Chicago Gourmet rises again

1 big thing: Chicago Gourmet rises again 

2. Chart of the Day: Tech salaries 

New jobs to check out

3. Tips and hot links 

Illustration of the Chicago flag with the stars changing into the words "Tips and Hot Links."

How out-of-towners enjoy Chicago

4. Treating out-of-towners

Happy Thursday! Today begins a new season, a celebration of all things autumnal. 

Still, it is Chicago, so give that about a week. 

🍂 Today's weather: Fall-ing temperatures. Cooler, with a high of 64.

Today's newsletter is 719 words — a 2.5-minute read. It was edited by Everett Cook and copy edited by Rob Reinalda.

🤗 Monica is jazzed about the Hyde Park Jazz Festival this weekend. 

🌴 Justin is still at the ONA conference in downtown LA. Tonight's plans include hanging with friends in Silver Lake and Los Feliz. He is hoping The Dresden is still open. 

Want free Axios swag? Refer your friends to Axios Chicago and get cool merch like stickers, totes, hats, T-shirts and more!

Chicago

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Chicago. Written by Monica Eng and Justin Kaufmann.

Axios Chicago

Homicides down in Chicago, mirroring national trend

1 big thing: Midyear snapshot of crime trends 

Illustration of a number sign made out of crime scene tape.

Where to celebrate Oktoberfest in Chicago

2. Oktoberfests in September 

Illustration of the Chicago municipal device made out of Chicago-style hot dogs.

Best Day Ever: David Manilow

4. Best Day Ever: David Manilow 

Do you see yourself with a new career? 

Top Texas food to bring to your Bears/Texans tailgate

5. Eat Their Lunch: Houston Texans 

🍢 Happy Friday! Today is National Snack Stick Day. It's about time, right? 

☁️ Today's weather: Cloudy and cool with a high of 65. 

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Chicago member Rachelle Foerster! And an early happy birthday to Hillary Huffordtucker!

🎉 Situational awareness: To all who observe, we wish you Happy Rosh Hashana this Sunday. 

We'll send your next newsletter in the new year (5783)!

Today's newsletter is 921 words — a 3.5-minute read. Edited by Everett Cook and copy edited by Rob Reinalda.

🧑‍🍳 Monica was inspired by how Chicago's culinary community showed up Wednesday to raise funds for refugees of the devastated Tigray region of Ethiopia. Check out some of the food and chefs here. 

🎥 Justin is still in LA. He's going to go see his old sketch comedy buddies from Schadenfreude tonight. They'll probably go find where they shot "Lethal Weapon" or "Back to the Future." Don't wait up. 

Differences between 911 and new 988 line in Chicago

1 big thing: Mental health emergencies

Illustration of a woman's hands making a heart shape over a red siren light.

2. Chart of the day: Price increases

Illustration of a restaurant-style neon sign featuring the Axios logo, and reading "Tips & Hot Links."

"Fiddler on the Roof" plays grandly on Lyric stage

4. "Fiddler" plays grandly on Lyric stage 

Now hiring: New job openings

5. Where's Monica? Cantigny Park 

🏙 Happy Wednesday! Today is National New York Day. Meh, we'll pass. 

⛈ Today's weather: A slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, with a high of 81. 

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Chicago member Todd Young! 

📘 Become an Axios Chicago member and contribute $100 or more between now and Sept. 30 to receive a copy of Axios' "Smart Brevity" book! Promotion Terms apply.

Today's newsletter is 692 words — a 2.5-minute read. It was edited by Everett Cook and copy edited by Rob Reinalda.

🌴 Justin is in Los Angeles this week for the Online News Association conference. Tonight, he's going to Troubadour and Rainbow to relive his '80s hair metal memories. 

🎻 Monica is toiling away as a solo newsletter writer while Justin attends important conference panels, lectures and parties in California. Cue the violins.  

Frustrating service fees running rampant

1 big thing: Frustrating ticket fees 

Graphic with a ticket with dollar signs printed on it

Housing coming to LaSalle Street

2. Housing coming to LaSalle Street

Illustration of a humongous Willis Tower looming over the earth and sending out small lightning bolts from its antennas.

Chicago chefs mobilize again, this time for Puerto Rico

4. Local chefs mobilize again

Photo of chefs in aprons posing for the camera. 

Take your career to the next level

5. Where in the world is … Justin?

👋 Happy Tuesday! On this day in 1950, Chicago poet Gwendolyn Brooks became the first Black American to win a Pulitzer Prize. 

