Triangle universities and school districts are beginning to announce their plans for Tuesday following the weekend snowstorm.
The weekend storm brought enough snow to the Triangle to cause schools and universities to close on Monday or switch to online classes or remote learning. The National Weather Service is warning that remaining snow, water and slush will freeze solid through Tuesday morning and make travel conditions hazardous.
Some school districts have used up — or are close to — using up the five days of remote learning allowed under state law for emergencies.
Bookmark this story and check back — it will be updated as additional closings are announced.
Here’s what schools have announced so far for Tuesday
K-12 school districts
Chapel Hill-Carrboro (updated 2:30 p.m. Monday): Tuesday will be the district’s 4th out of five allowed remote learning days. Middle school and high school students will log in online to receive live instruction from teachers. Elementary school students will work on their own using assignments provided by their teachers.
Chatham County: No announcement about Tuesday school plans yet.
Durham Public Schools: No announcement about Tuesday school plans yet.
Johnston County (updated 2 p.m. Monday): Schools will be closed Tuesday for a remote learning day. All extracurricular activities have been canceled.
Orange County: No announcement about Tuesday school plans yet.
Wake County (updated 3:30 p.m. Monday): Schools will use remote instruction on Tuesday due to continued icy conditions on some side roads and campuses.
Universities
UNC-Chapel Hill: No announcement about Tuesday classes yet.
NC State: No announcement about Tuesday classes yet.
Duke University: The university has previously said that classes will be held as scheduled Tuesday.
NC Central University: No announcement about Tuesday classes yet.
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This story was originally published February 2, 2026 at 3:19 PM.
T. Keung Hui has covered K-12 education for the News & Observer since 1999, helping parents, students, school employees and the community understand the vital role education plays in North Carolina. His primary focus is Wake County, but he also covers statewide education issues.
City crews worked through the night to repair an 8-inch pipe that broke early Thursday morning in the Morena area. Repairs are also being made on a 10-inch pipe that was damaged in the break. (Photo courtesy of the city of San Diego via Twitter https://x.com/CityofSanDiego/status/2012227197491126616)
Street closures caused by a sinkhole in the Morena neighborhood were expected to remain in place until Tuesday, according to San Diego officials.
All southbound lanes on Morena Boulevard were closed between West Morena Boulevard and Linda Vista Road, and one northbound lane remains closed between Linda Vista Road and Cushman Avenue.
“City crews have completed the repairs to the 8-inch pipe that broke early Thursday morning in the Morena neighborhood. SDG&E and AT&T crews will need additional time to work on their lines in the area,” city officials posted Friday night on X. “Following the completion of SDG&E and AT&T work, the trench will be refilled and the water main can be put back into service. If the repairs are completed as anticipated, the roads will reopen on Tuesday evening.”
The sinkhole was reported around 11 p.m. Wednesday at Morena Boulevard and Napa Street.
Impacted utility customers can receive water from water wagons in the 900 block of Morena Boulevard, officials said.
In April, when Goat & Vine closed in Montgomery Plaza, it was the 10th to fail in the same exact location.
A sign on the door April 9, 2025, said Goat & Vine Restaurant & Winery in Fort Worth, Texas, was padlocked shut. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com
But other restaurants closed for happier reasons: so the owners could enjoy the rewards of their hard work or move to better jobs.
Here are some of the dearly departed restaurants in 2025 we’ll miss most:
—Cat City Grill, a 15-year Near Southside steakhouse and bar known for weekend brunch, closed after beef prices and customers’ changing habits squeezed midprice restaurants, owner Martin Thompson said. The space became Enchiladas ¡Olé!.
—Belzoni’s Catfish Cafe, a heralded Mississippi-style catfish restaurant on Loop 820 West that grew from a popular concession trailer, closed because owner Dwight Cooley needed to recover from surgery.
—Sabar BBQ, a Texas Monthly Top 50 restaurant for its Pakistani-seasoned brisket and sausage, drew long lines Dec. 20 when it closed after pitmaster Zain Shafi became a co-owner of Goldee’s BBQ. Brix Barbecue nearby, a Top 100 restaurant, also closed.
Zain Shafi, the owner of Sabar BBQ, writes the menu and unlocks the trailer parked at the corner of East Vickery Boulevard and South Main Street near downtown Fort Worth on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2024. Chris Torres Star-Telegram archives
—Bella Italia West, a Fort Worth tradition for 45 years and for 37 on Camp Bowie Boulevard, will close Dec. 31. Chef Carlo Croci lost his lease to plans for a new development.
—Bodacious Bar-B-Q, a popular East Texas restaurant, closed its 34-year Arlington location across from AT&T Stadium. The landmark 1958 building was originally a location of Texas’ iconic Underwood’s Bar-B-Q.
—Taco Heads, once a symbol of a small truck operator opening two thriving restaurants and margarita bars, closed after a proposed sale to a Dallas restaurateur was canceled.
—Mason & Dixie, a Southern-style lunch cafe in downtown Grapevine known for sandwiches and desserts, closed after a landlord dispute.
