On Kensington High Street in London, near Kensington Palace, where newlyweds Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will reside after their nuptials, I was awash in a tsunami of red, white, and blue kitsch at the Nonstop Party Shop. Union Jacks side-by-side with the Stars and Stripes, tea cups bearing the smiling faces of the couple, […]
The hot dog is as much a part of Chicago as Wrigley Field, summer nights on the lakefront, and the roar of the “L.” A Chicago dog may not be fancy, but it’s definitely satisfying, never gets old, and, for those of us who’ve lived in the city all our lives, tastes like home. If […]
Stephanie Izard doesn’t sit still for long. After winning season four of Bravo’s “Top Chef” (and being dubbed “Fan Favorite”), she opened Girl and the Goat, the adventurous eats destination in Chicago’s West Loop that has earned her a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes. Next up was all-day breakfast spot Little Goat […]
In the Venn diagram of liquor, all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. Bourbon is a very particular type of whiskey. The Federal Standards of Identity strictly defines what makes bourbon bourbon. First of all, the grain mash must be at least 51 percent corn; it must be distilled at no more […]
They call it “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports,” but the hoopla surrounding the annual running of the Kentucky Derby drags on for the whole first weekend in May. If you’re watching in Chicago rather than Kentucky, chances are you’ll still be sipping a mint julep and wearing a fetching hat of spectacular size, because […]
Is there anything that brings people closer than sharing a great meal? From the family dinner table to the business power lunch, fundraising gala, local soup kitchen or food pantry, when people come together for a meal, good things happen: Families are strengthened, deals brokered, missions solidified, souls nourished. Make It Better readers have long […]
Not to get all Oprah on you, but I love brunch. I. Love. Brunch! I know what you’re thinking, and no, it’s not because of the whole portmanteau thing, although I do love a good word mash-up, and it doesn’t get much better than a combination of the best parts of breakfast + lunch (but […]
Hosting a graduation party should be an exciting, celebratory occasion. More often than not, though, coming up with a crowd-pleasing menu for what tends to be a varied guest list, with invitees ranging in age from tiny tots to elderly relatives, can make the whole thing seem daunting. But don’t fret — we’ve got your […]
If there were an MVP of kitchen appliances, the Instant Pot definitely wins the title. Since its debut in 2016, the Instant Pot has quickly garnered a huge fan following both among consumers and the food blogging community. So what makes the Instant Pot so special you might ask? The name of the Instant Pot […]
It’s hard to fathom that we are eating our way through the ocean. For decades we’ve been told fish is the healthy choice and apparently, we’ve heeded the advice — at the expense of the world’s seafood supply. Unfortunately, many of our favorite types of fish have been overfished to the brink of extinction. But, here’s […]