🧣 Today's weather: Sunny but chilly. High of 59. 

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Chicago member Liane Gonzalez!

Today's newsletter is 716 words — a 2.5-minute read. Edited by Everett Cook and copy edited by Rob Reinalda.

🐇 Monica took her rabbit Binky for speed dates at the Red Door Animal Shelter over the weekend. She's happy to report that he really clicked with a certain lop-eared bun and she has moved into an adjacent hutch for now. 

🥎 Justin congratulates WGN Radio for winning this year's Kup Cup in the 16-inch softball media league! Enjoy it … for now. 

Trail Mix: Pritzker vs. Proft

1 big thing: Election judge shortage

Photo illustration of Arkansas Governor J. B. Pritzker with lines radiating from him.

2. MMQB: Bears run over Texans 

A football player takes a selfie with fans. 

3. Tips and links 

Illustration of a Chicago deep dish pizza with the Axios logo made of cheese. 

4. Know your boundaries

Game demonstration about drawing your neighborhood

Bite Club: Cheesy, pickly dumplings

5. Bite Club: Cheesy, pickly dumplings 

 📺 Happy Monday! On this day in 1960, the first televised presidential debate took place in Chicago. 

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny and breezy with a high of 64.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Chicago member Stephen Schmidt!

🦠 Situational awareness: Data suggests flu season could be bad and early this year, so doctors are advising patients to get their shots soon.

Today's newsletter is 894 words — a 2.5-minute read. Edited by Everett Cook and copy edited by Rob Reinalda. 

🇵🇷 Monica is excited for tonight's Honey Butter Fried Chicken collab with Monchomancheo to aid hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. Enjoy fried chicken jibaritos and this amazing stuff.  Viva Puerto Rico!

🚗 Justin will never curse the Kennedy again after sitting in traffic on the 101 and 110 all last week. 

Bill Linden was close to booking tickets last month to the Museum of Ice Cream on Michigan Avenue, a treat for his 75th birthday. 

Linden tells us he was looking forward to going despite the expensive base tickets ($36-$44), but his patience ended when he got to the final payment screen and saw $18 in taxes and service fees.

"Service for what????!," Linden wrote in an online complaint. "I did all the work! I will never ever visit."

Why it matters: Expensive "service fees" have infuriated ticket buyers and some bands for decades, but better technology — that leaves more work to the consumer — seems to have only raised those fees. 

And at places like the Museum of Ice Cream, where service fees are $9.50 to $11.37 per person, ticket buyers can't even go straight to the box office anymore to avoid the fees.

What they're saying: "It's ridiculous," Linden says. "It feels like a total racket."

Several other angry ticket buyers have posted similar sentiments.

A screenshot of a recent purchase of tickets for the Museum of Ice Cream. Screenshot: Monica Eng/Axios

The other side: Museum of Ice Cream officials attribute the fees to Peek, the company they hire to "manage scheduling, customer service, in-depth reporting, and communications."

Yes, but: Tickets we checked through Peek for other local attractions — including architecture tours, kayak tours and crime tours — list smaller fees.

A screenshot of a receipt showing charges. 

A screenshot of other receipts. Screenshot: Monica Eng/Axios 

What's more: Justin ran into annoying service fees when booking tickets for the Color Factory, which uses Peek. 

And when he tried to buy Cubs tickets at Wrigley this summer, the box office clerk told him to hand her his phone so that she could buy the ticket for him — with service fees — online. 

Cubs officials say the policy started in 2019. 

What's next: Despite the complaints, Museum of Ice Cream officials say they are not currently seeking a different ticketing service. 

They are, however, touting a 20% discount on kids' tickets by using a BACKTOSCHOOL code this month. 

Technology that leaves more work to the consumer seems to have only raised service fees.

Bill Linden was close to booking tickets last month to the Museum of Ice Cream on Michigan Avenue, a treat for his 75th birthday. <ul><li>Linden tells us he was looking forward to going despite the expensive base tickets ($36-$44), but his patience ended when he got to the final payment screen and saw $18 in taxes and service fees.</li></ul>

News

Business

👋 Hey, it's Monica. I'm a sucker for novel foods. 

So when I spotted "pickle cheese schupfnudeln"  among the new Aldi Oktoberfest items, I was like, "Yes, please!" 

What's happening: Schupfnudeln means rolled noodles, but these chewy fingers, eaten on the Alsatian border of France and Germany, are more like elongated gnocchi. 

