—Newly opened VU Rooftop Bar, 133 E. Cermak Ave., will mark the upcoming Day of the Dead with a Dia de los Muertos Celebration on Halloween night, Oct. 31, in partnership with FINO Tequila. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. and will feature a live DJ mixing beats through the evening, along with food and drink specials and festive decor.
—Rhiannon: The Witchy Fleetwood Mac Pop-Up is at The Rookery, 2109 W. Chicago Ave., through Nov. 17. Cocktails include Gold Dust Woman, Bella Donna and Little Lies, among others; a Stevie Nicks costume constest will take place Wed., Oct. 31; and Ashley Klich will provide tarot readings. See www.facebook.com/events/516542708788730/ .
—Asian restaurant Sunda, 110 W. Illinois, hosted a traditional Filipino Kamayan Feast on Oct. 25. ( The feast is held on the first Thursday of every month. ) Items included lechon kawali ( Filipino pork belly ), crispy soft shell crab, shrimp & chicken adobo skewers, whole crispy snapper, longanisa ( Filipino sweet sausage ), purple cauliflower, crispy pork shank and more. See sundachicago.com/events/kamayan/ .
—Peter Rim, 46—the owner of Lake in the Hills restaurants Bistro Wasabi and El Cochino—was shot to death as he sat in a car on the Northwest Side of Chicago, The Chicago Tribune reported. The gunman said something before firing but Rim, who suffered from hearing loss, apparently could not understand, police said.
—Pork & Mindy's, 1623 N> Milwaukee Ave., has added a kids' menu; Meat Flights that showcase its sustainably sourced smoked meats; a trio of new "Sangwiches" that pay homage to traditional Southern barbecue; and a new catering menu. In addition, the restaurant is making its signature snackable Pig Candy—bacon strips dusted in brown sugar and slow-smoked—fresh in the Bucktown store. There are now seven Pork & Mindy's outposts in Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver; an eighth store is planned for Chicago's Old Irving Park neighborhood.
—The Illinois Restaurant Association will host an "Awesome 80's" Chef's Table Benefit Friday, Nov. 2, 6-10 p.m., at Morgan MFG, 401 N. Morgan St. Presented by Sysco and the National Restaurant Association, the 41st Annual Chef's Table celebrates and honors the food service industry while featuring some of the best bites Chicago has to offer. Just a few of the restaurants taking part will include Bar Takito & Takito Kitchen, Taureaux Tavern, The Dearborn, Eli's Cheesecake Company and Pinstripes. Tickets are $250 each; call 312-787-4000 or visit illinoisrestaurants.org .
—Geja's Cafe, 340 W. Armitage Ave., will host the 45th Annual Professional/Amateur Wine Tasting Contest on Sunday, Nov. 4, at 1 p.m. Wine aficionados from around the region will gather to test their taste buds against experts and amateurs alike. ( Amateurs are defined as not having worked in the wine industry for the previous three years. ) See GejasCafe.com or call 773-281-9101.
—Italian spot Locanda, 201 E. Walton Pl., will host a special dinner in partnership with winery Azienda Valentina Cubi on Wed., Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. Owner and winemaker Valentina Cubi will be on hand to guide diners through each pairing. The four-course dinner costs $80 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. RSVPs can be made by calling 312-397-8800 or by emailing info@locandachicago.com .
—Vanille Patisserie will once again offer Thanksgiving pie. The Chicago patisserie will offer five pies this year along with its usual lineup of French confections. Thanksgiving pie flavors include pumpkin with cinnamon whipped cream, apple streusel, pecan, maple cream with mascarpone whipped cream, gingersnap streusel and chocolate Nutella French silk. Due to popular demand, orders for Thanksgiving pies will begin Nov. 1. Vanille's Thanksgiving pies are $28.95, or $25.95 each for two or more. See VanillePatisserie.com .
—Celebrating the legacy of Le Francais, six chefs are uniting for one evening to pay homage to the famous French restaurant at Winnetka's Restaurant Michael, 64 Green Bay Rd. On Tuesday, Nov. 6, 6-9 p.m., guests can join Chef Michael Lachowicz ( George Trois and Restaurant Michael ), Chef Patrick Chabert ( 20 year Chef-de-Cuisine at Le Francais ), Chef Roland Liccioni ( Les Nomades ), Christopher Koetke ( saucier at Le Francais; dean of culinary education at Kendall College ), Chef Mark Grosz ( Oceanique ) and Chef Matt McMillin ( Cooper's Hawk Restaurants ) for a five-course menu. Admission is $150 each for the menu only ( including a $25 nonrefundable deposit ); wine is additional. See RestaurantMichael.com .
