Konbini & Kanpai Many of us have graduated from those flasks of scalding-hot, dirt-cheap sake into the world of a gorgeous chilled version, served in proper glassware, that smells both floral and earthy and lingers on the tongue after every sip. But man, it’s a steep learning curve. Does daiginjo refer to the polish of … Read more
Hubbard Street Dance’s Water Tower studio After a string of bad luck, including the loss of its storied building on West Jackson Boulevard, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago built out a new 13,000-square-foot studio and rehearsal space in the former Adidas store in Water Tower Place. Completed in April, the move is part of a rebranding … Read more
Wild Oats Megan and Dave Miller, who own the café Baker Miller, started shopping secondhand for their sons, Otis and Archie, when they saw just how fast the boys outgrew their clothes. So it was only natural for the couple to open a consignment shop specializing in children’s clothes, with options from budget to bougie. … Read more
Baha Bank$ The exigencies of the moment demand a certain seriousness — unless you’re Baha Bank$, a pouty-lipped enchantress who calls herself the Queen of Chicago. Prior to 2020, Bank$ was not a rapper but a bottle girl and a YouTube comedian best known for her sketches on the much-subscribed Korporate Bidness channel. Were it not for … Read more
Egg Rolls at Sochi Saigonese Kitchen Chinh Pham and Son Do, two Saigon natives who wanted to bring a taste of home to Chicago, nailed it with this airy spot. Their egg rolls — stuffed with ground pork, shrimp, and rice noodles — are made with a special rice paper from Vietnam for maximum crunch. They come with lettuce, … Read more
Esquire by Cooper’s Hawk Here’s a toast to risk taking. After all, the top brass at Cooper’s Hawk could have gone “rosé all day” on us and dropped yet another of their standard wine-themed eateries in the old Esquire Theater space. Instead, they took the Nebbiolo route (read: bold as hell) and ran an experiment: … Read more
Vintage Frills It’s not often that a shop is born in a hot-pink school bus. But Vintage Frills owner Jen Kelly isn’t one to fit the mold. She started hawking retro goods in a mobile shop she called the Vintage Fleet to give access to neighborhoods lacking in thrift shops. Her Avondale boutique opened last … Read more
Tyla Abercrumbie Chicago theatergoers have long known Tyla Abercrumbie for her grounded work as an actor in plays like Dominique Morisseau’s Pipeline at Victory Gardens and Lynn Nottage’s Sweat at the Goodman. Her talent as a playwright was lesser known — until February, when TimeLine Theatre Company (of which she is a member) premiered Relentless. Her generational … Read more
Hyde Park In Chicago, Southern food has for too long meant fried chicken, pimento cheese, and the kind of biscuits that would make any Southerner bust out a passive-aggressive “Bless your heart.” But thanks to two chefs, Hyde Park has emerged as a destination where down-home flavors ring true. Erick Williams deserves all the accolades … Read more
Able Shoppe Liv Melchers is a former stylist at Madewell who relocated from Nashville to Elgin for its historic charm and the opportunity to grow her online vintage business into a full-blown concept shop last year. She sources everywhere from neighborhood garage sales to Paris flea markets for the furniture, clothing, artwork, and accessories that … Read more
