Features

Classic City
Take Carl Sandburg’s City of the Big Shoulders, add shades of Sinatra, and presto! You’ve conjured a picture of postwar Chicago. Much from that era has vanished, but the classic city survives in places like Union Station; in the recollections of Danny Newman; in a band of blues all-stars; and in a score of other people, places, and things.

A Life In Movies
by Carol Felsenthal
In more than three decades as a film critic, Roger Ebert has racked up national recognition while staying true to his newspaper and his city. Friends and colleagues give him two thumbs up. 

Oh, L’amour!
by Stuart J. Rosenberg
Since the mid-nineties, the neo-burlesque scene has been creeping toward Chicago from the coasts, as performance artists and jaded club kids revive the campy joys of old-fashioned striptease. Meet Michelle “Toots” L’amour, the city’s reigning queen of bump-and-grind.

Foul Trouble
by Shane Tritsch
When Scottie Pippen needed a new financial adviser, he found Bob Lunn, a smooth-talking money master connected to a who’s who of Chicago’s biggest investors. Now, after an ugly dispute, Lunn is bankrupt and out of business, and Pippen is still wondering how much he’ll ever see of the millions he says Lunn cost him.

Departments

Letters

Contributors

Arena
The talented choreographer Eddy Ocampo turns up the heat; a group of Glencoe moms mix it up on the ice; Joe Silverberg, the former clothier of Bigsby & Kruthers fame, suits up as a purveyor of fine art; a chat with NFL legend and Chicagoan Gale Sayers; cupcakes we love; a Chicago dining critic challenges the tenth-ranked eater in the world to a pizza face-off; DIY holiday gifts; four great hairstylists; more.
Plus: The Shopper, Style Sheet, and Sales Check

How we spend
by Clare La Plante
Chicagoans are boat people, judging by their affinity for cruises.  Plus: The needles and the damage done-a look at Christmas tree costs 

Dining Out
by Dennis Ray Wheaton
Two daring Japanese spots offer tasting menus so authentic and elegant they make your average maki seem as exotic as a french fry.

Business
by Robert Reed
With sales of its Razr phone soaring along with its stock price, once-tired Motorola is hot again. The man behind the turnaround is the pugnacious Ed Zander, who has infused the technology giant with some Silicon Valley strut.

Politics
by Steve Rhodes
Lawyer Joseph Cari, a stellar political strategist, took a fall recently when he pleaded guilty in a kickback scheme; now the heat’s on the Blagojevich administration.

Deal Estate
by Dennis Rodkin
From the outside, it looks like a typical suburban home. On the inside, it has the kind of personalized amenities that make it a resortlike haven. Still, it’s not selling. We asked three experienced agents to size up an Oak Brook property and give us their best offer.
Plus: Condo news from the city and suburbs

Nightspotting
by Sarah Preston
The new Landmark beckons pre-theatre diners and late-night loungers.
Plus: Scoping the night-owl scene at River North’s new 4 a.m. bar RiNo 

Classifieds

The Closer
by Jeff Ruby
The Bears Quarterback Hall of Lame: a sad history of concussions, sprained limbs, and getting barred from the Playboy Mansion 

Events

Chicago guide®
During December: The 1984 film Amadeus depicted the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as a man-child whose musical genius was at odds with his penchant for practical jokes. In truth, Mozart was a serious student of his art, and this month, in remembrance of his 250th birthday, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago have teamed up for four concerts devoted to his extraordinary music.
Marquee: A preview of coming attractions

Food & Drink

The definitive guide to Chicago’s top restaurants
This month: Four updated listings, including NoMI and Tin Fish
Dish: Ten hottest restaurants right now; gossip; Q & A with Michael Lachowicz-the chef turning heads tout seul with his country French style in Winnetka.