Hosts: Charles Holmes, Van Lathan, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Additional Production: Arjuna Ramgopal, Jonathan Kermah, and Aleya Zenieris Social: Jomi Adeniran
We are so back. And by “we,” I mean video games. At a half-dozen slickly produced promotional events over the next week, games will be teased in the form of captivating cinematic trailers with promises to push the medium forward.
The annual Summer Game Fest extravaganza, host Geoff Keighley’s replacement for E3, kicks off the promotional activities on Friday, June 7. The rest of the weekend is also filled with similar hours-long events from Xbox, Activision, Ubisoft, Devolver Digital, and other organizers who have rallied smaller, indie-created games for a combined show of force.
There’s an expectation that the annual parade of trailers for exciting new games will include plenty of games that won’t be out for many months, if not years, after their unveilings. To be clear, that happens every year. And I’m here to remind you that there are countless unreleased games that were announced with gusto at similar events in years past — some of which have slipped from the public consciousness, and we’re convinced that if they don’t show up in a meaningful way over the next couple weeks, it’s so over.*
*It’s not really over, especially given the volatile state of the video game industry. But we’re getting pretty worried/impatient about the following games and honestly hope they show up, look great, and will be critical and commercial successes — all of them.
Monolith’s Wonder Woman game
Announced in 2021, developer Monolith Productions promised to bring its patented Nemesis System from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor to a game based on Wonder Woman. We were excited about it, even with the taste of Wonder Woman 1984 relatively fresh in our mouths, but haven’t heard a peep about the game since then. DC’s approach to video games based on its characters has changed since the announcement of Wonder Woman, and we remain hopeful that Monolith can capture the magical feeling of battling wisecracking Orcs in a game that gives us control of Diana Prince and her golden lasso.
Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell remake
Another announcement that dates back to 2021? Ubisoft Toronto’s plan to remake the original Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell. The new Splinter Cell promises to take advantage of 20 years of technical innovations and to rework parts of the game’s story “that may not have aged particularly well,” creative director Chris Auty said in 2022. Showing off the Splinter Cell remake at Sunday’s Xbox Games Showcase would go a long way to appeasing longtime Xbox fans, with a deeper dive ideally poised for Monday’s Ubisoft Forward event. Just sayin’.
Skate. (Skate 4)
Credit to Electronic Arts: The publisher and development team, Full Circle, has been very transparent about the development of the next Skate game — which is called skate., not Skate 4, officially — and opened up playtesting to in-progress versions of the game. But please give us the new Skate already! How about a release date? Barring that, can I get a beta key? I want to flump, too.
Capcom’s Pragmata
It’s been four years since Capcom revealed Pragmata at Sony’s big unveiling of the PlayStation 5. Pragmata’s been delayed several times since then, and the last we heard about it was when Capcom pushed it back indefinitely. Is Pragmata joining the increasingly long list of games coming in 2025? It’s starting to feel like it.
Rare’s Everwild
We’re nearing the five-year anniversary of Everwild’s unveiling. Eighteen months later, we learned that developer Rare had reportedly rebooted the game with “a complete overhaul of the game’s design and direction.” Frankly, we just want to find out what Everwild even is — especially since Rare has proven that given the right development resources, it can turn good games into great games.
Transformers: Reactivate
Call me an idealist, but I’m always willing to give a Transformers game the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes you get an unexpected surprise — a Transformers: Devastation, if you will. So when Splash Damage teased Transformers: Reactivate in 2022 with a moody cover of Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive,” I was immediately on board. But we haven’t heard much about the cooperative online action game since, and that’s a shame. I’ve been in transform-and-roll-out mode for the past 18 months and I’m concerned.
Perfect Dark
Announced at 2020’s The Game Awards, developer The Initiative’s Perfect Dark reboot promised to revive a long-dormant franchise and serve as a cornerstone of the Xbox Series X’s lineup of game exclusives. But the studio and owner Microsoft have said very little about their new Perfect Dark and what we can expect from Joanna Dark’s return. We continue to wait for it, alongside Xbox Game Studios’ Avowed, Contraband, Fable, The Outer Worlds 2, and State of Decay 3.
Kingdom Hearts 4
We’re now two years out from the announcement of Kingdom Hearts 4, a reveal timed to the Square Enix-Disney role-playing game franchise’s 20th anniversary. It increasingly looks like we’ll have to wait for Kingdom Hearts’ 25th birthday to actually get our hands on Sora’s next adventure. Given how long it’s taken Square Enix to realize its Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy — to say nothing of its next mainline Dragon Quest game — we don’t actually expect to see Kingdom Hearts 4 showing up any time soon. There’s a painful dose of reality.
