Today in restaurant news: Alpana Singh is opening a new wine bar and one of the owners of Fox and Obel denies bouncing paychecks. more ›

The firing is a loss for Chicago bread lovers, and may signal a rocky future for the River North gourmet store. more ›

On Sunday, October 18, the chefs of Blackbird, avec and The Publican along with Pamela Fitzpatrick of Fox & Obel are hosting a five-course benefit dinner supporting James Beard Foundation. Chefs of the night will be Becky Broeske, Koren Grieveson, Brian Huston, Paul Kahan and Mike Sheerin. Pairings will feature Champagne Henriot, Napa Valley’s Blackbird Vineyards, Goose Island Beer Company and Three Floyds Brewing Co. If you must only choose one big dining event of the fall, this might be it. Hors d’oeuvres include: oysters, smoked black cod, and crispy pork rinds paired with champagne. The five course menu includes: more ›

You've just gotten over your fancy ice cream headache from last weekend's Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival. What's next? Make your own at Fox and Obel's ice cream making-class this Thursday. From 6-7:30pm and for $25, join Amy Donati (Fox & Obel Charcuterie and Kitchen Manager) in a hands-on class that will have you whipping up Honey Lavender, Red Currant, Kahlua & Espresso, Wine Sorbet and Creme de Menthe ice cream as well as ice cream sandwiches and pies. Leave your kids at home- this is adults only. As always, two hours of validated parking and 10% market purchases on the day of the class. more ›

Next Thursday, everyone's beloved River East grocer, Fox and Obel, will be hosting a class celebrating Irish cheese and beer just in time for your St. Patrick's Day celebration. Fox and Obel's cheese guy, Aaron Stek, will lead attendees through a sampling and education of several cheeses including Cashel Blue, Ardrahan, Coolea and Vintage Irish Cheddar. Wash it down with a selection of Irish beers, compliments of a Guinness beer ambassador. more ›

Gourmet grocery Fox and Obel gave Loop-bound foodies reason to rejoice when they announced an outlet on State Street, located in the former Carson Pirie Scott building. Hope you didn't count those farm-raised cage-free organic jumbo brown-shell eggs before they hatched, foodies - Crains reports that F&O has pulled out of that deal, along with Australian surf-gear retailer Billabong. (We're sure that this hurts all those Chicago surfers and aficionados of cargo shorts as well, but we've got a shiny nickel on Loop lunchers being more directly affected.) more ›

The seminars at Chicago Gourmet were a lot like college— you either left feeling smarter after a lecture from a great professor or you sat through the whole thing drawing on your notebook, wondering what all your friends were drinking at the wine tents. I assume many ticket holders attended Chicago Gourmet hoping to expand their knowledge of food and wine. The seminars seemed like the best place to start if this was your ultimate goal. Unfortunately, as Chuck and Anthony mentioned, they proved to be hit or miss. more ›