Junior Chefs Kitchen, a hands-on cooking studio for children ages 2 to 18, operates a West Loop studio at 1061 W. Van Buren St., according to the business’s website. The company’s original studio is in Lincoln Park, at 2448 N. Lincoln Ave. At both locations, instructors lead chef-tested, hands-on cooking …

Izakaya Tokyo serves modern Japanese izakaya-style small plates and drinks at 3335 N. Halsted St. in Boystown. The restaurant pairs a menu of shareable plates with a full bar of cocktails, sake and beer, in a space its owners describe as built “for the night people.” The menu centers on …

Gunny’s Pub has opened at 2642 N Lincoln Ave in Lincoln Park, taking over the space long occupied by Racine Plumbing Bar & Grill. The all-day neighborhood restaurant and cocktail bar serves lunch, dinner, coffee, beer, wine and cocktails, with a casual front room and a quieter back dining area …

Cafe Gimme, an all-day cafe, has opened in Bucktown at 2115 N. Damen Ave. The shop serves coffee and espresso drinks, matcha, cold-pressed juice and smoothies, acai bowls, pastries and toast through the day, with wine and cocktails added in the evening. The Damen Avenue location is the second for …

Craft & Carvery has opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 2101 W North Ave in Wicker Park, after a stint inside the now-closed Time Out Market Chicago. The restaurant serves brick-oven pizza, handcrafted sandwiches and a carving station offering meats by the half-pound. The sandwich menu includes a Brisket Melt, a …

Halaleez Chicken & Gyro has opened in the Loop at 400 S. Financial Place, a narrow storefront near the Chicago Board of Trade Building. The fast-casual spot serves NYC-style halal cart food — chicken and gyro over rice platters — with all meat certified halal by the Halal Food Standards …

Savanna Restaurant serves breakfast, brunch and lunch at 3334 N. Halsted St. in Lakeview, in the space that previously housed Nookies Tree. The restaurant blends classic American breakfast dishes with Latin American flavors drawn from Ecuador. The menu includes the llapingacho Benedict, an Ecuadorian potato cake topped with eggs and …

404 Burgers, a smashburger and barbecue spot at 1020 W. Belmont Ave. in Lakeview, serves two signature smashburgers: one topped with American cheese, grilled onions, house sauce and pickles, and another with mushroom sauce and cheddar, available in single, double and triple patty builds. The menu also includes a jalapeño …

Strength101 Gym runs a storefront strength-training studio at 3430 W Diversey Ave in Logan Square, teaching barbell and strength fundamentals through small-group classes and personal training. The gym’s stated approach favors clear instruction and simple progressions over high-intensity burnout workouts, with a focus on building members’ confidence in the basics …

The Blackhawks Ice Center at 1801 W. Jackson Blvd., the Chicago Blackhawks’ training and public skating facility on the Near West Side, reopened in March 2026 after an expansion that added two new rinks, the 2,000-seat USG Arena, and two public dining venues: Raise the Cup Café and Rocky’s Table …