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

Chowdah Fest participants in 2012. (Photo: Ari Bendersky)

Everyone's hustlin', hustlin', hustlin' . . .

• Chowdah Fest returns, but I so wish it was today with this wack weather we're experiencing. But anyway, the fierce competition is back at the Columbia Yacht Club (111 N. Lake Shore Dr.) 6:30-9pm Monday, March 11. If you're able to snag a ticket (the venue only holds 250), you'll be treated to chowder prepared by some of the best in the biz, including chefs Matt Troost (Three Aces), Kevin Hickey (Allium), Ryan McCaskey (Acadia), Homaro Cantu (iNG/Moto) and last year's winner Giuseppe Tentori (BOKA/GT Fish & Oyster). There will be celebrity guest judges, but you'll get a vote to pick the people's choice. $40 in advance; $50 at the door. Get tickets right here.

• Fans of the West Loop resto scene should be thrilled about the second-annual Divine, Dine & Wine taking place 6-9pm Thursday, Feb. 28 at Venue One (1044 W. Randolph St.). Participants include the likes of City Winery, Sepia, Vera and Vivo. Get the $95 tickets ($125 VIP) right here.

Your First-Ever Look At Gilt Bar's Sophisticated New Lower-Level 'Library'

(Photos: Gilt Bar)

For now, the snazzy little ramen bar planned for the Sodikoff Restaurant Group has been put on hold, Brendan Sodikoff tells 312DD.

In its place is something that he's dubbed the Library, which will serve as a "social conversation room" when it opens to the public underneath Gilt Bar Wednesday, March 6.

The low-lit space is filled with hundreds of leather-bound vintage books that Sodikoff's team snapped up from stores in Chicago, London, New York and Paris. Sodikoff boasts that the collection is comprised of the greatest books of all time, so he's hoping that visitors respect them.

Downstairs diners will be able to order Gilt Bar's entire food and drink menu, which includes the yummy Gunthrop roasted chicken, coal-fired ribeye steak and diner-style pies. Sodikoff promises that though it's the same menu, guests will have an entirely different experience in the Library.

Here are more photos of the new space:

Scofflaw Reopens Thursday After A Few Minor Renovations

Photo courtesy of Scofflaw

OK, so I panicked for a minute Monday when I got this message from a loyal reader:

"Any idea what happened to Scofflaw?!! Just drove past and boarding is going up. Sign is down. Liquor going into boxes."

Well, here are the facts, which come directly from Scofflaw:

To Escape The Cold, These Restaurants Transport You Somewhere Else . . . For One Night Only

To fight off Monday's frost, two red-hot events are happening that you don't want to miss:

Red Door hosts a tiki-themed event benefiting the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

They've gathered some of the biggest names in local mixology—Charles Joly (The Aviary), Lynn House (Blackbird), Josh Pearson (Sepia), Jay Schroeder (Red Door)—to shake up Polynesian-inspired drinks to complement food by Freddy Nonaj and Graham Stein of avec.

Admission is a suggested donation of $25, which includes four drink tickets and food. That happens 8pm-midnight.

Chicago Travel Launches On About.com With Dining, Drinking, Shopping, Theater-going & More

Naniwa's ultra fresh sashimi offering. (Photo: Naniwa)

My latest venture, Chicago Travel at about.com, launched earlier this week.

I'm most excited about editing this new visitor's guide because it reminds me of the old metromix.com days when I passionately wrote about all the cool goings-on in Chicago, including our vibrant theater and dining scenes, unique cultural offerings and offbeat shopping districts.

I've grown a lot more since those days and taken time to explore our city to the fullest, and I'm thrilled to get the rich opportunity to show it off to visitors.

It's Time To Book Reservations For 'Chicago Chef Week,' Happening March 17-22

Matthias Merges (from left) photo via chefsconnection.com; Ryan McCaskey (Photo: Acadia); Andrew Zimmerman photo via Splash Chicago

Chicago Restaurant Week is a thing of the past. It's now time for Chicago Chef Week, in its fifth year and happening March 17-22. To entice you to participate, more than 70 chef-driven restaurants will be offering three-course, prix-fixe deals for lunch ($22 where served) and dinner ($44).

I'm telling you this so far in advance because for some of these spots you might want to book as soon as possible. For example, this year's event boasts three of the biggest winners of the recent Banchet Awards: Chef of the Year Matthias Merges (Yusho), Best Restaurant recipient Andrew Zimmerman (Sepia) and Best New Restaurant winner Ryan McCaskey (Acadia, with Jason Prah winning for Best Sommelier).

Senza Introduces All-Gluten Free Bakery . . . And The Items Look Tasty!

Senza's new gluten-free muffins are offered daily at the bakery. (Photo: Senza)

Susan McMillian and Amelia Fonti are accomplished bakers who also happen to own the critically acclaimed, gluten-free Senza restaurant in Lakeview. And now that the spot's gotten into its groove, it's time for them to do what they do best.

They recently launched a bakery inside the tiny space that's only open during the day. It's open 9am-noon Tuesday through Friday and the lineup includes:

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

Sola's Carol Wallack with her Hanger steak in chocolate demi. (Photo: Sola)

Sweet sensations . . .

• Valentine's Day may be long over, but Sola's Carol Wallack is still celebrating with a chocolate prix-fixe menu that's available throughout the month, Monday through Wednesday. Highlights include the cocoa nib-balsamic salad and Hanger steak with mashed sweet potatoes, Chinese broccoli and chocolate demi. It's $30.

• Here are the locals who made the cut for the James Beard semi=finalists. Those who made it to the finals will be announced in March. Good luck to all!

• Cheers—the only beverage business publication devoted to full-service restaurants, bars and hotels—recently honored the Tippling Bros. (Little Market Brasserie, Mercadito, Tavernita) with the Beverage Industry Innovator of the Year Award. That's mostly for the duo's creative kegged cocktail system at Tavernita.