SAVORY news: Prime & Provisions, Nat'l Hot Dog Day and the 'World’s Largest Sour Candy Tasting'

—Eventful: Don’t forget that this is the last day for both the Taste of Chicago and Windy City Smokeout.

—✨✨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 Serena’s comeback, the 20th anniversary of an awful movie and my review of Madonna’s latest album, among many other topics.

—Prime time: After months of extensive reconstruction following a late 2025 kitchen fire, the steakhouse Prime & Provisions, 222 N. LaSalle St., will reopen its doors on Saturday, July 18.

At the center of the reopening are the returns of the restaurant’s culinary program and the nationally recognized beef program. Menu highlights will include 45-day dry-aged Linz Heritage beef selections like the 18 oz. bone-in Kansas City strip; a shellfish tower with ginger mignonette, official cocktail sauce and Meyer Lemon mustard sauce; Smokin’ S’mores with vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate mousse, housemade fluff and graham crumble; and a sundae cart service, among other things.

Also, there will be private dining and event spaces designed to accommodate everything from intimate gatherings to large-scale celebrations, with customizable menus and event capabilities for groups ranging from 15 to 600 guests.

—Setting the bar: I recently went to Motel Bar. Here is my review:

I must confess that I wasn’t aware of the Wisconsin supper-club scene. Not only are the clubs steeped in history but there’s a nice selection of upscale comfort foods/culinary events, including the Friday fish fry, Saturday prime rib, relish trays, cheese and crackers at the bar and the brandy Old Fashioned.

Motel Bar—which is open Tuesdays through Saturdays at 4-10 p.m.—brings all that and more to its location at 600 W. Chicago Ave. You’ll find vintage photos (including, yes, at least one of cows), low lighting and music that almost makes you wonder where the dance floor is. Fortunately, it also brings lots of delectable items—including one of the best dishes of its kind that I may have ever tasted.