Grace Wong

Justin Reyes administers a COVID-19 test to Maria Suarez outside Heartland Health Centers in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood on July 10, 2020.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot threatens stricter coronavirus restrictions if city’s cases continue to rise: ‘Make no mistake: We are in the second surge’

October 20, 2020 at 12:19 a.m.

Citing a dramatic increase in the number of coronavirus cases since the start of October, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday threatened to reimpose stricter guidelines on businesses. The mayor...

Amid ‘second surge’ of pandemic, state and city officials warn of further restrictions in public places, urge residents to take precautions in private settings

October 20, 2020 at 2:06 a.m.

With coronavirus cases rapidly rising across Illinois and Chicago suffering what Mayor Lori Lightfoot called a "second surge" of the pandemic, officials on Monday cracked down on businesses in southern...

An Asian carp burger is served on a brioche bun with spicy mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion at Dirk's Fish & Gourmet Shop, 2070 N. Clybourn Ave., on Oct. 15, 2020, in Chicago.

Eat a carp burger, save the Great Lakes. Challenge invites Illinoisans to fight for the environment with their appetites

October 19, 2020 at 8:36 p.m.

Sandwiched in a plush brioche bun slathered with spicy mayo and topped with the familiar lettuce, tomato and onion, the flavorful burger patty is heavy on the oregano, garlic and...

Chicago’s outdoor dining design competition winners announced: A cozy cabin, block modules and heated tables.

October 8, 2020 at 3:18 p.m.

Submissions were called, ideas were proposed, finalists were selected, and now, winners for Chicago's Winter Design Challenge have been announced. The competition aims to solve the problem of how to...

Purple Pig restaurant employee Ryan Love talks with a police officer who was asking him to take his signs off private scaffolding outside the Purple Pig restaurant on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Oct. 7, 2020.

The Purple Pig employees protest over concerns of coronavirus safety negligence

October 8, 2020 at 2:30 p.m.

After spending much of Tuesday night calling colleagues at The Purple Pig, Ryan Love felt upbeat about the five people who committed to picketing the Chicago restaurant Wednesday morning. The...

Server Alex Oslopoda drops off food for Brad and Jeff Krzyzanowski on the outdoor sidewalk patio Sept. 2, 2020 at DryHop and Roebuck restaurants on North Broadway in Lakeview East. The neighborhood will continue closures into mid-October.

Chicago’s outdoor dining street closures to continue into the fall and winter. Here’s the schedule.

October 1, 2020 at 3:36 p.m.

After a summer of street closures dedicated to outdoor dining that saw dozens of Chicago restaurants move tables and chairs into the roadways, rest easy knowing that cold weather won't...

Andrew Marinelli cleans the bar as the staff prepares for dinner service in the rooftop canopy area of Roots Handmade Pizza in the South Loop on Sept. 28, 2020.

Citing a downward trend in COVID-19 cases, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she’s easing restrictions on indoor bars, restaurants, fitness class sizes: ‘People have risen to the occasion’

September 29, 2020 at 1:49 a.m.

All summer long, Chicagoans were told to stay outside, socially distance themselves and wear masks to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, with Mayor Lori Lightfoot playing the stern...

Grace Wong

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