Upcoming Events
Green City Market Chef BBQ
Join Green City Market and 100+ of Chicago’s top food and beverage talent, including Galit, BLVD Steakhouse, Avec, Daisies and so many more, on Thursday, September 5 for a food festival unlike any other, where you can taste bites and beverages from Chicago's top culinary talents while celebrating local food and supporting our local, sustainable growers.
All proceeds benefit Green City Market's 501(c)(3) nonprofit mission to secure the future of food by deepening support for sustainable farmers, educating our community, and expanding access to locally-grown food. GA and VIP tickets can be purchased HERE!
American Cancer Society's Taste Of Hope Event
Where culinary arts, cocktails and creativity collide! Taste of Hope brings award-winning chefs and Chicago foodies together to celebrate the American Cancer Society's progress in the fight against cancer. Taste of Hope has always featured our wonderful Chicagoland restaurants and this year is no different.
Now in its eleventh year, the event is hosted annually by the American Cancer Society’s Taste of Hope Executive Leadership Committee and has raised over $4,300,000 to support the American Cancer Society’s mission and goal of eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Come join the fight!
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets!
16th Annual Culinary Futures Event to Benefit No Matter What
Exciting news ahead! The 16th Annual Culinary Futures fundraiser benefiting No Matter What returns on Sunday, March 17th! The event hosted at Fairlie on the Near West Side features delicious meals prepared and served by CPS students, an open bar, live music, and more. Prepare for an amazing evening of great food and great times all to support the youth of Chicago’s community.
Tickets for the Culinary Futures Fundraising Event start at $125. Those looking to make a larger, direct impact are welcome to donate to the 2024 Culinary Futures Scholarship Fund or sponsor a student for the 2024 O.M. Summer Travel Experience. Donations begin at $1,000. For more information and to purchase tickets or a sponsorship, click here
The Publican’s "Shuck-Off For Charity" Benefiting Pilot Light
Chef Paul Kahan and the Publican gang are once again gearing up for their annual charity Shuck Off on Wednesday, 2/21!
For the third consecutive year, this celebrity chef-studded event will take over the iconic Fulton Market beer hall in support of nonprofit Pilot Light, with $2-a-shuck oysters courtesy of Island Creek Oysters, plenty of boozy drinks (including an exclusive cocktail from guest bartender Sam Perrie of Milk Room!), and a massive eight-foot oyster boat center stage in the dining room. Throughout the evening, look out for guest appearances by acclaimed culinary names Mindy Segal, Joe Frillman, Leigh Omilinsky, Kaleena Bliss, Jonathan Zaragoza, Sarah Stegner & the Chicago Chefs Cook team as they each roll up their sleeves and get to shucking alongside Paul for an hour at a time.
Come one, come all for good times and a great cause. Walk-ins and bar tables are available, but reservations are encouraged and can be secured by clicking HERE on Tock.
Chefsgiving: Chicago Chefs Band Together to Raise Funds for Pilsen Food Pantry in Charity Dinner Presented by Venteux + Pendry Chicago
As new migrants seeking asylum continue to arrive in Chicago, the city’s chef community has banded together to offer much needed support. Pendry Chicago and Venteux, the French brasserie on the hotel’s ground floor, have partnered with humanitarian effort-focused organization Chicago Chefs Cook to present Chicago Chefsgiving on Thursday November 9th. The chef-driven fundraising dinner at Venteux benefits Pilsen Food Pantry’s “New Migrant Program”, a dedicated effort to provide food, clothing, healthcare resources, and more to the city’s newest arrivals. The five-course feast will feature seasonal fare by several of the city’s buzziest chefs!
Tickets are $150, inclusive of a $30 donation to Pilsen Food Pantry, gratuity, and Moët wine pairings. Tickets can be purchased here.
American Cancer Society's Taste of Hope Event
Taste of Hope brings award-winning chefs and Chicago foodies together to celebrate the American Cancer Society's progress in the fight against cancer.
Taste of Hope has always featured wonderful Chicagoland restaurants and this year is no different. Now in its tenth year, the event is hosted annually by the American Cancer Society’s Taste of Hope Executive Leadership Committee and has raised over $3,600,000 to support the American Cancer Society’s mission and goal of eliminating cancer as a major health problem.
You can purchase tickets here.
A Boy and His Dream Presents 'Summer of Dreams': A Spectacular Evening of Charity, Fashion, and Celebration
A Boy & His Dream is hosting a ‘Summer of Dreams’ event, a fundraiser for the underserved youth! A Summer of Dreams will be held on Saturday, September 30th, beginning at 5:30 PM.
This special event will be held at Vertiport Chicago with the highlight of the night being an exquisite fashion show featuring designers with African inspiration crafted into each of their pieces, exciting the audience to raise money for the underserved youth. In addition to this unique fashion show, there will be local vendors, DJ playing afro beats to light up the night, a silent auction and VIP Helicopter experience. Delicious local featured Hors-d’oeuvres & refreshing cocktails from our amazing sponsors will also be key parts of the evening and included in your ticket purchase.
