Charity comes from the heart … but sometimes via the stomach. Chicago is an obsessive foodie town to its core, but it’s also a city of big-hearted people who are eager to give back. What happens when the two ideologies collide? The foodie charity event, and Chicago has perfected it. Most people love a good […]
Is blood thicker than water? For these three multi-generational Chicago restaurant families, it’s all relative. Growing up in the restaurant industry can be a grounding experience. While schoolmates may spend their weekends running around the neighborhood or meeting friends at the mall, restaurant kids are learning how to work the front and back of the […]
You know that feeling when you’ve got a few minutes to waste and you plug into Facebook to check in for a sec and the next thing you know, three hours have passed? You’ve fallen down the social media hole, my friend, and it’s a long way back up. It’s important to stay connected, of […]
Chicago would never be mistaken for a dry town. We’ve got a plethora of great cocktail bars here, with award-winning mixologists combining fanciful artisanal ingredients — sweet as well as savory — to great effect. But let’s discuss what really sets a bar apart in 2017: a bespoke ice program. Serious cocktails call for serious […]
Great hot chocolate is not to be trifled with. You’re either serious and willing to wait for it (freshly made with high-quality artisanal chocolate) or you’re not (Swiss Miss). So let’s lay down some simple laws. Rule #1: No commercial mixes allowed. We’re talking house-made, chocolate-forward, honest-to-goodness hot chocolate. Sugar is not the main ingredient […]
After 35 years in the restaurant business, Madeleine and Kaveh Mirani felt it was time for a change. So they shuttered Mirani’s, their lovely French bistro, after a 10-year run on Elm Street in Winnetka (22 years after they first opened the original Mirani’s Gourmet Deli on Green Bay Road) and moved around the corner […]
Cookies are the secret weapons of the pastry kitchen. In one or two bites, you get a hit of concentrated flavor and sweet deliciousness, all without making a huge calorie commitment. It’s the perfect way to “cheat” just a little. Bake a batch of these cookies, save a few to treat yourself, and bring the […]
A healthy diet should be your first line of defense against cancer. Here’s how to turn every meal into a powerful weapon against disease. Whether you’re staring down a cancer diagnosis, have a family history of cancer and want to reduce your risk, or simply want to live as healthily as possible, cleaning up your […]
Full confession: I made the mistake of stepping on the scale Jan. 1 and discovered that I’ve gained back every hard-won pound (and then some!) that I lost a few years ago. They may have been lost, but they’ve definitively been found. Sigh. Back onto the struggle bus of middle age. What to do? In […]
Looking for a great new idea for date night, or something new to do with your gal pals or adult children? The Chicago area has a number of home-grown distilleries pumping out great product, and many of them offer tours and tastings. (Letherbee Distillers, makers of a killer Autumnal Gin, are production only, to my […]