—Maiden Fine Plants & Spirits, a fine-dining vegetarian restaurant on the Near Southside, opened with a $150-per-person tasting menu, struggled and closed.
—Vice Burger, a worthy replica of a 1950s diner but serving plant-based burgers and hot dogs, closed on the Near Southside. Tres Amigos Tacos & Tequila, which replaced Yucatan Taco Stand, also closed on Magnolia Avenue.
—T & P Tavern, a grill and bar in the historic 1931 Texas & Pacific Railway train station popular with Trinity Railway Express riders, closed when Trinity Metro took it over. It will reopen as Station & Vine.
The T & P Tavern restaurant, seen August 6, 2023, is in the old 1931 Fort Worth railroad station coffee shop and dining counter. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com
—Fire Oak Grill, a Southwestern steakhouse and one of the first restaurants in the downtown Weatherford boom around the courthouse square, closed after 18 years and was sold.
—Hutch’s Pie and Sandwich Shop, a bakery that opened in 1935 and grew into a fried pie company, closed when the Hutchens family retired.
—Second Bar + Kitchen, a casual grill by James Beard chef David Bull, closed in Mineral Wells when the Crazy Water Hotel management company changed. Bull had made Mineral Wells a must-stop. It was replaced by Oak & Third with chef Stefon Rishel.
—Campo Verde Mexican Bar & Grill in Dalworthington Gardens, once known for its elaborate Christmas decor, closed Dec. 24. It was never the same after 2022, when founder James “Smiley” Williams sold it before his death.
—Sam Won Garden, a 20-year favorite and Fort Worth’s first popular Korean restaurant, closed after Sylvia Chung retired.
Si Tapas, La Cabrona, Social House, and Terra Mediterranean sit on Crockett Street, formerly known as Crockett Row, now Artisan Circle, in West 7th Entertainment District. Ella Gonzales egonzales@star-telegram.com
—Sí Tapas, a Spanish restaurant in Artisan Circle by the co-founder of Dallas’ Cafe Madrid, never reopened after the 2024 Christmas break. It will be replaced by Partenope Ristorante.
—Mash’D, a 10-year Artisan Circle restaurant based on moonshine, closed at the end of its lease. It will be replaced by Top of the Morning, a breakfast cafe. Bar Louie, Hurts Donut and La Familia also closed, as did several bar-restaurants in Artisan Circle and the nearby Foch Street Warehouses.
—Pearl Snap Kolaches, a 12-year kolache bakery and burger grill, closed on White Settlement Road in Fort Worth. The space will become Seared, a neighborhood steakhouse.
—Heirloom at Archie’s, a sandwich and lunch kiosk with a patio in the middle of the Archie’s garden store, was replaced by the owners’ Gardenland Cafe.
Umelia Neira uses a hot press to toast a Cuban sandwich at Cuco’s Sandwich Shop in North Richland Hills on Dec. 6, 2010. Ron T. Ennis Star-Telegram archives
—Cuco’s Sandwich Shop, a small family operation in North Richland Hills that became known for standout Cuban sandwiches, closed after 34 years. The Neira family retired due to health problems.
—F1 Smokehouse, a confusing barbecue-themed bar and grill in the Cultural District, never closed, but it simplified its name and changed the concept to the Little Tavern. It serves grill dishes and brunch items like those on the menu at the larger Tavern restaurant on South Hulen Street.
—Off the Bone BBQ in Forest Hill, ranked in 2010 by D Magazine as the No. 1 barbecue joint in North Texas, closed after an ownership change and the recent explosion of more elaborate craft barbecue restaurants.
—Paco’s Mexican Cuisine, a 21-year Tex-Mex restaurant in three locations, closed both in Sundance Square and on the Near Southside. The Southside location switched to Shōgun Taqueria.
Much of the interior at Paco’s Mexican Cuisine was unchanged from the previous tenant. Joyce Marshall Star-Telegram archives
—Pinstripes, an Illinois-based “bowling, bocce and bistro” center, closed in the Shops at Clearfork after a corporate restructuring. The restaurant was known for its sprawling Sunday and holiday brunch buffet.
—La Fiesta, a 50-year Cleburne landmark built originally as a Jose’s, was destroyed by fire.
That isn’t even counting the endless chain restaurants and franchises that failed or folded, many due to overexpansion in new suburbs or the passing of food fads.
Nor does it count restaurants that took a break and have now reopened: Chadra Mezza (in a new South Freeway location), Clown Burger, Enchiladas ¡Olé!, Los Vaqueros, the Malt Shop in Weatherford, Old Neighborhood Grill, Pizza Verde, Taste of Europe and Uncle Julio’s.
The flagship Tommy’s Hamburgers on Camp Bowie Boulevard is under repair after a fire and will reopen by mid-2026.
This story was originally published December 26, 2025 at 4:17 AM.
