Dining news: Oyster Fest; Mary's drag show
—Shaw's Crab House, 21 E. Hubbard St., will hold its annual Oyster Fest celebration through Sept. 11. Among other things, there will be live entertainment ( such as Dave Specter and Mississippi Heat ) and a "slurp-off" competition as well as specials such as half-priced oysters, blue crab-stuffed oysters ( $16 ) and other items. Tickets are $30 each; visit OysterFestChicago.com .
—Starting Sept. 12, Hamburger Mary's, 5400 N. Clark St., will have a weekly drag show on Saturdays. "Dining with the Divas" will feature entertainers in female impersonation directly to diners' tables starting at 9 p.m. Local drag queen Angel LaBare—the current reigning Miss Chicago Continental—will direct the show, with a rotating cast of additional talent.
—Michael McDonald is leaving his position as executive chef at ZED451 to take on the role as culinary director/executive chef at Le Meridien Chicago, overseeing the entire hotel's F&B operations, including the authentic Spanish tapas restaurant El Tapeo. McDonald has also worked at such restaurants as LUXBAR and One Sixtyblue.
—Pizza Barra, the newest venture from baker and restauranteur Rich Labriola, will open at 3011 Butterfield Rd. in Oak Brook, on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. Executive Chef and Partner Chris Macchia created a menu highlighting Italian and U.S. flavors. Selections include three styles of pizzas—coal-fired artisanal, Chicago thin crust and pan-style—alongside piattini, or Italian small plates, antipasti, housemade pasta, salads, burgers and desserts. Visit www.pizzabarra.com or call 630-861-6177.
—The 4th Annual Midwest BBQ for the Brave will be held Thursday, Sept. 10. The proceeds from the event will be used to help build a home for Cpl. Larry Bailey, a veteran from Zion, Illinois, who is a triple amputee. Tickets are $20-$100 each; visit MidwestBBQ.org .
—Cafe Bustelo's Pop-Up Cafe Experience will take place at 1152 W. Taylor St. on Sept. 10-14. The Chicago pop-up marks the first leg of Cafe Bustelo's national tour, and there will be complimentary coffee, live performances, free wi-fi, charging stations, great branded giveaways, a photo booth and more.
—Luca Corazzina, executive chef of 312 Chicago, will kick off his cooking classes on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 12 p.m., and continue every Saturday until Oct. 17. The month of September will be dedicated to "The Art of Fish" while October's classes will focus on "The Art of Pasta." Classes are $50/person, and include a light meal, recipe cards and a bottle of 312 aged balsamic. Visit 312Chicago.com .
—Seventy pit masters and their teams from around the country are set to battle in the fourth annual Windy City BBQ Classic, the only Chicago barbecue competition to ever be sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society. The event will take place at Soldier Field on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 11 a.m.-4 p.m. With more than $12,500 in prizes for categories including Best Chicken, Best Ribs, Best Pork and Best Brisket, teams will contend for the title of Grand Champion. Tickets are limited to the first 500 people, and can be purchased for $100 per person online at www.windycitybbqclassic.com .
—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 .
—ENO Wine Room, 505 N. Michigan Ave., will host "ENOversity: Wine 101" Sunday, Sept. 13, at 6 p.m. In this session of Wine 101, guests will explore various expressions of popular grapes from around the world through sights, smells and flavors. Tickets are $50 each; visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2030474.
—Honey Butter Fried Chicken, 3361 N. Elston Ave., celebrates its second birthday on Sunday, Sept. 13, with $2 pimento mac and cheese and $2 draft beers ( limit two per order ) of either Half Acre Daisy Cutter or Revolution Brewing Anti-Hero from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visit www.honeybutter.com or call 773-478-4000.
—Guests are invited to enjoy Rosh Hashanah dinner at Tuscany in Wheeling on Sunday-Monday, Sept. 13-14. The cost is $17.95 ( children under 10 )-$34.95. Items include homemade chopped liver, roasted half-chicken, wild Atlantic salmon piccata and homemade apple tart, among others. Call 847-465-9988.
