Greater St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach, Gulfport, Treasure Island)
Datz – St. Pete $$ 180 Central Ave Website | (727) 202-1182 Downtown staple serving comfort food classics like the “Roger’s Rockin’ Reuben” and “Memphis on My Mind.” Open daily with rotating specials and a popular weekend brunch.
Social Roost $$$ 150 1st Ave N Website | (727) 202-6113 Globally inspired menu with standout plates like Shrimp & Grits, Short Rib, and Red Snapper Escovitch. Small plates, bold flavors, and stylish ambiance.
Society Table – Don CeSar $$ 3400 Gulf Blvd Website | (727) 360-1881 Laid-back yet refined spot at the Don offering Florida Gulf fare all day. Favorites include fried green tomatoes, grilled ribeye, and seared scallops.
Maritana – Don CeSar $$$ 3400 Gulf Blvd Website | (727) 360-1882 Elegant fine dining with coastal sophistication. Veal ravioli, duck confit, and lobster gnudi highlight the upscale, regionally sourced menu.
Allelo $$ 300 Beach Dr NE Website | (727) 851-9582 Mediterranean-Aegean concept emphasizing shared plates and connection. Try the Rack of Lamb, Eggplant, or Meatballs with an extensive wine list.
Birch & Vine $$$ 340 Beach Dr NE Website | (727) 896-1080 Chef-driven menu inside The Birchwood. Ribeye carpaccio and fresh seafood shine. Great for brunch or a romantic dinner—reservations recommended.
Stillwaters Tavern $$ 224 Beach Dr NE Website | (727) 350-1019 Lively hangout with 20+ craft beers and a scratch American kitchen. Land & Sea entrees pair well with Pier views.
The Library $$ 600 5th St S Website | (727) 369-9969 Literary-themed space with elegant vibes and book-lined walls. Cozy yet upscale, offering refined American cuisine and craft cocktails.
Perry’s Porch $$ 335 2nd Ave NE Website | (727) 256-0121 Coastal café with wraparound porch and Italian-inspired dishes. Pays tribute to C. Perry Snell with charming waterfront views and relaxed vibes.
Fortu $$$ 97 Central Ave Website | (727) 256-0268 Sleek pan-Asian steakhouse with lantern-lit ambiance. Offers wagyu, seafood plates, and upscale energy perfect for a lively night out.
Juno & The Peacock $$$ 400 Beach Dr NE Website | (727) 258-4222 Retro-coastal setting with terrazzo floors and plush seating. Highlights include seafood towers, dry-aged steaks, and polished cocktails.
Concrete Jungle $$ 475 Central Ave Website | (727) 475-5440 Tulum-inspired underground spot with Latin cuisine, tropical cocktails, photo ops, and live music. Ideal for nightlife or weekend brunch.
Brick & Mortar $$ 539 Central Ave Website | (727) 822-6540 Rustic, cozy eatery with seasonal New American plates, house-made pastas, and curated beer and wine list.
Tiki Docks Skyway $$ 3769 50th Ave S Website | (727) 810-8454 Tropical waterfront spot offering seafood, burgers, rum drinks, and family-friendly vibes. Laid-back escape with water views.
Teak $$ 800 2nd Ave NE, 4th Floor Website | (727) 513-8325 Nautical-inspired rooftop with 360° views. Dishes like Paella and Sirloin complement craft cocktails in a serene setting.
Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille $$ 610 2nd Ave NE Website | (727) 857-8118 Casual seafood joint at the Pier. Highlights include Yucatan Oysters, Captiva Crab Cakes, and Panko Grouper, with scenic waterfront seating.
IL Ritorno $$ 449 Central Ave., #101 Website | (727) 897-5900 Italian for the discerning palate. Il Ritorno brings a new taste of fresh Italian cuisine to the community by. introducing new, interesting flavors and combinations. Open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday.
To earn the “Timely Assistance Medal IV,” Officer Mewmew tells you to investigate a “suspicious shadow” byWaterfall Soup at night in Zenless Zone Zero. However, there are two nighttime options to pick from, and the target only appears during one of them.
