Last night, the Shedd Aquarium teamed up with Chefs Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris of Prairie Fire to teach diners about sustainable seafood. While there is something a bit counter-intuitive about an aquarium teaching people how to eat their charges, this education is important, as consumers have a real ability to impact the health of the oceans. Best of all, you can learn while eating some darn good food. Join us for a belated World Oceans Day and learn what you can do. more ›

Sometimes, sticking with your New Year's resolutions can be too much to ask, especially when those resolutions involve food. As the weather outside gets more and more miserable, the urge to curl up on the couch with a bag of potato chips gets stronger and stronger. For food lovers, the word "diet" is a curse, often denoting bland meals lacking salt, fat or flavor. If you've got some dough to spare after Christmas, you can make your New Year's diet stick in style. Sarah Stegner, chef/owner of Prairie Fire and two-time James Beard Award winner, will cook you three healthy meals a day for ten days, to beat those post-holiday blues. more ›

On Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of participating in the finals of an amateur bartending contest hosted by the folks at Prairie Fire and the charity Share Our Strength. (How I got myself behind the bar at Prairie Fire is described here and here.) After two terribly enjoyable hours, the other finalist - a knowledgeable and talented mixer named Adam Murphy - out-earned me in tips (all of which were donated to Share Our Strength to combat childhood hunger) and thus was named the winner. He'll be demonstrating his winning original cocktail, the delicious White Winter Whiskey Sour, at the Green City Market this Wednesday. I urge everyone to go see him in action. more ›

So that cocktail competition we posted about last week at Prairie Fire? Our Own Roger Kamholz is a finalist this evening. Join Roger this evening fro 6-8 p.m. as he slings his drink for charity. The most tips wins, and all tips go to Share Our Strength. more ›

Readers know there are a handful of cocktail enthusiasts here on the Chicagoist staff. But how would Rob, Anthony and Roger stand against other like-minded drinkers? For that matter, how would you? more ›

Two big restaurant openings are set to happen in the next four days. Well, one of the openings is more of a re-launch, but we're still stoked. Let's talk about that one first. more ›

We've been preoccupied with non-Chicagoist related business today, but wanted to check in with this video we found of a trip NAHA's Carrie Nahabedian and Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Café took to Olga Bay, Alaska, where they visited wild salmon fisheries; the trip was sponsored by Plitt Seafood Company. Both Stegner and Nahabedian have been leaders in the promotion of seafood sustainability and this video shows them walking the talk, educating themselves further in the process amidst the beautiful Alaska wilderness. more ›

Realizing a long-held goal, the folks at Green City Market are set to have the market open year-round. Starting January 17 and running every first and third Saturday until April 18, vendors and farmers will hawk their wares at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (2430 N. Cannon) from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. more ›