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Dining events: Table at Crate debuts weekend brunch menu

Brunch it up

With spring in the air, chef Bill Kim is crafting a new weekend brunch menu for Table at Crate in Oak Brook to match the lighter tastes of the season. Available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays starting Saturday, April 17, new options include the lemon ricotta pancakes (smoked shoulder bacon and shishito peppers wrapped in pancakes topped with sweetened ricotta cheese), farmers eggs and salmon (with a grilled cheese, radish salad and fingerling potatoes), vanilla French toast (garnished with maple syrup, cinnamon and caramelized pineapple), fresh fruit parfait with Greek yogurt, and herbed chicken ranchero (accompanied by roasted tomato salsa and tortilla chips, with a fried egg on top). Of course there will be mimosas, bellinis, the Crate & Mary, and the Espresso Martini on offer, too. If lunch is more your style, choose from the avocado tartine garnished with pumpkin seeds and watermelon radish; the watermelon mint salad featuring veggies, forbidden black rice and nuoc cham; or the vegetable ceviche consisting of cucumbers, hominy, cilantro and blue tortilla chips. Enjoy brunch or lunch inside the Crate & Barrel store or on the all-seasons patio.

The Table at Crate is at 35 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 590-9444, tableatcrate.com/.

Table at Crates's new vanilla French toast comes topped with caramelized pineapples, maple syrup and cinnamon. Courtesy of Table at Crate

Mac 'N Cheese Cook Off

If you love mac and cheese, then you're in for a treat. From April 18 to 25, 10 Glen Ellyn restaurants will be offering their best mac and cheese dishes to try to win the Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce's first Mac 'N Cheese Cook Off. Here's where you come in. Try as many of the dishes as you can during the week and then vote online at glenellynchamber.com/MacNCheeseCookOff/ for your favorite. The winner will be announced the following week. Here's what the restaurants will be offering:

• Ellyn's Tap & Grill (940 Roosevelt Road, (630) 942-0940, ellyns.com): Buffalo mac and cheese featuring a three-cheese mac with crispy chicken tenders, Buffalo sauce, blue cheese crumbles and chives.

• Fire + Wine (433 N. Main St., (630) 793-9955, fireandwine.net): Chili mac 'n' cheese with short ribs, beans, tomatoes, cavatelli noodles and a five-cheese blend.

• Lee 'N Eddies (682 Roosevelt Road, (630) 350-3500, leeneddies.com): Gourmet mac and cheese with barbecue Hawaiian meatballs.

• Made In Italy (476 Forest Ave., (630) 469-4146, dinnermadeinitaly.com): Carbonara mac 'n' cheese with pancetta, smoked provolone and white cheddar.

• Main Street Pub (466 N. Main St., (630) 790-1734, themainstreetpub.com): Chipotle mac and cheese with bacon bits, chipotle peppers, Gouda, provolone and mozzarella.

• Maize + Mash (430 N. Main St., (630) 547-2540, maizeandmash.com): Lobster mac 'n' cheese with butter-poached lobster, homemade cheese sauce, bacon lardons, green onions, herbs and bread crumbs.

• Nobel House (419 N. Main St., (630) 547-2180, nobelhouserestaurants.com): Burnt end mac 'n' cheese, which is a three-cheese mac with a Parmesan breadcrumb topping and twice-smoked burnt ends glazed in a barbecue rub.

• Reserve 22 (485 Winchell Way, (630) 469-5550, reserve22.com): Smoked mozzarella mac 'n' cheese with Italian sausage and apples.

• Shannon's Irish Pub (428 N. Main St., (630) 790-9080, shannonsirishpub.info): Chili mac featuring American cheese, heavy cream and butter.

• Two Hound Red (486 Pennsylvania Ave., (630) 547-2912, 2houndred.com): Mac 'n' cheese with bacon lardons and Parmesan bread crumbs.

