For a once-dry town, Evanston is making up for lost time. The owners of this über-local nanobrewery, Shawn Decker and Cesar Marron, met through Evanston’s Homebrew Club and decided to partner up to open Sketchbook Brewing. They produce “fine beers in small batches,” selling growlers and kegs to both members and the general public out […]
Brunch is my favorite mashup. It’s two…two…two meals in one, and not only is that a timesaver—let’s face it, who has time for two meals on Sunday morning when you’ve already slept through the first one?—but it’s clearly meant as an excuse for day drinking. But a bottomless Mimosa or a fabulous Bloody Mary bar […]
Chicken noodle soup may be the quintessential American comfort food, but as more chefs are embracing Asian flavors and techniques, the rise of ramen is indicative of an increasingly adventurous casual diner. Even in a simple meal out, guests are more open to unfamiliar flavors and the rich, unctuous ramen broth has become so ubiquitous […]
Sunday, March 8 is International Women’s Day (IWD). It’s a day to inspire women and celebrate their achievements. This day has been observed since 1910, when a woman named Clara Zetkin proposed the idea at the Second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen. She thought there should be a day when women in every […]
There are dozens of places to sharpen your culinary skills in this gastronomically obsessed city—from cooking schools to cooking parties—but what better way to master the art of fine cuisine than to learn from the maestros themselves? We rounded up some of our favorite restaurant cooking classes to take you out of the classroom and […]
An opera as suspenseful as a Hitchcock film, a soul-searing score, and a marvel of a two-tiered set. And that’s before we even mention the voices on stage at the Lyric Opera of Chicago‘s premiere of “The Passenger” the evening of Feb. 24. The score by Mieczysław Weinberg begins with menacing drums, painting a musical portrait […]
A celebration of the late, lamented August Wilson dominates Chicago’s theater scene in March and April, while at Victory Gardens, another African-American scribe tells a story inspired by today’s headlines. Other highlights include critically praised stories set in Ireland and terra incognita. “Two Trains Running” and August Wilson Celebration March 7 to April 18 August […]
Chicago’s first nonprofit food museum—Foodseum—is scheduled to open its first pop-up exhibit in May 2015. The Foodseum will feature interactive exhibits that allow guests to explore the history and meaning of different types of food in our culture. Each exhibit will feature a single food type—encased meats, for instance (more on that momentarily)—and explore three essential […]
Chicago’s newest and buzziest hotel is a renovated 250-room operation in the neoclassical Old Dearborn Bank Building, which was constructed in the 1920s. Stylishly functional rooms include thoughtful touches, like a makeup vanity and shower bench for shaving your legs that will be much appreciated by Virgin’s target market—female business travelers. A couple of rooms […]
It’s easy to see why New York/California import Fig & Olive has been such a big hit with the “Social X-Ray” crowd (thanks, Tom Wolfe!); everyone looks attractive here, whether in the lovely diffused light of day or the golden-hued evening setting. Fashionista Paradise And the super-chic restaurant has been embraced by A-lister fashionistas and […]
