Golden Globe-winning actress Valerie Bertinelli ( One Day at at Time; Hot in Cleveland ) returns to Food Network with her show Valerie's Home Cooking Nov. 7. Each of the 13 half-hour long episodes are filled with food, company and laughs, as Bertinelli invites friends and family over for hearty home cooking. See www.FoodNetwork.com .
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proclaimed Oct. 8 to be "Hugo Ralli Day in Chicago"; Oct. 9 to be "Steve Lombardo Day in Chicago"; Oct. 12 to be "Georges 'Kiki' Cuisance Day in Chicago"; Oct. 13 to be "Chef Judy Contino in Chicago"; Oct. 14 to be "Chef J Joho in Chicago"; and Oct. 15 to be "Chef Tony Mantuano Day in Chicago"leading up to their inductions into the Chicago Culinary Museum's Chefs Hall of Fame. The 2015 Chefs Hall of Fame event will take place at Crystal Gardens in Navy Pier, 5-9:30 p.m., on Oct. 15. Tickets are $80-$125; visit TheChicagoCulinaryMuseum.org .
The Dill Pickle Food Cooperative, a community-owned grocery store in Logan Square that is open to all customers, announced plans to relocate to a 10,000-square-foot space at 2746 N. Milwaukee Ave. from its current storefront at 3039 W. Fullerton Ave. One-third of the Dill Pickle's product selection is sourced within 150 miles of the store, and customer dollars already funneled directly to urban farmers and small vendors will increase substantially. See www.DillPickle.coop.
Kings Bowla bowling, dining and cocktail venue opening in Lincoln Park's NEWCITY development, 1457 N. Halsted St., on Nov. 2 has partnered with Boston's artisan pizza restaurant Max & Leo's to open a pizza lounge within the venue. The lounge will offer guests Max & Leo's coal-fired pizza and wings along with a craft cocktail bar featuring a wide selection of bourbons, whiskies and craft beers. See KingsBowlAmerica.com .
Executive Chef Mike Sheerin of Embeya, 564 W. Randolph St., will embark on the inaugural Spice Route Dinner Series with Michelin-rated guest chef Carrie Nahabedian of Brindille and NAHA on Wed., Oct. 7. The evening begins with an hors d'oeuvres reception at 6:30 p.m, followed by a five-course tasting menu with wine pairings at 7 p.m. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase on Eventbrite.com for $125 ( plus tax and gratuity ) or by contacting Embeya directly at 312-612-5640.
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 toolsand will receive bartending tools to take home. Tickets are at thefrontierchicago.projectparties.com/Create-+-Consume-bn-1759.html .
The restaurant 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria, is opening Friday, Oct. 9, at Evanston's Sherman Plaza, 812 Church St. ( It's the chain's 10th location. ) It's a collaboration between founder/executive chef Anthony Carron ( formerly corporate executive chef of the Michael Mina Restaurant Group ) in partnership with Umami Restaurant Group and Allen Ravert. Among other things, there's a "create your own" assembly-line concept allowing guests to choose their own crust ( Original Neapolitan, crispy and gluten-free ), base ( Margherita, Bianca, Marinara and Verde ) and toppings ( a variety of 14 proteins, nine cheeses and 21 vegetables ). Visit www.800degreespizza.com .
Stan's Donuts & Coffee, the California-based doughnut shop brought to Chicago by baker Rich Labriola, celebrates the grand opening of its first East Lake View store Oct. 10. The new shop, at 2800 N. Clark St., is the third location in Chicago for Stan's Donuts & Coffee. Stan's offers 30-35 different donut varieties daily, including Glazed, Old Fashioned Donuts, Fritters, Cake Donuts, Twists and Stan's signature Pockets in flavors such as Peanut Butter, Nutella and Biscoff Cookie Butter.
