SAVORY news: Dia de los Muertos, Jet's giveaway and a 'Queer Eye' star

All this and much more for the week of Oct. 27...

Drop me a line (hot news, tips, etc.) at future3733@yahoo.com.

Note: No reproduction of this column is permitted under any circumstances without the express prior written permission from this columnist. 

—Pop life: Please don’t forget that I have another column, Pop-Eds, in which I air my thoughts on various hot-button issues. The next column will include thoughts on McDonald’s crisis, Laquan McDonald, what a Republican got right about Kamala Harris and more. Please check it all out at Andrew449.substack.com this week!

And now on to culinary items…

—Seeing the Light: Pilot Light's founding chefs—Matthias Merges (Billy Sunday, Folkart Management), Paul Kahan (One Off Hospitality), Jason Hammel (Lula Café; Marisol) and Justin Large—announced that Queer Eye co-star Antoni Porowski will be the celebrity host of the 2024 Feed Your Mind Gala. 

Antoni Porowski. Photo by Paul Brissman

Set for Friday, Nov. 1, at Venue West, the event promises to be an extraordinary evening that combines world-class dining with a powerful mission. In addition, cookbook author/journalist Anupy Singla of Indian as Apple Pie will be a special guest. Guest chefs will include Dominique Leach (Lexington Betty Smokehouse), Sarah Stegner (Prairie Grass Cafe), James Martin (Bocadillo Market), Joe Frillman and Leigh Omilinsky (Daisies), among others; they will collaborate on a menu showcasing their unique culinary perspectives.

To purchase tickets, visit this link.

—Pick and choose: My choice pick for brunch is the one at Mirella’s Tavern—a place in Wicker Park/Ukrainian Village whose lunch I previously reviewed in this column.

Not only are the dishes (most of which are the basics) pretty delicious and substantial—but the dishes are very budget-friendly, with most items costing between $11-$14 each. 

—Opening: Lincoln Park welcomes its newest culinary destination: Ceiba, a Latin-inspired, 4,200-square-foot restaurant helmed by Chef Armando Gonzalez.

Ceiba’s lamb shank. PR photo

Gonzalez, originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, has become a key figure in Chicago’s culinary scene with his work at top establishments like Libertad, Mas and mk. The dinner menu (divided into vegetarian, meat and fish sections) includes highlights such as chile relleno (poblano pepper stuffed with wild mushroom, goat cheese, epazote, chile de arbol salsa); chipotle hummus; barbacoa (lamb shank braised with guajillo and ancho peppers, avocado leaves, butternut squash risotto and pistachios); Spanish octopus with fingerling potatoes; and sesame seed-crusted salmon.

—Things are looking Rosie: Rosemont’s Parkway Bank Park entertainment district (5501 Park Place, Rosemont) will expand its dining offerings with the opening of Mas Mex Restaurant Group’s Fat Rosie’s Taco & Tequila Bar on Oct. 30.