What is Chicago Dog Deep Dish Pizza?!

BEST DATE NEWS

July 17, 2025: Best Date News Volume #135

Welcome to Best Date News, your favorite Chicago weekly newsletter! In this week’s edition, you’ll read about the new Chicago Dog Deep Dish Pizza, headliners for this summer’s Taste of Chicago, people’s favorite Chicago hotels, a Secret River Parade and more!

July 17: National Holidays

• National Dole Whip Day

• National Lottery Day

• National Tattoo Day

• National Peach Ice Cream Day

• World Emoji Day

Sponsored by our friends at Ravinia Festival

$15 Ravinia CSO Tickets

• Ravinia Festival: Ravinia Festival is a historic outdoor music venue in Highland Park, Ill., and one of the most affordable ways to enjoy great live music in the Chicago area. It’s a summer favorite that lets you have a special night out without having to spend a lot.

• Lawn tickets to see the world-class Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) start at just $15! The CSO has more than a dozen concerts lined up as part of their summer residency, including one featuring Morgan Freeman in a unique Blues Experience.

• You can bring your own picnic, drinks and blanket for a relaxed night under the stars, with the CSO’s renowned music as your evening soundtrack. You also have the option to upgrade your experience with Pavilion seats near the stage or check out the on-site dining options.

• Last but not least, your Metra train ride is included with your ticket, making it easy and budget-friendly to get there without the hassle of traffic or parking. See the full calendar of events to start planning your next Ravinia visit.

Chicago News

• Chicago Dog Deep Dish: Two local legends are teaming up for a limited time. Lou Malnati’s and Portillo’s just dropped the Chicago Dog Deep Dish, featuring classic Chicago-style hot dog toppings like sport peppers, hot dogs, celery salt and poppy seeds on a Lou Malnati’s crust. It’s available now for dine-in, carry-out and delivery at Lou Malnati’s locations. Would you try it? Make sure to cast your vote below in this week’s poll.

• Taste of Chicago: The headliners for this year’s Taste of Chicago were just announced, and the lineup is pretty solid. The 45th annual festival returns to Grant Park from September 5–7 with Lupe Fiasco on September 5, JoJo on September 6 and Elvis Crespo on September 7. Main Stage concerts start at 5 p.m. each night. Along with the music, you can expect dozens of food vendors serving up local bites, plus family activities, pop-ups and more throughout the weekend.

• Broadway in Chicago: Another summer performance lineup dropped this week. The free Broadway In Chicago Summer Concert returns to Millennium Park on August 11 at 6:15 p.m. at the Pritzker Pavilion. The lineup features songs and scenes from Elf the Musical, The Great Gatsby, Hell’s Kitchen, MJ, The Outsiders, Parade, The Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, Stereophonic, Spamalot, Suffs and Water for Elephants.

• Chicago Hotels: Travel + Leisure’s 2025 World’s Best Awards just revealed the top city hotels in Chicago, based on tens of thousands of reader votes. Park Hyatt Chicago came in at number one, followed by The Peninsula and 21c Museum Hotel. The rankings are based on things like service, location and value. Check out the full list of the Readers’ 10 Favorite Hotels in Chicago of 2025.

• Small Cheval: Small Cheval officially opened in Logan Square on Monday, July 14, taking over the former home of The Freeze at 2815 W Armitage Ave. The team kept the original Freeze sign and soft-serve machines, bringing back a few fan favorites from the old menu. New additions include a walk-up window, patio seating and a year-round kitchen serving their signature burgers and fries.

Just For Fun

• Secret River Parade: This Saturday, July 19 from noon to sunset, a Secret River Parade will take over the Chicago River with floating concerts all afternoon. Bands will hop off boats to perform at various stops, then float to the next while another group rolls in behind them. Check out the three secret performance locations and their coordinates via this Instagram post. The parade ends with a finale at Urban Rivers' Wild Mile.

