—Yoshi's Cafe, 3257 N. Halsted St., has opened a new bar. In honor of the new bar, the restaurant is offering treats such as Yoshi's Bar Trio ( Japanese-style fried chicken, shrimp a la diabla, and endive boat with wasabi-blue cheese; $12.95 ) and mixologist Fernando Estrada's singular martinis ( Japanese Sunrise, French, Key Lime and Expresso martinis, Ginger Cosmos and more ) at half price. For information and reservations, call 773-248-6160.
—Organizers revealed the first-wave lineup of food trucks and musical acts for Pilsen Food Truck Social ( PilsenFoodTruckSocial.com ), where more than 25 of Illinois' most popular food trucks will pit stop on 18th Street on June 10-11. Just a few of the food trucks that will be present are Da Lobsta, Bruges Brothers, Aztec Daves, El Jefe, Pierogi Wagon and Loop Juice.
—Michael Jordan's Steak House, 505 N. Michigan Ave., is celebrating National Burger Month with a different specialty burger each day in May. Just a few of the burgers on tap include May 20's On Wisconsin! Burger ( Widmere Cheddar, Ruth Kase Blue Cheese Fondue and Nueske's Bacon Jam ) and May 27's The Madigan vs. Rauner ( advertised as "a burger that's full of it," with BFB Bun, Bacon, pulled pork, cheddar, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, special sauce, mushrooms, jalapenos, mustard and sliced ham ). See MJSHChicago.com .
—Davanti Enoteca ( 30 E. Hubbard St. and 1359 W. Taylor St. in Chicago; 800 Hillgrove Ave. in Western Springs ) is offering the Davanti Burger for National Burger Month. The burger is topped with bacon jam, roasted tomatoes, cheese curd, arugula and roasted garlic aioli, and comes with parmesan fries ( all for $14 ).
—Jake Melnick's Corner Tap, 41 E. Superior St., is marking National Burger Month with a "French Onion" Burger. It's a beef patty topped with Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and housemade steak sauce, and it's served on grilled ciabatta bread with signature hand-cut fries. Also, May is BBQ Month and Jake Melnick's is offering the "Bacon Brisket Bomb" Daddy Mac—housemade mac n' cheese topped with house-smoked brisket, cornbread, crispy fried onions and Jake's housemade smoky chipotle bacon BBQ sauce.
—STK Chicago, 9 W. Kinzie St., has unveiled its spring menu. Some of the new items include baby gem lettuce Caesar salad, grilled Spanish octopus, jumbo lump crab cake, Alaskan black cod and foraged mushrooms. Also, the restaurant is participating in the James Beard Foundation's Blended Burger Project with its "Juicy Lucy" Blended Burger—a foie gras and maitake mushroom burger with brie cheese, tart cherry mustarda and fire-roasted chiles on a housemade bun—that's available starting Memorial Day through July 31. See STKHouse.com .
—In recognition of National Burger Month, Hakka Bakka Kati Rolls, 1251 W. Fullerton Ave., will offer a lamb shammi burger during the month of May, available for $8. A twist on traditional shammi kebabs from South Asia, the burger patties are handmade with minced lamb and Hakka Bakka's house blend. The burger will be served on a toasted brioche bun with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, sweet mango chutney and cilantro aioli. See HakkaBakkaRolls.com .
—Wild Garden Foods will hit the road for a four-day food-truck tour around Chicago providing FREE meals at popular destinations and places in need. Facebook "likes" will power the tour, so for every new "like" on the Wild Garden page, a free Mediterranean lunch or dinner will be served. The tentative schedule is May 17 ( lunch: Daley Plaza Food Truck Fest ) and May 18 ( Lunch: Wabash/Jackson ). See mjprchicago.com/blog/wild-garden-announces-nationwide-food-truck-tour-first-stop-chicago/ .
—For Chicago Craft Beer Week, Sweetwater Tavern and Grille, 225 N. Michigan Ave., will host three events. On May 18, 5-7 p.m., there will be the dog-friendly Lagunitas Puppy Patio Party; on Friday, May 19, at 5 p.m., will be an event with Whiner Brewing Co.; and a finale on Thursday, May 25, with B Nektar Meadery. See SweetwaterTavernAndGrille.com .
—Also, to mark Chicago Craft Beer Week, The Boundary ( 1932 W. Division St. ) is tapping Bourbon County Stout on Thursday, May 18, with 13- and six-ounce pours being available while supplies last. In addition, Old Town Pour House Chicago, 1419 N. Wells St., will offer several tappings on May 18, including Goose Island, Bourbon County Barleywine; Founders, Kentucky Bourbon Stout; and Ballast Point, Calm Before the Storm, among others.
—On Friday, May 19, cocktail lounge Arbella, 112 W. Grand Ave., will celebrate its first anniversary with DJs Dark + Deep and Bridget Marie starting at 7 p.m. There will also be cocktail specials during the week, including Tempo Bello ( May 15 ) and Georgia Preserves ( ginger-infused vodka, peach tea syrup, rhubarb bitters, lemon and bubbles; May 19 ).
