STAGE BITES: The Weekly Dining & Drinking Guide

Raphael Saadiq performs at "Lollapalooza" Friday.


Every Monday look for the week's top performances paired with the best deals before and after the show:

Lollapalooza at Grant Park. An all-star lineup of musical acts are set to perform at this annual, three-day festival. Highlights on the main stages include Raphael Saadiq (2-3pm Friday), Lady Gaga (8-10pm Friday), Green Day (7:45-10pm Saturday), Erykah Badu (5-6pm Sunday) and Soundgarden (8-10pm Sunday). August 6-8. Get tickets here.

Chef 'Driven' Concepts at Atwood Cafe, Inovasi

Atwood Cafe Executive Chef Derek Simcik (Photo: Atwood Cafe)


Two Chicago-area chefs give new meaning to the buzzword "chef driven" with some exciting new promotions at their restaurants.

Over at Atwood Café, in the Loop, new Executive Chef Derek Simcik's doing a couple of cool promos to attract those diners who hate driving downtown.

Get Ready for the First-Ever Cupcake Cruise

(Photo: Flirty Cupcakes)


There's so much competition now with all these cupcake shops and cupcake trucks, so Flirty Cupcakes decided to step up its game by taking their treats to the shore.

That's right. They're doing the city's first-ever Cupcake Cruise, which should be quite a blast.

Here are the details:

He 'Runs This Town!'

Restaurateur and nightlife impresario Billy Dec (Rockit Ranch Productions)


Chicago's a lucky town to have so many vibrant and quirky personalities on the dining and nightlife scenes.

But no one stands out more than Billy Dec and Graham Elliot. That's why 312DD decided to conduct a fun poll just to see who the public embraced more.

Gilt Bar Owner On To Next BIG Project

(Photo: Natasha Hernandez)


An Ultimate Insider tells 312DD exclusively that Brendan Sodikoff is on to his next project and making moves in the Randolph Restaurant Row area.

The Gilt Bar owner/executive chef is rumored to be breaking ground Sunday right across the street from Girl & the Goat.

Our Very Own Prime-Time Celebrity Chef?!

(Photo: Graham Elliot)


He insists that Hollywood hasn’t gone to his head, but the Chicago chef formerly known as Graham Elliot Bowles is simply going by the slimmed-down moniker "Graham Elliot" now.

I kinda dug the three names, but bygones, it’s his decision.

Anyway, did you catch the first episode of FOX’s "MasterChef," featuring Elliot, Gordon Ramsay and Joe Bastianich?! Following the successful formats of “American Idol,” “So You Think You Can Dance?” and “America’s Got Talent,” the show plucks out regular, decent-cooking folks who aspire to be chefs.

Lula Cafe is Back, Baby!

(Photo: Lula Cafe)


After being shuttered for almost a week because of basement flooding, Logan Square's glorious hipster hangout Lula Cafe is back in business, beginning today.

From their Facebook page:

Cool Treats Worth the Brain Freeze . . .

The Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival returns for its second year.

This is no ordinary ice-cream event as local artisans, pastry chefs and chocolatiers show off cool, custom designed treats you'll not likely see anywhere else.

We're excited about it for a number of reasons, including the obvious. You'll get a grand tasting of goodies from the likes of Vosges, Black Dog Gelato, Nice Cream, Homer’s, Oberweis, Trader’s Point Creamery, Ciao Bella Gelato, Bob Tail Ice Cream and Sassy Cow Creamery.

There will also be demonstrations and workshops certain to blow your mind from top pastry chefs Christine McCabe, Tony Galzin (MK), Jerome Landrieu (Barry-Callebaut Chocolate Academy) and Michelle Garcia (The Bleeding Heart Bakery).

And, The Great Chicago Brain Freeze should be the biggest draw as chefs compete with unique creations. Guests get to vote on winners.

Last year's third-place winner, Clandestino, returns with chef/owner Efrain Cuevas bringing back his popular Chocolate Chile ice cream as well as Blueberry Huitlacoche and Honey Serrano Sweetcornbread.

Now I don't mind getting a little brain freeze for that!

The Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival takes place 7-10pm Friday and Saturday at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (2430 N. Cannon Dr.). Get the $25 tickets here.

We've got at least another month of unbelievable heat, so cool off with even more offbeat frozen treats, including some deliciously boozy ones: