including traffic calming elements and a neighborhood greenway on Long Avenue from Belmont Avenue to Irving Park Road. The mile-long project will address observed cut-through traffic and dangerous driving behaviors on this stretch in addition to improving neighborhood connections and access to Chopin Park and Portage Park for people walking and biking A strategic one-way conversion of Long Avenue at the intersection of Addison, in conjuction with the installation of speed humps will promote safer driving speeds and provide marked space for biking along the corridor.  North Long Avenue from West Belmont Avenue to West Irving Park Road Read Today’s Top Story: Matthew Gardner’s Q1 2025 market insights What advice do you have for others dressing in the industry Showcase your individuality through your style and let your personality shine with bold choices Authenticity and flair will make you unforgettable Bracelet: handmade from a street vendor in Spain and website in this browser for the next time I comment Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited The Wurst Behavior deploys Polish and German recipes Old World flavor with a modern twist House-smoked kielbasa has been a hit on the menu at Pierogi Kitchen since Gosia Pieniazek and Artur Wnorowski transformed their Wicker Park spot Firewood BBQ into a Polish restaurant in January. Now the dish is getting a starring role at Wurst Behavior which the husband-and-wife team opened in late 2024 Wnorowski’s grandfather taught him how to make kielbasa on their family’s farm in Poland but he’s experimenting with the dish that typically uses fresh sausage simply seasoned with pepper and salt: “I noticed when I started curing the meat it gave it a little bit of a different texture and feel and it just tasted better,” Wnorowski says Wnorowski makes a wide variety of cased meats from scratch each day including brats Wnorowski has spent half his life in Chicago and pays tribute to the city’s varied cuisines with dishes like a Chicago dog an Italian sausage piled with sweet peppers and giardiniera and a dog spiced with kimchi and sriracha mayo After trying many options, Wnorowski decided to eschew traditional sausage buns in favor of a hoagie roll. “It’s crispy on the outside and really soft on the inside,” he says. The restaurant works with Fulton Market Chicago to source Midwestern hormone- and antibiotic-free meat and plans to add a small deli counter in the spring or summer so customers can pick up sausages and spice mixes to grill at home Wnorowski is also experimenting with making his own vegan brats The drink menu is very locally focused, with six draft brews from Hopewell Brewing Company, Casa Humilde Cerveceria, and Maplewood Brewery & Distillery Maplewood’s Son of Juice hazy IPA is also used in the restaurant’s mustard They also soak their brats in Hacker-Pschorr Weissbier with a tap reserved for the beer Cocktails are mixed with spirits from Letherbee, CH Distillery whose pecan bourbon is used to make a sweet Old Fashioned that compliments the pecan-smoked kielbasa and andouille sausage They eventually plan to smoke olives for garnishes and make fat-washed bourbon and have already used brine from their pickles soaked in a martini blend with gin The pickles themselves, a fusion between bread & butter and dill, are served atop cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches, and 12-hour smoked pulled pork from Wnorowski and Pieniazek’s barbecue spots Ella’s and Earl’s. The menu also draws in dishes from Pierogi Kitchen with pierogies offered as an appetizer and stuffed in a hot dog along with sour cream and sauerkraut which will likely feature Andouille breakfast sausage and loaded bloody marys with dry rub rim and smoked olive and pickle garnish “It’s a combination of fast casual and full service,” Wnorowski says “If you feel like grabbing a quick sandwich If you feel like sitting down and enjoying a meal we’ll serve you.” The pair will play vinyl records and host karaoke on Fridays keeping it casual by allowing performers to either take the spotlight in the bar area or use a wireless mic to perform right at their table Capacity will double in the summer with the opening of “The Wurst Patio You’ve Ever Seen,” a beer garden that will feature wooden benches and space for about 50 to 70 The owners hope to eventually build out a second bar that can serve beer and signature cocktails and use the area to host live music The 50-seat Irving Park space was previously home to Mas Tacos, making it the second restaurant owned by Wnorowski and Pieniazek that the couple has pivoted to serving Polish food Even as Chicago’s Polish Broadway diminishes with restaurants like Podhlanka closing at the intersection of Division While giants like Vienna Beef expand their market share nationally Chicagoans still love their old-world sausages Wnorowski says he’s been getting lots of feedback from customers comparing his products to their own German and Polish family recipes “I get people speaking Polish to me saying ‘You need a little bit more salt in that kielbasa,’” he says “Every household makes the dishes a little bit differently Wurst Behavior Taquizas Valdez in Old Irving Park morphs into a panaderia on the weekends A glance at the colorful mural along the wall at Taquizas Valdez shows this recently-opened Old Irving Park restaurant is about more than tacos the piece of art details the journey of Valdez’s parents from a small Mexican town to Mexico City and finally to Chicago where he was born Visitors can also spot symbols from his time in the military