—Goddess and Grocer has issued its catering menu ( Sept. 13-23 ) for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Among the many items are Goddess chopped chicken liver, poached whole side salmon, tzimmes ( carrots and sweet potatoes braised in orange juice, with prunes, apples and local goddess honey ) and chocolate decadence cake. Call 773-292-7100 or email catering@goddessandgrocer.com .
—The Mexican restaurant Cantina 1910 will open in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood on Sept. 16 at 5025 N. Clark St. at 8 p.m. The culinary team is led by Executive Chef Diana Davila, with dishes like chorizo de chivo ( goat chorizo, huatape verde, sunchoke mash and pan-fried chochoyotes ), sweet potato panuchos and shrimp ceviche. Visit Cantina-1910.com or call 773-506-2609.
—Bon Appetit presents Chicago Gourmet and Charlie Trotter's Culinary Education Foundation have announced "A Toast to Charlie Trotter," presented by American Express. Chef Emeril Lagasse will host. The event will take place Friday, Sept. 25, 1-3 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Dr., in the Crystal Ballroom. Tickets are $175 and go on sale Sept. 3; visit ChicagoGourmet.org .
—Trinity United Church of Christ's annual Farmers Market will take place Saturdays through Sept. 26 at 95th and Eggleston streets, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Among the items offered are produce grown by Black-owned farms, homemade baked goods, body moisturizing products, specialty blended teas and honey, health and fitness sessions ( yoga, Zumba ), and custom-crafted jewelry and clothing. Credit and debit cards, Link, cash and Farmers Market coupons are accepted. Visit www.TrinityChicago.org .
—The Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce has officially opened ticket sales to the 4th annual Wicker Park Bucktown Fall Dinner Crawl, which will take place Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6-9 p.m. There will be Fork, Knife, Spoon and Plate routes, with each featuring different restaurants. Tickets are $30 each; visit wpbfalldinnercrawl.brownpapertickets.com . For more about the event, visit http://www.wickerparkbucktown.com/neighborhood-events/wpb-fall-dinner-crawl-2015.
—Tickets are on sale for the 7th Annual OctoberFeast, an Oct. 6 ( 5-10 p.m. ) tasting tour featuring River North restaurants. Hosted by the River North Business Association, OctoberFeast showcases specialty food and drink from participating restaurants as well as a culminating after-party. Attendees can purchase tickets for $75 each online and choose a restaurant route led by a tour guide. Visit OctoberFeastChicago.com .
—On Oct. 6 at 7 p.m., Evanston's Koi Fine Asian Cuisine & Lounge will host the first in a series of Chefs' Table events with a "Flavors of Fall" tasting dinner. Some of the items to be served in the six-course dinner include sushi and sashimi, walnut shrimp, salmon with black-bean sauce and chocolate lava cake. These events will be the first Tuesday of the month. Tickets are $45 each; visit koi.ticketleap.com/koi-chefs-table-fall-2015/details, or call 847-866-6969.
—The participating restaurants have been revealed for the Mac & Cheese Fest taking place at the UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd., on Saturday, Oct. 24. Among the dozens of restaurants are Luella's Southern Kitchen, Famous Dave's, Red Door, Whisk, Blackfinn Ameripub, Mr. Brown's Lounge, Piggyback Tavern and Bub City. Visit Ticketmaster.com and MacAndCheeseChicago.com .
—Meals on Wheels Chicago ( MOWC ) will be hosting 60 of Chicago's chefs and more than a dozen mixologists at its 27th annual Celebrity Chef Ball on Friday, Nov. 13, 6 p.m.-12:30 a.m., at Morgan Manufacturing, 401 N. Morgan St. In addition to tastings, guests will also enjoy a silent auction, photo booth and more. Visit www.mealsonwheelschicago.org .
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