First edition Ill. · Census No. 3

Chicago.

Weekly Eats · Monday, August 17, 2026

Taylor Street’s festa and the Humboldt Park sangria fest ended last night. Wicker Park’s market is Sundays. TAAN hoped friends-and-family around today, with official service Thursday. Lizzano’s Evanston grand opening was Saturday. First edition — only what we could source.

In pictures

Photo stories

F1 Arcade Chicago in River North

River North

F1 Arcade

Opened Friday, August 14

Eatertainment in the old Rock Bottom at 1 West Grand Avenue: 61 full-motion simulators, 424 seats, and two Chicago-only cocktails from Kumiko’s Julia Momosé. After 7 p.m. the room is 21+.

Eater Chicago

Google reviews

Soul & Smoke’s forthcoming Evanston dining room

Evanston

Soul & Smoke

Opens Tuesday, September 1

D’Andre Carter and Heather Bublick’s first table-service restaurant, at 1601 Payne Street. Sunday–Thursday 11–10, Friday–Saturday 11–11.

Eater Chicago

Google reviews

Lizzano Focacceria in Evanston

Evanston

Lizzano Focacceria

Grand opening Saturday, August 15

Soft-opened August 7 at 1607 Chicago Avenue. Saturday, first 100 guests get a free half panini from 10 a.m. Owner Gabriel Fleury also runs Deep Purpl.

Evanston RoundTable

WebsiteReviews

Fork & Coin in Portage Park

Portage Park

Fork & Coin

Logged by Infatuation August 10

Self-described American izakaya at 3938 North Central Avenue: shaken steak and eggs with kimchi, pork chop with curry. Dinner and weekend brunch. Infatuation had not visited yet.

The Infatuation

Google reviews

Without pictures

Text only

Little Italy

Taylor Street Little Italy Festival

Friday Aug 14, 5–10 p.m. · Sat–Sun Aug 15–16, 12–10 p.m.

On Taylor between Ashland and Throop. Neighborhood restaurants, Italian imports, and stages. Choose Chicago lists all three days; admission is free.

Choose Chicago

River North

The Carlyle Club

Set to open August 15

Steak, sushi, and cocktails in the Reid, Murdoch & Co. Building at 316 North Clark. An August 7 Times of Chicago piece says August 15; a June WTTW preview had said August 28. We are using the later local report and flagging the conflict.

The Times of Chicago

WebsiteReviews

Humboldt Park

TAAN

Friends-and-family ~Aug 17 · service hoped August 20

Chanita Chayaluk’s coal-fire Thai room at 2759 West Augusta Boulevard. She told Whatnow she hopes to start official service August 20.

Whatnow Chicago

Google reviews

Humboldt Park

Drama Club

New · listed in Eater’s August roundup

Tequila and mezcal bar at 819 North California Avenue. Eater did not publish a specific August door date.

Eater Chicago

Google reviews

Logan Square

Bumper 2 Bumper

Recent · City Cast August 13

Casual burger stand near the California Blue Line, open until 2 a.m. on weekends. City Cast did not give a street address or a door date.

City Cast Chicago

WebsiteReviews

Bucktown

Cafe Gimme

New · Eater August list

All-day cafe at 2115 North Damen: Metric coffee, Spanish tomato toast, wine and spritzes at night. No specific August day in the roundup.

Eater Chicago

Google reviews

The month, at a table

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Eater Chicago’s August openings list is real but light on exact door dates (Drama Club, Cafe Gimme). The Carlyle Club date conflicts between a June WTTW preview (Aug 28) and an August 7 Times of Chicago story (Aug 15) — flagged, not smoothed over. Infatuation Chicago homepage was not fetched; the Fork & Coin review loaded. Christophe’s Fine Foods was only “should open in August” in a June WTTW piece — left off for lack of a day.

Today

Monday

Humboldt Park · hoped today

TAAN friends-and-family

Friends-and-family ~Aug 17 · service hoped Thursday, August 20

Chanita Chayaluk’s coal-fire Thai room at 2759 West Augusta Boulevard. She told Whatnow she hoped to open around Aug. 17 for friends and family, with official service Aug. 20. Date is the chef’s hope, not a locked public night.

Whatnow Chicago

Google reviews

Wicker Park · Sundays

Wicker Park Farmers Market

Sundays through Oct. 25 · 8 a.m.–2 p.m. · was yesterday

Choose Chicago’s dated Sunday listing: the 26th outdoor season, with more fruit and produce vendors this year plus cheese, baked goods, meats, eggs, flowers, and crafts. Yoga at 9 a.m., pilates at 10.

Choose Chicago

WebsiteReviews

Little Italy

Taylor Street Little Italy Festival

Ended Sunday · August 14–16

Food from the block, live music, free to walk in. Choose Chicago listed Sunday noon–10 as the close.

Choose Chicago

River North

F1 Arcade, day two

Opened Friday, August 14

Simulators and Momosé cocktails at 1 West Grand. After 7 p.m. the room is 21+.

Eater Chicago

Google reviews

Evanston

Lizzano grand opening

Grand opening was Saturday, August 15

Free half panini for the first 100 guests went yesterday at 1607 Chicago Avenue. The shop is otherwise open.

Evanston RoundTable

WebsiteReviews

Humboldt Park

Sangria Festival

Ended Sunday · August 15–16 · 2701 West Division Street

Choose Chicago: sangria with Latin American food and music in Humboldt Park. WTTW’s August food-events list puts it on both days at the same address.

Choose Chicago

City market

Chicago Vegan Farmers Market

Fridays through September 25, 4–8 p.m.

Weekly Friday market (yesterday’s date). Exclusively vegan vendors, per Choose Chicago.

Choose Chicago

Avondale · Tune-Up

Kanto Taqueria pop-up

Friday, August 14, 5–9 p.m. (yesterday)

Listed at 3810 West Belmont Avenue. Do312’s listing is thin on menu detail.

Do312

WebsiteReviews

Now open / this month

Openings

Greater Grand Crossing

Roots: The Brunch Experience

Recent · City Cast August 13

Englewood native’s brunch room inside a former church. City Cast did not publish an address or a door date.

City Cast Chicago

WebsiteReviews

River North

The Carlyle Club

August 15 (later report)

Riverfront steak and sushi at 316 North Clark. See date conflict in the text-only section.

The Times of Chicago

WebsiteReviews

Mark the calendar

Pop-ups & events

Little Italy

Taylor Street Little Italy Festival

August 14–16

Choose Chicago’s official listing.

Choose Chicago

Humboldt Park

Sangria Festival

August 15–16

Latin American food and music with sangria, 2701 West Division.

Choose Chicago

Weekly Friday

Chicago Vegan Farmers Market

Through September 25

4–8 p.m. Fridays.

Choose Chicago

0–90 days

Coming

Humboldt Park

TAAN

Hoped August 20

Coal-fire Thai at 2759 West Augusta. Date is the chef’s hope, not a locked announcement.

Whatnow Chicago

Google reviews