Opening

Fort Willow, the (let’s face it, pretty awesome looking) tree house-inspired bar from the DMK Restaurant Group, is now open for business.  The menu is almost all small plates (think crudo, rillettes, crispy cauliflower and other bar bites) and there are a ton of great specials.

Morsels

A new website celebrates the (too often overlooked) African-American contributors to Chicago’s restaurant scene. Black Food & Beverage has created an impressive list of food power players, and while the site doesn’t have a huge amount of content yet, it’s definitely worth adding to your reading list.

It’s still a bad time for restaurant closings, and here are a couple of the more notable ones. After many many years (and several locations) Bin 36 is no more. The wine-focused restaurant closed its last location last week. If you’re a BBQ fan, you’ll notice the loss of Barn & Company, closing after 7 years in Lincoln Park.

If you haven’t been over to Isla Pilipina in Lincoln Square (2501 W. Lawrence Ave.), you’re obviously missing out on some amazing food. It turns out, though, that you’re also missing some great art and an incredible story of family and food.  Fooditor did a deep, deep dive into the restaurant and its history.