Hopleaf Raises $2.3K For Planned Parenthood, Two More Spots Shutter, More Intel

—Hopleaf had its busiest day in its 25-year history on Friday when the bar donated 10 percent of beverage sales to Planned Parenthood on the day of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. The longtime Andersonville beer bar and Belgian eatery reported a 13-hour rush on that day, and owner Michael Roper says the donation came out to $2,300. "We've been doing events like this for over 10 years," he said. "The election has inspired us to be more active though. We feel that we have to fill in the gaps caused by funding cuts and to send a message that we support progressive groups and causes that are under attack."

—Lovely Too, the sister restaurant at 1139 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Edgewater to the popular Noble Square bakery, cafe and coffee shop, will shutter after business hours on Jan. 29, it revealed on Facebook. The Milwaukee Avenue original remains open after undergoing an ownership and name change in November.

—It doesn’t look good for a popular LTH Forum Great Neighborhood Restaurant in west Lincoln Square. New Asia Restaurant closed on Jan. 5 at 2705 W. Lawrence Ave. with a sign on the door saying its until "further notice for remodeling," an LTH poster reports. The Vietnamese standby is still closed and no one has answered its phone in multiple attempts since Tuesday.

—Brunchers in the Loop have a new option from an underrated restaurant and one of the city’s best pastry chefs and bakers. Steadfast’s first brunch menu, on the ground floor of the Kimpton Gray hotel on Monroe Street, offers Chris Teixeira’s breakfast version of the restaurant's acclaimed bread service, a doughnut cart, plus more savory and sweet dishes and a Bloody Mary bar. Menu below.

—Aspiring "Top Chef" contestants can try out for Season 15 of the TV cooking show at a casting call this Sunday, Jan. 29, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Monteverde in the West Loop. Click here for the application and contact information.

—Eaters can still take advantage of Chicago Restaurant Week even if you’re catching a flight. Airport Restaurant Week is happening for the second year in a row, USA Today reported first, with deals, chef demonstrations, and more coming to both O’Hare and Midway from Jan. 27 through Feb. 9.

—And finally, some sad news on the South Side. John Frangais, owner of Salonica Restaurant at 1440 E. 57th St. in Hyde Park, passed away last weekend, the Hyde Park Herald reports. He was 55.