Welcome to December, Chicago

BEST DATE NEWS

Dec. 4, 2025: Best Date News Volume #155

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 our 12 Dates of Christmas annual holiday giveaway, bitter cold temperatures sweeping Chicago, a new ranking of the best steakhouses in the world, the Chicago Bears, weekend plans and more.

Dec. 4: National Holidays

• National Cookie Day

• Santa’s List Day

• National Sock Day

• National Dice Day

• National Wear Brown Shoes Day

Sponsored by our friends at The Goodman

A Christmas Carol at The Goodman

• A Christmas Carol: One of Chicago’s favorite holiday traditions, A Christmas Carol at The Goodman is back for the season. This year’s production brings back the warmth, nostalgia and stunning staging that have made this story a beloved part of the city’s holiday celebrations.

• Audiences will follow Ebenezer Scrooge as his hardened view of Christmas is transformed on Christmas Eve after visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. The journey captures all the emotion, redemption and timeless charm that have defined Dickens’ classic for generations.

• The story is brought to life with a first rate cast, marvelous staging and a spirit that, according to the Chicago Tribune, “makes you believe kindness can win.” Time Out Chicago still calls it “the best Christmas story ever told,” and this year’s run continues that tradition.

• Performances take place this holiday season at The Goodman (170 N Dearborn) through Dec. 31. Get your tickets before they sell out!

Our 5th Annual 12 Dates of Christmas Holiday Giveaway

• 12 Dates of Christmas: Our biggest giveaway of the year kicked off this last night! For the fifth consecutive December, we are hosting our annual Best Date Food’s 12 Dates of Christmas holiday giveaway on Instagram!

• We are giving away a $250 gift card to 12 different winners from the following Chicago restaurants: Adalina, Bar La Rue, Brasero, El Che, Fioretta, Giant, Hawksmoor, Sifr, Tao, Tavern on Rush, The Alston and Topo Gigio.

• 12 lucky winners will be selected and given the opportunity to choose from the available gift cards in the chronological order they were picked.

• We will announce one winner, and their chosen restaurant gift card, each day for 12 days beginning on Dec 12. The giveaway entry period runs through Thursday, Dec. 11 at 9 p.m., so go enter!

Chicago News

• Bitter Cold Temps: Did your commute this morning feel a little colder than normal? Well it was. According to ABC7, “the low temperature Thursday morning was 5° with below-zero wind chills, making it the coldest day since Feb. 20.” Tomorrow isn’t going to get much better as Friday morning will once again have wind chills below zero. Check their full Chicago weather report of bitter cold temps moving into the area.

• Spotify Wrapped: If you were on Instagram yesterday, you know it was “Spotify Wrapped Day.” The annual campaign lets listeners look back at the artists and songs they played the most over the past year. You have probably seen your own list by now, but have you seen the city’s? Take a look at Chicago’s Top Tracks of 2025 according to Spotify.

• Best Steakhouses: Chicago’s Asador Bastian was named the top steak restaurant in North America, and 13th in the world, this week by the World’s Best Steak Restaurants list (The List 2025). The River North favorite, housed in a restored townhouse, earned praise for its Basque-influenced chophouse style. Several other Chicago area spots appeared in the Top 50 North America 2025 rankings list, including Bavette’s, Swift & Son’s, The Greggory, Gibsons Italia and Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse.

• Traffic Congestion: Chicago just passed New York as the most congested city in the country, according to the Inrix 2025 Global Traffic Scorecard. Drivers here lost about 112 hours in traffic over the last year, which adds up to 4.67 days and $2,063 in wasted time (Chicago scorecard). Globally, Chicago now ranks behind only Istanbul and Mexico City. Inrix also reported that the Stevenson, Kennedy and Eisenhower all placed among the most backed-up highways in the U.S.

• The Chicago Diner: After 13 years in Logan Square, The Chicago Diner announced it will close its Milwaukee Avenue location on Dec. 12. Known for being one of the most iconic vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Chicago, the team shared that they’re no longer able to keep the Logan Square restaurant open, and staff members have been offered transfers to the Lakeview flagship.

