Demera Ethiopian Teams With Rick Bayless and Three More Chicago Pop-Ups

Chicagoans are an optimistic crowd at heart, ever hopeful that the winter blahs are behind them and that spring buds are on the edge of blooming. That energy and enthusiasm carry over to the city’s bars and restaurants, where hospitality experts are organizing plenty of pop-ups and events to celebrate — with food and drink, of course. Follow along for a sampling of the best the city has to offer in this week’s Eater Chicago pop-up round-up.

Have a pop-up that should be listed? Email information to chicago@eater.com.

May

West Loop: Charlie McKenna, the celebrated chef and founder of essential barbecue spot Lillie’s Q, is gearing up to launch his third annual BarbeCure charity event on Wednesday, May 3 at District Brew Yards, according to a rep. A lineup of industry competitors including celebrity chef Stephanie Izard (Girl & the Goat), Brian Jupiter (Frontier), and Tim Flores and Genie Kwon (Kasama) will battle for the title of tastiest chicken wings; attendees can also count on a chicken tender bar, beers, and desserts from Pretty Cool Ice Cream and New York transplant Levain Bakery. All of the proceeds from BarbeCure will go to cancer-related nonprofits Katherine McKenna Brother’s Scholarship Fund and the Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation. Tickets ($95 general admission, $125 VIP) and more details are available online. Lillie’s Q Third Annual BarbeCure at District Brew Yards, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, 417 N. Ashland Avenue.

April

Wicker Park: Celebrity chef Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill) is popping up at Piece Brewery and Pizzeria with a special Bayless Family Pizza (roasted tomatillo salsa, bacon, pepperjack, jalapeños) through Sunday, April 9. $10 from each pizza sale goes to no-kill animal shelter Paws Chicago. It’s part of a larger initiative by Piece called Slice to Meet You! in which the pizza shop attaches a PAWS flier to each pizza box featuring a dog available at its Lincoln Park shelter. Chef Matthias Merges (Billy Sunday, Mordecai) launched the pizza portion of the project in February with a pie named for his dog, Jupiter. Bayless Family Pizza at Piece Brewery and Pizzeria, available through Sunday, April 9, 1927 W. North Avenue.

Avondale: Weekly pop-up series Monday Night Foodball from Reader food writer Mike Sula has one more event to go before announcing a new spring schedule, and this round is going out with an esoteric bang. On Monday, April 3, cheesemonger Alisha Norris Jones will unveil Japonisme, “a French term coined in the late 19th century to describe the craze for Japanese art and design in the West,” according to Tate Modern, she writes on Instagram. Jones also cites influences including (but not limited to) Van Gogh, Chanel, Jinori plateware, Doja Cat at SS 2023 Viktor and Rolf, and the first bite of chef Oliver Poilevey’s (Le Bouchon, Obilex) beef tartare with shio koji and salsa verde. Monday Night Foodball with Alisha Norris Jones at Ludlow Liquors, Monday, April 3, 2959 N. California Avenue.

March

River North: Chef Tigist Reda of Uptown favorite Demera will join Bar Sótano chef Jackie Hernandez for an Ethiopian-meets-Mexican pop-up Thursday, March 30 at Bar Sótano, a cocktail bar from the ever-busy Rick Bayless and daughter Lainie Bayless that’s accessible through the alley behind Frontera Grill. Offerings include injera tacos with seared lamb and mimita crema, tej-braised short rib with Chiapas mole, and a chocolate tamal with cream cheese-chai ice cream from pastry sous chef Jennifer Melendrez. All proceeds from the event will go to health care non-profit Health Professionals Network for Tigray. Tickets ($80) and more details are available via Resy. Demera at Bar Sótano, 5 p.m. Thursday, March 30, 443 N. Clark Street, alley entrance.

Rick Bayless