Openings
To the delight of the power couple’s hungry fans, David (Blackbird) and Anna Posey (Publican) opened the doors to Elske (1350 W. Randolph St., West Loop). David will prepare many of the items for the 10-dish à la carte and eight-course tasting menus over a woodburning hearth, while Anna showcases her pastry prowess with the bread and dessert offerings.
Down the way on (where else?) Randolph Street, Porkchop has a new basement tenant in Meet & Whiskey (941 W. Randolph St., West Loop), a ’20s-themed speakeasy with cocktails, wine, and over 100 whiskeys. Want in? You’ll have to keep tabs on the bar’s social media for a password.
Morsels
There’s a changing of the guard coming at 16” On Center, the restaurant group best known for spots like Dusek’s and Longman & Eagle. Starting later this month, Jared Wentworth will be stepping down from day-to-day kitchen duties in order to focus on some new projects, to be announced soon. The news on his on-the-ground replacements will be rolling out slowly, but a few are in place already, including Henry Hill at Dusek’s and Carlos Cruz at Saint Lou’s Assembly and Moneygun.
More bad news for Chicago’s food truck operators: A Cook County judge upheld the constitutionality of the city’s regulations for mobile restaurants, including the notoriously strict parking regulations that require trucks to stay 200 feet from brick-and-mortar spots. Read more at the Tribune.
You know how to tell it’s winter? Bar/restaurant Kaiser Tiger (1415 W. Randolph St., West Loop) will officially open their outdoor curling rinks for the season on Friday. To rent a lane for up to eight people, it’s $40 for 30 minutes of play.