Chicago is in Full Bloom

BEST DATE NEWS

April 17, 2025: Best Date News Volume #122

Welcome to Best Date News, your favorite Chicago weekly newsletter! In this week’s newsletter you will read about Chicago’s cherry blossoms, construction on the State Street Bridge, Portillo’s new breakfast menu and more!

April 17: National Holidays

• National High Five Day

• National Haiku Day

• National Crawfish Day

• National Cheeseball Day

• National Kickball Day

Sponsored by our friends at Tanuki Sushi

The Viral Sushi-zza Box

• Tanuki Sushi: One of the most fun and unique sushi restaurants in all of Chicago is Tanuki Sushi at 3006 N Sheffield in Lake View. They have fantastic sushi rolls with innovative flavor combinations.

• Speaking of innovative, if you are on Instagram or TikTok, you have likely seen their viral Sushi-zza Box before. If not, you can check out our video. As the weather warms up, the Sushi-zza box is the perfect food to take for a picnic along the lakefront.

• If you prefer dine-in, Tanuki Sushi is also perfect for a date night, because they are BYOB, and you can bring in anything other than hard liquor.

• Pro Tip: You can use promo code “HAPPYBEARTHDAY” at checkout for 10% off your pickup and delivery orders during April. Plus, you can choose one free item with a purchase of $20, $40 or $60. Just select from the “Free Item” category and add it to your cart.

Chicago News

• Cherry Blossoms: For the first time in two years, Chicago’s beautiful cherry blossom trees of Jackson Park are fully blooming. The trees were not able to bloom in 2023 and 2024 due to erratic spring weather. The cherry blossoms bloom in six different stages and not all at the same time, but the Chicago Park District says that most of the trees have moved to stage four. Once they fully bloom though, they don’t last long, so go as soon as you can!

• State Street Bridge: The 75-year-old State Street Bridge is going to be fully shutdown for at least the next seven months. It will close on April 28 and likely last through mid-November. This comes after an inspection uncovered that there are needed emergency repairs due to the deterioration of support beams. The Chicago Riverwalk will not be impacted by the construction, but traffic will be. See what people are saying on our post.

• Portillo’s Breakfast: Chicago’s iconic fast food chain Portillo’s began testing breakfast items at some of its restaurants for the first time ever this week. The limited-time menu includes breakfast sandwiches, hash brown bites, a Portillo’s Chocolate Cake Donut (in collaboration with Stan’s) and more. There are currently five Chicagoland locations participating in the breakfast test menu, which is available from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

• Grocery Stores: Wells Street in Old Town is finally getting a new grocery store as The Fresh Market will take over the space previously occupied by Dom’s Kitchen & Market. If this sounds like déjà vu, it’s because it is. Back in October, The Fresh Market took over the former Lincoln Park Dom’s. Separately, the former Whole Foods location in River North at 30 W. Huron St. will be taken over by Aldi. Whole Foods has since moved to a bigger location in the new One Chicago building.

• Blues Fest: Chicago’s 2025 Blues Festival lineup was just released yesterday. It’s the largest free blues festival in the world, and it takes place at different venues throughout the city. This year’s festival runs from June 5-8 and includes headliners like Mavis Staples and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.

Just For Fun

• Biggest Foods: This ain’t Texas, but if you are someone who loves to eat, you’re going to enjoy this one. Block Club Chicago rounded up a list of some of Chicago’s biggest, wildest and over-the-top food creations including a seven-pound burrito, a giant pizza, a donut the size of your head and more.

• Spring Flower Show: The Lincoln Park Conservatory’s Spectrum of Spring flower display is currently happening right now through May 11. It includes beautiful, classic spring flowers like tulips, hyacinth and crocus that burst with color. It’s free to visit, but you need to reserve advance online tickets.

• Drake Bell: Here is a throwback that 90s kids will enjoy. Drake Bell, from the popular television show Drake and Josh, will be performing in Chicago this summer. On Wednesday, June 11, he will be at Tin Roof Chicago with tickets starting as low as $15 and a meet and greet for $100.

• Chubby Boys: Like a good smashburger? If so, add Chubby Boys to your list of ones to try in Chicago. They are currently running a pop-up kitchen out of Spilt Milk in Logan Square. It’s hidden in the back of the bar, so most people have no idea that they are even there. Check out our visit.

Chicago Product of the Week

• Barbie Baseball Jersey: The Chicago White Sox unveiled their 2025 themed specialty nights for this season’s home games, and there are a lot of fun ones!

• What is it: Monday, June 23 will be Barbie Game Day at Rate Field, for the Chicago White Sox game against the Arizona D-backs, where fans can receive this stylish Pink Barbie Jersey.

• How much: The Chicago White Sox will only be making 1,000 of these custom jerseys. The jerseys are free with the purchase of this exclusive ticket offer.

• What else to know: Their will also be nine different school and alumni nights at White Sox games this season with exclusive, free merch.

Poll Question of the Week

Last Newsletter's Poll Results

Poll Results: Last newsletter we asked if you thought second in the U.S. was an appropriate ranking for Chicago as a food city for 2025. 85% of you said that it was ranked properly, while 10% thought it was too low and 5% too high.

Sunrise & Sunset in Chicago

Here is today’s outlook in Chicago (compared to last week):

• Sunrise: 6:06 a.m. (11 minutes earlier)

• Sunset: 7:34 p.m. (8 minutes later)

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