The berries & cream crepes join a long list of new menu items at Wynburg Cafe in Arlington Heights. Courtesy of Wynburg Cafe

Sunnyside up

Who doesn't like breakfast? Or lunch? Or brunch? If you're hungry for any of those right now, consider Wynburg Cafe's new menu items, which you can order from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Fill up on new dishes, such as cookie jar pancakes (Oreo cookie crumbles, chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate sauce, whipped cream), birthday cake pancakes (sugar cookie dough, rainbow sprinkles, cream cheese icing), banana-Reese's bonanza pancakes (banana slices, crumbled Reese's peanut butter cups, chocolate sauce, whipped cream), cinnamon roll pancakes, s'mores pancakes, bacon Belgian waffle (diced bacon in the batter), carrot cake French toast, berries and cream crepes, blintzes, guacamole potato blanket omelet (encased in a hash brown blanket), toro breakfast burrito (jalapeño bacon, chicken, onions, black beans and mozzarella), tuna melt, paninis (chicken artichoke; turkey, ham and cheese; vegetable; chicken avocado), build-your-own burgers, Mediterranean wrap and much more.

Wynburg Cafe is at 306 E. Rand Road, Arlington Heights, (847) 398-8900, wynburg-cafe.com/.

Fox Valley gets Social

Tapville Social just opened its newest location inside Fox Valley Mall this past weekend. Offering a variety of craft beer (Upland Wheat Ale, For the Masses IPA, Monkey's Uncle Dunkel), wine (Tangent sauvignon blanc, Tapville red sangria, Vinum Petite Sirah) and cider (Van Van Mojo), patrons can order a drink from the kiosk and then enjoy it while walking around the mall. Tapville Social is also pairing up with Molly's Cupcakes for Molly's Cupcakes, Beer & Cider Pairing at 2 p.m. Sundays, April 25 and May 16. For $35 per person, sample five Molly's Cupcakes paired with five beers/ciders. Limited tickets available.

Tapville Social Fox Valley is at 195 Fox Valley Center Drive, Aurora, (630) 823-0651, tapvillesocial.com/fox-valley.

Make Mom's day

Think your mom is pretty great? Pinstripes wants to know why in 200 words or less. Explain what makes her so awesome for a chance to win free Mother's Day brunch for six at Pinstripes. But, hurry up and get writing as the deadline to enter is Sunday, April 18. Don't forget to upload a pic of mom, too. For details, see pinstripes.com/mothers-day-entry/.

Pinstripes has locations in Chicago, Northbrook, Oak Brook and South Barrington.

Free, free, free

Yes, you read that correctly. To celebrate its grand opening, La Dulce Michoacana Ice Cream Shop in Hillside is offering free ice cream at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 17.

La Dulce Michoacana Ice Cream Shop is at 4001 Warren Ave., Hillside, (708) 240-4914, facebook.com/ladulce.michoacana.18.

Wildfire will be hosting three wine dinners featuring Stag's Leap wines next week. Courtesy of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises

Wildfire wine dinners

Wildfire is kicking off its 2021 wine dinner series with three events featuring a collaboration with Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. Learn more about the wine pairings from a wine rep while dining on four courses for $95 per person. The wine dinners, which run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., start with a reception featuring lump crab arancini paired with Aveta Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley '18 before moving on to crispy duck confit paired with Karia Chardonnay, Napa Valley '18. Next up, dine on chargrilled beef tenderloin and truffle spring vegetables paired with Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley '18 before indulging in the Napoleon chocolate trio with blackberry fudge sauce paired with Hands of Time Red Blend, Napa Valley '18. The dinner in Oak Brook is Monday, April 19; in Glenview, it's Wednesday, April 21; and in Lincolnshire, it's Thursday, April 22. Reservations are required.

Wildfire is at 1300 Patriot Blvd., Glenview, (847) 657-6363; 235 Parkway Dive, Lincolnshire, (847) 279-7900; and 232 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 586-9000; wildfirerestaurant.com/.

• Due to evolving COVID-19 restrictions, note that these offerings are subject to change. Send restaurant news to clinden@dailyherald.com.

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