—Piccolo Sogno, 464 N. Halsted St., is offering its spring menu. Chef/Partner Tony Priolo is offering dishes such as cavolo nero ( Tuscan kale, radishes and croutons, tossed with lemon Parmesan dressing ), halibut al forno ( wood-roasted halibut, farro, spring vegetables, green onions, carrot and ginger puree ) and fava e pecorino ( fava beans, pecorino DOP and olive oil ). See PiccoloSognoRestaurant.com .
—Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., is hosting its first-ever transgender ice-cream social Wed., June 8, 6-8 p.m., at the Richard M. Daley Roof Terrace. Attendees will learn more about Center on Halsted's programming and meet Director of Transgender Relations and Community Engagement Vanessa Sheridan. Pre-register at https://community.centeronhalsted.org/TCICS.
—Helmed by The Fifty/50 Group's Beverage Director Benjamin Schiller, The craft-cocktail lounge The Sixth, 2200 W. Lawrence Ave., is offering a new set of drinks for summer. They include the Drinky McDrinkerson ( which contains liquid nitrogen habanero snow ), the Bird of Paradise ( vodka, strawberry, pineapple and watermelon salt ) and the French Toast Milkshake ( vanilla ice cream, cinnamon, cognac, whole egg and apricot cream ). See thesixthbar.com .
—Bon Appetit presents Chicago Gourmet has announced its star-studded chef line-up for the annual event, which will take place Sept. 23-25 in Millennium Park. Rick Bayless will helm the event, with Art Smith, Anne Burrell, Jose Garces, Sarah Grueneberg, Amanda Cohen and Takashi Yagihashi among the other chefs slated to appear. See ChicagoGourmet.org for one-day passes, as all weekend passes are gone.
—Mexican restaurant Cantina 1910, 5025 N. Clark St., is introducing its new summer menu. Some of the new dishes include sea-bass ceviche; housemade chorizo, short rib and turkey carnita tacos; and banana-leaf barramundi. Also, in addition to the new dinner selections, Cantina 1910 has refreshed the menus at Cafe 1910, a full service weekday cafe inside Cantina 1910. See Cantina-1910.com/menu.
—Cemitas Puebla owner Tony Anteliz has announced that his restaurant will no longer be available on Postmates or Grubhub. In a press release, he stated, "These third-party services take 17 percent or more of our bottom line. They hinder what we do best; provide you with quality food and exceptional service." However, people can order items from Cemitas Puebla through Facebook, the restaurant's website and even its very own app.
—A collaboration between chef/culinary tastemaker Art Smith and Chicago restaurant group Ideology Entertainment, Blue Door Kitchen & Garden, 52 W. Elm St., will bring farm to family dining to the city's Gold Coast neighborhood this June. Ideology Chefs Todd Hawkesworth, Rey Villalobos and Justin Ferguson will work closely with Smith to showcase American heirloom-focused cuisine prepared with seasonal ingredients from local farms, including its namesake and Oprah Winfrey's former Indiana property, Blue Door Farm.
Items will include crab cake and eggs, buttermilk fried chicken, and roasted beet-and-feta salad. See BlueDoorKitchenChicago.com .
—In advance of National Donut Day ( June 3 ), Filini Bar & Restaurant is offering angel wings made of fried dough, and served with hazelnut ice cream and a Nutella caramel sauce ( $10 ). Also, Formento's is serving bite-sized bomboloni—Italian-style donuts made with various fillings; they are available for Sunday brunch filled with raspberry jam or Nutella ( $5 ) or for dessert with vanilla rum cream and anise sugar ( $8 ).
—Farm.Butcher.Table, Local Foods and The Hideout present: Cased Meats for A Cause II—the second annual benefit raising funds for Yollocalli and their creative kids on the Southwes Side of Chicago—will take place Sunday, June 5, 3-7 p.m. at the alley in between Local Foods and The Hideout, 1427 W. Willow St. Revolution Brewing and Virtue Cider will provide drinks to go along with the speciality sausages. Admission is $55 each; visit BrownPaperTickets.comevent/2535674.
—Rockit Bar & Grill, 22 W. Hubbard St., and host Chris Vla challenge rookies and whiz spellers alike to test their abilities at Spelling B**** on Wed., June 8, 7-9 p.m. With words including those found on Urban Dictionary, the River North restaurant and bar welcomes Chicagoans testing their unique spelling skills with prizes including champagne liters, shots, drink tickets, bottle service, free appetizers and more. Visit rockitbarandgrill.com/events/spelling-b/ .
—The Hampton Inn Chicago Downtown/North Loop/Michigan Ave., 68 E. Wacker Pl., has exclusively partnered with Revolution Brewery—and there will be a one-year anniversary party Thursday, June 9, 4:30-7:30 p.m. at the hotel's Jack's Place. Guests can enjoy Revolution Brewery all year round with the Anti-Hero and Fist City, which will be offered throughout the year in addition to seasonal offerings. See HamptonChicago.com .
—The Ottawa 2 Rivers Wine Fest will take place June 10-12 in Ottawa, Illinois. Attendees can experience live jazz, an outdoor market and fresh lobster, among other things. See ottawa2riverswinefest.com .