To mark its 10th anniversary, LUXBAR, 18 E. Bellevue Pl., is offering various specials Oct. 10-20. Guests can choose from 10 drinks and 10 menu items that are priced at $10; some of the items include the LUX Royale Burger, Great Lakes whitefish and New England clam strips as well as drinks like the white and red wines of the day ( bottle ). Visit luxbar.com .
The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc. announced the 10th STK has opened in downtown Chicago at 9 W. Kinzie St., on the lower floor of The Museum of Broadcast Communications. The new 210-seat River North location "distinguishes itself from the traditional steakhouse by emphasizing the social experience and taking a vibe-driven approach to dining," a press release stated. See STKHouse.com .
Stretch Bar & Grill, 3458 N. Clark St., has partnered with the Chicago Spartans Michigan State Alumni Association to host a winter-coat drive benefiting Elam Davies Social Service Center. For any new or gently used coat donated, Stretch will give customers a free Miller Lite or Coors Light draft ( one per person ). Donations will be accepted at the bar anytime until Saturday, Nov. 21. Visit www.thestretchchicago.com .
Baderbrau Brewing Company is teaming with Tapworks Tavern & Grill, 820 W. Jackson Blvd., for a special "Brunch & Brews." Every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. during October, select Baderbrau signature and seasonal beers will be paired with exclusive brunch dishes from the Tapworks team. See www.tapworkstavern.com .
Regarding the Chicago Marathon ( Oct. 11 ), area restaurants and other businesses are offering specials. IVme will offer marathon participants $20 off their Athletic Performance Package ( normal price $179 ) on Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 12-13. Lottie's Pub, 1925 W. Cortland Ave., if offering a 26.2-percent discount special for runners. At Kanela ( various locations ), guests can enjoy a Kanela Power Waffle on special for $10 featuring a buckwheat waffle with yogurt, bananas and almonds. In addition, Silversmith Hotel's Adamus, 10 S. Wabash St., is offering runners and spectators 26.2 percent off their brunch bills, post-race.
Cafe Spiaggia, 980 N. Michigan Ave., and Chef Tony Mantuano will host James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Solomonov, of Philadelphia's Zahav, for a pop-up dinner at the restaurant to kick off his U.S. book tour on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m. The cafe will feature a special four-course dinner inspired by dishes from Chef Solomonov's first-ever Israeli cuisine cookbook, Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking, prepared by the chef himself. ( There will also be a book-signing. ) Admission is $75; visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2327485.
National Dessert Day is on Oct. 14. The S'mores Pizza at Bar Toma, 110 E. Pearson St., is wood-fired and features a combination of lightly charred marshmallows, cinnamon sugar, Nutella, and graham cracker crumbles. See BarTomaChicago.com .
On Thursday, Oct. 15 ( in honor of Farm to School Month and National School Lunch Week ), Pilot Light, a not-for-profit started by Chicago chefs, will partner with Chicago Public Schools ( CPS ), the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, and Aramark to provide more than 390,000 CPS students with a chef-designed, Chicago-themed lunch. The founding chefsPaul Kahan ( Blackbird, Big Star ), Matthias Merges ( Yusho Chicago, A10 ), Jason Hammel ( Lula Cafe ) and Justin Large ( One Off Hospitality )worked with Aramark to build a meal that adheres to USDA's healthier school-lunch nutrition standards, connects to Pilot Light classroom lessons and includes locally sourced food.
The Chicago play Bad Jews is staging a matzo-ball eating competition on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 10 a.m. at the Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St. The winner gets a $50 gift card to The Bagel and two tickets to Bad Jews. To sign up, email holly@heroanagency.com .
In recognition of Sweetest Day, Oct. 17, all Kanela locations will feature a raspberry cheesecake French toast with challah bread stuffed with raspberry jam and sweet cream cheese, topped with fresh raspberries and a graham cracker crumble, available for $11. See KanelaBreakfastClub.com .
Municipal Bar + Dining Co, 216 W. Ohio St., will host Chili Fest Chicago on Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 17-18, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., in the parking lot adjacent to the restaurant. Municipal will also broadcast the Michigan State vs. University of Michigan game on Saturday ( game time TBD ), and the Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions on Sunday at 1 p.m. Ticket packages are $10 to $40, and available at https://www.hastickets.com/eventinfo.aspx?eventId=901&pID=336.
