Lite Bites: What Your Favorite Chefs & Mixologists Are Up To Around Town This Week

One chef's presentation at a recent Taste of the Nation event in Chicago (Photo: Share Our Strength)

Fireworks, FTW!

• Share Our Strength’s annual Taste of the Nation event happens Wednesday, August 14 at the Navy Pier Ballroom and East Lakeside Plaza, which means guests will have a chance to see the weekly fireworks show up close. But the real action, of course, will be inside as the city's top chefs and mixologists serve up bites and booze for a night to remember. Here's the complete list of chefs and bartenders. It's 7-10pm. Tickets range $125-$300.

• In other news, Supreme Lobster's gearing up for the third-annual Supreme Mother Shucker Competition & Seven Seas Charity Feast at Frontier on August 25. Yeah, that's a mouthful, but the spirited event pits the city's fastest oyster shuckers against one another. That happens later in the day (4-7pm), and earlier guests will get to enjoy grub from the likes of Brian Jupiter (Frontier), Bill Kim (bellyQ) and Corey Morris (Mercat a la Planxa) from 1 to 4pm. A portion of the proceeds from the event benefits Meals on Wheels Chicago. It's $55 per person for the cocktail party and tickets may be purchased right here.


Graham Elliot (Photo: Anthony LaPenna)

• Step Up Women’s Network has gathered an awesome list of chefs for its third-annual Shine & Dine benefit. The party takes place at 6pm August 15 at River East Art Center (425 E. Illinois St). Participating chefs include the likes of Rodolfo Cuadros (Carnivale), Christopher Gawronski (Henri), Ryan Poli (Little Market Brasserie/Tavernita), Dan Marquis (Quay) and Ryan Pitts (RL). Tickets start at $115 and may be purchased right here.

• It's been quite the week for super-celeb chef Graham Elliot. His gourmet sandwich shop grahamwich shuttered Monday, but at the same time he picks his favorite Chicago spots for Food & Wine. Included on the list is the fastly expanding Glazed & Infused doughnut shop.

• Look out for two major openings within a few days apart: Former Paris Club/Tru chef Tim Graham debuts Travelle Friday and Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio opens Tanta next Monday.

• The Gage's Thomas Mooneyham has added a bunch of new summer sippers to the menu, which includes classic and original elixirs. Of note are the gin-based Last Word (Bombay Sapphire East Gin, Luxardo Maraschino, Green Chartreuse, lime juice)—which dates back to the 1920s—What's The Word? (Mooneyham's rendition on the classic with rum and grapefruit juice) and No Crying In Baseball, which was inspired by the famous quote in "A League of Their Own." Mooneyham burns Fee Brothers Peach Bitters mixed with Lemonhart 151 rum on top of the rye-based cocktail, giving it a bruleed peach flavor and aroma.