Hollow Knight Silksong
It’s not happening, is it? Any time soon, I mean. That’s fine. Everything’s fine.
It’s official: the co-founder of Foxtrot on Wednesday, June 5 announced plans to reopen select stores in Chicago, Dallas, and Austin, Texas, this summer. Rumors have swirled for weeks that Mike LaVitola was plotting a comeback. Some former Foxtrot workers, the same employees who weren’t given any warning when parent company Outfox Hospitality suddenly ceased operations on April 23, have been asked by managers about their interest in coming back.
When Foxtrot’s assets went up for auction on May 10, speculation mounted that the $2.2 million winning bid was from a firm connected with LaVitola. Observers who attended the online auction pointed out that only one party, Further Point Enterprises, made a bid. Little is known about Further Point. Since the auction, the firm’s website has since gone private. But before that, it had already listed Foxtrot as part of its portfolio. Likewise, an email account linked to the site didn’t respond to a message requesting a comment.
After weeks without comment, other than a statement posted to social media and Foxtrot’s website, a news release sent Wednesday morning confirmed the speculation: “Reopened stores will maintain the same layout and merchandising, focusing on small and local makers.” LaVitola tells Crain’s that the venture is a totally new company, as they’ve secured the original intellectual property and new/renewed several leases.
But conspicuously absent from the statement was any mention of the Washington, D.C. area, where Foxtrot had seven stores scattered across the District proper, Virginia, and Maryland. There were 33 Foxtrot stores in Chicago and eight in Texas. A list of which stores would reopen wasn’t immediately available. Additionally, last month’s auction didn’t include the properties’ leases with inventory still on the shelves.
But this doesn’t mean there’s a cohesive plan for all of the former locations. A Foxtrot in Lincoln Park along Armitage Avenue, which shared space with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, is a special case. Jeni’s has vacated, and there have been rumblings about angry former employees who may have taken a few souvenirs as parting gifts after losing their jobs.
LaVitola, a University of Chicago graduate, co-founded Foxtrot in 2014 with a focus on delivering snacks to customers via an app; the properties the company owned were more or less mini-warehouses. The company evolved toward a shoppy-shop corner-store model, carrying upscale goods from local vendors. It built a chic brand and drew the attention of customers who regularly spent money at trendy restaurants — Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits, Tortello, and Mindy’s Bakery were among the vendors who sold products at Foxtrot. Eventually, the brand opened locations in prestigious spaces like Fulton Market, Wrigley Field, and inside Willis Tower. Just before the closure, they inked a deal with La Colombe Coffee Roasters for its cafes.
The company combined with Dom’s Kitchen & Market in late 2023 and formed Outfox Hospitality. Previously the two companies weren’t direct competitors, but they shared space in the retail world. Dom’s, with locations in Lincoln Park and Old Town, positioned itself as a challenger to shops like Whole Foods, an upscale traditional grocery store with a modest food court and a cafe. No bids were placed on Dom’s assets during the May 10 auction. That leaves the two existing locations, plus a planned River North entry, in limbo. Dom’s, like Foxtrot, sought to continue extending reach and influence. Foxtrot pushed aggressive expansion, with LaVitola and company securing nearly $194 million in funding.
Though the new Foxtrot aims to supply customers with what seems to be largely the same coffees, ice creams, chips, and condiments from local vendors, it may take time to rebuild trust. Eater spoke with several former Foxtrot vendors; none of those interviewed were contacted by the company at the time of publication. They saw the reopening news through a post on Foxtrot’s Instagram shared Wednesday morning, which reads, “a new Foxtrot with some old friends. Coming soon.”
The account disabled comments on the post, likely to avoid becoming a soapbox for frustrated workers and vendors, as formerly employed workers had on previous social media announcements. Foxtrot remains the defendant in several lawsuits alleging the company violated the state WARN Act, which mandates companies to notify workers if they plan mass layoffs.
There are still unanswered questions about the future of the company’s product inventory and unpaid invoices. There are also ethical questions about Foxtrot, a company that offered no severance to workers and took away their jobs without warning. Some vendors worry that working with the new Foxtrot will damage their brands.
This post will be updated later Wednesday with more information.
Rachel, Callie, and Jodi dish on the past week in Bravo world
Rachel Lindsay and Callie Curry open today’s Morally Corrupt with a chat about the sad conclusion of Sonja Morgan’s townhouse auction, Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard being put on pause, and the imminent return of The Real Housewives of Dubai (1:57). They then move on to briefly debate what’s wrong with this current season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey (8:58) and examine where they ultimately fall on the Carl-Lindsay meter after the intense Season 8 finale of Summer House (21:23). Later, Rachel welcomes Jodi Walker on to discuss where the cast goes from here after the depressing conclusion to the Vanderpump Rules Season 11 reunion (40:57), and whether or not they’ve soured on Danny following his shocking heel turn in Episode 11 of The Valley (1:05:05).
