Chicago's Holiday Rush

BEST DATE NEWS

Dec. 11, 2025: Best Date News Volume #156

Welcome to Best Date News, your favorite Chicago weekly newsletter! Thank you for being a weekly reader. In this week’s newsletter, you will read about Chicago Restaurant Week, Gibsons Tavern, robot deliveries, your last chance to enter our 12 Date of Christmas holiday giveaway, weekend plans and more.

Dec. 11: National Holidays

• International Mountain Day

• National Stretching Day

• National App Day

• National Noodle Ring Day

• National Jon Day

Sponsored by our friends at Chicago Artisan Market

Check Out this Holiday Market in West Loop this Weekend!

• Chicago Artisan Market: The Chicago Artisan Market returns this weekend for a one-day Holiday Market! It will be held at Morgan MFG in Fulton Market (401 N Morgan St) this Sunday, Dec. 14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Explore 120 of the best local artisans under one roof, offering everything from food, fashion, and home goods to pastries, handbags, woodworking, jewelry, pet items, skincare, spices, sauces, and more.

• It’s the perfect cute holiday date idea. Finish up your holiday shopping while grabbing a drink from the full bar, enjoying a variety of lunch options and browsing all the unique vendors. Bring the whole family since kids under 12 get in free and dogs are welcome too.

• Tickets are $8 per person or four for $20 when purchased online in advance, so grab your friends and make a day of it.

Chicago News

• Chicago Restaurant Week: Reservations for Chicago Restaurant Week 2026 are now open. The 19th annual celebration will run from Jan. 23 through Feb. 8 and will include 508 participating restaurants, including 76 first-time participants. This year’s special prix fixe menus include $30 brunch or lunch options and $45 or $60 dinner offerings. Reservations tend to book up quickly at many places.

• Gibsons Tavern: Gibsons Restaurant Group is launching Gibsons Tavern in Fulton Market, opening fall 2026 at 925 W Fulton. The concept is described as offering “classic tavern spirit, legendary hospitality,” with refined tavern fare ranging from comfort dishes and signature steaks to fresh seafood and standout desserts. This will be the group’s third “Gibsons” restaurant, joining Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse and Gibsons Italia.

• Robot Deliveries: You have probably seen them by now, the delivery robots from companies like Coco and Uber cruising around Chicago sidewalks. They have become a viral city sight, using cameras and sensors to make short distance food drop offs, but they struggle in the snow and sometimes stall out in winter slush. Reports of collisions and sidewalk blockages have also led to a petition calling for a temporary pause, which has already topped 2,500 signatures.

• Proxi: After eight years in West Loop, Proxi will close at the end of the year, with its final night of service set for New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31. The restaurant, led by Chef Andrew Zimmerman, has received repeated Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition over the years and is known for its globally inspired dishes. Proxi plans to celebrate its final weeks by serving guest favorites and a few special additions. Reservations are recommended for these final few weeks. Here are five recent Chicago restaurant closures.

• Mango: International fashion retailer Mango opened its first-ever store in Chicago yesterday on the Mag Mile, unveiling a two-story space at Michigan and Erie. The location features the brand’s “New Med” design concept and marks a major step in its U.S. expansion. Mango plans to open 20+ more stores nationwide this year, with another Illinois location coming soon to Woodfield Mall.

Just For Fun

• 12 Dates of Christmas: Today is the last day to enter our biggest giveaway of the year! We are hosting our annual 12 Dates of Christmas holiday giveaway on Instagram with $3,000 of amazing Chicago restaurant gift cards up for grabs! There are 12 different $250 gift cards that will be given away to 12 different winners. Don’t miss out on your chance to win one!

• White Sox: The White Sox landed the No. 1 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft after winning this week’s draft lottery. Chicago entered with the best odds but only a 27.7% chance of securing the top spot. The win gives the team a major boost as it continues its rebuild. You have to wonder if this draft lottery luck came from White Sox fan Pope Leo.

• Bar Tutto: Joe Flamm’s new Italian spot, Bar Tutto, opened this week at 1110 W Carroll Ave in Fulton Market. The restaurant starts with coffee and pastries in the morning and shifts to panini, pastas and heartier mains later in the day, plus Italian-leaning cocktails. Inspired by classic neighborhood cafes in Italy, it’s designed as an all-day hangout from the team behind Rose Mary and Il Carciofo.

• LEGO Store: LEGO has opened a new store at Westfield Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, relocating from its former Northbrook Court spot just in time for the holiday season. The 2,067-square-foot space features one of the brand’s largest product ranges, including exclusives, a pick and build wall, a mini tower and hands-on play tables. The shop is part of a wave of new openings at Old Orchard.

• Culver’s: Culver’s is opening a new South Loop location at 1212 S Michigan, taking over the former Aurelio’s Pizza space at the base of the Park Michigan apartments at Michigan and Roosevelt. The two-story 5,200-square-foot spot will offer indoor seating plus a patio and second-floor roof deck. Culver’s is known for its ButterBurgers, frozen custard and cheese curds and now has several locations within Chicago city limits.

Weekend Plans

• TBOX: This weekend is Chicago’s 29th annual TBOX. For those unfamiliar, it stands for 12 Bars of Xmas. It is the world’s largest, longest running holiday bar crawl according to the creators. The crawl begins with opening ceremonies at Cubby Bear at 10 a.m. and crawls through 20+ of Wrigleyville’s best bars.

• Logan Square Cocoa Crawl: The 4th annual Logan Square Cocoa Crawl returns this Saturday, Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with more than 30 local businesses offering cocoa, brownies, holiday cookies, cider, boozy drinks and other festive treats while you shop. The event is open to all ages, and maps can be picked up at any of the participating spots.

• Christmas Around the World: A fantastic holiday activity to check out this weekend is Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. The annual exhibit features more than 50 decorated trees and displays that showcase holiday traditions from cultures around the world.

• Chicago Sports: It’s a great weekend for Chicago fans who want to catch a home game. The Blackhawks face the Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13. On Sunday, the Bears host the Cleveland Browns at 12 p.m. at Soldier Field, and the Bulls take on the New Orleans Pelicans at 6 p.m. at the United Center.

• Navy Fireworks: Free Winter Fireworks at Navy Pier continue this weekend. The award-winning shows take place each Saturday at 8 p.m. through Dec. 27. Warm up inside at their Winder WonderFest, which is perfect for young families.

Poll Question of the Week

Last Newsletter's Poll Results

Poll Results: Last week, we asked if you enjoy Chicago snow days, and 73% of you said that you like them. A few of your responses last week included:

• “When they don’t fall on a weekday!”

• “As long as I can stay inside all day!”

• “Looking out the window watching mother nature paint the trees, buildings and sidewalks in a beautiful white coat is wonderful to see.”

Sunrise & Sunset in Chicago

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

• Sunrise: 7:08 a.m. (7 minutes later)

• Sunset: 4:19 p.m. (0 minutes earlier)

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