Below, we explain where to find this suspicious shadow in Zenless Zone Zero.
How to find the ‘suspicious shadow’ at Waterfall Soup
The time will need to be set to evening (the symbol with the moon, not the moon and cloud) to find our target. You can change the time by resting on the sofa or by clicking/tapping the time in the top left and selecting “rest.” If you’ve already rested that day, you can spend some time in the Hollow Deep Dive System or Combat Simulations to make more time pass. Completing side quests will also make time pass.
Once it’s evening, head over to Waterfall Soup (the ramen shop pictured at the top of this post) to find a Treasure Hunter Bangboo chilling on the side behind the delivery moped. Interact with it, solve the puzzle, and that’s all you need to do to fulfill Officer Mewmew’s objective.
For your efforts, you’ll get 10 Polychrome, one W-engine power supply, and 5,000 Denny.
Playful skewers make eating even more fun. | Jack X. Li/Eater Chicago
From souvlaki to kebabs, kushiyaki, and sach koh ang
Chicagoans are specifically attuned to appreciate the quick and unfussy appeal of street food, and much to the delight of hungry locals, the city is filled with excellent renditions of one the world’s most popular street food sub-genres: the skewer. Whether it’s tare-brushed kushiyaki, robust kebabs, peanut sauce-smothered satay, or juicy charred souvlaki, the central conceit of grilled skewers is consistently delightful. Make a selection or start a skewer crawl with these spots in Chicago and slightly beyond.
Popular ramen destination Strings usually errs on the hot and spicy side of soup noodles, but in the summertime, diners can stop in for seasonal hiyashichuka, a traditional warm-weather dish in Japan featuring cold noodles with ham, woodear mushrooms, cucumber, tomato, egg ribbons, and washi mustard. Vegans and vegetarians can substitute carrots for pork. It’s also available at locations in Chinatown, Hyde Park, and suburban Aurora.
The seasonal doughnuts and pastries at Brite change every week, but the lineup always includes at least one savory option. Past entries include an Everything croissant filled cream cheese bacon jam, Funyun croissant, and a hot dog bouquet stuffed with pieces of Viennas and topped with poppy seeds, relish, onions, tomatoes, sport peppers, and mustard.
Mother’s Day is coming around the corner on Sunday, May 12, which means Chicagoans who haven’t already made plans to celebrate are officially behind the eight ball. A special meal is a straightforward way to make any maternal figure feel appreciated, and fortunately for the procrastination-inclined, it’s not too late to book a reservation. And for good measure, here’s a hot take — screw brunch. Much like florals for spring, brunch on Mother’s Day isn’t exactly groundbreaking, so do right by the woman of the hour and take her to dinner.
Below, find Eater Chicago’s roundup featuring some of the city’s top restaurants with remaining availability during prime hours on Mother’s Day.
A charming walk through Lakeshore East Park makes for a lovely prelude to a Mother’s Day meal at this airy downtown outpost of Chicago’s mini-empire of modern Greek restaurants from the team at Avli Taverna. Its breezy rooftop space comes with stunning views of the city and Navy Pier.
Toast to the guest of honor on Mother’s Day with a glass or bottle from the fun and robust wine selection at this lively South Side spot helmed by veteran Chicago chef Lamar Moore. Families can count on warm, friendly service and a modern American menu with Southern influences.
For a sumptuous Mother’s Day meal, head to this wood grill-powered Mexican restaurant that’s had a resurgence of late thanks to new executive chef Brian Enyart, a veteran of Rick Bayless’ local hospitality empire and owner of Logan Square’s shuttered Dos Urban Cantina. Dishes like a smokey beef ribeye or whole sea bass will go a long way toward transporting mom to Baja, California.
Prime seafood, which arguably deserves a place among the love languages, is the star of the show at Boka Hospitality’s posh sushi palace in West Loop. From fatty bluefin tuna belly and unctuous uni to prized cuts of Japanese wagyu, the menu makes for an opulent spread.
If a Mother’s Day trip to Napa Valley isn’t in the budget, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’ sprawling restaurant in Fulton Market is designed to offer a brief foray into West Coast wine country. Snap a shot of the special evening on its sweeping staircase before heading upstairs to dine on its year-round terrace and bar.
