The James Beard Foundation Awards Gala will be held in Chicago on May 6, and the previous weekend promises to be full of parties and special events — some of them open to the public.
Word is out about a few of them, as the Boka Restaurant Group is working with New York City’s Union Square Hospitality Group for three events:
Boka (1729 N. Halsted St.) will host Gramercy Tavern in a collaborative dinner May 4. Gramercy Tavern and Boka chefs Mike Anthony and Lee Wolen, and pastry chefs Miro Uskokovic and Meg Galus, will create an eight-course dinner featuring favorites from each restaurant. Seatings begin at 5 p.m. Tickets are $165; purchase here.
For the fourth year, Boka, Shake Shack and Bang Bang Pie will host their Backyard BBQ at 2-5 p.m. May 5 at Boka. Shake Shack will be previewing its Chick ‘n Parm sandwich, along with the fried chicken sandwich from Somerset restaurant. Sweets will come from Galus and Bang Bang Pie. Tickets are $50; purchase here.
The Izakaya at Momotaro (820 W. Lake St.) will host chef Suzanne Cupps, from Untitled at the Whitney at 6-9 p.m. Sunday. She and chef Gene Kato will create several Japanese-cuisine food stations around the lower-level space, with passed appetizers and cocktails also being served. Tickets are $75; purchase here.
Twitter @PhilVettel
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