If you’ve been to Birchwood Kitchen, Treat or Old Oak Tap recently, then hopefully you checked out the label on that hot sauce you tossed on your breakfast sandwich. Co-Op Image, a local philanthropic organization dedicated to creating public arts education programs for communities in need, has been stocking shelves with a hot sauce that warms the belly — and the heart, if you’re willing to open it! At $5.00 a bottle, you really can’t go wrong (cheap). Plus, the proceeds go to supporting Co-Op Image’s free youth art center in Humboldt Park (good cause).

Speaking of good causes, the Co-Op Image has a Green Rings benefit coming up:

It will be a lively evening with live music and entertainment, delicious food, and beverages. Live glass demos, a holiday art sale and many more curiosities will keep the Green Rings bustling. Suggested donation of $23 benefits our Youth Art Center in Humboldt Park.

The benefit will be held on Saturday, November 21 at 7:00 p.m. at Chicago Center for the Glass Arts at 1250 N. Central Park. It’s past brunch time, so no excuses.

— Carly Fisher

I have this idea that waffles could sometimes be savory instead of sweet. They seem like a good general-purpose vessel, where you could put some sausages and gravy on there, just for an e.g. What do you think?

Andrew B., Oakland, CA

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(Photo: Carly Fisher)

A new spot has just popped up and been tagged in Wicker Park — besides Big Star, I mean. At the moment, there are few details about the ETA on Bagel on Damen. And while it might be too soon to say, there’s a strong possibility that bagels will make an appearance on the menu. More details to follow as they surface.

— Carly Fisher

(Photo: John A. Benson)

Leftovers: use ‘em if you’ve got ‘em. In the ongoing quest to solve the Great Soggy Brunch Leftovers Debacle, Chicago Brunch Blog asked Erica Holland-Toll of Ducca in San Francisco, for some ideas on how to salvage scraps:

“Bacon butter: Chop [leftover] bacon in a food processor until finely ground and then fold into room temperature butter. You can sweeten it or keep it savory with Tabasco sauce and black pepper.  Use for green beans, baked potatoes, broccoli, soup garnish, pasta sauce, biscuit spread.”

Thanks to daylight savings, this has been a total TGI-eff this week. Welcome to commuter Dark Ages: rising to grayness and greeting the moon after work. Those of you who are attending SOFA this weekend will continue to bathe in artificial light. For the rest of us, it looks like this weekend is going to be a total heat wave — 60 degrees! Then again, the widget on my computer has broken my heart with a lie here and there, so don’t hold your breath.

(Photo: Carly Fisher)

Whatever your weekend plans, don’t forget to grab the most important meal of the day at one of these fine establishments.

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If you are sitting in a generic waffle house and some waitress with a lower back tattoo spills hot coffee all over your back, is it acceptable to just take off your white undershirt and finish your extra large stack of football-themed pancakes while your burning flesh airs out for all of the restaurant to see? This happened to me last week and I thought this was totally fine, but all these people seemed really grossed out by it because they are all really uptight and I guess they thought they were at the fucking Ritz or some bullshit.

Dylan C., Lansing, MI

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Big things are happening at Chicago Brunch Blog: new restaurants, features, web design and, of course, an endless supply of food porn.

Starting November 16, Chicago Brunch Blog is teaming up with the new Modern Luxury website so that you can conveniently catch up with select brunch articles and non-brunch content such as: exotic resorts, designer hand bags, high thread count sheets and other things that fall within the dope opulence category.

Keep checking back with the Chicago Brunch Blog home site for exclusive features and tracking down new brunch spots in the Restaurant Directory. Don’t forget to stalk us on the Twitterati @chibrunchblog and show some love by becoming “a fan” on Facebook.

— Carly Fisher