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City Cast Chicago

Simone Alicea

Happy 30th anniversary to the former president and first lady!

Barack and Michelle Obama were married on this day in 1992 at Trinity United Church in Washington Heights, with a reception at the South Shore Cultural Center.

Can we all just take a moment to admire Michelle’s enduring elegance in her 

. 

If you really want to celebrate one of Chi’s favorite political love stories, consider visiting the Hyde Park corner where the couple had 

Barack and Michelle Obama in Chicago in 2019 (Scott Olson / Getty)

Have you been following the news in Chicago this week? Prove it! Take the City Cast Chicago news quiz.

Looking for a previous Hey Chicago news quiz? Find it here.

How closely were you paying attention to this week's current events? Test yourself in our weekly trivia quiz.

Your Weekly News Trivia Quiz

Take This Week's Chicago News Trivia Quiz

What Chicagoans have been wondering. We break down why things in Chicago are the way they are and how they work.

Chicago, Explained

Emily Mack

Wicker Park is a full-on bagel battlefield right now. Call Your Mother, a Montreal-style bagel chain from Washington, D.C., just moved into the former Dimo’s space. Nearby, a locally owned bagel shop is not having it.

Bro Bagel owner Bill Jacobs (who also owns Piece Pizza) slammed CYM’s private equity backing in 

The post, which garnered thousands of likes, sparked a larger conversation about 

corporate versus independent businesses in Wicker Park

. Both chains and small business ebb and flow in the pricey area that was 

But let’s be honest, we really just want to know which bagel tastes better.

Around 8 a.m., Bro Bagel was empty save for a couple coffee runs — I could see why Jacobs might feel fired up. Manager Rosa seemed equally passionate and offered me all her recs as I ordered an Atomic Bagel Sandwich, plus a toasted sesame bagel with butter.

The sesame was fine, not seedy enough for me. I merely nibbled it to save room for the Atomic Bagel, which features delicious, fiery-hot sausage 

 and bland. The bagel was nicely chewy but a tad salty. I didn’t care. I savored every bite of the hot links, subtly enhanced by melted pepperjack.

With ample colorful seating, Call Your Mother feels nothing like counter-only Bro Bagel. “It’s giving millennial ice cream shop,” my buddy RJ remarked. 

People seemed into it. A line formed quickly behind me as I placed my order: one Bacon Sun City, plus my control, a toasted sesame bagel with butter.

The sandwich tasted like something from a solid New York City bodega. The everything bagel was deeply toasted; the American-cheddar blend, gooey and rich; the bacon was strong yet crunchy. The eggs, too, undoubtedly beat Bro Bagel’s, folded neatly and sunshine yellow. But unless you like a fruity kick, I’d skip the hot honey.

The sesame bagel, meanwhile, was seedier than Bro Bagel’s but totally under-toasted. And the house strawberry jam tasted more like fruit punch. 

As for whether I’ll return … not for what I ordered. It simply wasn’t unique enough. (Although a tuna melt bagel did catch my eye.)

We’ve documented Chicago’s bagel boom before — folks 

, it singlehandedly reintroduced bagels into my morning routines. (Yeah, yeah, I went to college in New York.)

TBH, El Bagelero’s chorizo El Machismo is the strongest breakfast sandwich in the area. But from Bodega Bay to Mindy’s Bakery to Helfeld’s Deli, there’s bagel competition around every corner — with and without private equity.

In Wicker, Bro Bagel's owner is taking on Call Your Mother. But which bagel is best?

Bagel Battle in Wicker Park

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in Chicago. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

Chicago Food & Drink

Food & Drink

Chicago has no shortage of good bites around town. That’s why we’re highlighting the best new restaurants opening in the city.

Following a soft opening, the ribbon-cutting for K and Jay’s is June 6. 

 recommend the salmon-cream cheese egg rolls, wings, catfish, and turkey chop. Stay tuned for official hours and note that it’s take-out only.

