Japanese restaurant Izakaya Mita, 1960 N. Damen Ave., is celebrating summer with a July 22 dinner featuring the sake of a handful of iconoclastic breweriesmany 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 seatingsone at 6 p.m. and the second at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $50 per person ( plus gratuity ); call 773-799-8677.
On Friday, July 23, Hard Rock Cafe Chicago will host a Culinary Fight Club Summer Series Bacon Taste Bud Challenge at 6-9p.m., where local chefs will go head-to-head in a cook-off. The competition will be hosted by Kenmore Executive Chef and spokesperson Kari Karch, and judged by a panel of industry experts. Featured chefs include Tim Davison, Chef de Cuisine from Troquet River North; Hipolito Sanchez, owner of Slow Motion for Meat; and Ariel Bagadiong, executive chef of Freestyle Food + Drink at the Dana Hotel and Spa. Admission is $35-$40; visit HardRock.com/Chicago.
In celebration of National Tequila Day, Municipal Bar + Dining Company, 216 W. Ohio St., will host a Mexican-inspired Christmas in July party on Friday, July 24, at 6 p.m. For the fiesta, the bar will be decked out in colorful holiday decor and Santa will be on hand for photos. Guests will enjoy $5 Don Julio frozen margaritas, half-price appetizers, Christmas themed shots and complimentary Christmas candy. Visit MuncipalBar.com .
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 .
Gapers Block and Reach Out and Read ( ROR ) will host its third annual Hot Dog Cookoff on Saturday, Aug. 1, 12-5 p.m., in the parking lot at Schubas on Southport Avenue. The event will feature new interpretations of the classic Vienna Beef hot dog by chefs from Harmony Grill, Wiener and Still Champion, Monti's, ThePizzle.net and two-time defending champions ManBQue. Admission is $20 for adults, $10 for children under 12, and includes tasting portions of all the chefs' creations. Visit http://www.lh-st.com/Shows/08-01-2015+Gapers+Block+Hot+Dog+Cookoff.
Buona has expanded to St. Charles, Illinois. The 15th location of the family-owned business will officially open Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 2425 W. Main St. To kick things off on opening day, the first 100 guests in line will automatically win free beef for a year at Buona. See Buona.com .
The Chicago History Museum's third annual Chicago Hot Dog Fest will take place Aug. 7-9. It will be Friday, Aug. 7, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 8, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 9, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., at the corner of Clark and LaSalle streets. Some of the vendors include Boricua Dog, Flashy Hotdogs, Chubby Wieners, and Frannie's Beef and Catering. See ChicagoHotDogFest.com .
SideDoor, at Rush and Ontario streets, will host a 3 Floyds Brewery Beer Dinner on Wed., Aug. 12, at 7 p.m. Executive Chef Brian Kwak will present a six-course prix-fixe dinner to complement a selection of the latest craft beer releases from the Indiana-based brewery. Admission is $100 each, exclusive of tax and gratuity; RSVP at 312-787-6768 or jvandertuuk@lawrysonline.com .
Frontier, 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave., will host its fifth annual oyster shucking contest ( along with a shrimp boil ) on Sunday, Aug. 23, at 3 p.m. ( The boil is 12-3 p.m. ) The contest will feature more than 20 chefs from Chicago restaurants including Sink/Swim, Kinmont, Presidio, Sumi Robata Bar, Rural Society, Joe Fish and others. See TheFrontierChicago.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 WingFestadvertised as "a bigger and better version" of Chicago's Best WingFestwill 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 .
Bon Appetit presents Chicago Gourmet has announced that the 2015 Grand Cru will showcase chefs from restaurants nationwide that have been included in title sponsor Bon Appétit magazine's annual Best New Restaurants issue. Some of the chefs are The Purple Pig's Jimmy Bannos Jr., Fat Rice's Abe Conlon and Trencherman's Patrick Sheerin. The Grand Cru takes place Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 26-27, 2-4 p.m., at the Harris Theatre Rooftop. Admission is $199 ( not including tax ) and requires a general admission ticket to Chicago Gourmet; visit ChicagoGourmet.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 .
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 restaurantBernie's Lunch & Supperthis 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 .
The James Beard Foundation ( JBF ) has announced the third consecutive year of the Taste America: "Local Flavor from Coast To Coast" national epicurean tour, which will visit 10 U.S. cities this fall. Spanning six weekends between Sept. 18 and Nov. 7, the program will stop in Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle. ( The Chicago stop is Oct. 23-24. ) Tickets are on sale at JBFTasteAmerica.org .
Bakery Glazed and Infused now has doughnut sundaes. Available now at River North, 30 E. Hubbard St., and 222 N. LaSalle St. store locations, Glazed and Infused offers doughnut and coffee, raspberry old-fashioned and Build-Your-Own sundaes for $5. Visit GoGlazed.com .
Hyatt Regency Chicago's BIG Bar, 151 E. Wacker Dr., is now offering frozen cocktails. Bananas at BIG Bar ( $14 BIG, $40 Very BIG ) contains banana liqueur, kahlua, Frangelico and ice cream; Blizzard of '67 ( $13 BIG, $38 Very BIG ) has Malibu, kahlua, Bailey's, ice cream and chocolate; and The Bean ( $14 BIG, $40 Very BIG ) contains Stoli vanilla, Bailey's, Kahlua, cappuccino and ice cream. Visit www.chicagoregency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/dining/BIGBar.html .
High-end shopping, fine dining and luxury amenities come together with Le Meridien Chicago-Oakbrook Center's Neiman Marcus Package. Located just steps from one of the country's most elite shopping destinations, Le Meridien Chicago-Oakbrook Center has joined forces with the retailer to offer this getaway. Priced at $1,059, the Neiman Marcus Package includes a one-night stay in one of the hotel's rooms and private access to Le Meridien's Executive Club, where guests can indulge in daily breakfast, evening snacks and are able to unwind in the ninth-floor Club Lounge. Visit LeMeridienOakBrook.com .
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