GQ’s Best New Restaurants List Snubs Chicago, Ocean Cut’s Fifth Chef, More Intel

—GQ revealed the magazine’s annual Best New Restaurants in America list, and writer Brett Martin’s 2017 edition is decidedly LA-centric — and omits Chicago altogether. The listicle includes three Los Angeles restaurants and one of each from NYC, Detroit, Portland (Ore.), Austin, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Minneapolis.

—There’s yet another chef change at Ocean Cut, the Chicago Cut guys’ swanky seafood restaurant in River North. Former The Blanchard chef/owner Jason Paskewitz is out after just taking over the kitchen in January, and former Rockit chef Amanda Downing is in, Chicago magazine reports. For those counting at home, Downing is now the fifth chef there since it opened two years ago as C Chicago: Bill Montagne, Dean Zanella, Dirk Flanigan, Paskewitz, and now Downing. She emailed late Friday saying she’s been on the job for about a month.

—This year’s James Beard Eats Week kicks off today with the awards themselves 10 days away. More than 100 local restaurants are taking part in the “week” (it lasts all 10 days) by offering special menus in honor of James Beard. Check out the full list of restaurants and dishes here.

—The Mag Mile could get a massive new special Starbucks. The coffee chain’s roastery concept could take over the 36,000-square-foot Crate & Barrel space at Michigan and Erie, the Tribune reports, citing anonymous sources to report that the deal is in negotiation. Stay tuned.

—You may have missed it, but Bucktown’s AMK Kitchen & Bar closed for two weeks to make some changes following chef Angelina Bastidas’ exit. It reopened on Tuesday with some interior changes (including many more TVs) and an expanded menu with help from new consulting chef — longtime local restaurant vet Phil Rubino. [UPDATE: It turns out that Rubino is more than AMK’s consulting chef — he is the corporate chef. Rubino and AMK executive chef Barney Smith are also collaborating on sister restaurant Nosh & Booze on Randolph Row.]

—And finally, Bohemian House is jumping into weekday brunch. The acclaimed restaurant in River North will start offering a three-course “extended” brunch on Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. for $23 beginning next week — check out the menu below. It will also only be open for private events during the daytime on Mondays through Wednesdays beginning May 1.