—Ramenfest will take place Sunday, Feb. 19, at urbanbelly, 1400 W. Randolph St. Twenty chefs from across Chicago will compete against one another to prepare their best ramen dish and be named champion. ( Among them are chefs from Antique Taco, Green Zebra, Sunda and Smoque BBQ. ) General admission tickets to Ramenfest include a sampling of each ramen and two drink tickets for $75. See ramenfest2017.brownpapertickets.com .
—Mago Grill & Cantina, 1010 S. Delano Ct., has announced the inaugural Taco Fest, coming up on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 6-9 p.m. Some of the participating restaurants will include El Carrito, Falafill, Antique Taco, Seoul Taco and Rojo Gusano. Also, Mago will offer all guests complimentary margarita vouchers to celebrate National Margarita Day on Wed., Feb. 22. All ticket sales will benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository, a nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger in Chicago's neighborhoods; visit TacoFest2017.com .
—Marigold Maison, 900 Milwaukee Ave., brings modern Indian spice, color, and flavors to Lincolnshire as the restaurant changes locations from its former home in Bannockburn. Marigold Maison is a part of the JNK Concepts family which includes sister restaurants Roka Akor ( Chicago, Old Orchard, San Francisco, Scottsdale, and Houston ) and Enolo Wine Cafe. Dishes include samosa chaat, chicken tikka, mango lassi and saag paneer. See MarigoldMaison.com .
—Executive Pastry Chef Sandra Holl of Floriole Café & Bakery in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, will launch the European-inspired eatery's first crepes-focused dinner series alongside her husband and co-owner, Mathieu Holl. Beginning March 19 ( at $30 per person ), the series will allow Floriole to expand its current daily breakfast and lunch service to a quarterly dinner service for guests. Additional crepes dinners are set for June 11, Sept. 17 and Dec. 3. See Floriole.com .
—Hugo's Frog Bar, 1024 N. Rush St., is marking its 20th anniversary with a full week of festivities that kick off Wed., Feb. 22. A party ( free and open to the public ) will take place Feb. 22 as Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House owners Steve Lombardo and Hugo Ralli will cut the first slice of the restaurant's well-known cake. Also, Hugo's will offer a look back with a special Then & Now menu, featuring some of Hugo's classic dishes specially priced to reflect the original menu released in 1997 and current dishes with special 20th-anniversary pricing. See HugosFrogBar.com .
—Mardi Gras will be here Tuesday, Feb. 28, and Big Jones, 5347 N. Clark St., invites guests for a culinary journey down South with featured menus created by Chef/Co-Owner Paul Fehribach. From now through Thursday, March 2, there are two ways to dig into Louisiana favorites: with a la carte items like fried chicken and shrimp and grits, or a prix fixe menu ( for $33 ) with traditional dishes. Prix fixe items include Cajun boudin balls, skillet cheddar jalapeno cornbread, crawfish etoufee and rum bread pudding, among others. See bigjoneschicago.com .
—In recognition of Fat Tuesday on Feb. 28, Kanela Breakfast Club's Executive Chef Don Penza will make New Orleans beignets sprinkled with powdered sugar, available for $6 per order ( five beignets per order ). See KanelaBreakfastClub.com .
—Latin fusion spot Carnivale, 702 W. Fulton Market, is unveiling a Brazilian-inspired Mardi Gras menu on Feb. 25-28. Items will include bahia shrimp caraje, wood-raosted prime picanha, moqueca de bacalhau ( cod-and-shrimp stew, coconut rice and Brazilian slaw ) and bolo de rei ( Brazilian-style coconut king cake ). See CarnivaleChicago.com .
—The 18th Annual WingFest takes place on Sunday, March 5, 1-5 p.m., at UIC Pavilion, 525 S. Racine Ave. This will be the festival's inaugural year at UIC, a larger-than-usual venue that can accommodate more people and double the number of restaurants cooking up over 9,000 pounds of wings. Some of the 2017 WingFest participants include Rhyme or Reason, Howells & Hood, Chicago Culinary Kitchen, Son of A Butcher Tavern and River Forest Catering. See WingFest.net .
—Jar Bar—the healthy, fast-casual concept with handcrafted eats—will open its doors in downtown Northbrook ( 1350 Shermer Rd. ) in early April. 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 after making the flagship location a hit in suburban Chicago.
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