—SideDoor, 100 E. Ontario St., will host a paired beer dinner in partnership with the Lagunitas Brewing Company on Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m. Executive Chef Leonard Delgado creates a five-course menu of American dishes with a dash of Southern flair, each paired with a Lagunitas beer or beer-based cocktail. The dinner is $75 per person, with offerings such as lemon-caper deviled eggs, duroc pork ribs and butter-pecan donuts; see SideDoorChicago.com .
—Bowlmor AMF celebrated the grand opening of the all-new Bowlero Romeoville, 735 N. Center Blvd., on March 11 with former Chicago Bears' Brian Urlacher as a host. Formerly Brunswick Zone XL, the new 60,000-square-foot Bowlero Romeoville combines bowling, arcade games, amusements and a new menu of American eats. See Bowlero.com .
—YouTube star and viral cooking sensation Felicia O'Dell aka Auntie Fee has passed away at 59, media outlets reported. O'Dell's son, Tavis Hunter, confirmed her passing ion Facebook. Auntie Fee became famous after her 2014 "Sweet Treats for Kids" video went viral, gettng nearly 5 million views.
—Baconfest organizers have announced new ticket options. They include Bacon-Only ( $60 + plus fees ), Express Bacon ( $75 + fees ) and Group Tickets ( $65 + fees ). The 9th annual Baconfest will be held March 31-April 1 at the UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd. ( The event will feature items such as bacon taco shells, lollipops, biscuits, pate, dumplings, macarons, bourbon bacon popcorn and more from Chicago's top chefs. See BaconfestChicago.com .
—Honey Butter Fried Chicken, 3361 N. Elston Ave., is now offering an all -new lunchtime special, the Lunch Box Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Lunch Box One ( $10 ) offers two pieces of chicken served with honey butter and corn muffins; a chicken sandwich; or a salad served with a side such as creamed corn or roasted garlic grits. Lunch Box Two ( $12 ) is an upgraded version with a choice of items such as honey buffalo sandiwich or an HBFC/Caesar salad with a side like kale and cabbage slaw, creamed corn or pimento mac 'n cheese. See HoneyButter.com .
—Fig & Olive Chicago, in collaboration with Tea Forte, is offering high-tea service in the front lounge on Wednesdays at 3-6 p.m. Selections include Bombay Chai ( black tea ), Wild Berry Hibiscus ( herbal tea ), Rum Raisin Biscotti ( black tea ) and Moroccan Mint ( green tea ); royal tea offerings include Blueberry Merlot ( herbal tea ) and Raspberry Nectar ( herbal tea ). The high tea menu starts at $35 per person; the upgrade is an additional $19 per person. See FigAndOlive.com .
—Indian-Latin fusion restaurant Vermilion, 10 W. Hubbard St., has launched its Dosa Frankie brunch bar. ( Dosas are delicate airy rice lentil crepes, traditionally served with a classic potato filling, hot sambar and coconut chutney; frankies are kabab-stuffed grilled paratha with its layer of egg, pickled onion and chutney. ) The new menu is being offered Fridays through Sundays. See TheVermilionRestaurant.com .
—Imperial Lamian, 6 W. Hubbard St., will hold a sake cocktail class with Beverage Director Paul Ballesteros on Saturday, March 25, 3-5 p.m. Attendees will learn the art of sake cocktails while sipping four handcrafted concoctions and indulging in dim sum pairings from the kitchen. Tickets are $30 per person, plus tax and gratuity; call 312-595-9440.
—Sable Executive Chef Shane Graybeal has launched a trifecta of new culinary menus along with two new tasting menus. For instance, there's a new daily breakfast menu with spiked Bloody Marys and mimosas to wash down housemade Sable sausage and housemade chorizo breakfast tacos. The dinner menu features four sections—Snacks, Soil, Sea, Land—where elevated bar snacks are meant to pair with seasonal cocktails crafted by Head Bartender Mike Jones. Snacks like the green goddess deviled eggs are garnished with dehydrated country ham while winter radishes are served on sourdough toast with "virgin" butter ( cream that has been partially but not fully churned into butter ). See SableChicago.com .
—European-style eatery Cupitol has opened at 455 E. Illinois St. in Chicago's Streeterville area. Cupitol, like its Evanston counterpart, offers specialty house-roasted coffee, housemade pastries and breads, and a variety of grab-and-go items; there are also breakfast and dinner options. See Cupitol.com .