Bud Kennedy is celebrating his 40th year writing about restaurants in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has written the “Eats Beat” dining column in print since 1985 and online since 1992 — that’s more than 3,000 columns about Texas cafes, barbecue, burgers and where to eat. Support my work with a digital subscription
DENVER – JEWISHcolorado and Staenberg-Loup Jewish Center closed early Tuesday and will remain closed through Wednesday after receiving “repeated antisemitic and threatening phone calls,” according to the Jewish Community Relations Council.
A digital message about the early closure went out to the community and Denver7 followed up with JEWISHcolorado, which said the calls, from an unidentified caller, began around 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The Denver Police Department, which was on site during the early closure, confirmed there are extra patrols on the campus.
“Antisemitism continues to show up here in Colorado, and today’s incident is another troubling example,” wrote Brandon Rattiner, Director, Jewish Community Relations Council.
Rattiner continued: “Out of an abundance of caution, JEWISHcolorado and the Staenberg–Loup Jewish Community Center closed early today while the FBI, local law enforcement, and the Secure Community Network (SCN) gather additional information. We are grateful for the swift response and coordination of our law enforcement partners.”
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Two people were hospitalized with serious injuries in a wreck that closed Interstate 77 South for seven hours late Friday and early Saturday, Nov. 28-29, 2025, authorities said.
WSOC
Two people were hospitalized with serious injuries in a wreck that closed Interstate 77 South for seven hours late Friday and early Saturday, authorities said.
Around 11 p.m., traffic was detoured onto Nations Ford Road, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police reported on social media site X. Police urged drivers to seek alternate routes.
The highway reopened at 5:45 a.m., according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The injured people were taken to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, MEDIC said on X.
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
Firefighters work to free a driver after an overhead sign collapsed onto a car on Interstate 77 South in Charlotte late Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Charlotte Fire Department
An overhead sign on Interstate 77 collapsed onto a car in Charlotte, trapping the driver and closing the southbound lanes for seven hours late Friday and early Saturday, firefighters and state highway officials said.
The driver and another person were hospitalized with serious injuries, Charlotte Fire Department officials posted on social media with photos of the wreck.
It was not clear what caused the sign to collapse and whether the second person hurt was in the injured driver’s car or another vehicle. Fire officials didn’t say in their post, and a State Highway Patrol spokesman has not yet responded to a request for more information.
Emergency crews respond to a trapped driver after an overhead sign collapsed onto a car on Interstate 77 South in Charlotte late Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. Charlotte Fire Department
Fire engines, other rescuers respond to scene
Charlotte Fire Department Engine 12 “arrived within minutes, confirmed entrapment and began patient care,” according to the Fire Department social media post.
An overhead sign on Interstate 77 collapsed onto a car in Charlotte, trapping the driver and closing the southbound lanes for seven hours late Friday and early Saturday, firefighter Charlotte Fire Department
“Ladder 20, which went into service earlier this month, and Rescue 10 worked together to free the driver, completing a complex extrication in under 30 minutes,” fire officials said.
Other responders, including the USAR search and rescue team, helped control the scene, officials said.
“Despite the cold conditions and the challenging scene, Charlotte Fire crews worked with precision and teamwork to manage the incident safely and protect everyone on scene,” the fire department post said.
Detour, unanswered questions
Around 11 p.m., traffic was detoured onto Nations Ford Road, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police reported on social media site X. Police urged drivers to seek alternate routes.
Two people were hospitalized with serious injuries in a wreck that closed Interstate 77 South for seven hours late Friday and early Saturday, Nov. 28-29, 2025, authorities said. WSOC
The highway reopened at 5:45 a.m., according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The injured people were taken to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, MEDIC said on X.
The State Highway Patrol did not report how many vehicles were involved or the type of vehicles. They did not explain the cause of the crash or whether any of the drivers were impaired. They did not provide the names, ages or conditions of the people involved.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was originally published November 29, 2025 at 7:32 AM.
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
One person was cited for careless driving after a fiery crash between two semitrucks closed Interstate 70 in Aurora for several hours Friday morning.
The crash happened on eastbound I-70 just west of E-470 at 8:26 a.m. when the driver of a 2020 Volvo semi rear-ended a 2026 Peterbilt semi before crashing into the median, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The Volve tipped onto its side, spilled plastic cargo into westbound lanes and caught fire.
Flames fully engulfed the Volvo, and the fire shut down both directions of I-70 as emergency crews worked to douse the flames and clean up spilled diesel.
Fire crews contained the fire by 9:25 a.m., and most lanes were reopened by noon, the state patrol said.
Neither driver reported any injuries, and the Volvo driver was cited for careless driving.
Initial reports that the crash involved three semis were later revised.
The Las Vegas Aces will shut down the Las Vegas Strip on Friday, October 17 for their third WNBA championship victory parade and rally in four years. The Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in Game 4 of the finals at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Friday, October 10, completing a 4-0 sweep.
A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces celebrates with Chelsea Gray #12 and Jewell Loyd #24 after winning Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Friday, October 10, 2025. (Image: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The festivities will begin at 5 p.m. at Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. As with previous Aces parades, this one will travel north in the southbound lanes of Las Vegas Boulevard, turning left onto Park Avenue and Connector Road and ending at Toshiba Plaza outside T-Mobile Arena, the team’s home.
