—Presidio, 1749 N. Damen Ave., has a new executive chef: Nicole Bayani. Under Bayani, Presidio will feature a mix of the restaurant’s signature menu items, along with new dishes that draw inspiration from Northern California. Bayani has worked at Scofflaw, Yusho and the Michelin=starred Tru.
—Oyster Bah, 1962 N. Halsted St., now features a New Orleans-inspired menu that will run every Tuesday through Mardi Gras on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Some of the items will include jalapeno-cheddar corn muffins, seafood gumbo, crispy fried oysters, red beans and rice, and shrimp and grits. See OysterBah.com.
—Lowcountry, 3343 N Clark St., now presents “The King’s Platter.” The King’s Platter features shrimp, snow crab legs, one whole dDungeness crab, king crab legs, mussels, clams, one whole lobster, sausage, potatoes and corn on the cob—for an average of $200 (market price). See LowcountryChicago.com.
—On Wed., Jan. 11, at 6 p.m., Evanston’s Hewn, 810 Dempster St., will host an event featuring bread made with the Marquis heritage variety of wheat from Hazzard Free Farm. Guests will experience this Midwestern bread experiment first-hand, as they will be among the first to try Hewn’s bread made with the wheat. Tickets are $75 each; visit BrownPaperTickets.com.
—A pair of Chicago craft breweries are in danger after they lost the lease on the building they shared at 2601 W. Diversey Ave., according to Eater Chicago. Arcade Brewery has announced it’s going out of business. Ale Syndicate, which reportedly lost its lease on the building, isn’t sure of its future, according to the Chicago Tribune.
—At Bistronomic, 840 N. Wabash Ave., on Feb. 10-13, Valentine’s specials for two will be offered. The Valentine’s Day menu features aphrodisiac-infused dishes to really set the mood on Tuesday, Feb. 14, with the three-course Parisian prix fixe menu available beginning at 5 p.m. The Valentine’s Day dinner menu is $72 (excluding tax and gratuity) per person; some choices will include diver sea scallops, lobster ravioli, winter vegetable medley, thyme-roasted lamb and passionfruit meringue tart.
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