—In celebration of the first day of fall and the return of the favorite flavor of pumpkin, JW Marriott Chicago, 151 W. Adams St., invites guests and local Chicagoans to visit the hotel's front desk on Wed., Sept. 23 for a complimentary treat. For this year's confection, Executive Chef Michael Reich will create his pumpkin dark-chocolate brownies for guests to taste.
—The Doritos brand, in partnership with the It Gets Better Project, has unveiled Doritos Rainbows, a limited-edition bag of Doritos chips celebrating the LGBT community. This chips are available to allies and supporters who donate to the It Gets Better Project, a non-profit organization which seeks to provide hope and inspire positive change in the world for LGBT youth. Doritos Rainbows is a first-of-its-kind product featuring rainbow-colored Doritos chips inspired by the Pride flag, encouraging everyone to be #BOLDANDBETTER.
—The South African-Portuguese restaurant Nando's PERi-PERi is opening two more restaurants in Chicago: at 1500 N. Clybourn Ave. and 22 S. Wabash Ave. The two new Nando's join the company's first Chicago restaurant, at 953 W. Randolph St., and second location at 670 W. Diversey Pkwy.
—Bernie's Lunch & Supper, 660 N. Orleans St., has announced the opening of the restaurant's rooftop patio and new Mediterranean-inspired brunch. Bernie's weekend brunch menu showcases seasonal Mediterranean-inspired comfort food influenced by the travels of Partner/Executive Chef Ryan Sand as well as Peas & Carrots Hospitality Founder Chef Zack Sklar. Visit www.bernieslunchandsupper.com .
—The Boarding House, 720 N. Wells St., has named Kelly Peterson Bates as head sommelier, part of an all-women leadership team together with owner/master sommelier Alpana Singh and executive chef Tanya Baker. Peterson Bates oversees the wine, spirits and beer program at The Boarding House, sharing her knowledge with guests through guided wine tastings and training the servers, many of whom are also sommeliers-in-training.
—Bon Appetit presents Chicago Gourmet and Charlie Trotter's Culinary Education Foundation have announced "A Toast to Charlie Trotter," presented by American Express. Chef Emeril Lagasse will host. The event will take place Friday, Sept. 25, 1-3 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Dr., in the Crystal Ballroom. Tickets are $175 and go on sale Sept. 3; visit ChicagoGourmet.org .
—Seven Lions, 130 S. Michigan Ave., has debuted its autumn menu. Some of the items include crispy grit fritters, autumn salad, scallop ceviche, roasted cauliflower, roast chicken for two and apple-cinnamon donut holes. Visit SevenLionsChicago.com .
—Trinity United Church of Christ's annual Farmers Market will take place Saturdays through Sept. 26 at 95th and Eggleston streets, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Among the items offered are produce grown by Black-owned farms, homemade baked goods, body moisturizing products, specialty blended teas and honey, health and fitness sessions ( yoga, Zumba ), and custom-crafted jewelry and clothing. Credit and debit cards, Link, cash and Farmers Market coupons are accepted. Visit www.TrinityChicago.org .
—The inaugural Harvest & Cider Fest will take place Sunday, Sept. 27, at the Logan Square Farmer's Market, 3107 W. Logan Blvd. Guests may also purchase a cider sampling package in advance to try a variety of ciders; proceeds will benefit the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce. See GreenCurtainEvents.com .
—The Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce has officially opened ticket sales to the 4th Annual Wicker Park Bucktown Fall Dinner Crawl, which will take place Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6-9 p.m. There will be Fork, Knife, Spoon and Plate routes, with each featuring different restaurants. Tickets are $30 each; visit wpbfalldinnercrawl.brownpapertickets.com . For more about the event, visit http://www.wickerparkbucktown.com/neighborhood-events/wpb-fall-dinner-crawl-2015.
—In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Adamus ( in the Silversmith Hotel, 10 S. Wabash Ave. ) is offering a pink-tinted signature drink called The Diva Cocktail ( which includes cranberry bitters, Trios Citros and Mezcal Vago, among other ingredients ). One dollar from every cocktail sold will be donated to the Chicagoland Susan G. Komen foundation.
