The 1040 EZ from
Seasons.
Whether you're looking to mourn your tax day debt or relish in your refund, these cheap food and drink specials will help ease the pain (or prolong the triumph).
Try a tax-free martini at Seasons
You've already raised your glass to a New Year, but now you can officially say goodbye to 2008 with the Seasons Bar tax-free martini list. Try the dreaded 1040 Easy (Absolut Mandarin, Apple Pucker, Triple Sec, homemade sweet and sour and 7-Up) or perk up with the Stimulus Check (Crown Royal, Peach Schnapps, Chambord and cranberry juice). You can also write off your woes with the blueberry flavored Exemption or submit yourself to scrutiny with the fruit-fueled Auditini. All tax-free martinis are $13.
Celebrate with a double instant rebate at David Burke's Primehouse
April 13-17
Unlike most tax-related endeavors, the process here is simple. All you have to do is order a meal and you instantly receive an automatic double instant rebate of 23 percent (double the standard sales tax of 11.5 percent) off the total bill. For lunch, you can choose from a bevy of options with the restaurant's No Bull Lunch Feast, a three-course prix-fixe menu for $20.09. Highlights include pretzel-crusted crab cakes, Kobe beef sashimi, dry-aged burgers and apple cheddar pie for dessert. Dinner options are even more tempting, with choices like the South Side filet mignon, Brooklyn-braised lamb shank and seared Alaskan king salmon.
Try one of everything with Le Colonial's $1 menu
April 13-17, 5-7 p.m.
Dollar menus aren't just for fast food joints anymore, at least not during tax week. Le Colonial will offer a choice of five different appetizers for just a buck. Choose from ethnic eats like Cha Gio (Vietnamese spring rolls with shrimp, pork and mushrooms), Goi Cuon (soft salad rolls with shrimp and peanut dipping sauce) and Chao Tom (grilled shrimp wrapped around sugar cane with angel hair noodles). Reservations can be made at (312) 255-0088.
Hibiscus Spearmint Mojito from
Nacional 27.
Guests who dine at Nacional 27 on tax day will receive a rebate in the form of a $10 gift card to the restaurant and a complimentary award-winning mojito. The list includes the Mo-healthy-ito (acai liqueur, mint, lime and rosemary), the N27 (Bacardi light classic with bitters), The Chadwick (Bacardi Limon, mint, lime, pomegranate, ginger, habanero), the Passion Colada (Malibu coconut, pineapple, coconut purees and passion fruit) and the Southern Hemisphere Southside (passion fruit mojito with gin and lemon).
Drink cheap all day at O'Donovan's
O'Donovan's is rewarding its loyal patrons with plenty of tax day specials, including $1 off all domestic drafts and bottles. Select wine bottles will also be marked at half price and drink specials will be available all day from 11 a.m.-2 a.m. If you're looking for something to soak up all that cheap booze, try a full rack of the pub's barbecue baby back ribs at a discounted $9.95 (normally $16).
Get some sweet relief at Kimpton Hotels
Through April 30
Chicago's Kimpton hotels (Hotel Allegro Chicago, Hotel Burnham and Hotel Monaco Chicago) is helping to ease the sting of tax time with its Sweet Tax Relief deal. The package includes tax-free deluxe overnight accommodations, a tax-free meal at a nearby restaurant, complimentary treats (Payday, 1000 Grand and Sugar Daddy candy bars) and a late checkout. Reservations can be made here by entering PTAX in the rate code box, or by calling (800) KIMPTON and requesting the "Sweet Tax Relief" package.
Nibble on complimentary appetizers at Cityscape Bar
April 15, 5-7 p.m.
Cityscape will offer drink specials and complimentary appetizers, including Guinness barbecue chicken wings, cheddar-jalapeno poppers and grilled veggies with balsamic. Specialty cocktails include the Effen IRS martini (Effen vodka, lemonade and Blue Curacao), the In the Red bloody mary and the In the Black Russian, $4.15 each. Domestic beer and house wine will also be available for $4.
Feast on free pizza at La Madia
Through April 15
La Madia is keeping extended hours (11:15 p.m. Monday-Thursday and midnight on Saturday) for those of us cramming to get our taxes done on time. The restaurant will offer a special late-night prix-fixe menu that includes a choice of salads, pizzas a glass of wine or beer, $27. If you're held up with your accountant, you can both take advantage of La Madia's delivery service — order three pizzas and the fourth is on the house.
For More Tax Day Deals Check Out:
Koi
In honor of tax day, Koi and its sister restaurant, Chen's, will offer all Chinese Plate entrees for $10.99. Specials include General Tsao's, Szechwan and sesame plates.
Old Town Brasserie
Owner Bob Djahanguiri will give patrons an Old Town Brasserie gift certificate in the amount of $10.40, which must be used by June 1 (excludes Mother's Day).
Glen Prairie
This environmentally conscious restaurant will offer two tax day specials, including the 1040-EZ, a juicy half-pound burger complete with a bottle of domestic beer for just $10.40 and discounted appetizers.
Frasca Pizzeria & Wine Bar
You order the food, Frasca pays the tax (the equivalent of an 11 percent discount).
Smoke Daddy
Smoke Daddy will offer $2 Miller products and $4 baskets of smoked barbecue wings. Blues musician Sue Hughey will perform at 9 p.m.
Brasserie Jo
Hopla drafts will be available for $4.01, along with complimentary tarte flambees in the bar area.
Carnivale
Guests will receive a $15 gift certificate for use on their next visit. Complimentary gift certificates will be valid through May 31.
Subscribe in your favorite reader using the links below. To learn more about feeds and RSS, click here.
