Justice, IL Lifestyle and More

Remember SOPO Lounge? Southport Avenue Before Gap

Before Gap occupied this stretch of Southport Avenue, SOPO Lounge & Grill was one of the neighborhood’s memorable early-2000s nightlife spots. SOPO opened in March 2003 at 3418 N. Southport Avenue, bringing a New York-inspired lounge atmosphere to a corridor increasingly known for its restaurants, bars and nightlife. Its black awning, large open front windows and sidewalk seating made it a familiar sight along the street.

Chicago, IL · 8d

thehypemagazine.com

Chance the Rapper’s SocialWorks Launches Ninth Annual Warmest Winter Drive Across Chicago

Eleven collection sites are open now through Jan. 10, gathering coats, blankets and essentials for Chicagoans facing homelessness. Chance the Rapper is asking Chicago to show up for its neighbors again. His nonprofit, SocialWorks, has opened the ninth annual Warmest Winter drive, with 11 collection sites across the city accepting donations from Nov. 2, 2026, through Jan. 10, 2027.

WGNtv.com

Little Betty Smokehouse Opens on University of Chicago Campus

Acclaimed Chicago pitmaster, chef Dominique Leach is bringing her signature Chicago barbecue to the University of Chicago’s campus with the opening of “Little Betty Smokehouse”. Chef Dominique joined us with more on her new concept and a taste of her signature menu items. 1133 E. 57th Street.

southwestregionalpublishing.com

Mother McAuley’s Shopapalooza returns for 22nd year

Holiday shopping will get an early start at Mother McAuley High School as the McAuley Mothers’ Club prepares to host its 22nd annual Shopapalooza Vendor Fair on Saturday, Nov. 7. More than 90 vendors will fill the school with merchandise ranging from clothing and home decor to handmade crafts,...

partner publisher · 5.3K followers

Axios Chicago

WBEZ names three interim hosts for "In the Loop" after Sasha-Ann Simons' exit

WBEZ is turning to three of its own journalists to host its flagship morning talk show "In the Loop" as it searches for a permanent replacement for Sasha-Ann Simons. The latest: Simons, who announced her departure last month after six years at the NPR station, signed off Friday. City Hall reporter Mariah Woelfel will host the show in November, followed by engagement reporter Araceli Gómez-Aldana in December and "Curious City" editor Susie An in January. Why it matters: The rotating lineup gives WBEZ ample time to search for a permanent host for the morning program, which launched just over a year ago as part of a major overhaul of the station's local programming. What they're saying: "We're excited that three trusted voices from WBEZ will continue to bring listeners the news, culture and conversations they have come to expect from 'In the Loop,'" executive producer Dan Tucker said in a statement. The intrigue: While extended searches aren't unusual in public radio, WBEZ has not announced a timetable for naming a replacement or whether any of the rotating hosts are candidates for the job. History repeats: In 2012, Rick Kogan temporarily took over "The Afternoon Shift" following host Steve Edwards' departure.

everafterinthewoods.com

This Illinois Buffet Serves Crab Legs, Crawfish, And Sushi All You Can Eat

Crab legs, crawfish, and sushi share the same buffet lines at one suburban spot. Add a made-to-order hibachi grill, and the plate math gets complicated fast. This Illinois buffet keeps things refreshingly simple. Lunch costs less than dinner, a drink comes included, and you can build your own stir-fry while a cook fires it up in front of you.

Downers Grove, IL · 6d

everafterinthewoods.com

Over 100 Years Later, Fluky’s Original Spirit Lives On In This Chicago Hot Dog Counter

The hot dog brand that claims it invented the Chicago-style dog now serves lunch inside a Walmart. Yes, really, right there between the shopping carts and the checkout lanes. That same name started on a bustling Chicago street corner back when a full hot dog meal cost pocket change. During the Great Depression, it even fed hungry folks who couldn’t spare a coin.

Chicago, IL · 7d

everafterinthewoods.com

publisher · 6.0K followers

This Cash-Only Illinois Burger Walk-Up Hands Out Peanut Butter Banana Shakes And Three-Layer Fries

Peanut butter and banana, blended into a milkshake, served from a walk-up window next to a sizzling char grill. That combo alone made me stop scrolling. Then I learned the fries come stacked in three layers. This little Illinois burger stand keeps things wonderfully old school. You order at a...

