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— The owners of Replay Lincoln Park hope that customers believe that happiness is just a “Flaming Moe” away during this Halloween season. They’ve transformed their arcade bar into a popup based on Moe’s Tavern from “The Simpsons,” first reported by RedEye, which is complete with “at least a dozen varieties of Duff beer,” a cocktail menu featuring the “Flaming Moe” and “Red Squishee,” and a makeover of the space that makes it looks like reasonable facsimile of the bar from the beloved longtime fictional cartoon show. Take a look at more photos of the popup here; it opened on Tuesday and will run through Halloween.
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— The latest Chicago restaurant to jump on the Impossible Burger bandwagon is on a college campus. University of Chicago students are now able to dig into the “bleeding” veggie burger at the Quantum Cafe on campus, according to a news release, which is the first school to offer the burger in a student restaurant. It will also be available “later this year” at the International House's Tiffin Café at U of C. M Burger started the Impossible Burger craze in Chicago, which has since expanded to Umami Burger, Bareburger, and even Kuma’s Corner.
— Baker Miller owners Megan and Dave Miller have closed their Ravenswood Manor shop, Hot Bar by Baker Miller, to focus on their Lincoln Square flagship, DNAinfo reports, which will expand hours to serve dinner. The Ravenswood Manor spot opened in November 2015.
— Barrio, the River North Mexican hotspot from the folks behind Siena Tavern and former “Top Chef” contestant Katsuji Tanabe, now serves weekend brunch. Check out the menu here, which includes a “crispy cronut,” pork belly carnitas eggs benedict, many tacos, and of course cocktails. If the popularity of its nighttime service and the brunch at siblings Siena Tavern and Bar Siena are an indication, Barrio should be a hotspot during weekend days too.
— Barrio isn’t the only River North restaurant to expand to brunch, however. Slurping Turtle, the semi-casual Japanese spot on Hubbard Street from Takashi Yagihashi, starts serving brunch for the first time in its near-six-year history on Sunday. The menu, executed by corporate executive chef Tadashi Nagura, features many interesting dishes including duck fat fried chicken and waffles and a bao benedict.
— And finally, the poke boom has expanded to tacos. Firefin Poke Shop locations now serve poke tacos — which management has named the “Wako” — where any poke bowl can be served in a fried wonton skin shell rather than a bowl. Check out a photo of some below.
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