—On June 25, the Latin-focused Carnivale, 702 W. Fulton Market, held "Dessert, Drag and Cabaret." The evening, hosted by Aly Bockler of You & Me This Morning and Angi Taylor of 103.5 KISS-FM, featured the talents of Natasha Douglas, Tila Von Twirl, Ray Ray Sunshine, Switch Boi Wonder, Siren Jinx, and DJ AJ Dubbz & Carla Starla.
—To mark its seventh anniversary on July 16, fast-casual eatery Freshii locations will offer $1 items. Special items will vary according to time; for example, at 2-5 p.m., frozen kefir, juices and smoothies will cost one dollar. See Freshii.com .
—More than 50,000 people are expected to attend Taste of River North July 17-19 at Ward Park, 630 N. Kingsbury St., and surrounding thoroughfares. Some of the participating restaurants include Da Lobsta, Blackfinn Ameripub, Taco Joint, Melting Pot, Farmhouse and Kinzie Chophouse. See TasteOfRiverNorth.com .
—Chuck's: A Kerry Simon Kitchen ( in the Hard Rock Hotel, 224 N. Michigan Ave. ) has unveiled its spring menu. Offerings range from banana cream pie pancakes to surf-and-turf tacos to lemon berry parfait to drinks such as the Aztec Thrush ( Cruz Reposado Tequila, aperol, agave syrup, lemon juice, grapefruit bitters ). See ChucksChicago.com .
—Kanela Breakfast Club has opened its newest location, at 500 N. Lake Shore Dr. Kanela is a breakfast, lunch and contemporary brunch concept that features a sweet and savory menu created by Executive Chef Don Penza ( Municipal Bar + Dining Co., Frontier ). The newest Kanela is owned by restaurateur Chris Lardakis and business partner Alexi Giannoulias ( former Illinois state treasurer ). See KanelaBreakfastClub.com .
—Adamus ( in the Silversmith Hotel, 10 S. Wabash St. ) has unveiled its summer menu. Offerings include the Californication Cocktail, with grapefruit bitters, st. george green chili vodka, hacienda vieja Reposado; Creekstone Farm strip loin, with Yukon Potato and Gouda flan, sweet cream corn, crisp arugula, balsamic glaze and horseradish butter; and chilled watermelon gazpacho, with jumbo blue crab, Hass avocado and creme fraiche. Visit SilversmithChicagoHotel.com/dining.aspx .
—Bistro Campagne, 4518 N. Lincoln Ave., is offering a three-course prix fixe menu in celebration of French Restaurant Week, through July 19, for $35.78. Visit BistroCampagne.com .
—Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar, 626 N. State St., is offering customers an exclusive, last-minute chance to get their hands on a pair of day passes to Lollapalooza. Starting Monday, July 20, the River North Italian hot spot will raffle off three pairs of tickets each evening at 11 p.m. through Wed., July 22. ( Winners must be present to win. ) The three-day raffle event is sponsored by Hidden Crush and Estancia wines. Visit QuartinoChicago.com .
—Glazed and Infused, the artisan doughnut shop from Francesca's Restaurant Group, announces the "Tour de Doughnut," a month-long ultimate feat for doughnut fans. Through Friday, July 26, Glazed and Infused invites guests to take on the challenge of visiting and enjoying doughnuts from all six Chicago locations. The first 100 customers to fill out their Tour de Doughnut punch cards receive a commemorative Tour de Doughnut T-shirt, and will be entered to win the grand prize: a one-of-a-kind Glazed and Infused-themed bicycle.
—Bistronomic, 840 N. Wabash Ave., will offer a three-course gluten-free Bastille Day menu from Monday, July 13, to Sunday, July 19, during dinner for $39 per person. ( Bastille Day is July 14. ) The gluten-free menu is a remembrance to the period when flour was scarce and the French had to make do without bread because of high grain prices. Items include country pate and chicken-liver mousse, or oven-roasted summer carrot salad ( appetizers ); a duo of New York steak and steak tartare, or Faroe Island salmon ( entrees ); and Floating Island and Baked Alaska ( dessert ). Visit Bistronomic.net .
—Twenty-two new restaurants will join Green City Market's 15th annual Chef BBQ Benefit 5:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, in Lincoln Park. Some of the restaurants that will be featured include Taus Authentic, Acanto, The Kitchen, Lillie's Q, Bottlefork and River Roast. Advance tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets and at the Green City Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays; visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1382133. General admission tickets are $125; individual VIP tickets are $250.
—On Saturday, July 18, Chicago's Shaw's Crab House will host the pop-up dinner "Ricochet!," 5-10 p.m., with chefs Naoki Nakashima and Justin Moses. Some of the slated items include ahi tuna tartar, crispy ramen shrimp, lemongrass pork wonton and yuzu creamsicle. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 312-527-2722.