Loyola University students at the school’s Rogers Park campus are about to be schooled in the ways of Cambodian cuisine. Their lesson will be taught by Mona Sang, the chef behind Khmai Fine Dining. It’s been nearly six months since Sang closed the original location of her decorated restaurant. The Cambodian refugee is poised to double down on the neighborhood that supported her, pushing Khmai to one of the 2022’s Best New Restaurants in America.
Sang’s opening a pair of restaurants on Loyola’s campus. Beyond a supercharged return of Khmai, adorned with a black and gold color palette and Bridgerton-inspired Regency-style table settings, Sang will unveil the more casual Kaun Khmai — “child of Khmai” in Khmer — an all-day affair with fun cocktails and Cambodian street food. Sang says she created the new addition to better serve the neighborhood, and not depend on the university community. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if a cheaper option would attract more students and faculty. Sang will also launch the city’s only Cambodian brunch services at both restaurants alongside dinner. Sang hopes to reveal breakfast and lunch service in August.
“It’s a lot,” Sang admits. “When you’re opening a restaurant, one thing gets fixed and then five other things break. We have two restaurants with two different menus coming from one kitchen, so we’re trying to perfect that [process].”
Khmai’s egg rolls have earned a devoted following.Jack X. Li/Eater Chicago
The new Khmai stands inside a Loyola University-owned space at 6580 N. Sheridan Road on the ground floor of the Hampton Inn. Hotel guests generally expect daytime options, and Sang is eager to deliver a menu with unique items like fresh croissants filled with lychee or kumquat cream, congee with blood sausage, and num por peay — glutinous rice flour stuffed with yellow mung bean and topped with coconut cream.
Kaun Khmai’s weekend brunch menu will also include doughnuts from suburban bakery Gurnee Donuts, owned by Sang’s friend and fellow first-generation Cambodian American Kevin Lee. Cambodians have played a significant role in the U.S. doughnut industry, particularly in California — a story detailed at length in the 2020 documentary The Donut King.
At the restaurants, Sang has opted to home in on serving her neighbors in Rogers Park rather than purely devoting her efforts to luring Loyola students — an inconsistent presence in the area thanks to the churn of the school year. But Sang is also the mother of an incoming Loyola freshman and spent recent weeks testing recipes on her student employees. She’s noticed that many of them miss eating home-cooked meals and hopes to eventually create low-cost meal kits that students can purchase and make themselves.
At the outset, staff will seat diners for both restaurants in the 40-seat Kaun Khmai space or on a 30-seat patio. Stay tuned for news of an opening date.
Khmaiand Kaun Khmai, 6580 N. Sheridan Road, Scheduled to open in June.
The former Blockbuster Video space along Clark and Wrightwood wasn’t made to house two 100-foot Lang barbecue smokers. Brandon and Katherine Rushing had to significantly alter the ventilation to accommodate their new restaurant, Briny Swine Smokehouse and Oyster Bar.
The same space was home to HopCat, the Michigan beer bar. During the fall, it was also a frequent popup space for Spirit Halloween. Briny Swine’s crews kept the bar in the same space, and the Rushings hope their South Carolina barbecue and find a Chicago niche with folks who like bourbon, beer, and barbecue. They’ll even stay open until 2 a.m. giving the stretch of Clark Street, which has recently seen the closures of Frank’s and Field House, a charge. Even as the Wiener Circle taunts the new restaurant from across the street.
This was a former Blockbuster.
South Carolina barbecue specializes in pork, but Briny Swine also serves seafood, chicken, and turkey.
This is the Rushings’ third restaurant. They run a Briny Swine in Edisto Beach, South Carolina; and Ella & Ollies, which opened in 2016. Those restaurants will continue as the Rushings move to Chicago with their daughter. Barbecue joints have a certain aesthetic with metal trays and red and white checkered tablecloths. Brandon Rushing says they’ve incorporated some of those standards, but tailored them to Chicago’s big-city tendencies. Rushing also says to look for live music on most nights.
“It’s not your trays and your plastic ramekins kind of thing,” he says. “You know, it’s a little bit more elevated than that — I think that kind of brings out more of the seafood side and the oyster side of things as well.”