After a couple of minutes in the microwave, the frozen fingers and cheese pucks bubbled into potato pillows bathed in rich, delicious pickle-ish cheese.

Warning: These big, soft dumplings (from Deutsche Küche) can easily send you into a carb coma, so avoid them for workday lunches.

You'll find them in Aldi freezers this week — unless I've just caused a run on schupfnudeln.

Two bowls: one has frozen noodles and cheese disks and the other has melted cheese and noodles. 

Frozen schupfnudeln and cheese out of the bag and the finished melty product. 

These chewy fingers are more like elongated gnocchi.

Batavia-based Aldi is offering these pickle cheese dumplings this week. Photos: Monica Eng/Axios

👋 Hey, it&#x27;s Monica. I&#x27;m a sucker for novel foods. <ul><li>So when I spotted &quot;pickle cheese schupfnudeln&quot; among the new Aldi Oktoberfest items, I was like, &quot;Yes, please!&quot; </li></ul>

Food and Drink

Local chefs recently raised more than $100,000 for the humanitarian crisis in Tigray — and just days later, they've cooked up a new response event.

Chicago Chefs Cook for Puerto Rico is tomorrow night in Humboldt Park.  

Why it matters: Puerto Rico is still reeling from Hurricane Fiona, where more than 700,000 Americans still lack electricity, and more than 250,000 are without water service. 

Proceeds from tomorrow's event will fund the on-the-ground World Central Kitchen.

If you go: Tickets for the event — featuring music, drinks and small plates from a dozen top chefs from 6 to 9pm — cost $155.  

Chicago Chefs Cook for Puerto Rico is Wednesday night in Humboldt Park.

Food professionals raising money for Tigray last week at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture. Courtesy of Chicago Chefs Cook

Local chefs recently raised <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="more than $100,000" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ciype-qj8a6/" data-vars-content-id="5c8d416a-d171-45ec-b22f-a2c45ad7a75b" data-vars-headline="Chicago chefs mobilize again, this time for Puerto Rico" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ciype-qj8a6/" target="_blank">more than $100,000</a> for the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="humanitarian crisis in Tigray" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2022/09/16/chicago-chefs-aid-tigray" data-vars-content-id="5c8d416a-d171-45ec-b22f-a2c45ad7a75b" data-vars-headline="Chicago chefs mobilize again, this time for Puerto Rico" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2022/09/16/chicago-chefs-aid-tigray" target="_self">humanitarian crisis in Tigray</a> — and just days later, they&#x27;ve cooked up a new response event.<ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Chicago Chefs Cook for Puerto Rico " data-vars-click-url="https://nmprac.org/donations/chicago-chefs-cook-for-puerto-rico/" data-vars-content-id="5c8d416a-d171-45ec-b22f-a2c45ad7a75b" data-vars-headline="Chicago chefs mobilize again, this time for Puerto Rico" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://nmprac.org/donations/chicago-chefs-cook-for-puerto-rico/" target="_blank">Chicago Chefs Cook for Puerto Rico </a>is tomorrow night in Humboldt Park. </li></ul>

Things to Do

Despite its name, Oktoberfest is mostly a September tradition — and this weekend we're chugging right into the middle of the season. 

Why it matters: The German-themed festivals arrive on our first cool weekend since the spring, making it a perfect time to raise a beer and pretzel to summer's end.

And my son, who is an avid Axios reader, has been on my case to run an Oktoberfest list for 20-somethings like him. 

These festivals are for more than just young beer guzzlers, but I get the point. 

Here are six fun Oktoberfests to check out this weekend: 

⛪️ Oktoberfest Chicago offers three days of beer, food and music, including the Bratwurst Brothers and the Polkaholics at Lakeview's historic German St Alphonsus Church.

🍂 Oaktoberfest in downtown Oak Park on Friday and Saturday features food, drinks, family fun and a music lineup that includes Will Hoge, Scott Ligon's All Stars and Walzer. 

🦍 Oktoberfest Brookfield takes place Saturday at Brookfield Zoo. Party animals can enjoy polka music, beer, brats and lederhosen. 

🎡 Manteno Oktoberfest runs through Sunday with music, food, games and 25 carnival rides. 

🧑‍🍳 Chicago Gourmet's Prost! in the Park features Germanic food from 18 chefs and 15 local breweries at the Harris Theater rooftop in Millennium Park on Sunday. 

