Openings

Open now: Bottlefork (441 N. Clark St., River North, 312-955-1900), the Kevin Hickey and Rockit Ranch collaboration we first told you about back in October, is now open, with a meat-heavy menu and hefty cocktail list.

(Re-)Open now: Boka: The Lee Wolen Edition (1729 N. Halsted St., Lincoln Park, 312-337-6070). Now that Wolen, the former Lobby chef, has taken the reins, the flagship of the Boka Restaurant Group has undergone a total makeover.

Open now: Sticky Rice Chiang Mai (1746 N. Western Ave., Wicker Park, 312-818-1810) is the second location of a North Center restaurant known for its northern Thai cuisine—and the only place on the Blue Line you can get a tilapia-apple salad with a whole fish.

Saturday, February 15: The explosive growth of the Protein Bar franchise continues, with a new one opening in Lincoln Park (1953 N. Clybourn Ave.) The first 100 guests when it opens at 11 a.m. will get $500 gift cards.

Monday, February 17: Is it a sign that a neighborhood has arrived when not one, but two arcade bars are in the works? The Logan Arcade (2410 W. Fullerton Ave., Logan Square) will join the second planned location of Wicker Park’s Emporium in bringing pinball machines to the flannel-wearing masses in the hopping nabe.

Morsels

Starting tomorrow, The Nosh will bring its pop-up lunch market back to Block Thirty Seven (108 N. State St., The Loop, 312-261-4700) every Thursday and Friday through April 4. Look for wood-fired pizzas from Reno, treats from Floriole, and Indonesian Eats from Rickshaw Republic.

So, the James Beard Awards, the so-called “Oscars of food,” are given out each year in New York City. Unless, that is, a push by Choose Chicago is successful in luring them here—a big coup if they can pull it off, raising Chicago’s culinary profile both nationally and internationally. Read more about it here.

After a little less than a year, Michelin-starred chef Shin Thompson’s Japanese-inspired brasserie Kabocha (952 W. Lake St., West Loop, 312-666-6214) is closing up on Saturday.

Double up on your hangover cures with a chilaquiles brunch burger at DMK Burger Bar (2952 N. Sheffield Ave., Lake View, 773-360-8686; 2370 Fountain Square Dr., Lombard, 630-705-9020) on Saturdays and Sundays. The beef patty comes topped with scrambled eggs, jalapeño, tortilla chips, salsa verde, and jack cheese, enough to soak up your next three nights of heavy drinking.