—Hash House A Go Go, 1212 N. State St., has unveiled a brand-new "Tractor Bar" bar snacks menu and beverage program. Beverages include cocktails such as the Grapefruit Snow Cone and Watermelon Cooler while snacks include mini buffalo corn dogs with spicy bacon mustard and BBQ wild-boar sliders with griddled Swiss and cole slaw, among many others. See www.hashhouseagogo.com/chicago.
—Ceres' Table has moved, and will open in East Lakeview at 3124 N. Broadway in April. Chef Giuseppe Scurato, who introduced Ceres' Table in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood in 2009, has joined forces with All Day Hospitality's Caryn Struif to launch the Italian restaurant. The new restaurant is larger ( seating up to 100 people ). The neighborhood restaurant will feature regional, Italian-inspired seasonal plates that pay homage to Scurato's Sicilian heritage.
—After nearly two decades serving guests its traditional pub fare in Lincoln Park, the original John Barlerycorn on Belden Avenue will be closing its doors on May 17. As a way of thanking the community, neighborhood and hard-working team, John Barlerycorn will be hosting a series of farewell parties May 15-17 at the restaurant leading up to the closure. See www.johnbarleycorn.com .
—Downers Grove restaurant Barbakoa, 1341 Butterfield Rd., has drink specials, a prix fixe menu, live entertainment and even a pig roast for Cinco de Mayo. Starting Thursday, May 1, there will be Margarita Puro pitchers for $19.50 ( half off the regular price ) for Thirsty Thursday; Ritmo Flamenco will perform for Flamenco Friday. Call 630-852-2333.
—Untitled, 111 W. Kinzie Ave., will host a "Derby Jubilee" for a Kentucky Derby viewing party on Saturday, May 3, at 2-5 p.m. Floppy hats and straw fedoras will be encouraged. Guests can enjoy mint-julep cocktails ( $10 ) plus complimentary appetizers including pork belly lollipops, grit cakes and fried-chicken bites. Admission is complimentary; RSVP at untitledderby.eventbrite.com .
—On Saturday, May 3, Chicago q, 1160 N. Dearborn St., will host its second annual Derby party, "Derby q," 2-6 p.m. Tickets are available for $42, and include a Southern-style, all-you-can-eat buffet and a drink. Guests can view the races inside Chicago q's main dining room or outside on the tented, heated patio. RSVP at 312-642-1160.
—NoMI | Boutique Chocolate is "popping up" in the Park Hyatt Chicago Library, 800 N. Michigan Ave. Pastry Chef Meg Galus' shop will be there through May 11, 1-8 p.m. Items will include lollipops, bonbons, macarons, tarts, spreads, eclairs, customizable gift boxes and more, and will cost $3-$100. Call 312-239-4137 for more info.
— Three popular chefs from Chicago will compete in the 6th Annual Food Fight for Scleroderma this Sunday, April 27, 5-8 p.m., at The James Hotel. ( The VIP reception is 4-5 p.m. ) Giuseppe Tentori ( GT Fish & Oyster, Boka ), Heather Terhune ( Sable Kitchen & Bar ) and Tom Van Lente ( TWO Restaurant & Bar ) will face off in an event that will benefit the Scleroderma Foundation. General admission tickets are $95 and VIP tickets are $145; see www.ChicagoFoodFight.com .
—Mitchell's of Chicago, for the first time ever, is offering eight super-premium ice-cream flavors in grocers throughout Chicagoland. Using the original recipe from 1931, Mitchell's has overloaded its ice creams with toppings like rich dark chocolate chips, creamy caramel and/or silky fudge. The ice cream is at Jewel-Osco and some independent grocers ( $3.49-$4.49 ).
—The Mother's Day afternoon tea at the Driehaus Museum, 40 E. Erie St., returns for its fourth consecutive year on Sunday, May 11. It's at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; following each one-hour tea service, complimentary guided tours of the Driehaus Museum will be available. Tickets are $60 for museum members and $70 for the public; call 312-482-8933 or visit www.DriehausMuseum.org .
—aria, 200 N. Columbus Dr., is offering a Mother's Day brunch menu by Executive Chef James Phillips on Sunday, May 11, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The brunch is $42 per person. For reservations, call 312-444-9494 or visit www.ariachicago.com .
—On Mother's Day, May 11, Shaw's Crab House, 21 E. Hubbard St., is offering a brunch buffet—plus all mothers will receive a $25 Shaw's Crab House gift certificate for future use at either Shaw's location. There will be a Grand Hot Buffet line as well as a Surf and Turf Station, Cold Seafood Bar, Shaw's Sweets Table and Omelet and Waffle Station. Call 312-527-2722.
—Frontier, 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave., will offer a Mother's Day brunch buffet with items such as house-smoked salmon, house smoked ham, frittatas, beignets and more. The buffet is $25 each; tickets can be purchased at www.TheFrontierChicago.com .
—Art Smith, Rocco DiSpirito, Anne Burrell, Graham Elliot, Rick Bayless, Andrew Zimmern, Robert Irvine, Claire Robinson, David Burke and Ming Tsai are among the chefs/personalities slated to appear at the World Culinary Showcase of the National Restaurant Show May 17-20 at McCormick Place. The event ( not open to the public ) is primarily for retailers, culinary professionals, dealers and distributors, and commercial as well as non-commercial operators.
—The Chicago Academy for the Arts announced the lineup of chefs for its A Taste for the Arts Gala, slated for May 13. Curtis Duffy ( Grace ), Shea Daher and Sarah Mispagel ( both of Nightwood ), and Andrew Zimmerman ( Sepia ) are among those slated to participate. The academy's students will perform at the Harris Theater at 6 p.m., and will proceed to the Millennium Park Terrace at 7:30 p.m. to enjoy 10 different food stations. Tickets start at $350 each, with performance-only tickets for $30; visit ATasteForTheArts.org or HarrisTheaterChicago.org .
—On Monday, May 19, five chefs from Chicago, Kansas City and New Orleans will join Big Jones chef-owner Paul Fehribach to present the second annual Trash Fish Dinner. The family-style dinner will begin at 7 p.m. and will feature seven courses. The cost of the dinner is $125 per person, including tax and gratuity. Tickets are required; call 617-236-5200 or visit chefscollaborative.org/events.
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