Choose your battles edition
Some topping-phobic person, somewhere, has declared Sept. 5 National Cheese Pizza Day. That's right—not just any kind of pizza can be celebrated today. Let's put aside the idiocy of this concept (seriously, who is responsible for this? The national cheese pizza association?) and get behind something else: cheap cheese pizza. Quartino has dropped the price of its super-thin-crust Margherita by half for lunch on Saturday, so stop by and pay just $5.
For the opposite of $5, on Sunday June restaurant is hosting Earth's Table, a five-course dinner made from organic, locally grown, and sustainable ingredients. The evening takes place in a barnyard out in the idyllic Illinois countryside and benefits the Sun Foundation, which promotes arts & environmental sciences in Illinois communities. So even the $125 ticket price (or two for $200) is mighty tempting.
Finally, Wednesday marks the beginning of Carnivale's chili pepper festival, so expect heat-packing specials like Becker Lane spare ribs in an aji rocoto barbecue sauce, as well as pepper-infused cocktails.
Fatsometer: 5-9, depending on your pockets.