they’ll see Valdez’s 2-year-old daughter in there “I want to showcase and voice my story,” says Valdez “I want to inspire other Latino kids who have dreams.” a counter-service restaurant with seating for 45 people Valdez’s story can also be found in dishes like al pastor made from thinly sliced pork shoulder marinated in guajillo and achiote for 24 hours and cooked on a spit “It’s labor intensive but you can’t replicate that slow roast,” he says includes marinated grilled chicken thigh that’s seared on the plancha to order and Fresno peppers top the lightly charred chicken Build-your-own tacos are available too with add-ons like pineapple-habanero relish and the restaurant morphs into a panaderia on weekends with pastries Valdez took a sabbatical from restaurants to focus on her care Her death less than a year later made him rethink his hospitality career “Instead of cooking on Mother’s Day for my mom I was cooking for others’ moms,” says Valdez “I was hurt and didn’t think I was going to come back.” Valdez enrolled in school to earn a certification in electrical maintenance and construction and a bachelor’s in engineering technology Valdez restarted his weekend-only catering business he began with his mom It was during those backyard taco parties or taquizas that Valdez refined his taco-making skills and rediscovered his passion for cooking After numerous clients told him he needed to open a place coupled with his wife wanting her house back — “There was kitchen equipment everywhere,” he says — Valdez did just that on Wednesday which range from skirt steak with black beans to the more complex pambazo de hongos (mushroom medley topped with queso fresco and avocado) are made by head baker Jose De Jesus Cortez De Jesus Cortez also creates the Mexican pastries — think dulce de leche cream cheese-stuffed conchas and cinnamon-topped bunuelos — that are available on the weekends along with specialty Mexican-style coffee drinks when Taquizas showcases its Mexican pastries “My mom was a big sweets person,” says Valdez Valdez wears multiple hats as he continues to work his day job as a laboratory engineer as well as overseeing Taquiza Valdez alongside chef de cuisine Jesus Aguilera Valdez will keep the menu simple at Taquizas Weekend specials are in the works including a Sonoran hot dog and multi-course Mexican dinners that highlight his fine-dining background Valdez also plans on featuring dishes that showcase his mom’s recipes Taquizas Valdez A statue of Washington Irving located in Bixby was vandalized recently when someone removed its head was arrested and the missing part of the statue has been recovered Arrest records show that Dinh was booked into David L Moss on Christmas Eve on charges of destroying public/private property His bond is set at $5,000 and he has a scheduled court date on Dec Washington Irving is a prominent figure in American literature and he is celebrated for his classic works such as “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.” He is considered one of the first American authors to gain international acclaim Irving visited what is now Oklahoma in the 1830s and wrote about his experience in his book “A Tour On The Prairies.” The 32-acre Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum bears his name in honor of his contributions and legacy It also includes a memorial for the Oklahoma City bombing and a beam from the World Trade Center honoring September 11 David Prock is a digital content producer for Griffin Media and is a regular contributor to both News9.com and NewsOn6.com Emory Bryan is a general assignment reporter for News On 6 He began his news career covering the school board for his hometown radio station and worked on the newspaper staff in college before making the switch to television Emory Bryan joined the News On 6 team in 1994 and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox Residents in Greensboro’s New Irving Park community are planning to make a final stand against a rezoning for a new townhome project near their neighborhood The Greensboro City Council will consider the rezoning for the property at 1201 Pisgah Church Road at their meeting on Tuesday and will be held at the Melvin Municipal Office Building located at 300 West Washington Street Tim Souhan and his dog Bailey walk home from the lot on Willoughby Boulevard that was rezoned from single-family to multiple-family in Greensboro Souhan and other residents of the New Irving Park community opposed the rezoning The land in question consists of a little less than an acre of property at the intersection of Pisgah Church Road and Willoughby Boulevard Johnson is asking the city to rezone the property from its current designation which allows for three single-family units per acre to a multifamily zoning that will allow 12 units per acre While speaking before the Greensboro Planning and Zoning Commission in February Johnson said he had changed his original plans by reducing the number of townhomes at the site from 10 units down to eight He also said the development would have two access points Johnson said in an interview that he believes his development will be a benefit to the community with the landscaping that we plan to implement there — again with some of the feedback from the neighbors — to make the aesthetic as beautiful as possible keeping in line with the character of New Irving Park and to bring a safe vibrant community to that corner,” Johnson said many in the neighborhood do not see things that way New Irving Park resident Donna Esson is part of a group of neighbors opposed to the