The first Las Vegas Aces’ WNBA championship victory parade and rally closes down the Las Vegas Strip on September 20, 2022. (Image: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Here, a two-hour rally will be filled with emotional speeches and live music. (In 2023, rapper 2 Chainz performed.)
To watch the rally, fans are advised by organizers to line up along the west side of Las Vegas Boulevard and Park Avenue.
Toshiba Plaza will open to the public at 3 p.m., with the celebration expected to last until around 7:30 p.m. An official Aces pop-up store will open at Toshiba Plaza at 4 p.m.
Closures
Great news for Las Vegas Aces fans eager to celebrate their favorite WNBA team means bad news for visitors attempting to navigate the Las Vegas Strip for any other reason.
Beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday, driving on the Strip will be impossible. Plan to do a lot more walking, through a lot denser crowds, than normal. Monorails will run but not RTC buses. Rideshare drop-offs are encouraged south of Tropicana Avenue.
Area Affected
Closure Details
Duration
Southbound Las Vegas Boulevard
Full closure from Tropicana Avenue to Park Avenue (near T-Mobile Arena)
Setup starts 4 p.m.; full closure 5–7:30 p.m.; reopens ~7:30–11 p.m. or later
Cross Streets (Flamingo, Harmon, Spring Mountain)
Rolling closures and detours at major intersections like Caesars Palace/Flamingo
Intermittent during parade; some setup from 6 a.m.
Tropicana Ave. to Aria Place
Partial/full southbound closure for staging
From ~4 p.m. until event ends
Park Avenue and Toshiba Plaza Area
Closure for rally and dispersal
Post-parade (~7:30 p.m. onward) until cleanup
For the latest, monitor official sources including the Aces’ website (lvaces.com) and police announcements on X (@LVMPD), as weather or logistics could adjust plans.
Tampa International Airport (TPA) will suspend all commercial and cargo operations ahead of Hurricane Milton, beginning at 9am on Tuesday.
The Tampa airport will remain closed to the public until it can assess any damage after the storm. TPA plans to resume services as soon as it is safe to do so later this week, but passengers should check with their airlines regarding flight schedules.
Tampa International Airport and its partners will use the time ahead of the suspension to prepare the airfield and terminals, including the securing of jet bridges, ground equipment and any remaining aircraft before the storm arrives. The three other public airports managed by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority – Peter O. Knight, Tampa Executive and Plant City Airports – will also close in a similar timeframe.
TPA, including the Main Terminal and Airsides, will not be open for public use and is not equipped to function as a shelter for people or vehicles. The Airport is in an “A” evacuation zone and will not be staffed to assist others with supplies or assistance, nor will emergency services be able to respond to calls or transport individuals to or from the Airport.
For the same reason, parking garages will also be closed to the public during the suspension of operations, and people are asked not to bring vehicles to the Airport for parking.
Travelers are urged to heed emergency management advisories and pay close attention to public safety alerts. Currently, Hurricane Milton is forecast to bring potentially catastrophic storm surge, high winds and heavy rain to Tampa Bay and all of Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The Tampa airport anticipates reopening after Hurricane Milton once a damage assessment that will begin as soon as it is safe to do so. TPA will closely coordinate the reopening of the Airport with its partners, including the Transportation Security Administration and airlines, based on roadway safety, facility readiness and staffing. Any changes to the timing will be promptly communicated.
The airport provided these important reminders for passengers:
Please contact your airline for the latest flight information. TPA will announce if flight operations are affected by the storm, but airlines are responsible for their schedules.
Monitor the weather closely. Please stay up to date on forecasts for your area and any regions to which you may be traveling to or from.
Follow TPA social media for the latest updates. Our account on X (formerly Twitter), @FlyTPA, will be the place to find the latest updates.
TPA will notify the public of our timeline to reopen when the decision to do so safely has been made.
Popular beach destinations along the coasts of Maryland and Virginia are closed Sunday to swimming and even wading as officials investigate reports of “medical waste,” including needles, washing up on shore.
Popular beach destinations along the coasts of Maryland and Virginia are closed Sunday to swimming and even wading as officials investigate reports of “medical waste,” including needles, washing up on shore.
Swimming is not allowed at Ocean City, Assateague Island and Fenwick Island in Maryland, as well as Chincoteague Public Beach, officials announced Sunday afternoon.
The Town of Ocean City said that the beach patrol has closed the local beaches for swimming and urged “everyone to adhere to this closure until further notice.”
“We will work closely with the Worcester County Health Department and other public health authorities to investigate the source of the medical waste,” said Ocean City Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald.
He added that the situation is “serious, especially given the combination of rough seas and the current health concerns.”
There is no estimate on when the beaches may reopen to swimming. Visitors in the area are urged to wear shoes and should be “avoiding the ocean entirely,” Theobald said.
The North End of Assateague Island is closed to all visitors and the beaches in the Maryland District are closed to swimming and wading.