• Brookfield Zoo: Brookfield Zoo just unveiled its new tropical primate habitat, now one of the largest in the country. Spanning over three acres, the space will be home to gorillas, Bornean orangutans, spider monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and Colobus monkeys.

• Poperoni Pizza: Chicagoland favorite Aurelio’s is honoring local legend Pope Leo XIV with a new Poperoni Pizza, available at their La Grange, Oakbrook, Hammond and South Holland locations. The Homewood location even dedicated a chair at the exact spot where he ate.

• Spots of the Summer: Summertime Chi is flying by but there’s still time to check out some of the city’s best spots to soak it all in. Infatuation Chicago just dropped a Spots of the Summer guide to the top patios, rooftops and seasonal hangouts, plus a new ranking of their choices for best tavern-style thin crust pizza in town.

• Walkable Cities: Chicago was recently named one of the 10 best walkable cities for tourists in the U.S. by USA Today’s 10Best list, thanks to its compact neighborhoods, lakefront access and easy-to-navigate streets. Check out the full top ten to see how the Windy City compares.

Sponsored by our friends at The Forge

Zip, Putt & Sip Deal

• The Forge: Looking for a date idea that’s totally unique to Chicagoland? The Forge: Lemont Quarries is an outdoor adventure park in Lemont, Ill., with one of the largest aerial ropes courses in the world!

• We partnered with them to bring you an exclusive Zip, Putt & Sip package, valued at $100 but just $69 through Best Date Food. It’s one of the most fun dates you can go on! Check out our video of the experience.

• It includes a climb and zipline ticket, access to over 200 ropes course obstacles, a rock climbing wall and a thrilling 1200 foot zipline over the quarry. You’ll also get a round of mini golf on their brand new 18 hole course and your choice of a beer or seltzer to sip afterward.

• This deal isn’t listed anywhere else and is only available through our link.

Weekend Plans

• Taste of River North: Check out Taste of River North on Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19. It will have live music, art vendors, interactive experiences, a dog parade and River North restaurants like Seoul Taco, Avli, Fogo De Chao, Lure Fishbar and more. Entry is free, and the event features many family-friendly activities.

• Burger Fest: Roscoe Village’s Burger Fest returns this weekend (July 18-20) for its 18th year. There will be 13 different burger vendors vying for “Critics’ Choice” and “People’s Choice” Best Burger awards (fans vote via texting). Beyond the food, there will also be two music stages, merchants, a kid’s zone with inflatables, face painting, games, crafts and more. Admission is free, but there is a $10 suggested donation.

• Tacos y Tamales: Pilsen’s Taco y Tamales Festival returns this weekend from Friday, July 18 through Sunday, July 20 and is open until 10 p.m. each evening. The festival is modeled after traditional open-air markets in Mexico, featuring a block-party atmosphere, live music, dance performances, art, vendors and plenty of authentic food. It’s free to attend, but there is a suggested donation.

• Ravenswood on Tap: Sip your way through Malt Row this weekend at Ravenswood on Tap, featuring top local breweries (see the beer list), KOVAL cocktails, live music and street eats. The fest runs Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20 on Ravenswood Ave. Entry is free with a $10 suggested donation. Drink tickets are $8 for a full pour or $12 for three tastings.

• Sidewalk Sale: Take a nice stroll through Lincoln Park this weekend at the Armitage & Halstead Sidewalk Sale on both Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. This special outdoor shopping event will feature 39 local businesses, many of which will have special deals that you can browse on the event’s website.

Poll Question of the Week

Last Newsletter's Poll Results

Poll Results: Last newsletter, we asked if you had ever had a McDonald’s Snack Wrap. 52% of you said that you haven’t tried one before, while 48% of you have. One of our closest polls!

Sunrise & Sunset in Chicago

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

• Sunrise: 5:30 a.m. (5 minutes later)

• Sunset: 8:22 p.m. (4 minutes earlier)

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