rezoning “We’re already at a very busy intersection so we are concerned about the safety issues,” Esson said “We feel that it is definitely misuse of land for this little corner.” New Irving Park resident Donna Esson is among the residents who opposed a rezoning that changed the property at 1201 Pisgah Church Road from single-family to multi-family residential She said the neighbors have urged the developer to use the land to build one or two single-family homes in accordance with the current zoning but that Johnson had said doing so would not be economically feasible Esson said neighbors had also asked Johnson to give them time to raise money to buy the land from him in order to donate it to the city for preservation as a nature area Susan Tysinger and Tim Souhan are among the neighborhood residents who share Esson’s worries about the rezoning Tysinger said she has heard from council members that they are only able to take the land use into consideration but she believes that leaves out important factors including safety and increased erosion on the land eight residences on this small lot just doesn’t make sense to me,” Tysinger said Souhan said townhomes would not fit in with the current composition of the neighborhood “The homes that front Willoughby Boulevard are 100% single family homes so to wedge this 10-unit or eight-unit thing in right here doesn’t make any sense and it doesn’t honor the land use of the neighborhood,” Souhan said Souhan said he and others in the neighborhood do not oppose all development and noted several developments near the community he said the neighborhood felt this particular project was inappropriate for the community we’d be worried about this whole corridor having the same type of housing,” Souhan said The neighbors have at least one ally on the city council: Councilman Zack Matheny Matheny echoed the concerns about the incompatibility and the impact on traffic and safety on Willoughby a major thoroughfare for the community of around 2,000 homes “To clog up eight townhomes at a major end of an intersection doesn’t make sense,” Matheny said adding that it would not be appropriate to have a development like the one proposed in other parts of the city The request for the rezoning comes at a time when the city government is placing a strong emphasis on building new housing quickly City Manager Trey Davis recently announced a plan to build 10,000 new housing units in the coming years and Matheny himself has referred to the lack of housing as a crisis Matheny said there is a right way to achieve the city’s housing goals and the proposed rezoning does not represent the best way to go about development “You don’t want to get into a case where you are pitting neighborhoods against neighborhoods or destroying a neighborhood to try to get to 10,000,” Matheny said kevin.griffin@greensboro.com Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter Email notifications are only sent once a day Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Taquizas Valdez - a new Mexican restaurant from owner/executive chef Ivan Valdez - is officially open at 3038 W Irving Park Road in the Old Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago Valdez - a military veteran and former chef de cuisine at multiple The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group venues - returns to the restaurant industry after a three-and-a-half-year hiatus with Taquizas Valdez Taquizas Valdez is a love letter to his late mother (Rosa Valdez) that celebrates their Mexican heritage and time they spent together catering “taquizas” (Mexican backyard taco buffets) for friends left restaurants in July 2020 to help care for his ill mother who passed away in March 2021 Valdez went back to school and earned both his certification in Electrical Maintenance & Construction from Coyne College and his Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology from DeVry University.Taquizas Valdez serves composed tacos sides and more for lunch and dinner five days a week via counter-service ordering with dine-in tables with seating for 36 guests Taquizas Valdez is BYOB for alcoholic beverages.On Saturdays and Sundays between 8am and 11am Taquizas Valdez will transform into a “panaderia” (bakery) serving Mexican pastries baked in-house and a variety of breakfast tortas - including one stuffed with red or green chilaquiles and queso fresco.Other menu options include: Valdez is joined in the Taquizas Valdez kitchen by chef de cuisine Jesus Aguilera and head baker Jose De Jesus Cortez Both men have worked in multiple former restaurants with Valdez Sign up for breaking news from the Chicago food scene Tag your Instagram photos with #chicagofoodmag to be featured The annual “Northwest Side Holiday Trolley” on Dec The free trolley rides will be available from 3 to 6 p.m Portage Park and Jefferson Park business districts. In all there will be four trolleys operating The “green” route will operate along Irving Park Road between Eris Brewery where there will be a “Mistletoe Market” featuring crafts The green route also will include a “Frozen Holiday Festival” with characters from the movie from 5 to 6:30 p.m Hot coca and Santa also will be at the park from 5 to 6 p.m The “white” route will run along Milwaukee Avenue from the Six Corners intersection to the Gale Street Inn Plans are being made to decorate the pedestrian alley at 4870 N and there will be a pop-up market with crafts face painting and “modern” desserts at Sunnyside Plants The “red” route will run along Lawrence Avenue between the Lawrence-Milwaukee and