Chincoteague Public Beach in Virginia has also been added to the closure list. All ocean-facing beaches at Assateague Island National Seashore are now closed to swimming or wading.
Officials with the park service and with Fenwick Island echoed calls for visitors to keep their shoes on while walking on the beach.
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A sea of restaurants has been lost since the pandemic’s start in March 2020 and it was presumed the Bento Box was one of the vanquished as Rick Spiros’ Asian restaurant ceased operations in Bucktown. But COVID’s complications were just one of the Bento Box’s concerns. A fire, just days before Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered restaurants to close their dining rooms to curb the spread of the disease, made it feel like fans would never again sample Spiros’ signature egg rolls or red curry Singapore noodles.
Spiros, who is Greek American, has a fondness for global cuisines and cooks an assortment of cuisines. With his restaurant closed, he again focused on catering and his personal chef business. The latter became popular as diners kept away from restaurants during COVID. He began working at Trogo Kitchen & Market in Logan Square, the restaurant and cafe space inside the Green Exchange, a building overlooking the northbound Kennedy Expressway’s Diversey exit. Trogo was one of the locations where crews filmed kitchen scenes for the pilot episode of The Bear. He befriended owners Lolita Sereleas and Cian O’Mahony and serves as the chef in residence. Legendary Chicago chef Jimmy Bannos of Heaven on Seven fame has also done gumbo drops at the restaurant as he preps to open a new restaurant in suburban Skokie.
While hosting pop-ups, Spiros says he was greeted by Bento Box regulars who weren’t subtle in their praise for the old restaurant. Their enthusiasm struck him “like a thunderbolt” and led him to mount a comeback.
“I had very little idea how much people loved the restaurant, how much it was missed,” Spiros says.
And so, starting on Wednesday, August 7, the Bento Box returned, open Wednesday through Friday at Trogo, giving Spiros room to continue his personal chef business, and Trogo the space to flex programming if a rare opportunity (say Jeremy Allen White and company want to film more scenes) presents itself. There will be one seating to start — around 6 p.m. Reservations will allow diners to book until around 6:30 p.m.; Spiros doesn’t care if everyone is served their meals at once. It’s a three-course prix fixe: egg rolls, green curry mussels, and red chili chicken Singapore noodles. Takeout and delivery are also available a la carte. Spiros wants to eventually add a lemongrass creme brulee for dessert.
The last four years away from the daily operations of a restaurant have been restorative for Spiros. As they sorted through the fire’s aftermath, it became clear that he could not return to the Bento Box’s original Bucktown location, 2246 W. Armitage Avenue. It didn’t feel right trying to reopen. He didn’t even have the right equipment, like his beloved flattop that he was accustomed to using: “It came to the point where I just didn’t know if I wanted to do this right now,” Spiros says.
Chef Rick SpirosThe Bento Box
The world of restaurants has changed since Bento Box debuted in 2010. It’s not the first time he’s been asked, but what is a white guy doing cooking Korean, Chinese, Indian, and Japanese food? Spiros says many of his clientele are Indian and Korean, and he’s always happy to hear praise from those groups, especially from elders. One reason for his success is that he’s respectful of origins: “I’m not going to put sesame oil in something where it doesn’t belong,” Spiros says. “We’re not a fusion restaurant.”
“To be honest with you, I think that’s part of what makes this country awesome,” he adds. “We can have all these different cultures here and people can have an interpretation of it.”
Spiros likens his efforts to a cover band saying that even if a band plays another group’s song “note for note,” there will be differences: “There’s still something different in the way Led Zeppelin plays Stairway to Heaven or how someone else does it.”
He’s also here to offer something different. A dive serving a large menu might not have someone who can make handmade noodles. Making noodles is a labor-intensive act and it’s not cheap — an order of noodles at Bento Box costs more than $20. In the past, some have questioned Bento Box’s prices. Spiros recalls a customer complaining that he could buy similar food “for a fraction of the price” down the street. But then he returned with an apology, happy with Bento Box’s quality.
“The guy came back and said he was wrong,” Spiros says.
Bento Box at Trogo Kitchen & Market, inside the Green Exchange, 2545 W. Diversey Avenue, open 6 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday, reservations via OpenTable. Carryout and delivery also available.
Repairs to fix a Bay Area highway damaged during a winter storm in February will commence Monday, Caltrans said.
Niles Canyon Road, which also operates as state Highway 84 in Fremont between Livermore and Sunol, will be closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly until the repairs are fixed. Ground under the road deteriorated during the winter storm, causing a portion of the highway to collapse into Alameda Creek. One-way traffic control has been in effect since then.
The repair work will not take place during the weekends. Caltrans said they expect the work to be finished by the end of the year and that they are shooting for an end date of November.
Weather and other unforeseen events could push back that schedule.
Motorists will have to take Interstate 680 when the repair work is being done. One-way traffic control on the highway will continue during the non-working hours.
The dining room facing South Tryon Street at Summerbird in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022.
Alex Slitz
alslitz@charlotteobserver.com
For a little less than two years, all one had to do to find endless summer was to stop into SummerBird, a fast-casual restaurant in Charlotte’s South End.
