Five Things to Know Today: Wed, Feb 9

A relatively small group of people on the north slope Beacon Hill, once considered part of the old West End, fought for and won the abolition of slavery and civil rights for African Americans. February is Black History Month, and the has Alex Goldfeld, president of the North End Historical Society, on hand to teach you a little about this part of the city's history. As someone who's spent four years at Boston's Museum of African History, and created and led tours through many of the neighborhoods, well, let's just say it won't be boring. The illustrated presentation is at 6:30 p.m.

The Illusionist, an Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature, is now playing at the Kendall Square Cinema. It's the story of an aging magician who's seen better times, and travels to Scotland. There, he meets a young woman and it changes both of their lives forever. It was originally written by French cinema legend Jacques Tati as a love letter from a father to his daughter, but never produced.  Sylvain Chomet, the man behind the Oscar-nominated The Triplets of Belleville, brought it to life in traditional hand drawn style.

René Verdon, the French chef for the White House chef during the Kennedy administration, died Feb. 2 at his home in San Francisco. He was 86. Before Verdon, the White House was known for serving bland, institutional food, usually supplied by outside caterers. But he threw out the frozen peas and got to work growing vegetables. His first meal, a lunch for the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillian and 16 guests in 1961, consisted of  trout in Chablis and sauce Vincent, beef filet au jus and artichoke bottoms Beaucaire, and a dessert he called désir d'avril – a meringue shell filled with raspberries and chocolate. Now that's a mouthful.C

The Boston City Council will hold its regular meeting today at noon at City Hall. Councilors Bill Linehan and Felix Arroyo plan to bring up a jointly filed a petition to hold a public hearing on the issue of public and private alleyways. The hearing would examine the private or public upkeep responsibilities with a focus on the Back Bay, Beacon Hill and South End. 

Saks Fifth Avene is out with its spring collection. Get a peek at the fashion show featuring the Boston Bruins wives and girlfriends. And stick around for a cocktail party and silent auction. Carnevale di Moda is presented by Taj Boston and the Fashion Doctors. The show is Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $200. RSVP to foundationintern@bostonbruins. 

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