Edition: Dance All Night

Dining: Snacking the Day Away

Author: Molly Ryan

Let’s face it. Time-specific meals are a thing of the past. All too often, various activities prevent people from having substantial meals at the times most often associated with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Diners are now searching for food that is more than a snack andless than a meal—the ideal midday or late-night bite. Fortunately, a considerable number of upscale and more casual restaurants have responded with unique menus that offer smaller dishes packed with just as many gourmet flavors as an intricate five-star dinner.

WEEKDAY

Take advantage of midafternoon meals in Chicago by visiting the newly opened dana hotel’s contemporary Asian steakhouse, ajasteak. Josh Moulton, the general manager of ajasteak, boasts that the restaurant is the “steakhouse that takes sushi seriously." The midday menu puts an Asian-American spin on tea time. A variety of teas from around Asia (like the three richly flavored oolong teas—a hand-crafted mixture of sweet black and crisp green tea leaves) fill up the drink menu along with four selections of hand-pressed, mouth-wateringly fresh non-alcoholic juices. Since a hearty steak would probably be too heavy for an afternoon meal, ajasteak makes sure to serve appropriately-portioned meals. The heavenly, delicate deviled eggs stuffed with tuna, the surprisingly spicy and original tuna pizza, and the refreshing Asian pear salad have the proper mixture of satisfying flavors. The restaurant also has a selection of novel sushi rolls.

Another option would be to go to Avec, a celebrated choice for some of the best Mediterranean food in the city. Avec opens at 3:30 p.m. and offers a selection of affordable small plates such as dates stuffed with chorizo and one of the most succulent hanger steaks in the city. After digesting, take a spin around Mag Mile or Navy Pier. Since the previous meal should have filled you up, how about spending more time exploring the area, skipping dinner and opting for a later meal at McCormick & Schmick’s. This seafood eatery has one of the best and cheapest late-night menus in town. Make a meal out of their 9 p.m.-11 p.m. happy hour with dishes ranging from light and crispy salmon cakes to a paper-thin crust pizza piled with fresh vegetables (and there are even mini desserts to round out the meal!). Wash down the food with a fun concoction like the “Basil Grape Refresher,” which has a cool grape flavor with a slight hint of basil picked right off of the plant.

WEEKEND

Sleep in and have a late lunch or snack at the bin wine café in Wicker Park. The “Weekend Nosh” menu is a taster’s paradise, complete with a soft-shell crab sandwich, an antipasto platter, and flights of mimosas, Bloody Marys and hand-made cheeses. Kids can join in on the tasting with their own flights of juice or milk while munching on a juicy burger or a crispy BLT sandwich. Then, take a leisurely stroll around the boutiques in Bucktown and later head downtown for an evening performance in the theater district. After, head further downtown to Exposure where the late-night menu on Friday and Saturday from 11 p.m.-1 a.m. draws a chic crowd for the seductive party atmosphere and impeccable tapas. Take the time to try the “Sweet Corn and Lobster Spring Roll” and the “Moroccan Lamb Lollipops.”

AFTERNOON TEA

Of course, for those diners who have an excess of time, afternoon tea is the classic choice for a refined midday mini-meal. The “Afternoon Tea Service” at Russian Tea Time runs 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. every day and has been Chicago’s own Russian homeland for more than 14 years. With a range of Oriental teas such as the Jasmine Yin Hao (the best of the best of Jasmine teas), as well as scones, salmon tea bites, mini-sized quiches and rugala (a rolled cookie made with thick, sweet dough and stuffed with a mixture of cinnamon, nuts, and fruit preserves that will make any Yiddish tooth ache with desire), visitors will be transported back to Mother Russia. Another choice for tea is the legendary Palm Court in the Drake Hotel, which serves an elegant tea from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. every day. Fine sandwiches, pastries, and breads grace the tables of guests who delight in the calming harp music twinkling in the background.

Navy Pier
600 E. Grand Ave. , Chicago, IL 60605