But now, there are no more Sun-Kissed salads or Sweet Carolina sandwiches: SummerBird announced its sudden closure on Thursday, April 25.
“Announcing with a heavy heart, Summerbird will be closing its doors starting Thursday, April 25th at 2 p.m.,” the restaurant posted on Instagram.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to our incredible team and cherished guests whose unwavering support has fueled our journey,” the post stated. “We are profoundly grateful for how each of you has brought our summer dreams to life. For us, summer will always be a state of mind and we hope you will remember us that way as well!”
Summerbird’s dining room facing South Tryon Street played off the summer theme at the fast-casual restaurant in Charlotte’s South End. Alex Slitz alslitz@charlotteobserver.com
Summer all year
SummerBird opened in August 2022 at The RailYard in South End. It was owned by former NASCAR CEO Brian France and his investment company, Silver Falcoln Capital.
The fast-casual cafe celebrated summer year-round with its themed decor and menu, which combined the indulgent (such as the Sweet Carolina chicken sandwich) with the healthy (the restaurant’s salads were among this writer’s favorites!).
“We wanted somewhere (that) felt like you were having a backyard barbecue with your friends that harkened to nostalgia and the old days of summer,” managing partner Austin Tate told The Charlotte Observer ahead of the restaurant’s opening.
The Sun-Kissed Kale salad with kale, shaved bussels sprouts, radish, parmesan, lemon zest and citrus dressing was one of four salads on Summerbird’s menu in South End. SummerBird
Regular customers expressed sadness and shock at the restaurant’s closure:
“We will miss you! Loved having you in the neighborhood the past couple of years!, wrote Katey Daniels.
“No!! A place that sells some of the world’s best food ever!! With some of the nicest servers ever!,” Reign Hudson stated.
“Nooooooo! We will miss you all – such a beautiful restaurant and great team :(,” Dan Bejmuk said.
Summerbird was owned by former NASCAR CEO Brian France and his investment firm Silver Falcon Capital. Alex Slitz alslitz@charlotteobserver.com
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Melissa Oyler is the editor of CharlotteFive. When she’s not writing or editing, you’ll find her running, practicing hot yoga or snuggling with her rescue dog, X. Find her on Instagram or Twitter: @melissaoyler. Support my work with a digital subscription
The Chicago location of Smith & Wollensky remains closed after a small Friday, April 5 fire in the steakhouse’s kitchen. A firefighter was seen taken off in a stretcher. No customers or staff were hurt, according to the steakhouse.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The steakhouse, via social media, apologized to customers and vowed for an update ASAP. Smith & Wollensky, a chain with 10 locations, opened its Chicago steakhouse in 1998, off the Chicago River in the Marina City complex.
Marshmello fans lineup in front of Wiener Circle
Before his Saturday performance at the Aragon Ballroom, Marshmallo, a DJ and electronic music producer, played a surprise set on top of the Wiener Circle — turntables were installed on the roof. Hundreds flooded toward the restaurant. No ketchup stains harmed the DJ’s glorious white visage.
Thank you to the security team for keeping traffic moving and for @cta for showing your passengers on the 22 Clark bus a good time! pic.twitter.com/BWNsqYfFg0
— The Wieners Circle (@TheWienerCircle) April 7, 2024
Chart-topping musician visits River North restaurant
If music doesn’t work out for singer-songwriter Benson Boone, maybe working in a restaurant will.
Boone, whose album — Fireworks & Rollerblades — released last week was in Chicago where he played two shows at the Salt Shed. In between the concerts, he joined a growing contingent of musicians who arrange to work at a restaurant for publicity. Pizzeria Portofino in River North was the venue of choice. While the Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’ restaurant along the Chicago River isn’t exactly a magnet for Boone’s Tik Tok-obsessed fanbase, the singer still shared a pizza (topped with marinara, Italian sausage, red onions mozzarella cheese, artichoke hearts, and parmesan) he baked alongside Pizzeria Portofino’s Pizza Chef Jeff Smyl with guests. Boone’s single, “Beautiful Things,” has been No. 1 on global charts since mid-February.
Don Pablo’s Kitchen & Bakeshop, a Chilean empanada shop so popular that it utilized Tock, the platform used by upscale restaurants like Alinea, to sell food, has closed in Uptown. Founder Pablo Soto tells Eater that’s he’s searching for a location in the suburbs.
Don Pablo’s, named for Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet and activist Pablo Neruda, closed on December 31, just over a month before its second anniversary at 1007 W. Argyle Street. “Our lease was up and [we] decided not to renew,” Soto writes in a text message. “Uptown wasn’t the right place for us and we are working on moving to the North Shore.”
Oddly, a move to suburban Chicago (Soto floated the possibility of Wilmette in an Instagram comment) would bring Don Pablo’s story full circle, as Soto and his wife, Julie Morrow-Soto, originally launched the bakeshop in May 2021 as a virtual operation in Glenview. They even intended to unveil a permanent location in Evanston until they discovered the space they’d chosen would need significantly more rehabilitation than anticipated. That turn of events brought the couple to Uptown, where they opened Don Pablo’s in February 2022 on Asia on Argyle, the neighborhood’s bustling Vietnamese-dominated corridor.
