—Steep impact: Steep Theatre will be celebrating its upcoming 25th anniversary on Feb. 26-28 at Bramble Arts Loft.
“Steep 25” will feature members of Steep’s ensemble and the greater Steep community for evenings of performance and storytelling. (The events start at 7:30 p.m.) Tickets are $25-$75 each.
And now on to culinary items…
—Last call: Calling all foodies! World of Chocolate, a fundraiser for AIDS Foundation Chicago, is happening Friday, Feb. 27, in Ravenswood at Artifact Events!
I am excited to share that I am participating as an official judge, and you can join me in sampling chocolate creations from local chefs. There will also be an open bar, lite bites, and entertainment from DJ Onwa and Haus of Paint.
By the way, if you purchase tickets using the special discount code ADavis, you might receive $30 off general admission and VIP tickets if you respond quickly enough. Purchase tickets at aidschicago.org/chocolate.
SPOTLIGHT: This week’s restaurant spotlight comes courtesy of Black Alphabet President/Executive Director Adam McMath.
McMath stated, “I love Bloom Plant-Based Kitchen. I’ve been a vegan for about 10 years and really enjoy the whipped feta and gnocchi dishes. The menu is pretty simple, and the restaurant is great for a solo date or a date with my partner.” Bloom’s last day of operation was Feb. 21, but it may reopen in a new location.
Black Alphabet hosted Chicago’s first Black LGBTQ+ film festival more than a decade ago—and it’s working on its festival tour at the moment. “We do several cities in the U.S. and sometimes abroad each year, and we end our run in Chicago in November,” McMath noted. “We are also in pre-production (and searching for funding) for an oral history project that will interview elders in the Black LGBTQ+ community across the city.”
—Let’s make a deal: Affordable tasting menus have become one of the biggest restaurant trends of 2026. Here are what a few dining venues are offering:
- At The Alston, Michelin-starred Chef Jenner Tomaska and the team are debuting the new Chef’s Selection Menu—a value-driven, three-course prix fixe meal offered daily at 4:30-6:30 p.m. While selections will rotate, guests can expect favorites such as carrot velouté, six-ounce wagyu coulette steak frites, wagyu beef bourguignon and chocolate lava cake to make appearances throughout the menu’s run.
- Sifr offers a chef’s tasting menu by Chef Sahil Sethi and Chef Sujan Sarkar, featuring a Middle Eastern–inspired four-course dinner for $60. Some of the choices include hummus with charred green chickpeas, zhoug, za’atar, puffed lentils, and warm pita; chicken kebab; and duck fesenjan.
- For only $125, guests can explore Sepia’s ever-changing menu. Executive Chef Kyle Cottle’s current menu features an elegant take on a comforting bibminap dish, crafted with Hokkaido scallops and sea urchin, as well as a crispy cream-cheese gnudi reminiscent of the Midwestern classic cheese curds.
- Nadu presents a four-course tasting menu for $55/person that captures the diverse cultural and culinary landscape of India. Some of the dishes include soft lentil dumplings soaked in sweet and sour yogurt, layered with tamarind chutney and mint-and-cilantro chutney; baby back ribs coated with a tamarind-, ginger- and jaggery-based glaze favored with mustard seeds and chili; and cottage cheese dumpling filled with caramelized onion, cashew and pistachio.
—Year and now: Asador Bastian will host a Lunar New Year celebration on Tuesday, Feb. 24, to welcome the Year of the Horse.
The centerpieces of the tasting menu are whole roasted duck from the Jurgielewicz family; and vaca vieja (“old cow”—premium beef sourced from mature female cattle) raised for Asador Bastian from the Northern Peacock Cattle Company. The dinner is $288 per person and seats can be reserved here.
—Go north, young man: The nonprofit Rogers Park Business Alliance and four North Side business organizations (from Albany Park/Irving Park, Edgewater, Lincoln Square/Ravenswood and North Center) announced the participating restaurants in the third annual North Side Restaurant Week, running Feb. 26 through March 8.
Just a few of the restaurants participating in this year’s North Side Restaurant Week include Badou Senegalese Cuisine, Smack Dab, Luella’s Southern Kitchen, Kabobi Persian and Mediterranean Grill, Akay Tacos, Cafe Nova, The Globe Pub, Bistro Campagne, Platform 47, Oda Mediterranean Cuisine, and Beard & Belly Chicago.
—It’s Greek to me: Greektown Chicago will present its annual Greektown Restaurant Week on March 1-7, with special food and drink offers at popular Greek restaurants and bars along South Halsted Street in Greektown.
Featured Greek restaurants participating in Greektown Restaurant Week include 9 Muses Bar & Grill, Athena Restaurant, Greek Islands Restaurant, Ithaki Estiatorio, Mr. Greek Gyros, Spectrum Bar & Grill and Zeus Restaurant. Additional restaurants include Dugan’s on Halsted, Meli Café, Rye Deli + Drink, and Taco Burrito King. Customers must mention “Greektown Restaurant Week” when ordering.
—Also running March 1-7 is Rosemont Restaurant Week.
Diners can enjoy specially curated prix fixe, three-course menus at some of Rosemont’s most popular restaurants. Some of the participating spots include SLYCE Rosemont, McCormick & Schmick’s, CIMA, Saltwater Coastal Grill, and Fat Rosie’s Taco & Tequila Bar.
The write stuff: Be sure to read and subscribe to my other Substack—Pop-Eds: My thoughts on pop culture. (Like SAVOR, it’s less than $5/month to access everything.) Columns have discussed Winter Olympics scandals, dogs in restaurants, the Enhanced Games, ‘70s detective shows, President Trump’s foibles and a dangerous aspect of pro tennis, among many other topics.