Lincoln Park Mainstay Zella to Shutter After 18 Years

— Lincoln Parkers will lose one of the neighborhood’s most popular bars and boozy brunch options at the end of the month. The owners of Zella, the longtime hangout that’s popular with the post-college crowd for its expansive back patio and was one of the first Chicago spots to serve bottomless brunches, announced it will close on November 1 after 18 years at 1983 N. Clybourn Avenue due to its lease ending. Patrons have just two weekends of boozy brunches left until Zella’s gone for good.

— Kanye West unexpectedly popped into a suburban Mexican spot yesterday for some tacos and pool. The Chicago native-turned-lightning rod celebrity caused a stir by showing up with eight bodyguards at Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant in Naperville at 2:30 p.m. and ate three chicken tacos, posed for photos, and played some pool before taking off, according to multiple reports. West recently made news by saying he wants to move back to Chicago, so maybe he’s scouting the suburbs too.

— Chicago’s first Asian-inspired brewpub now serves weekday lunch. Bixi Beer’s lunch service, available Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., offers many of the most popular dishes from its brunch and dinner menus. Check out the full lunch menu on its website.

— Paciugo Gelato closed all of its Chicago locations — in Lincoln Square, Lakeview, and Roscoe Village — Block Club reports.

— Eataly Chicago opens a new Italian Alps ski lodge-inspired spot today named Baita. Taking over the 150-seat restaurant that was previously home to Sabbia, it serves lots of melted cheese, gnocchi, “warming” wines, boozy hot chocolate, and more in a space decked out sleds, vintage skis, and “snow-capped furnishings.”

— And finally, Portillo’s founder Dick Portillo has written a memoir named Out of the Dog House that will be released on November 27. It’s available for pre-order on its Amazon page, which also has more information.