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City Cast Chicago

Emily Mack

Knowing your Chicago streets is not just a life hack. It’s a true skill — a skill I often lack. But in my defense, certain quirks complicate things. Street quirks are the focus of today’s quiz.

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 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

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. 

Maria’s Packaged Goods and Community Bar

Bridgeport’s beloved Maria’s is a 30-year-old liquor store-slash-bar that offers two patio spaces — one directly behind the bar and another that it shares with 

, the Korean Polish street food restaurant. Kimski is celebrating 

 May 16 with different Chicago restaurant pop-ups and DJs. Did you know Maria’s and Kimski are a family affair? The brothers who run Kimski are Maria’s sons.

We might even call Maria’s a “slashie.”

Pilsen Yards has an open-air concept in the back with a half-enclosed patio and bar. It’s the perfect spot for a patio dinner. Their weekly specials, particularly their half-off Nayarit-style mussels on Wednesdays, are worth paying attention to. As a proud 60608 resident, I love their neighborhood nights when they offer neighbors a discount.

What’s your favorite patio in the city?

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

Chicago’s Indoor/Outdoor Bars

After nearly 90 years in the Maxwell Street area, 

. The stand popularized and very possibly invented the flea market’s famous street snack: a sausage smothered in grilled onions, mustard, and sport pepper.

, I always encourage them to try a Maxwell Street Polish too. It’s got heft. An addictive garlicky finish. The glistening peel shines like a beacon.

Maxwell Street Market was founded by Jewish immigrants in the late 1800s, but the Maxwell Street Polish as we know it today emerged around 1939. That’s when Jim’s Original opened in its first location on Maxwell and Halsted.

Founder and Macedonian immigrant, Jimmy Stefanovich is generally considered the inventor, according to 

 though nearby Express Grill maintains its own claim. On Harrison Street, there’s also the popular Original Maxwell Street.

My mom, Chris, who emigrated from Austria with her family in 1956, fondly remembers Maxwell Street’s open-air sausage stands, too. “The smell of grilled onions was so …” she trailed off, trying to think of the right word. “It made you hungry.”

, there was a griddle in the middle of the classroom, caramelizing onions. I couldn’t focus on anything else.

Jim’s Original stood at 911 W. Maxwell St. till 2001, through the decline and 

. What was once a mecca for street vendors, blues music, and, yes, encased meats, diminished greatly under Mayor Richard J. Daley’s 

In 1957, construction of the Dan Ryan Expressway cut Maxwell Street in half. The following decade, Daley championed the opening of the University of Illinois at Chicago nearby. In 1966, the city formally deemed Maxwell Street 

 opening a path for UIC to exercise eminent domain there.

UIC expansion pushed Jim’s Original onto Union Avenue in 2001. There, it maintained its legacy and found a hungry fanbase in the UIC community.

Now, UIC is forcing Jim’s Original to move again. The school owns the restaurant property and wants to develop. Back in 2021, landlord UIC also forced Jim’s Original to 

With the move, we lose one more Maxwell Street remnant on the Lower West Side. But with plans to increase the hours back to 24 in Pilsen, new memories surely await.

After nearly 90 years in the Maxwell Street Area, Jim’s Original is moving to Pilsen. The stand popularized the Maxwell Street Polish.

Jim’s and the History of the Maxwell Street Polish

May kicked off with a jolt on Friday as Chicagoans turned out to celebrate May Day all across the city. I expect the energy will stay high all month long — a lot is going on!

, true Chicago farmers market season begins in May. Twelve seasonal markets start back up this month, stretching across the city from 95th Street to Uptown. 

Maxwell Street’s Sunday market returns May 17

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is AAPI Month. Here’s how Chicago is celebrating:

 | May 7 | Experimental Station | Woodlawn | Free

 | May 26 | Davis Theater | Lincoln Square

📆 Stay tuned all month long for more AAPI events!

catch “The Sun Never Sets” and director Joe Swanberg

 on May 17. Speakers include Padma Lakshmi, Peter Sagal, Mary Beard, John Waters (!!!), and Rep. Lauren Underwood (14th).

 have already returned to the side of Merchandise Mart. This month, the projection features works by current School of the Art Institute and Chicago Public Schools students. Catch it Thursday through Sunday evenings.

, all eyes are on the Chicago Sky. The Sky’s 

. Meanwhile, White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami is riling fans up with his home-run hot streak. The team recently had its highest April attendance for a non-opener in 19 years. 

May kicked off with a May Day jolt, and I expect the energy will stay high.

City Cast Guide to May 2026

Your Guide to May 2026 

Knowing your Chicago streets is not just a life hack. It’s a true skill — especially since many streets have quirks. 

Chicago, Explained

Do You Know Chicago’s Street Quirks?

Emily Mack

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