City Hall is out of touch

The city's proposed seventh-inning cutoff for Wrigleyville is stepping it up a notch, with the mayor threatening the area's bars to play along with his rules or "that whole area will be voted dry tomorrow."

Is this fair?! Even if these bars play along with the city's terms, don't they realize that people will just start binge drinking before the seventh inning—or even worse—BYOF (bring your own flask). Also, exactly what boundaries are we talking about here? Does that include the Southport Corridor and Boystown?! And what about the restaurants and lounges that serve alcohol but are not considered "sports bars?"

There's gotta be a better solution without everyone getting all worked up; plus if this area goes dry, the city loses millions of dollars and is this the image it wants to portray as it continues to pursue that 2016 Olympic bid?!

Chicago Gourmet is on its way . . .

Cary Taylor, of Chaise Lounge, is one of many Chicago chefs cooking at this weekend's first-ever "Chicago Gourmet" event. (Photo: Chaise Lounge)


. . . and if you cannot wait until this weekend, check out Chaise Lounge, which is serving up Executive Chef Cary Taylor's offerings for a fraction of the price of the actual event. All this week through Sunday, foodies can sample what he'll be serving at Chicago Gourmet, including "deconstructed" Waldorf Salad (roaring 40s bleu cheese, black walnuts, yogurt dressing), crab cakes, "crispy" chicken and whole wheat penne for only $30. And if you do plan on attending Chicago Gourmet, which showcases some of the city's hottest restaurants, 312 Dining Diva readers get an online discount of 10 percent off when they use the promotional code: CG2008TEN.

Luscious Latin fare and Goose Island beer pairings happen at Carnivale, with a special appearance by brewmaster Greg Hall discussing his award-winning craft beers. Several farmers will also be on hand as part of the "localvare challenge." 7-10pm. $45.

Over at Nacional 27, they're pairing five wines with five courses of Latin American cuisine. The weekly Wine Down Wednesdays is $25 for basic wine pairings; $45 for luxe wine pairings; $50 with Spanish cheese and port pairings.

The most social wine party of the month happens tonight at Quartino. A stylish after-work crowd fills up the second level of this loungy pizzeria for a sampling of four wines, appetizers and cool music. This time they're doing French vino as well as each guest gets a specialty St. Germain cocktail. Also, for those wanting more wine, they're selling featured bottles for $10; drink it there or take it home. 7-9pm. $20.

And quirky deejay Matt Roan spins during Politically Empowering Fiercely Fashionable, hosted by Salon Blonde and Rock the Vote. Happening at Double Door, the big headliner is Bang! Bang!. 7:30pm-2am. $18 in advance; $24 at door.