A celebrated farm-to-table destination for nearly two decades, One Off Hospitality’s game-changing Fulton Market restaurant remains a local favorite for its bustling atmosphere and penchant for pork.
The wide-open kitchen at chef Avgeria Stapaki’s inventive Mediterranean restaurant in Bucktown provides both dinner and a show for Mother’s Day celebrants as the energetic team whips up unusual spins like avgolemono “ramen.” Tama debuted in early April, so a booking might also make for a good chance to impress family with Chicago hospitality know-how.
An ode to decorated chef Carlos Gaytán’s hometown of Huitzuco, Mexico, this striking spot in River North offers an earthy departure from Chicago’s urban grit. Though the menu offers ample opportunity to fill up on favorites like Guerrero-style cochinita pibil and shrimp aguachile, wise diners will save room for dessert.
900 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607 (312) 733-1975
Millions of Americans, including Chicagoans, will have a chance on Wednesday, April 8, to see a total solar eclipse — a rare opportunity that won’t return for 21 years. The celestial phenomenons have a way of evoking strong feelings (and generating beaucoup bucks), so it’s not surprising that Chicago chefs are getting in on festivities around the so-called life-changing event.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of other pop-ups to keep diners and chefs from descending into Third Winter doldrums. Follow along for a sampling of the best the city has to offer in Eater Chicago’s pop-up round-up.
Have a pop-up that should be listed? Email information to chicago@eater.com.
April
River North: Tokyo Last Call, a month-long pop-up series inspired by Japanese listening bars, will kick off on Thursday, April 4 in partnership with Three Dots and a Dash and a lineup of guest bartenders from several acclaimed Japanese cocktail spots. These include Brooklyn’s Bar Goto (Thursday, April 4 through Sunday, April 7), Manhattan’s Katana Kitten (Thursday, April 11 through Sunday, April 14), as well as Tokyo’s Bar Trench (Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 21) and SG Club (Thursday, April 25 through Sunday, April 28). The Three Dots team will play vinyl 45s and play music from a “retro jukebox” on the bottom floor at 51 W. Hubbard Street. Tokyo Last Call, Thursday April 4 through Sunday, April 28 at Hub 51. Reservations via OpenTable.
The Loop: It seems the whole city is talking about 2024’s Very Big Deal solar eclipse, so Downtown’s Raddison Blu Aqua Hotel is serving two specialty cocktails for the occasion. The team will offer the Sunbeam (mango-pineapple vodka, pomegranate, pineapple) and the Solar Flare (tequila, prosecco, grenadine, Cholula) Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 14. The Sunbeam and the Solar Flare at Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 14, 221 N. Columbus Drive.
Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bacardi Ocho Rye Cask Rum, Rhum Clément Creole Shrubb, orgeat, lime, fire bitters, tajín).The Gwen
The Loop: Astoria Cafe & Bakery, a suburban spot that specializes in Balkan food, is popping up off the Mag Mile at Venteux, the French restaurant inside the . The bakery had a location on Irving Park road that debuted in 2017, but it’s since closed and they’ve moved to Lisle. Owner by the mother-and-daughter duo of Suzi and Tanja Jeftenic, a news release states customers can expect items like krempita (a vanilla custard slice made with puff pastry & Chantilly cream), burek stuffed with cheese, spinach, or beef, and knedle, a potato dumpling made traditionally with plums, but also made with Nutella and fruit. Astoria Cafe at Venteux, 9 a.m. Sunday April 14 at Venteux.
West Loop: San Francisco-based chef David Yoshimura of Michelin-starred Nisei will pop up for one night with acclaimed chef Noah Sandoval for a collaborative tasting menu on Saturday, April 6 at Sandoval’s fine dining restaurant Oriole. Tickets ($325) are already sold out, but optimistic diners can add their names to the waitlist. Oriole x Nisei, Saturday, April 6 at Oriole. Waitlist via Tock.
