Good afternoon. My bold goal this week is eating all 10 of the best breakfast sandwiches for commuters. Can I do it without further morphing into a Santa Claus-looking degenerate? Only time will tell. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. The art world descends on Chicago next week

The ginormous art fair known as EXPO Chicago returns to Navy Pier’s Festival Hall, bringing nearly 200 galleries, thousands of artists and seemingly infinite opportunities to see art, my colleague Courtney Kueppers reports.

And it’s the first since EXPO was acquired by the global brand Frieze, which puts on major art shows in New York, Los Angeles, London and Seoul, Korea.

“The Frieze acquisition has meant a boost in the lineup of international galleries,” Kueppers reports.

“For example … there are more South Korean galleries (Hakgojae Gallery and Gana Art) showing this year than in the past several years — a result of Frieze’s relationships in that part of the world.”

Kueppers created a guide to the event for both newbies and super fans. She also includes after-hour parties that feature the city’s galleries on their home turf. [WBEZ]

2. Mayor Johnson asks you to ‘name one thing … I haven’t done’

Mayor Brandon Johnson made that comment in an interview with Block Club Chicago marking a year since he was elected. Here’s the full quote: “Name one thing that I said I was gonna do that I haven’t done. You won’t be able to,” he said.

Some observers were more than happy to tackle that challenge, which comes just a few weeks after voters rejected the Bring Chicago Home referendum, a plan backed by the mayor to help fund services for the homeless.

Johnson also defended his handling of the migrant crisis that has sparked criticism from some of his allies.

“There is nothing in my agenda that has been delayed or slowed as a result of this,” he said. “There’s nowhere else in the country right now that has been able to establish a migrant resettlement operation held up by a local economy, while also pursuing our progressive agenda.” [Block Club Chicago]

Speaking of which, Johnson this week urged President Joe Biden to dole out more work permits for long-term immigrants. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. A celebrity wants to be elected to Chicago’s school board

Grammy-winning songwriter Che “Rhymefest” Smith announced he is campaigning for a seat on the city’s first-ever elected school board, my colleague Sarah Karp reports.

At a campaign kickoff event this week, Smith began by rapping the Oscar-winning song “Glory” that he wrote with rap artist Common and singer John Legend.

When the music cut off, he said: “That song that you heard was written by two products of Chicago Public Schools. What did we learn when we went to those schools — we learned about our community, we learned about our ancestors … we learned about how to navigate this world and create our ways out of our own problems. … And somewhere along that road, we’ve gone off course.”

Ten candidates will be elected to represent districts across the city this year. Another 11 will be appointed by the mayor. Then, in two years, all 21 members will be elected with the president facing a citywide contest. [WBEZ]

4. U.S. employers added 303,000 jobs last month

The news is “bolstering hopes that the economy can vanquish inflation without succumbing to a recession in the face of high interest rates,” The Associated Press reports.

The unemployment rate also dropped 3.9% to 3.8%, according to the Labor Department. That means the jobless rate has remained below 4% for 26 straight months.

Many of the job gains were concentrated in three categories: health care and private education, leisure and hospitality, and government.

Economists say one factor that has helped the U.S. avoid an economic recession is immigrants, who have “addressed labor shortages and slowed upward pressure on wage growth,” the AP reports. “This helped allow inflation to cool even as the economy kept growing.” [AP]

5. Backstage with the 28-year-old maestro coming to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

The CSO this week announced Klaus Mäkelä will become the institution’s next music director at the tender age of 28, five decades younger than predecessor Riccardo Muti.

My colleague Courtney Kueppers caught up with the maestro, who is in town for a series of concerts this weekend.

“Sporting a stylish monochromatic outfit and Saint Laurent sneakers, Mäkelä doesn’t seem like the new guy in town,” Kueppers reports.

“He has the confidence and assuredness of a seasoned pro, which — despite his age — he is. He already heads orchestras in Oslo and Paris — and he credits his time in the French capital for his fashion sense.”

Mäkelä, a Helsinki native, says he’s not worried about Chicago’s notorious winters.

“It’s cozy,” he said of the snow. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Israel’s military dismissed officers over the World Central Kitchen airstrike. [NPR]

• A 4.8 magnitude earthquake rattled New York City and much of the Northeast. [AP]

• The US Army Corps of Engineers plans to fully reopen the channel leading to the Baltimore port by the end of May. [CNN]

• Remember the Willy Wonka-themed event in Glasgow? The actor who played the Unknown is heading to a bigger stage. [New York Times]

Oh, and one more thing …

If you’re wondering what to wear during Monday’s solar eclipse, avoid neutral tones, The State Journal-Register reports.

“According to experts at Solar Eyeglasses, it’s best to wear shades of red and green to enhance your viewing experience,” the newspaper reports.

“As the eclipse nears totality, about five minutes prior, the human eye enters the mesopic vision zone, where surroundings begin to look less colorful, turning a gray and silvery color. As the sky darkens, colors, especially warmer ones like red and orange, start to lose vibrancy and saturation, mixing in with the grays. Meanwhile, green shades become brighter and more vibrant.” [SJ-R]

Tell me something good …

What’s your favorite breakfast or brunch spot in the Chicago area?

Kelly Krein writes:

“My favorite brunch spot in Chicago is Esencia Urban Kitchen on Roscoe and Broadway. I first fell in love with their spiced hot coffees when I was living on Melrose and my now-husband lived on Cornelia, and we would meet in the middle for delicious food. Now we return around my birthday and anniversary each year, even though we’ve moved to various other neighborhoods. Highly recommend the morning wrap (for Ben) and the sunny side huevos rancheros (for me)!”

And Joan Hersh writes:

“My favorite breakfast/brunch spot is Reno in Logan Square, right across the street from the Blue Line. Since the pandemic, breakfast on weekdays doesn’t start now until 10:30 a.m. On the weekends it opens at 9 a.m.

“They have a wood fired oven and it produces what I believe are the BEST bagels in Chicago. They aren’t too big; they are chewy and have an actual hole in the center. I always keep an ‘emergency bagel’ in my freezer. I never know when the bagel urge will strike. They also make their own lox and serve a very generous portion with each order. Their breakfast sandwiches on either a bagel or a house made roll are delicious and filling. This is a very unpretentious room with outdoor tables in season.”

Thanks for all the emails this week. It was nice hearing from y’all.