News Chicago

Frank & Mary’s Tavern has been pouring drinks at 2905 N. Elston Ave. in Avondale since 1972, a history the bar marks on its own signage as “Est. A Long Time Ago.” The longtime neighborhood dive has recently been refreshed, with the tavern’s Instagram bio noting it “has been given …

Mi Lindo San Jose is a grocery store at 3519 W. Chicago Ave. in Humboldt Park. A sign above the entrance reads “Productos Ecuatorianos,” and the shop stocks groceries and specialty ingredients from Ecuador alongside everyday staples. Shelves carry fresh produce, frozen items such as tree tomato (tomate de árbol) …

Verzênay Chicago, a French patisserie and bakery-cafe, occupies a storefront at 2507-2509 N Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park. The business got its start as a booth at the Green City Market, supplying wholesale to hotels such as The Drake, the Peninsula and Le Meridien, as well as local coffee shops …

Tortorice’s Pizza & Catering serves Chicago-style deep dish and thin crust pizza, along with a gluten-free crust option, from its West Town location at 1746 W. Grand Ave. The deep dish, made with what the restaurant calls a caramelized burnt cheese crust option, is a signature item, alongside jumbo wings, …

LYRIQ Music School runs a studio at 1909 W Byron St in Northcenter, one of two Northcenter locations the school operates; the other is at 1906 W Irving Park Rd. The school offers private and small-group lessons in piano, voice, violin, guitar and other instruments for students from age 5 …

The People’s Cafe is open on Belmont Avenue in Avondale, serving coffee and pastries from the storefront that previously housed Cultura Cafe. The cafe is a partnership between building owner and People’s Cafe founder Mary Sommers and new operators Nicholas McMillan and Coco Wallace. The menu features coffee from Common …

Piece, a brewery and pizzeria on North Avenue in Wicker Park, has served New Haven-style thin-crust pizza and house-brewed beer since 2001 in a converted former roofing and construction building. The menu includes New Haven-style pizzas, such as the Tomato Pie, the White Clam pie and a classic pepperoni pie, …

Offset BBQ serves slow-smoked barbecue at 1720 N. California Ave. in Humboldt Park, near the California Avenue entrance to the 606 trail. The kitchen smokes chicken, pork, brisket and St. Louis-style ribs over an offset smoker, the style the restaurant is named for, and serves the meats by the pound …

Kameya Ramen & Sushi serves Korean-Japanese fusion fare at 604 W Belmont Ave in Lakeview, pairing Japanese-style ramen and a full sushi roll list with Korean comfort food and rice bowls. The ramen lineup spans chicken katsu, pork belly, shrimp tempura, veggie miso, curry, kimchi, seafood and a creamy cheese …

Cafecito’s South Loop café sits at 26 E Congress Pkwy, near State Street, serving Cuban sandwiches, coffee and Latin American fare. It’s one of several Cafecito locations around Chicago, each built around pressed sandwiches and espresso drinks. The menu centers on the Cubano pressed sandwich — roasted pork, ham, Swiss …

Chicago Health Foods is a health food market and cafe at 22 W. Maple St. in the Gold Coast, carrying vitamins and supplements alongside a made-to-order deli counter. The cafe menu includes black bean burgers, wraps, fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies such as the Bun in the Sun, Knockout and Ultimate …

Furry Paws Chicago operates a dog daycare and boarding facility at 3600 W. Potomac Ave. in Humboldt Park, offering a climate-controlled space for dogs to play during the day and stay overnight. Daycare runs about six hours and includes door-to-door transportation for $50 a visit; boarding is $85 a night, …

Chicago Barbell Compound, a strength-focused gym in Edison Park, is built around powerlifting and barbell training rather than the typical commercial gym layout. The locally owned gym describes itself as “a different kind of gym” where free weights, squat racks and heavy iron take priority over cardio machines and the …

The Little Sherpa has opened at 6031 N Cicero Ave, serving Nepali and Indian cuisine in the Sauganash/Forest Glen area. The family-owned restaurant describes its food as “Himalayan home style cuisine,” blending Nepali roots with Indian cooking traditions. The menu includes momo dumplings, tofu curry, pumpkin curry, paneer tikka masala, …

Tamales Lo Mejor de Guerrero serves Guerrero-style tamales from its storefront at 7024 N. Clark St. in Rogers Park. The shop is open Tuesday through Sunday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to its website. The menu centers on homemade tamales alongside atole and enchiladas, per the business’s own site. …

Italian Express has been serving halal Italian-American food on Devon Avenue in West Ridge since 1983. The restaurant uses zabihah halal meat throughout its menu and does not serve alcohol. The menu centers on thin-crust, pan and stuffed pizzas alongside gyro plates and sandwiches, pasta, burgers, buffalo chicken wings, fried …

Shokolad Pastry & Cafe serves Ukrainian and European café fare from its longtime storefront at 2524 W. Chicago Ave., at the southern end of Ukrainian Village. The counter-service café pairs a pastry case of European-style cakes and desserts with a full breakfast-and-lunch menu, available for dine-in, phone orders or DoorDash …

Hands On Thai & Sushi, a BYOB neighborhood restaurant at 5056 W Irving Park Rd in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood, has served a contemporary style of Thai food and sushi since 2011. The Irving Park Road location operates alongside a second Hands On restaurant at 7117 W. Addison St. The …

Rickette’s World Famous, a Chicago chicken, fish and barbecue restaurant, operates a location at 641 E 75th St in Grand Crossing, one of several Rickette’s restaurants in the Chicago area. Founded in 2018, the business built its name on barbecue prepared the old-school way, slow-cooked over an open flame with …

Pizza y Pan Pa’ Ya has operated at 3125 W. Montrose Ave. in Irving Park for about nine years, according to its website, serving Colombian baked goods, breakfast plates and pizza from the family-owned shop. The business opened a second location about a year ago at 6344 W. Irving Park …

Pete’s Produce operates a grocery store at 1543 E 87th St in the Avalon Park neighborhood, near 87th Street and Stony Island Avenue. The family-owned market, which calls itself “The Original” Pete’s Produce, also runs a second Chicago store at 87th and Loomis and a Dixmoor Market location, according to …

La Dolce Vita Cucina serves Italian food at 5007 W. Irving Park Road in Portage Park. The menu features handmade pastas, steaks, seafood and antipasti, with dishes including linguine ai frutti di mare, tagliatelle ai funghi misti, bistecca Toscana, salmone alla griglia and a wild boar ragù, plus gelato for …

The Marq serves breakfast, lunch and dinner at 60 W Adams St in the Loop, a few blocks from the Loop’s theater row and the Art Institute of Chicago. The restaurant describes its menu as modern American fare with global influences, paired with craft beer, cocktails and wine, according to …

Jimmy’s Famous Burgers serves hand-formed burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, wings and hand-cut fries at 5042 S. Cottage Grove Ave., in the Hyde Park/Bronzeville area. The counter-service restaurant says its food is “nothing frozen, ever,” with patties and other items made to order. The menu includes a Philly cheesesteak with ribeye, onions, …