Shaw's Oyster Fest Block Party returns to downtown Chicago on Friday, Sept. 26, 3-10 p.m., at 560 W. Grand St. More than 3,000 guests are expected to come down to Oyster Fest and slurp up nearly 15,000 oysters from the East and West Coast, signature bites from Shaw's Crab House, Goose Island beer, and live music from singer/songwriter Brett Dennen. Tickets are $25 each; visit www.oysterfestchicago.com .
Frontier, 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave., invites guests to enjoy a family-style brunch ( 10 a.m.-3 p.m. ) every Saturday and Sunday for $20 per person. The menu, prepared exclusively by Pioneer Tavern Group Corporate Chef, features powdered doughnuts, bananas foster French-toast bites, crab Benedict minis, lamb chorizo and egg tacos, vegetable breakfast tacos and sides including thick slab bacon and breakfast potatoes. To reserve, a 24-hour notice is required at jen@pioneertaverngroup.com .
The Andersonville City Made Fest will take place Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 20-21, noon-9 p.m. each day, at 5000-5100 N. Clark St. Music will involve a blend of indie rock, pop, roots, folk, hip-hop, jazz and blues; Ale Syndicate Brewers, Andersonville Brewing, Finch's Beer Co., Half Acre Beer Company and Off Color Brewing will be among those with brews on tap. There is a $5 suggested gate donation; visit www.Andersonville.org .
Brasserie by LM, 800 S. Michigan Ave., and Argus Brewery are hosting a special beer dinner on Thursday, Sept. 25, 5-8 p.m. The traditional French brasserie will offer four burgers that pair with a flight of four Argus Brewery beers. The meal is $20, not including tax or gratuity. Visit BrasseriebyLM.com .
Suburban restaurant Real Urban Barbecue is serving family favorites for carry-out during the Jewish High Holiday celebrations: Wed.-Friday, Sept. 24-26, for Rosh Hashanah; and Friday-Saturday, Oct. 3-4, for Yom Kippur. Offerings include meats, salads and fresh vegetables, sides and desserts. Visit www.RealUrbanBBQ.com .
Gibsons, 1028 N. Rush St., and Hugo's Frog Bar, 1024 N. Rush St., will hold Rosh Hashanah dinner Sept. 24-25. Options will include a choice of chopped chicken livers or matzo ball soup; entree items such as spit-roasted half-chicken, braised beef brisket and broiled whitefish; and dessert items of coffee or tea along with flourless chocolate cake.
SpritzBurger, 3819 N. Broadway, is hosting a seafood boil Sunday, Sept. 14, 6-9 p.m. Chef Dan Smith will feature shrimp, crab, crawfish, littleneck clams, mussels, Andouille sausage, corn on the cob and potatoes, served family-style. The price is $40 ( without tip ); call 773-868-9866 or visit Brown Paper Tickets.
Taste Talks will take place Oct. 3-5 in Chicago. Events include "Mother of Pearl" Oct. 3 ( 7-10 p.m. ) at Kinmont, 419 W. Superior St.; "Free-Styling with Ice Cream Desserts" Oct. 4 at Soho House, 113-25 N. Green St.; and "All-Star Chef BBQ" Oct. 5 ( 1-4 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. ) at Palmer Square. Among the talent slated to appear are mixologist Charles Joly, Spiaggia Executive Chef Chris Marchino and Hot Chocolate owner/pastry chef Mindy Segal. Visit taste-talks.com .
Cece & Melinda, with Raymi Productions, have announced the first annual Mac & Cheese Fest to be held Saturday, Oct. 4, at the UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd., at 12-3 p.m. Tickets are available through TicketMaster for $50, and proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana. For more information, visit www.macandcheesechicago.com or contact Melinda@raymiproductions.com .
Executive Chef/Owner Martial Noguier will begin serving Bistronomic's fall-dinner menu on Tuesday, Sept. 16, beginning at 5 p.m. Among the new dishes are wild shrimp salad, tartare du jour, PEI black mussels, handmade chicken confit ravioli and braised Wisconsin lamb shank for two. Bistronomic is at 840 N. Wabash Ave.; visit www.bistronomic.net .
Oakbrook Terrace's Devon Seafood + Steak ( 17W400 22nd Street ) is hosting an exclusive five-course meal showcasing fine pairings from Banfi Wines on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m. The Banfi Wine Dinner costs $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 630-516-0180. Visit www.devonseafood.com for more information.
Bon Appétit presents Chicago Gourmet has announced the chefs competing in this year's burger competitionthe Hamburger Hopon Friday, Sept. 26. Chef contenders include The Hearty Boys, RL's Ryan Pitts and Farmhouse's Eric Mansavage, among others. Individual tickets for the Hamburger Hop are nearly sold out, and still available when purchased bundled with the official after-party, Late Night Gourmet. See www.chicagogourmet.org .
David Morton and Michael Kornick, owners of DMK Restaurants, announced the opening of a new DMK Burger Bar and County BBQ branch at the United Club at Soldier Field, the home of the Chicago Bears. The United Club DMK Burger Bar will feature game-day delights including grass-fed burgers, hand-cut fries and craft beers. All burgers are $13. Visit www.dmkburgerbar.com and www.countybarbeque.com .
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