With its lush art deco interior, this cocktail lounge doesn’t exactly resemble an apothecary. However, the menu 

 divided into remedies, prescriptions, etc. My advice is skip the food but take your medicine: I enjoyed the cachaca-based Oi Lindo and Tuck Me In, a springy vodka drink.

 is open, resurrecting the name of the bar that stood there for 40-plus years. Now, it’s a large tavern restaurant with an upstairs steakhouse.

For about a year, I’ve passed this expansive Bucktown space and wondered when Origin would finally open. Well it’s here! The Afro-fusion restaurant offers red stew, jollof rice, red snapper, and more — I can’t wait to try. Also (very) exciting: 

Portage Park is becoming a food destination, and three new spots are adding to the hype:

 and stay sharp: hours vary and food sells out!

 operates inside of Emerald Isle with a big mission: “to ruin all other burgers for people.” I admire the confidence.

is a Colombian restaurant specializing in ajiaco, arepas, empanadas, patacones, and fresh juices. 

At the new Labriola, I was delighted by the candied-orange cannoli and crunchy thin-crust pizza (though deep dish and 

 are also available). Pizza Lobo, meanwhile, has opened just around the corner. Both spots are third locations for the local chains.

 is now open in Lakeview. It recently ranked among the 

 gained a fast following in Portage Park. Now, it’s expanded to Bronzeville, on the 

. Fusion highlights include a lamb cheesesteak torta and chicken pastor tacos.

.: “Delicious, fresh-made halal food on the Northwest Side. Best biscuit in the city to boot.”


Like its former location inside the Emily Hotel, Bad Butter’s new standalone spot in Bucktown is 

. I tried to skip all that by going on my lunch hour, but alas! This bakery is only open till 2 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Good luck!

From the owners of lesbian hotspot Dorothy comes Fathom, which aims to be a queer neighborhood dive. According to the 

, there are just 36 — yup, you read that right — lesbian bars nationwide. “ So when we see a place like Fathom coming to life in our city, it’s something we ought to celebrate,” 

says City Cast Chicago contributor Anna DeShawn

Replacing Golden Teardrops, a limited-hours bar under Lonesome Rose, Culebra is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. The Puerto Rican and Caribbean cocktail bar maintains the speakeasy atmosphere — and adds 

. Opening night was packed, but I managed to snag two delicious daiquiris.

Congrats to 28-year-old owner Diego Garcia-Gonzalez, who spent years bartending upstairs. A Logan Square legend!

You might recognize Schneider Deli as the picturesque, old-fashioned eatery attached to Ohio House Motel. Now, a second location has opened in Lincoln Park. The corned-beef reuben is excellent, though I didn't notice any giardinieragia kick when I visited opening week.

, this all-day cafe is open to all. It offers coffee, cocktails, and light bites, including a popular breakfast sandwich.


Indgō Mrktō is a new food hall and event space in Pilsen featuring four restaurant concepts: a coffee shop, a multicultural seafood spot, a street food bistro, and a late-night cocktail bar. They’re all by the same chef. And there’s a chilaquiles torta on premises 👀

Crying Tiger has been generating buzz since it opened in the fall — now there’s a swanky cocktail bar in the basement: Kitty’s. The addition marks another step in 

Unsurprisingly, the food at Chubby Skewers comes on a stick. From the folks behind Chubby Cattle, it’s another cook-it-yourself spot.

Oooh Wee! IT IS! Smothered Potatoes Breakfast Bar

Oooh Wee! IT IS!, a popular soul food restaurant that closed in 2024, has a soft reopening Saturday in a new Chatham location. Formerly located on 83rd Street, this new spot is in the old Reggio’s Pizza space on Cottage Grove Avenue. Although it has 

Award-winning bartender and Speed Rack champion Katie Renshaw has opened her own bar — and it’s buzzy. The interior literally glows. The menu, meanwhile, features send-ups of classic cocktails and elevated bar bites. (I’m actually checking Bar Bambi out tonight, so I’ll keep ya posted.)

