—Bon Appétit presents Chicago Gourmet has announced the chefs competing in this year’s burger competition—the Hamburger Hop—on Friday, Sept. 26. Chef contenders include The Hearty Boys, RL’s Ryan Pitts and Farmhouse’s Eric Mansavage, among others. Individual tickets for the Hamburger Hop are nearly sold out, and still available when purchased bundled with the official after-party, Late Night Gourmet. See www.chicagogourmet.org.
—SpritzBurger, 3819 N. Broadway, is hosting a seafood boil Sunday, Sept. 14, 6-9 p.m. Chef Dan Smith will feature shrimp, crab, crawfish, littleneck clams, mussels, Andouille sausage, corn on the cob and potatoes, served family-style. The price is $40 (without tip); call 773-868-9866 or visit Brown Paper Tickets.
—Old Crow Smokehouse, 3506 N. Clark St., will hold its first annual Line Dance Party on Wed., Sept. 10, at 7:30 p.m., in honor of National Line Dance Week (Sept. 8-13). There will be a complimentary hour-long line-dancing lesson from a certified instructor.
—Frontier, 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave., invites guests to enjoy a family-style brunch (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) every Saturday and Sunday for $20 per person. The menu, prepared exclusively by Pioneer Tavern Group Corporate Chef, features powdered doughnuts, bananas foster French-toast bites, crab Benedict minis, lamb chorizo and egg tacos, vegetable breakfast tacos and sides including thick slab bacon and breakfast potatoes. To reserve, a 24-hour notice is required at jen@pioneertaverngroup.com.
—Sophie’s at Saks Fifth Avenue, on the seventh floor of 700 N. Michigan Ave., is adding dinner to its repertoire on Thursday, Sept. 4. Executive Chef Ron Aleman will be serving a special $35 three-course prix fixe menu, including heirloom tomato bisque, kabocha squash risotto and Seedling Farms apple crisp. Dinner service will begin at 5 p.m., with the last seating at 7 p.m.; the restaurant will close at the same time as the store, at 8 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling 312-525-3400 or by visiting www.sophies.com.
—The second annual Sam Adams’ Lakeview Taco Fest will take place Sept. 20-21 on Southport Avenue between Addison (3600 North) and Roscoe (3400 North). Hours are noon-10 p.m. both days. Eighties alt-rockers 10,000 Maniacs, jazz/funksters Liquid Soul and pop/rockers 16 Candles are slated to perform; among the participating restaurants are D.S. Tequila Company, Crosby’s Kitchen, Tacos Nietos and Mystic Celt. There’s a $5 gate donation. See www.LakeviewTacoFest.com.
—Suburban restaurant Real Urban Barbecue is serving family favorites for carry-out during the Jewish High Holiday celebrations: Wed.-Friday, Sept. 24-26, for Rosh Hashanah; and Friday-Saturday, Oct. 3-4, for Yom Kippur. Offerings include meats, salads and fresh vegetables, sides and desserts. Visit www.RealUrbanBBQ.com.
—Cece & Melinda, with Raymi Productions, have announced the first annual Mac & Cheese Fest to be held Saturday, Oct. 4, at the UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd., at 12-3 p.m. Tickets will be available through TicketMaster Sept. 1 for $50, and proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana. For more information, visit www.macandcheesechicago.com or contact Melinda@raymiproductions.com.
—Oakbrook Terrace’s Devon Seafood + Steak (17W400 22nd Street) is hosting an exclusive five-course meal showcasing fine pairings from Banfi Wines on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m. The Banfi Wine Dinner costs $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 630-516-0180. Visit www.devonseafood.com for more information.
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