WINES FROM ABROAD
Taste the difference
Think you know your stuff when it comes to wine? Put your taste buds to the test at WineStyles’ weekly Blind Tastings. After staffers pour a series of three reds and three whites, it’s your job to guess what’s what using a cheat sheet with winery names and flavor notes. With each correct answer, you’ll rack up points for the store’s free rewards program. $5. 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays.
Southward bound
Set your compass due south and head to The Southern Charm, D.O.C. Wine Bar & Bistro’s latest tasting party featuring wines from throughout Southern Hemisphere. Please your palate with wines from South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, and in between tastes, snack from a spread of cheeses and cured meat (pictured at right). $20. 7-9 p.m. Wednesday.
HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
Tree tour
While most towns have one big ol’ Christmas tree, Westmont goes the overachiever route with more than 75. Feast your eyes on all of them during the Holly Days Opening Ceremony. The kickoff bash for the village’s annual holiday celebration includes free roasted chestnuts, a parade (6:45 p.m.) and classic holiday carols to get you in the spirit. Before and after a tree lighting ceremony (7:30 p.m.) free wagon rides departing from Veterans Memorial Park (Richmond Street and Linden Avenue) tour of all the trees, each decorated by a different local businesses or community group. Free. 5-9 p.m. Friday.
Shop till dawn
Take a nap after Thanksgiving dinner and get a seriously early start on Black Friday shopping at Midnight Madness at Chicago Premium Outlets. Stores open at midnight, offering killer markdowns through the early hours of the morning. Deals such as 30 percent off everything at Guess, 40 percent off clothing at Tommy Hilfiger and 50 percent off handbags at Kate Spade are all well worth the sleep deprivation. Midnight-10 a.m. Friday.
Lights on
Need an excuse to snuggle up with your sweetie? Head to downtown Naperville and stake out a spot on the curb to watch the Electric Light Parade, a kitschy holiday spectacle featuring glowing floats and live reindeer. While you watch, warm up with hot drinks from vendors set up along the parade route, which starts at Centennial Beach and winds east on Jackson Avenue before heading north on Webster Street to Van Buren Avenue. Free. 4:30-8 p.m. Friday.
Sweet charity
Short on time but still want to soak up some holiday spirit? Holiday Magic at North Island Center offers a sampling of the best parts of the season. The annual tree lighting ceremony features free cookies and hot chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth, choir performances to get you in the spirit and the opportunity to help those in need with a hat, mitten and food drive for Interfaith Food Pantry. You can even make your own tree a bit greener by exchanging an old string of lights for a new strand of energy-efficient LEDs. Free. 6-7 p.m.
JUST OPENED
Downers Grove has been privy to a rotating cast of Brazilian steakhouses on Butterfield Road. First Sal y Carvao transformed into ZED451, and now Chama Gaucha has taken over the same space. You know the drill: Servers dress as Brazilian cowboys and serve up skewers of grilled steak, lamb, pork and chicken, while the salad bar offers vegetables and imported cheeses to temper your meat binge.
MORE EVENTS
Pigskin party
Watching the play-by-play on the 8-by-10-foot screen at the Chicago Bears Tailgate Parties at Walter Payton’s Roundhouse could have an unforeseen side effect: Your living room TV will never look the same. Besides a great view, the bash features free bingo and raffles for the chance to win Walter Payton’s merchandise. Fuel up with 50 cent wings and $10 pitchers of Payton Pilsner and Payton Pilsner Light, both fresh from the pub’s on-site brewery. No cover. Sundays. Aurora.
Hot plate
Save some cash without giving up dinner on the town with Shinto’s $15 four-course hibachi dinner. Watch chefs showcase their skills as they prepare your choice of chicken, steak, shrimp, calamari or veggies in a teriyaki sauce on a smokeless hot table. Onion soup, salad, rice and dessert round out this big meal with a tiny price tag. 4-6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Naperville.
Latin beats
If you don’t know the difference between merengue and bachata, get schooled on how to move to the beat during Salsa Saturdays at Esteban’s. This Latin bar and eatery serves dinner until 8:30 p.m., with dishes ranging from enchiladas to empanadas. After that, the tables are cleared to make room for a dance floor. After an hour-long lesson, spend the night showing off your new skills. Despite the event name, classes teach different styles of Latin dancing each week, not just salsa. $10, $5 before 8:30 p.m., no cover with dinner reservation. 8:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturdays. Naperville.
Rock on
Where: Naperville
If you’ve spent hours hammering chords and perfecting solos in front of your TV, now’s the time to show off your skills at CrossTown Pub & Grill’s Guitar Hero Tournaments. Download your favorite tunes on the bar’s arcade machine and play ’em on a 42-inch screen. Competitors chip in $5 to enter in the double elimination competition, facing off against their opponent to see who can nail the top score on the same song. At the end of the night, the cash pot is split among the top performers. With only two people able to play at once, there’s plenty of downtime to cool off with $6 domestic pitchers. No cover. 7 p.m. Mondays.
Trivial pursuit
Where: Downers Grove
Those random facts floating in the back of your brain could win you a $40 gift card at Tuesday Night Trivia at Ballydoyle Irish Pub. Whether you’re flying solo or with a team, answer questions on history, science and current events by jotting down your guesses and running them up to the host. Even if you’re stumped, contestants are encouraged to write down something funny, as all answers are read aloud. No cover. Tuesdays.
Happy hour heaven
Where: Lombard
If your after-work plans include a little shopping at Yorktown Center, fuel up first with the $2.95 bar menu at Brio Tuscan Grille. The hearty roundup of discount eats ranges from pepperoni flatbread and bruschetta to more unique picks like the shrimptini, baby shrimp and cocktail sauce served in a martini glass. After filling up at the large bar, head out to the airy patio for a signature peach bellini ($6.50). 3-6 p.m. and 9-10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 3-6 p.m. and 9-11 p.m. Fridays.
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Samantha Nelson is a Metromix special contributor. Lisa Arnett is the Metromix nightlife and shopping producer. lmarnett@tribune.com.