I’m skeptical of dive bar overhauls (lookin’ at you, Small Bar) but Belmont Tavern seems truly laid back. That’s a feat considering I visited on a jam-packed Friday night. And while cutesy, 

the interior doesn’t feel overly curated.

 It’s naturally eclectic. Extra points for carrying bison grass vodka!

Hero’s sub shop was an institution, and seeing the shack sit empty since 2017 hurt my soul. Now, new life has sprung in the form of Retro Pizza. The take-out only shops serves square Roman slices of ‘za plus coffee. 

. But avoid visiting on school day afternoons or face the mobs of Lane kids — a Hero’s tradition.

Tune-Up, in a former auto body shop, doesn’t 

 live up to the name. Although drink names like Anti-Freeze and Brake Fluid are fun to order, the space, affixed with flittering disco balls and mirrors, leans away from its blue collar roots. However, Tune-Up is bound to turn up — it’s open till 5 a.m. on Saturday nights. Yes, 

Logan Collective is the neighborhood’s newest coffee shop with home-roasted beans and extremely reasonable prices. $3 for a drip coffee? Hell yeah! With a comfy couch and relaxed vibe, it’s also an excellent spot to write a daily newsletter from … On that note, shout out to barista Keillor!

The return of the $10 cocktail. That’s how Radicle, a new bar in Logan Square, is billing itself. And I have to say, it’s quite the hook. Radicle arrives in the former Daisies space — find that 

 a couple blocks away — but the focus really is 

. My favorite was the ESOO, with rye and balsamic olive oil.

Carmine’s, one of Chicago’s most old-school Italian restaurants, has reopened in its original Rush Street location after 

 If you missed the red sauce, you’ll be happy to know Carmine’s 

participating in Restaurant Week. (Pasta, plus an app, salad, and dessert 

If the pared-down name didn’t tip you off, 

 is serving classic brunch in, yep, Portage Park. Located near Milwaukee and Montrose, the opening marks another boost for 

. It comes from two chefs who met working at the popular 

Quesabirria Jalisco Tacos expands beyond in Pilsen

 has opened a location in Chinatown Square, marking its first expansion to the midwest. Naturally, this place is for shrimp lovers (

) but there are plenty of seafood and non-seafood options alike, ranging from shrimp broth noodles to prawn buns to chicken rice bowls.

 opened in Bronzeville in 2019. Now, a third location has come to Lakeview. The menu draws from the owner’s family’s 

, with dishes like Creole fish and honey-butter muffins.

. The latest spot, Black-owned Brûlée, offers a comfort food take. Think fried-lobster-tail-sweet-potato waffles. And don’t worry if you sleep in — Brulee is open till 4 p.m. Non-breakfast highlights include a brisket grilled cheese.

Once the “it” cookie of New York City, Levain expanded to the West Loop in 2022, then River North. Now, there’s a third Chicago location in Lincoln Park. In addition to famously gooey chocolate chip cookies, the chain began offering savory sandwiches and flatbread this fall.

After 15 years in Chicago kitchens, Ecuadorian brothers Enrique and Luis Calderon opened their own, Savanna, in 2018. Now, it’s expanded to four locations. The newest is in North Center on Western Avenue. All serve brunch — working at the former (beloved) Ina’s Restaurant, Enrique earned the nickname 

, New York slices are great on the go. (Sorry, it’s true!) That’s exactly what Chomp Pizza is serving, straight out of a window inside the 18th Street Pink Line ‘L’ station. Portability aside, I hear it’s pretty damn good.

It’s hot pot weather. (Honestly, I’ll take anything hot at this point.) And Tasty Pot, a new Taiwanese spot in Chinatown, makes it extra accessible by focusing on 

 and Canada, but this location on Jefferson Street marks Illinois’ first.

Chicago has no shortage of good places to eat around town. Here are some of the bar, restaurant, and café openings we're watching.

Chicago's Best New Restaurants and Bars

New Spots To Dine & Drink in Chicago

The long-awaited Obama Presidential Center opens Juneteenth — a day with plenty 

events across Chicago. And that’s all in addition to Pride, the end of the school year … and more. This month is PACKED.