—Rockit Burger Bar, 3700 N. Clark St., and Abita Brewing Company will host a crawfish boil on Sunday, July 19, 1-7 p.m. There will be all-you-can-eat crawfish, red beans and rice along with fresh beers from New Orleans-based Abita Brewing ( $4 ) and signature Rockit Punch ( $7 ). Tickets are $45 each; visit rockitburgerbar.com/boil .
—Japanese restaurant Izakaya Mita, 1960 N. Damen Ave., is celebrating summer with a July 22 dinner featuring the sake of a handful of iconoclastic breweries—many women-run. Food offerings include asparagus and lotus root in sesame sauce; tofu and beef, sukiyaki style; and orange miso mackerel, among other items. The dinner will be served to guests in two seatings—one at 6 p.m. and the second at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $50 per person ( plus gratuity ); call 773-799-8677.
—The Windsor will open at 160 E Huron St. on Thursday, July 23. The full-service lunch, dinner and brunch concept ( and sister restaurant to Lake View's Crosby's Kitchen ) will offer small plates, snacks, rotisserie meats, fresh salads and sandwiches.
—On July 28-Aug. 2, Tanta, 118 W. Grand Ave., commemorates Peru's independence with a celebratory prix-fixe menu featuring traditional Peruvian dishes and cocktails. ( The three-course meal costs $45. ) Items include causa Antigua ( fish escabeche, avocado, huacatay and tomato ), quinoa chaufa ( wok-fried quinoa, bell pepper, mushroom, bean sprouts, soy sauce and sesame oil, scallions ) and El Cicherito ( mazamorra morada, "honeycomb" orange cake, cinnamon merengue, chicha morada sorbet ), among other offerings. See TantaChicago.com .
—Available through Aug. 31, Hard Rock Cafe's ( 63 W. Ontario St. ) limited-time Goose Island Tropical Bacon Burger will be paired with Goose Island IPA. The burger is a half-pound Angus beef patty brushed with Goose Island IPA glaze and topped with chili spiced bacon, grilled pineapple, mango salsa, chipotle puree, arugula and cheddar cheese. Visit HardRock.com/Chicago .
—Chicago's Best Summer WingFest—advertised as "a bigger and better version" of Chicago's Best WingFest—will be held Saturday, Sept. 5, 1-7 p.m., at the Bailey Auditorium, 1340 W. Washington St. Chicago's Best Summer WingFest will feature double the wing-slinging restaurants, live music, carnival games, a vendor market, craft beer and a full bar. Tickets for Chicago's Best Summer WingFest ( $40 ) will go on sale Wed., June 24, at 12 p.m; visit www.WingFest.net .
—The Andersonville Development Corporation ( ADC ) is presenting the 3rd Annual Andersonville City Made Fest, the only all-local street festival that highlights Chicago-made beer, music and products in the historic Andersonville neighborhood. It will be Sept. 12 ( 12-9 p.m. ) and 13 ( 12-7 p.m. ) at 5000-5100 N. Clark St. There is a suggested gate donation of $5. See Andersonville.org .
—Roy's Restaurant is offering a limited-time Hawaiian-inspired three-course prix fixe menu for $39.95. Dishes include pan-seared Hawaiian opakapaka, and Kona coffee-crusted pork and Kauai prawns. See RoysRestaurant.com .
—The 125-year-old Pilsen landmark Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., has a new musical ( and culinary ) addition: The Tack Room. The 1,200-square-foot, 40-seat space is in the former carriage house portion of Thalia Hall where proprietor John Dusek kept his horses some 100 years ago, and sports high ceilings and an equine-inspired aesthetic. The menu features items such as oysters, a shellfish tier, a sausage sandwich and black sesame-and-honey financier. See ThaliaHallChicago.com .
—Lakeview Kitchen & Market—founded and operated by Wendy Grahn and Maggie O'Brien, a mother and daughter team—is launching in July. The site is a fully equipped commercial shared kitchen in a 5,000-square-foot facility at 3109. N. Broadway. Lakeview Kitchen & Market—available to rent by the hour, week or month—already has a lineup of small businesses utilizing the space, including Velvet Dessert, Crave Cuisine, CookieYum, Hinton Cannery, The Chow Brothers, Laine's Bake Shop, Cheshire Cat Confectionary and The VIG.
—Dusek's, 1807 S. Allport St, introduces a new Tuesday night special: craft wings. Every Tuesday, Michelin-starred Chef Jared Wentworth's craft chicken wings will be available for 50 cents starting at 5 p,m. The wing flavor will change weekly. ( The most recent was BBQ wings with cornbread crumble. ) See DuseksChicago.com .
—The team at Peas & Carrots Hospitality, a Detroit-based restaurant group, has announced the opening of its first Chicago restaurant—Bernie's Lunch & Supper—this July at 660 N. Orleans St. Partner and Executive Chef Ryan Sand, an Illinois native, worked with Peas & Carrots Hospitality Founder Chef Zack Sklar to create a menu showcasing rustic Mediterranean-inspired comfort food influenced by their travels in the region. Bernie's expansive 80-seat rooftop patio will open in August. See BerniesLunchAndSupper.com .
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