Chicago’s hospitality scene isn’t short on empanada options plenty of top-notch renditions of regional varieties that hail from Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Belize, the Philippines, and beyond. After the 2012 closure of Rapa Nui in Irving Park, however, it became challenging to find Chilean empanadas in local restaurants. Chilean empanadas are larger and more rectangular than their South American peers, and both baked and fried versions are ubiquitous throughout the country.
Stay tuned for news of Don Pablo’s new suburban location.
Boulevardier, the French bistro in Oak Cliff that has been a staple of our Top 100 Restaurants, will close this spring, according to a Facebook post shared by the restaurant on March 1.
“Boulevardier’s run these last nearly 12 years has been simply amazing. We have had more fun, made more great memories, made more great friends, and stayed open longer than we could have ever expected,” the restaurant posted. There’s still time to stop in, as Boulevardier expects to close in “either very late March or early April,” according to the post.
Boulevardier’s cozy French bistro has been one of our favorite dining spots for over a decade.
Xochitl Gonzalez
Brothers Brooks and Bradley Anderson opened Boulevardier in 2012 and, along with Chef Nathan Tate, quickly earned a bevy of accolades for their inspired French cuisine and impressive wine list. Many a Bishop Arts happy hour began at Boulevardier, where Fridays meant discounted oysters at the peak of freshness and half-priced bottles of wine. Tuesdays through Fridays also offered a happy hour with $7 cocktails, a welcome respite when $20 cocktails are becoming the norm. A brilliant restaurant is one thing, but Boulevardier managed to pair it with one of our favorite bars in Oak Cliff too.
While an all-out dinner at Boulevardier could be a pricey proposition, the restaurant was generous with specials throughout the week. In search of discounted eats for each day of the week, our own Angie Quebedeux listed Boulevardier’s Tuesday special of 33% off all steaks as one of the city’s best deals. The steak frites, topped with horseradish chimichurri, hand-cut fries, local greens and a bearnaise aioli, for only $29 on Tuesdays struck us as quite the bargain. Boulevardier’s brunch was equally popular: mimosas and French continental brunch favorites flowed as easily as the sunlight streaming through the windows.
Boulevardier’s steak special on Tuesday is one of the best deals in the city.
Boulevardier
The Andersons’ first restaurant, Veritas Wine Room, opened in 2008 and closed in December 2023. Attorneys by trade, the Andersons went on to open Boulevardier in 2012, followed by Rapscallion on Greenville Avenue in 2015 and Hillside Tavern in Lakewood in 2019. Rapscallion closed its doors in 2022, so the closing of Boulevardier leaves only Hillside Tavern in the Andersons’ portfolio.
That decision appears to be by design, as the Andersons expressed a desire to return focus to their law practice, according to their Facebook post. In addition to working as restaurateurs, the Andersons have continuedto practice law and now want to focus on the legal side of the commercial real estate business, which includes working with small business owners to find spaces to set up shop.
Hillside Tavern remains open for now, with a more bar-centric food menu and possibly one of the better wine lists you’ll find in most casual bars. In the meantime, you’ll probably find us at Boulevardier for one last hurrah over a namesake Boulevardier and a plate of bone marrow, or perhaps their ridiculously delicious burger topped with bacon, caramelized onions and Gruyère. Please don’t judge us if it looks like we’re crying.
Blue Blaze Brewing is about a mile from uptown at the end of Charlotte’s Stewart Creek Greenway. It’s closing in March.
Blue Blaze Brewing
After 10 years in its current West Charlotte home, Blew Blaze Brewing has announced it will close in March.
“We very much wish that our place here could have continued to be available to us into the future,” managing partner Craig Nunn wrote Saturday afternoon in a letter to customers. “Our sincerest hope is that we can find a solution and a path forward in a new location and temporarily contract brew with one of our brewery friends in town.
“The search for these solutions to our challenges has and will continue in earnest. However, for now, we must unfortunately part ways from our current taproom.”
In October 2022, The Charlotte Observer reported about how Blue Blaze was fighting to keep from being evicted after facing a potential rent increase of 376% from its landlord, Atlanta-based Portman Holdings. Portman began working that year on a 27-acre mixed-use development of the historic Savona Mill, which includes the brewery site.
Blue Blaze Brewing is about a mile from uptown at the end of Charlotte’s Stewart Creek Greenway. It’s closing in March. Blue Blaze Brewing
The brewery is planning a last hurrah at the spot at the end of Stewart Creek Greenway the weekend of March 8-10.
“We’ve completed this thru-hike and now we’ll move on to our next thru- on another long trail, and hope you’ll join us,” Nunn wrote. “For now, we raise our glasses one last time, we raise a toast to you, our family, (trail family), for your friendship, your loyalty, and your unwavering support.”
