More Top Picks Reverse Osmosi
player ready...1) Try a new brunch
Mix up your weekend brunch routine with some activity — like, say, pingpong? River North restaurant and table tennis club Spin just launched brunch, offering dishes such as avocado eggs Benedict with roasted tomato, crispy onions and olive oil hollandaise; and horchata pain perdu (aka French toast) with cinnamon whipped cream, bruleed oranges and orange syrup. A new cocktail menu features a wasabi-tinged bloody mary and a St. Germain and prosecco cocktail, perfect for nice weather. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at Spin, 344 N. State St., 773-635-9999, chicago.wearespin.com
2) Party in Pilsen
This weekend marks the eighth year of Pilsen’s Mole de Mayo festival, where local chefs and restaurants go head-to-head with their favorite moles — a staple dish in Mexican kitchens — while an open-air market features local crafts, food vendors and two stages for music. There’s even a lucha libre wrestling match, with demos from the wrestlers. Suggested donation $5 for individuals, $10 for families. 5-10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sundaym at Ashland Avenue and 18th Street, www.facebook.com/moledemayo
3) Pair a live art show with dinner
For a taste of art along with dinner, head to Fulton Market Kitchen for the latest installment of the restaurant’s “Yo, Complete Me” series. Two artists — in this case, Eva Carlini and Joe Miller — paint in the center of the dining room for two hours before switching canvases and finishing each other’s work, all with an audience of diners. The works are available for purchase via silent auction, with a portion of the winning bid donated to a local charity and matched by FMK. 6 p.m. to midnight Friday at Fulton Market Kitchen, 311 N. Sangamon St., 312-773-6900.
4) Help polar bears by drinking beer
Love beer and bears? For every pint of Ursus Mapletimus you drink, you help out polar bears. DryHop’s latest collaborative beer was made in partnership with Lincoln Park Zoo and was tapped during the close of Craft Beer Week. The beer was inspired in part by Churchill, Manitoba, in Canada, considered the polar bear capital of the world; the name was derived from the Latin name for polar bear, Ursus maritimus, or “water bear.” The Imperial white ale was brewed with smoked malt and maple syrup, yielding a smoky, citrusy sip with a mild bitterness. While supplies last at DryHop, 3155 N. Broadway, 773-857-3155.
5) Give your liver a break
Mocktails are nothing to laugh about — the city’s best bartenders are embracing the challenge of crafting palate-pleasing sips that go beyond just juice, yet can go up against the booziest drinks. This weekend, check out Vol. 39’s “Turn Down the Volume” list of mocktails, which features a new addition in time for spring. Created by beverage director Jess Lambert, the Dulce Colada takes traditional elements of its namesake drink (pineapple juice and coconut cream) but upgrades it with a from-scratch dulce de leche, cinnamon and nutmeg for a tropical, virgin sip. You can add booze if you want, but you won’t miss it. $6 at Vol. 39 at the Kimpton Gray Hotel, 39 S. LaSalle St., 312-604-9909.
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