—Food columnist and author Phil Potempa will take center stage at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster, Indiana on Sunday, April 2 at 2:30 p.m. in a special live two-hour "From the Farm Cooking Show" to celebrate the 15th anniversary of his weekly From the Farm recipe newspaper column. Phil will prepare a seven-course feast, highlighting favorite recipes from his third cookbook Further From the Farm: Family Recipes and Memories of a Lifetime.
—Bistro Campagne, 4518 N. Lincoln Ave., will host a dinner on Thursday, March 30, promptly at 6:30 p.m. that will feature Chimay Trappist Ales. Menu items will include ahi tuna Madame featuring quail egg, peaches en vanilla and cardamom with micro arugula; carnaroli risotto of clams with applewood smoked bacon and Yukon gold potatoes; roulade of pork tenderloin, apricot and caramelized shallots, goat cheese and tarragon crema; quail coq au vin and a sweet-potato trio; and Chimay-Tilamook Cheddar Fondue and crumbled toffee croissant. The dinner $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity; call 773-271-6100 to make reservations.
—On Sunday, April 2, 5-9 p.m., seven Chicago chefs and mixologists—Brian Ahern ( Boeufhaus ), Andrew Brochu ( Roister ), Abe Conlon ( Fat Rice ), Aaron Lirette ( GreenRiver ), Micah Melton ( The Aviary/Office ), Noah Sandoval ( Oriole ) and Freddie Sarkis ( formerly of The Broken Shaker )—will come together at GreenRiver, 259 E. Erie St., to raise money and awareness for mental health. The benefit dinner, entitled "Food Gives Me Hope," will consist of a one-night-only six-course menu complete with beverage pairings. Tickets are priced at $250 per person, with all of the proceeds being donated directly to Hope for the Day, a non-profit organization that specializes in suicide prevention and education; visit FoodGivesMeHope.org .
—The Chicago Cocktail Summit will take place April 2-3 at the Logan Theatre, 2646 N. Milwaukee Ave. Among those slated to appear are David Wondrich, Charles Joly, Dan Pashman ( host of the food-and-drink podcast on iTunes, The Sporkful ), Peter Sagal ( Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me ), Erick Castro ( bartender-at-large ), Julia Momose, Ed Hamilton, Caitlin Laman, Julieta Campos and others. See CocktailSummit.com .
—Fondue restaurant Geja's Cafe, 340 W. Armitage Ave., will celebrate National Cheese Fondue Week this April. Geja's will kick off the festivities on Sunday, April 9, when it will host a cheese-and-chocolate fondue cooking class at 1-3 p.m. The celebration will continue through Saturday, April 15. The event will cost $60 per person. During April 9-15, guests who mention National Cheese Fondue Week will receive $5 off each dinner. See GejasCafe.com .
—In celebration of the Cubs home opener on Monday, April 10, all Kanela locations will feature a Cubby French toast. The special will be available for $11.49 and features French toast stuffed with sweet cream cheese, blueberry jam and raspberry jam, then garnished with a powdered sugar "W." See KanelaBreakfastClub.com .
—Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort has announced the return of its longstanding community tradition, Easter Brunch in the Grand Ballroom. On Sunday, April 16, two seatings ( 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. ) will give way to a family experience featuring modern farm cuisine, a petting zoo, a children's cookie craft area, a complimentary family portrait and a visit from the Easter Bunny. See Eventbrite.com .
—In honor of author Ronni Lundy's new book Victuals: An Appalachian Journey with Recipes, Big Jones, 5347 N. Clark St., invites guests for an evening of culinary items from the Southern mountains. Chef and Co-Owner Paul Fehribach welcomes the author with a featured Piggybank Dinner at the restaurant on April 20, 6-9:30 p.m. This event is $75 per person or $125 per couple and includes a personalized, signed copy of Victuals and a $50 per person donation to the Southern Foodways Alliance. Visit bigjoneschicago.com; RSVP by calling 773-275-5725.
—The Chicago Artisan Chocolate Festival will take place April 22-23 at Plumbers Hall, 1340 W. Washington Blvd. The event will feature chocolate tastings from local vendors, celebrity chef demonstrations, an event with 40+ vendors, charity wine tasting, artisanal food exhibits and much more. See https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-chicago-artisan-chocolate-show-artisanal-foods-charity-wine-tasting-tickets-19281683033.
—Brindille, 534 N. Clark St., will be offering a Mother's Day tea on Sunday, May 12, 2-5 p.m. The tea service will feature Chef Carrie and Pastry Chef Craig's creations. Among the slated items will be crumpets, sandwiches, sweets, confections and, of course, tea. It will be $65/person, and there's limited seating. RSVP at info@Brindille-Chicago.com .
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