The owner Annie Novotny: a jacket by her label, Frei Designs (below) After four years of wholesaling her eco-friendly line Frei Designs, Annie Novotny hit a snag. The economic downturn meant that some boutiques had shuttered, while others were ordering more conservatively. “For the first time, I had a lot of overstock,” Novotny says. … Read more
Vintage National Geographic covers papering the interior tell you that this new Pilsen BYO is not your ordinary taco joint. Sure, it’s got tacos on tap, but even better, a slew of tortas (sandwiches) on plump, freshly baked buns, a display case loaded with house-made desserts—don’t miss the Kahlúa-shot mocha tres leches cake—and water perked … Read more
“I was walking down this really obscure street in Beijing and happened on this Chinese guy,” says Randal Jacobs, the chef of Elate. “No shirt. Just shorts. Sitting on a milk crate grilling chicken wings on a hibachi grill.” Three orders of wings later, an idea was born. The wings Jacobs came up with … Read more
PETERSON WOODS From $249,000 to $259,000 In 2007, when Ron Kozil—a long-time rehabber of multi-unit housing on the North Side and in Oak Park—bought the 13-unit building at 5724–5726 North Mozart Street, he planned to upgrade everything and sell the condos for between $300,000 and $320,000. The market has changed since then, as have Kozil’s expectations. … Read more
Andrew Lippa embarks on his spookiest project yet
A newcomer aims to turn chuggers into urban sophisticates
 |
Tonight, Evan and Sandra Lewis of Evan Lewis are hosting a reception to celebrate Lewis’s new suite of tables, the Renzo Collection, as well as new wallcoverings by Christiaan Pretorius Studio. The wallcoverings, shown in the background here, are handpainted seamless canvases. Each design is unique in scale and color; there are no repeats. Evan’s tables, made of hand-rubbed steel and topped with glass, were inspired by the light-filled architecture of the Modern Wing at the Art Institute. Stop by any time between 5–8 p.m. at 3368 N. Elston Ave.
—JAN PARR
Dart The Cook County sheriff, Tom Dart, has earned a nickname among local prosecutors: Sheriff Schindler. The reason? Dart has “rescued” a good number of employees who either left their jobs in the Cook County state’s attorney’s office after Anita Alvarez won last February’s primary to be the county’s top prosecutor or were fired after … Read more
List Price: $649,999
The Property: This three-bedroom condo, with large terraces on its north and south sides, occupies the 16th-floor of a 17-story Lake View building that offers unimpeded panoramic views in most directions. As you will see in the video, the south terrace, with views of Wrigley Field and the Chicago skyline, is nicely finished. The much larger north terrace…
Animated Cookies
Joe Bova and Jeff Steinberg, respectively an animator and a screenwriter, plan to open a bakery called Cookie Bar (2475 N. Lincoln Ave.) next month in a former Lincoln Park Starbucks. An animator and screenwriter? “In our private lives we entertained a lot,” says Steinberg. “People always loved anything we would bring to dinner parties. We started getting calls from…