Briny Swine features South Carolina-style barbecue, which focuses on pork, or whole hog cooking. Brandon Rushing smokes his meat with oak and they’ll have mustard and vinegar sauces on hand. Look for pulled pork and St. Louis spare ribs. Rushing is also proud of his brisket, so beef fans are in luck.
The St. Louis ribs are smoked over oak.
Chicago borrows much from Memphis’ barbecue traditions with its sweet and smoky barbecue sauce. South Carolina focuses on dry rub, but Swiny Brine will offer five sauces: Alabama White (mayo, vinegar, water, mustard, horseradish, black pepper), Carolina Gold (mustard-based, vinegar, sugar, ketchup), pepper vinegar (pepper, vinegar, pepper flakes, sugar), red (ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar), and a spicy red variant with chipotle.
Being part of Lowcountry cuisine, there’s also a variety of seafood options including blackened grouper sandwiches and shrimp rolls. Rushing says it was a task to properly source oysters. The oysters (from Chesapeake, Virginia are salty. He serves them with jalapeño and country ham and fried. For the colder months, he wants to bring a southern tradition to Chicago, the oyster roast.
Chicago may be a sausage town, just ask it, but Briny Swine is offering it something unique: onion sausage. The late Phil Bardin, a prominent Lowcountry chef, is one of Rushing’s mentors. And he inspired the sausage which is made with pork (instead of the traditional venison) and tons of onions.
Live music is a daily feature.
The boiled peanut martini is salty.
There’s a special food menu at the bar, including a pulled pork sandwich and blue crab hush puppies, that will be available until 2 a.m. Brown liquor fans will have plenty of whisky flights (and some Scotch) to swig. The drink menu also features a boiled peanut martini made with Wheatley Craft Kentucky Vodka and peanut brine. Rushing says the drink was his wife’s idea: “It’s kind of like, a salty briny martini — it actually turned out really fantastic.”
Walk through the space below as the restaurant officially opens on Saturday, June 1. Walk through the space below.
Sheil stopped by Eagles practice today and has some big-picture thoughts that he wants to review (02:23). Will the Eagles’ 2024 first-round pick, Quinyon Mitchell, be ready to start at the beginning of the season? New Ringer writer and Philly local Anthony Dabbundo joins the pod to discuss the Phillies’ progress so far this season. Is there real concern for Bryce Harper’s health (16:32)? Plus, is there excitement for a new season of Mare of Easttown and Shane Gillis’s new show, Tires?
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Hosts: Sheil Kapadia and Anthony Dabbundo Producer: Cliff Augustin Music Composed By: Teddy Grossman and Jackson Greenberg
Raquel Quadreny says her restaurant, Bayan Ko — the Cuban and Filipino hybrid in Ravenswood— has always offered “diner hospitality,” despite not being a diner and serving only dinner.
“We’re just a very wholesome place, welcoming and very focused on being a neighborhood spot,” Quadreny says.
That’s one of the reasons that Quadreny and her husband, chef Lawrence Letrero, naturally gravitated toward opening a diner a few doors down from their original restaurant. Bayan Ko Diner debuted in early May, bringing the all-day crowd back inside the former Glenn’s Diner. They’re open only for breakfast and lunch. They’ll eventually expand to dinner.
“It’s just as much about enjoying yourselves while eating your food,” Quadreny says. “And you have to be the being taken care of by someone who’s being nice and kind to you so that you can feel comfortable.”
The Filipino silog will probably draw some comparison with Chicago’s legendary Uncle Mike’s Place. There are pancakes, breakfast burritos, and even a cake of the day baked by Letrero’s sister, Tricia, a dentist who is a self-taught baker. Letrero gushes about her carrot cake: “I don’t even mess with carrots,” he says.
The original Bayan Ko opened in 2018 and has recently shifted to a prix fixe format, allowing Letrero to use fancier ingredients, but retaining the laid-back vibe that drew a diverse group of customers. Some of the the original menu has moved to the diner. Quadreny grew up in Miami. The menu sees Cuban influences with tropical milkshakes, Cubano sliders, and a burrito stuffed with ropa vieja.
Glenn’s Diner served daily and weekly specials, and Letrero continues that tradition. Bayan Ko’s popular chicken wings will be a diner special and so will oxtail soup.
Regular menu items include a brick chicken inasal marinated with lemongrass with runny juices that saturate a diner’s choice of fries or garlic rice. There are also Cubano sliders. Letrero, a Filipino Canadian, also hinted at items like Filipino spaghetti, using hot dogs and that familiar sweet tomato sauce that many Americans know from Jollibee: “We’re just having fun with the menu,” Letrero says.