Magnificent Mile: Downtown hotel terrace bar Upstairs at the Gwen is marking the solar eclipse with a punny Total Eclipse of The Heart cocktail (Bacardi Ocho Rye Cast Rum, Orgeat, Fire Bitters) available Saturday, April 6 through Monday, April 8. Total Eclipse of The Heart at Upstairs at the Gwen, Saturday, April 6 through Monday, April 8, 521 N. Rush Street, 5th Floor.
Avondale: Minahasa, veteran chef John Avila’s (Duck Inn, Gibsons Italia) rambunctious regional Indonesian spot, will make its triumphant return on Monday, April 8 for Reader pop-up series Monday Night Foodball. More than a year has passed since Avila shuttered Minahasa’s stall at Revival Food Hall in the Loop, but he’s made good on his promise to return and continue honoring the vast diversity of Indonesian cuisine — particularly that of mountainous Tomohon, his mother Betty’s hometown. Avila’s Foodball menu will lean into “Indonesian American twists,” per Mike Sula, such as an Indo fried chicken sandwich (green papaya slaw, acar pickles) and beef rendang animal fries (sambal aioli, crispy shallots), along with Mama Betty’s beloved egg rolls.Minahasa x Monday Night Foodballat Ludlow Liquors, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, April 8, 2959 N. California Avenue.
Avondale: Lauded South Indian restaurant Thattu is planning two “once-in-a-blue-moon” specials for the eclipse: an egg appam with chili crisp, and a moon pie from chef de cuisine Danny Tervort. They’ll be available for one night only, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, April 8. Solar eclipse specials at Thattu, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, April 8. Reservations via OpenTable.
Logan Square: Chicago chefs Palita Sriratana (Pink Salt) and Chanita Schwartz will host a festive pop-up celebration for Songkran, or Thai New Year, on Tuesday, April 14 inside indie flower shop Exfolia Botanical, the duo announced on Instagram. Self-avowed prawn fans, Sriratana and Schwartz worked them into the seven-course menu with dishes like tod mun goong (prawns, coriander) and khanom jeen nam prik (prawn-infused curry, rice noodles, seasonal vegetables). Other courses include yum som o (grapefruit, lemongrass, coconut, cashews) and gai haw bai toey (pandan leaf-wrapped chicken, sweet sesame sauce). Tickets ($120) and more details are available via Eventbrite. Songkran Thai New Year, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 14 at Exfolia Botanical. Tickets via Eventbrite.
East Garfield Park: Virtual Lao mega-hit Laos to Your House will host its second annual Lao Pi Mai, or Lao New Year, a family-friendly celebration with an abundant buffet-style spread from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 at hospitality business incubator the Hatchery, according to co-founder Byron Gully. The team promises a vast array of dishes including spicy khao poon moo, chicken and vegetarian laap (or larb), crispy kanom dok bua (lotus flower cookies), Lao barbecue, and much more, as well as cocktails and beer. Attendees can also shop for retail items like Lao textiles, beauty products, and packaged goods. Tickets ($50) and more details are available online until Tuesday, April 9.Laos to Your House Lao Pi Mai celebration at the Hatchery, 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 13, 135 N. Kedzie Avenue. Reservations via Laos to Your House.
Rolling Meadows: Chicago chefs including Yuka Funakoshi (Tengokyu Aburiya), Takashi Iida (Lawrence Fish Market), Paul Virant (Gaijin, Petite Vie), and Shinji Sugiura (Ramen House Shinchan), will host a Japanese and French kaiseki-style dinner on Monday, April 22 in suburban Rolling Meadows. A fundraiser to support survivors of a New Year’s Day earthquake on Japan’s Noto Peninsula, the event will feature Chicago Koto Group and local J-pop music group Orihana, as well as a six-course meal that includes tare-marinated salmon with French lentils and seafood terrine with yuzu kosho jelly. Reservations ($125) are available online until Monday, April 15. Together for Noto Japan: Disaster Relief Fundraising Dinner at LaMirage Banquet Hall, Monday, April 22, 3223 Algonquin Road in Rolling Meadows. Reservations via Google Form.
