Eat. Watch. Do. — Chicago’s best burritos, winter TV and movies, plus croissant collab

It’s Thursday, Chicago.

We hope you’re welcoming 2024 with a taste for everything this city has to offer — like a wacky cross between a croissant and a Chicago-style hot dog from one of the city’s most acclaimed pastry chefs.

If you’re glued to the couch during these frigid winter days, we have a roundup of the season’s TV and movies, including critic favorites like “Expats” starring Nicole Kidman and “Lift” featuring Kevin Hart.

And our long-awaited Chicago burrito roundup is here to guide your cravings. It is the definitive answer for where to find the city’s best tortilla-wrapped gems, and has some details behind the distinctive styles too.

Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll see you back here next week.

— Lauryn Azu, deputy senior editor

Daisies serves up Chicago-style croissant, nicknamed the ‘glamour weenie,’ in collaboration with The Wieners Circle

The dish, which features charred Vienna beef hot dogs wrapped in a croissant, is a collaboration with the hot dog stand in Lincoln Park known for its viral insults and profanities. Read more here.

Women’s jazz festival comes to Arlington Heights at Hey Nonny

Hey Nonny is hosting a women’s jazz festival this weekend with an impressive roster of artists, including Mary Halvorson’s Amaryllis Project and Alexis Lombre. Read about the upcoming festival here.

Javauneeka Jacobs, sous chef at River North’s Frontera Grill, becomes ‘Chopped’ champion

Read about the chef’s journey from culinary school and cooking at Xoco, to “Chopped” championship, here.

2024 winter movie preview: Our Top 10 includes the ‘Mean Girls’ musical, a new ‘Dune’ and a Bob Marley biopic

Eat. Watch. Do.

Weekly

---

What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now.

By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

>

Cozy in for a blockbuster this winter. Our list includes some well-known titles, including the next “Ghostbusters,” as well as some edgier and fringier films. Read it here.

The ultimate Chicago burrito guide: 15 standouts, from overloaded West Coast options to spare northern Mexico bites

Burrito perfection lies in the eye of the beholder. We tried at least 50 burritos across Chicago and broke our favorites into three categories, so you can find the burrito style best suited to you. Read on a full stomach here.

2024 winter TV preview: 15 shows to watch with a new season of ‘True Detective’ and the Nicole Kidman drama ‘Expats’

With the Hollywood strikes resolved, 2024 promises a return to normal, or whatever “normal” looks like in an increasingly unstable TV landscape, TV critic Nina Metz writes. Read what’s on tap for this season, and some streaming service shake-ups, here.

‘All of Us Strangers’ review: A broken heart, looking to heal, in a beautiful London-set story

“All of Us Strangers” is opening in a handful of Chicago theaters this week, and is the opportunity to start the year on a high note, Tribune film critic Michael Phillips writes. Read his full review here.

Indianapolis-based MOTW Coffee & Pastries coming soon to Lombard

What began as an Instagram page celebrating the Muslim community is now a coffee chain with four locations in Indiana, and one coming soon to suburban Lombard. Read about owner Sajjad Shah’s journey into coffee here.

The sparks, opinions and anecdotes fly as David Mamet tackles his 40 years in Hollywood in ‘Everywhere an Oink Oink’

Playwright David Mamet’s latest book, titled “Everywhere an Oink Oink,” has attracted attention, controversy and wildly divergent opinions, Tribune reporter Rick Kogan writes. Read his thoughts on the new book here.

From neon hot dogs to wagyu beef, Chicago-based Levy cooks up Vegas-style menu for Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium

Chicago-based Levy will be back in the Big Game in February as the food and beverage provider for Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Read about what’s on the menu here.