As we jump into June, here’s your official guide to keep everything straight.

 is June 20 and 21 in Northalsted, headlined by Durand Bernarr on Saturday and G Flip on Sunday.

Finally, the big parade is June 28. It starts at 11 a.m. on Sheridan and Broadway and ends on Diversey. 

Chicago Public Schools are out Thursday! By now, the kids in your life probably have their summers scheduled, but the parks are full of 

 (for free). Meanwhile, we’ll be keeping our eye on the 

upcoming school board elections and the district’s major budget concerns

The birthplace of Juneteenth is Galveston, Texas, but the holiday has plenty of 

. Celebrate Black Chicago throughout that week:

 | DuSable Black History Museum | Washington Park

Boxing Out Negativity Juneteenth Celebration

Multiple events through the National A Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum

, across 19 acres of Jackson Park, opens officially to the public June 19. Museum slots for the weekend are full, but there’s availability on 

 for free activities and performances on the campus. Register ASAP!

As you all know, summer in Chicago is fest season. They’re really ramping up this June — but don’t forget to 

 all month long for additional street (and non-street) parties.

 | Lincoln Avenue between Irving and Berteau | North Center

 | American Writers Museum and Harold Washington Library | Loop | Free

 | Clark Street between Foster and Gregory | Andersonville

 | Randolph Street between Peoria and Racine | West Loop

The long-awaited Obama Presidential Center opens Juneteenth — a day with plenty more events across Chicago. And that’s all in addition to Pride, the end of the school year … and more. This month is PACKED.

June 2026 Guide to Chicago

Your Guide to June 2026 in Chicago

Everything to know about Chicago neighborhoods: Where to go, eat, shop, drink, and more.

Chicago Neighborhood Guides

Neighborhood Guides

, I covered Northeastern Illinois University’s plans to seize a block of nearby Bryn Mawr through eminent domain. A decade on, nothing has replaced those former businesses and homes.

To commemorate the “Bummer on Bryn Mawr,” as one poster put it, neighbors recently held a somber tenth anniversary.

I attended — I’m a neighbor too. I grew up around the corner and vividly remember Hunan Wok and Ugly Hookah Cafe, the long-surviving travel agency and busy salon … now vacant storefronts.

NEIU revealed plans for mixed-use student dormitories on Bryn Mawr between Bernard and Kimball in 2014, amid declining enrollment. To build them, the public university would use 

 there. The news shocked neighbors, as NEIU was — and is — a primarily commuter school.

By late 2016, affected Bryn Mawr properties were either seized by or sold to the school. A decade on, NEIU 

. Plans for the Bryn Mawr dorms were scrapped in 2021, and NEIU has struggled to unload the buildings.

Some businesses from those buildings pivoted successfully: Day and Night, a convenience store, and popular Bryn Mawr Breakfast Club relocated down the street. Only the 711 stayed, with the state as its landlord, thus prohibiting the sale of alcohol and slicing profits. The 

The Hollywood-North Park Community Association held a so-called 

 along the 12 empty storefronts Wednesday. Over 20 neighbors gathered with signs and balloons to call attention to what HNPCA chair Andrew Johnson called “blight in our neighborhood.”

Some attendees lovingly recalled takeout from Hunan Wok. But most didn't focus on what used to be on Bryn Mawr — they just want to see new life there.

As neighbor Ryan O'Connell pointed out, the area is landlocked by two cemeteries. “You just ride through, and it's like nothing, nothing, nothing … We're just missing something here.”

In the street, HNPCA members passed out flyers. “We’re celebrating eminent domain!” one explained sarcastically. Drivers honked in approval.

Looming above her was an NEIU billboard that declared: “Our mission is you.” One attendee scoffed at that: “Your mission is YOU,” her sign read.

 this year that includes the Bryn Mawr stretch.

“ I hope they've got the tools to do right … This should be a win-win situation,” Johnson said.