Lawrence-Austin intersections Participating businesses include Delightful Pastries A fourth trolley will encompass all three of the other routes More information about the free trolley rides and routes is available at www.sixcorners.com Those interested in taking a trolley ride are encouraged to review the routes ahead of time and to plan accordingly Trolley sponsors include the Six Corners Association var _ctct_m = "443f17c969548a2439a568a09cb09c51"; var infolinks_pid = 3307912; var infolinks_wsid = 0; The Nadig Newspapers office is open Monday through Friday Each department has different hours which can be found by clicking on their department page link on the top part of the website Nadig Newspapers - Northwest Side Local Newspapers © 2025 Powered by  - Designed with the Hueman theme A zoning application has been filed for a mixed-use development planned at 2053 W the property is situated on the south side of the street between N With a single-family home currently occupying the site developer Mangan Builders will demolish the existing structure to make way for the new development the new development will be a four-story mixed-use building 750 square feet of retail space will front W Irving Park Rd in addition to the residential lobby Three studio loft units will occupy the floor plate behind the retail Bike parking for 12 bikes will be included inside and there will be five exterior car parking spaces.  the upper three floors will hold two three-bedroom units per floor The project’s unit mix will include the three studio lofts expected to rent at $1,900/month and the six three-bed units expected to rent at $4,000/month The larger units will each have their own private decks and all residents will have access to a shared rooftop deck To allow for the scope of the redevelopment the developer needs to rezone the site from B1-1 to B2-3 the zoning application has been filed for the project and now can seek final approvals from the Committee on Zoning and City Council construction would start in Spring 2026 and wrap up in Spring 2027 Alderman Matt Martin of the 47th Ward has announced his support for a mixed-use development planned at 2053 W Bike parking for nine bikes will be included inside and there will be four exterior car parking spaces The larger units will each have their own private decks and all residents will have access to a shared rooftop deck the project can now seek final approvals from the Committee on Zoning and City Council A mixed-use development is being proposed at 4920 W the owner of the existing Las Tablas Colombian Steakhouse is planning the redevelopment of the restaurant site and the two lots next door With Aria Group Architects behind the design the new four-story building will have a new space for the restaurant in addition to a cultural center with a unit mix of one-beds and two-beds ranging from 900 to 1,100 square feet. Topping out at approximately 60 feet tall the building’s design shows a brick and masonry design with balconies for every unit The project will cost approximately $9.5 million and needs approval from the Committee on Zoning and City Council for a zoning change. According to reports from Block Club Chicago construction could begin this spring and the restaurant would open by next winter and the rest of the project would be done by 2026 La Dolce Vita Cucina – Chicago is opening inside the former Foundation Tavern & Grille The new Italian eatery will be run by those with experience operating “high-end restaurants in Downtown Chicago,” said David Roa Licensing for the restaurant is expected to be secured this month and an opening in early October is being targeted “It’s going to be a combination of steaks wines and gluten-free and vegan (options),” Roa said “We want to make it something attractive for the Portage Park neighborhood and Chicago.” Plans also are being made to offer “soft music,” such as jazz or piano and the addition of an outdoor patio in the rear of the restaurant is being considered The Foundation Grille closed in early 2023 Nite Cap occupied the building’s first floor In recent weeks the Six Corners district has had several new businesses open They include Scrub-A-Dub Grooming at 4853 W Irving Park Road and Dennis Pasamba Dance Company at 4820 W Little Sweet Pea’s Vintage is opening at 4948 W A network of correspondents providing impartial news reports and analysis in 33 languages from locations around the world Up-to-the-minute news and analysis from around the world and in Chicago Hosted by WBEZ's Mary Dixon and NPR's Steve Inskeep Newshour is the award-winning flagship program of the BBC World Service the world’s largest news gathering operation 1A convenes a conversation about the most important issues of our time smart reflection on world news as it’s happening innovators and artists from around the globe with news from Chicago from WBEZ’s Lisa Labuz Reset digs into how the news has moved since you left the house discussing and unpacking the biggest stories and issues in Chicago and beyond right in the heart of the day Fresh Air is a weekday “talk show” that hardly fits the mold Fresh Air Weekend 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grandfather harvest grains butcher pigs and smoke kielbasa in the basement smoker The smoker was connected to the clay kitchen on the main floor filling the entire house with the aroma of kielbasa “Being there in the summertime for the harvest season and making sausage was a part of everyday living I didn’t think much about it while we were doing it Artur Wnorowski is seen at his restaurant Wurst