Monday, February 29

If you are a rare Leap Day baby, you can get a free dinner at the Hard Rock Café (63 W. Ontario St., Loop, 312-943-2252) with a valid, birthday-affirming ID. Do with that information what you will.

It’s Arami’s (1829 W. Chicago Ave., West Town, 312-243-1535) regular last-Monday-of-the-month noodle night (when chefs flex their muscles a bit and hot sake’s on a discount), and the specials for their feast are particularly oddball. Have you ever wanted to have buffalo chicken ramen with Buffalo wings in a blue cheese and miso broth? Now’s your chance.

Thursday, March 3

Mighty Vine has been storming local restaurants and grocery stores with their hydroponic, locally grown tomatoes even in the dead of winter, and you can see if they measure up to their summery counterparts at a five-course dinner at Kendall College (900 N. North Branch St., West Town) that will also feature sips from CH Distillery. Part of the proceeds from the $85 meal will go to fund scholarships for Kendall students. Dinner starts at 6 p.m.—pick up tickets here.

Drink your Peruvian history lesson at a release party for Wari Ale, a collaboration between the folks at Off Color Brewing and the Field Museum (1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., South Loop). In this second team effort between the museum and the beermaker, they’re making a drink inspired by ancient Peruvian drinking vessels in the museum’s behind-the-scenes collections (the beer itself is a purple chicha de molle, which uses corn and pepper.) The $40 entry ($35 for museum members) gets you a glass of the brew and food pairings as well as a pint glass. Tickets are available here.

Saturday, March 5

Get tipsy, Mitten State–style, at the Michigan Matinee at Crown Liquors (2821 N. Milwaukee Ave., Logan Square, 773-252-9741). Six breweries (including Bell’s and Jolly Pumpkin) from that state up north will showcase four beers each, and you’ll be handed four tasting tickets to put together your own mini-flight. The tasting runs from 1 to 4 p.m. and you can grab $27 tickets here.