The family-owned diner is special for Letrero and Quadreny. They say their unique bond has connected them with other Filipino-Cuban families in Chicago who have dined at their restaurant. Tour the space and check out some of the dishes below.
Bayan Ko Diner, 1820 W. Montrose Avenue, open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, closed Tuesdays; dinner coming soon.
Perhaps FX thought fans would forget about The Bear after the network dropped a Season 3 teaser last week before Memorial Day Weekend. Never fear, the network released another trailer on Wednesday afternoon.
While Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach are all listed as stars of the show, FX could have listed another: The CTA. The new trailer is chockful of the El whether it’s various train stops or the comforting rumble of the trains in the background. Given the CTA’s well-documented problems, from late-arriving trains to wacky political hijinks, consider this positive PR. Unlike Mayor Brandon Johnson’s nominee for the RTA board, it appears someone involved in production has actually ridden the CTA. Public transportation has been a strong theme in the previous two seasons.
Season 3 debuts on Thursday, June 27, and last week, FX unveiled new signage for the restaurant, which shares the same color scheme as the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies instead of the orange and navy from Chicago’s football team. The remodeled beef stand went extinct at the end of Season 1, with the debut of a new fine dining restaurant. During the two-minute and 20-second trailer, Carmy Berzatto announces his cheffy intentions: “We’re going to get a star,” he declares.
Presumably, that’s of the Michelin variety, but who knows in The Bear universe, a world that includes Chomp Chicago, a digital publication that bears a striking resemblance to Eater Chicago. Another scene shows Tina Marrero (Liza Colón-Zayas) sniffing a black truffle and going to a market set up outdoors in a space that looks a lot like Longman & Eagle in Logan Square (signage from Antioch’s Jacobson Family Farms makes a cameo). Marrero also seems perplexed by Carmy’s intention of changing the menu daily, or as Richie Jerimovich (Moss-Bachrach) calls them “the scribblings of a madman.” Tensions in the kitchen run amok through the trailer, even as an unmistakenly pregnant Natalie Berzatto (Abby Elliot) directs traffic around the restaurant.
The intrigue builds as Carmy offers Sydney Adamu (Edebiri) a partnership in the restaurant so they can be on equal footing and push each other. Not to give everything away, but for folks ardent about ensuring Carmy and Syd don’t fall romantically for each other, there are developments. Especially with the return of Carmy’s ex-girlfriend, Claire (Molly Gordon), who ditched the chef at the end of Season 2 during his restaurant opening meltdown in the walk-in fridge.
The footage also revisits the bulletin board of misfits filled with photos of food critics revealed earlier in the year: “If any food critics come in, it’s code red,” Neil Fak (Matty Matheson) tells brother Ted (Ricky Staffieri). If there’s any irony, there aren’t many food critics left in Chicago, so carry on.
The Bear Season 3 releases on Thursday, June 27 with all episodes available via Hulu.
Nora and Nathan talk about the third studio album from Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft. They discuss how Eilish is displaying new vocal ranges in songs like “The Greatest” and “Birds of a Feather” (17:32), her continued collaboration with her brother Finneas and whether or not she might branch out in the future (45:14), and how many songs on this album are about her discomfort with celebrity as a young artist (56:03).
Hosts: Nora Princiotti and Nathan Hubbard Producer: Kaya McMullen
Bryan sits down with the writer to discuss various elements of his career
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It’s House of R, mon amis. Mal and Jo are here to give you their thoughts on the season finale, and the season as a whole, of the highly regarded X-Men ’97 (00:00), and what their hopes for the new season may be!
Be sure to check out tickets for the Ringer Residency in Los Angeles this summer!
Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Additional Production: Arjuna Ramgopal Social: Jomi Adeniran
Sean and Amanda are joined by Van Lathan to discuss the new installment in the Planet of the Apes franchise, the enduring power of the Apes IP, and how it relates to modern IP storytelling (1:00). Finally, they rank the 10 films in the franchise (1:05:00).
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Van Lathan Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner
Art Smith takes a quick look around Time Out Market Chicago and softly asks: “Do you know what chefs do after they’re 60?”
Smith, the celebrity chef who worked with Oprah Winfrey and has served dignitaries, like President Biden, didn’t expect an answer. Smith posed the question to justify his new rapport with the Chicago Hounds, a professional rugby team founded in 2022 that plays home matches at SeatGeek Stadium in suburban Bridgeview. In February, Smith and the Hounds announced a collaboration in which Smith’s new brand, Sporty Bird, began selling chicken sandwiches and more at the stadium. Over the weekend, Smith also unveiled a Sporty Bird-branded food stall at Time Out Market, the food hall run by the media company.
