Restaurants teeming with fall tastes, Halloween treats. (2024)

Byline: Scott C. Morgan Daily Herald Staff Writer

Here's what's happening on the Chicago-area dining scene:

Special events

Child's play: Ed Debevic's celebrates its first anniversary in Lombard with a Halloween party for kids at 203 Yorktown Center, Lombard, from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday. Events include games, pie- eating contests, a costume parade and more. Call (630) 495-1700 for more details.

Family frights: South Gate Cafe hosts a patio "Spooktacular" for families from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at 655 Forest Ave., Lake Forest. Costumes, face-painting and decorate-your-own-pumpkin events are just part of the free activities. Call (847) 234-8800.

Single mingling: The Single Gourmet Dining and Travel Club sponsors two events this upcoming week:

- A "Halloween Boogie Man Ball" is at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the new Victoria of Highwood, 550 Greenbay Road, Highwood. A costume reception is followed by a three-course meal with DJ accompaniment. Cost is $69 (inclusive of tax and tip).

- The Zapatista Cantina, 1307 S. Wabash, Chicago, is host to a "Day of the Dead" Mexican Holiday Celebration at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday. A three-course meal with entree of pork chop, bass or chicken is $39 inclusive of tax and tip. Call (773) 772-3535 for both Single Gourmet events.

Monster Menu: Durty Nellie's hosts a children's costume contest party with a special Halloween-theme kid's menu (Witches Fingers, Goblin Burgers) at 5 p.m. Sunday at 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. Cost is $5. (847) 358-9150.

Halloween Giveaway: McCormick & Schmick's, at 41 E. Chestnut, Chicago, offers a day full of events on Halloween:

- From 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., walking and driving commuters passing by the restaurant can pick up free coffee and pastries. Commuters also might get a $10 gift certificate.

- From 4 to 8 p.m., trick-or-treaters can get a candy treat, while children dining in costume receive a free dessert. There is also a special $4.95 kid's menu available. Call (312) 397-9500.

Shine on: The St. Jude Auxiliary Board hosts "Under the Harvest Moon 2005" at Germania Place, 108 W. Germania Place, Chicago, as a benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital from 8 p.m. to midnight Nov. 4.

The open-bar co*cktail party with hors d'oeuvres features a silent auction, an appearance by Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun- Times and entertainment by the Pete Fleming Orchestra. Tickets are $75 to $90. Call (800) 621-5359.

Special dinners

Hallowed Alumni: Kendall College's School of Culinary Arts continues its 20th Anniversary Monday Night Dining Series a special meal by alumni chef, Laura Piper of Hugo's Frog Bar, at 6 p.m. Monday at 900 N. Branch St., Chicago. Cost is $38 per person per five-course banquet and non-alcoholic beverages. Reservations are required. Call (312) 752-2328.

Wine and wail: Piazza Bella offers a special "Hallo-Wine Dinner" featuring La Cappuccina wines at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at 2116 W. Roscoe, Chicago. Sisto Tessari of Heritage Wine Cellars will be on hand to introduce his vintages with the five-course meal and to help judge the costume contest. Cost is $69 plus tax and gratuity. Call (773) 477-7330.

Wine dinner: Cafe La Cave presents a Trimbach Wine Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at 2777 Mannheim Road, Des Plaines. Menu items include potato-wrapped sturgeon over ragout of asparagus, pan- seared duck and more. The all-inclusive price is $75 per person. Call (847) 827-7818.

Napa wine dinner: Knightsbridge Wine Shoppe & Epicurean Centre hosts a Californian wine dinner featuring Napa winery proprietor Delia Viader at Carlos' Restaurant, 429 Temple Ave., Highland Park, at 7 p.m. Nov. 2. Cost is $139 including tax and gratuities. Call (847) 432-0770.

Seasonal menus

Nantucket November: Shaw's Crab House features Nantucket Cape Scallops as the featured seafood in November at 21 E. Hubbard St., Chicago, and at 1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg. Specials include Sauteed Nantucket Cape Scallops over Shaw's signature rice or as part of Shaw's Seafood Platter. Call (312) 527-2722 or visit www.shawscrabhouse.com.

Japanese fungi: Tsuki Restaurant is offering the limited-time Japanese autumn delicacy of matsutake mushrooms through the month of November at 1441 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago. Specials include dobin mushi soup, matsutake nigiri sushi and grilled matsutake mushrooms. Call (773) 883-8722.

Squash celebration: Carnivale at 702 W. Fulton, Chicago, is featuring pumpkin and squash items this month, including roasted wild salmon in a pumpkin seed crust over butternut squash, lobster and sweet potato sauce or Columbia River wild salmon with butternut squash sauce and sweet potatoes. Call (312) 850-5005.

Restaurant news

New at Blue: Blue Plate, a prominent Chicago catering and event planning company, has named Dirk Flanigan as executive chef. Flanigan previously worked as executive chef at Blue Water Grill and Echo. Visit www.blueplatechicago.com for more information.

A star: Todd Stein of mk restaurant was named by StarChefs.com as a winner of one of its 2005 Rising Star Awards. A ceremony is set for Nov. 16 at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago.

Agami arrival: Agami, a new contemporary Japanese and sushi restaurant, has recently opened at 4712 N. Broadway in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. Open seven days a week, the restaurant is offering a no-corkage fee for B.Y.O.B. while it awaits a pending liquor license. Call (773) 506-1854 for more information.

Nippon in Naperville: Kiku Japanese Steakhouse has opened a new branch at 2764 Aurora Ave., Naperville. Kiku is known for preparing its meals right in front of patrons at hibachi-style dining tables. Call (630) 305-3355.

Embraceable you: Embrace, a new lifestyle restaurant fusing retail shopping and dining, has been launched by the owners of Kokopelli at 29 E. First St., Hinsdale. Home decor, clothing and health boutique items are paired with a contemporary American cuisine by executive chef Damien Eftekhar. Find out more at www.embraceyourstyle.com