The Friday Buffet

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 19, 2007 1:25PM

Before we go to the listings, we want to bid farewell to the Tribune's Kevin Pang, who's heading over to the Tempo section. But he leaves the food beat with a profile of Peter Engler, the city's foremost expert on mother-in-law sandwiches, street food and other south side cheap eats.

• Shaw's Crab House concludes this year's edition of their "Royster with the Oyster" festival with their annual tent party at their Hubbard Street location tonight. Cost is $10.
• The Anti-Cruelty Society is hosting its annual "It's Raining Cats and Dogs" fundraiser this evening at their River North headquarters, 510 N. LaSalle. The $140-per-person benefit entitles attendees to food (from over 20 of the city's top chefs), wine tastings, live and silent auctions, and the chance to leave with an adopted cat or dog. The event runs from 6:30-10 p.m.
• Free beer at West Lakeview Liquors this evening. They'll be tasting out selections from Brooklyn Brewery from 6-9 p.m.
• The monthly free wine tasting at Wine Compliments in far northwest Edison Park runs from 2-8 p.m. tomorrow.
• West Town Tavern is holding an "Umami" wine dinner Sunday. Translated from Japanese, "umami" (the fifth basic taste) means "savory"; each of the four courses in this $85-per-person dinner will be paired with a wine to highlight its umami. The dinner begins at 5:30 p.m.
• Provenance Food and Wine hosts a "Cooking with International Spices" class Monday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost is $30.
• ChicaGourmets! and Remy Bumppo Theatre join up to bring dinner theater package Wednesday. It kicks off at 2 p.m. with a cocktail reception and matinée presentation of the play Fiction at Victory Gardens Theater, followed by dinner at Four Farthings Tavern at 5 p.m. Cost for the package is $79 per person.
• The Greater Chicago Food Depository's annual "Bag Hunger" Auction is slated for Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Drive. This year's chef chairs are West Town Tavern's Susan Goss, Ina "the Breakfast Queen" Pickney and pastry chef extraordinarie Gale Gand (Tru, Gale's Coffee Bar). Tickets are $120 through Monday, $150 at the door.

Image via GCFD website.