—For what it’s Perth: Thank you, Duke of Perth, for serving wonderful Scottish/British cuisine all these years. The Lake View restaurant closes May 26.
—Turnaround?: Is Foxtrot returning?
Well, according to Axios, talks are happening for the store to return—to the D.C. area. However, new owners are reportedly also busy negotiating leases for many former stores in Chicago, Foxtrot’s home base, TheRealDeal noted, and in Texas. As many of you know, the upscale cafe/convenience store chain (which had merged with Dom’s) abruptly closed 33 stores in Chicago, D.C. and Texas last month, leaving employees on a lurch and shoppers confused.
—Boiling over: RPM Seafood, 317 N. Clark St., will host its 2024 seafood boil on Memorial Day (Monday, May 27—which is also my birthday) at 1 p.m.
Menu highlights will include caviar deviled eggs, mini-lobster rolls and tomato burrata tartlet canapés; watermelon-and-tomato salad with Old Bay Parker House rolls; the main boil with blue crab, snow crab, shrimp, sliced sausage, roasted corn and potatoes; and lemon semifreddo. There will also be a choice of a Limoncello or Aperol spritz upon arrival, with hand-picked white and rose wine flowing throughout the luncheon.
Tickets are $175/person; visit https://www.exploretock.com/rpmseafood/.
—Night moves: Also on May 27, 6-10 p.m., Cindy’s Rooftop, 12 S. Michigan Ave., will host “Night Brunch,” described as “an invitation to celebrate what unites us all—a love for great food, invigorating cocktails and vibrant atmospheres,” complete with music courtesy of DJ JayiLLa.
This event is free to attend, with reservations recommended to ensure your place at this exclusive event. Cindy’s Rooftop will be open for regular bar and restaurant service throughout this event, and reservations are encouraged if you’d like to be seated at a table. Menu highlights include oysters on the half shell, chilaquiles, stuffed French toast, gravy fries, hummingbird coffee cake and much more.
—Sister, sister: Demera Ethopian Restaurant, 4801 N. Broadway, will be the site of a cool collaboration when that spot’s Chef Tigist Reda and Saigon Sisters Chef Mary Aregoni join forces to host “Demera X Saigon Sisters APAHM” on Wed., May 29, at 6 p.m. in a fundraiser to help ISBHA, a non-profit helping women in Tigray, a regional state in Ethiopia.
Attendees will experience a multi-course dish, and make injera and witness the making of traditional Vietnamese banh xe, among other things.
Tickets are $75 each; visit this link to purchase tickets.
—Brewery closes: Lagunitas Taproom, 2607 W. 17th St., has permanently closed.
Its website states, “To our friends, there’s no easy way to say this. After 10 legendary years, our Chicago TapRoom is closing its doors permanently. We’ve loved every moment hosting you. Cheers to the nights spent pouring beers, dancing to killer live music and sharing countless unforgettable memories—all in a world of pure imagination. Thank you, for everything. Our TapRoom doors may be closing, but we’ll still be delivering our IPAs and other brews to Chicagoland and beyond.”
According to Eater Chicago, the closure will impact more than 80 workers; some will move west to work at the original Petaluma, California facility.
—Stoned love: Blazed Bakery—a federally legal hemp-derived cannabis café dedicated to crafting premium THC-infused drinks and pastries—will open its second Chicagoland location on June 1 in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, at 2415 N. Milwaukee Ave. (There’s one currently in Northbrook.)
According to a press release, “Blazed Bakery … was created as a cannabis edible-and-lifestyle brand that has a mission to provide the best quality and experience through local community engagement and investment. The company is founded by two minority families that are on a mission to tackle stigmas in Illinois’ busy and under-represented cannabis scene.”
On June 1, doors will open at 11 a.m.; there will be promotional deals, product specials and free giveaways of a pastry or pre-roll for every customer. At noon, the ribbon-cutting ceremony will involve members of the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce as well as the alderperson’s office. Celebrations will continue into the evening with a private ticketed event where guests will enjoy a live DJ, free products, food and raffle giveaways. See https://blazedbakery.net/.
—Opening: Dearly Beloved will open Thursday, June 6, at 900 N. Franklin St.
Described as “a beautiful mixture of cocktail bar, restaurant and journey of the senses,” Dearly Beloved will offer such provocatively named drinks as Basil & Cleopatra ($19; mushroom and parmesan bordiga extra dry, faccia brutto centrbe, St. George aqua perfecta, orange flower water, Italian lemon olive oil and soda); This Side of Paradise ($32; The Reid vodka, bordiga extra dry, giffard banane, cacao, italian lemon oil, pink grapefruit vinegar and melon helium foam); and The Diamond As Big As The Ritz ($28; cihuatan cinabrio, Ming River sichuan baijiu, lime, papaya, agave nectar and Peychaud’s). Dishes range from a potato-and-caviar cigar to The Big Beef & Cheddar to carrot mochi and even a bone-marrow caramel corn (the last one being a late-night option).
—Pop life: Don’t forget my other Substack: “Pop-Eds: My takes on pop culture.” Thank you so much to the people who’ve already subscribed! Among other things and people, my latest column discusses, among other things, Caitlin Clark, destination weddings and Diddy. Subscribe to Andrew449.Substack.com to get all my thoughts.
Drop me a line (hot news, tips, etc.) at future3733@yahoo.com.
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