WEDNESDAY 3
The Drawing Room (at right) offers an extra incentive to come in this week and bid farewell to summer (and to their summer menu): three courses plus a cocktail for $29. Through Sun 7. 937 N Rush St (312-266-2694).

Take a seat at the pizza bar at La Madia’s Chef’s Table, and watch first-hand as chef-owner Jonathan Fox turns out a seasonal menu. This month, Fox pairs wild salmon, chanterelle-mushroom ravioli and triple-pepperoni pizza with wines and beers. 7–9pm. 59 W Grand Ave (312-329-0400). $35.

THURSDAY 4
Be the first one on your block to try three Spanish wines from producers Bodegas las Orcas and Pago San Gabriel. Meet the winemakers—Raimundo Abando and Luis Ollar—and nibble on tapas at the wine-release event at In Fine Spirits. 6:30–8:30pm. 5420 N Clark St (773-334-9463). Free.

FRIDAY 5
Remember when we found those aerial wine artists at Texas de Brazil? Well it turns out there’s another kind of wine artist, but his job description is a little less thrilling: his name is Thomas Arvid, and he paints wine. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse invited him (and anyone else who’d like to meet him) to a dinner featuring the wines that inspire Arvid’s art. 6:30–10pm. 25 E Ohio St (312-329-9463). $125.

Summer might be winding down, but the festival circuit is still in full swing. Get your bratwurst at the German–American Festival, which kicks off today in Lincoln Square. Local butchers will be preparing traditional German fare like veal leberkase and potato salad. And of course, there will be plenty of pilsener. Through Sun 7. Fri 5–11pm; Sat noon–11pm; Sun noon–10pm. Parade Sat 2pm. 4700 N Lincoln Ave at Leland Ave. Free admission, average dish: $5.

SATURDAY 6
Find out how to pick out the best tomatoes at the farmers’ market at Garden Fresh Weekend. Patrick Sheerin, the exec chef at The Signature Room at the 95th, leads a tour of Green City Market this morning from 9–10am. Then the class re-unites at the Signature Room tomorrow (10:30am–noon) to make (and eat) brunch with Sheerin using the produce from the market. 875 N Michigan Ave (312-280-0472). $75.

Ooh, what is “wine bingo”? Well, it’s bingo, with wine and food from Chocolate Grape’s menu available for purchase. The entry fee gets given back to participants as winnings. 7–9pm. 2113 W Division (773-772-3990). $25.

SUNDAY 7
Wondering how to eat at Sepia on the cheap? Try brunch. Chef Kendal Duque showcases Seedling Fruit in dishes like melon soup and an applewood-smoked bacon-and-peach sandwich at a special Fruits From The Farm Brunch. Seedling’s melons and stone fruits find their way into the cocktails ($9), too. 10:30am–2pm. 123 N Jefferson St (312-441-1920). $25.

Green City Market knows how to throw a fundraiser: local celeb chefs like Rick Bayless and Gale Gand (and lots more) will be cooking with GCM produce at Bill Kurtis’s 75-acre property, Mettawa Manor. 5:30–8pm. Mettawa Home and Gardens of Bill Kurtis and Donna LaPietra (773-880-1266). $250–5,000.