With one year under its belt, DryHop Brewers is starting to broaden its beer breadth and dabble in new beer creations, further cementing itself as Lakeview’s preeminent beer haunt and one brewery to keep your eye on in Chicago. With summer’s finale in sight (sorry) and fall on the horizon, it's time for DryHop to schedule some new firsts.

What’s old is new again at Heartland Cafe, as Rogers Park’s darling eatery brings back its neighborhood store in line with its 38th anniversary. The longstanding cafe has been a neighborhood mainstay for decades, a pivotal keystone on Chicago’s north side for wholesome food, familiar faces, and crafty wares, the latter of which is back in full force at the adjoining store.

An alum of Top Chef Masters and the culinary maestro behind Takashi and Slurping Turtle, Takashi Yagihashi has proven his mettle both as an esteemed chef and as an amiable television personality. As Top Chef spins off yet again with their Duels edition, I chatted with Yagihashi about reality TV and the behind-the-scenes ingredients therein.