SAVORY news: A statewide candidate's pick, Frida's smackdown and a Pretty Cool collaboration

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—Smith-ical: Lucy Smith—a Chicago institution of a singer who leads the Lucy Smith Quintet—will present America: Songs and Stories of Protest and Freedom on Saturday, July 25, at Seward Park, 775 W. Elm St., at 6-7:30 p.m. (If the weather is inclement, the event will take place in the fieldhouse.)

The concert—featuring a project Smith has worked on with writer/narrator/spouse Cheryl Corley—will also be presented on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 5 p.m. at Clarendon Park (4501 N. Clarendon St.) and Saturday, Sept. 19, at 3 p.m. at Washington Park in front of DuSable History Museum (740 E. 56th Pl.). America: Songs and Stories of Protest and Freedom is part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks programming this year, so bring your chairs, blankets—and snacks.

—✨✨The write stuff: Be sure to read and subscribe to my other Substack—Pop-Eds: My thoughts on pop culture. (Like SAVOR, it’s less than $5/month to access everything.) My most recent column discusses Caitlin Clark’s predicament, Lindsey Graham’s legacy, and the politics of Taste of Chicago vs. Windy City Smokeout, among other topics.

And now, on to culinary items…

—Release the Hounds: The Chicago Hounds (co-owned by Chef Art Smith and husband Jesus Salgueiro) held a championship celebration on July 15 at Kaiser Tiger.

The Hounds defeated the California Legion 35-17 in the 2026 Major League Rugby (MLR) championship at SeatGeek Stadium to capture the first undefeated season in league history and clinch the team’s first MLR title. According to Smith, he and Salgueiro are the only same-sex couple to be part of an ownership of a professional rugby team in the United States, and Smith is the only chef in the country with such a position.

—✨✨RESTAURANT PICK: Despite an exhausting schedule, Democratic Illinois lieutenant governor candidate Christian Mitchell took time to weigh in on one of his favorite restaurants—an acclaimed spot on Chicago’s South Side.

Mitchell said that he likes “Virtue. It’s an incredible menu with very, very, very interesting flavor profiles. [The restaurant] rotates some but also has some dishes that are very consistent. My family is very much into Southern cuisine; [that] and soul food are what I grew up on. It’s a new modern twist—and it’s also not far from my house.”

Don’t forget that the Illinois general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

—Room with a view: And speaking of politics, the Pilsen brunch restaurant The Frida Room came out with an Instagram post denouncing GOP Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey—after the spot hosted a July 14 event featuring him.