Abbey Pub May Not Return Until February, Packed Hoping For January, More AM Intel

—When longtime bar, music venue and eatery Abbey Pub burned on Nov. 17, ownership hoped to reopen in a matter of days. Now it looks like the Portage Park staple won't be back until February, according to DNAinfo.

—Hyde Parkers are getting closer to having a reimagined dumpling hotspot, as Packed is looking like a January opening, according to reps.

—A suburban funeral home may soon serve booze. Kolssak Funeral Home in Wheeling is hoping to get its alcohol catered by Phil Stefani's nearby Tuscany Restaurant, the Daily Herald reports.

—Xi'an Cuisine, the Northern Chinese restaurant in Chinatown lauded by critics and food enthusiasts for its hand-stretched noodles and sandwiches on house-baked Chinese flatbreads, is closed, at least temporarily. The restaurant's website says the closure is for remodeling and it was supposed to reopen in late November.

[Photo: Daniel Gerzina]

—Thieves broke into Brown Sugar Bakery in south side Park Manor early Wednesday morning, stole only caramel cakes, and then sold them on the street, DNAinfo reports. The bakery's Facebook page says the thieves were even selling them through the bakery's broken window.

—New North Center spicy-themed restaurant Kick has begun serving brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, and not every dish is spicy. Check out the menu on its website.