—LuxeHome will present CHILL, an International Wine & Culinary Event on Thursday, Nov. 8. The gourmet celebration, in cooperation with Wine Spectator Magazine, will take place within the ambiance of LuxeHome, the world's largest collection of premier boutiques, on the first floor of theMART ( 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza ) and will support three Chicago-area charities. Visit luxehome.com/chill.
—Connected with Veterans Day, Commonwealth Tavern, 2000 W. Roscoe St., will offer one complimentary drink to all veterans on Monday, Nov. 12. This includes active, former or retired military with proof of I.D. Also, Roanoke Restaurant, 135 W. Madison St., will offer a 20-percent discount to all veterans on Sunday, Nov. 11.
—To mark Veterans Day, Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea, 1620 N. Milwaukee Ave. and 12 S. Michigan Ave., will offer a free cup of coffee or tea on Sunday, Nov. 11, with proof of service. See https://www.fairgrounds.cafe/ .
—Bistronomic, 840 N. Wabash Ave., will offer a special menu for Beaujolais Nouveau Day on Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 15-18. The three-course, prix fixe menu will be offered for dinner 5-10:30 p.m. for $39 per person, not including tax and gratuity. Culinary items will include house country pate, braised short ribs Bourguignon, Baked Alaska Belle Helene and more.
—Dos Urban Cantina, 2829 W. Armitage Ave., will celebrate its third anniversary on Monday, Nov. 19, at 6 p.m. ( until close ) with a BBQ potluck. The celebration will be $65/person, and includes tax and tip; the package includes white wine, red wine and beer from Half Acre. Purchase tickets at dosurbancantina.com/event/anniversary or at the door.
—Fairmont Chicago-Millennium Park, 200 N. Columbus Dr., is offering a chef-made "Thanksgiving at Home Dinner." Diners can order, pick-up and experience a holiday spread prepared by Fairmont Chicago Executive Chef Sean Curry, complete with an American Bronze turkey, a variety of side dishes, dessert and more, on Thursday, Nov. 22. The Thanksgiving at Home Dinner package costs $275 plus tax and serves eight; people can visit fairmontchicago.wufoo.com/forms/z169kzka15atqzv/ and place orders through Friday, Nov. 16.
—Frontier Chef Brian Jupiter's Thanksgiving menu is available throughout November and on Thanksgiving day for pick-up and delivery. Holiday favorites include smoked turkey ( $75-95 ), Chef Brian Jupiter's famous five-cheese mac ( $40 ), seafood gumbo ( $50 ), traditional mashed potatoes ( $30 ), cornbread stuffing ( $35 ), kale-and-apple salad ( $35 ), string beans ( $30 ), buttered rolls ( $16/dozen ) and sweet-potato pie ( $20 ). The feast serves a minimum of 12 people for $24/person. For ordering details, visit http://bit.ly/FrontierThanksgiving.
—Travelle, 330 N. Wabash Ave., is marking Thanksgiving on Nov. 22 with a brunch buffet ( $155/person, and $50 each for kids 5-12 ), with highlights such as a carving station with herb butter-basted whole roasted turkey and sous vide tomahawk ribeye; a smoke house station with cold smoked Scottish salmon, pastrami salmon, and dill salmon; and a variety of Thanksgiving favorites including country bread stuffing with chestnuts and sage, roasted seasonal root vegetables, and sweet potato casserole with candied pecans. The Thanksgiving buffet will be 12.-8 p.m., with dinner service at 8-10 p.m., with a la carte options available. Visit TravelleChicago.com or call 312-923-7705.
—Both Chicago-area locations of Truluck's Seafood, Steak, and Crab House will be open on Thanksgiving 12-9 p.m. Truluck's three-course Thanksgiving menu—priced at $40 for adults and $16 for children 12 and younger—includes items such as lobster bisque or New England clam chowder; herb-roasted turkey breast; and classic pumpkin pie with eggnog whipped cream. See trulucks.com .
—Chef StephenB and Get in the Kitchen's Jason Bailin will team for The Golden Girls-themed pop-up "Party On The Lanai!" on Friday, Dec. 7, 7-10 p.m., at 3617 N. Broadway. Items will include Rose's St. Olaf Salad and Big Daddy's Beef Short Rib, among other items. Tickets ( $79 each; no refunds ) are at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-golden-girls-pop-up-dinner-on-the-lanai-tickets-51681742483.
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