Get Ready For The 'WTF' Dinner

Diners from a recent Clandestino event. (Photo: Clandestino)

A dinner that starts with coffee and ends with soup?!

That's what's up with WTF?, the latest pop-up dining experience from Clandestino, which is collaborating with Moto's Ben Roche and iNG's Thomas Bowman for a six-course "backwards" extravaganza.

Here's the menu:

Freebie Alert: Big Bricks!

Baby back ribs photo via bringingithome.com

Cubs fans get all the perks!

This time it's at Big Bricks, which will be giving away a free appetizer to those with same-day ticket stubs from the game.

Big Star, Mercadito Collaborate . . . Finally!

Mercadito's signature fish tacos. (Photo: Mercadito)

Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat), Michael Kornick (Ada Street/DMK Burger Bar/MK) and Giuseppe Tentori (Boka/GT Fish & Oyster) each created a signature taco for Mercadito's monthly program for Share Our Strength, and now it's time to get ready for another hot chef.

Big Star's Justin Large is up next, for the entire month of May, with Taco de Ostiones, fried oyster tacos with spicy radish slaw. As executive chef of Bucktown's most popular spot for tacos and whiskey, Large is certain not to disappoint.

Hot Chocolate To Close For Renovations

(Photo: Hot Chocolate)

Mindy Segal of Hot Chocolate fame sent her fans into a frenzy Monday when she posted the above photo of a ladder leading up to the restaurant's rooftop.

"No, rooftop seating isn't going in up there," she told 312DD. "I'm just installing a new air conditioner. I wish it was that exciting!"

The air-conditioning system was the first of many changes to come to the iconic Bucktown bakery and eatery, which has been open for more than 10 years. Hot Chocolate will close April 22, and Segal plans to reopen around May 8—right before Mother's Day weekend.

We're looking forward to the new look!

Bleeding Heart To Close Oak Park Store

The Facebook page for Bleeding Heart Bakery's Oak Park location posted this message Thursday afternoon:

Notes From . . .

. . . Le Mysterieux Festin at Henri.

• Henri/The Gage Executive Chef Dirk Flanigan teamed up with the restaurants' mixologist, Clint Rogers, and Wirtz Beverage's Eric Hay for Le Mysterieux Festin, or "a mystery dinner." The first-ever event attracted more than 70 diners.

• The unique concept involved five top local bartenders choosing from 100 "mystery" ingredients and creating a cocktail to match one of the five courses for the dinner. They had no idea of any of the ingredients the chef used for each course.

Was It A Hoax?

Late Wednesday afternoon, Chef Paul Kahan sent out this outrageous tweet:

"Come get fresh whale veal at Publican Quality Meats! It's amazing. Only $49.95 per pound!"

And if you thought it was crazy as hell like we did, you might be on to something. Our friends at Eater Chicago called up PQM Thursday to inquire about that alleged $49.95 whale veal, and had this to say:

He Said What Now?!

Chef Paul Kahan is a pretty low-key guy, but today he gets props for the most outrageous quote of the week:

"Come get fresh whale veal at Publican Quality Meats! It's amazing. Only $49.95 per pound!"

He's not kidding, y'all . . .