👋 Hey it's Monica. Last week I met up again with "The Bear" star Jeremy Allen White, just hours after he casually dropped into Mr. Beef and "freaked out" the customers.

Why it matters: In arguably the summer's hottest show, White plays a chef who takes over Mr. Beef (with a different name), and it's driving new hordes of excited fans to the Italian beef stand.

Full disclosure: I'd probably spill my giardiniera too if White walked into Mr. Beef while I was downing a sandwich.

What they're saying: White explained that he hung out with Chris Zucchero, who owns Mr. Beef, had a cameo in "The Bear" and was childhood friends with showrunner Christopher Storer.

• "I asked how it's going, and he was like, 'It's been crazy.'"
• "We filmed there and so it was really exciting to go back and meet all these people who are into the show," says White, who was in town for a quick round of media interviews.

Our beefs: We love the show but also shared some complaints with him about un-Chicago details like…

• A health department that uses a letter-grade system instead of our city's pass-fail system.
• An Italian beef joint that bakes its own bread and is not open for lunch. Really?
• "Yeah, sure, I'll take that," White responded in a totally disarming way.

Yes but: He did have a good explanation for why his character, Carmy, has almost no Chicago accent. Only his on-screen cousin Richie does.

• "Carmy has been running away from Chicago for years, so Chris [Storer] didn't want him to really have an accent," he says. "But when Richie and Carmy are talking to each other, especially when they're shouting, it will slip out."

What's next: "The Bear" just got picked up for a second season, to be released in 2023. So keep an eye out for filming this fall.

Go deeper to find out what kind of restaurant "The Bear" will become next season

The Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) elected state Rep. Lisa Hernandez as its new chairperson.

Why it matters: As Gov. J.B. Pritzker's handpicked chairperson, Hernandez is likely to give him more control of fundraising and candidate slating for future elections.

Context: U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly had served as chair since the abrupt resignation of Michael Madigan in 2021. But Kelly withdrew from last weekend's election because she didn't have the central committee votes.

What they're saying: "The DPI has taken dramatic steps forward by modernizing our party operations, developing new and impactful programming, and re-engaging with the national Democratic Party in a way not seen in decades," Kelly said in a statement.

• Under Kelly's direction, the party has been vying for an earlier 2024 primary date and to bring the national convention here.

The other side: Hernandez's supporters noted that because of Kelly's job title, she had restrictions on fundraising. Hernandez does not have those restrictions.

• Hernandez is part of Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch's leadership team.
• She also had strong ties to former Speaker Mike Madigan.
• She was backed by Pritzker, U.S. Rep. Chuy Garcia and several other prominent state Democrats.

Keep reading

👋 Hi, it's Justin! The Bears are almost a week into the 2022 training camp at Halas Hall.

• If you want to impress your friends but don't know much about how an NFL training camp works beyond having watched "Hard Knocks," here is a surefire guide to impress your friends, co-workers and that sports nut at the end of the bar.

Context: The Bears used to hold their camp in Bourbonnais but moved it to their Lake Forest headquarters in 2020.

• If you want to score early points in the conversation, a simple "I miss Platteville" will do the trick.

State of play: All eyes on the quarterback. He wears the red jersey and he's not allowed to be hit by the defense. So even though he can look good (or bad), it's not a real, game-like scenario.

• So next time you see Fields connect on a nice pass, shout out, "Now let's see him do that with pads on and a linebacker coming free on a weak-side blitz." Maybe too much, but I think you can pull it off.

Full guide

💰 We still don't know who won the $1.34 billion Mega Millions lottery drawing. The ticket was purchased from a Speedway in Des Plaines. (CNN)

⚽ Chelsea has an agreement in place to purchase the contract of Chicago Fire goalkeeper Gaga Slonina. He will join the team after the Fire finish their season. (The Athletic)

"Star Trek" star Nichelle Nichols died this weekend at the age of 89. She was born in south suburban Robbins. (Patch)

💼 Check out who’s hiring around the city.

1. Assistant Director, Digital Communications at School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
2. US Senior Program Manager at GiveDirectly.
3. Operations Manager at Hyde Park Venture Partners.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

With all the recent success of "The Bear," you'd think it was the only TV show that was ever set and shot in Chicago.

Context: Chicago has hosted a ton of shows. "ER," "Chicago Fire" and "The Bob Newhart Show" all come to mind.

What's happening: All this week, we want you to vote on the best Chicago show of all time.

• We've set up a Sweet 16 tournament.

Sorry: We know there are lots more, but we just don't have room for all of them.

Rules: It's up to you to decide what makes a great local show. Some are shot here, some are just set here. Some show Chicago, some just talk about it. Some get it right, some don't.

• Vote here.

What's next: Tomorrow, we'll move on to the Elite 8.

📬 What did we miss? Reply to this email to complain or advocate for your favorites. We'll use some of your comments throughout the week.