Wednesday, July 6

The Taste of Chicago, the massive annual food fest in Grant Park with close to 70 different dining vendors offering samples of their wares, starts up today and runs through Sunday. Entry is free—read up on all the excitement here.

Sip several French wines during a tasting at III Forks (180 N. Field Blvd., Streeterville, 312-938-4303). For $20, you can have samples of six different varieties, including a 2012 Albert Bichot chardonnay. You can RSVP for the $20 tasting by calling the restaurant.

Friday, July 8

Happy fifth birthday to Roka Akor (456 N. Clark St., River North, 312-477-7652)! The restaurant will mark the occasion with free oysters and sparkling wine from 5 to 6 p.m. in their Roka Bar lounge.

Saturday, July 9

Grab some coffee and pastries courtesy of Jacquy Pfeiffer during a chat sesh with the renowned dessert pro at Read It & Eat (2142 N. Halsted St., Lincoln Park, 773-661-6158). He’ll be talking about his book, The Art of French Pastry, and his life at the French Pastry School while showing off a few recipes. The $10 tickets are available here.

Sunday, July 10

If you’re working on your sake palate, Naoki (2300 N. Lincoln Park West, Lincoln Park, 773-868-0002) has started a Sunday tasting series, where they’ll open a large-format bottle of the stuff and offer glasses for a discounted price. Today’s sampling: Tozai Typhoon ($5, regularly $8).