—Honey Butter Fried Chicken, 3361 N. Elston Ave., recently launched all new Lunch Box specials, available Tuesdays through Fridays at 11 a.m-4 p.m. Lunch Box #1 includes two pieces of fried chicken or fried-chicken strips with one side, while Lunch Box #2 includes a fried-chicken sandwich with chicken strips and honey butter. See HoneyButter.com .
—As a kick off to Lollapalooza, Joy District in River North will host "Journey to Lollaland" on Sunday, July 30, 1-6 p.m. The event will be on the rooftop, and feature jewelry and clothing from Rock & Rags Boutique along with a DIY patch and pin shop, Braid Bar hosted by Swerve Salon, and temporary tattoo bar with merchandise from Inked by Dani Tattoos. Guests can purchase $10 Cutwater cocktails with selections including a Bloody mary, gin and tonic and more. See www.joychicago.com .
—Lollapalooza will take place in Chicago Aug. 3-6. In anticipation, South Water Kitchen, 225 N. Wabash Ave., is catering to thirsty festivalgoers by offering $5 draft craft beers to patrons wearing Lollapalooza wristbands, open to close, on Aug. 4-6. The draft selection, regularly $8-$9, includes eight hand-selected craft brews such as Stone Brewing's "Tangerine Express IPA," 3 Floyds' "Alpha King" and more. See SouthWaterKitchen.com .
—Chicagoans are invited to join Four Entertainment Group ( 4EG ) as they host a Throwback Thursday Lollapalooza celebration at aliveOne, Easy Bar, Estelle's, Remedy and The Owl on Aug. 3. All locations will feature music from a different year of Lollapalooza including Red Hot Chili Peppers ( 2006 ), Soundgarden ( 2010 ), Cypress Hill ( 1995 ), Smashing Pumpkins ( 1994 ) and more.
—This National Oyster Day ( Saturday, Aug. 5 ), Oyster Bah, 1925 N. Halsted St., will have Oyster Happy Hour at 3-6 p.m., plus a special menu featuring delicious oyster-centric dishes. Items will include classic grilled oysters as well as Oyster Bah fried oysters and fried-oyster po boys. See OysterBah.com .
—honeygrow, a fast-casual restaurant, is making its grand debut in Chicago on Friday, Aug. 4, in Fulton Market at 179 N. Morgan St. The spot features made-to-order stir-fry, salads, a honey bar and cold pressed juices, all made from scratch and fully customizable. ( honeygrow's signature honeybar features fresh fruits, local honey and toppings such as local plain yogurt, dark chocolate chips, coconut shavings and housemade whipped cream. ) See Honeygrow.com .
—Garrett Popcorn Shops has announced the limited return of its KettleCorn recipe, available in shops and online through Aug. 31. Garrett KettleCorn is hot air-popped, then glazed with a touch of sugar and a hint of salt. Visit GarrettPopcorn.com or call 888-4-POPCORN.
—Evanston's Hewn, 810 Dempster St., will hold its second annual Feast on the Farm on Saturday, Aug. 5. Guests will meet at Hewn Bakery in Evanston and travel at 2:30 p.m. via coach bus to Hazzard Free Farms, two hours outside Chicago. The event will kick off with a cocktail hour with Pipeworks Brewing Company brews, followed by a three-course menu by Found Kitchen's Nicole Pederson and Hewn's head baker, Ellen King. Tickets are $125-$150 each; visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/feast-on-the-farm-2017-tickets-35517394483.
—For International Hangover Day ( Aug. 5 ), Mercadito Chicago, 108 W. Kinzie St., will offer a special brunch sharing menu including a choice of three menu items for the table and bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys. Menu offerings will include huevos rancheros, huevos ahogados ( poached eggs, crispy corn bread, chipotle-hollandaise sauce ), chilaquiles, tacos, pancakes, enchiladas and carnitas hash. The International Hangover Day brunch sharing menu is $35 per person, plus tax and gratuity; call 312-329-9555.
—Appellation Wine Bar & Restaurant, 5212 N. Clark St., will host "Jazz Brunch with Elaine Dame" at 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 6. The event will feature Dame ( who has performed at more than 300 venues, nationally ) and celebrated jazz guitarist Mike Allemana. See https://www.pastoralartisan.com/appellation.
—On Wed., Aug. 9, the organization Cara—which helps men and women affected by poverty to get and keep good jobs—will hold its summer social, "A Taste of Gourmet. A Toast to Motivations," at Loews Hotel, 455 N. Park Dr., 6-9 p.m. The event will feature chefs from various local restaurants, including the soon-to-open spots Marchesa ( run by Chef Mark Sabbe ) and Lobo Rey ( helmed by Chef Daniel Espinoza ); and local favorites Chef Tony Priolo of Noninna/Piccolo Sogno, Chef Francisco Narez of The Dawson, Olive Mediterranean Grill, Lifeway Kefir; and many more. Tickets cost $85 per person ( with a group price of $300 for four tickets ); visit TheCaraProgram.org/summer-social-2017.
—Uncommon Ground, 3800 N. Clark St., and Parce Rum will present a three-course rum-tasting dinner on Thursday, Aug. 10, at 6:30 p.m. Culinary items will include papas rellenas, carne asada, and roast banana and cocoa-nib bunuelos. The cost is $40/person ( excluding tax and gratuity ); visit BrownPaperTickets.com/event/3047921.
—National S'mores Day is Thursday, Aug. 10, and people can mark that occasion at Wrigley BBQ, 3555 N. Broadway—home to the S'mores pie. Available for $5, this is the ultimate way to get your s'mores fix on this foodie holiday. For more information, visit wrigleybbq.com .
