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This is suspiciously good March weather, Chicago.

If you’re going to get out and enjoy yourselves as social activities begin to reopen, please remember to be respectful and responsible. We’re all going a little stir crazy, but let’s keep our collective cabin fever in check.

The importance of following social distancing guidelines was laid plain this week in a timely story with restaurant workers, who shared the weighty toll that working throughout a pandemic has taken on them, and how they’ve been left out of the industry reopening conversation.

We’ve also got at-home pizza recipes that are perfect for weeknights, a dessert vending machine that sources local goodies, plus the lowdown on McDonald’s flashy new fried chicken sandwich. See you Friday.

— Adam Lukach

The pandemic plight of Chicago restaurant workers: Maskless customers, no vaccines and a constant COVID-19 risk

Nick Bondi, bar manager at Jerry's Sandwiches, poses for a photograph at the restaurant in the Lincoln Square neighborhood Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Chicago. Bondi said he has worked for the company since the mid 2000s.
Nick Bondi, bar manager at Jerry’s Sandwiches, poses for a photograph at the restaurant in the Lincoln Square neighborhood Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Chicago. Bondi said he has worked for the company since the mid 2000s.

Risk COVID-19, or risk unemployment? That’s the crushing choice many restaurant workers have faced in the course of doing their jobs during the last 12 months, adding an extra dose of anxiety to an already stressful job.

In interviews with the Tribune, restaurant workers say they are grappling with both emotional strain and the daily mechanics of working through the pandemic.

Chicago bars and restaurants can stay open until 1 a.m., boost capacity to 50%, Lightfoot announced Tuesday

The best fast-food fried chicken sandwiches of 2021 ranked

Deluxe crispy chicken sandwich from McDonald's.
Deluxe crispy chicken sandwich from McDonald’s.

A definitive list of fried chicken sandwiches for the road: With McDonald’s launching its much-anticipated entry into the fried-chicken fray, we had to have reporter Nick Kindelsperger revisit his rankings of the fast food sandwiches to ensure the list is updated with the latest research to serve you, our readers.

McDonald’s new fried chicken sandwiches are a huge improvement. But do they stack up to Popeyes and KFC?

Ms. Biscuit, a legendary South Side breakfast spot, is reopening at last. ‘Our family is mustering up everything we have to keep the dream alive.’

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You can, and should, get the biscuits at Ms. Biscuit grilled, which gives them crackly edges.
You can, and should, get the biscuits at Ms. Biscuit grilled, which gives them crackly edges.

The restaurant opened in the late 1970s, when Bob and Juanita Johnson quit their jobs in the Chanute Air Force Base mess hall to open their own restaurant in the Woodlawn neighborhood. Eventually, the restaurant moved to a much larger space in Washington Park, but it has been closed for the last two years. Now, its owners are preparing to reopen at last.

Evanston’s Gyros Planet and Taqueria will stay open after all. It raised more than its $30,000 goal in 24 hours. ‘People just showed us so much love and support.’

Customer and close friend Arnel Ladringan (cq) (left) has a laugh with Gyros Planet owner Erika Castro (cq), as Castro's son, Pablo Sanchez Jr. (cq), carries out a delivery order at their Evanston business on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. On Saturday, the family will be closing the Church St. restaurant.
Customer and close friend Arnel Ladringan (cq) (left) has a laugh with Gyros Planet owner Erika Castro (cq), as Castro’s son, Pablo Sanchez Jr. (cq), carries out a delivery order at their Evanston business on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. On Saturday, the family will be closing the Church St. restaurant.

Well, that was heartwarming. On Thursday, columnist Heidi Stevens wrote about the plight of the Evanston restaurant Gyros Planet and Taqueria, which had been a community fixture for free meals during the pandemic, but was facing closure due to mounting bills.

Locals set up a fundraiser for the owners, and by Friday evening, the $30,000 GoFundMe had met its goal.

Restaurants say delivery has been both a blessing and a curse during the pandemic. What happens as eateries reopen?

Lyndsey Kincaid prepares pickup and delivery orders at 5 Loaves Eatery Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021, in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago. The tiny restaurant, which during regular times only fit about 30 diners, has been converted into a busy pickup and delivery operation, with volume exceeding what it was pre-pandemic (though not profits, which are squeezed by the high delivery fees).
Lyndsey Kincaid prepares pickup and delivery orders at 5 Loaves Eatery Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021, in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago. The tiny restaurant, which during regular times only fit about 30 diners, has been converted into a busy pickup and delivery operation, with volume exceeding what it was pre-pandemic (though not profits, which are squeezed by the high delivery fees).

The pandemic has made food delivery central to people’s lives and catapulted the business of third-party delivery platforms, which many restaurants rely upon for marketing as well as drivers.

But the relationship is fraught with problems, prompting some restaurants to search for alternative delivery models they can sustain long term: “We have to get off of those platforms.”

Homemade pizza and pizza dough recipes for weeknight dinners

If you want to add some flare to your homemade pizza, a great addition is spicy sausage. It gives a nice heat to the mozzarella and sauce.
If you want to add some flare to your homemade pizza, a great addition is spicy sausage. It gives a nice heat to the mozzarella and sauce.

Maybe you don’t feel like springing for delivery tonight, or maybe you want to cook, but you want to make something “fun.” We get it. The Daily Meal has a bunch of pizza and pizza-inspired recipes, from making your own dough to mini naan pizzas to pizza roll-ups.

Pizza rolls taste test: Totino’s is not the best

The 25 best pizzas in the Chicago area

Burr Ridge’s ‘dessert ATM’ — The Bakery Box — fits right into pandemic times, looks to expand to more locations

The Bakery Box is a self-service dessert ATM with luxurious sweets located in the Burr Ridge Village Center lobby.
The Bakery Box is a self-service dessert ATM with luxurious sweets located in the Burr Ridge Village Center lobby.

The cute vending machine’s self-service concept fits right in during pandemic times (and is very fun). The best part? It sources its treat fresh from local bakeries.