Four Things In Chicago Not to Miss This Month
- It’s Pizza (and Wine) O’Clock Somewhere: Pizza is always a good idea, especially when wine is also involved. You can get the best of both worlds on July 9 at the Village at Italian Village’s dinner-party style evening of seasonal pizza (we’re looking at you squash blossom, prosciutto, and stracciatella), served communally with a festive vibe. There are also plenty of new pizza spots to check out (each with wine, beer, and cocktails and patios), like Avondale’s The Little Lark, or take your pick in Lincoln Park between Zaza’s Pizzeria, Dicey’s, Dimmi Dimmi, and DeNucci’s. Craving deep dish pizza with all the crunchy, cheesy frico? Don’t forget about the beloved Pequod’s, which opened in Morton Grove. Ill., in 1971 and has been in its Lincoln Park location since 1992.
- In-Between Noshing: Ah, summer. There’s nothing like having five different commitments all over town, and hoping to hit them all before your patio dinner reservation. Luckily we’ve got guides to help keep you satiated during all the odd hours in between events—from early morning pastries and coffee to get you started to pre-lunch bites, late-afternoon snack spots, happy hours, and aperitivo menus. Looking to take advantage of your precious and fleeting summer Fridays? Check out our guide for where to go for a fun lunch on a breezy patio, a post-work happy hour in a historic building, the best golden hour-basking (and imbibing) spots, or which way to head if you just want to get out of town for the weekend.
- Pig Roasts, Winery Tours, and More Events: Need a Hawaiian escape? Head to The Duck Inn patio on July 30th for the Bridgeport restaurant’s monthly tropical BBQ and pig roast with Polynesian sides, live music, and Spam-infused mai tais (trust is, it works). Summer is about BBQ but also wine, and there are plenty of events all over town, from City Winery’s tours, tastings, and cheese plate grazing every weekend to Le Sud’s celebration of Mediterranean wines and bites on July 16th. Or head to the Southport Corridor to celebrate Coda Di Volpe’s 10-year anniversary on July 13 with drinks, pizza, and passed hors d’œvres benefitting Lurie Children’s Hospital. Find out what else is happening around town here.
- Celebrate the Beards All Summer: Congratulations to all of the 2026 James Beard Award winners! It was a fantastic night at Chicago’s Lyric Opera where the best chefs, beverage, and hospitality professionals came together to celebrate restaurants and the hospitality industry. For Chicago, chef-owner Jake Potashnick of West Town’s Feld took home a medal for Best Chef: Great Lakes, and local finalists included executive chef Bailey Sullivan of the West Loop’s Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio for Best Emerging Chef and chef-owner Norman Fenton of Uptown’s Cariño for Best Chef: Great Lakes. Read more about them and eat your way through all the rest of the JBF nominees here.
New to the Hit List (July 2026)
Au Cheval, Feld, Kyoten, Middle Brow Brewery and Winery.