🍺 Revolution Brewing's Oktoberfest features — you guessed it — beer, brats and bands Friday and Saturday in Avondale. 

What's more: If you miss these events, there's always Naperville's and St Benedict's Oktoberfests next weekend.

And plenty of related food and drink specials around town.  

We've got six fun Oktoberfests for you to check out this weekend.

German potato salad, sauerkraut, brats, beer and pretzels will all be on offer at Oktoberfests throughout the area this weekend. Photo courtesy of Oktoberfest Chicago

Despite its name, Oktoberfest is mostly a September tradition — and this weekend we&#x27;re chugging right into the middle of the season. Why it matters: The German-themed festivals arrive on our first cool weekend since the spring, making it a perfect time to raise a beer and pretzel to summer&#x27;s end.

Homicides in Chicago may be declining this year, but rape and robberies are on the rise, according to a midyear survey of large U.S. law enforcement agencies.

The big picture: Chicago is part of a national trend captured in the survey by the Major Cities Chiefs Associations, which shows that homicides are dropping in most major U.S. cities while other violent crimes are increasing.

Homicides decreased 2.4% in major cities from Jan. 1 to June 30 compared with the same period last year, Axios' Russell Contreras reports. Meanwhile, overall crime spiked 4.2%.

Zoom in: The survey shows Chicago saw 10% fewer homicides through the first six months of 2022 compared with the same period in 2021.

Homicides dropped from 344 to 311 during that period.

And aggravated assaults dropped from 8,038 to 7,765.

Yes, but: Certain crimes over the last two years, particularly carjackings, have hit record levels. So far, 2022 is on track to match last year. So even if the pace marginally decreases, that's still not a big victory.

Rape cases rose from 860 in 2021 to 914 in 2022, while robberies jumped from 3,261 to 3,910.

The big picture: Crime in the surveyed cities is still way up over pre-pandemic levels, with a 50% increase in homicides and a roughly 36% increase in aggravated assaults compared with the MCCA's 2019 midyear report. 

Of note: The survey isn't official crime data. But it's used to gauge crime trends ahead of the release of October's FBI Uniform Crime Report.

But while homicides may be declining, rape and robberies are on the rise.

Crime

Homicides in Chicago may be declining this year, but rape and robberies are on the rise, according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="midyear survey" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/29114728.88/aHR0cHM6Ly9tYWpvcmNpdGllc2NoaWVmcy5jb20vd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjIvMDgvTUNDQS1WaW9sZW50LUNyaW1lLVJlcG9ydC0yMDIyLWFuZC0yMDIxLU1pZHllYXIucGRmP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1uZXdzbGV0dGVyX2F4aW9zbG9jYWxfZGVudmVyJnN0cmVhbT10b3A/612428039e4cf5278e161cc7B731d8b6c" data-vars-content-id="b8f5cae8-378a-43d0-b047-f5ed08fbda21" data-vars-headline="Homicides down in Chicago, mirroring national trend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/29114728.88/aHR0cHM6Ly9tYWpvcmNpdGllc2NoaWVmcy5jb20vd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjIvMDgvTUNDQS1WaW9sZW50LUNyaW1lLVJlcG9ydC0yMDIyLWFuZC0yMDIxLU1pZHllYXIucGRmP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1uZXdzbGV0dGVyX2F4aW9zbG9jYWxfZGVudmVyJnN0cmVhbT10b3A/612428039e4cf5278e161cc7B731d8b6c" target="_blank">midyear survey</a> of large U.S. law enforcement agencies.The big picture: Chicago is part of a national trend captured in the survey by the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Major Cities Chiefs Associations" data-vars-click-url="https://majorcitieschiefs.com/" data-vars-content-id="b8f5cae8-378a-43d0-b047-f5ed08fbda21" data-vars-headline="Homicides down in Chicago, mirroring national trend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://majorcitieschiefs.com/" target="_blank">Major Cities Chiefs Associations</a>, which shows that homicides are dropping in most major U.S. cities while other violent crimes are increasing.

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Monica Eng

Stories

Chicago chefs mobilize again, this time for Puerto Rico

Frustrating service fees running rampant

Bite Club: Cheesy, pickly dumplings

Where to celebrate Oktoberfest in Chicago

Homicides down in Chicago, mirroring national trend

Newsletter editions

🤬 Service fee overload

Pritzker vs. Proft

🍻 It's Oktoberfest season

🍽 Chicago Gourmet rises

📞 911 vs. 988