With high spirits

A variety of restaurants pair different kinds of spirits for special events in the next seven days.

Adobo Grill at 356 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, hosts its first tequila dinner. Chef Othon Angel prepares a four-course menu featuring Tequila Herradura at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Cost is $38 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Reservations required. (630) 627-9990.

Birch River Grill at 75 W. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, serves up a six-course beer pairing dinner hosted by Anheuser-Busch Beer Ambassadors at 6 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $50 per person (tax and gratuity are extra). Reservations recommended. (847) 427-4242.

Café Matou at 1846 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, showcases South of France wines from Languedoc for a five-course dinner prepared by chef Charlie Socher and wine director James Rahn at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Cost is $70 per person (all-inclusive). Reservations required. (773) 384-8911.

Morton's The Steakhouse at 1 Westbrook Corporate Center, Westchester, goes Russian with an evening of Imperia vodka cocktails paired with caviar and other hors d'oeuvres from 6 to 7:30 p.m. today. Cost is $45 per guest. Reservations requested by calling (708) 562-7041.

Special events

The Abbey Resort near Lake Geneva in Fontana, Wisc., kicks off its "Great Chefts at the Lake Series" today which features some of the Chicago region's top chefs mingling with diners, offering cooking demonstrations and preparing exclusive meals over the weekend. Andy Webber of Carlucci Restaurant is the first chef on the roster, which includes Dudley Nieto of Zocolo from March 14-16, Mark Mendez of Carnivale from March 28 -30 and Bill Kim of Le Lan from April 4-6. Cost is $199 per person, plus tax and resort fees based upon a double occupancy. Reservations required. (800) 772-1000 or theabbeyresort.com.

Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! at 2024 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago, teams with the Art Institute of Chicago for a special tapas dinner at 6 p.m. Tuesday that pairs a slide show of works by Spanish artists Diego Velazquez and Francisco de Goya y Lucientes. Cost is $65 per person, plus tax

The event is the culmination of the restaurant's "Second Annual Orange Festival" which features special orange items on the menu, a build-your-own screwdriver bar from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and a flamenco dance dinner show at 6 p.m. Sunday. Call (773) 935-5000 for reservations.