—Fat Baby Tacos has opened at 109 W. Hubbard St. in Chicago. Besides tacos, the colorful space offers burritos, salads, soups and guacamole as well as late-night items like tamales. In addition, there are drinks such as beer, margaritas and sangria. See FatBabyTacos.com .
—Geja's Cafe, 340 W. Armitage Ave, will be celebrating spring in Chicago with its two-month wine festival, "Tasting the World Through Rosé Colored Glasses," through Friday, June 30. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy nine carefully selected rosés that represent the vastly different styles of rosé wine from around the world. See GejasCafe.com .
—Cafe Robey, 2018 W. North Ave., has introduced its spring menu. Helmed by Chef Bradley Stellings, Cafe Robey's spring dinner menu is focused on fresh seafood such as pasta neck clams, bigeye tuna and octopus. There are also citrus components—lemon confit in the asparagus risotto; orange reduction in the poulet paillard; and lime aioli with the Montauk fried calamari. See TheRobey.com .
—The Mott Burger ( at Mott Street restaurant ) has been judged as the best in Chicago, according to Thrillist. Some of the others on the list included Owen & Engine's Beef Burger, Au Cheval's single cheeseburger, Maple & Ash's Downstairs Burger and Trencherman's Trench Double Burger.
—Starting at 3 p.m. on Fridays, the cocktail bar Arbella, 112 W. Grand Ave., will be offering happy-hour deals until 7 p.m. for $9 each. Drinks include Arbella's Chilcano, featuring cucumber-infused pisco, lime and ginger beer poured over a bright green cube of cucumbe-and-kiwi housemade ice; The Fool's Gold, made with mezcal, pineapple, honey and amaro; and the Punch in the Dickens, made with stolen rum, oolong arakku, demerara and lime. See ArbellaChicago.com .
—Jar Bar ( 1350 Shermer Road )—a fast-casual concept with handcrafted, healthful eats—has opened for breakfast and lunch in downtown Northbrook. Founded by former television producer and lifestyle expert Karen Firsel, along with her husband, commercial real-estate developer Adam Firsel, the duo plans to scale the concept. Breakfast items include Kids Were Up At 6, with acai, nitro coffee, bananas, toasted coconut and Jar Bar gluten-free granola ( $10 ); lunch items include Thanksgiving Dinner, with roasted turkey, cranberry aioli and field greens ( $10 ). See JarBar.com .
—For Negroni Week ( June 5-11 ), Edgewater restaurant Income Tax offers the 1970s Negroni that makes use of a rare bottle of campari that was produced more than three decades ago. Meanwhile, Vol. 39, 39 S. LaSalle St., has the Vol. 39 Negroni, which has gin, campari and sweet vermouth—as well as a touch of cinnamon smoke from Palo Santo wood.
—Floriole Cafe & Bakery, 1220 W. Webster Ave., will hold its next crepes-focused dinner on Sunday, June 11, at 6:30 p.m. The menu will feature raw asparagus and fava bean salad; buckwheat crepes; and a sweet crepe with housemade roasted strawberry rhubarb jam and buttermilk sherbet. Admission is $30 each; call 773-883-1313.
—The West Loop Community Organization, StarEvents and Silver Wrapper have announced the music and restaurant lineups for the 21st Annual Taste of Randolph Festival, taking place June 16-18 at 900 W. Randolph St. Some of the musical headliners include Dawes, Moon Taxi and Emancipator Ensemble; and some of the participating restaurants include bellyQ, Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken, La Sardine, Grange Hall Burger Bar and Bar Siena. See www.starevents.com/event/taste-of-randolph/ .
—Mexican spot Mercadito Chicago, 108 W. Kinzie St., will host its monthly Mixology Academy course on Saturday, June 17, at 3 p.m. ( $45 each, plus tax and gratuity ); and Dame Calor Experiential Dinner on Monday, June 19, 6-9 p.m. ( $75 each, plus tax and gratuity ). La Mez Agave Lounge, located downstairs at Mercadito, hosts its monthly Mixology Academy course, led by Beverage Director Paul Tanguay; the course will feature cocktails crafted with Bulleit Bourbon. Call 312-329-9555 or visit MercaditoRestaurants.com .
—Imperial Lamian, 6 W. Hubbard St., is gearing up for the ultimate Xiao Long Bao Eating Contest on the Hubbard Street patio on Wed., June 21. The Chinese restaurant invites dumpling lovers to enter the competition throughout the entire month of May by posting a photo eating XLB at Imperial Lamian, following and tagging @imperiallamianchi on Instagram, and using the hashtag #DowntheDumpling. Ten contestants will be chosen on Thursday, June 1, and will have 20 days to stretch their stomachs before the big day.
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