—Merry good: For those who celebrate Christmas, I hope Santa was good to you. 
—All that jazz: Hey Nonny, Arlington Heights’ restaurant and live music venue, will host its 4th Annual Women’s Jazz Festival—the nation’s largest festival dedicated exclusively to women in jazz—on Jan. 6-10, 2026.
The five-day festival features 14 women-led ensembles across eight performances, including MacArthur Fellow Tomeka Reid, Rising Stars student showcases, Lucy Smith (who I recently interviewed) with JoAnn Daugherty, and a celebratory closing night with Joanie Pallatto and Bradley Parker-Sparrow. Performances take place in Hey Nonny’s intimate listening room.
Festivalgoers can enhance the experience with Hey Nonny’s $45 three-course tasting menu.
—Perry good: Forbes recently recognized Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille as one of America’s Best Customer Service 2026 award winners, ranking #28 overall across all industries and #1 among U.S. full-service restaurants, making it the highest-rated steakhouse in the nation.
The 2026 Forbes list—developed in partnership with HundredX, a leading customer insights and analytics company—relied on feedback from 158,000 U.S. consumers collected between August 2024 and July 2025. Companies were evaluated on four factors: personal interaction, speed, services and resolution. The top five companies (in order) were The UPS Store, Mary Kay, Chick-fil-A, USAA and REI; a few others on the list of 100 businesses included Trader Joe’s, Amazon, Ace Hardware, Eddie V’s, Royal Caribbean, Nordstrom and Abbott Laboratories.
—Of note: CSG Hospitality—the team behind River North’s Boss Bar—has opened Kitchen Karaoke, a concept bringing late-night street food and open-air karaoke, to 109 W. Hubbard St.
The star of the concept is Executive Chef Eddie Park, who doesn’t just run the kitchen—he also takes the mic. Guests will find him singing karaoke right on the sidewalk, inviting passersby and patrons alike to join in. So, yes: As you’re waiting for your food, you and your guests can pretend you’re Mariah Carey, H.E.R., Benson Boone, Diana Ross or someone else.
And the menu items look engaging. Park’s line-up includes steamed dumplings, Eddie’s Fried Rice (with a choice of teriyaki chicken, beef bulgogi or vegetable), The Korean Meltdown (a sandwich with D’Amato’s Sourdough Bread, American and provolone cheeses, marinated beef bulgogi and cabbage slaw) and other items.
—Dry run: For Dry January, Casa Chi by Chef Richard Sandoval is launching its “Art of Zero Proof” cocktail series featuring three inventive, alcohol-free drinks that celebrate zesty flavors and creativity without the booze.
Drinks include the Garden Grove Highball (elderflower and cucumber with bright citrus and cedar accents), the Espresso Maíztini (a dessert-inspired drink with coffee flavors, buttery popcorn and warm spices) and the Margarita Verde (with lime, pandan, jalapeño and the herb hoja santa). These drinks will be featured during Casa Chi’s Dry January Happy Hour, with zero-proof and signature cocktails priced at $12 each, Tuesday through Friday at 4–7 p.m.
- I|O Godfrey at The Godfrey Hotel Chicago is offering drinks such as It’s Always Honey in Philadelphia (Oddbird Blanc De Blancs, fresh lemon and honey syrup; $13), a $15 Phony Negroni, a $14 non-alcoholic Italian spritz and Peach Out (blueberry, yucca peach tea, muddled agave, rosemary, club soda and chia seeds, $10). There’s also non-alcoholic wine.
- Chicago’s Sweetwater Tavern and Old Town Pour House (now only in Oak Brook and Naperville)—known for having 90 beers on tap—will offer identical Dry January selections. They include the Cucumber Cure (Ritual Gin alternative, cucumber, mint, simple syrup, lime juice, ginger beer and soda), Mellow Mule (cucumber, honey syrup, blueberry syrup, lime juice and ginger beer), Strawberry Soothe (strawberries, lime juice, lemon juice, simple syrup and a splash of lemon-lime soda) and the Peace Punch (Seedlip Grove 42 non-alcoholic spirit, orange juice, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, lime juice and grenadine).
- The West Loop spot Bar La Rue will have mocktails such as the Faux Fizz (Ritual gin alternative, lemon and Q grapefruit) and the Spicy Poseur (Ritual tequila alternative, eucalyptus, lemon and serrano).
- Crying Tiger has an extensive list of spirit-free beverages (nearly as many as on the cocktail list!) to complement Chef Thai Dang’s vibrant Southeast Asian menu. Standouts have been the Salted Mango Limeade, with preserved citrus topped with a pile of shaved ice and lime zest; and the Iced Jasmine Tea, made with condensed coconut milk and pandan jelly.
- Miru Lead Bartender Natcha Gibson has developed the NA Sage Advice, a spritzy-effervescent alternative to a gin and tonic.
- In addition, Shaw’s Crab House has unveiled the second in its zero-proof cocktail series inspired by the CTA, the Yellow Line (following this fall’s Green Line); made with Lyre’s Dry London Spirit, fresh lemon juice and black tea honey, it’s a refreshing ride. And Sushi-san has its N.W.A. (Nothin’ With Alcohol) menu boasting a constantly rotating selection of inventive cocktails such as the Ananas, What’s My Name—a combination of Pathfinder, pineapple, five-spice syrup and lemon.
—Wine and dine: There’s a daily wine deal from the French steakhouse La Grande Boucherie in Chicago’s River North neighborhood that warrants attention.
The restaurant’s signature Winter Wine Selection is available for 50% daily this season, making it a nice pairing for any happy hour, date night, after-work dinner, etc. For example, white-wine favorites include Chardonnay (regularly $80, available for $40)—Château des Jacques, Beaujolais, ‘23; and Triennes (regularly $100, available for $50)—Mediterranee, ‘23.
—It’s Greek to me: James Beard Award–winning chef Jimmy Bannos Jr. and Chef/Partner Kevin Stack will open Kouklas Greek Eatery on Dec. 29 at 7620 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Niles.
Kouklas marks Bannos’ return to the Chicagoland dining scene. At the center of Kouklas is a custom-built hearth burning oak and olive woods, along with charcoal pressed from olive pits. The hearth supports a wide range of preparations across the menu, such as souvlaki cooked directly over the embers; octopusfinished with a crisp char and served over a gigante bean purée with a herb-forward salsa verde; milk-braised lamb shank folded into orzo and a light cherry tomato–vodka sauce; and whole Mediterranean dorade grilled to a crackling finish and served with ladolemono. And then there’s the flaming bone marrow, which is finished tableside.
Beyond the hearth are dishes such as mussels saganaki, half-brick chicken and butternut-squash gnocchi. Drinks will include items such as Kouklas Old Fashioned and even an ouzo frappe.
The write stuff: Be sure to read and subscribe to my other Substack—Pop-Eds: My thoughts on pop culture. (Like SAVOR, it’s less than $5/month to access everything.) Columns have discussed Labubu, cheating, Notre Dame football, Sean Combs: The Reckoning, vampire facials and All’s Fair, among many other topics.
Until next time—and Happy New Year! Find much more dining news at SAVOR with Andrew.