With your generosity, we hope to raise $100,000 which will allow us to provide playgrounds to underprivileged children in Nigeria as well as towards scholarships for our brilliant students of Chicago to greater their education & future.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Galit & Daisies Fourth Annual "Pausing For The Cause" Suicide Awareness Dinner
In honor of Mental Health & Awareness Month, Michelin-starred Galit will host the fourth annual ‘Pausing For The Cause’ collaboration dinner with the award-winning Daisies to benefit Vibrant Emotional Health (Vibrant) on Monday, May 22. Chef Zach Engel and Pastry Chef Mary Eder-McClure of Galit will be joined by Chef Joe Frillman and Pastry Chef Leigh Omilinsky of Daisies for the ticketed event, creating a special family-style, shareable feast. All proceeds raised during the evening will go directly to suicide prevention initiatives at Vibrant Emotional Health.
Doors will open at 6:00 pm, and dinner will begin shortly after at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $375 per person and proceeds will be donated to Vibrant Emotional Health. Each set of two tickets includes a bottle of Champagne for guests to enjoy during dinner.
Guests can book a ticket on Resy. For those who are unable to attend but would like to donate, please visit and learn more here.
Pop-UP Benefit for The Evolved Network at Demera
Join The Evolved Network’s Sebastian White, Demera’s Tigist Reda, Prairie Grass Cafe’s Sarah Stegner and GT Prime Pastry Chef Casey Doody for a 5-course fundraising collaboration dinner, 6-9 pm, Tuesday, April 18 at Demera Ethiopian Restaurant, 4801 N. Broadway St., Chicago. Proceeds benefit The Evolved Network.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please click Here
avec Features Up-and-Coming Culinary Talents for a Special Showcase + Charity Event
Chicago’s restaurant scene has long been dominated by a handful of prominent chef names like Bayless, Izard, Kahan and Achatz, but there is a new guard of local culinary talent making their mark in a big way!
To celebrate the next generation of young chef talent across the city, Chef de Cuisine Dylan Patel of One Off Hospitality’s iconic small plates wine destinations avec/avec River North/bar avec, has gathered a group of five local rising star chefs making waves at their respective restaurants for an exclusive “Chefs to Watch Dinner” on Wednesday, March 15th.
Starting at 6:30 p.m. at the original avec West Loop location, guests are invited to enjoy a five course collaborative dinner featuring dishes cooked by each guest chef, hailing from restaurants like Wherewithall, Boeufhaus, Marisol and more. Throughout the night, each chef will introduce their dish and share a bit about their culinary journey, while a portion of the night’s proceeds will go directly toward a $10,000 scholarship fund that will be awarded to CPS students through Careers Through Culinary Arts Professionals (C-CAP) in their mission to continue feeding the next wave of young culinary talent in the city.
Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available here on Tock for $125
MasterChef’s Aarón Sánchez X Paul Kahan: Big Star Mariscos & 2 Nights of Vibrant Coastal Mexican Cuisine!
MasterChef judge, award-winning chef, TV personality and author, Aarón Sánchez is making his way to Chicago for two nights of special dinners at newly-opened coastal Mexican inspired Big Star Mariscos on Tuesday, March 7th and Wednesday, March 8th!
Presented by Louisiana Seafood and Tequila Cazadores, Aarón is teaming up with Chef Paul Kahan and the One Off Hospitality crew to serve up a four-course menu full of vibrant Mexican seafood dishes + a fifth dessert course by Mexican-meets-Jewish artisanal bakery Masa Madre with agave-based cocktail pairings. Guests are highly encouraged to mix and mingle with Aarón, Paul and team between bites! Partial proceeds for the night will benefit the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund in their efforts to support and uplift Latino youth through food with culinary arts education, mentoring and human services.
Tickets are available on Tock here for $125/person + a $25 donation per person to the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund. Seatings begin at 4:30 p.m., with the latest at 9:30 p.m. on both nights. Full menu can be found below.
Paul Kahan’s 'Shuck Off’ at The Publican
Following a smash hit debut of star-studded oyster slinging with top chefs in the game in 2022, Paul Kahan’s 'Shuck Off’ at The Publican, where a handful of the city’s most notable chefs team up to shell out buck a shuck oysters for one night only with proceeds benefiting Pilot Light, is BACK for more.
On Thursday, 3/2/23, catch Rick Bayless, Tony Priolo, Dominque Leach, Stephen Sandoval, Matthias Merges and host Paul Kahan shuck it up for a marathon oyster shucking event at the iconic Fulton Market beer hall. Each chef runs the show for an hour at a time, jumping behind an 8-foot "oyster boat” with Paul from 5 - 10 p.m. to serve up oysters from Island Creek — expect plenty of drink specials and guaranteed good times too, of course!