Des Plaines, IL · 6d

WBEZ

Meet the prolific graffiti artist whose work is all over Chicago’s Northwest Side

Editor’s note: This story first published in 2024. Street artist Joos is perhaps best known for works that resemble ribbons of dissolving color, or paint that’s been pressure washed and left blooms of pigment behind. “It’s like, is it a shadow? Is it a silhouette? What is it?...

Chicago, IL · 6d

unearththevoyage.com

Since 1958, This Family-Run Illinois Italian Market Has Pulled Fresh Bread From The Oven Every Three Hours

I walked in for one loaf of bread and walked out with two heavy bags and a warm paper sack I could not stop sniffing. From the parking lot, it looks like any busy grocery store in Illinois. Inside, it feels like a small Italian town packed under one roof,...

Elmwood Park, IL · 10d

chicagofoodmagazine.com

publisher · 7.3K followers

LeTour Recasts as an American Neighborhood Eatery

Four years after opening in the rotunda of a 1960s former bank building at 625 Davis Street, LeTour is embracing a new chapter. Restaurateur Amy Morton’s downtown Evanston restaurant is coming into its own as an American gathering place, with a reinvented menu that brings together familiar favorites, dishes made for sharing and flavors that travel well beyond any one culinary tradition.

Evanston, IL · 6d

Block Club Chicago

This Southeast Side Park Needs A Name, And Neighbors Can Weigh In

SOUTH CHICAGO — Chicagoans can help name a Southeast Side park with a long industrial history that is now a birding hotspot. The Steelworkers Park Advisory Council is collecting name suggestions for Park 566, 7901 S. Farragut Drive, which is also known as USX Park for its connection to the former U.S. Steel South Works site.

Yahoo!

7 Wigilia dishes Polish-American families made for Christmas Eve, from beet soup with uszka to poppy seed kutia

In Polish-American households in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood, in Milwaukee's Polish South Side, and in Buffalo's Broadway-Fillmore district, December 24 had one rule above all others: you did not sit down until someone spotted the first star. When it appeared, the family broke the opłatek, the thin pressed wafer embossed with a Nativity scene, and passed it person to person around the table. Then the meal began.

Milwaukee, WI · 5d

businessdailynetwork.com

Lena Rose Turns Ten! 10th Anniversary Celebration

On December 4, 2016, Lena Rose opened its doors in Lincoln Square. Ten years later, we want to say thank you in person. Come celebrate with the Roses at our Lincoln Square shop on Friday, December 4, anytime from 10am to 7pm. Every guest goes home with a long-stem red rose. There will be gifts and Lena Rose goodies, bites and something to sip, and a few surprises we're keeping quiet for now.

partner publisher · 99.3K followers

WGN News

Poet Luis J. Rodriguez honors journey from gang life to service award

Growing up in East Los Angeles, Luis J. Rodriguez joined a gang at 11, battled heroin addiction and spent time behind bars, but today he's one of the country's most celebrated poets.

luxuryguideusa.com

Restaurants Get Creative with Fall Flavors Beyond Pumpkin Spice

Pumpkin spice might get most of the attention this time of year, but fall’s culinary appeal goes far beyond lattes and pie. Across the country, chefs are embracing the season’s harvest, incorporating squash, apples, pears, mushrooms and truffles into everything from comfort food classics to unexpected creations. Whether...

publisher · 7.3K followers

Block Club Chicago

Logan Square’s The Walk In Reopens Friday — Just Enter Through The Cooler

LOGAN SQUARE — The Walk In bar is ready to welcome people back, more than a year after it closed for a remodel. The cocktail bar, 2727 N. Milwaukee Ave., reopens Friday with more of a speakeasy vibe, owners announced Tuesday. The entrance to The Walk In will now...

unearththevoyage.com

partner publisher · 193.3K followers

These 4 Illinois German Bakeries Still Stretch Strudel Dough So Thin You Can Read Through It

Some of the best bites in Illinois hide behind plain storefronts with handwritten signs and glass cases fogged from the morning ovens. You walk in expecting a quick coffee and walk out with a box of strudel, sticky fingers, and a plan to come back next weekend. Real strudel takes...

Chicago, IL · 7d

ABC 7 Chicago

KATSEYE concert at Chicago's United Center postponed due to illness

The sold-out KATSEYE concert at the United Center was postponed Thursday due to an illness of one of the group members.

partner publisher · 15.4K followers

Lovely Garden Roots

Families Planning a Living Christmas Tree Should Dig the Hole Before the Ground Freezes, Penn State Says, and Keep the Tree Inside No More Than a Week

Penn State says a living Christmas tree needs its planting hole dug before the ground freezes, and the tree should stay indoors no more than a week.