Desserts Archives : TRAVEL/FOOD

ANNOUNCING CHICAGO RESTAURANT WEEK’S PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS 2026

Chicago Restaurant Week, Chicago restaurants, Desserts, Restaurants

Record-setting participation in Chicago’s most anticipated annual dining out experience

Choose Chicago, the city’s official destination marketing organization, announces the return of Chicago Restaurant Week (CRW), with a record-setting number of participating restaurants. Produced annually by Choose Chicago, the beloved event celebrates its 19th year Friday, January 23 through Sunday, February 8, 2026. Food lovers can reserve tables and view menus online beginning today for multi-course meals at more than 500 Chicagoland eateries at chicagorestaurantweek.com.

Chicago Restaurant Week offers visitors and local foodies an exciting opportunity to experience some of the area’s most sought-after restaurants. For 17 consecutive, dining-packed days, participating restaurants will showcase specially curated prix fixe menus with prices set at $30 for brunch or lunch, and $45 and/or $60 for dinner (excluding beverages, tax and gratuity). Lending an ideal reason to explore Chicago’s nationally lauded culinary scene, diners can experience new, show-stopping restaurants and familiar favorites alike daily.

“Choose Chicago’s Chicago Restaurant Week is one of the most anticipated events of the year for our restaurant community, our visitors and our residents,” said Kristen Reynolds, President and CEO of Choose Chicago. “It’s more than a week of fantastic discounts at top culinary establishments; it’s our moment to celebrate the restaurants and chefs who power this industry every day. From beloved neighborhood spots to world-renowned dining destinations, this event offers exciting, accessible ways for everyone to experience the flavors that make Chicago the place to be this winter — and one of the great food cities of the world. Bon appétit!”

An all-time record, more than 500 participating restaurants represent 33 distinct Chicago neighborhoods and 61 suburban eateries. Of the participants, 160 are women and/or minority owned enterprises, and 76 restaurants make their Restaurant Week debut.

Participants include a range of new and established locales such as Lula Cafe (Logan Square), Il Carciofo (West Loop), Café Yaya (Lincoln Park), Topolobampo (River North), Señoritas Cantina on Dearborn (The Loop), Truth Be Told (Hyde Park) and Lior’s Café (Washington Heights). They join a list of repeat loyalists such as Gene & Georgetti (River North), Geja’s Café (Lincoln Park), Frontier (West Town), Big Jones (Andersonville), Dove’s Luncheonette (Bucktown/Wicker Park) and more. A complete list of participating restaurants and their curated menu offerings can be found here.

Reservations are nowopen at chicagorestaurantweek.com.

“Chicago Restaurant Week champions the passion and vitality of our neighborhood restaurants,” said Sam Toia, President and CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association. “Celebrations like this provide diners with the perfect opportunity to explore every corner of our city. This initiative also helps restaurants to grow their business during the first quarter of the year when they need it the most.”

Chicago Restaurant Week kicks off in grand style on Thursday, January 22 at First Bites Bash. The event, which sold out within 24 hours of the ticket launch, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at Chicago’s Field Museum. Award winning Chicago chef Jonathon Sawyer of Kindling serves as the Host Chef for the star-studded party, where guests will experience exclusive tasting portions from more than 70 restaurants, as well as enjoy wine, beer, spirits, entertainment and more. Choose Chicago will make a financial contribution to its event beneficiaries, the James Beard Foundation and No Kid Hungry.

Sapori Trattoria. Courtesy of Choose Chicago.

This year, Chicago Restaurant Week enjoys overlap with the equally popular Chicago Theatre Week, taking place February 5-15, 2026. As these two iconic cultural celebrations coincide, there is no better opportunity to experience Chicago like a local this winter. Through the exploration of food and theatre in every pocket of the city, locals and visitors have even more reason to book that hotel stay or staycation – while adding shopping, sporting events and sightseeing.

Atwood Sweet Tea Brined Pork Chop. Courtesy of Choose Chicago.

Chicago Restaurant Week is generously sponsored by Today’s Variety, 101.9 THE MIX, 97.1 The Drive – Chicago’s Classic Rock, Throwback 100.3 – All The Hits Of The 90s & 2000s, the James Beard Foundation, OpenTable and Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits.

Aba Smokey Garlic Hummus. Photo Janet Yun.

For reservations, visit chicagorestaurantweek.com.

Foodies are encouraged to follow @ChooseChicago on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Get social using #FirstBitesBash and #ChicagoRestaurantWeek.

Cindy’s Orecchietti. Courtesy of Choose Chicago.

About Choose Chicago

Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city, its residents and our partner business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and X/Twitter and tag #FirstBitesBash and #ChicagoRestaurantWeek. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.

Photos courtesy of Choose Chicago.

