NYC Speakeasy Icon Popping Up, Cochon 555’s 2017 Champ, More Intel

—PDT (Please Don’t Tell), the iconic New York City speakeasy cocktail bar accessible via a phone booth inside a hot dog dive in Manhattan’s East Village, is coming to Chicago — for two days. The hidden drinking den will take over Bad Hunter on Randolph Row this Saturday and Sunday leading up to the James Beard Foundation Awards on Monday Its founder and staff will serve four of its signature cocktails plus four new ones from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. each day, and, as a nod to the original’s tradition of serving specialty chef collaboration hot dogs, the popup will serve dogs by Rick Bayless, Cosmo Goss, Sarah Grueneberg, and a veggie dog by Bad Hunter chef Dan Snowden. Look for a makeshift hot dog stand at the restaurant’s herbarium this weekend.

—This year’s Chicago leg of the Cochon 555, the annual whole hog cooking competition and party, took place yesterday, and Travelle chef Ricardo Jarquin was crowned its 2017 prince of pork. The chef joins past winners including Sarah Grueneberg, Jason Vincent, Nicole Pederson, and his predecessor at Travelle (Tim Graham) in moving on to the Grand Cochon national finals here in Chicago on Oct. 1.

—Customers can’t pay with cash anymore at three Argo Tea shops in Chicago starting this week as the tea chain tests cashless operations here and at one location in New York, Crain’s reports. Make sure to bring plastic to the shops at 1 S. Franklin St. in the Loop, 750 S. Halsted St. at UIC, at 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza. More locations may go cashless this spring and summer, including three at O’Hare International Airport.

—Billy Goat Tavern burgers are now available in the freezer section at Jewel-Osco grocery stores. Varieties include the (just under) quarter-pound “The Original” burger and the third-pound “The Curse Breaker.”

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—Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel chose Lincoln Square mainstay Cafe Selmarie to break bread with notable Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren over the weekend, Politico reports. Apparently Rahm bought Warren some Selmarie granola, which is described as “a Rahm favorite.”

—And finally, head to Hannah’s Bretzel locations at 400 N. LaSalle Dr. and 131 S. Dearborn St. for free sandwiches on Wednesday. The fast-casual restaurants are giving away one of their new toasted pretzel baguette “Hot Melty” sandwiches to each customer — the three varieties are “The Hot Mess” (sirloin, pimento cheese, pickled red onions), “Hannah’s Croque” (Jambon de Paris ham, Swiss gruyère cheese, whole grain mustard and mornay sauce), and “The Melty Milano” (turkey, mozzarella, baby arugula, piquillo peppers and tomato aioli) — from 5 until 7 p.m.