Behavior That tradition is on display at Wurst Behavior The couple also owns Pierogi Kitchen in Wicker Park where the housemade kielbasa was almost as popular as the eponymous homemade dumplings That got Wnorowski thinking they could start exploring different kinds of sausages which star in dishes such as the Nashville Hot Chicken (fried chicken sausage coleslaw and aioli) and Pierogi Dog (potato and cheese pierogi the foundation for all of the encased meats The Irving Park restaurant pays homage not just to the partners’ Polish culture but also to the Old World butcher shop traditions for which Chicago was known in the 1950s — photos of different shops adorn the restaurant walls — and offerings like the Chicago Dog are nods to their second home The keeper of the family recipe is his aunt who texted it to his mom who texted it to him he recalled as he showed this reporter a photo of a yellow piece of paper with the recipe written in Polish pepper and garlic are added to pork shoulder for Wurst Behavior’s kielbasa Making the kielbasa starts with pork shoulder that’s ground in-house the fat and meat ground separately before being mixed together for emulsification pepper and garlic to add to the 16½ pounds of ground pork shoulder Artur Wnorowski encases the ground pork shoulder at Wurst Behavior The meat is cured overnight for “extra kick and flavor” before it’s stuffed into natural casings The kielbasa is smoked for an hour and a half over pecan wood which Wnorowski prefers because it imparts a sweet and nutty flavor to the sausage The sausage is grilled and served on a toasted bun with caramelized onions Pieniazek said the food the restaurant serves is Polish American not 100% Polish food but inspired by the fare the couple grew up with incorporating diverse culinary traditions from their love of cooking and dining out Pieniazek for high school and Wnorowski for college Wnorowski graduated with a degree in finance from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign They met in 2006 at a Polish hip hop festival and got married in 2008 Wurst Behavior is located at 4009 N Elston Ave in Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood That’s when they pivoted to the hospitality industry as the recession upended their careers Their love of food inspired them to open their first restaurant Wnorowski and Pieniazek returned to their Polish roots It’s important for them to preserve their culture because “we might be the last generation that could do it,” Wnorowski said Wurst Behavior, 4009 N. Elston Ave. The kielbasa — served on a toasted bun with caramelized onions, sport peppers and hazy IPA mustard — costs $12. Go online to www.wurstbehavior.com. Terms of UsePrivacy NoticeCookie PolicyTerms of Sale A mixed-use development is being planned at 2053 W Approvals will be needed from the Committee on Zoning and City Council The Greensboro City Council approved a rezoning on Tuesday that would allow up to eight new townhomes at the intersection of Pisgah Church Road and Willoughby Boulevard The Greensboro City Council voted 6-2 on Tuesday to approve a rezoning request to build eight townhomes at the corner of Pisgah Church Road and Willoughby Boulevard The request for the rezoning faced strong opposition from members of the adjacent New Irving Park community who packed the council chambers and voiced their objections during the public hearing Residents said that while they were fine with developer B.J Johnson building up to two single-family homes on the 0.86-acre property in line with the previous zoning The opponents said townhomes did not fit in with the character of the neighborhood since there were no townhomes around Willoughby “It’s inappropriate to put a bunch of townhouses right next to all of these single-family homes,” nearby resident Gabe Neereimer said adding that allowing the project would set a bad precedent of bringing similar developments to other parts of the New Irving Park and the city overall Other major concerns included traffic safety at the intersection and drainage problems in the area pointed to some changes he made to the plans including reducing the number of units from 10 down to eight and limiting access to the property to two points on Willoughby He said neighbors had legitimate concerns and that initial phases would bring challenges but that ultimately the project would become an asset for the neighborhood but it can be done responsibly,” Johnson said and I believe looking 20 years in the future we’ll be really happy with the amount of trees that are planted how sustainable that lot will be and the beauty that it’s going to create for the neighborhood.” Speakers in support of the development included Peter Grantham who said he lived near the site and was in favor of the project because he believed additional housing was needed to address affordability challenges Crystal Black and Cheryl McIvor of east Greensboro pointed to the council’s previous approval of projects in that part of the city over similar objections from residents and called on the council members to be consistent in their votes Councilman Zack Matheny opposed the rezoning for a townhome project at the corner of Pisgah Church Road and Willoughby Boulevard on Tuesday Matheny is a resident of the New Irving Park neighborhood where the development will occur was the most vocal opponent of the rezoning saying that the proposal “doesn’t revitalize He echoed many of the arguments made by the speakers and said the proposed development would be inappropriate in other parts of the city as well has spoken of the need