The City of Chicago and the State of Illinois have placed restrictions on many events and businesses to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We strongly recommend confirming the status of attractions and upcoming events by reaching out directly to the attraction, venue, or ticket provider before proceeding.

Chicago is a foodie’s dream. Each month, there’s a new batch of food events and food festivals that offer a taste of the city’s scorching-hot culinary scene. This March, hone your skills in the kitchen by learning to make homemade empanadas and limoncello or sip your way through an array of beer, wine and spirits festivals across the city. Here’s a preview of just a few of upcoming food events in Chicago this month.

Wood-Fired Wednesdays: Galit + Dusek’s

Photo courtesy Dusek’s Chicago

Wednesday, March 4

Dusek’s Wood-Fired Wednesdays series is an opportunity for the Pilsen gastropub to create playful dishes with their massive brick hearth. And an upcoming chef pop-up with feature one of Chicago’s most buzzed-about new chefs. Zach Engel from mega-popular Galit will be taking over the oven a one-night-only collaboration. The special wood-fired menu will draw from Galit’s Mediterranean flavors, with selections such as delicata squash, baked Bulgarian feta and lamb chops. Make your reservations today.

Evening with Orchids at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Chicago Botanic Garden - Evening with the Orchids 2019
Photo courtesy Chicago Botanic Garden

Wednesday, March 11 

The Chicago Botanic Garden’s highly anticipated Orchid Show will feature a special after-hours event. Evening with Orchids will feature speciality tastings of local spirits and speciality cocktails set against their lush orchid exhibits, showcasing over 10,000 of the famous blooms. Participating distilleries include Maplewood Brewery & Distillery, Rhine Hall Distillery, KOVAL Distillery, Blaum Bros. and more. Tickets start at $35

Chicago Beer Festival

Photo courtesy Chicago Beer Festival

Friday, March 14

Chicago’s iconic Field Museum will host to over sixty breweries for the annual Chicago Beer Festival. Guests can enjoy samples of seasonal beers from the city’s many breweries alongside food, music, and a chance to explore a number of the museum’s exhibits. General admission tickets start at $50, VIP tickets (with early admission and specialty beers) start at $65.

Buckwheat Lunch + Learn at Floriole

Saturday, March 14

Lincoln Park’s Floriole Cafe & Bakery is teaming up with Artisan Grain Collaborative for a Buckwheat Lunch + Learn. The $50 ticket includes a tour of the bakery by acclaimed pastry chef Sandra Holl alongside samples of sobacha tea, vegetarian crepes, and a tart, all featuring the complex buckwheat grain. Guests will also get to hear firsthand from the Artisan Grain Collaborative team about what it takes to harvest buckwheat and learn more about this regional grain movement.

Empanada cooking class at Artango Bar & Steakhouse

Empanadas
Photo courtesy Artango Bar & Steakhouse

Wednesday, March 18

Lincoln Square mainstay Artango Bar & Steakhouse is known for their empanadas and now you can learn to make them straight from the experts during their empanada cooking class. Executive Chef Saul Roman will help sharpen your culinary skills as guests learn how to make three varieties of Argentinian empanadas (beef, caprese, corn and cheese) and sample their creations alongside a glass of Malbec. Tickets are $20 and can be reserved by calling the restaurant at (872) 208-7441.

Springfest at Eataly

Eataly
Photo credit: Eataly, Stephanie Bassos

Friday, March 20

Get ready for an all-access pass to everything Italian at Eataly’s annual Springfest. The all-inclusive party offers guests the chance to sample the best of Eataly with unlimited food and drinks. Take your pick from Neapolitan-style pizza, housemade fresh pasta, mounds of artisanal meats and cheese, a whole roasted pig, and so much more. Wash it all down with refreshing cocktails, regional Italian wines and housemade beer. Hurry — the $84 tickets tickets don’t last long

Uncorked, Chicago Wine Festival

Photo courtesy Uncorked

Saturday, March 21

Over fifty wineries and gourmet food vendors will be taking over Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry for Uncorked, Chicago Wine Festival. The general admission tickets begin at $65 and include the opportunity to sample more than 200 wines and champagnes while browsing the incredible exhibits the museum has to offer. Early admission tickets begin at $80 and include an extra hour of tasting and VIP packages are available for $110 which also include an extra additional hour, VIP wine and food pairings and more. 

West Loop Spirits, Wine & Beer Festival

Photo by Claudiu Hegedus on Unsplash

Saturday, March 21 – Sunday, March 22

What’s better than wine, beer, and spirit tastings? All that, paired with chocolate. West Loop Spirits, Wine & Beer Festival know that one of the best pairings with all of these items is artisanal chocolate. Guests can enjoy samples of all while enjoying live entertainment and helping to support a good cause — all proceeds will be donated to the Chicago Canine Rescue. The starter ticket of $35 includes artisan chocolate + speciality food samples and 10 wine & spirits tasting tickets. 

Limoncello class at Francesca’s on Chestnut

Thursday, March 26

Join the team at Francesca’s on Chestnut in the Gold Coast for a special limoncello making class. The $65 ticket includes learning how to make Francesca’s signature limoncello, samples from the bar, a limoncello recipe and bottle to take home. Small bites will also be served, including bruschetta, assorted pizzas, meat and cheese boards and limoncello tiramisu. Wine pairings are also available for an additional charge. Call (312) 482-8800 to reserve your spot. 

Ramenfest at Time Out Market

Time Out Market Chicago - CREDIT Sandy Noto - 22
Photo by Sandy Noto

Sunday, March 29

West Loop’s newest food hall, Time Out Market, is playing host to one incredible ramen showdown. Chef Bill Kim of Urbanbelly Chicago has invited multiple chefs from across the city to share their culinary interpretations of the classic ramen dish for the sixth annual Ramenfest. Challengers include Abe Conlon from Fat Rice, Edward Kim from Mini Mott, Thai Dang from HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen, Kasia Bednarz & Brittni DeLeon from FARE and many more beloved Chicago culinarians. The $80 general admission tickets include unlimited ramen tastings, two drink tickets, and an Urbanbelly gift certificate.