BON VIVANT: May 29 – June 5, 2013

For our culinary-addicted, dolce vida-loving readers, “24/7” tracks down and uploads the most delicious food fêtes and gastronomic happenings going on this week.

Wednesday, May 29
WHAT: May Wine Bash
WHERE: Quartino, 626 N. State Street
WHEN: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (registration starts at 6:30 p.m.)
$$$: $20 per person; includes an assortment of wine and light bites including grilled zucchini with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, beet and walnut salad along with assorted Neapolitan pizzas, bruschetta, and Italian cured meats and assorted olives.

24/7 TIP: Enjoy a slice – or several glasses worth – of la dolce vita, Federico Fellini-style, and discover what’s hot on the wine scene at this popular monthly oenophile mixer. Check Wine Bash video HERE.

WHAT: women.wine.wear.
WHERE: Vertigo Sky Bar at Dana Hotel & Spa; 2 W. Erie Street
WHEN: 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
$$$: $75 or $95 per ticket; click HERE to purchase.  Proceeds benefit Step Up Women’s Network, a leading non-profit geared towards empowering women in Chicago’s under-resourced communities.

24/7 TIP: Just in time for bikini season, this elegant evening features cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, shopping, and a lively Nicole Miller Spring/Summer 2013 fashion show featuring a soleil-inspired mix-up of pretty florals and bold, exotic graphics. Laura Schwartz, former White House Director of Events, will emcee and designs will be modeled by Chicago’s top media personalities, socialites, industry magnates, and fashion insiders.

WHAT: @CRAVEChicago May Chat
WHERE: Edelman Chicago, 200 E. Randolph
WHEN: 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
$$$: $25 per person, includes wine and hors d’oeuvres; for tickets, click HERE.

24/7 TIP: You are your group’s self-proclaimed style editor. You love spending long afternoons surfing for fabulous pieces, like that minimalistic cocktail coat on NET-A-PORTER or the vintage, mint condition Rolling Stones rocker tee on Nasty Gal (is that even possible? Oh, poo!). Pinterest has even alerted you that you’ve hit 5,000 followers – break out the bubbly. So if launching your own luxe retail website (or anything that will make you boodles of fast cash) is on your 2013 To Do list, then this month’s @CRAVEChicago chat, “Making Money Online” may be just what your accountant ordered. Three of Chicago’s top female entrepreneurs – Alexa Plew (Eventbrite), Blagica Stefanovski Bottigliero (Zlato Digital) and Theresa Carter (The Local Tourist) – will share their top tips for running, managing, and marketing your own online emporium.

Friday, May 31
WHAT: Rolling Stone Pre-Concert Dinners
WHERE: Nellcôte, 833 W. Randolph
WHEN: 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. (from May 28 through June 3)
$$$: $10 per person; for reservations, call 312-432-0500.

24/7 TIP:  There are some things you just can’t keep down: last night’s gin-and-sushi dinner, Robert Downey, Jr., and bad-ass British rockers. In celebration of the Rolling Stones who will be duck-lipping their way through Chicago on their “50 and Counting” Tour,  Nellcôte will be offering an austere, pre-concert menu for fans and restaurant guests. Menu includes choice of pizza – Margherita, Fennel Sausage, or Local Asparagus & Buratta – and a domestic beer. This Just In! On May 31, model/artist Alexandra Richards (Keith Richards and Patti Hansen’s youngest daughter) will be hitting the turntables at Nellcôte for a one-night-only show starting at 11:00 p.m. If you would like to attend the after-party, please RSVP to: rsvp@nellcoterestaurant.com.

Saturday, June 1
WHAT: Gather’s Summer Farmers Series
WHERE: 4539 N. Lincoln Avenue
WHEN: June 1 (through September 2013)
$$$: Prices range; for menus or more information, click HERE or call 773-506-9300.

24/7 TIP: Farmers are sexy creatures: cowboy boots, worn Levis, a Truck & Barter Farms tee, and those big tractors. Now, thanks to Executive Chef and ex-Charlie Trotters veteran, Ken Carter, we have another reason to love those handsome crop cultivators. Hitting tables June 1, the Lincoln Square resto will feature a series of summery, a la carte menus showcasing just-picked, seasonal produce. Each month through September, a different local area farm will be highlighted.

Monday, June 3
WHAT: Martini Mondays
WHERE: The Art Institute Of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Avenue
WHEN: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
$$$: $50.00 includes admission and one drink ticket. To purchase tickets, click HERE.

24/7 TIP: Don Draper and Jay Gatsby would certainly approve of the extra dry martinis and the jazzy beats being served up at this month’s ode to artful decadence. The special evening kicks off with creative cocktails, light bites, and live music by the Spiral Jazz Quartet, featuring vocalist Dan Ferris. Guests also enjoy a rare after-hours gallery viewing.

Wednesday, June 5
WHAT: Interior Design Star Kelly Edwards Book Signing
WHERE: eDrop-Off, 2117 N. Halsted Street
WHEN: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
$$$: Free. To RSVP, email RSVP@shopedropoff.com by June 3.

24/7 TIP: It’s hard not to love HGTV’s Kelly Edwards, we have so much in common: weekending in Galena, Illinois and sharing a passion for green spray paint (think Martha Stewart, NOT Dwight Yoakam’s Intentional Heartache) to name a few. The fair-haired design dazzler will be in town signing copies of her new book, The Design Cookbook: Recipes for a Stylish Home and two lucky guests will win a private consultation with the room makeover guru as well as a $500 Room & Board gift card.

Have an upcoming event you don’t want “24/7” to miss? Contact Kerry Shorr at: silvershorr@hotmail.com

Kerry Shorr, 24/7 Contributing Writer
Co-Founder, Luxe File Chicago

Photo Credit:
“Martini Girl” by Stephanie Walter