Walk ins and bar tables available, but reservations are strongly encouraged and can be secured on Tock by clicking HERE. Each individual seat will require a non-refundable deposit of $20 per person that will be donated entirely to Pilot Light. Full dinner and drink menu will be served in addition to the special $1 oysters.
Truth Be Told & My Very Own Library Charity Collaboration for Read Across America Week
Read Across America Week 2023 is being celebrated from March 2nd to March 6th, which aims to encourage reading and educate people about its benefits, especially among children and young adults. In honor of Read Across America this year, Truth Be Told will donate a portion of select dishes to the youth literacy organization, My Very Own Library.
Beginning on Thursday, March 2nd through Sunday, March 5th, Truth Be Told will donate $5 for each plate of Lemon Sole (Lemon sole, brown butter, carrot puree, asparagus, mushrooms, gremolata, $24); Lamb Shepherd's Pie (Mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, root vegetables, $20); and Mushy Pea Toast (Peas, ricotta, sourdough toast, asparagus, radish, pickled peppers, greens lemon vinaigrette - $15) sold to My Very Own Library.
"SAVE WATER, DRINK WHISKEY" AT UNION
Stop into Logan Square’s beer and whiskey destination Union this month to drink whiskey for a cause! This March, the team is rolling out "Save Water, Drink Whiskey” - a month long fundraiser in honor of World Water Day (3/22) where the team will donate partial proceeds from whiskey sales to Alliance for the Great Lakes. Aiding the non-profit organization in their efforts to keep the world’s largest fresh surface water system clean, Union will present a weekly whiskey pour for only $4 - $1 of which will go directly to Alliance for the Great Lakes.
Bottles to look out for include industry fav Old Granddad and JTS Brown! Then, on Wednesday 3/22, World Water Day, the team is donating $1 of EVERY whiskey pour, cocktail, and flight sold. It’s a great month to Save Water, Drink Whiskey at Union!
Women's History Month at Ema
In honor of Women’s History Month, $1 from each glass of female-winemaker Joana Maçanita's Maçanita Branco sold at Ema throughout March will benefit the Chicago Foundation for Women. Since 1985, Chicago Foundation for Women has been a leader in the movement to achieve basic rights and equal opportunities, investing in all women and girls as catalysts building stronger communities for all.
CONTACT/BOOKING: Make a reservation
Michelin-Starred Galit & Pretty Cool Ice Cream Partner For December Dessert Collaboration!
Chicagoans are in for a handful of sweet treats this month, dreamt up by two of Chicago's best pastry minds–Mary Eder-McClure and Dana Cree. Inspired by the bite-sized Israeli sweet treat, the two have teamed up to bring you Krembo in two totally unique ways. Available at Galit for dessert is thePretty Cool Krembo, made with orange blossom marshmallow parfait, olive oil chocolate ganache, cardamom spiced shortbread, and a pistachio/mandarin crumble.
At Pretty Cool Ice Cream locations, customers can enjoy savoring the Krembo Ice Cream Bar made with orange blossom-scented marshmallow ice cream, coriander shortbread, dark chocolate, hints of mandarin orange, and pistachio. Also available at Pretty Cool Ice Cream will be an indulgent Halva Chocolate Chip cookie, sandwiched between caramelized honey and tahini ice cream dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in crumbled halva.
Better yet, $1 from each Galit and Pretty Cool Ice Cream collaboration dessert sold will go directly to Cradles to Crayons, an organization providing children living in homeless or low-income situations with the essential items they need to thrive.
For more information about Galit, please visit http://galitrestaurant.com.
For more information about Pretty Cool Ice Cream, please visit https://www.prettycoolicecream.com.
“Gourmand Gala” Fundraiser
Culinary Care - the Chicago-based non-profit delivering free restaurant-prepared meals to cancer patients undergoing treatment - will host its “Gourmand Gala” on November 10 at the Chicago Cultural Center.
The “Gourmand Gala” - Culinary Care’s first since 2019 - is its largest fundraiser of the year and will feature 20+ tasting tables from James Beard award-winning chefs, Michelin-starred restaurants, and Chicago culinary institutions and upstarts.
This year’s Gourmand Gala is “Casino Royale” themed and will feature casino games, live entertainment, and cocktail stations from the likes of Charles Joly of Crafthouse Cocktails and Tim Williams of Pour Souls.
Purchase tickets and learn more about the Culinary Care Gourmand Gala by clicking here.
Courtney White founded Culinary Care in 2013. Culinary Care’s mission is to nourish as many cancer recoveries as possible by creating free meal programs that reduce stress, spark joy, and foster a sense of community.
Over the last nine years, Culinary Care has delivered over 25,000 free meals to cancer patients and their families in need while they are undergoing cancer treatments at Chicago hospitals.