Eat This Not That: 7 Chocolate Brands That Use the Highest Quality Ingredients

Candy, Chocolate, Desserts

https://www.eatthis.com/chocolate-brands-highest-quality-ingredients-2025/

Daily Meal: Sandra Bullock Owns This Texas Bakery (And The Menu Is Mouthwatering)

Bakery, cooking, Desserts, Farm-to-Table, Farms

https://www.thedailymeal.com/1949199/texas-bakery-owned-by-sandra-bullock-celebrity/

Food must run in the family as her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado who lives in Vermont in a tavern built in 1793, has written several cookbooks including one of my favs, My Vermont Table: Recipes for All (Six) Seasons and a new one coming out this October titled My Harvest Kitchen featuring over 200 recipes.

Fun facts about the Bullock sisters…their mother Helga Meyer was an opera singer and their maternal grandfather a rocket scientist.

Announcing Basha’s 10th Donut Flavor Craze Winners

Desserts, Donuts, National Donut Day

PARADISE VALLEY TEENAGER AND GILBERT GROWN-UP ARE NAMED WINNERS OF BASHAS’ 10^TH ANNUAL DONUT FLAVOR CRAZE CONTEST

Winning donuts will be available in Bashas’ bakeries across the state for a limited timestarting this Friday, June 6 (National Donut Day)

The donuts have been tasted, the ballots have been counted, and the results are now in for Bashas’ 10th-annual Donut Flavor Craze contest.

Thanks to the culinary creativity of a Paradise Valley teenager and a Gilbert grown-up, two new donut flavors will soon be available in Bashas’ bakery cases across the state – just in time for National Donut Day this Friday, June 6.

Miele K., a 13-year-old from Paradise Valley, won first place in the youth category for her Desert Campfire Smore donut, which is a Long John donut with chocolate icing, drizzled with marshmallow crème and topped with graham cracker crumbs and mini marshmallows.

Elizabeth Bouck, a grown-up from Gilbert, submitted the winning donut in the adult category. Her Donoli donut is a frosted vanilla donut filled with cinnamon cream cheese icing, sprinkled with crushed cannoli chips and chocolate chips and then drizzled with chocolate icing.

If Bouck’s name sounds familiar, it’s for good reason: she took first place in last year’s youth category.

As part of its annual competition, Bashas’ invited kids and grown-ups across the state to dream up the best donut flavors for the grocer’s bakery cases. People could submit their ideas for a donut from any of the themes from the previous nine years. They were: Pop Culture, Wacky Donut Flavors, Sweet & Savory, Arizona Themed, Guilty Pleasure, Carnival Flavors, Global Flavors and Retro vs. Future.

A panel of local celebrity judges helped Bashas’ to select the winning donut flavors.

The two winning donuts will be available for purchase in Bashas’ bakery cases across the state starting this Friday, June 6. Also on National Donut Day, Bashas’ will donate 10% of its donut sales on Friday, June 6, 2025, to The Salvation Army, which established National Donut Day in June 1938 to honor volunteers who served the sweet treats to soldiers on the frontlines. Additionally, you’ll receive 18 donuts when you purchase two Don Francisco’s coffee pods or bags.

In addition to being named Bashas’ Official Donut Ambassadors for 2025, Miele and Elizabeth will each receive one dozen donuts every month for a year from Bashas’ bakery, and $500 worth of prizes, including a Bashas’ gift card.

The youth category runner-up is 13-year-old Audrey S. from Tucson; she will receive a $50 Bashas’ gift card for her A Latte Sugar donut, a buttercream filled donut topped with chocolate-coffee frosting drizzled with caramel and a ganache of espresso beans.

The adult category runner-up is Sheryl Keeme from Tempe; she will receive a $50 Bashas’ gift card for her The Salty White Turtle submission. It is a vanilla donut dipped in white ganache, drizzled with caramel and topped with broken pecans and sea salt.

The three honorable mentions in the youth category went to 9-year-old Creedence M. from Buckeye for her Island Kiss Donut; 13-year-old Charlee Y. from Scottsdale for The “Wicked” I Donut of Bashas’ and 16-year-old Braxton B. from Queen Creek for the Chocolate Covered Pretzel donut. The three honorable mentions in the adult category are Shaunna Serfin from Glendale for the Peach Cobbler Crunch submission, Janet Gunderson from Flagstaff for her Cookies and Milk for Santa donut, and Maya Gordon from Chandler for her Coco Mocha Monkey Banana donut. All six will each receive a $20 Bashas’ gift card.

About National Donut Day

National Donut Day was originally established to honor The Salvation Army’s service to soldiers during World War I. Around 250 volunteers traveled overseas to provide emotional and spiritual support, sweet treats, clothes, and supplies to troops. These women, known as “Donut Lassies,” made and hand-delivered donuts to the front lines and are often credited with popularizing the donut in the United States when the troops returned home from war.

