Cubs Add a James Beard Winner to Wrigley Field Chef Series

Cubs add Pretty Cool Ice Cream and Fat Rice to Wrigley Field’s annual chef series

Wrigley Field’s Chef Series is back for its third year, giving fans a chance to devour gourmet ballpark dishes from some of Chicago’s most noted chefs on select game days. A rotating menu that runs from June through early September highlights nine local culinarians, starting June 3-9 with Graham Elliot and moving on to past participants Rick Bayless, Tony Mantuano, Matthias Merges, and Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp of Honey Butter Fried Chicken. This year, Dana Salls Cree of Pretty Cool Ice Cream and 2018 James Beard Award winner chef Abe Colon and Adrienne Lo (Fat Rice) are joining the lineup for the first time. The full schedule is available online. Mantuano (Spiaggia, River Roast) and Cubs manager Joe Maddon’s new ballpark-adjacent restaurant Maddon’s Post opened this month.

A fast casual teriyaki chain is slated to open at least 20 locations around Chicagoland

Teriyaki Madness, a fast casual chain serving teriyaki and yakisoba by the bowlful, is hitting Chicagoland hard this year with three forthcoming locations including one in the South Loop at 829 S. Wabash Avenue. CEO Michael Haith said he hopes to open at least 20 to 25 franchise locations in the Chicago area. Chicken katsu, a panko-breaded chicken cutlet served with a thick, savory Teriyaki Madness-brand katsu sauce, is also on the menu. Crain’s Chicago has more.

Teriyaki Madness [Official Photo]

A pop-up bar for dogs and their humans opens today in Logan Square

The second annual dog-friendly pop-up bar “The Dog’s Day Adventure,” a collaboration between local dog rescue One Tail At A Time and Emporium Logan Square, launches today at 2367 N. Milwaukee Avenue and will run until the end of June. The space, now transformed into a dog park, includes an “agility mountain” and ball pit, and human attendees can try cocktails and beer (a portion of proceeds will go to the rescue) while their canine companions slurp down unlimited water. The pop up includes special events scheduled throughout, so check out the website for details and tickets.

A South Side staple closes after a car slams into restaurant

Taurus Flavors, one of the South Side meccas for hoagies is closed for the time being, according to a Facebook post from early this morning that includes photos of a car smashed into the front of the restaurant at 8534 S. Stony Island Avenue. Owners wrote, “Due to unfortunate circumstances Taurus Flavors will be closed until further notice. Sorry for the inconvenience. We will be back soon. Be safe.”

The owner of a popular brunch chain invests $50K to revamp its coffee program

And finally, Chicago brunch goliath Yolk is kicking up its coffee game with a $50,000 investment to establish a gourmet coffee program that includes training, new equipment, and partnerships with local roasters, according to a news release. A Yolk-branded espresso blend is on the way as well. The chain operates nine Chicago-area locations, including a test kitchen in Bucktown, as well as spots in Indiana, Florida, and Texas.