—Chicago's Jonquil Park, 1001 W. Wrightwood Ave., will again be home to the Lincoln Park Wine Festival, which will take place May 20-21. he park's two acres will be cordoned off and visitors can sample from a selection of more than 80 varietals. In addition to U.S. vineyards, among other countries represented will be Argentina, Chile, France, Italy, New Zealand and South Africa. The cost for a one-day individual wine tasting pass is $50, which allows the purchaser to sample ( with a souvenir wine glass ) up to 12 one-and-a-half ( 1.5 )-ounce wines. See ChicagoEvents.com/events/lincolnparkwinefestival/ .
—Highwood restaurant Disotto is marking its one-year anniversary with a five-course wine dinner on Friday, May 19, at 6:30 p.m. Menu items will include sauteed calamari, pan-seared chicken breast and semolina gnocchi, among other items. The cost is $65/person, plus tax and gratuity. See DisottoItalian.com .
—312 Chicago, 136 N. LaSalle St., is offering "Waggin' Weekends" on its patio every weekend through Labor Day. Every Saturday and Sunday, at 11 a.m.-2 p.m., the Italian restaurant will offer complimentary chef-made treats for pets, available with any purchase. A special dog menu has $7 entrees ( salmon and white rice; carrots, celery and cheese; chicken and pasta ), $4 treats ( peanut butter biscuit; beefsicle ) or a $9 entree-treat combo. See 312Chicago.com .
—Seaside's will debut in Schaumburg on Tuesday, May 23. Diners can choose from fried chicken, baby back ribs, and Maine lobster for main dishes; sides like mac 'n' cheese and baked beans; and dessert like coconut cake. Orders can be picked up from Seaside's sister location, Shaw's Crab House, or ordered for delivery from GrubHub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash. ( It's also opened at Oyster Bah, 1962 N. Halsted St. ) See SeasidesChicago.com .
—The National Restaurant Association ( NRA ) announced the lineup of the nation's top celebrity chefs to share their culinary know-how on the World Culinary Showcase stage at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show®, taking place at Chicago's McCormick Place on May 20-23. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn the latest cooking practices and trends from Top Chef Masters winner Rick Bayless, Worst Cooks in America host Anne Burrell and Top Chef All Stars competitor Fabio Viviani; others slated to appear include Stephanie Izard, Ming Tsai and Robert Irvine. The World Culinary Showcase demonstrations run all four days of the NRA Show.
—The Florentine, 151 W. Adams St., has unveiled a new dining menu and drinks. Among the new menu items are gnudi with fava beans, oyster mushrooms, prosciutto and parmesan; risotta with asparagus, morels, porchetta and lemon; pan-roasted trout, butter beans, shrimp, braised kale, pancetta and salsa verde; and osso bucco di maiale: crispy pork shank, harissa and spring onions with a pea shoot salad. Visit The-Florentine.net .
—The Travelle "Chef Collab" dinner series kicks off on Thursday, May 25, at 6 p.m. as Travelle Kitchen + Bar's Chef Ricardo Jarquin opens his kitchen to Chef Daniel Espinoza from new taqueria Holy Taco! for a family-style dinner. The five-course event will begin with guests seated at communal tables in Travelle's wine cellar. Admission is $65 per person, excluding tax and gratuity; call 312-923-7705 or call TravelleChicago.com . ( In addition to the "Chef Collab" event, Travelle Kitchen + Bar, 330 N. Wabash Ave., will be open to the public for nightly dinner service. )
—On Thursday, May 25, at 6:30 p.m., the Low Tide Lounge at Oyster Bah, 1962 N. Halsted St., will offer a taste of spring and rock 'n' roll with a five-course seasonal dinner featuring a menu of food and cocktails all served on the rocks. The dinner will feature tributes to Nirvana, the Rolling Stones, The Go-Go's, The Yardbirds and The Temptations. The cost is $60 each; call 773-248-3000 to RSVP.
—For Memorial Day weekend, Kanela Breakfast Club ( all locations ) will offer al fresco, dog-friendly dining. Guests can sip on new seasonal cocktails all weekend long including the Cinnamon Toast Brunch ( vodka, Kahlua, Rumchata; $9 ), Ginger Paloma ( tequila, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, ginger syrup; $9 ) and Tony Danza ( Bison Grass Vodka, lemonade, iced tea, Peychaud's bitters, strawberry; $9 ).
—The West Loop Community Organization, StarEvents and Silver Wrapper have announced the music and restaurant lineups for the 21st Annual Taste of Randolph Festival, taking place June 16-18 at 900 W. Randolph St. Some of the musical headliners include Dawes, Moon Taxi and Emancipator Ensemble; and some of the participating restaurants include bellyQ, Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken, La Sardine, Grange Hall Burger Bar and Bar Siena. See www.starevents.com/event/taste-of-randolph/ .
—Imperial Lamian, 6 W. Hubbard St., is gearing up for the ultimate Xiao Long Bao Eating Contest on the Hubbard Street patio on Wed., June 21. The Chinese restaurant invites dumpling lovers to enter the competition throughout the entire month of May by posting a photo eating XLB at Imperial Lamian, following and tagging @imperiallamianchi on Instagram, and using the hashtag #DowntheDumpling. Ten contestants will be chosen on Thursday, June 1, and will have 20 days to stretch their stomachs before the big day.
Send items to Andrew@WindyCityMediaGroup.com or follow on Twitter @Azygous60610.