to increase the city’s housing supply “There is a road to 10,000 — I do support the manager,” Matheny said referencing City Manager Trey Davis’ proposal to add at least 10,000 new housing units in the coming years and I support the folks that care about the neighborhoods.” He added: “I don’t support this development not just because I live in the neighborhood Because it’s not compatible in the land use of what is on this street and in this area There is no reason to go against a properly planned neighborhood.” Matheny’s comments drew applause from the crowd while the reception to most other members of council was not nearly as popular The council voted 6-2 to approve the rezoning Only Mayor Pro Tem Marikay Abuzuaiter joined Matheny in opposing the rezoning Councilman Hugh Holston and Councilwomen Nancy Hoffmann Goldie Wells and Jamilla Pinder backed the rezoning Both Hoffmann and Wells told the neighbors that they would likely have a more positive outlook on the development as time passes “I think time helps dissipate opposition,” Hoffmann said saying: “I’m telling you from experience: life changes and you get along much better if you go with the flow.” She also said the city’s housing shortage will require the council to make decisions that may be at odds with the desires of various neighborhoods we are going to have to make decisions that are best for Greensboro “So we’ve got people fussing at us from the east all over because we tried to do what is right “It’s going to mean that we’re all going to have to get comfortable with the uncomfortable “That means being a little bit closer to others than we were before.” we noticed guests were specifically coming back for the kielbasa Chicago is packed with hot dog stands and sausage shops on every corner but how many of those places are making them by hand “I was lucky enough to learn the art of true sausage-making from scratch from my grandpa who taught me back on our family farm in Poland and now I'm bringing that old-school flavor here to share with everyone.”The menu will be an ode to encased meats of all sorts with sausages on a bun including the classic Polish Kielbasa with caramelized onions The lineup will also have a dedicated section for Chef’s Art’s handmade Angus chuck roll hot dogs made with natural sheep casing for that signature snap and smoked over pecan wood: options include a massive Pierogi Dog with sour cream kraut and handmade potato-and-cheese pierogis (made at Pierogi Kitchen!) and a saucy Chili Dog garnished with pickled jalapenos There’s also an entire section of the menu dedicated to brats where you'll see the kitchen "at its wurst” with options that include the cheesy “Philly Steak” Wurst Behavior also offers a selection of Polish dishes like rolled cabbages & pierogis Wnorowski will be creating many of their condiments and toppings in-house the team plans to make all of the sausages and select artisan items available for retail sale to-go from a stocked deli cooler in the restaurant.Wurst Behavior’s beverage program will feature local craft beers from featured Chicago breweries and cocktails made with local ingredients & regional spirits by Chicago craft distillers while making use of the smoker and house-made ingredients; look forward to boozy drinks like the briny Pickle Martini and Smoked Old Fashioned “The Wurst Patio You’ve Ever Seen” will open out back as a beer garden with an additional 50 seats in the spring.“Whether you’re looking for a place to grab a bite and catch a game or you’re coming to sing at our Wurst Karaoke on Friday nights we don’t want people to feel like they need to mind their manners with us,” says Pieniazek.Wurst Behavior will be open for lunch and dinner service Monday – Thursday from 11:00 a.m with brunch and late-night karaoke coming soon Follow @wurstbehaviorchicago on social to stay up to date A mixed-use building with 18 residential units is being proposed for the site of the Las Tablas Colombian Steak House at 4920 W Irving Park Road and two adjacent vacant lots A site plan shows that the restaurant building which many decades ago housed a funeral home but would reopen as part of a new four-story structure with commercial space on the ground floor and apartments above A Colombian cultural center also is being considered for part of the first floor Las Tablas owner Soraya Campos said that the project represents a “big dream” that she has had for the property She added that during the project’s construction customers could visit the Las Tablas at 2942 N Alderman James Gardiner (45th) held a community meeting on the proposal Monday evening Both the Six Corners and Portage Park chambers of commerce have voiced support for the proposal “My office has been supportive of Soraya and her goals (and) we would love to see her succeed in her endeavors,” Gardiner said “We believe it would be a successful investment into our community.” The apartments would range from about 900 to 1.100 square feet in size and the front facade would feature a brick veneer and decorative elements The parcel measures about 13,000 square feet and includes the site of the former Bronko’s bar at 4916 W Irving Park Road and the former Gonzalez Mexican Restaurant at 4918 W Both of those buildings were demolished in 2022 Nineteen on-site parking spaces in the rear of the property are planned The block is located in a “pedestrian” street zone drive-through facilities and surface parking lots along the main thoroughfare Any parking has to be behind a building or in a garage above storefronts The site is located at the northeast corner of Irving Park Road and Laporte Avenue A metered city parking lot on Laporte is located a short walk from the site.  