Beyond his association with Oprah, Smith is known for restaurants like Table Fifty-Two in Gold Coast, a hit mostly known for its fried chicken. Smith is proud of the restaurant (which was rebranded as Blue Door Kitchen & Gardenin 2016) and its alums: “Joe is just killing it here,” Smith says of Joe Flamm, the chef and co-owner of Rose Mary, right down the street from Time Out Market.
Chef Art Smith swears he can cook more than chicken.Sporty Bird/Kim Kovacik
Last year, Smith opened Reunion at Navy Pier and he maintains a residence in Hyde Park. But he still travels. He talked about an upcoming trip to India and meeting esteemed chef Francis Mallmann earlier this year during a visit to an island in Patagonia. Even though he joked about his age, Smith’s star continues to shine, passing through open doors closed to most food hall tenants. Most food halls brand themselves as incubators, taking chances on relatively unproven talent. Smith is the opposite.
Still, the venture with the Hounds is a risk. He touts himself as the only professional chef who owns a professional sports team in America. It’s a claim that’s hard to verify. For example, is a burger cook who works at an Applebee’s and has shares in the publicly-owned Green Bay Packers, considered an owner of a pro team?
Smith wants to bring energy to Time Out (“I want to throw a party,” he says) and sees potential — even as the food hall goes through changes. Smith praised chef Jorge Kaum, the chef behind Gutenburg, a food hall burger stall. Kaum is also a chocolatier and made chocolate-shaped rugby balls in honor of Smith’s opening.
Avli is set to leave the market at the end of the month — they’re going to open a stand-alone location in the area. Evette’s left earlier this year. Of the original lineup from 2019, only chef Bill Kim (Urbanbelly) remains. A few of the restaurants had problems with management and didn’t like the terms of their contracts. Food halls have struggled during the pandemic. Two closed in the West Loop/Fulton Market — Politan Row and Fulton Galley. In March, Time Out brought in a new general manager, Steve Pelissero, to bring in some stability.
Sporty Bird features chicken (“I do know how to cook more than chicken,” Smith says). The spicy nuggets have heat, at least during an opening event last week. But there’s a worry that too much heat will alienate customers in the area.
Jade Court’s Carol Cheung is working with Sport Bird.Sporty Bird/Kim Kovacik
Unexpectedly, the stall has a familiar face behind the counter. Carol Cheung, the chef and the owner behind Hyde Park’s Jade Court, an acclaimed Cantonese restaurant and longtime member of the Eater Chicago 38, is managing operations. As Smith is a Hyder Parker, he befriended Cheung and wants to find a way to revive Jade Court, which struggled at the University of Chicago’s Harper Court development. Time Out does have spaces available.
What gave Smith the idea to partner with the hounds? Last year, soccer legend Lionel Messi launched a fried chicken sandwich in Miami with Hard Rock Cafe. Smith saw the sandwich become a viral sensation, yet he was hardly impressed by the sandwich: “I could do better,” Smith says.
Some vendors have fled, others say they’ve made money at the food hall. Kaum, who also has a stall in Miami, says things are improving in Chicago. Smith is hopeful that Sporty Bird, and perhaps a Jade Court revival, can take advantage. He’s reminded of something his friend Oprah once told him: “You don’t have to be first,” Smith recalls Winfrey saying. “But you do have to be better.”
Plus, Chris and Andy remember the legendary engineer and producer, Steve Albini, who passed away this week
Chris and Andy remember the legendary engineer and producer, Steve Albini, who passed away this week (1:00). They then talk of news that the third season of The Bear will be out this June (13:25) and that Shogun will be getting a second season (18:30). Next, they talk about Disney and Warner Bros. reaching a deal to offer a Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle (28:44), before diving into their new favorite delight on Netflix: John Mulaney’s quasi-late-night show, Everybody’s in L.A. (36:33).
Hosts: Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald Producer: Kaya McMullen
Rachel Lindsay and Callie Curry begin today’s Morally Corrupt by discussing the recent news that Dorit and PK Kemsley are separating (1:07), before sharing their reactions to The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 14 premiere (6:14). They then break down Season 8, Episode 12 of Summer House (23:02). Rachel is then joined by Jodi Walker to discuss Season 1, Episode 8 of The Valley (36:45) as well as the Vanderpump Rules Season 11 finale (1:02:16).
Greetings, Polygon readers! Each week, we round up the most notable new releases to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.
This week, Abigail, the horror comedy from Scream directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, gnaws its way onto VOD. There’s plenty more than that to choose from, as a plethora of exciting releases make their way onto streaming this weekend. Jeymes Samuel’s The Book of Clarence is now streaming on Netflix, the psychological thriller Eileen is available to watch on Hulu, and The Iron Claw is on Max, not to mention all the other new releases available to rent and purchase on VOD.
