Here's the scoop: buy a ticket, show up with a dish and a chair, and drink some fancy wines and have some fancy fun. Tickets benefit the Chicago delegates to Terra Madre, "a world meeting of food communities." As Damien tells us: "Greg Hall from Goose Island, Michael Thompson of the Honey Coop and a slew of small farmers will all go to Italy for the event, and hopefully bring back ideas that will make us happier eaters."

The event tonight is at The Chicago Honey Coop (3740 W. Fillmore), tickets ($15 for members, $20 nonmembers) get you all-you-can-drink beer from Goose Island, wine from Candid, and bread from Italian Superior Bakery. Plus, presumably, your share of whatever everyone else brings.

Tomato Festival and Potluck Supper at the Chicago Honey Coop [SlowFood Chicago]

[Photo: Tomato harvest, via joeysplanting's Flickr]

Chef/author/former crush of a certain MP Editor who shall not be named but is not us/crazy dude Anthony Bourdain is in town today, shooting for his TV show "No Reservations."

If you would like to declare your love (or just be near one of the most awesome guys to ever wield a chef's knife), we advise you to get your skinny butts to Moto right this second, or to Matchbox and Silver Palm from 8-10pm.

Bourdain does Chicago [The Stew]
Moto [MenuPages]
Moto [Official Site]
Silver Palm [MenuPages]

So it's not exactly a restaurant. Or remotely on our beat. But we feel sort of obligated, as a human being, to mention that tonight at Quimby's Bookstore, at 7pm, it is Erotic Harry Potter night, with live readings of HP slash. Needless to say, this one's not for the kids.

Let it be known: If you don't know what "Harry Potter slash" is, and you Google it, we are not responsible for your resultant facial expression.

[via]
[Photo, via andydrake's Flickr]

If you find yourself with nothing to do this weekend, we've got a suggestion for you. In fact, if you do have something to do this weekend, we've got a suggestion for you (though it will involve canceling your something and replacing it with this):

Right now, at this very second, and lasting until this Sunday, the town of Whitinig, IN, is experiencing Pierogi Fest. Polka music, carnival rides, and mashed potato encased in dough: heaven!

Grab A Pierogi And A Babushka In Whiting This Weekend [Chicagoist]

Alice Waters is coming! Alice Waters is coming! The blockbuster doyenne of Chez Panisse (not to mention patron saint of any movement involving the words "local," "sustainable," "fresh," and "slow") will be in town to put together an Obama fundraising dinner. Politics makes us yawn, but hello: she'll be at the Green City Market on Saturday from 8am on, and signing her latest book from 9 to 11.

We can't wait to read what Fruit Slinger will have to say about her. You will be there, won't you Dan?

Alice in Chicagoland [The Stew]

[Photo: Chez Panisse, via fuzuoco's Flickr]

(We wanted to illustrate this post with a photo of Chef Nino Mancari's tattoo of Alice Waters, but it belongs to The New York Times and we don't want to get sued. So we strongly advise you to go to this gallery and check out these awesome chef tattoos.)