Hamburger Mary's (which has a restaurant in Andersonville) is going international. The burger franchise system known for bringing together gourmet half-pound burgers and drag queens just announced its 13th location will be in Berlin, Germany, according to a press release. Hamburger Mary's Berlin will be on the ground floor of AXEL Hotel Berlin, right in the heart of Berlin's Schoneberg neighborhood. The area has been the center of gay nightlife in Berlin since the 1920s and early 1930s during the Weimer Republic.
Big Jones, 5347 N. Clark St., will host a piggyback dinner Thursday, April 18, at 6 p.m. to benefit The Southern Foodways Alliance with James Beard Award-winning authors Matt Lee and Ted Lee in celebration of their new cookbook, The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen. The Lee Brothers will be signing their new cookbook as Executive Chef Paul Fehribach prepares dishes featuring recipes from The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen and a few Lee Bros. classics from their earlier books. It's $100 per person; see www.bigjoneschicago.com/bigjonesblog/?p=2019.
El's Kitchen & Bar, 1450 W. Webster Ave., has weekend brunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Guests may enjoy bottomless Bloody Marys and mimosas with the purchase of brunch for $15. Also, some of El's signature items include El's Brisket Eggs Benedict and Chicken & Waffles.
A fire that broke out in the basement of Lillie's Q barbecue restaurant, 1856 W. North Ave., March 14 destroyed the restaurant and left a firefighter with minor injuries, according to the Chicago Tribune. The main dining room sustained smoke damage. Service will be temporarily halted, said Dave Andrews, a restaurant spokesman.
In celebration of the official start of spring, Socca chef Roger Herring invites foodies in for a special cooking class devoted to the Spring Lamb Saturday, March 23, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at 3301 N. Clark St. On the demo table will be a roasted & stuffed leg of lamb, lamb Bolognese with gluten-free lamb gnocchi, and a surprise seasonal dessert. Admission is $35, and reservations are required; call 773-248-1155.
Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation as well as Food Justice and American Injustice, will speak at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted St., on Thursday, April 4, at 5 p.m. (A contributor to The Atlantic magazine since 1994, Schlosser has also written for The New Yorker, Rolling Stone and other publications.) Admission is free; for more info, call 312-996-6354.
One Million Degrees will host the 6th Annual Food + Wine Tasting at the Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 W. 35th St., 6-11 p.m. Mayor Rahm Emanuel is the honorary chair of the event; chefs and a sommelier from such restaurants as Sepia, Boarding House and Bistronomic will be present. See "6th Annual Food + Wine Tasting" on Facebook for ticket prices and more info.
Beginning March 20, Viaggio at the Park, 401 W. Fullerton Pkwy., launches Wine Wednesdays. Each Wednesday, the restaurant will offer all their wines by the glass and select bottles of wine at half price. Call 773-747-3333 for more info.
American Junkie, 15 W. Illinois St., is opening Wed., March 20. The 17,000-square-foot building, developed by Chicago-based LG Development Group, will feature a two-story restaurant, bar and entertainment venue. Chef Kendal Duque's menu includes baby beets with blood orange, mache lettuce and fennel vinaigrette; and wild boar chili with ancho peppers, cornbread croutons and Meyer lemon cream. See americanjunkiechi.com .
Celebrate Chicago's culinary offerings at many of the city's most notable chef-driven restaurants during the Fifth Annual Chicago Chef Week, March 17-22. Nearly 75 restaurants will offer a three-course, prix fixe dinner menu for $44 each; for those who serve lunch, there's a $22 menu. See chicagochefweek.com for the full list of participating restaurants.
"La Ultima Cena"the last dinner seating of the evening, when people get "dressed up and let their hair down"will take place at the Four Seasons' Allium restaurant, 120 E. Delaware Pl., on Saturday, March 23, at 8:30 p.m. (with an after-party at 10:30 p.m.). Partaking in the Asian-inspired menu will cost $85 ($100 with wine pairings). Call 312-649-2363.
Dining Out for Life will take place April 25 in several North American cities, including Chicago; visit www.diningoutforlife.com . Last year, Chicago raised more than $110,000 to continue its mission of providing housing and services to men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS. Among the dozens of participating restaurants are Club Lucky, Andies, Crew Bar & Grill, Salpicon, and Longman & Eagle.
Cru Kitchen & Bar, 25 E. Delaware Pl., is hosting a Deschutes beer dinner at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, for $45 per person. Guests will dine on seared scallop, braised pork cheek, grilled hanger steak and hot fudge ice-cream sandwich. To make reservations, call Cru at 312-337-4001.
The Spirit of Chicago will celebrate Easter on Sunday, March 31, with a brunch and dinner. The event will feature a buffet (including Thai BBQ sirloin beef, Caribbean roasted chicken and penne al forno), interactive emcee entertainment, treats for children and a guest appearance from the Easter bunny. Admission starts at $54.90; call 866-273-2649.
Grass Fed, 1721 N. Damen Ave., is offering its #1 best-seller for weekend brunchFried Chicken & Waffles ($14)on Monday, March 25, for "International Waffle Day." Grass Fed's take features buttermilk-brined Amish raised chicken, topped with sage butter and drizzled with warm maple syrup. Visit www.grassfedbucktown.com .
On Easter Sunday, March 31, Schaumburg's Rosebud Old World Italian restaurant is offering a brunch buffet priced at $35 per adult and $15 for kids aged 6-12. (All children under 6 eat free.) Items will include everything from waffles to a pasta station to a Bloody Mary bar. Call 847-240-1414 or visit www.rosebudrestaurants.com .
Municipal Bar + Dining Company, 216 W. Ohio St., is now open for lunch starting at 11 a.m. on weekdays. Lunch appetizers include steak tartar ($12) and lobster avocado salad ($15), while lobster roll ($15) and chorizo gourmet burger ($14) are among the sandwiches offered. Call 312-951-2125 or visit www.municipalbar.com .
Baconfest Chicago will take place at the UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd., on Saturday, April 20. The lunch session will be 12:30-3 p.m., and the dinner session will be 6:30-9 p.m., with a one-hour VIP event happening before each. A panel of judges bestows the Golden Rasher Awards on chefs and guests for achievement in the bacon arts. Tickets are $100 each; see baconfestchicago.com for more details.
Kanela Old Town is now open at 1552 N. Wells St. This is the restaurant's second location, and is owned by Chris Lardakis (owner of Kanela Breakfast Club in Lakeview) and Alexi Giannoulias (former Illinois state treasurer). Kanela will be open daily for breakfast, brunch and lunch beginning at 6:30 a.m. See www.kanelacafe.com .
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Dr., explores the role food plays in our lives with the premiere of its newest self-developed exhibit, "Food: The Nature of Eating." The exhibit runs March 23-Sept. 8. See www.naturemuseum.org .
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