historic radio broadcasts and more.

The Elmhurst History Museum is open to all ages and offers free admission. For additional information on exhibits or programs, visit ElmhurstHistory.org

Tavern on the Point’s $15 lunch special and other deals around the area

Reward yourself and satisfy your lunchtime cravings in Edison Park with Tavern on the Point’s new $15 lunch trio. Available Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., you can choose one soup (French onion or tomato), one salad (Cesar or house) and one half sandwich (turkey club, BLT or grilled cheese, which we highly recommend adding short rib to for $2 more). You can even add a well drink, seltzer or domestic beer to your tab for just $3.

Also at Tavern on the Point, Wednesdays mean 99¢ wings and $3 domestic drafts at Tavern on the Point, and you can snag $8 Tito’s martinis, $5 mixed drinks and half-priced appetizers on Thursdays. 6724 N. Northwest Highway in Edison Park. TavernOnThePoint.com

Easy Street Pizza in Park Ridge’s South Park neighborhood offers half-price pizza on Mondays and and a scrumptious $7 diner burger with fries on Tuesdays.

One hopes you’ve tried their incredible meats and kababs by now, but you should know that Shemroon Kabab House’s happy hour is tough to beat as well. From 2-5 p.m. on Sunday and Tuesday-Thursday, beers are $3.50, cocktails $8 and house wine is $6 per glass and $24 per bottle.

D’Agostino’s in Niles has quite a happy hour of its own from 3-6 p.m. on Monday-Wednesday and Friday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday that includes $3 Miller Lites, $5 craft and import beers and $6 breaded appetizers (toasted ravioli, onion wings, jalapeño poppers, etc.). Noteworthy, too, is that Dags has large thin-crust pizzas for half price on Wednesdays.

Patina Wine Bar has made quite a name for itself since opening on Prospect Avenue in Park Ridge a year ago, and you can enjoy a complimentary wine tasting on the last Saturday of every month from 12-3 p.m.

Head to the popular Zia’s Social in Norwood Park Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. for 25 percent off pizza, select appetizers and all craft draft beer, as well as $16-$18 domestic/import buckets and $6 Absolut martinis and U-Call-Its.