Thursday, September 12, 2013

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

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GT Fish & Oyster partners Kevin Boehm (left) and Giuseppe Tentori (Photo: GT Fish & Oyster)

• It's not every day Spiaggia offers something this budget friendly, so I'd jump on it if I were you. The team's joining forces with GT Fish & Oyster's Giuseppe Tentori for a "funk & fish" edition of Stuzzi & Spritz. Head over 7-10pm Sept. 16 for swordfish and snacks as funk serves as background music in the bar area. It's $20 per person, with 50 percent off wines by the glass and specialty cocktails. Get advance tickets right here or pay at the door.

• Another awesome collaboration consists of Lee Wolen (Lobby at the Peninsula Chicago) and Ryan Poli (Tavernita). This one's a reunion of sorts because Wolen used to serve as Poli's sous chef back in the Butter days. They'll cook a multi-course, Mediterranean-inspired dinner at Lobby. It's $85 per person with optional wine pairings for an additional $25, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Common Threads. 6:30pm Sept. 16.

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Chefs Lee Wolen (left) and Ryan Poli (Photo: Peninsula Chicago)

Allium hosts a "keg party" 7-10pm Sept. 18. But don't go expecting anything from your old college days; this one's quite upscale. Chef Kevin Hickey's hooking up beer-friendly bites to complement local kegged beers from Goose Island and Begyle Brewery. There will also be kegged, FEW Spirits-based cocktails. The snacks are free; beer and cocktails are $5 and $8 respectively. Also look for pop-up stands from Trunk Club, MAC and Robin Richman.

• The annual chef-focused Kouzina event raises $$$ for the National Hellenic Museum's educational and cultural programs. It's also an opportunity to explore rich, Greek cuisine as a number of chefs will be on hand serving signature dishes. Look for the likes of Georgios Bournas (Psistaria Greek Taverna), Frank Georgacopoulos (Meli CafĂ©), Lonnie Liming (Prasino) and David Schneider (Taxim). It takes place 6-9pm Sept. 19 at 333 S. Halsted St. Tickets are $100 in advance and $125 at the door.

• A new wine tasting series kicks off at Telegraph, beginning Sept. 24. It will occur one Tuesday a month thereafter and includes a casual, walk-around tasting of 12 wines (led by sommelier Jeremy Quinn) paired with small bites from chef Johnny Anderes. Each event is $40 per person and begins at 7pm. Upcoming events: Carolina Comfort Food Tasting (Sept. 24), Natural Tuscany (Oct. 22), California Dreamin' (Nov. 12) and French Pinot Noir (Dec. 10). Get tickets in advance right here.

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