Challenges like these aren’t confined to Bryn Mawr. In Rogers Park, Loyola University is facing pressure over 

 decades after taking over the surrounding neighborhood.

But in quiet North Park, residents are done staying mum.

A decade after NEIU seized a block of Bryn Mawr through eminent domain, nothing has replaced those former businesses.

10 Years of Nothing on Bryn Mawr

No Business as Usual on Bryn Mawr

I went to Schuba’s on Saturday for a final pint of Schlitz — they were long out. As soon as news broke that 

, patrons flocked to bars associated with the classic beer.

“People were stealing the Schlitz glasses!” my bartender Michaela told me. I get the hype. Not only is Schlitz cheap, it’s embedded in Chicago history.

: bars that, once upon a time, could only serve one kind of beer. In Chicago, it was usually Schlitz — you might recognize those sites by their iconic globes.

After the Great Chicago Fire, the Schlitz plant in Milwaukee sent down clean water. Soon, they were sending beer, too. The brewery’s first Illinois distributor opened in 1888 with the help of Charles Wacker — yes, 

. The famous businessman lent money to Louis Glunz to start up distribution and open 

 on Wells Street, which still stands today.

During World War II, Schlitz sent one-fifth of the cans they produced to soldiers. They came back with a taste for it, according to Louis Glunz Beer Inc. president Jerry Glunz. “For many of them, it was the first beer they tried.”

Glunz is the fourth generation of his family to distribute Schlitz across Chicagoland. Simon’s, Long Room, and Green Mill are among his beloved customers.

Schlitz is technically on hiatus — Pabst, which absorbed Schlitz in 1999, 

, Chicagoans are fighting for their fill. 

 recently held a Schlitz funeral. This Friday, there’s a final brew party up in Milwaukee.

, and glowing signs. “Schlitz is ingrained in us,” said Glunz.

For decades, my mom Chris worked for the distribution company. We even sang a special Schlitz song growing up that came right after “Happy Birthday”: “Birthdays come but once a year and when they come they bring Schlitz beer!”

I’ll think of it longingly next time I’m forced to drink PBR 🙄

Production of Schlitz beer has ceased. Here's how Chicagoans are paying homage to the cheap beer.

Chicago Says Goodbye to Schlitz

In honor of National Inventor Month, we’re taking a moment to admire 

Chicago’s many contributions to the world

, many of which debuted at the Chicago World’s Fair. The fair took place from May to October in 1893, launching America — and Chicago — as a cultural superpower.

How well do you know those cultural exports?

In honor of National Inventor Month, we’re taking a moment to admire Chicago’s many contributions to the world, many of which debuted at the Chicago World’s Fair. The fair took place from May to October in 1893, launching America — and Chicago — as a cultural superpower.

World's Fair Invention Quiz

Do You Know Your World’s Fair Inventions?

Michelle Navarro

The weather is warming up this weekend. For how long… who knows? But if you are as eager as I am and looking to take advantage, here are some of my favorite bars that offer outdoor patios to grab a drink.

This neighborhood cocktail bar has a beautiful half-enclosed patio bigger than your parents' backyard. The outdoor space lends itself perfectly for larger groups, while inside feels more intimate. Their menu offers two types of house cocktails — their “lo” picks for all-day sipping and “hi” picks for something a bit boozier. My favorites are their frozen Naked and Famous and the refreshing Cucumber Rickety — both on the stronger side.

On the corner of Grand and Damen, this cocktail bar came to West Town about a year ago and has become a local favorite. Their bar is dark, inviting, and spacious. It transitions into a proper patio with a fire pit at the back. Their $14 house cocktail names tell you exactly what to expect — my favorite is the Bright and Velvety. 

Here are some of our favorite bars that offer outdoor patios to grab a drink.

Chicago’s Indoor/Outdoor Bars

Barack and Michelle Obama were married on this day in 1992 at Trinity United Church in Washington Heights, with a reception at the South Shore Cultural Center.

Chicago History

Today in Chi History: Obama Wedding

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