Longtime River North Sushi Spot Shutters, Carol’s Pub For Sale, More Intel

—Here’s one more to add to the too-large rash of end-of-year restaurant shutters. Sushi Naniwa, the 19-year-old Japanese restaurant at 607 N. Wells St. in River North, announced on Facebook that it’s closing for good after service on New Year’s Eve. The closing is the second in two years for owner Bob Bee, who shuttered his Wicker Park mainstay, Bob San on Division Street, in 2015, which is now Harvest Moon. Stay tuned for intel on what will take over the River North space, as you have two nights to visit Naniwa one last time.

—Intriguing business opportunity alert: You can take over (or perhaps save) one of Chicago’s most venerable dive bars, the shuttered honky tonk legend Carol’s Pub, for just $249K. First noticed by Time Out Chicago, the bar at 4659 N. Clark St. hit the real estate market this week at that low, low price following its September shutter and subsequent failed GoFundMe hail mary. Who will take over the iconic divey space?

—Chicago Restaurant Week has a new addition this year: Brunch. 36 restaurants are offering $22 brunch deals — including stalwarts The Duck Inn and GT Fish & Oyster — for the annual wintertime two-week marketing bonanza that begins on Jan. 27, Chicagoist reports. Click here for more info.

—Following last week’s news of a lawsuit claiming that some Extra Value Meals at a suburban McDonald’s are actually a worse deal than buying the items individually, a second Chicagoan has filed a similar class-action suit against the world’s most-prominent fast food chain. In this suit, a woman claims that a sausage burrito meal at a McDonald’s at Randolph and Dearborn streets in The Loop is a similar bad deal and false advertising, as she was charged $5.08, when ordering the items a la carte would cost $4.97, Cook County Record reports. The suit requests "requested actual and tripled damages, plus unspecified punitive damages and attorney fees."

—As DineAmic Group prepares to shutter Bull & Bear in River North after service on New Year’s Eve, it’s also preparing to open a new spot. The group behind Siena Tavern is hiring for an executive chef for a "new venue opening in River North," presumably the previously-announced project in the BlackFinn AmeriPub space. Ownership is still keeping the concept close to the vest, and the ad reveals very few additional details, so stay tuned.

—Three of Chicago’s buzziest breweries and one popular national brewery are joining forces for an intriguing four-week beer education and tasting series at Dusek’s in Pilsen. Beginning Jan. 18, Brew U will bring together Moody Tongue Brewery, Forbidden Root, Hopewell Brewing Co., and New Belgium Brewing for four nights in January and February. $80 tickets, which include tastings and admission to all four nights, are available here.

—And finally, although Bill Kim’s Belly Shack sadly shuttered on Christmas Eve, two of its most popular dishes have already become available at one of Kim’s other restaurants. His "Belly Dog" and Boricua sandwich are on the menu at UrbanBelly Wicker Park all this week.