Chicago

99 Bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer, take one down, pass it around and let’s celebrate Oktoberfest how the Germans envisioned- with good food, good drinks and good company. Prost, cheers and l’chaim.

Often called “the real taste of Chicago” or the “taste of Chicago for rich foodies,” I never thought it was possible to be overwhelmed by food until I experienced Chicago Gourmet. A CG virgin, I did not plan to be tasting 120+ dishes in two days, but being from some of the best chefs in the world, you’d kick yourself for missing any one of these little morsels. All in all, if you braved the cold (winter, you’ve wasted no time rearing your ugly head), long lines and overwhelming alcohol supply, it was a memorable time for sure. Due to the addition of Bon Appétit) as partner, the third annual foodie fest in downtown Chicago was the biggest yet and completely sold out with attendance up 25% from last year and tickets desperately being hocked on craigslist for $300+.

Jeans: such a fashion staple, yet one of the hardest items to find the perfect fit in. Whether it’s the boyfriend cut, the skinny jean, or the classic bell bottom, skip the department store and go straight to the source. Paired with a slick heel and sassy tank, it’s the little black dress of the 20th century.

With the holiday season fast approaching, the Affinia Hotel wants to make you the perfect hostess. The festive evening features special guest speaker, Nicole Briese, associate editor of Chicago Collection with the help of entertainment experts to share their knowledge on how to host the perfect holiday gathering.The entertainment connoisseurs will showcase interior design ideas, cocktail recipes and table setups, while partnering with a décor studio to bring the vision to life. Chefs Nicole Pederson and Toni Roberts of C-House will craft menus to represent each theme.

You know the feeling: it’s debatably the end of the night, the thumpin’ club beats are starting to wind down, but you don’t want to ditch out early and be the party pooper. Late night grub has become as much of a production as the drink spots themselves. So choose your munchies wisely and go to bed on a bright note.

A constant staple in the society pages, MK Prizker held her annual see and be seen equestrian event at their private farm in Bristol, Wisconsin on September 11. The Evergreen Invitational had a wet start with scattered showers resulting in a five-way tie of the $25,000 Junior/Amateur Owner. But it cleared up for Kent Farrington and Up Chiqui to take first in the $75,000 Grand Prix. The sun burst through the clouds just in time for the victory lap. Both courses were designed by eight-time USEF course designer of the year, Richard Jeffrey, on the sand based, grass Grand Prix field. The weekend-long event included a poker party Friday night, a Promenade of Shops including vendors like Graff Diamonds, Lake Forest Sport Cars, Dennis Basso, Escada, Saddlers Row, Argo Tea, Hoosier Mama Pies and many more and food tents.

Kelli Zink grew up with a microphone in her hand, always knowing she wanted to be a reporter. From knocking on the door of a Fox Sports production truck after a basketball game in her cheerleader uniform to winning an ESPN reality show, she did whatever it took to get her foot in the television door. By the age of 22 she had been a sports anchor in two markets and decided it was time to move west. She drove her 1996 Ford to LA to help launch the NFL Network- even creating the network’s original slogan; “Where Football Season Never Ends.” Needing a change, she moved back to the Midwest. Zink is currently the host of CelebTV.com, and a regular contributor to the top entertainment news shows in the country, including CNN Headline News’ Nancy Grace, CNN’s ShowBiz Tonight, MSNBC and Fox News. She is a weekly guest on “The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet” where she talks about hot topics spanning from politics to pop culture.

RJ and Jerrod Melman are teaming up with internationally-acclaimed French Chef Joho (Everest) as they make their next move on the restaurant scene. After successful launches of local and celebrity favorites HUB51 and SUB51 in Chicago and LGO in Santa Monica, this time the focus is on casual French fare. Prompted by an expiring lease this fall at Brasserie JO (59 W. Hubbard), Joho and the Melman brothers are seizing the opportunity to re-concept the space with a goal of reintroducing French food to the next generation of diners.

The origins of sake are unclear; however, the earliest written reference to use of alcohol in Japan is recorded in the Book of Wei of the Records of Three Kingdoms. This 3rd century Chinese text speaks of the Japanese drinking and dancing. People used sake for spiritual functions because people who had it got a fever. And man do we got the fever. Sake it to me.

The Sixth Annual Windy City Wine Festival is Chicago’s favorite way to wrap up the summer in style. And who wouldn’t love drinking outdoors in front of the iconic Buckingham Fountain along the lakefront? Set in the shadow of the breathtaking Chicago skyline, the Windy City Wine Festival features more than 300 international and domestic wine varieties, presented by more than 50 festival vendors. If you missed it this weekend, put it on your calendar as a must for next year.

When Tata Motors purchased Jaguar from the ailing Ford Motor Company in 2008, the Indian company was faced with a number of makeover issues. So in launching their brand new XJ flagship sedan earlier this year, Jaguar unleashed an all out marketing blitz that sought to re-connect with savvy luxury consumers through carefully chosen branding partners.

Seafood- one of the most broad genres of food, yet encompassing all kinds of wonderfulness from fish to shellfish to crustaceans. And let’s face it a night of lobster or king crab is no poor man’s dish. Lobsters are economically important, forming a global industry that nets more than $1 billion annually. That’s music to our ears and tastebuds.