Aviary-Endorsed Project Raises More Than $20,000 In Less Than 15 Minutes

The Porthole by Martin Kastner of Crucial Detail. (Photo: Crucial Detail)

Grant Achatz is like Oprah. I am dead serious.

At 5:58pm Tuesday, the super chef tweeted that "The Porthole by @MartinKastner /Crucial Detail is available on kickstarter."

What on earth is The Porthole?! Apparently a ton of people immediately saw that tweet and went to that link because in less than 15 minutes, more than $20,000 was raised for The Aviary-endorsed product that's one of the showpieces of the cocktail lounge.

Celebrate Whitney's Life at Kit Kat Lounge!

The iconic Whitney Houston would have turned 49 on August 9, and to celebrate her most glorious days, Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club is having a party!

The popular Lakeview spot is dedicating the night to the diva who brought us hot charttoppers like "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "How Will I Know" and "I'm Your Baby Tonight." Of course, that means there will be over-the-top performances by Kit Kat's own "diva" Aurora Sexton, who will sing Whitney's best ballads and pop hits. The party takes place 5:30pm-2am.

Freebie Alert: Maison!

Don't let 'em fool you because apparently there is a such thing as a free lunch.

The new French-focused Maison celebrates what would have been Napoleon Bonaparte's 243rd birthday on August 15.

If you're one of the first lucky 100 lunch guests, here's what you will get:

Little Goat Now Reportedly Opening in October

(Photo: Stephanie Izard)

Stephanie Izard's Little Goat diner concept—which is directly across the street from big sis Girl & The Goat—was supposed to open in mid-September, according to the chef.

But now comes word from Eater Chicago that it's now scheduled to debut in October. Izard also revealed to the site some additional details about the restaurant, including that "the 8,200-square-foot diner will seat 120 people and will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. In the morning, a coffee bar will sell artisan bread baked in house and at night that space will convert into a bar selling local craft brews."

Should More Restaurants Practice This Policy?!

(Photo: 312 Dining Diva)

I had a cocktail last week at the bar in Michael Jordan's Steak House before dinner and got this bill that automatically calculated recommended gratuity.

I thought it was a pretty clever tactic that made its point without embarrassing the customer. Perhaps more restaurants should think about doing the same . . .