Under the proposal the property would be rezoned from B3-2 to the less restrictive B3-3 A community development grant from the city of Chicago is being sought for the project but project officials said that they expect the proposal to move forward with or without the grant Construction is expected to take about a year The City Council Zoning Committee at its July 16 meeting approved a proposed restaurant at 8235-37 W Irving Park Road and an 82-unit development at 6750-60 N but delayed for the sixth time a hearing on the redevelopment of the former Peoples Gas site at 3955 N The owners of Sapori Napoletani Ristorante & Pizzeria in Norwood Park have purchased the site of a former butcher chop and Italian foods store at the southwest corner of Irving Park Road and Pittsburgh Avenue according to Alderman Nicholas Sposato (38th) He added that the building has been vacant since be became an alderman in 2011 Plans call for one of the storefronts on the property to be used for a high-end wine shop and the other a restaurant with a rooftop patio The retail store is expected to open next spring and the restaurant next summer “It’s really going to be the crown jewel of the neighborhood,” Sposato said “They’re investing $2 million into this.” Under the proposal the property would be rezoned from B3-1 Community Shopping District to C1-2 Neighborhood Commercial District.  Sposato said that the main concern expressed at a community meeting about the project centered around the need for more parking in the area — a concern which he said is common for any development proposal in the ward.  The committee also approved a plan to build two four-story buildings each with 41 apartments and ground-floor retail space at the northwest corner of Northwest Highway and Oshkosh Avenue Suerth Funeral Home is slated to be demolished The development also would include 82 parking spaces Under the proposal the approximately 42,000-square-foot parcel would be rezoned from B3-1 Community Shopping District to B3-5 Community Shopping District Alderman Anthony Napolitano (41st) said that many residents have expressed hope the project “would spark more development in (the Edison Park business area) and … help spruce up the whole district.”  “The developer came to us first instead of going downtown (to City Hall) … They changed everything they needed to make it more (acceptable) to the community,” Napolitano said has been allowing the Chicago Fire Department to use the former funeral home for training before it is demolished at the meeting the committee deferred for a sixth time the hearing on the proposed $110 million mixed-use development at the southeast corner of Kilpatrick Avenue and Irving Park Road including 69 affordable (reduced rent) housing units Alderman James Gardiner (45th) has voiced overall support for the project but also has encouraged project developer GW Properties to use all union labor and has requested the proposal to be deferred at multiple committee meetings reportedly seeking to have GW enter into a project labor agreement which can require all union labor and include other stipulations have been in place for other large developments in the area helping to maintain good safety standards at work sites and ensure prevailing wages for workers Developer Mitch Goltz of GW said that he signed a PLA on July 15 and that a copy was sent to Gardiner He said that the agreement was revised from an earlier one which he did not sign adding that it included a space for a name of a contractor but that portion has now been removed.  Goltz said that he would have signed the agreement months ago if the contractor portion was not there He said that he would not start seeking contractors until after City Council approves the project and has said that he plans to hold an open bidding process “It’s very disappointing,” Goltz said of the most recent deferral “We signed a PLA that was issued to us yesterday (by union representatives) and (Gardiner) had … a copy.” The proposal was not among the items deferred at the start of the meeting The committee voted to defer the matter shortly before the meeting was adjourned.  Gardiner said after the meeting that he wants to ensure all safety measures impacting the work site and the surrounding community are fully addressed before the proposal moves forward a possible date for approval by the committee remains unclear The Chicago Plan Commission endorsed the GW proposal in March Goltz has said that any contractors for the project would have to be licensed by the city and would have to adhere to all safety requirements and building code regulations Representatives of the Six Corners Association and Portage Park Neighborhood Association testified at the meeting calling for the committee to approve the project without further delay “GW has done everything the community has asked We are sick of waiting,” SCA managing director Amie Zander told the committee The earliest that the proposal could be approved by the council is in September “We have been working with community stakeholders for 5 years (and) look forward to approval” at that time Currently the approximately 7-acre site is being used for the storage of dealership vehicles.  