Check out Chicago’s best chefs of the future

Taste the talents of tomorrow’s greatest chefs Friday at a benefit showcasing Chicago’s top culinary students.

Haiti-ade: the hot new cocktail on the Gold Coast

The Haiti-ade, a smooth new cocktail of Kraken Black Spiced Rum with cranberry and orange juices, is this week’s hot drink in Chicago. The complete proceeds from purchases of the $6.50 drink, through Sunday, Jan. 31 (or till the Kraken runs out), will go to the American Red Cross for earthquake relief efforts. 10 local [...]

Chicago restaurants say, ‘Eat and drink for Haiti!’

 
Chicago restaurateurs have already thrown themselves into the efforts for Haitian earthquake relief.

Soul Vegetarian East in Greater Grand Crossing is collecting nonperishable vegan foods, clothing, bottled water, bedding, sleeping bags, tents, medical supplies and other items for Haitian relief efforts on an ongoing basis.

Le Passage on the Gold Coast will be collecting donations of [...]

Three Novembeer brew dos

Beer, beer and more beer! Drink up, Chicago.

The Chew Chew Restaurant Annual Fall Beer Festival, Riverside, 3–9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, $40.
More than 30 unique seasonal beers, delicious appetizers, great door prizes and live music by Kevin Trudo and guests feature at this fundraiser. Admission includes a 15-beer tasting card, free tasting glass [...]

French food and fun feature at Lincoln Park market benefit

 
Oh la la! Francophiles won’t want to miss this weekend’s Fall French Market at Lycee Francais de Chicago in Lincoln Park. The benefit bazaar offers more than 60 vendors, culinary demonstrations from top Chicago chefs and French fare.
Events kick off at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, with a cocktail party featuring sparkling wine, hors [...]

Leah’s Notebook: Ethnic adventures around Chicago

¡VIVA PILSEN! Mexican Independence Day is tomorrow, and more than 25 restaurants in Pilsen celebrate during the second annual ¡Buen Provecho! Participating eateries, such as Mundial Cocina Mestiza, Ristorante al Teatro, Honky Tonk BBQ and Nightwood, show off the community’s range of cuisine. You can try any of them between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m. [...]

Chicago marks Sept. 11 with a wine-filled weekend

 

Drink and be merry for tomorrow….
Some people will be spending this weekend wallowing in memorials. If you’d rather drown your sorrows, Chicagoland offers plenty of options for wallowing in wine instead.

Windy City Wine Festival: The fifth annual festival, 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11 and 12, [...]

Dining down on the farm, ee-eye ee-eye ooh!

 
The season for farm-fresh fare is fleeting in Chicagoland. Celebrate fresh-picked, locally grown produce while you may, for all too soon the season of pale, hard tomatoes and canned fruit will be upon us. Harvest dinners at area farms and local restaurants showcase some of the best of the Midwestern crop.

Carnivale, River West.
Farm-to-Table Menu, Monday, [...]

Oh, those Armenian cooks!

Heads up, folks, one of the best church festivals in Chicago is coming up Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15 and 16, when St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Belmont-Cragin holds its 34th annual Armenian fest.
The event is special because the churchwomen make all the food from scratch themselves. Some years ago, I was [...]

Cookin’, shakin’ and tastin’ for the hungry

Help the hungry — eat well.
More than a score of top Chicagoland chefs, including Michael Kornick of mk in River North, Mindy Segal and Mark Steuer of HotChocolate in Wicker Park, Michael Sheerin of Blackbird in the West Loop and Bill Kim of UrbanBelly in Irving Park, and a like number of the city’s [...]