It’s easy to imagine Chicago’s finest chefs slaving away over a hot stove with truffle oil in hand and foie gras at the ready. But when they get off work, many are just like the rest of us, which is to say: They eat junk. We asked seven culinary stars where their lowbrow desires lay—and instantly felt better about ourselves
Newly Knighted
Hot off the press: We can put the speculation to bed. Heath Ledger did indeed score a posthumous Oscar nom for his much-buzzed-about turn in The Dark Knight, as announced Thursday by the Academy. If you missed the flick—costarring Chicago—during its first run…
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Pagoda Red, purveyor of Asian antiques and artifacts, is having a warehouse sale this weekend (Saturday and Sunday, 10-5) at 1201 W. Washington Blvd. Look for discounts of up to 80 percent. All sales are final.
—Gina Bazer
List Price: $1.295 million
The Property: This house, one of a trio that Frank Lloyd Wright designed in his off-hours while employed by Louis Sullivan in the early 1890s, has been extensively renovated and expanded, all with a careful eye on the home’s history…
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Bedside Manor, a boutique that sells luxe linens, has signed a deal with Kindel Furniture Co. in Grand Rapids to carry a selected collection of the company’s handcrated pieces. Kindel has been making furniture in the U.S. since 1901 (it is sold locally at Macy’s and a couple other stores). At its four Chicago-area locations starting in March, Bedside Manor will feature a Louis XVI poster bed, occasional tables and chest from the Dorothy Draper collection, and upholstered bedroom chairs.
—JAN PARR
Theocracy in Action
“Despite the economy seeming to decline, our business has increased every month in a lot of ways,” says Theo Gilbert, chef-partner of Terragusto (1851 W. Addison St.; 773-248-2777). “We still turn away a couple of hundred people every week, so we’re opening a small restaurant similar to Terragusto to handle the overflow.” The new Terragusto (340 W. Armitage Ave.; 773-281-7200) bows this Friday (January 23rd) in the same mini shopping center as…
Hey, how about that—we have a new President! To celebrate the Inauguration and honor the Commander in Chief with something more fitting than a six-pack of Jones’s “Orange You Glad for Change” soda pop, Oak Park’s Careful Peach home boutique has designed and commissioned some exclusive Barack-collectibles with gravitas. Pick up a hand-etched Champagne bottle depicting Obama’s name, election dates and percentages, and a donkey kicking some serious elephant ass for $90. It was crafted by Peter Morava of Morava Glass Studios, who also did the light fixtures in that tricked-out vintage trailer we featured in the Sept.-Oct. issue. (Peter also happens to be married to the Peach’s owner, Karen.) The Peach is also campaigning its sterling silver-and-resin Obama/Biden cuff links, handmade in the O.P. (Karen tells me that at least three pair were actually in D.C. yesterday—maybe you caught a glimpse?). Save some more change at Restoration Hardware, where they pledge to cut $100 off any purchase over $400, including reduced and online sales, until Jan. 26. Mention code RNPR019 at checkout; offer good in red and blue states. And to get your cabinets in order, the Container Store is holding its annual 30 percent-off Elfa shelving sale, through Feb. 9.
Do you want to help heal the U.S. economy? Don’t list your house for sale this year.
That’s the main point I took away from the Chicago Association of Realtors’ Regional Economic Forecast 2009, held January 15th at the Palmer House. The panel, which I moderated, featured presentations by three economists and a leading Chicago real-estate analyst. The consensus among them was…
Following an extended campaign season, two-plus months of lame-duck status, and one long day of celebrating, by Tuesday night, some supporters just wanted to toast Obama’s installation as No. 44 with a low-key victory drink. We caught up with local barflies at Cat’s Meow in Humboldt…
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Does your kitchen look like the one at left? Want it to look more like the one at right? Drury Design kicks off a series of kitchen and bath design workshops this Saturday with “Champagne Kitchens on a Beer Budget.” The workshop, which starts at 9 a.m. at Drury’s showroom in Glen Ellyn and includes coffee and breakfast treats, aims to teach you how to prioritize, compromise, or both; how low budget doesn’t have to look cheap; and the basics of how room size affects your budget. Reserve a place by calling 630-469-4980 or email info@drurydesigns.com. See the other workshops here. Ikea, the modern home store giant, is also offering walk-in kitchen planning workshops at 9 a.m. every Saturday at both locations.
-JAN PARR
