Opening
Eataly (43 E. Ohio St., River North) has opened Baita, a new Alpine-themed pop-up that replaces Sabbia, its coastal-inspired spot that launched this summer. The new restaurant will feature dishes inspired by the Italian Alps, including melted raclette and hot chocolate. (Its name means “ski lodge” in the Piemontese dialect.) Not exactly light fare, but these dishes will probably hit the spot after or during a day of mid-winter shopping downtown.
Morsels
We have a few closings this week: Bar Lupo, the Italian restaurant on Huron, has shuttered after two years in business. Zella, an 18-year-old favorite for brunch in Lincoln Park, is closing in two weeks. Plus, one esteemed chef has left his position: Momotaro’s head chef, Mark Hellyar, whose replacement will be announced soon by Boka Restaurant Group.
A new food hall is coming to the South Side next year. One Eleven Food Hall plans to open in Pullman, as the Trib reports. It will feature four spaces for now, including a bakery, a vegan restaurant, and one spot for rotating pop-ups.
If you haven't had a chance to visit the U.S. Pizza Museum (1146 S. Delano Ct., South Loop), you’re in luck — the temporary museum has just had its run extended. The pop-up, which features all sorts of pizza memorabilia and artifacts gathered by founder Kendall Bruns, is currently housed in the Roosevelt Collection. No specific end date has been announced, but the platform to get tickets (which are free but required for entry) suggests that it will be open at least through January.
Look, The New York Times noticed something awesome in Chicago! The acclaimed Pacific Standard Time (141 W. Erie St., River North) got the profile treatment from the Gray Lady. Yes, its author, Ari Bendersky, is a Chicago-based food writer, but it’s always great to see our city and its dining scene get national attention. Oh, and Conde Nast Traveler also named Chicago the best big city in America, so there.
Here’s a somewhat depressing bit of news for fans of local food: Subscriptions for CSAs (sometimes called farm shares) are way down. It’s not clear whether customers are overwhelmed with choices, whether the local food trend has peaked, or if there’s some other cause. But the numbers don’t lie, and plenty of farms have either stopped offering CSAs or cut way back. Personally, I still love my CSA (Tomato Mountain, which delivers to my home) but can see the cooking challenges they pose for a busy family.