Tavernita's Barcito Opens; Boka's New Lounge; More

RIVER NORTH—Today marks the official opening of Tavernita and with that the debut of Barcito, the restaurant's stand-and-eat pintxo bar for tapas and great beer and wine. [EaterWire]

LINCOLN PARK—Over the weekend, Boka exec chef Giuseppe Tentori tweeted an image of the restaurant's new lounge, giving it fresh new look. Co-owner Kevin Boehm said more changes are coming and it all should be done by Valentine's Day. [Twitter]

RIVER NORTH—Big & Little's has a secret menu that they just started posting to Facebook and Twitter. Just ask the guy at the counter for the secret dish. Today's? Little's BBQ pulled pork sandwich. Limited supplies. [Facebook]

WEST LOOP—Maude's Liquor Bar is now open until 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday. [EaterWire]

MILLENNIUM PARK—The Grand Chefs Gala featuring the Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence taking place this Friday Jan. 27 is nearly sold out. Don't miss one of the city's top food events. Get your tickets now. [EaterWire]

EVANSTON—Pret a Manger opened its first Chicago-area location outside of the city today at 1701 Sherman Avenue in downtown Evanston. [EaterWire]