In an effort to get and try some new places and explore unknown neighborhoods in the city I bought us à la card. À la card is deck of Chicago restaurant coupons. Every time I pull the deck out I think to myself “a la peanut butter sandwiches!”. Hey at least I don’t say it out loud. The name just makes me think of that. If you don’t know what I am talking about check this video out of the Amazing Mumford. The à la card has nothing to do with magic or peanut butter sandwiches (though one restaurants on the list is reportedly working on a PB&J flight).
What à la card is about is saving on great food in Chicago. It is a deck of 52 cards, each on a $10 coupon to a different restaurant. The details…
We’ve created a consortium of 52 Chicago restaurants–and not just any restaurants, but the best in the city. The restaurants span 25 different neighborhoods, various cuisines and price points, but they have a couple things in common–killer food and great passion that oozes from the chef/owners of these non-corporate gems. At one end of the spectrum you’ll find “dog/sausage-haven” Hot Doug’s and the other you’ll find James Beard Award Winning Chef Carrie Nahabedian’s Naha… Lula Cafe, Mexique, The Bristol, Arami, Smoque, Longman & Eagle, and BOKA to name just a few.
Supporting the ingenuity and good ol’ heart & soul of independent business!
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There are a few places I have already been and would love to go back, a handful of places I have wanted to try out for years, and lots of other new places to discover. I pre-ordered it at a discount, so I just have to use at least three of the coupons to get my money’s worth. It sells now for $30, which is still a great deal, and they pledge donate a portion of each sale to Common Threads, a great local organization dedicated to nutrition education for low-income children.
We have until the end of the year to use the deck, no time like the present to start. We have a three day weekend ahead of us and no plans (rare and welcome!). In deciding where to go I began by checking out the the à la card website, but unfortunately the site does not have links to the restaurants or a map of where they are located. Did a search for some resources, but still no luck. So I went ahead a made a map with all the restaurants. The map will help us make our choice by location easier and provide an easy way to link to the restaurant sites to look at menus.
View à la card Chicago Restaurants in a larger map
Though note, Juicy is now 694 Wine & Spirits (à la card Chicago confirmed they will honor the coupon), Google maps does not have the updated name. The Butcher & Larder is not found by Google maps either yet, These are both listed by address only. Also, the Karyn’s card is honored at three locations (though can only be used once).
Saturday we are going to check out Crust for pizza with the kids to use our first card. It will be good refueling after my first race of the year. I’ll be sure to update you on both!
I LOVE this idea, I wish I could steal the idea and do one here, we would have some great restaurants to put on there. What a fabulous way to try out a bunch of restaurants. I thought of you today, Scott and I are going to our first Rollergirls event on Saturday night (if I am done with work at that time).
This would be a great project for the Junior League. Have fun at the Rollergirls. It will be like Bon Jovi, you'll be the only in pearls.