The bagel shop you've been asking for just picked a corner.
🍽 ON THE PLATE
2321 N Lincoln Ave
PopUp Bagels is coming to Lincoln Park. The East Coast cult shop — famous for hot bagels, creative schmears, and lines out the door — announced this week it's opening its first Midwest location at 2321 N. Lincoln Avenue, in the old Crumbl spot. The brand started as a pandemic-era backyard pop-up in Connecticut and has since built a national following on a dead-simple premise: sesame, poppy, and everything bagels, baked hot, with rotating schmears that change weekly. No frills, no menus to agonize over. Just grip, rip, and dip. No firm opening date yet, but they're actively hiring for an April launch — and if you want a preview before the doors open, they're running a pop-up at Guinness Open Gate Brewery in the West Loop this weekend, March 12–13, 8–11am, with a limited Guinness Chocolate Stout Cake schmear.
Daly's Donuts finally has a home. If you've seen Conor and Alejandra Daly at the Lincoln Park Farmers Market over the past two years, you already know. Last Saturday, they opened their first brick-and-mortar at 659 W. Armitage — and the line stretched down the block before they turned the key. The donuts are baked, not fried: lighter than what you'd expect, with a texture closer to a cake donut than a gut bomb. The signature is cinnamon sugar, and for good reason. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 8am–3pm. Go on a weekday if you want to walk right in.
If you haven't been to Ox Bar & Hearth yet, go. The restaurant opened quietly in December at 1578 N. Clybourn, in the old Golden Ox space — a 125-year-old room that chef John Asbaty and restaurateur Alain Uy spent most of last year renovating. The cooking centers on a wood-burning hearth with a menu built around hyper-local Midwestern ingredients and a beverage program that leans into domestic wines and regional spirits. The Infatuation gave it an 8.0 and called it more exciting than it looks. The roasted leeks with gribiche, the burger, the half chicken. Cashless. Reservations for dinner; bar is walk-in only. Wed–Sat 5–10pm, Sunday brunch 10am–1:30pm.
📅 MARK YOUR CALENDAR
St. Patrick's Day weekend — green river Saturday, March 14. The river dyeing kicks off downtown around 9am. LP bar crawls run all weekend. Plan accordingly.
Last call for Steppenwolf's The Dance of Death — closes March 22. Jeff Perry and Kathryn Erbe — two founding-era Steppenwolf ensemble members — are back on stage together in a dark comedy about a marriage turned war zone. Strindberg's source material, reimagined by Conor McPherson. It's right in your backyard at 1650 N. Halsted and worth catching before it closes. $20 tickets available daily at 11am by phone. steppenwolf.org.
Cubs home opener — March 26. Wrigley season is here. Game on.
🌿 GET OUTSIDE
The Wednesday morning bird walks at North Pond are one of Lincoln Park's best-kept secrets. Every week at 7am, the Chicago Ornithological Society meets at the casting pier behind the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to circle the pond with an expert guide. Free, no RSVP, all experience levels. March is when early migrants start coming through — and the Black-crowned Night Heron colony at the zoo is already active. chicagobirder.org.
Green City Market is back — April 5. The Lincoln Park outdoor market returns Saturday, April 5, at 1817 N. Clark, 8am–1pm. Three more Saturdays of the indoor market in Avondale (through March 21) if you need a fix before then.
QUICK HITS
Max and Issy's is closing March 28. The New York-style pizzeria at 1028 W. Diversey — nearly two decades on that corner, first as Paddy Long's and then as a pizza spot — is closing at the end of the month after owners sold the building. Worth a final visit if you have memories there.
Foxtrot is coming back. The café/market is in the permitting stage for 935 W. Webster, a new location not far from their former Armitage spot. No opening date yet, but the liquor license application is filed.
Butterfly Haven Yoga at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum — yoga surrounded by live butterflies. Recurring programming, various dates. Worth a look if that's your thing.
See you next Friday.
— The 60614