The listed events were chosen by the editors of Chicagoist and brought to you by the 2009 Toyota Corolla. Food/Drink: Get an early start to Valentine's Day with a champagne dinner at Café Matou this evening. Chef Charlie Socher will prepare a five-course dinner featuring dishes from the Champagne region, paired with Champagne wines selected by Wine Director James Rahn. 1846 N. Milwaukee, 7 p.m. Cost is $95 (all inclusive); RSVP at 773.384.8911. Art:......

Irish Repertory of Chicago reminds us that there’s much more to the Emerald Isle than Guinness and cereal-chomping cartoon characters. The Irish and their American descendents gave the world some of its finest playwrights and literary figures, from Pulitzer Prize winners to brilliant contemporary writers deserving wider exposure. This week the company imports Donal O’Kelly, an actor-playwright in the latter category who probably wouldn’t mind joining the former, in a very limited engagement at Columbia......

Chicagoist stumbled into its local tavern recently and noticed a whole lot of green tinsel and merry little top hats—the American cultural shorthand for St. Patrick’s Day (or Amateur Hour as it’s known around these offices). While you might be tempted to “celebrate” the rich cultural heritage of Ireland with a pint of green Bud Light, why not spend some time this week at the Beverly Arts Center during the 6th Annual Irish Film Festival......