Go Where The Insiders Go . . .

Dante LoPresti hosts "Tippling Tuesdays" at Double A. (Photo: Double A)

Shift Drinks. Tippling Tuesdays. And Book Club.

This week's a particularly busy one for Chicago's bar and restaurant industry insiders.

Here's where to go if you want to be down . . .

Fond Farewell To Longtime Bayless Chef

Brian Enyart (left) and Rick Bayless (Photo via Chicago Tribune)

The time has come for Topolobampo Chef de Cuisine Brian Enyart to fly the coop.

Apparently, he's been with Rick Bayless' well-oiled empire for 14 years—his entire culinary career thus far—and he wants to see what else is out there.

The Chicago Tribune reported in January that Enyart was leaving, and Thursday was the big day.

He wrote a heartfelt message on his Facebook page Thursday afternoon:

Next Week Is Gonna Be Crazy . . .

(Photo: The Doughnut Vault)

Look for The Doughnut Vault to open April 5.

I got a sneak peek Wednesday of the tiny, tiny space that's tucked inside River North's Gilt Bar. This place is so damn small that three customers easily crowd the space. That's why owner Brendan Sodikoff added a window where customers can order from outside.

Opening April 6 is Next, Grant Achatz's mid-priced eatery in the old Fulton Lounge space. To find out how to navigate its revolutionary ticketing system, check out Chicago magazine's article here.

And by next week, the Boka Restaurant Group's latest offering, GT Fish & Oyster with chef Guiseppe Tentori engineering, should be in its groove. It opens March 31.

Bravo Stars Take Over Girl & The Goat

"Top Chef All Stars" fan favorite winner Carla Hall, with "Real Housewives of Atlanta" Phaedra Parks (right) and "Top Chef" star Tiffany Derry (right, top). (Photos: 312 Dining Diva)

If you're a Bravo fan, the place to be Wednesday was one of the hot-ticket Top Chef finale parties happening in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York simultaneously.

The sassy channel known best for the chef-focused competition as well as the Real Housewives franchises had its party at Girl & The Goat—owned by Top Chef Season 4 winner Stephanie Izard.

But Was She Drinking A SkinnyGirl Margarita?!

Bethenny Frankel, a natural food chef and star of Bravo's Bethenny Ever After, was in Chicago Tuesday for a quick business trip.

She was staying at River North's Hotel Palomar, and, according to Exec Chef Heather Terhune, apparently ventured downstairs to Sable Kitchen & Bar for cocktails where she hilariously observed:

"The weirdest thing: I'm in a restaurant in Chicago with my single girlfriend & there isn't one man here. Am I in the 'Vagina Monologues?'"

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that all the guys were somewhere watching basketball or hockey . . .

Schwa Reso System Still Frustrates Diners

Exterior of Schwa photo via NBCChicago.com

In 2009, 312DD and NBCChicago.com teamed up to snag the first-ever look inside eccentric Wicker Park sensation Schwa.

Its focus was also on the difficult reservation system, which by now, should be better. Or that's what I thought until I got this email Tuesday from a reader:

Get Ready For Chili & Firefighters & Chefs!

When I served as one of the judges for the Muscular Dysphoria Association's annual Firefighter Chili Cook-Off last year, it was so hot outside that we were sweating like we were in the tropics.

But things are back to normal, and it's so effing cold that today's the perfect day to chow down on chili.

What's awesome about this year's competition—in addition to the fact that I'll be in a room full of fine-ass firemen—is that 10 of them have teamed up with chefs from some of the hottest restaurants in town.

Bravo, 'Top Chef' Take Over Girl & The Goat

(Photo: Bravo)

Scratch those plans if you wanted to stop by Stephanie Izard's Girl & The Goat Wednesday.

The "Top Chef" champ tweeted Tuesday that Bravo was taking over her red-hot West Loop resto for the show's finale party:

"More stressful is tomorrows bravo buyout... All bravo. 'All (Star) Top Chef' finale. Best part, Gail Simmons gonna be here!!"

How exciting. And where is MY invite?!