Waco's next new Italian restaurant — Wise Guys Chicago Eatery — is a couple of weeks away from opening its doors in the Westview Village Shopping Center on Valley Mills Drive.

I spoke with co-owner Bill Nychay, who gave me a tour and overview of the new restaurant this morning. The interior is already outfitted with distinctive Chicago decorations and photos (mob guys and Chicago Bears, stuff like that).

Did anybody know Thursday is National Taco Day? I didn't until I read a press release sent to me recently by Taco Cabana. (A good indication that this WacoFork adventure is going ok is that I'm receiving unsolicited press releases from Taco Cabana.)

I personally think of most Thursdays as taco days, but if we need a day to nationally recognize tacos, then so be it.

I don't believe there's a market for a sociological study of the feelings of Waco residents about Lubbock and Lubbock residents about Waco. But if there were, I feel extremely qualified to write it. I've thought about it many times as I cruised the more-than-300-mile drive between the two Texas cities.

The thesis (and also the reason why there's not a market) is that folks in the two towns don't have much regard for the other. I've never heard anyone in Waco say anything like "You know how they do it in Lubbock? We should do it like that." Or the other way around, for that matter.

As I was settling in to watch the end of the Rangers game on Tuesday evening, the WacoFork wire alerted me to the possible closing of Lake Brazos Steakhouse. I was pointed in the direction of Twitter and the tweeter, whoever he or she was, apparently had the story hot and correct.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm out of town at the moment, so I wasn't able to flesh this thing out on my own on Wednesday, but Waco Tribune-Herald business writer Mike Copeland reported that the health department closed Lake Brazos and the owners took the cue to call it.

I've heard a lot of buzz lately about the Brew at the Zoo and I definitely understand why. A beer tasting at the zoo complete with animal encounters? Can't miss good time. Right?

But any of us who haven't already secured Brew at the Zoo tickets need to act quickly. The Cameron Park Zoo folks told me this week that tickets are running out and they expect them to be gone by Friday.

It's been a couple of weeks now since Freebirds and Quaker Steak & Lube opened during a three-day span. Since then, I've fielded quite a few questions about Quaker Steak & Lube and not that many about Freebirds.

This is predictable, of course. Freebirds, a restaurant chain that originated in Texas, is a known quantity. Waco's Quaker Steak & Lube is the first of its kind in Texas, so very few people knew what to expect and even fewer had encountered The Lube.

I barely had time to wonder what might be on the way as construction crews broke ground at the parking lot near Wal-Mart. On Saturday, I heard through the WacoFork wire that it would be a new Peter Piper Pizza.

So during my usual Monday recon rounds, I was able to confirm with Peter Piper general manager Cinthya Perea that it would indeed be their new store.

Perea said the plan is for the new Peter Piper Pizza to open Feb. 13. She said it will not have bumper cars like the current location, but it will include a more adult-friendly (translation: slightly quieter) separate party room.

We reported a couple of weeks ago that D's Mediterranean Grill closed for a brief period in order to remodel its interior.

Well, D's is already back in business with an updated look inside and outside that gives it a more authentic Mediterranean feel. I spoke with Sadie Issa today, who told me the family restaurant was closed a few more days than her dad, Nizam Issa wanted, but they're happy with the results.

In case anyone is thinking the new wave of restaurants to hit our town has subsided, well, it hasn't.

Among the next ripple of new will be The Egg and I, a breakfast-brunch-lunch cafe that is set to open October 15 in the shopping center on Franklin Avenue which is anchored by Outback Steakhouse.

I don't know if this qualifies as Waco's best kept secret, because nobody associated with the El Crucero Taco Truck @ Common Grounds is trying to keep it secret. But it still kind of feels that way.

That's because it's a fantastic place to have a delicious breakfast burrito — and now street tacos as well — in an atmosphere that's both comfortable and dynamic. But the line is never very long, unlike another brand new local burrito eatery that has a line that extends out the front door at lunch time (Freebirds).