Openings
Friday, April 25: Brendan Sodikoff’s Cocello (354 W. Hubbard, River North), the regional-Italian spot that's taking over half of Dillman's current location, is soft-open tonight and tomorrow, and diners who swing by before the official opening get 40 percent off their meals.
Friday: As we first reported a month ago, Goddess and Grocer has outgrown its current Bucktown digs. They’ll be open for the first time in their new location, just across the street at 1649 N. Damen Ave., starting Friday—and this new location’s got plenty of seating.
Monday, April 28: To celebrate the opening of Chicago’s second Blaze Pizza (227 W. Ontario St., River North), Facebook fans of the fast-casual pizza joint who swing by Tuesday and prove their fandom will get a free pie.
Tuesday, April 29: The second location of Mirai Sushi will start rolling in the Gold Coast (990 N. Mies Van Der Rohe Way, 312-280-9100), the first of Miae Lim’s two new restaurant projects to open (the other is in the works for the South Loop.)
Morsels
How many of Chicago’s Best New Restaurants have you been to? Keep track of your top-level dining experiences with our interactive checklist. So far, the most popular spot among the checklist’s users is our best new restaurant, Dusek’s.
The previously liquor-license-less Winchester (1001 N. Winchester Ave., Ukrainian Village, 773-698-8703) has now added a slate of cocktails to their dinner menu. Peter Vestinos (Sepia, BellyQ) is behind the seven-drink list. It includes a rotating punch option and coffee-based cocktails such as the Cold Stare, which spikes a cold-press brew with mezcal, raspberry liqueur, amaro, and walnut bitters.
For the next couple of weeks, you’ll have to take your tea-and-crumpet cravings to somewhere other than Spencer’s Jolly Posh Foods (1405 W. Irving Park Rd., Lake View, 312-415-6919). The British/Irish food shop is moving to a new location at 3755 North Southport Avenue, with plans to reopen on May 6.
Shed a few vodka-soaked tears for John Barleycorn (658 W. Belden Ave., Lincoln Park, 773-348-1570), the neighborhood drunk-stitution that announced it would be closing its 50-year-old flagship location. Your last opportunity to get shots in at the bar will be May 17.
The current word on the reopening of the fire-damaged Juno (2638 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park) is later this summer, but should you need some sushi sustenance before then, the team is doing a two-night pop-up on April 29 and 30 at neighboring Barrelhouse Flat (2624 N. Lincoln Ave., Lincoln Park, 773-857-0421). The 10-course meal is paired with drinks created by the crews at both spots. You can call 773-857-0421 to make a reservation for the $225 meal—there are three total seatings available with ten seats at each, so act quickly.