About Bashas’ Family of Stores

Bashas’ Family of Stores is a division of The Raley’s Companies. The grocer operates in Arizona, New Mexico, and four Tribal Nations under five well-known brands including Bashas’, Food City, AJ’s Fine Foods, Eddie’s Country Store, and Bashas’ Diné supermarkets. Founded in 1932, the grocer has a rich history of serving families with quality products and great customer service. With more than 100 supermarkets in Arizona, Bashas’ is one of the largest employers in the state and one of the Best Places to Work. Bashas’ has given back more than $100 million to the communities it serves. For more information, visit bashas.com.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army ranks No. 6 on Forbes’ latest list of America’s Top 100 Charities and has helped more than 360,000 Arizonans last year through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry; shelter; and clothing for people experiencing homelessness, along with rent and utilities assistance, disaster relief, respite from extreme weather conditions, senior activity and outreach, adult rehabilitation, opportunities for under-resourced children, holiday assistance, and emotional and spiritual support, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at more than 40 units across the state. Around 83 cents of every dollar donated to The Salvation Army nationally go directly to fund programs to help people who need it most. For more information about The Salvation Army, visit SalvationArmySouthwest.org and follow SalvationArmySW on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. #DoingTheMostGood #SalArmyLoveBeyond.

This Tiny Bakeshop In Arizona Has The Best Coconut Cream Pie In The Southwest Source: familydestinationsguide.com

Bakeries, Desserts

This Tiny Bakeshop In Arizona Has The Best Coconut Cream Pie In The Southwest Source: familydestinationsguide.com https://share.newsbreak.com/beh9j2pk

NYTimes: The 25 Most Influential Cookbooks From the Last 100 Years

Asian cooking, Books, Chefs, Desserts, Farm-to-Table, Gastronomy, Gourmet, Healthy eating, Historic foodways, Indian Food, Italian Cuisine, Mediterranean, Michelin, Michelin Star, Persian food, Pizza, Regional & Ethnic, Restaurants, Southern cuisine, Thai, Vegetarian

The 25 Most Influential Cookbooks From the Last 100 Years https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/t-magazine/most-influential-cookbooks.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

Article: 7 Chicago Desserts – Iconic and Irresistible

Bakeries, Bakery, Chicago restaurants, Chicagoland Area, Chocolate, Desserts

7 Chicago Desserts – Iconic and Irresistible https://www.2foodtrippers.com/7-chicago-desserts-iconic-and-irresistible/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic%2Fchicagotravel

Article: People Are Driving an Hour From San Francisco for This California Grocery Store

California, California Wine, Desserts, Gastronomy, Gourmet

People Are Driving an Hour From San Francisco for This California Grocery Store https://flip.it/RCpUzH

Savor the South Shore: Over 30 Restaurants to Try

Breweries, Desserts, Distilleries, Farm-to-Table Restaurant, Gourmet, Historic Restaurants, Northwest Indiana, Restaurant Week, Restaurants, Savor the South Shore, winery

Savor the South Shore Restaurant Weeks offers residents and visitors 3-course meals or other special offers at discounted prices. The 14-day culinary promotion began February 26 and will end March 10. More than 30 local restaurants in seventeen different communities will be participating.

Restaurants include:

Aftermath Cidery & Winery, Valparaiso
Asparagus Restaurant, Merrillville
Bedarra Bar, Crown Point
The Brewery Lodge & Supper Club, Michigan City
Byway Brewing, Hammond
Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, Gary
DOC’s Smokehouse and Craft Bar, Dyer
Four Corners Winery, Valparaiso
Freddy’s Steakhouse, Hammond
Fuzzyline Brewery, Highland
Gamba Ristorante, Merrillville
Goblin and the Grocer, Beverly Shores
Grindhouse Café, Griffith
Jack Binion’s Steak, Hammond
Jax’s Crown Town Grill, Crown Point
Lighthouse Restaurant, Cedar Lake
Midwest Eats, East Chicago
Miller Pizza Company, Gary
Northwoods Falls, St. John
Off Square Brewing, Crown Point
Parlor Doughnuts, Munster & Valparaiso
River Rock Restaurant at White Hawk Country Club, Crown Point
Rosebud Steakhouse, Munster
Running Vines Winery, Chesterton
T-Bones Pier 11, La Porte
Teibel’s Restaurant, Schererville
Tiny’s Coffee Bar, Gary
Union Hall – Journeyman Distillery, Valparaiso
William B’s Steakhouse at Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa, Michigan City
Zorn Brew Works Co., Michigan City

Specially priced menus are listed online at http://www.savorthesouthshore.com. Customers do not need a coupon or discount code, they only need to ask to order from the Savor menu. Savor Restaurant Weeks and participating restaurants will also be promoted through Facebook at www.facebook.com/SavorSouthShore and through a VIP Text List by texting “Savor” to 219- 799-7770 (standard text rates apply).

An all-new promotion this year, the South Shore Passport App will be available to download beginning on February 26! This app will replace the current South Shore Brewery Trail App and in addition to breweries will also include other passports including one for Restaurant Weeks. It will be available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

App users will be able to check-in to as many participating Savor restaurants as they can between February 26 – March 10. Each check-in earns an entry towards an exclusive gift card package valued at $250! One winner will be chosen at random the week of March 11. The more you dine out during “Savor the South Shore” …the greater the chance of winning!

Savor the South Shore was created by the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority to promote area restaurants, attract new customers and highlight specialty menu items and pairings. Learn more at www.savorthesouthshore.com.