The Full Schedule For Chicago Gourmet Now Online

ABC-7's Steve Dolinsky and celebrity chef Rick Bayless at "Chicago Gourmet" in 2011. (Photo: Illinois Restaurant Association)

Check out all the details, including live demonstrations, seminars, tastings, booksignings, etc. for Bon Appetit's annual Chicago Gourmet right here. It occurs Sept. 28-30.

Some highlights of what's new this year:

For Sure, THIS is the Best Tweet of the Week!

Ha ha!

This is hilarious.

If You're Not Going To Tip, Try Not To Be A COMPLETE Douchebag About It.

So, this happened Wednesday night at a popular Wicker Park watering hole.

NOT cool.

The Back Room Takes Over Le Passage Privet Space; A Few More Key Details

I wasn't too shocked to hear the news that Privet closed last weekend because it pretty much looked like the photo above every time I paid a visit.

But when word came down that the venerable Back Room was set to take over the vacated space on Oct. 4, I got pretty excited.

The legendary jazz-and-blues club is less than a block away from its new home, and will officially close on Sept. 24. This new home in the old Privet is particularly awesome because that venue carries a late-night license, which means new owners Three Headed Productions (The Drawing Room, Evil Olive, Salud) will have the option to stay open until 4am (5am on Saturdays!). Hopefully, they'll also keep the alley-only entrance because, you know, that just feels right when it comes to after-hours jazz and blues clubs (UPDATE: A press release states that a deejay will spin after 1am on weekends).

Here are even more reasons to get excited about this:

Some Very Rad Happenings Around Town

iNG owner/chef Homaro Cantu (center) with chefs Hugo Guadarrama (left) and Vince Griffith. (Photo: iNG)

Remember when I was gushing about that upcoming Scorsese-themed menu at iNG?! Well, it's finally here.

Sept. 18 marks the "premiere," and yes, that includes lights, cameras and a RED CARPET. Look for the menu to play off the food scenes from "Goodfellas," including this first course:

Sleeping With The Fishes: two-part course "Fish & Chips" of rock shrimp chips with dry aioli and smoked rock shrimp roulade, white truffle garlic aioli and gremolata seaweed

According to chef/owner Homaro Cantu, the menu will run about six weeks. It will include six courses for $80 and 10 courses for $100; both will be paired with beverages and include "flavor tripping."

"It is, by far, the most twisted thing I have ever done," Cantu says about the menu. "It will be a delicious experience."

To get a visual of what he's talking about, here's video of one of the dishes, the 9mm Tagellio, and also details on how you can win dinner for two for free.

Here are more rad happenings around town:

Elate Restaurant Has A 'Phantom' Tweeting Its Posts; It's Been Closed For Weeks!

So, check this out.

Elate, which was located on the first level of Hotel Felix in River North, closed a month ago.

It didn't even close quietly, as there was much buzz from local media outlets about its replacement, LM Bistro, which is owned by the same people behind Brasserie by LM and Troquet. But for some reason, Elate's twitter account continues to crank out specials every day to its 1,090 followers.

For example . . .

Get Ready: Green Tie Ball is Saturday

Photo via the Chicago Tribune.

It's one of the biggest affairs of the Chicago social season and it's happening this weekend.

Green Tie Ball goes down Sept. 15 at A. Finkl & Sons (2011 N. Southport Ave.). Put on by Gateway Green Chicago, the event celebrates its 20th year with an Alice in Wonderland theme.

Tiny Ramen Lounge in River North is Next Project For Sodikoff Restaurant Group

This news comes from an Ultimate Insider early on a Monday morning:

The hot restaurant group that's behind such winners as Au Cheval, Gilt Bar and Maude's Liquor Bar apparently is going Asian.