News Chicago

Sfera Sicilian Street Food is a counter-service restaurant at 5759 N. Broadway in Edgewater, serving Sicilian street food made with local Midwest ingredients. The menu is built around arancini, with flavors such as porcini and wild garlic, alongside Sicilian sandwiches including a burrata panino. The restaurant was started by co-founders …

Paks on the Pier is a counter-service Asian restaurant inside Navy Pier, in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. It sits at Space SA-15 at 600 E. Grand Ave., between Doors 4 and 5. The menu centers on poké bowls, hand-rolled sushi and sushi burritos, with fillings such as spicy tuna, spicy salmon, …

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 …

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 …

Romanian Kosher Sausage Co., which sells as Romanian, is a kosher butcher and deli at 7200 N. Clark St. in Rogers Park. It is a long-established Chicago shop, and its site now lets customers order online for delivery, shipping or in-store pickup. The shop’s online catalog is sorted into categories …

Aisle Chic, a bridal boutique on the fourth floor at 1 E. Delaware Place, sells designer sample wedding gowns off the rack. The shop says its prices run 25% to 75% below retail, and brides can take a gown home the same day. The racks include samples from designers such …

Wonder Nails Spa is a nail salon at 3338 N Western Ave on the North Center side of Western Avenue, near Roscoe Village. The service menu on the salon’s website covers manicures, pedicures, artificial nails, dipping powder, gel, waxing and eyelashes, plus a kids’ menu for children age 10 and …

Pretty Cool Ice Cream is a frozen-treat shop at 2353 N. California Ave. in Logan Square. Instead of scoops, it makes ice cream bars, vegan pops, ice pops and ice cream sandwiches by hand. The company was founded in 2018 by pastry chef Dana Cree and Michael Ciapciak, and says …

Nonnina is an Italian restaurant at 340 N. Clark St. in River North, part of The Good Plate Hospitality Group. It has been serving the neighborhood for years and keeps a 2026 happy hour, cocktail and prix fixe lunch menu alongside its regular dinner and dessert menus. Lunch runs Monday …

Doma is a Croatian café at 946 N. Orleans St. in River North. The name means “home,” and the café describes itself as a Croatian café serving the neighborhood seven days a week. The café is open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the kitchen closing at 2:30 …

Second City Suffering Report, Nov. 3: Caleb Williams throws for 247 with no turnovers, Jeffery Simmons sacks Darnold in his Bears debut, and Chicago's defense holds the defending champions to 252 yards and one third-down conversion in a 34-17 Monday night win at Lumen Field — 6-2, the best start since 2012.

Folklore Fabrics, a neighborhood fabric shop, opened at 1912 N. Damen Ave. in Bucktown with a grand opening weekend running October 30 through November 1, noon to 5 p.m. The shop focuses on apparel fabric, with an emphasis on natural fibers and European deadstock. Its shelves hold rolls of wool, …

Flatts & Sharpe Music Co. is a music shop and school at 6749 N. Sheridan Road in Rogers Park. The storefront sign promises “instruments, lessons, repairs, sheet music,” and the shop does all four. Private lessons are offered in piano, guitar and ukulele, voice, drums and percussion, violin and viola, …

Primal Barbell is a strength coaching studio at 4750 W. Peterson Ave. in Sauganash, focused on barbell training and real-food nutrition for men and women over 40 who want to get stronger and leaner. Its main program is the 90-Day Kingdom Body Reset, which combines weekly nutrition coaching, daily nutrition …

BioLife Organic Spa is a skincare and wellness spa at 2753 N. Ashland Ave. in Lincoln Park. Its Instagram account describes the spa as “the Beauty Expert” in Chicago and says it has been serving clients for more than 15 years. The treatment menu centers on organic facials, including organic …

Bruiser’s Auto Care, an auto repair shop that books and tracks repairs online, now has a Beverly location at 11044 S. Western Ave. It is the company’s second Chicago shop, after its original in Fulton Market. The shop’s website lets customers schedule a repair, follow the status of the work …

Ponce Restaurant is a Puerto Rican restaurant at 4313 W. Fullerton Ave., serving dine-in meals, takeout and delivery. Its website describes the cooking as authentic and family-oriented. The menu features lechon asado, pollo guisado, el jibarito and ensalada de camarones. Other dishes named on the site include pernil, arroz con …

New Dokil Bakery is a Korean-style bakery at 3844 W. Lawrence Ave. in Albany Park. It describes itself as an artisan bakery for freshly baked goods, artisan breads and Korean-style cakes, with an emphasis on less-sweet recipes made with bean pastes and fresh cream. The menu on its website is …