—TWO, 1132 W. Grand Ave., will host a pop-up brunch service on Sunday, June 12, at 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The restaurant, normally open for dinner service only, will serve breakfast items by Executive Chef Kevin Cuddihee and Pastry Chef George Kovach. Attendees can expect to see items such as bacon brioche cinnamon rolls, lobster Benedict, and hot chicken & waffles, in addition to a full brunch cocktail menu by Beverage Director Graham Crowe. Reservations are encouraged; call 312-624-8363.
—Father's Day is Sunday, June 19. At the Langham Chicago hotel, there will be a complimentary Manhattan with each tea service ( $70/person ) at Pavilion, featuring a selection of sandwiches such as the mini prime steak burger with roasted onion mayonnaise and the crab Louis salad with black truffle pretzel sandwiches, followed by chocolate cigars, bourbon brownies and others for dessert. Reservations can be made between 3-5 p.m. by calling 312-923-7705 or visiting LanghamHotels.com/chicago.
—The Signature Room Executive Chef Cardel Reid will have an all-day gourmet brunch buffet for Father's Day weekend, featuring a made-to-order omelet station, assorted charcuterie, chilled seafood and more. The price is $50 per adult, $25 for children under 12, and free for children under 3. Visit SignatureRoom.com .
—For Father's Day Brunch, Bistronomic, 840 N. Wabash Ave., will offer a special two-course menu for $25 per person, or $40 if a guest would like to indulge in a bottomless mimosa as well. The price of Father's Day Dinner is $39 per person for a three-course meat-focused option. The Father's Day Brunch and dinner menus will be available Saturday, June 18, and Sunday, June 19. Brunch will be 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and dinner will begin at 5 p.m. on both days. See Bistronomic.net .
—Blackwood BBQ, 962 W. Belmont Ave., recently introduced craft beer into its line-up, and in celebration it's offering "Happy Hour for a Month" through June 19. Specials include $2.50 "tall boy" 16-oz. cans ( regularly $2.50-$5 ) and $3.50 draft pints ( regularly $4.50-$5 ), with featured beers from Moody Tongue, Off Color, Bells, Revolution, Two Brothers, Half Acre, Pabst, Tighthead and Spoetzl.
—Wine and wardrobes: Seven Lions, 130 S. Michigan Ave., invites guests for an intimate wine tasting Wed., June 22, 6-7:30 p.m., with owner and Master Sommelier Alpana Singh, along with Drew Harris of Shop Your Closets. Over hors d'oeuvres by Executive Chef Patrick Russ, Harris will give tips on how to get the most out of your wardrobe, featuring de-cluttering techniques, styling tips, and go-to organization rules for any closet. Tickets are $45 each, visit seven-lions.ticketleap.com/seven-lions-wine—your-wardrobe/ .
—Berwyn restaurant Autre Monde, 6727 W. Roosevelt Rd., is hosting a collaborative culinary event with four Chicago-area restaurants for a Friends of James Beard Dinner on Thursday, June 23, at 6:30 p.m. Host Chefs and Autre Monde Executive Chefs Dan Pancake and Beth Partridge will team with Chicago's chefs, including James Beard Award Winner Chef Tony Mantuano of Spiaggia, Chef Danny Mejia of mfk, Chef Cameron Grant and Aldo Zaninotto of Osteria Langhe, Dave and Meghan Miller of Baker Miller, and CH Distillery. Tickets are $175 each; call 708-775-8122.
—Doug Sohn announced his lineup of Hot Doug's sausages for Dog Dayz of Summer, June 24-25 at Goose Island Barrel Warehouse, 605 N. Sacramento Ave. Some of the varieties will include Spicy Thai Chicken, Veggie Dog, Bacon "BLT," Ribeye Steak and Jamaican Jerk Pork. ( Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and The Claudettes will provide some of the musical entertainment. ) Tickets to three weekend sessions are currently on sale at DogDayzOfSummer.com .
—Devon Seafood Grill, 39 E. Chicago Ave., is hosting an exclusive four-course wine dinner showcasing fine pairings from Two Hands Wines on Wed., June 29, at 6 p.m. Some of the culinary offerings will include spinach-stuffed crimini mushrooms, char crust scallops, coriander-crusted duck breast and peanut butter-and-jelly bread pudding. Tickets are $75 each; call Tim Sherlock at 312-440-8660.
—Square Roots, a craft beer and music experience, returns to Lincoln Square July 8-10 with more than 50 acts on four stages, and 30 regional craft brews paired with Lincoln Square restaurants and local artisans. See SquareRoots.org . There are suggested donations of $10 for adults, $5 for seniors/kids and $20 for families; proceeds support both Old Town School of Folk Music and Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber programs.
—The Florentine has brought back picnic baskets for gourmet al fresco dining in the city. Options include the Ciao Bello Date Basket ( $65 ) and the Italian Summer in the City Basket ( $40 ). To purchase one of The Florentine's picnic baskets, call the restaurant at 312-660-8866 at least three hours prior to requested pick-up.
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