—The 16th installment of The Local Tourist's AlphaBeer will take place on Saturday, Aug. 12, 3-6 p.m., at A. J. Hudson's Public House, 3801 N. Ashland Ave. AlphaBeer features 26 beers—one for each letter of the alphabet—and beer-industry experts will give a full lesson on each beer. Admission is $50 each; see AlphaBeer.com .
—Chef Trevor Teich of the Claudia pop-up restaurant welcomes Chef Jake Bickelhaupt—formerly of two Michelin star 42 Grams restaurant—to join him for four exclusive collaborative fine-dining pop-up dinners on Friday, Aug. 11, and Sunday, Aug. 13. Also, tickets are still available for Teich's solo summer ten-course Claudia dinner on Friday, July 28, with seatings at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $225-$325 each; visit ClaudiaRestaurant.com .
—On Tuesday, Aug. 15, 6-9 p.m., Spiaggia returns to Chicago's Oak Street Beach to celebrate the Italian holiday of Ferragosto with a casual beach BBQ on Lake Michigan, complete with whole roasted lamb and veggies from Executive Chef Joe Flamm. Guests can also expect communal picnic tables, string lights, gelato, rose, beer and tequila, along with a DJ. All-inclusive tickets are $75/person; visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ferragosto-at-oak-street-beach-tickets-35769498533.
—Restaurants across the United States, along with founding corporate partner United Airlines and Woodford Reserve, will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Chef Charlie Trotter's eponymous restaurant during the 4th annual Charlie Trotter Days celebration Aug. 17-20 to raise funds for the Pillars of Excellence Mentor Program. To benefit the Trotter Project, which celebrated its third anniversary in June, United Airlines will donate $1 for every Choice Menu Bistro on Board item sold on all domestic flights during the celebration. For the current list of participating restaurants, visit TheTrotterProject.org .
—Green Curtain Events is holding the 2nd annual Tacos y Tamales Festival on Aug. 18-20, with the main festival entrance at 16th and Peoria streets in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. Regarding entertainment, there will be two performance stages featuring live music throughout the weekend, with traditional acts during the day, interactive dance performances and lessons, and higher energy Latin rock into the night. There is a $5 suggested donation upon entry; visit ChicagoTacoFest.com .
—During the weekend of the Chicago Air & Water Show ( Aug. 19-20 ), Joy District, 112 W. Hubbard St., is offering a $20 sake flight featuring Tyku Silver, Tyku Black and Tyku Coconut. Patrons can pair the flight with items from Executive Chef Matthew Wilde's Asian-fusion menu like Asian BBQ duck steamed buns, poached shrimp and cucumber salad, sake-poached Scottish salmon and more. See www.joychicago.com .
—On Sunday, Aug. 20, at 5:30 p.m., Oyster Bah, 1920 N. Halsted St., will host an oyster roast, leading to a champagne and Chesapeake fried-chicken dinner as well as peach slab for dessert. The evening costs $39.95 per person ( exclusive of tax and gratuity ). Call 773-248-3000.
—On Monday, Aug. 21, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., I/O Chicago, 127 W. Huron St., will have a solar-eclipse viewing party. ( The eclipse is slated to start at approximately 11:54 a.m. ) Executive Chef Nathaniel Cayer celebrates this occasion by crafting The Eclipse, a special frozen cocktail that goes from light to dark. Guests will be seated on a first-come, first-serve basis to the free event. ( Food and beverage packages vary in price. )
—The Logan Square Food Truck Social will return Aug. 25-27. The 2017 Logan Square Food Truck Social ( LoganSquareFoodTruckSocial.com ) will feature 24 food trucks per day in addition to a showcase of local restaurant and retail vendors. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Illinois Food Truck Owners Association and La Casa Norte / Northwest Food Partners Network.
—On Tuesday, Aug. 29, 6-9 p.m., Eataly ( for its next Quattro Mani ) will welcome NAHA Chef/owner Carrie Nahabedian. Her pizza will be topped with Luleh kebab spiced lamb, Armenian string cheese and Greek Feta, wood-roasted Tropea onions, Kalamata olives, thyme, and sprinkled with Istanbul spice market salt. See www.eataly.com/us_en/stores/chicago/quattro-mani-naha/ .
—The Neo-Futurists present Ensemble Member Dan Kerr-Hobert's The Food Show, partnering with Metropolitan Brewing to bring the site-specific world premiere to the brewery's new Avondale location, 3057 N. Rockwell Ave., through Saturday, Sept. 2. A press release says, "The Food Show, created by Dan Kerr-Hobert with the help of his cousin and Neo-Futurist alum Caitlin Stainken, explores how food brings us together and sets us apart." Tickets are $10-25; visit NeoFuturists.org or call 773-275-5255.
—Nando's PERi-PERi—the South African-Portuguese restaurant known for its spicy flame-grilled chicken—celebrates the opening of its flagship Chicago restaurant on Monday, Sept. 4, at 155 N. Michigan Ave. This new and highest profile location, at Michigan Avenue and Lake Street, will mark the 12th Nando's to open in and around Chicago over the past two years.
—The 17th annual Kohler Food & Wine Experience will take place Oct. 19-22 in Kohler, Wisconsin. The chef line-up includes Richard Blais, Alex Guarnaschelli, Stephanie Izard, Jeff Mauro and cast members from America's Test Kitchen. See KohlerFoodandWine.com .
—The James Beard Foundation ( JBF ) has announced that tickets for the fifth anniversary year of the Taste America national culinary tour are now on sale at JamesBeard.org/taste-america-tickets. Chicago's itinerary will kick off on Friday, Oct. 27, at Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago with "A Night of Culinary Stars." On Saturday, Oct. 28, free in-store consumer events will take place at Sur La Table, 900 N. Michigan Ave.
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