In Highland Park, a poolside Bastille Day party worthy of a king, courtesy of chef Gabriel Viti Read more
New York multidisciplinary designer Dror Benshetrit’s studio has created interiors for Kiehl’s and Levi’s, a chandelier for Swarovski, products for Alessi, Venini, and Rosenthal, and even an entire island in Dubai. He’s now partnered with Target to launch an exclusive line of limited-edition home... Read more
List Price: $1.9 million
Sale Price: $1 million
The Property: Today’s house, situated in an unincorporated area near Winnetka, once carried a price tag of $5.1 million. But that price was for a finished home—and not only was this house never finished, but the company that built it ended up handing the home back to its lender, Mutual Bank, last October. On May 26th, the bank... Read more
List Price: $1,000,000
Sale Price: $910,000
The Property: Situated on a double lot and with an in-ground pool, this new brick house is one of at least three homes with those same specifications in Bridgeport. Of the three houses, only one—the house featured today—has been sold; the other two are still for sale, and one of them has a sign on the front that says it is now in the hands of a bank. All three residences were built by the developer... Read more
As soon as the temperature tops 65, I become obsessed with rosé. So, after polishing off an 80-degree Wednesday in the Loop, all I wanted was a dry, crisp glass. I pinned my hopes on Saluté, the new wine bar that opened last Thursday in the Gold Coast, and was disappointed: nary a glass or a bottle on the wine list. Luckily, I found a replacement to turn my pout into a happy pucker... Read more
My friend Suzie Schnepp is an objects conservator at the Art Institute, and she invited me to a gala artists’ opening for the new Renzo Piano–designed Modern Wing last Friday. I’m sure you’ve heard a little something about it, as rave reviews of the perfectly proportioned, spacious galleries, LEED-level eco strategies, and just general awesomeness have been splashed about the media for months, making our town the talk Read more
Gosh it rained a lot this spring, didn’t it? If April showers bring May flowers, I’m expecting my backyard to turn into the Botanical Garden any day now. By the way, know what May flowers bring? Pilgrims. (Thank you, I’ll be here all week!) If you didn’t get around to planting anything yet, no worries—there are a lot of garden sales going on this weekend to help you stock up on annual and perennial flowers as well as a variety Read more

I got a big white metal beverage tub at the Target Bullseye Bazaar yesterday, but what I really wanted was one of those French market baskets that were stacked up in front for shopping purposes. I asked one of the salespeople if I could buy one, and the answer was no. I asked her to ask the manager, and the manager, too, said no. No? How could that be? I was willing to pay for one! I felt like my four-year-old son: helpless in the face of authority. I didn’t throw a tantrum, though. After a quick Web search I found Medina Baskets, which carries plenty of similar totes. Also, I thought about it, and let’s say I really wanted to buy one of the big red shopping carts they have at the regular Target, the answer would also probably have been no. C’est la vie! Now if only I could teach my son that concept.

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Combine a warm Chicago evening, two popular Food Network hosts, and a few good friends, and what do you get? An East Coast–style chow fest to remember Read more