Old Wives Tale will Bring Oceanic Drinks to the Encore; Get Botox with your Brunch in the Back Bay

Cosmetic enhancements: Back Bay Mexican party spot Citrus & Salt (142 Berkeley St.) hosts a Botox, Bubbles & Brunch on Saturday, Feb. 3, at 11 a.m., giving new meaning to the term “stuff your face.”

Eat cheeseburger and bacon empanadas and chicken and waffle tacos; then visit with Contouring by Kate (Botox services), Elevate Rejuvenation Spa (discounts on future appointments), and more. The event will also feature custom cocktails, so use your best judgment.

Treats: Harvard Square hosts its annual Taste of Chocolate Festival from Friday, Jan. 26, through Sunday, Jan. 28. Enjoy samples from Bar Enza, Blackbird Doughnuts, Le Macaron Cambridge, Noir, Painted Burro, The Sea Hag, and more, plus music, cocktails, and toasty igloos. See the full lineup at www.harvardsquare.com.

Coming soon: Old Wives Tale will open inside the nautically inspired Seamark Seafood & Cocktails, poised to open at the Encore Boston Harbor in Everett (1 Broadway). The cocktail bar aims to transport guests on a sea voyage — oceanic drinking vessels, cocktails made with sea salt and seaweed, and seafood small plates and ceviche. Set sail in April.

Awards: A handful of Boston-area restaurants were recognized as James Beard Award semifinalists, considered the Oscars of the food world.

In the Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages category, Boston’s haley.henry wine bar (45 Province St.) and Rebel Rebel in Somerville (1 Bow Market Way) are in the running. In the Best Chef, Northeast category, John DaSilva from Chickadee (21 Drydock Ave.) and Cecelia Lizotte from Suya Joint (185 Dudley St.) are the two Boston nominees. Tracy Chang from Pagu (310 Massachusetts Ave.), Conor Dennehy from Talulla (377 Walden St.), and Patricia Estorino from Gustazo (2067 Massachusetts Ave.) represent Cambridge.

In Quincy, Laurence Louie from Rubato (412 Hancock St.) is on the list, as is Rachel Miller from Nightshade Noodle Bar in Lynn (73 Exchange St.). And Dorchester’s Comfort Kitchen (611 Columbia Road), whose menu traces the African diaspora, earned a Best New Restaurant nod. Devra First recently gave it a five-star review.