Becky in Chicago

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Becky in Chicago Your cool auntie in Chicago, helping you explore the city. Local gems, neighborhood vibes and small adventures.

09/25/2026

A follower asked me about networking events for job hunters in Chicago and while I think I’m pretty awful at networking, here’s what I know. PLEASE if you have resources to share, do it into a comment!

1 Million Cups - Chicago sends out a newsletter full of networking events every week.

Chicago Tech Collective looks like it might be cool, though I’ve never gone since the tickets cost money and, well, I’m unemployed.

NeverSearchAlone.org matches you with a small group that gives support, accountability and resources. I just signed up this week, so I don’t have experience with it yet, but it was recommended by a few different people I know.

Meetup for both events in your field and just stuff you like — and don’t ignore the latter because you really need something that fills your cup, and you never know who you’re going to meet or where your next lead comes from.

Finally, what ISN’T helpful: The job seeker discourse on social media. All you see is horror stories, but what you don’t see is what industry they’re in, what level they’re at, where they are geographically, how good or bad their resume is, how good it bad they are at interviewing — you have almost nothing in common with them being existing in this market, which you shady now is awful, so why are you listening to and comparing yourself to them? STOP THAT. LOG OFF. TOUCH SOME GRASS.

FINAL NOTE: I swear on the sweet baby Jesus that resume writers and job coaches will be blocked, because nothing I’ve seen in the last seven months has convinced me that y’all aren’t a bunch of scammers preying on the desperation of people who have no income and a fast dwindling financial runway. ☺️

09/24/2026

🚨 Last call for up to 5x points! Lettuce’s Scratch Off ends on 9/30. 🚨

A few weeks ago, I spent a day racking up as many points as I could and ended up just seven points shy of $20 Reward Dollars. Now I need a quick way to get those last seven points before my reservation at Crying Tiger. How would YOU make that happen 30 minutes before your reservation?

My stops today:
🍹 Gus’ Sip & Dip
🐅 cryingtigerchicago

You can earn anywhere from 2x up to 5x points with Lettuce’s Scratch Off through the end of September, making it one of Chicago’s best dining deals. Set your reservations now to maximize your points before it’s over — and remember, you can still earn rewards at Lettuce Entertain You ® restaurants all through the year.

⬇️ Link to download the LettuceEats app is in my profile.

09/22/2026

I tried “Chicago’s Original Italian Beef” at Buona and I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but I have discovered that Italian beef is better in a bowl topped with fries instead of on a bun. I said what I said. (Ad)

Here’s my reasoning:
- It’s not as messy to eat. I always avoided ordering a beef for lunch when I worked downtown because it was so messy!
- Trading the bun for fries is a solid way to cut the gluten*
- The fries soak up all that juicy goodness BEAUTIFULLY and their crispiness contributes texture

I’m sure y’all will tell me why I’m wrong in the comments, but this Italian beef hack SLAPPED.

* Disclaimer: I’m not calling this gluten-free since I don’t know if there’s cross-contamination. I recommend inquiring directly with Buona if you need to get clarification.

09/21/2026

Taste testing Vadilal Ice Creams and Reena’s ice cream and kulfi from Patel Brothers!

Indian ice cream flavors I tasted:
🟡 Anjeer (fig)
🟠 Kesar Pista Kulfi (saffron, cashew, almond)
🟣 Kesar Mohini (saffron, pistachio)
🟡 Butterscotch
🌺 Falooda Kulfi (rose)

The Anjeer was my favorite.

Which flavors do you like best? And which should I get next time?

09/17/2026

✨ Let’s support our neighbors in Little Village ✨

This week marks one year since ICE began to kidnap and terrorize Chicago. La Villita was hit particularly hard, and while the violent spectacle of it has seemingly ended, it doesn’t mean that ICE has gone. There still here, still kidnapping our neighbors, just more quietly.

And every time they’re active in a neighborhood, the small businesses that serve those neighbors take another hit.

I attended a press conference marking the anniversary in Little Village on Tuesday, then spent my day there doing what I do — exploring the neighborhood.

Today’s Little Village itinerary:
☕️ Bueno Days (tamarindo cold brew)
⛪️ La Villita Community Church (press conference)
🌮 Nuevo Leon Restaurant🇲🇽 (beef barbacoa tacos)
🛍️ Discount Mall (treasure hunting)
🐈‍⬛ La Jaliscience (cat figurine)
🍨 Azucár (fresas y chocolate)

I should note that this itinerary is not as walkable as I usually like, but I had a car this time and wanted to prioritize places I hadn’t been to before. This is my second exploration of Little Village. You can find the first if you scroll back to last November in my profile.

09/15/2026

📣 “Hunger is a policy choice.” 📣

Those words really stuck with me when I visited the Greater Chicago Food Depository last week. They just released their 2026 Hunger in Chicago Report. I spent Wednesday day helping to pack more than 10,000 meals alongside Raven Schwam-Curtis, Tatyana Najee||MermaidTM, Daniel Flores and Qasim Rashid. We also got to speak with leaders within the organization to learn more about the new report, and the stats are stunning.

🍽️ 1 in 3 Chicago households is experiencing food insecurity
🍽️ 47% of Chicago households with kids is food insecure
🍽️ 31% of Chicagoans have skipped paying bills to pay for food

Meanwhile, the federal government is cutting SNAP benefits, all while rents and grocery costs are rising.

None of this is okay, but there are things you can do to help.

→ Volunteer at or make a donation to Greater Chicago Food Depository. Every $1 provides 3 meals that fight hunger in Chicago.
→ Check in on your friends, family and neighbors. 1 in 3 means that someone you know is food insecure.
→ Visit chicagosfoodbank.org/advocacy and click the “Take Action” button to ask Congress to reverse the SNAP cuts

I’ll share a link to the report in my profile.

09/13/2026

Who was going to tell me that there’s a restaurant in Chicago that does BACON FLIGHTS!? (AD)

Seriously, next time you need a dinner reservation in the Theatre District give The Grillroom a try. Because after you’ve sampled the bacon flight, you’ll want to give the mac and cheese a go. And then you’ll want a perfectly cooked dry-aged ribeye.

And it’s all just across the street from the CIBC Theatre so you won’t miss your show!

Here’s what I ordered:
🥓 Nueske’s thick-cut bacon flight
🍅 Burrata
🥩 16 oz. dry-aged ribeye
🥬 Crispy sesame brussel sprouts
🧀 Mac & cheese
🍰 Banana cake
☕️ Cappuccino

📍 The Grillroom Chophouse & Winebar
33 W. Monroe St., Chicago

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Chicago, IL

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