Here’s everything new that’s available to watch this weekend!
New on Netflix
The Book of Clarence
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Image: Legendary Entertainment/Moris Puccio
Genre: Historical comedy Run time: 2h 9m Director: Jeymes Samuel Cast: LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, Anna Diop
Jeymes Samuel (The Harder They Fall) returns with a new film, this time a biblical comedy drama starring LaKeith Stanfield. The Book of Clarence follows the story of a down-on-his-luck man living in A.D. 33 Jerusalem who aspires to free himself from debt.
His plan? Take a page out of the book of a local preacher claiming to be the son of God and proclaim himself as the Messiah, performing “miracles” in a bid for fame and glory. When Clarence’s schemes run afoul of the Romans, he’ll be faced with not only the consequences of his deception, but a choice that will shape his life and the course of history.
Mother of the Bride
Where to watch: Available to stream on Netflix
Photo: Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix
Genre: Rom-com Run time: 1h 28m Director: Mark Waters Cast: Brooke Shields, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove
Brooke Shields stars in this new rom-com as Lan, the mother of a woman who is about to marry the man of her dreams. After traveling to Thailand for the wedding, Lana learns that her college ex Will (Benjamin Bratt) is in fact the father of her daughter’s husband-to-be. Can these two figure out how to make it through the wedding without being painfully awkward, and is there still a chance for them to fall in love again?
Genre: Psychological thriller Run time: 1h 38m Director: William Oldroyd Cast: Thomasin McKenzie, Anne Hathaway, Shea Whigham
Based on Ottessa Moshfegh’s 2015 novel, this psychological thriller stars Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) as a young secretary who becomes infatuated with Rebecca (Anne Hathaway), the charismatic new psychologist at the juvenile detention facility where she works. As their friendship grows, Eileen finds herself exploring new aspects of her personality — to equally sinister and deadly effect.
In making Eileen’s character flesh, Thomasin McKenzie walks a dramatic tightrope: effortlessly showing how much effort her character puts into performing for others, while also not tipping her hand about what, if anything, resides in Eileen’s soul. Both Eileen’s script and McKenzie’s choices depict her character as someone who wants to be human, even a certain kind of human, but doesn’t know how, or even to what end. So she settles on voyeurism — the film’s opening scene depicts her sitting in her car on a lovers’ lane, surreptitiously watching a couple of strangers make out in a second car. She flirts with the idea of masturbation, only to abruptly stop and stuff filthy snow down her skirt instead.
Genre: Biographical sports drama Run time: 2h 12m Director: Sean Durkin Cast: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson
Zac Efron (Hairspray), Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), and Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness) star in this thrilling dramatization of the lives of the Von Erich brothers, a trio of professional wrestlers whose larger-than-life careers and success during the 1980s were marred by tragedy and struggle.
The biopicification of such a horrendous, personal series of tragedies will sound crass to some. But Durkin doesn’t dilute the Von Erich story into direct-to-cable fluff. He’s performing a balancing act, aware that a sad story is only useful if people have the desire (and fortitude) to stay until the credits.
New on AMC Plus
The Taste of Things
Where to watch: Available to stream on AMC Plus
Photo: Carole Bethuel/IFC Films
Genre: Romance drama Run time: 2h 16m Director: Tran Anh Hung Cast: Juliette Binoche, Benoît Magimel, Emmanuel Salinger
This historical romance follows the story of Eugenie (Juliette Binoche) and Dodin (Benoît Magimel), a cook and a gourmand who live in a French country estate in 1889. Though the two are in love, Eugenie refuses to marry Dodin, and wishes to keep their relationship as it is. Desperate to woo her, Dodin takes up cooking in order to prepare a meal that will sweep her off her feet. The film is as terrific as the food looks scrumptious.
New to rent
Abigail
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Image: Universal Pictures
Genre: Horror comedy Run time: 1h 49m Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett Cast: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton
The directors behind 2019’s Ready or Not and 2022’s Scream are back with another horror comedy, this time centered around a group of kidnappers who are tasked with abducting the daughter of a wealthy businessman in exchange for ransom money. Unfortunately, the kidnappers have bit off more than they can chew, as this the little girl in question harbors a deadly secret of her own.