—Joe Fish, 445 N. Dearborn St., will host a six-course wine dinner on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 6:45 p.m., featuring Hall Wines from Napa Valley. Culinary fare will include grilled oysters, Arctic char, foie gras risotto, baby lamb chop, Chateaubriand and a cheese platter. The cost is $145 per person; call 312-832-7700 or email jfwinedinner@rosebud-restaurants.com .
—National Vodka Day is Oct. 3 and Cocktail Courier, a cocktail delivery service, is offering its own spin on the Moscow Mule to celebrate the occasion. Each Moscow Mule kit comes with fresh pre-measured ingredients, liquor and a step-by-step recipe featuring Stolichnaya Premium Vodka to create six cocktails. The cost is $5.99/drink or $35.94/box, and includes tax, tip and delivery.
—At Epic, 112 W. Hubbard St., "Tailgating in the SKY" will take place Saturday, Oct. 3, 3-5 p.m. Executive Chef Dan Marquis will teach guests how to make fall-inspired tailgating fare, like seasonal sausages, chicken and ribs. They'll also learn tips to grill produce, which will be sourced from Marquis' family-owned farm, Mill Road Farms—all on the Epic rooftop. Tickets are $41.44 each ( including tax and tip ); visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2266208.
—Kultura Festival—an all-ages, contemporary Filipino-American food and arts festival—will take place in Logan Square's Emporium Arcade Bar, 2363 N. Milwaukee Ave., on Sunday, Oct. 4, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., with Filipino Kitchen presenting. Participating restaurants include Hapa Chicago, Pecking Order Catering and E+O Restaurant, among others. Tickets are $5-$10; visit ti.to/filipino-kitchen/kultura-festival. More info is at http://filipino.kitchen/kulturafestival.
—Tickets are on sale for the 7th Annual OctoberFeast, an Oct. 6 ( 5-10 p.m. ) tasting tour featuring River North restaurants. Hosted by the River North Business Association, OctoberFeast showcases specialty food and drink from participating restaurants as well as a culminating after-party. Attendees can purchase tickets for $75 each online and choose a restaurant route led by a tour guide. Visit OctoberFeastChicago.com .
—On Oct. 6 at 7 p.m., Evanston's Koi Fine Asian Cuisine & Lounge will host the first in a series of Chefs' Table events with a "Flavors of Fall" tasting dinner. Some of the items to be served in the six-course dinner include sushi and sashimi, walnut shrimp, salmon with black-bean sauce and chocolate lava cake. These events will be the first Tuesday of the month. Tickets are $45 each; visit koi.ticketleap.com/koi-chefs-table-fall-2015/details, or call 847-866-6969.
—Frontier, 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave., invites Chicagoans to enjoy an intimate cocktail experience with beverage director Sean Nielsen in the private upstairs lounge on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. For $65 per person, guests will learn how to craft three classic cocktails, including the proper usage of a variety of different tools—and will receive bartending tools to take home. Tickets are at thefrontierchicago.projectparties.com/Create-+-Consume-bn-1759.html .
—SheKnows Media announced that actress/culinary entrepreneur Sarah Michelle Gellar will keynote #BlogHerFood15, taking place in Chicago on Nov. 6-7. Hundreds of food-focused bloggers, writers, cookbook authors, photographers, videographers, stylists, social influencers, experts and brands will attend the event. Gellar is best known for her roles on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Crazy Ones, and in films Cruel Intentions and The Grudge.
—Meals on Wheels Chicago ( MOWC ) will be hosting 60 of Chicago's chefs and more than a dozen mixologists at its 27th annual Celebrity Chef Ball on Friday, Nov. 13, 6 p.m.-12:30 a.m., at Morgan Manufacturing, 401 N. Morgan St. In addition to tastings, guests will also enjoy a silent auction, photo booth and more. Visit www.mealsonwheelschicago.org .
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