Restaurants

Mike Evans was all in when he started GrubHub. The 34-year-old co-founder of the online food order and delivery site quit his job when co-founder and current CEO Matt Maloney, 36, signed the first restaurant on to use GrubHub's site to take orders. With no money or funding for his operation in March 2004, Evans said he spent most of his time in restaurants persuading them to join the growing GrubHub network of Chicago eateries, and unlike what some starving startups encounter, the experience kept him fed. "I knew I only had a few months to get it to work before I couldn't handle the personal strain of finances," he said.

Poutine may be a Canadian invention, but Chicago certainly has embraced the gravy-and-cheese-topped French fry dish. So much so, in fact, that the city is welcoming its first Poutine Fest in February. Put on by three Chicago poutine enthusiasts, the Feb. 24 festival will bring together chefs from all types of restaurants - from gastropubs such as  The Gage to fine-dining spots such as  El Ideas - for an indulgent, gravy-soaked throwdown. "Having so many restaurants involved allows them to put their own spin on it," said one of the organizers, Melissa Karlin , adding that she doesn't expect every chef to stick to the gravy-and-cheese formula.

EAT Dining Out for Life Various locations Grab a meal at one of 78 participating restaurants - including Acre (5308 N. Clark St.), Baker & Nosh (1303 W. Wilson Ave.) and Tapas Gitana (3445 N. Halsted St.) - at this 21st annual fundraiser for HIV/AIDS services taking place in 59 cities. A portion of your check - up to 33 percent - benefits local organization EdgeAlliance. List of participating restaurants: diningoutforlife.com/chicago . All-You-Can-Eat Tacos D.S. Tequila Company 3352 N. Halsted St. 773-697-9127 There's something for every appetite on Thursdays with 11 taco options served on flour or gluten-free corn tortillas including coffee-rubbed steak, spicy tequila shrimp and chorizo - all of which you can wash down with $12 UV vodka pitchers.

As long as there have been cities, there have been suburbs. Humans have lived their entire lives in both and turned out well. Yet as long as there have been cities and 'burbs, there has been friction between the inhabitants. The recent outrage about a phantom Kuma's Corner location in a Schaumburg mall remind us all of this ever-present yet thankfully bloodless conflict. The Kuma's story - which started when RedEye spotted a coming-soon note on a mall directory and quickly was dismissed by the restaurant - turned into the online Civil War. (Or was it the War of Suburban Aggression?

Rocket-shaped, rainbow pylons mark the bustling, vibrant epicenter of Boystown, but somewhere just over the rainbow, there are many boutiques, novelty stores, restaurants and bars that some visitors to Chicago might easily miss--until now. A new outpost of the neighborhood InstaGreeter program--a free visitor service offered by the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture --launches May 26 at the Center on Halsted. Featuring one-hour guided walks led by what the COTC calls "knowledgeable locals," the tours cover Boystown, as well as the Lakeview and Wrigleyville neighborhoods.

Editor's note: This is not a review. Growing pains often come with the territory at new restaurants. Lying, rudeness and management throwing servers under the bus? That doesn't fly at a place that's 10 days or 10 years old. With that, the mystery of the elusive tortelloni at recently opened Ukrainian Village BYOB Briciola . Well, first some thin silver linings: -The outdoor patio at this Italian restaurant (formerly home to Jam) is pretty and comfortable. That is, if you're not sitting in a chair awkwardly positioned on uneven ground.

Chicago Restaurant Week returns for its 5th annual culinary celebration featuring value pricing at more than 230 restaurants.  The 10-day dining festival runs from February 17 through February 26 and will feature prix fixe menus starting at $22 for lunch and $33/$44 for dinner.  For more details, visit www.EatitUpChicago.com . Also, we've prepped a guide to the best of the week ahead here.

Eating slices of cold fish might not sound as comforting in the dead of winter as slurping a bowl of hot soup, but that hasn't slowed a recent mini-burst of new sushi spots. From a charming BYOB in Lakeview to a sleek bar and kitchen in the South Loop, these four new additions to the sushi scene have no shortage of expertly rolled maki - and plenty of cooked dishes, too, to warm you from the inside out. Stetsons Modern Steak & Sushi 151 E. Wacker Drive 312-239-4491 Opened in: Early January Backstory: Inside the Hyatt Regency, Stetson's Chop House belonged to the tradition of old Chicago steakhouses - it was dark, played a lot of Frank Sinatra and had the requisite grand piano.