Rick Bayless to Open First Location of New Restaurant Chain Tortazo Next Week

Rick Bayless’s new restaurant chain Tortazo debuts next week in Willis Tower

Rick Bayless has an opening date for the first location of his new restaurant chain. The legendary Mexican food-focused chef will unleash the first Tortazo on January 15 inside Chicago’s tallest building, the Tribune first reported. The restaurant is the most prominent part of Catalog, the Willis Tower’s new five-story retail, dining and entertainment space. Expect tortas, soups, salads, bowls, chilaquiles, churros, cocktails, and more inside what Bayless previously described as “an evolution of Tortas Frontera that you can find at the airport.” Stay tuned for more details.

New owner resurrects longtime Irish bar the Hidden Shamrock

The Hidden Shamrock, one of the North Side’s oldest Irish pubs which originally opened at 2723 N. Halsted Street in 1987 and closed in May 2019, is back open thanks to new owner John Donnelly. Donnelly, who also resurrected nearby popular sports bar Racine Plumbing last year, says he’s keeping the name, tweaking the food menu to upgrade burger and sandwich options, offering 20 beers on tap including 10 European imports, and is “trying to give it an authentic Irish pub feel.” The space houses a dart room in back and Donnelly also says it’ll start hosting live Irish music.

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‘Cards Against Humanity’ delays opening of highly-anticipated restaurant

Chicago food enthusiasts and gamers will have to wait a little longer to visit the first “Cards Against Humanity” restaurant. The owners of Chicago Gaming Cafe, which was previously slated to open January 10, pushed back its unveiling to sometime in February, a rep says. Stay tuned for more updates on one of the year’s most anticipated openings.

Popular jerk taco shack soon reopening West Side location

The line-inducing Jerk Taco Man plans to reopen its original Garfield Park location at 4001 W. Jackson Boulevard on January 20, Block Club reports. The restaurant, popular for jerk tacos, sandwiches, burritos, and more, was open from 2014 until 2018. Owner Julius Thomas also opened a South Side location in 2017, plans to soon open a suburban location, and hopes to expand to many more through franchising.

Beard Award-winning Boka group unveils two pop-ups

And finally, Boka favorite GT Fish & Oyster will collaborate with Indian hotspot Wazwan Supper Club for a one-night dinner. Expect “four waves of multiple dishes crafted by chefs Giuseppe Tentori, Zubair Mohajir, and Andrew Pingul” on January 12 for $90 a seat, according to an announcement, and reservations are available here. In more Boka pop-up news, Momotaro Italia is now open through March inside the Dutch & Doc’s space in Wrigleyville.