This October, Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine celebrates American Cheese Month ( ACM )the fifth annual event that honors cheese production. The highlight of the month is an exclusive, ticketed cheesemaker dinner at Bar Pastoral in Lake View on Sunday, Oct. 18, 6-9 p.m., to honor cheesemaker Veronica Pedraza of Meadowood Farms. During this month, Pastoral will also feature four award-winning American-produced cheeses in all of its retail locations, and will offer an ACM medley ( $64.99 ) for purchase at www.pastoralartisan.com .
The Pig+Pomme, a collaboration by chefs Cam Smith and StephenB, will have a pop-up event Thursday, Oct. 22, at Brix Event Space, 1463 W. Leland Ave., at 7 p.m. The five-course tasting dinner will focus on a pork-and-apples theme with items such as sweet pork belly and savory tenderloin. Admission is $65 each; visit PigAndPomme.BrownPaperTickets.com .
The third annual James Beard Foundation's Taste Chicago will take place Friday, Oct. 23, at The Geraghty, 2520 S. Hoyne Ave. The cocktail/tasting reception will be at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. ( Cocktail attire is requested. ) Some of the chefs slated to participate include Paramount Events' Devon Quinn, Big Jones' Paul Fehribach, Parachute's Johnny Clark and Beverly Kim, and Acadia's Ryan McCaskey, with chef Rick Bayless and TV figure Steve Dolinsky co-hosting. Visit http://tasteamerica.myshopify.com/collections/chicago.
The Andersonville Dessert Crawl will take place Sunday, Oct. 24, 2-5 p.m. The ticket pick-up will take place at the Swedish American Museum, 5211 N. Clark, with a walk to host restaurants and shops located throughout the neighborhood. Admission is $25 in advance, and $30 on the day of the event; see www.Andersonville.org .
On Saturday, Oct. 31, Shaw's Crab House in Chicago will jump into the Halloween spirit as it throws a "Heroes and Villains" costume brunch. ( The Schaumburg location will do the same on Oct. 25. ) From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., attendees are urged to arrive in their favorite costumes. Shaw's will have brunch offerings from seafood to traditional breakfast items to mini-desserts, along with face-painting, Halloween candy and a visit from superheroes. The brunch costs $55 for adults and is free for kids 12 and younger ( limit two children per adult ). Call 312-527-2722 and visit www.shawscrabhouse.com .
Cocoa + Co., a store and cafe at 1651 N. Wells St. featuring a collection of artisan chocolatiers, will begin afternoon tea service Wed., Nov. 4. Guests will enjoy a selection of Cocoa + Co.'s scones and signature pastries before sampling bonbons created by featured chocolatiers, then finishing with a sampler of drinking chocolates. Organic Kilogram teas and La Colombe espresso drinks will accompany the chocolate-themed menu. Visit cocoaandco.com .
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. http://issues.tennistuesday.net/09-22-2015/p/7#
On Saturday, Nov. 7, at 12 p.m., urbanbelly Owner/Executive Chef Bill will host the second annual Ramenfest, where 20 chefs from across the city will prepare their best ramen dish in hopes of being named this year's ramen winner. A portion of all proceeds from the event ( at 1400 W. Randolph St. ) will benefit Common Threads, the non-profit charity founded by Chicago Chef Art Smith committed to educating underserved communities about different cultures through food and art. Visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2272863.
Lambs Farm will host its "Harvesting the Spirit 2015" benefit Nov. 7 at the historic Grand Hall at Union Station. The evening will feature hors d'oeuvres, a gourmet dinner, live and silent auctions, and dancing to The Gold Coast Orchestra and much moreall with a country twist. Reservations are $350 each, and proceeds will benefit programs for adults with developmental disabilities; visit LambsFarm.org .
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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