Tuesday, December 3
Spice up weekday lunch breaks—this week and next, stop by Block Thirty Seven (108 N. State St., The Loop) for an indoor version of the Wicker Park food fest known as the Nosh from noon to 2 p.m. today and running weekdays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. They’ll be stuffing their outdoor vendors, including food trucks such as Mixteco Grill (that’s where you can grab the pictured cochinita pibil torta), inside the mall, because sandwiches taste better when you're protected from the elements.
Thursday, December 5
Living through Prohibition would have been terrible—toast the 80th anniversary of its repeal at Nana (3627 S. Halsted, Bridgeport, 312-929-2486) with era-appropriate cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and live music. Come dressed in your best Gatsby attire. Reservations and $40 tickets are required—call the restaurant to book.
Friday, December 6
World of Chocolate. Need we say more than the event’s name to entice you? Sweet and savory dishes featuring chocolate in some form from 30 different vendors will be available to taste, along with palate-cleansing drinks from the open bar and a light buffet. Tickets for the event inside Union Station (500 W. Jackson Blvd., West Loop) start at $125 (buy them here), and the proceeds benefit the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
Saturday, December 7
Stretch out those mixing and rolling muscles—it’s officially Christmas cookie season, and our friends from the Chicago Tribune’s "Good Eating" section will be hosting a holiday baking seminar at Kendall College (900 N. North Branch St., Goose Island, 312-752-2000), with technique tips from Stephanie Samuels of Angel Food Bakery, cookie decorating lessons, and samples of the best cookies from the section’s reader-submitted recipe contest. Purchase $50 tickets here.
Sunday, December 8
Just in time to start holiday shopping for your favorite non-meat-eater, the Chicago Diner is releasing a cookbook with more than 100 vegetarian and vegan recipes. They’ll be celebrating with a release party at the Center on Halsted (3656 N. Halsted, Wrigleyville) from 3 to 6 p.m., with cooking demos and samples. E-mail rsvp@veggiediner.com to get on the guest list for the free event.