Just For Fun

• Chicago’s Snow Day: Last Saturday, Nov. 29 officially became the snowiest single calendar day in Chicago history for the month of November. The weather caused its fair share of headaches, but plenty of Chicagoans found creative ways to enjoy it. Some built a massive snowman, others went sledding through the streets and one couple even pulled off what appears to be the first wedding ever held inside the 1914 Club at Wrigley Field.

• Chicago Bears: All eyes are on the Chicago Bears right now. The Wiener’s Circle in Lincoln Park handed out a lot of free hot dogs on Tuesday after Ben Johnson went viral for ripping off his shirt following the Bears Black Friday win over the Eagles. You could say the line was pretty long. The Week 16 matchup at Soldier Field against the Packers has been moved to prime time on Saturday, Dec. 20. DJ Moore was just announced as the Bears’ 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year, and this video with his family is a must-watch.

• Merry Swiftmas: The popular Taylor Swift Christmas house in Naperville is back for another season. For the third year in a row, the Scott family has turned their home into a full holiday tribute with lights, themed displays and even an engagement photo added for this year’s edition. The family says this will be the final time they put on the display, so now is the moment to go see it.

• Free Museum Days: With the beginning of December off to such a cold start, maybe you’re looking for an indoor activity?! We’ve rounded up the free museum days taking place this month at Chicago’s biggest museums!

• Chipotle BOGOs: This week, Chipotle announced Unwrap Extra, a series of holiday promotions offering free food. They are helping ring in the holiday season with buy-one-get-one (BOGO) entrée offers the first three Saturdays of December. Each Saturday has a different special offer.

Sponsored by our friends at The Christkindlmarket

A Message From the Christkindlmarket

• The Christkindlmarket: The Christkindlmarket vendors need you more than ever this season! As you plan your holiday shopping, and your lunch break in downtown Chicago, please consider stopping by our beloved holiday tradition at Daley Plaza! Every visit, every purchase, and every shared moment helps our vendors make it through the season and keeps the magic alive. Together, we can ensure that in 2026 we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Christkindlmarket Chicago with the full family of vendors who've shaped this tradition for decades.

Weekend Plans

• Winter WonderFest: Navy Pier’s Winter WonderFest kicks off tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 5 and runs through Jan. 4. This Chicago holiday experience is great for families with children and includes rides, slides and festive fun. They feature both thrilling attractions such as Cliffhanger, Zero Gravity and the Centennial Wheel, along with family favorites like the kiddie train, bumper cars and ice skating. General admission tickets start at $25.

• One of a Kind Show: The One of a Kind Holiday Show takes place this weekend at the Merchandise Mart (7th floor) from Dec. 4–7. This massive four-day market brings together more than 600 artists and makers. Tickets are $15 and are valid for entry all four days of the show. A portion of the ticket sales benefit the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

• Clark Street Cookie Crawl: This Sunday, Dec. 7 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. is the Clark Street Cookie Crawl in Lincoln Park. Around a dozen neighborhood businesses along Clark Street will be passing out holiday cookies, with fun surprises in between like carolers, hot chocolate and photos with Santa. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

• WPB Winter Wonderland: The Wicker Park Bucktown Winter Wonderland and Tree Lighting takes place this Saturday, Dec. 6 from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. This free neighborhood holiday event features a variety of activities including free photos with Santa, s’mores by the fire, a holiday gnome scavenger hunt, free rickshaw rides and shopping shuttle, musical performances, the Wicker Park Tree Lighting Ceremony and more.

Poll Question of the Week

Last Newsletter's Poll Results

Poll Results: Last week, we asked which Thanksgiving side dish was your favorite. Here is how you voted:

1. 44%: Stuffing

2. 20%: Mashed Potatoes

3. 20%: Mac & Cheese

4. 10%: Sweet Potatoes

5. 7%: Cornbread

Sunrise & Sunset in Chicago

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

• Sunrise: 7:01 a.m. (8 minutes later)

• Sunset: 4:19 p.m. (3 minutes earlier)

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