—No Rocking on: The iconic River North spot Hard Rock Cafe Chicago, 63 W. Ontario St., will close its doors permanently on March 29, per NBC Chicago. The restaurant has been in the city for 40 years.
“We are so grateful to our incredible team members, community partners and fans for their support and memories all this time,” a statement read, although no reason for the closure was immediately provided. Hard Rock Cafe locations in Rockford and Northern Indiana will stay open, the company said. Other major spots in the area that have also closed or changed include the Rainforest Cafe (which closed in 2020) and the Rock n’ Roll McDonald’s (which changed its rock facade in 2017).
—The next step: Congrats to the 2025 James Beard Award semifinalists. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Awards.
Chicago has almost two dozen nominees. Some of them include Brian Jupiter and Aaron Torricelli of the Pioneer Tavern Group (Best Restaurateur); Boka’s Lee Wolen (Outstanding Chef); Galit (Outstanding Restaurant); Feld’s Jacob Potashnick (Emerging Chef); Cariño (Best New Restaurant); Daisies’ Leigh Omilinsky (Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker); Kumiko (Outstanding Bar); and Bisous and Truce (nominees for Best New Bar).
Nominees will be announced on Wed., April 2, and winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
—High times: Good News Cannabis Brand and The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group are bringing back their THC-infused buffalo wing sauce.
Beginning Jan. 27, the Good News Big Game Wing Sauce will be available at select dispensaries across the Chicago area, adding a twist to dishes like Buffalo wings, pizza and more. The Big Game wing sauce infuses The Fifty/50’s buffalo sauce with cannabis distillate oil. Each 10-ounce container includes 10 servings and 100 mg of THC. The sauce retails for $30 and is available to adults 21 and older.
Visit wearegoodnews.com/sauce for a complete list of locations.
—Sampling the wurst: Available Monday through Friday at 4-6 p.m., happy-hour guests at the sausage house Wurst Behavior can enjoy $6 samplers of Chef Art Wnorowski’s fresh sausages and brats.
Enjoy bite-sized samples of menu items like the Polish kielbasa with caramelized onions, sport peppers and IPA mustard; or the mushroom truffle brat with Swiss cheese and truffle oil. Additional food offerings include $2 off all appetizers, featuring Polish classics like crispy potato and cheese pierogi as well as potato pancakes with sour cream, applesauce and green onions, as well as $4 truffle fries. And guests can sip on $6 draft beers and $6 margaritas.
—It’s about lamb time: Frontier Executive Chef Brian Jupiter, Mariano’s and Niman Ranch, are teaming up to offer an exclusive four-course dining experience showcasing Niman Ranch lamb.
The event—“Lamb at It’s [sic] Finest: A Four-Course Culinary Experience”—will take place Thursday, Feb. 6, at Frontier, 1072 N. Milwaukee Ave. Dishes will include lamb carpaccio, butter-bean hummus, collard slaw and garlic naan; lamb carnitas with tamale salsa roja, pickled onion, cotija and cilantro pistou; smoked lamb loin BBQ with lima beans and chimichurri; and Denver ribs with dirty rice, candied carrot and lamb jus.
Tickets are $115/person and include a to-go package of three Niman Ranch lamb chops.
—Sweet!: On Saturday, Feb. 8, 12-4 p.m., Long Grove will transform into a magical “Cocoa Town” for the 8th Annual Cocoa Crawl.
The beloved event invites cocoa lovers of all ages to sip complimentary hot cocoa at outdoor cocoa tents while strolling through the picturesque streets of the historic village. Guests can either explore on foot or hop aboard a free, horse-drawn trolley ride. Participating shops and boutiques will offer a variety of cocoa-inspired treats and exclusive cocoa-themed merchandise.
—Northern (high)lights: Through Feb. 28, guests are invited to The Dawson to enjoy Nordic Nights—a pop-up experience in which the magic of the Nordic region comes alive. Dining tables are surrounded by fir trees and white lights, and cozy fleece blankets are draped on the back of each chair.
Gather around one of The Dawson’s fireplaces or settle into a cozy table and indulge in a special Nordic-inspired menu. Items include wood-fired elk rack, seafood chowder, Norwegian cheese melt, Icelandic fish and chips, and table-top fireside S’mores. Cocktails (among others) include The Scandi G-T, made with Kyrö Finnish rhubarb gin, elderflower tonic, lime, mint and juniper berry; and the Svårt-Manhattan, made with Knob Greek rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, smoked amaro, salted licorice, honey, coffee bitters and a lemon twist.
That’s the news for this week. Be sure to come back next week for more tasty treats—and to get full scoops at SAVOR with Andrew!
—Pop life: Please don’t forget that I have another column called Pop-Eds. My latest article covers observations from Donald Trump’s first day and much more. Check it all out at Andrew449.substack.com.