—Fall in: Suburban restaurant Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille welcomes fall with culinary and cocktail changes and additions across its locations in Oak Brook, Schaumburg and Vernon Hills.
The beef Wellington—seared filet mignon crowned with a chicken-and-wild mushroom duxelles, wrapped in prosciutto and golden puff pastry, and finished with a truffle merlot demiglace—is on board as a limited-time off-the-menu addition.
There are also hand-crafted cocktails, led by the new Fashioned First (an elevated take on the Old Fashioned with Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, French vanilla, cocoa bitters and a warm vanilla aroma cloud). And don’t sleep on a new pairing at Perry’s Bar 79: the Butcher’s Steak Burger paired with a Fashioned First.
—Sixth sense: Upscale Mexican restaurant Tzuco will mark its sixth anniversary on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
To celebrate, the restaurant is honoring its roots, story and hometown of Guerrero, where it all began. Michelin-starred Executive Chef Carlos Gaytán will curate the evening with two guest chefs: Eduardo Palazuelos and Sergio Mejía Vargas. Together, they’ll craft a one-night-only, four-course menu.
Tickets are $110 each (with an optional $45 Monte Xanic wine pairing); RSVP here.
—Paying homage: This Hispanic Heritage Month (observed Sept. 15-Oct. 15), Toro Chicago will be front and center with offerings for patrons.
There will be a pan-Latin menu with items such as Peruvian ceviche amarillo and Argentinian sweet-corn empanadas; drinks like a dramatic tableside flaming coffee; live Latine entertainment, with DJs, dancers and performers every Friday and Saturday night; and a bottomless weekend brunch with menu items like shrimp-and-corn enchiladas.
Also, Diego is kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month with a Mexican Independence Day celebration on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2-6 p.m. There will be music, dance and, of course, food, with the music courtesy of live DJ sets from Mala Vida, Cozmiika, La Colocha and Mare.E.Fresh from Oakland, California. Guests can also enjoy a lively dance class with La Meche and Johnny, plus two tacos, all included with a $20 ticket. RSVP here.
—Help line: The Chicago Help Initiative (CHI)—a lifeline for people experiencing homelessness and hardship—will host its annual benefit, “Carnaval of Giving,” on Thursday, Sept. 18, 6-9 p.m., at Fogo de Chão, 661 N. LaSalle Dr. This festive celebration—featuring Brazilian-inspired cuisine, live music, and a silent auction—will raise vital funds for CHI’s year-round programs that serve thousands of Chicagoans in need. Honors will go to Anthony Spalla (individual), Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust (corporate) and First American Bank (corporate).
CHI distributes more than 44,000 nutritious meals annually, has distributed 8,300 hygiene kits and has made 1,680 case management appointments. Tickets are available at this link.
—Hope floats: And there’s another benefit on Sept. 18: An Evening of Hope: Celebrating Five Years of Empowerment.
Taking place at Demera Ethiopian Restaurant, 6-9 p.m., and hosted by Chef Tigist Reda, the event will feature a culinary showcase featuring more than 10 Chicago chefs at interactive stations. Some of the participants are slated to include Arshiya Farheen, Verzenay Patisserie; Sarah Stegner, Prairie Grass Café; Rickie Perez, Logan Oyster Social; and Darnell Reed, Luella’s Southern Kitchen.
Tickets for An Evening of Hope are $125 each for general admission. A VIP experience is available for $250 and includes wine tasting with curated pairings, upscale small bites, Injera making demo, and an interactive welcome with the HPN4Tigray team.
—Rating a ten: And last (but certainly not least) on Sept. 18, at 7 p.m., TenGoku Aburiya—the intimate West Loop izakaya gastropub and sister restaurant to MICHELIN-recognized Omakase Yume—will host the third edition of its kappo-style omakase dinner, Kappo Ten.
TenGoku’s head chef, Danny Rodriguez will partner with certified sake specialist Kimiyo Michaeli of Cream Wine & Spirits for an in-depth sake pairing. Dishes are slated to include chawanmushi (a delicate steamed egg custard) and otoro tartare; maguro no yamakake; Wagyu sukiyaki; gohan nigiri; and dessert.
Tickets are $210 each; RSVP here.
—Not-so-quiet Riot: Music fans know that Riot Fest will take place Sept. 19-21 in Douglass Park—but some may not know about all the food- and drink-related developments connected with the event.
The 20th anniversary brings back Riot Feast—the pop-up restaurant that hosted sold-out crowds in Wicker Park in 2017.
There’s a new curated menu collab with Sazon Cubano that pays homage to state-fair foods; some of the items include the Porky Ramone (a pulled sandwich with roasted pork butt, guava BBQ sauce and a side pickle), the Impossible burger-centered Meat Is Murder with Cheese and the Psycho Chicken (a fried chicken sandwich with breaded chicken breast, house aioli, shredded lettuce and pickles).
Also, Big Star, Publican, Billy Goat Tavern, Harold’s Chicken, Pasta Fasta, Island Noodles, Cafe Tola, Table to Stix Ramen, Bacci Pizza and many others will be among the event’s food vendors. And Riot Slop!!—a non-alcoholic beverage with electrolytes—will be available in the flavors Purple Nurple, Nothing Rhymes with Orange and Everything Rhymes with Cherry.
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