—Element Collective and Chef Jared Van Camp have announced an expansion of their Leghorn Chicken brand with the launch of Leghorn Café at 600 N. LaSalle St. at the former Ohio House diner. The menu, by Van Camp, will once again feature fried-chicken sandwiches; however, food offerings will now expand to include a new breakfast focus, as it will open at 7 a.m.
—Argo Tea has launched its first mobile app. Designed to reward brand fans, the new Argo "LoyalTEA" app will allow users to pre-order and pay for beverages for immediate pick-up at the bar station upon arrival to their favorite Argo Tea Café or TEAosk. Simply for downloading the free app, which is available for Android and iPhone, Argo will reward consumers with a $5 café credit to use at locations in Chicago, New York and Boston.
—Throughout November, diners at the Porkchop restaurants can take selfies while eating there, posting the images while using the hashtag #stachesandsliders. Once they've posted, patrons can show their servers and receive a free BBQ chicken or pork slider each.
—The wonut ( waffle-donut hybrid ) craze is hitting Water Tower Place, ChicagoBusiness.com noted. Alex Hernandez—who created the waffle-doughnut hybrid in his Waffles locations in Lakeview, the South Loop and Streeterville—will open a walk-up kiosk called Wonuts Nov. 25 on the ground level near Freshii, across the walkway from the Ritz Carlton.
—This holiday season, The Boundary, 1932 W. Division St., will serve Turkey Day-themed cuisine Nov. 24-30. Special menu items include turkey-and-mozzarella croquettes and hot turkey sandwich. Visit www.BoundaryChicago.com .
—The W Hotel's Current, 644 N. Lake Shore Dr., will be open for Thanksgiving. Executive Chef Gregory Elliott will offer items such as shaved radicchio and persimmon salad, Slagel Family Farm turkey plate, seafood risotto and amaretto cheesecake. Call 312-255-4460 or visit www.CURRENTchicago.com
—Coco Pazzo, 300 W. Hubbard St., will be open Thanksgiving, offering a meal for $45. Some of the items on this menu include acorn squash soup; carnarolli rice folded with shrimp, basil pesto and kale; pan-roasted whitefish; herb-roasted turkey breast; and panettone bread pudding with amaretto sauce. Visit www.cocopazzochicago.com .
—BBQ restaurant Smoke Daddy, 1804 W. Division St., is offering "Smoked-Turkeys-to-Go" for Thanksgiving. A whole slow-cooked turkey is priced at 11 pounds for $65, or 20 pounds for $85. ( Pulled turkey is $16 per pound. ) Pre-orders are being taken now; call 773-772-6656, or visit www.TheSmokeDaddy.com .
—Benny's Chop House, 444 N. Wabash Ave., is offering a Thanksgiving meal for $49. The chef's traditional dinner will include natural turkey breast and braised turkey leg, creamy mashed potatoes, sage stuffing, sweet potatoes, green-bean casserole, and pumpkin pie with cranberry chutney and vanille bean creme brulee, among other items. See www.bennyschophouse.com .
—Stan's Donuts & Coffee—the California-based doughnut shop brought to Chicago by acclaimed baker Rich Labriola—will celebrate the grand opening of its first Streeterville location on Friday, Nov. 14. The Streeterville shop, at 259 E. Erie St., is the second location in Chicago for Stan's Donuts & Coffee. Visit www.stansdonutschicago.com/ or call 773-360-7386.
—Howells & Hood, 435 N. Michigan Ave., will offer Thanksgiving-related fare Nov. 24-30. Among the items are turkey wings, hot brown smoked pastrami turkey, H&H turkey loaf and pumpkin-pie flan. See www.HowellsAndHood.com .
—Chef Michael Kornick and Executive Chef Erick Williams of mk, 868 N. Franklin St., have launched a special tasting menu dedicated to culinary legend Alice Waters. mk is donating 10 percent of the proceeds of each tasting menu to the Edible Schoolyard Project, Alice Waters' foundation. The Alice Waters Menu ( with items such as white sturgeon caviar, braised lamb and grilled Mississippi bobwhite quail ) will be available for $105 per person or $165 per person with pairings, including tax and gratuity. Call 312-482-9179. to make reservations.
—French restaurant Bistro Voltaire, 226 W. Chicago Ave., offers a three-course $29 Monday-night menu. Some of the selections are classic French onion soup, escargot de Bourgogne ( braised snails with garlic and herb butter and topped puff pastry ), ballotine de poulet ( chicken stuffed with goat cheese, mushrooms, spinach and rosemary cream sauce ) and warm chocolate cake. See bistrovoltaire.com .
—Oak Park's Marion Street Market is also offering Thanksgiving fare, for $24.95 per guest. Guests will receive unlimited visits to a cheese-and-charcuterie station as well as a station serving a variety of appetizers and composed salads. Then, patrons can choose an entree ( roasted turkey breast, roasted pork loin and homemade tagliatelle pasta ), and there will be a dessert station as well. Visit www.marionstreetmarket.com .
—RedBrick Pizza—a fast-casual restaurant serving fire-roasted gourmet pizza, sandwiches and salads—plans to expand the chain by more than 50 locations in four states over the next three years. The first five locations will open in four states; one of the sites will be at Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, Illinois. RedBrick Pizza currently operates 13 franchised locations primarily in California and Florida.
—Sophie's at Saks, located on the seventh floor of Michigan Avenue's Saks Fifth Avenue store, will be hosting a dinner with views of the yearly BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival held on Saturday, Nov. 22. Sophie's plans to host dinner seatings at 5 and 7 p.m., accompanied by a Veuve Cliquot champagne bar and three-course holiday dinner priced at $38. Items include fennel-dusted diver scallops, pumpkin risotto or the chef's favorite. RSVP at 312-525-3400.
—The Signature Room, 875 N. Michigan Ave., rings in the season at the "Holiday Kick-Off Party with Santa" on Saturday, Nov. 29, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Families are welcomed into the festively decorated private dining space to meet Santa Claus, decorate cookies with his elves, and write out holiday wish lists. The event costs $35 per adult, and $18 per child; tickets are available at 312-280-0465.
—The women's board of the Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced that the triennial gala Wine Auction 2015 will take place Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, on the famous stage of the Ardis Krainik Theatre, 20 N. Upper Wacker Dr. Wine Auction 2012 netted a record-breaking $1.7 million, with Wine Spectactor Magazine naming the event one of the "Top Ten Charity Wine Auctions" of that year. Tickets are $1,500 each; call 312-827-5682 or contact lyricwineauction@lyricopera.org .
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