Openings

The sushi is officially rolling at Katana (339 N. Dearborn St., River North), the self-proclaimed robatayaki spot known for attracting celebrity types at its first home on Los Angeles’s Sunset Strip.

Furious Spoon (1700 Maple Ave., Evanston) now allows Evanstonians to slurp and sip Shin Thompson’s ramen and Japanese-leaning cocktails without entering city limits.

It’s all systems go at Honeygrow (179 N. Morgan St., Fulton Market), a Philly-based company known for its customizable stir-fries, salads, cold-pressed juices, and honeybar (create-your-own bowls of fresh fruits and toppings such as yogurt, chocolate chips, granola, and housemade whipped cream).

And more DIY: Columbus, Ohio-based Korean food purveyor Bibibop has made its way to Chicago (and beyond), offering create-your-own bibimbap-style bowls both in the Loop (24 E. Jackson Blvd.) and Schaumburg (1022 N. Meacham Rd.).

Morsels

Bon Appétit told us what we already know: In 2017, there’s no better restaurant city in the country than Chicago. As a part of their forthcoming Best New Restaurants package, they crowned our fair town the top place to dine right now.

Last night, Balena (1633 N. Halsted St., Lincoln Park) was hit by a fire, and the damage seems to be relatively serious. Though nobody was hurt, the restaurant’s closed until further notice and there’s no timetable for when repairs to the kitchen and dining room will be completed (you can read a statement about the fire from the restaurant’s owners here.)