Chicago Gourmet’s annual Hamburger Hop featured 14 competitors Eden the farm-to-table restaurant off the Chicago River in Avondale and Irving Park’s JT’s Genuine Sandwich Shop were the big winners over the weekend at Chicago Gourmet’s Hamburger Hop the annual competition that crowns the best burgers in the city Eden chef Devon Quinn took home the competition’s Judges Award, given out by an eight-member panel including former Tribune critic Phil Vettel, Chicago dining editor Amy Cavanaugh, and Mott St chef Edward Kim JT’s Genuine Sandwich Shop earned the People’s Choice Award determined by votes from the event’s sold-out crowd Fourteen chefs competed in the event on Friday the food festival created by the Illinois Restaurant Association The competitors were bound by ingredients from sponsors like beef from Sysco and cheese from Kerrygold But that didn’t mean they couldn’t get adventurous with add-ons Quinn and Eden chef de cuisine Brian Shim blended two cheeses — Dubliner and Reserve cheddar; and MontAmore a Parmesan-inspired cheese from Wisconsin — into an American cheese They also topped their burger with dill pickle-corn slaw (Quinn’s favorite pickle Claussen with grilled corn and onions bound together with black garlic aioli) It was served on a potato bun from sponsor Turano Baking but each one comes through really clearly in the burger,” says Quinn The People’s Choice winner from JT’s used Kerrygold aged cheddar It was served on a Turano French brioche bun was just happy to be invited: “It’s a competition but we’ve already won meeting all these wonderful new faces Cunningham was planning to take his team out to dinner “They did an awesome job dealing with the wind and everything back there on the grill so I can’t wait to celebrate and share this with them.” with the National Weather Service warning Chicagoans to be ready for winds between 30 to 35 mph as a result of the remnants of Hurricane Helene “I look for burgers that there’s something special about them,” says Chicago’s Cavanaugh but they don’t stray too far afield from what a burger is supposed to be.” Cavanaugh’s technique for judging 14 burgers I feel like you need a second bite to confirm.” To prepare for the meaty onslaught she ate a big breakfast and four crackers for lunch She had some thoughts about her eating habits post-judging too: “I might turn my back on cows entirely for the next few weeks.” Former Tribune critic Vettel has judged four Hamburger Hops but he previously covered all the Chicago Gourmets while at the newspaper “There’s an urban legend going around that I’ve correctly predicted the winner every single year,” he says winning Hamburger Hop does come with benefits beyond bragging rights “I’ve seen some restaurants that have won either the People’s Choice or the Judge’s Choice burger in the past and they still have those burgers on their menus,” says Vettel Mott St’s Kim planned on keeping an open mind when it came to judging: “I’m trying not to have any preconceived notions.” He prepared by not eating too much the days prior to the event “I’ve come in with a hungry appetite and whichever burger tastes best is going to win for me.” For her Seoul burger, chef Kaleena Bliss of Chicago Athletic Association Hotel and Cindy’s leaned into Korean flavors Housemade ssamjang and a white kimchi aioli added some heat and calamansi juice brought freshness and acidity to the hefty burger “Who doesn’t want to be part of Chicago Gourmet?” says Bliss who moved to Chicago last year and competed on Top Chef: Wisconsin Another first-timer was chef Jim Torres, who along with co-chef Kyle Schrage is behind Edgewater’s Beard & Belly they did a version of one they have at their gastropub that includes onion jam “It’s a real big one just like me,” says Torres For her first-time entry, chef Tigist Reda delved into the spices and flavors she often uses at Demera Ethiopian Restaurant but ones that are rarely found in a burger and mitmita (a heat-forward Ethiopian spice blend) along with Angus beef steakburger While Reda didn’t receive an award at Hamburger Hop 2025 to an auto accident where a 56-year-old female victim was struck by the driver of a black SUV in the block of 5900 West Irving Park Road in Chicago The woman was hit while the driver of the black SUV was traveling westbound on Irving Park Road between Austin Avenue and Marmora Avenue in Chicago The victim was struck in a crosswalk and the driver of the offending vehicle did not stop after the collision The victim sustained trauma to the body and was transported […] Police responded to an auto accident where a 56-year-old female victim was struck by a black SUV which was traveling Westbound on Irving Park Rd The victim was struck in a crosswalk and the driver of the offending vehicle did not stop after the collision The crosswalk was likely at Marmora Avenue The victim sustained trauma to the body and was transported to Level 1 Trauma Center Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge where she was listed in critical condition overnight According to the Chicago Police Department there is no one in custody and Area Five Detectives are investigating There is a Photo Enforced camera at Austin Avenue There is no stop sign for Irving Park Road motorists at Marmora Avenue where the Speed Limit is 30 MPH for Irving Park Road motorists The crime scene in CPD 16th District was located in the Portage Park neighborhood Nearby municipalities just west of the crime scene are Norridge Spills Salt Through the Center Gap of I-290 WEST/EAST onto Route 83 Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies Deescalate Armed Man in Crisis Situation in Unincorporated Lake Villa “Someday soon we’ll stop to ponder what on earth’s this spell we’re under.” so don’t waste it living someone else’s life Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.”