HAPPY EASTER! 
—Take dos: Dos Toros Taqueria, known for its Mission-style burritos, will return to Chicago this May—at its original location at 1 N. Dearborn St. (Dearborn and Madison streets) in the heart of the Loop.
The return comes at a moment of growth for Founders Table Restaurant Group, the parent company of Dos Toros Taqueria and Chopt Creative Salad Co. Earlier this year, Founders Table expanded its Chicago presence by acquiring the locally based Protein Bar & Kitchen.
—POP life: POP/Culture Chicago—a new 1,200-square-foot retail concept combining a specialty soda shop, gallery and curated gift store—has opened at 2937 N. Clark St., in Lake View.
Visitors will find more than 50 brands and flavors of craft and hard-to-find sodas, sourced from domestic producers, regional bottlers with devoted followings and international labels that are largely unavailable elsewhere in Chicago. The lineup ranges from classic root beers and orange sodas to more unexpected flavors including strawberry rhubarb, peach ginger ale, cucumber, matcha lemonade and yuzu sparklers.
Guests can mix and match their own selections to create four-packs ($13.99) or six packs ($19.50) to take home. POP/Culture Chicago will also offer wooden six-pack carriers, and in the near future plans to introduce customizable gift buckets where shoppers can build their own assortment of sodas, snacks and treats in classic galvanized buckets traditionally used for icing bottles.
—Still Rivers: Rivers Fast Market (located inside the CME Building in the Loop) will close permanently on Friday, April 10; and the restaurant will shutter two days later, according to the businesses’ website.
The staff stated, “It has been our pleasure to have served the CME Center and surrounding neighborhood for 30-plus years. We have hosted business lunches and opera dinners [being located near Lyric]. More rehearsal dinners, weddings and wedding receptions than we can count. And the corporate and holiday events? Oh my!
“Our Fast Market has taken care of your quick-service breakfast and lunch needs and we’ve catered so many meetings over all these years. Our bar staff, both inside and at the outdoor patio bar have been a source of beverages and camaraderie. We are grateful that our guests have believed in us enough to help us stay open these 30-plus years.”
—Putt seriously…: Puttshack—which spotlights mini-golf and dining—has debuted a new U.S. menu with 50+ food and beverage additions.
Available across all 19 locations, new offerings include wings with five sauce options; the Signature Skirted Cheeseburger; churro dippers; a birria nacho tower; and a grilled chicken flatbread foldover. Drink additions include a Pineapple Express Mule and a non-alcoholic espresso martini. Also, for value-focused guests, Puttshack’s new happy hour offers $1 wings, $3 draft beers and additional deals on weekdays at 3-6 p.m. (The offer and times vary in select markets.)
In addition, during Autism Acceptance Month (April), Puttshack is donating 20% of all nine-hole mini-golf gameplay to KultureCity, the leading nonprofit focused on sensory accessibility and acceptance. At Puttshack, guests have access to KultureCity sensory bags with noise-canceling headphones and fidget tools; staff trained in sensory inclusion and accessibility; and resources that help guests understand the environment before they visit.
—It’s no joke: It started on April Fools’ Day—but it’s a serious offer.
Jōtō Sushi is teaming with Chicago’s most infamous spirit with a month-long Malört collaboration. The limited-time $22 menu features Ora King Salmon nigiri finished with Malört XO, alongside a choice of two drinks: the Genmai-Chaotic (a genmaicha-infused Malört cocktail with yuzu sake, lemon and a furikake rim), or a Malört Spritz by Marz Brewing. Reservations are available on OpenTable.
—Texas-based dessert shop The Bougie Foodie is expanding beyond the Lone Star State for the first time with a new Chicago location opening this April in the Fulton Market/West Loop neighborhood at 210 N. Carpenter St.
Founded by pastry chef/entrepreneur Brianna Cryar, the shop has built a devoted following for its oversized cookies, scratch-made dessert bars and its signature family-recipe bread pudding (using her grandmother’s original recipe). Highlights include the Choco Chip Cookie Mountain—a six-ounce gourmet chocolate chip cookie packed with premium Guittard semisweet chocolate chips and baked to achieve a crisp exterior and gooey center; and Mimi’s Boozy Bread Pudding, Cryar’s grandmother’s recipe served warm with a rich brandy sauce.
—Honoring roots: With deep roots in the Philippines, Sunda New Asian founder Billy Dec and Executive Chef Mike Morales present creative interpretations of their Filipino recipes all year round, with a special focus during April—designated as National Filipino Food Month.
Located in River North (110 W. Illinois St.) and Fulton Market (333 N. Green St.), Sunda New Asian offers Filipino highlights such as adobo fried rice, lumpia (crispy pork and shrimp shanghai style egg rolls with Boston lettuce and dipping sauces), pancit canton (crispy pork belly lap cheong, shrimp, carrots, cabbage, bok choy, scallions and Cantonese sauce) and the Kamayan feast (adobo pork belly with a crispy pata finish, chicken inasal, garlic shrimp, lumpia egg rolls, green beans, jasmine rice and dipping sauces).
—Play of light: On April 7-26, Chicago Shakespeare Theater will host the production Mrs. Krishnan’s Party, which will come from New Zealand.
According to a release, guests can “step into the back room of Mrs. Krishnan’s corner shop, where garlands decorate the ceiling, music flows and Mrs. Krishnan is throwing a party like no other. Food simmers on the stove, laughter abounds, and strangers become friends in this celebration of life.”
Why is this in SAVOR? The actors cook real food live onstage—and the audience gets to sample it after the show! A teaser trailer is here.
—Shucking the trend: The Publican, from One Off Hospitality, is hosting its fifth annual Shuck Off charity event on Wed., April 8, 5-10 p.m.
Guests can reserve a spot with a $20 donation to Pilot Light, unlocking access to $2 oysters shucked by some of Chicago’s top bar stars and beverage legends. Each featured bar guest will also have his/her/their own signature drink on The Publican’s menu for this event only.
Kahan will shuck up a storm behind the legendary eight-foot oyster boat, with assistance from people such as Bar Tutto’s Kyle Davidson (5-5:50 p.m.), Bar Bambi’s Katie Renshaw (6:40-7:30 p.m.) and Delilah’s Mike Miller (9:10-10 p.m.). Limited spots for walk-ins and bar tables will be available, but reservations are recommended.
Until next time…
—REMEMBER that so much more restaurant news is at SAVOR with Andrew—and you can subscribe for free!
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