Once Abigail reveals herself as a deadly supernatural creature, the movie transforms into more of an action slasher, rather than going for scares. In that way, Abigail feels more like Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s earlier movie Ready or Not than like any other vampire movie. Both movies are mostly set in heavily locked-down mansions where someone is viciously, comedically hunted down. And both feature a deep love for explosions of blood and guts. After Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett’s brief detour for two messy, chaotic, clumsy entries in the Scream franchise, Abigail proves they’re still excellent at creating tension in the hallways of massive houses, and flipping their horror into action at a moment’s notice.
Founders Day
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Photo: David Apuzzo/Mainframe Pictures
Genre: Slasher horror Run time: 1h 46m Director: Erik Bloomquist Cast: Naomi Grace, Devin Druid, William Russ
If you enjoyed Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving and are looking for more holiday-themed slashers, director-screenwriter duo Erik and Carson Bloomquist are here to oblige. Set in a small town on the eve of a major mayoral election, Founders Day follows a group of teens who are stalked by a vicious masked killer. It’s supposed to be a political satire, but even if you’re not in for that element, it sure to be a gorey good time.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Image: Sony Pictures
Genre: Supernatural comedy Run time: 1h 56m Director: Gil Kenan Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard
The Ghostbusters have returned with an all-new movie, and this time Bill Murray is here! Three years after the events of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the Spengler family must join forces with the veteran Ghostbusters to stop a wrathful demonic entity from freezing all of New York City. Oh, and Slimer is here too, because of course.
The Ghostbusters franchise doesn’t really seem to be aimed at anyone anymore. It isn’t funny. It isn’t scary. It’s mostly abandoned its new younger characters, and its older actors barely seem to care. Frozen Empire’s unintentional answer to the question seems to be that Ghostbusters is now corporate nostalgia-farming given cinematic form. Sure, it’s missing all the charm and goofiness that earned the original Ghostbusters so many fans — but if you stick around long enough, they filmmakers will show off the proton packs again, and there’s always a new person to slime. It’s a franchise reduced to nothing more than a parade of hollow, familiar images, lightly repackaged in hopes that we’ll buy another ticket and try to revisit the emotions we felt when we encountered this world for the first time.
La Chimera
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Image: Neon
Genre: Period comedy-drama Run time: 2h 13m Director: Alice Rohrwacher Cast: Josh O’Connor, Carol Duarte, Vincenzo Nemolato
The latest from masterful Italian filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher (Happy as Lazzaro, Le Pupille) stars one of the Challengersboys as a British archaeologist in a story of stolen historical artifacts. La Chimera was a Palme d’Or nominee at Cannes 2023.
Kim’s Video
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Genre: Documentary Run time: 1h 25m Directors: David Redmon, Ashley Sabin Cast: Isabel Gillies Robert Greene, Eric Hynes
Fans of unconventional mystery documentaries like 2018’s Shirkers will likely dig this new film chronicling the rise, fall, and legacy of one of New York City’s most infamous video stores. Featuring interviews with notable former employees like Alex Ross Perrry, Ashley Sabin and David Redmon’s documentary is filled with surprises and revelations aplenty.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu
Image: Black Bear Pictures/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Genre: Spy action-comedy Run time: 2h Director: Guy Ritchie Cast: Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Alan Ritchson
Guy Ritchie’s been on a hot run as of late, with some of the best work of his career in Wrath of Man and The Covenant. This time, he turns his eye to historical action, with this larger-than-life true story about a British special ops team in World War II. The movie features a big cast and lots of big guns.
In April, when Outfox Hospitality suddenly closed all 33 of its Foxtrot locations in Chicago, Texas, and the D.C. area, plus a pair of Dom’s Kitchen & Market locations on Chicago’s North Side, about a 1,000 workers lost their jobs without warning and its store vendors scrambled for solutions. Outfox has made little public comment and offered little communication with their ex-employees.
In particular, Foxtrot had built a big brand fixated on the North Side of Chicago. It was a hybrid corner store, cafe, bar, and Instacart competitor. The chain traits were similar to af 7-Eleven, but instead of Slurpees, Foxtrot sold natural wine, craft beer, and gourmet items made by well-known chefs. Weeks after the closure, the stores have been left in various conditions. Some have been papered up. Others look ready for the start of business with fully stocked shelves. As of early May, the site of a proposed Dom’s in River North still has “coming soon” signage.
Outfox was powered by venture capital. When Dom’s and Foxtrot merged in November 2023, Foxtrot had already reportedly raised $194 million in total funding. Under the Outfox umbrella, both brands had designs on expansion, and Foxtrot was planning to debut in New York. Now, Foxtrot’s assets are about to be sold via auction. No bankruptcy filing has been made.
Read through Eater Chicago’s coverage of Foxtrot and Dom’s for a clearer picture of what the shutters mean, and bookmark this page for future updates.
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