Sweet Spots
Looking for a great place to linger over a cocktail? That special outdoor patio? An authentic Irish pub or dance palace of the moment? Whatever your need, we’ve got the perfect bar or club to satisfy it
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Dish Flash!-Day 48, Room 21
Aaron Whitcomb, the highly touted executive chef of Room 21 (2110 S. Wabash Ave.; 312-328-1198), has left. “Aaron is a great chef, but he’s a young kid,” says owner Jerry Kleiner. [Note: he’s 30.] “He was overwhelmed by the volume and the pressure. He just couldn’t take it anymore and kept saying it would be … Read more
Ode to Old Town
Saturday and Sunday brought the return of the Wells Street Art Festival and the Old Town Art Fair-my absolute favorite weekend of the year. Because I live in Old Town, I consider these my festivals-essentially, a block party in my front yard for about 70,000 people. And since the Wells Street fest and I are … Read more
Five Days on the Line
Under wunderkind chef Grant Achatz, Alinea has become perhaps the most talked about restaurant in the country. We sent a reporter to work in the kitchen for a week to find out how his culinary high-wire act all comes together.
5 questions – Douglas Rodriguez
Douglas Rodriguez, Miami-based executive chef who owns restaurants in three time zones. His latest, De La Costa,opens in July in the River East Art Center.
Nightspotting – Rock On
Rock the Warehouse; Minnies; Celebrity Beat
Pastrami Smackdown!
The Chicago area is full of both pastrami purists and newfangled innovators. With some new delis entering the scene, we sized up a few of the latest offerings alongside some old favorites.
Chefs on the Grill with Michael Nagrant
This month, Nagrant sat down with Gabino Sotelino, whose 27-year-old Lincoln Park masterpiece, Ambria (2300 N. Lincoln Park West; 773-472-5959), will serve its last meal on June 30th.
Nightspotting – Take a Dive
Fine service at West Town’s Five Star While on a recent visit to Five Star (1424 W. Chicago Ave.), my latest favorite watering hole, a friend compared its strip of Chicago Avenue (near Ashland Avenue) to Ukrainian Village’s Division Street. It’s true that neighboring hot spots such as Cleo’s, The Darkroom, Tuman’s, and Sonotheque have … Read more
Best New Bars and Clubs
Ten places that have set the scene on fire since the start of 2005