Pastry Chicago's Haunted Cupcake Competition will take place Saturday, Oct. 27, 1:30-4 p.m., at the Harborside International Golf Center, 1101 S. Doty Ave. East. Review the rules (such as no baking or decorating done on the premises) and register for the competition at http://pastrychicago.org/calendar/documents/12PC-HauntedCupcakeCompetitionRegistrationForm.pdf.
WTTW-11, the Chicago area's public television station, announced that its most popular local series, the award-winning weekly restaurant review program Check, Please!, will premiere its 12th season on Friday, Oct. 12, at 8 p.m. with a unique installmentthe Check, Please! Food Truck Special. Last month, host and master sommelier Alpana Singh enjoyed cuisine from Pleasant House Bakery, Falafel Brothers, Curried Mobile and other eateries.
Free stone crabs: In celebration of National Seafood Month and the start of Florida stone-crab season, Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House, 1024 N. Rush St., will give away complimentary Florida stone-crab claws to all guests who purchase an entree on Wed., Oct. 17. There's a limit of one claw per person; see www.hugosfrogbar.com .
Butcher & the Burger, 1021 W. Armitage Ave., is celebrating its first anniversary with a special foie gras-stuffed venison burger seasoned with Chef Al Sternweiler's house-made steakhouse seasoning and topped with griddled onions, Dijon mustard and cheddar cheese. It will be available for $30 Thursday, Oct. 25. See www.butcherandtheburger.com .
Benny's Chop House, 444 N. Wabash Ave., is celebrating National Dessert Month (October) with a variety of items. Said items include Michigan apple tart, chocolate souffle, S'mores cheesecake, sorbets and banana cream pie, among other items ($8.99-$12.99). See www.bennyschophouse.com .
Rosemont's Fresco 21, 5300 N. River Rd., will host a Marchesi di Grésy wine dinner on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m. For $70 each (not including tax and gratuity), guests will enjoy a five-course seasonal fall dinner (presented by Chef de Cuisine Cameron Grant) complete with wine pairings. Courses will include items such as braised Wagyu beef shortrib and Sauvignon butter-poached lobster tail. See www.fresco21.com .
Stout Barrel House & Galley, 642 N. Clark St., will host a four-course beer dinner where each course is paired with an American craft beer on Tuesday, Oct. 16. There are only 60 tickets available for the Stout beer dinner for $40 each. Advance tickets can be purchased online at stoutbeerdinner.eventbrite.com .
Schaumburg's Tokio Pub, 1900 E. Higgins Rd., will feature a Halloween bash Saturday, Oct. 27, 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Partygoers can sip along to the music of Ear Candy with Tokio Pub mixologist Jason Ackerman's creations such as the Vampire Weekend Martini ($8) and the Witches Brew Punch ($6). There will also be a costume contest with several categories, including sexiest and most original. See www.TokioPub.com .
Burger Joint, 675 N. Franklin St., has new specialty hand-crafted burgers. Open until 5 a.m. on weekends, Burger Joint now offers items such as the Hot Mess (chili, onions and Merkts cheddar), Wild Cowboy (sliced cheddar, bacon and BBQ sauce) and, of course, The Hangover (bacon, a fried egg, tomato and American cheese). See www.BurgerJointChicago.com .
Brasserie 54, 5420 N. Clark St., is now offering brunch on Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Items include buttermilk pancakes ($7), galette compete (a buckwheat crepe with ham, swiss cheese and a sunny-side-up egg; $8) and the Benedict 54 (with jamon francais, tomato and bearnaise sauce; $9). See www.Brasserie54.com .
Carnivale, 702 W. Fulton Market, will be the site of Chicago Costume's annual Hot Costume Fashion Show at Carnivale Thursday, Oct. 11, 8 p.m.-12 a.m. Themed "Where the WILD Things Are," guests will view intricate costumes, hair, head-to-toe body paint and makeup, masks, and accessories. Tickets are $20-$25; see www.chicagocostume.com/where-the-wild-things-are-ticket-to-2012-fashion-show.
Grange Hall Burger Bar, 844 W. Randolph St., now serves the "Farmer's Breakfast" Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Items include peasant-style baked eggs (with butter, cream, tomato, thyme, rosemary, basil and Muenster cheese); quiche Loretta (with pork maple sausage, green onion and cheddar); and apple orchard pie. See www.grangehallburgerbar.com .
The restaurant Sola, 3868 N. Lincoln Ave., is offering a $30 handcrafted apple prix fixe dinner and $15 additional wine pairing. Items include crispy mushroom salad, boneless pork chops with baby bokchoy, fingerling potatoes and a five-spice applesauce, and cinnamon apple egg rolls. See www.sola-restaurant.com .
Shaw's Crab House is hosting its 24th Annual Oyster Fest Oct. 8-12, culminating in the "Royster with the Oyster" block party Oct. 12. "Royster"which more than 4,000 people attended last yearis 3-10 p.m. in the parking lot on Rush Street between Hubbard and Illinois streets. Country singer Lee Brice will be featured. See www.TicketWeb.com or www.ShawsCrabHouse.com .
Andrew Davis
(Andrew@WindyCityMediaGroup.com )