Le Journal

Three popular Chicago restaurants ranked on Yelp’s new list of “Top 100 Places to Eat” in the country for 2026, with two of the restaurants just squeaking by towards the bottom of the list and another ranking in the middle. The review site’s 13th annual list, released Wednesday, showcases “the highest-reviewed restaurants, diners, fast-casual spots, food halls and more” as ranked by the Yelp community. According to organizers, the list was compiled by editors that identified businesses on Yelp in the “restaurant” category and then ranked them using factors like ratings, review volume and community input. The list also touched on food and restaurant trends already starting to pop-up for 2026, like all-day breakfast and Japanese, Korean and Thai spots ranking high on the list. chicago food 21 hours ago This Chicago sandwich is among the 7 ‘best' sandwiches in North America, Michelin says chicago food Sep 23, 2025 Is the world's greatest Italian beef hiding in a butcher shop in suburban Northfield? The first Chicago restaurant that appeared on the list was Italian spot Ciccio Mio, at 226 W. Kinzie St. in River North. The intimate restaurant has a 4.7 star rating on Yelp, with reviewers praising the attentive staff, cozy atmosphere and classic Italian dishes. Reservations for 1-6 people are available, but tables are limited. “Went here for a little solo date night and it might be one of the cutest spots I’ve ever eaten at,” one reviewer wrote. “Highly recommend making a reservation, even if it’s just for one. The dining room only has like 11 tables, and while there’s a lounge for walk-ins, it fills up fast.” Un Amor, a Latin restaurant on the west side that specializes in breakfast and brunch, at 1450 W. Chicago Ave., came in No. 96. Trivoli Tavern, at 114 N. Green St., landed at No. 98. The full report from Yelp can be found here.

Light snow was falling in parts of the Chicago area Wednesday morning as part of a clipper system, the NBC 5 Storm Team said, with moderate bursts of snow possible to the north and west as the busy rush hour commute gets underway. The system comes as a winter weather advisory issued for Kenosha County in Wisconsin continues through 6 a.m., with two to four inches of snow possible. About 5:15 a.m., Live Doppler 5 radar showed snow across Lake, McHenry and DeKalb Counties, as well as counties to the southeast and into northwest Indiana. “Slick spots will remain possible through the start of the morning commute, where roads remain partially snow covered and where any additional snow falls,” the National Weather Service warned Conditions were expected to dry out by about 8 a.m., NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman said, with rising temperatures into the 30s. But that won’t last long. Later Wednesday, another round of snow will move in, followed by extreme cold and wind chills as low as -35 by the end of the week and through the weekend. Here’s a breakdown of the upcoming Chicago forecast, and what to expect and when. Wednesday night: Another round of snow A second round of snow will move in Wednesday afternoon, Roman said, starting about 4 p.m. in Chicago’s far western counties. Scattered snow showers will continue to pass through, making their way to Chicago and northwest Indiana by about 8 p.m. “Maybe 1-2 inches of snow,” Roman said, of possible accumulations. Gusty winds up to 35 mph were also possible, Roman said. Thursday and Friday: Extreme cold watch Thursday was expected to be a quiet day, Roman said, with some flurries flying about and temperatures dropping back into the 20s. After that comes dangerously cold conditions with below-zero readings. “It’s all in advance of the cold,” Roman said. “Extremely cold Friday morning.” Late Thursday night through 12 p.m. Friday, an extreme cold watch will go into effect for all of northeast Illinois. That watch could be upgraded to a warning, Roman said, as air temperatures are expected to be as cold as -10 degrees Friday morning, and wind chills down of -35. “When you see a wind chill down to -30, -35,” Roman said, “Frostbite can set in in as little as 10 minutes.” The high temperature Friday was expected to be 0 degrees, with a high of 8 degrees Saturday and 15 degrees Sunday. According to NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes, the record low for Friday is -4 degrees, set in 1963. The record low for Saturday is -2, set in 1904. “If we drop to -8° Friday morning, it would be the fifth time in the last seven years to get that cold.” Jeanes said. The last time was Jan. 21, 2025, at -8 degrees. “If we don’t reach 2 degrees Friday afternoon, it would be the coldest day since December 23, 2022,” Jeanes said, when the temperature was -1. “Only 10 days in the last 40 years have had a high temperature of 0 degrees or colder.”

The National Weather Service is warning of a “strong Arctic front” headed to the Chicago area Wednesday night, with gusty snow showers during the evening commute and “bursts” of snow possible ahead of an extreme cold watch that will send temperatures plummeting below zero. “Be prepared for a possible 1-2 hr burst of snow and hazardous travel conditions,” the NWS wrote Wednesday morning in a post on X. “Strong west winds to 40+ mph may lead to blowing/drifting snow in open areas overnight where snow falls.” A strong Arctic front will bring a period of gusty snow showers this evening. Be prepared for a possible 1-2 hr burst of snow and hazardous travel conditions. Strong west winds to 40+ mph may lead to blowing/drifting snow in open areas overnight where snow falls. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/M9vvMBS4Gg— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 21, 2026 The Chicago-area conditions come as forecasters warn of a “potentially catastrophic” winter storm set to move across Texas and the Carolinas, and into the East Coast this week and weekend. As the round of snow and cold moves in Illinois, here’s what to expect and when When, and how much snow? Scattered snow showers were expected to begin in Chicago’s far western counties about 4 p.m., the NBC 5 Storm Team said, gradually moving into the city through midnight as they “sweep across the entire area from east to west.” By about 7 p.m., the snow will hit the city and northwest Indiana, NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman said. Brief periods of very low visibility and snow-covered roads were possible, the NWS added. According to Roman, Wednesday’s system could bring about one to two inches of accumulation. When the extreme cold will hit Wednesday’s high temperature of 32 degrees won’t last long, Roman said, as temperatures will nosedive into the 20s Thursday. Overnight and into Friday morning, “dangerous cold” will settle into the region, the NWS said, with air temperatures between -5 and -15 degrees. Wind chills, Roman said, will make it feel like -35. “When you see a wind chill down to -30, -35, frostbite can set in in as little as 10 minutes,” Roman warned. The coldest part of the day will be between 3 a.m. and 12 p.m. Friday. At that time, an extreme cold watch will be in effect, with a high of zero degrees. Such temperatures and wind chills have forced dozens of school closures in previous years. Frigid conditions are expected to last all day Friday, the NWS said, with some areas remaining below zero. According to NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes, the record low for Friday is -4 degrees, set in 1963. The record low for Saturday is -2, set in 1904. “If we drop to -8° Friday morning, it would be the fifth time in the last seven years to get that cold.” Jeanes said. The last time was Jan. 21, 2025, at -8 degrees. “If we don’t reach 2 degrees Friday afternoon, it would be the coldest day since December 23, 2022,” Jeanes said, when the temperature was -1. “Only 10 days in the last 40 years have had a high temperature of 0 degrees or colder.” How long will it last, and when does winter end? Dangerously cold wind chills are likely through Saturday morning, the NWS said, with air temperatures between -5 and -14 expected Friday night. By Saturday, high temperatures between 2 and 10 degrees were expected. Sunday’s predicted high was 15 degrees. As for when the season ends, meteorological winter runs through Feb. 28. Astronomical winter, which follows the calendar year, ends March 19, with the spring equinox taking place Friday, March 20. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Two stores will close to make way for largest Kroger in West Virginia. The post Kroger announces Kroger Marketplace in South Charleston will open in June appeared first on WV MetroNews.