Got a case of the January blahs? The next holiday is closer than you think: Chinese New Year begins today, and the traditional 15-day celebration to ring in the Year of the Monkey provides plenty of opportunities to celebrate, in Chinatown and beyond.
A pair of parades
One of the highlights of the Chinese New Year festivities is the annual Chinatown New Year Parade. It begins at 1 p.m. Sunday at Cermak Road and Wentworth Avenue and travels on Wentworth Avenue (Chinatown’s main drag) to 24th Street. Expect floats, an appearance by Miss Chinatown, marching bands, politicians, a 100-foot-long dragon and costumed Chinese lion dancers (312-326-5320). Don’t want to fight the crowds? Head to the city’s “other Chinatown,” the neighborhood surrounding the intersection of Broadway and Argyle Street, at noon Saturday. A slightly smaller, but no less lively, parade will begin at Argyle Street and Broadway, traveling east on Argyle to Sheridan Road, then west on Argyle back to Broadway (773-769-3776).
Get sum
For a pre- or post-parade lunch, you could go to Phoenix (2131 S. Archer Ave. 312-328-0848) for its dim sum. Beginning Thursday, the restaurant will offer a special New Year’s menu featuring traditional dishes thought to bring prosperity, longevity and health in the coming year. But if you want to avoid the long wait, head to Wicker Park’s new Green Ginger (2050 W. Division St. 773-486-6700). The pan-Asian fusion restaurant offers dim sum on the weekends. Menu items include shrimp dumplings, barbecue pork buns, dover sole in black ink sauce, taro cakes and more.
Come over to My Place
The selection of Chinese, Malaysian and Thai dishes at My Place (2101 S. China Pl., 312-842-8997) includes some great vegetarian options. Stop by to pay homage to the Chinese tradition of eating a meat-free meal on New Year’s Day. (Try the fabulous vegetarian “duck” in mushroom paste.) Looking for a little nightlife? At 9:30 p.m., the restaurant closes, then re-opens from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays as the hip Dru’s Lounge (312-567-9349). A relatively recent addition to the area, the DJ-fueled dance club is Chinatown’s only trendy late-night option.
Go north
River North’s Ben Pao will host Chinese New Year events through Sunday. Special menu items include chocolate-banana egg rolls and the Drunken Monkey martini (made with vanilla vodka, banana puree, half-and-half and a drizzle of chocolate syrup). There’s a traditional hot pot party today, lion dances Friday and Saturday and a “dinner and a movie” night on Sunday, featuring a screening of “Rush Hour 2,” a Chinese buffet and wasabi popcorn. 52 W. Illinois St. 312-222-1888.
Pacific connection
If you’re looking for a more sophisticated way to ring in the New Year, try the Peninsula Hotel’s pan-Asian restaurant Shanghai Terrace. A special six-course degustation menu (courses include pan-fried sea scallop with foie gras and Mandarin-style whole snapper) is being offered along with live traditional Chinese music. In The Lobby, the hotel’s more casual and affordable eatery, afternoon tea gets a Year of the Monkey makeover with menu specials such as Beijing duck quesadillas and a Chinese egg tart with coconut macaroons. Stop by The Lobby at 3:30 p.m. Saturday for traditional dragon dances. Tea served through Sunday, $25; dinner served through Saturday, $98. 108 E. Superior St. 312-337-2888.
Chinatown Chinese New Year Parade
Starts at Cermak Road and Wentworth Avenue. Arrive early for a prime spot along Wentworth. Take the Red Line to the Cermak-Chinatown stop. 1 p.m. Sunday. 312-326-5320.
