☕️ New spots for cookies and coffee

Congressional Candidate Among 6 Indicted For Broadview Protest

Six protestors have been indicted on federal conspiracy charges for allegedly impeding officers outside the Broadview ICE facility. Among them: congressional candidate Katherine “Kat” Abughazaleh, Cook County Board candidate Catherine “Cat” Sharp, 45th Ward Committeeman Michael Rabbitt, and Oak Park trustee Brian Straw. [Block Club]

• Related: Meet Abughazaleh, the 26-year-old running for congress. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]
• Related: Appeals court blocks order requiring Border Patrol’s Greg Bovino to report daily to judge. [ABC]

Former Sheriff’s Deputy Convicted in Shooting Death of Sonya Massey

Sean Grayson has been convicted of second-degree murder for shooting Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911 over a suspected prowler outside her Springfield home. Grayson was a responding officer. He was originally charged with first-degree murder. [CNN]

How to Support Vendors and Neighbors Amid ‘Midway Blitz’

Throughout “Operation Midway Blitz,” construction workers, day laborers, and street vendors have faced increasing harassment. On today’s podcast, Chicagoans on a vendor crawl in Back of the Yards share how they’re committed to shopping with and protecting those most vulnerable to immigration raids. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

Tax Hikes Proposed to Close CTA Budget Gap

Lawmakers have proposed new tax hikes to fund the CTA, Metra, and Pace as they approach a $200 million budget hole. They include:

• A 7% tax on tickets for large events
• A 4.95% tax on billionaires’ assets
• A slight increase in certain sales taxes [WGN]

As the weather turns colder and moodier, it’s the perfect time to explore new cafes, bars … and sandwich-cookie shops! Here are five recent openings that caught our eye.

HAIBAYÔ Café in Uptown

Sourcing tea and coffee from different Asian-owned businesses, HAIBAYÔ is a nexus for Asia on Argyle. The cafe operates within the space of the HAIBAYÔ nonprofit, which aims to bring more visitors into the cultural area. As the name suggests in Vietnamese: “One, two, three, cheers!”

Azul 18 in Little Italy

Pilsen brunch hub Azul 18 has opened a second location at 1230 W. Taylor St., bringing Mexican-American flavors to the heart of Little Italy. Azul 18 serves breakfast, lunch, brunch — and, for now, the spot is BYOB. Get your at-cost bubbly on while you can!

Babe’s Sports Bar in Logan Square

It’s all women’s sports all the time at Babe’s, a new rosy-hued sports bar on Armitage Avenue. It’s Chicago’s first sports bar of its kind, featuring eight TVs for game-watching and chile margaritas. Think Sporty Spice.

Crumbs.nd.Creams in Albany Park

Crumbs.nd.Creams is Chicago’s first shop specializing in silvanas: Filipino sandwich cookies. These cookies are made of frozen cashew meringue and coated in cookie crumbs. They’re also filled with buttercream — Crumbs.nd.Creams offers 10 flavor options.

Wil’s Martini Lounge in Andersonville

Andersonville mainstay Marty’s Martini Bar closed in 2024. Now, its former manager has opened his own neighborhood watering hole: Wil’s Martini Lounge. The featured fall cocktail with cardamom bitters sounds especially cozy.

One of the best parts of being a City Cast Chicago Neighbor is sharing Neighborhood Shoutouts! This is a chance to plug your favorite Chicago places, businesses, and nonprfots.

This week, Don S. is shouting out Cafe Con Leche in Logan Square: "A favorite neighborhood restaurant. They make me feel welcome and like I'm a part of their community!"

🍳 As a Logan Square resident, I can attest. I love their chilaquiles.