In a perfect world, I would sit down to a civilized lunch at a chic boîte every day. The reality is a little closer to standing in front of an open refrigerator with baby carrots and a bowl of hummus in hand, but a girl can dream, right? Meanwhile, in this alternate universe, I would […]
Living in Chicago, there are precious few patio days each year, so treasure every one of your breezy, sunshine-y days this summer by dining al fresco. Here are 11 of our favorite patios in the city and North Shore. The dec Rooftop Lounge + Bar at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago Twelve stories above Michigan Avenue is […]
Rarely when confronted with a breadbasket do we bother to stop and reflect on our surroundings. But it’s worth putting down the butter knife (just for a minute) to admire the dazzling and innovative design on display in Chicago’s many fine eating establishments. We toured some of the city’s (and the North Shore’s) most beautiful […]
The Mag Mile is a lot more colorful thanks to the new Dylan’s Candy Bar store, the newest outpost of Dylan Lauren’s (Ralph’s daughter!) über-popular NYC sweets superstore. Of course, there’s a wide variety of candy (think chocolates, gummies, popular nostalgic and novelty sweets and more found in fun, unique packaging), but you’ll also find […]
Chef Shin Thompson is all about flavor at his new fast-casual concept, Furious Spoon. The ramen noodles are made fresh on site and they are tasty and toothsome. Choose from four terrific ramen soups (veggie, shoyu, miso or spicy “furious”), add toppings (poached egg and marinated mushrooms are musts, not to mention the pork belly), […]
Dining out is always a treat—whether you’re grabbing burgers in the neighborhood or celebrating a special occasion at one of greater Chicago’s world-class restaurants. The only problem is: There are so many good great Chicago dining options! Let Make It Better be your guide. We’ve vetted the best restaurants in so many categories—from kid-friendly to […]
The James Beard Awards are the Oscars of the restaurant industry. Chefs and bartenders get to walk the red carpet as they step into the national spotlight for the hard work they do every day in the kitchens of the nation’s best restaurants. The award ceremony has traditionally been held in New York, but this […]
Editor’s Note: Our Digital Media Editor, Laura Levy Shatkin, has been writing about food, wine and spirits for more than a decade. She had the great pleasure of knowing Chef Homaro Cantu as he rose to culinary prominence in Chicago. She experienced his cuisine at his various restaurants, in addition to having had a friendly […]
There were donuts, then cronuts, now wonuts, oh my! Long gone is the time when Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme ruled the donut scene. These days you can find specialty donuts made of red velvet cake, coated in pistachio frosting, topped with bacon or even filled with coconut crème. With such a wide variety, it […]
When Sausage King Doug Sohn closed his eponymous Hot Doug’s last year, Chicago mourned the loss. But fear not; chefs Thomas Rice and Kurt Guzowski are poised to assume the mantle at their West Loop restaurant. And what better place to open a meat-centric boîte than on Randolph Street, where generations of meatpacking companies have […]