Blue Blaze Brewing released a Trail Pale Ale beer last March, to celebrate North Carolina’s “Year of the Trail.” Blue Blaze Brewing
This story was originally published February 10, 2024, 5:24 PM.
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Melissa Oyler is the editor of CharlotteFive. When she’s not writing or editing, you’ll find her running, practicing hot yoga or snuggling with her rescue dog, X. Find her on Instagram or Twitter: @melissaoyler. Support my work with a digital subscription
The Palace Grill is closed after a kitchen fire on Thursday that resulted in significant damage to the 86-year-old diner on the Near West Side.
Firefighters were called just after 10 p.m. to the diner at 1408 W. Madison Street, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford announced on X. After a preliminary investigation, it appears that the blaze began as a grease fire beside a grill in the diner’s kitchen. Though firefighters were able to extinguish it “relatively quickly,” they had to cut a hole in the roof to pour water on the flames, Langford tells the Sun-Times. Palace Grill was closed at the time and no injuries were reported, but interior damage is “extensive.”
Fire strikes the Palace Grill 1408 west Madison across from Chicago 911 center. Interior damage extensive but no injuries. Cause under investigation. Business established in 1938 pic.twitter.com/M4758Yzw65
Owner George Lemperis, whose family has owned Palace Grill since 1955, was stunned by the severity of the destruction, he tells NBC 5 Chicago. There’s no sense yet to how long repairs will take or what’s needed to reopen.
An old-school haven for nearly nine decades that’s served fans of Chicago Stadium and United Center, Palace Grill is seen by many as a pillar of Chicago diner culture. Founded in 1938, the restaurant bore witness to massive changes in its surrounding neighborhood and has served celebrities and politicians including Oprah Winfrey (she used to work nearby at Harpo Studios) and Al Gore (who shared a meal with then-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin). It’s also a longtime destination for Blackhawks fans and even players, who on several occasions have held Stanley Cup victory celebrations in the diner, which was draped in team jerseys, posters, and memorabilia.
As news of the fire circulated on social media, fans began to extend their condolences. “My thoughts are with George and his great staff with the brutal news of the legendary Palace Grill having an extensive grease fire,” Darren Pang, an NHL analyst and former Blackhawks goalie, writes on X.
After more than a decade on Hubbard Street, controversial nightclub El Hefe has closed its doors. The River North bar, owned by Scottsdale-based company Riot Hospitality, has been erased from the brand’s website.
The duration of the closure, however, remains in question. The company has “suspended operations” at 15 W. Hubbard Street, but would not confirm whether or not El Hefe will return, according to Block Club Chicago. Though the bar developed a bad reputation among locals, River North tourists continued to give the venue business.
A self-described “super macho taqueria,” El Hefe made its Chicago debut in 2013 amid the notoriously bustling nightlife strip in River North, operating as a Mexican restaurant during the day and an adults-only spot for dancing and drinking at night. But as the years passed, troubling incidents began to accrue, culminating in two women filing lawsuits against the club in 2019.
A Florida woman, whom attorneys dub Jane Doe, alleged in a suit that while visiting Chicago in October 2019, she was drugged and raped in an alley behind the bar while security guards stood about 100 feet away. Doe also alleged her attacker was known to El Hefe’s staff. The incident was recorded on a security camera and paramedics went on to transport an unresponsive Doe to the hospital.
That footage inspired a second plaintiff to file suit weeks later with allegations that she was also drugged and sexually assaulted in 2014 at El Hefe and that staff failed to intervene. At the time, according to the suit, a toxicology test and rape kit taken at the hospital confirmed the plaintiff was raped and drugged with Acetone.
For its part, El Hefe released a statement on social media in 2019 responding to the first lawsuit, claiming that its security guards did not witness an assault and promising to cooperate with police investigations. At the time, one of the women’s attorneys called the statement “absurd” and alleged that club management was withholding evidence from law enforcement. A spokesperson for Riot Hospitality later issued a more contrite statement, asserting that “reports like these are unacceptable in any part of our city… Any incident that tears at the reputation of the City of Chicago impacts all of us.”
That tone, however, didn’t extend to a January 2020 court filing in which the bar’s attorneys leveraged a common legal tactic: claiming that Jane Doe “was more than 50 percent of the proximate cause of the injury” — essentially, that Doe was responsible for her own assault.
The move was met with near-immediate criticism, and in the same month, more than 5,700 Chicago hospitality workers signed a petition calling for city officials to suspend El Hefe’s liquor license until police completed their investigations. The petition specifically pointed to the club’s policy of removing overly intoxicated customers through a back door, precisely as alleged by Doe in her suit, thus perpetuating a “dangerous workplace culture.”
Protracted legal battles followed. The second plaintiff’s lawsuit was dismissed for want of prosecution in March 2021, while Doe’s case was dismissed “by stipulation or agreement” (which could mean a settlement) in early January 2024.
Originally founded in Scottsdale in 2010, El Hefe also operated another outpost in Tempe, Arizona, which has also closed. The Scottsdale location remains open. Reps for the company have not yet responded to a request for more information.