May
Bridgeport: Chef and owner Won Kim of raucous Korean restaurantKimski isn’t wasting any time in preparing for its eight-year anniversary party on Saturday, May 11, announcing a “stacked” lineup of food vendors and DJs around two months ahead of time. Attendees can expect food from Seoul Taco, Pizza Friendly Pizza, Pretty Cool Ice Cream, Omarcitos, and more (plus a few surprise entries), as well as drinks from Bronzeville Winery, Maria’s, and Standard Meadery. “Come eat, drink, celebrate and help kick summer off the proper Bridgeport way!” Kim writes on Instagram. Kimski Eight Year Anniversary Party, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 11 at Kimski.
954-960 West 31st Street, , IL 60608 (773) 823-7336
While this submission isn’t officially labeled a smash burger, the team at J.T.’s delivers each Darn Good Burger (lettuce, onion, pickle, American cheese, dijonaise) and J.T.’s Special Burger (caramelized onions, cheddar, Granny Smith apple, bacon, dijonaise) with a delightfully griddled texture that satisfies all those smash burger cravings.
Chargers are big, nasty bugs in Helldivers 2, and you’ll need to take out multiple of them if you want to complete some Personal Orders (as of this writing, it’s “Strain Culling”) and pick up extra Medals.
In this Helldivers 2 guide, we’ll tell you where to find Chargers and give you some bonus tips on how to deal with them.
Where to find Chargers in Helldivers 2
Image: Arrowhead Game Studios
Chargers aren’t the first “mini-boss” style enemy you’ll encounter in Helldivers 2, but they’re the first that should really scare you. They have loads of armor, are very fast once they charge, and even their weak spot can take a ton of punishment. But we’ll get to how to kill them later; first, you need to actually find a Charger.
Chargers only seem to appear in missions that are rated Medium difficulty or above (meaning you’ll have to work your way up through the difficulties by clearing easier missions first). However, even on Medium you’ll only really find Chargers in missions that ask you to specifically kill Chargers. And while that can be useful, none of the Chargers I killed on the Medium difficulty counted for “Strain Culling.” That could have something to do with the server issues at the time of this writing, but your best bet regardless is to play on the difficulty above Medium: Challenging.
Starting on Challenging difficulty, Chargers will just show up in nests or when you’re trying to complete an objective. They seem to spawn more frequently when you’re in a group (which can be difficult given the aforementioned server issues). Just keep playing missions on Challenging and hunting down nests. You should find all the Chargers you need in just a handful of missions.
How to kill a Charger in Helldivers 2
Image: Arrowhead Game Studios
So, you’ve found some Chargers, but now you have to actually deal with them. I won’t lie to you, until you and your squad have a handle on how Helldivers 2 really works, a Charger is probably going to kill one or two of you unless you’re very well-equipped or extremely careful.
But that actually leads us to one of our first big tips for Chargers or any big enemies: Drop directly on them. Yes, that’s right, you can drop your respawn pod on top of a bug and they’ll explode. It’s not worth the revive if you can kill the Charger another way, but if you’re already pulling in a reinforcement, do your best to squish the Charger on your way in. It’s a pretty fast way to end any fight.
Now you’re not going to squish a Charger every time you kill one, so it’s important to have other tactics. First, you can just shoot it in its big, glowing ass. The Charger is heavily armored at the front, but its back is exposed. Shred it with a turret or your own personal heavy machine gun. You can, of course, just use your primary assault rifle or pistol, but on Challenging and above, it’s going to take a long time if you do that.
You can also destroy the Charger’s armor with something like the Recoilless Rifle. Now this is a great option if you can consistently get two to three shots onto the same spot on the bug, as the Recoilless Rifle and other armor-piercing weapons seem to be better at punching a hole through armor and finishing the job that way than raw damage against already exposed weak points.
Your best bet for Chargers, however, is to simply blow them to hell with Stratagems before they even get the chance to see you. They’re big — big enough that you can spot them in their nest before they spot you. And, until they’re threatened, they move pretty slow. You and your group can use this to your advantage by dropping Orbital Strikes, Eagle Strafing Runs, and all other kinds of Stratagems on top of the Charger. If you can score a direct hit, you’ll probably kill it before it even gets the chance to chase you.
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