Finally, we've found a decent place to eat in Venice. If you ever visit here, check out the Bar Ai Nomboli on rio terra dei nomboli.

A few other random observations:

1. The Italians really like that atrocious song "Umbrella" by, who is that, Rihanna? I've heard it everywhere. We were in the grocery store buying wine yesterday and some little kid pushed past me with that song playing on his cell phone! Now it's playing in the Internet cafe. I just can't seem to get away from it...

" />

Finally, we've found a decent place to eat in Venice. If you ever visit here, check out the Bar Ai Nomboli on rio terra dei nomboli.

A few other random observations:

1. The Italians really like that atrocious song "Umbrella" by, who is that, Rihanna? I've heard it everywhere. We were in the grocery store buying wine yesterday and some little kid pushed past me with that song playing on his cell phone! Now it's playing in the Internet cafe. I just can't seem to get away from it...

" />

Finally, we've found a decent place to eat in Venice. If you ever visit here, check out the Bar Ai Nomboli on rio terra dei nomboli.

A few other random observations:

1. The Italians really like that atrocious song "Umbrella" by, who is that, Rihanna? I've heard it everywhere. We were in the grocery store buying wine yesterday and some little kid pushed past me with that song playing on his cell phone! Now it's playing in the Internet cafe. I just can't seem to get away from it...

" />

Finally, we've found a decent place to eat in Venice. If you ever visit here, check out the Bar Ai Nomboli on rio terra dei nomboli.

A few other random observations:

1. The Italians really like that atrocious song "Umbrella" by, who is that, Rihanna? I've heard it everywhere. We were in the grocery store buying wine yesterday and some little kid pushed past me with that song playing on his cell phone! Now it's playing in the Internet cafe. I just can't seem to get away from it...

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I'm in Italy. The weather is perfect. The wine is flowing. The food is, well, so-so. But that may be because we're in Venice. As far as I can tell, this isn't a city known for its culinary delights. It's known for its art.

That is, after all, why we're here.

To catch you up, I'm traveling in Europe for the next few weeks with the man friend and two artists, and the latter couple is dead set on seeing the Venice Biennale. I agreed to devote...

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List price: $1.499 million

The Property: Built in 1873 by one of the first residents of what was then suburban Irving Park, this brick Italianate house is filled with hand-crafted vintage features, including the door and window trim and the intricate wooden floor inlays. Otherwise, the place has the feel of a brand-new house, thanks to the restoration efforts of the past two owners, who took care to preserve the home’s original character while making it livable for the 21st century... Read more

News Flash
We have learned that the upcoming October issue of Saveur (on newsstands next week)—the whole thing!—will be dedicated to the foods of Chicago. Just check out the scrumptious cover.
Locked In
The Palmer House Hilton is undergoing a staggering $150-million restoration, and naturally that includes a shiny new restaurant to play off the famed grandeur of the lobby. Lockwood, a 125-seat contemporary spot with French and Italian touches, launches in early... Read more

Sarah has been trying to get me to babysit our infant niece. A four-hour dry run for the terrors of fatherhood isn't the worst idea in the world, I suppose, but I am far too spineless to do it alone. I agreed to it only if Sarah came with me.

When we arrived at Ben and Ursina's Hyde Park townhouse, my first shock was just how much stuff the kid had. Lillian already owns more property than Donald Trump. Among her recent acquisitions: an army of stuffed animals; an extensive library of Elmo™ board books; a Pack 'n Play more posh than a Gold Coast walk-up. She's also got a state-of-the-art video hookup that enables her parents, when they can't watch her flail around in her crib in person, to watch her do so on TV...

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