Atwood Cafe, (Hotel Burnham, 1 W. Washington, 312-368-1900, atwoodcafe.com) has chosen a 1920s theme for the occasion. The menu will reflect updated dishes originating from the late 1890s through the ’20s, servers will be wearing flapper dresses and zoot suits and guests will be encouraged to wear period outfits.

“I was tired of the cliches — chocolate, shared plates,” said Derek Simcik, executive chef. It made sense to me to feature the 1920s, a romantic, glamorous, celebratory decade. And this building was here in the 1920s.”

The fixed price menu includes Caesar salad, oysters Rockefeller, filet mignon, lobster Thermidor, tarte tatin and “ice cream parlor” choices for $96 plus $40 for wine pairing. Pre-Prohibition era classic cocktails, such as martinis, Sazeracs and sidecars, also will be available.

Another close race in Eater's Hottest Chef competition. Atwood Cafe's Derek Simcik had an early lead and held on until late Thursday night when the Purple Pig's Jimmy Bannos, Jr. took off. Simcik had a strong push this morning, giving him the lead and ultimately, with more than 1,000 votes, won and will now advance to the semi finals.

Chefspotting in Chicago

First: Sweetbreads from Atwood Café (State and Washington in the Loop). When we dined there a few months ago, Chef Derek Simcik brought us a sweetbreads dish that changed everything for me. I’ve always liked sweetbreads but I think that was more because I felt like a bad*ss eating thymus gland than anything else. (What’s that? Thymus gland. Want to try? Wow, I’m not that daring.) Sure, they’re tasty if not a little chewy and, more often than not, overly fried. Eating the sweetbreads at Atwood, however, was completely different and so surprising that I can’t even remember what else was on the plate just that it was the best bite I’d had in a long time. They were light and so tender, almost juicy even. And the coating on them was perfect. Now, I order sweetbreads almost every chance I get but I’ll be honest: none come close to hitting that bar that Chef Derek has set so high.

Derek Simcik, Atwood Cafe:

A spaghetti measurer--either a classic stainless steel model, or one with an adjustable camera-style aperture like this.

Heather Terhune, Sable:

Everyone should get the books "Modernist Cuisine: the Art and Science of Cooking" (http://modernistcuisine.com/buy/). I would love to get this as a gift. A gadget— a garlic peeler tube. I hate when the garlic skins stick to my fingers!

Executive chef Derek Simcik is offering a Parisian-bistro-themed four-course prix fixe, with choices including a crispy poached egg with house-cured sea trout "tartare" and caviar creme, a foie gras torchon with port gelee, butter-poached lobster raviolo with sauce a la creme de Homard and truffle, rib eye with foie gras and potato cake, and a flourless chocolate cake with tobacco-and-bourbon gelato. Wine pairings are available for an additional $20.

A similar dish is now on the menu at Atwood Cafe, on the first level of Hotel Burnham. Here, Executive Chef Derek Simcik had created Poutine Poulet of duck fat confit fries, foie cream sauce, braised chicken and Grayson cheese. Sinfully rich?! We think so!

One chef who's switched from tuna to Hawaiian tombo on Galvan's advice is Derek Simcik of Atwood Cafe. "Every week, we get our price lists and I saw that it was going up steadily. At the same time, I was having issues getting deliveries," Simcik says. "And the quality— it was still decent, but I could see that it wasn't as good as it was a month ago. The flesh wasn't as red, or there would be the occasional spear gash, or white spots which mean the fish was caught too young. For me, it's better to just stop using tuna and give the population time to recuperate than to find ourselves in a situation where you can't get it at all for five years."

I am so proud of my apprentice, Carolyn, for taking time to "step out" and follow her dream of one day becoming a Chef. The Spark Program is new to Chicago this year and I could not resist the opportunity to mentor a student who has the passion for being a Chef. Take a look at the great clip of Carolyn and myself on The Today Show, and learn a bit more about the program.

The Atwood Cafe

Beverly Neighborhood Menu at the Atwood Cafe As part of his "Looping the Neighborhoods" series offering a prix fixe menu inspired by a neighborhood each month, throughout March executive chef Derek Simcik is focusing on Beverly, offering three courses for $40, $55 with wine pairings. Choices are as follows: cruibins (a fried trotter rillette with pickled cauliflower and mushroom compote) or fish-and-chips (cod brandade with a poached quail egg and potato lavash); bangers with root vegetables, potato puffs, and marrow emulsion or trout with mushroom and goat cheese mousse, bacon, and maple emulsion; and chocoate potato cake with creme fraiche gelato and Guinness syrup or cardamom-spiced pudding with burnt orange compote.  8-10 PM through 3/31, 1 W. Washington, 312-368-1900, atwoodcafe.com.

Atwood Café Celebrates South Side Irish Neighborhood

Community watch

Atwood Cafe, 1 W. Washington. Chef Derek Simcik pays tribute to the city’s diverse communities with a monthly three-course ethnic-inspired menu, $40 ($55 with wine pairings). Beginning March 1, he salutes the far South Side Beverly neighborhood with an Irish menu available daily from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (312) 368-1900. Visit atwoodcafe.com.

Atwood Cafe Offers New Ethnic-Inspired Prix Fixe. It’s easy for Chicagoans to become insular – there’s much in the way of neighborhood divide. That’s where Derek Simcik, executive chef at the Loop’s Atwood Café, comes in. He’s launching a new three-course dinner series inspired by the city’s ethnically varied neighborhoods, with options such as clam syce – razor clams with ground pork and oyster sauce – and nian gao, Chinese New Year cake (8–10 PM nightly through June; $40 per person or $55 with wine pairings; 312-368-1900).

If you're already getting a little tired of all the Santa and Elves and By-Gosh-By-Jingle, here's something of a palate cleanser: the fabulous and historic Atwood Café, in Chicago's Hotel Burnham,  is offering A Mad Hatter's Tea every afternoon through December.

The menu (PDF),  which is printed on the back of a playing card for extra Alice in Wonderland cred, includes a variety of tea sandwhiches -- I'd order the truffled egg salad and baby arugula sandwich on grilled brioche, myself -- as well as  cranberry scones, chocolate "mushrooms", and of course a full assortment of teas.  Reservations a must: (312) 762-3521

There are people with tattoos. And there are people with TATTOOS.

We think you’ll agree that Derek Simcik deserves the capitol letters. The executive chef at Atwood Cafe in Chicago has five epic inkings that show his love of food and sense of humor.

On his neck: a tattoo of a ginormous chili pepper. “I love spicy foods. The flames around the pepper are like those on an old-school hot rod. Cars are another passion of mine,” explains Derek.

There’s also something sizzling on his foot. The tattoo of sunny-side-up eggs gives the illusion that they fell there from the pan. (We told you he had a sense of humor.)

The artistry on Derek’s forearm is no joke; it features a tattoo of a Mexican Day of the Dead skull (wearing a chef’s hat, of course) and a realistic-looking heart “[because] I wear my emotions on my sleeve,” says Derek. On the back of his forearm is a tattoo of a wooden spoon wrapped up with rice grains.

Last but not least, his bottom lip tattoo reads, simply, “D-Roc.” “It was my nickname since I was like 12 and has always stuck with me,” says Derek.

Well, Derek, that’s probably because you rock. Wait. Make that YOU ROCK.

Feast your eyes on chef Derek’s tattoos and fill up on his contemporary interpretations of classic American cuisine at Atwood Cafe, 1 W. Washington St. in Chicago 312-368-1900.