63 Ways to Pamper Yourself

Feeling harried? In this season of running around buying gifts for other people, we recommend taking a moment for yourself. Get an invigorating massage. Let someone else clean your house for a...

Comparing Private High Schools

On the heels of our October survey of 233 public high schools in the metro area, we present a comprehensive statistical breakdown of 56 local private high schools, examining such things as tuition,...

Geoffrey Johnson

Bloodlines

After dermatologist David Cornbleet was murdered in his Michigan Avenue office, his son, Jonathan, devoted himself to finding the killer. Now a shy and troubled young man—a former patient of Dr....

Bryan Smith

The 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Restaurateur

Our writer dices the thoughts and works of Richard Melman, the impresario of the Lettuce Entertain You dining emprire, to discover the secrets of his success in and out of the kitchen

Jonathan Black

Battle of the Ages

For decades, the Henry B. Clarke House on South Indiana Avenue enjoyed the uncontested honor of being called the city’s oldest home. But over the past few years, a contender for that title has...

Geoffrey Johnson

December 2007 Table of Contents

Cyber Soldier

From his home in suburban Chicago, former army paratrooper Matthew Currier Burden took his fight to a new battlefield: the blogosphere. In the process, he has reshaped war coverage by giving...

Barbara Nellis

Rockin' Rolls

Maki creations: Is there any substance beneath all that style?

Kim Conte

Bread

Boudin SF settles into a steady breakfast/lunch dinner groove in Lombard

Jeff Ruby

Singled Out: Enoteca Roma

Polenta claims the limelight at this Ukrainian Village nook.

Nathaniel Zimmer

Dining Tidbits

New (A Mano), Budget Beat (Winston's Market), Hotel Haute Cuisine (Lockwood), Retro (Old Town Brasserie

Dining Out: True Grits

Gold Coasters fight for a handful of tables and a chance at gussied-up Southern fare; the Shikami brothers take their modern Asian aesthetic to the Loop.

Dennis Ray Wheaton

Chefs on the Grill-Frank Brunacci

Frank Brunacci, chef at Trump International Hotel & Tower's Sixteen, tells about life after The Donald said, “You’re hired.”

Pain, No Gain

Can enlightenment come through pain? The Closer tries self-denial, fatigue, boredom, Ben Affleck movies, and a colonic.

Jeff Ruby

The Sky's the Limit

What real-estate slump? Prices for superluxury penthouses keep soaring

Andrew Schroedter

Bad Camper?

Critics spark “Camp Obama” controversy

Jeff Fleischer

A Name Game

We test out a few baby nameologists on two pairs of soon-to-be parents.

Dawn Reiss

Bomb-La-La-La-La

Songs about dodecahedrons? The new opera Doctor Atomic proves art and science have more in common than you think.

Graham Meyer

Make No Little Plans

Several institutions in Chicago that depend on donated funds are running their largest philanthropic drives ever right now. What's behind these megacampaigns?

Tom Mullaney

Destination: Tunnel Vision

Where do all the people go in winter? For lunch and other delights, take a saunter in the Pedway.

Kim Conte

Gift Guide

Discriminating ideas for everyone on your list: the aspiring writer, the modern-day "It" girl, the fun-loving neighbors, and the jet-setting couple whose feet rarely touch the ground

Barri Leiner

On Youth

Francis Ford Coppola needed a way out of his slump. So he called an old friend at the University of Chicago.

Robert Loerzel

Sales Check

A roundup of sales, store openings, and shopping news in December 2007

Rebecca Little

Indigo Girl

A new book by Chicago author Rachel Louis Snyder explores the complexities of the global marketplace by trailing a quintessential product: jeans.

Debra Pickett

Under Surveillance

Step inside the box. For the next hour, everything you do will be recorded by 24 video cameras positioned at every possible angle. Sound freaky? It didn't to Metro owner Joe Shanahan, pictured...

Cassie Walker

The Blip - December 2007

Bright spots on the month's cultural radar

Cassie Walker

You Should Know ... DJ Colette

This Chicago-born talent comes out from behind the turntables sounding like Debbie Harry in her prime.

Mark Guarino

Betrayal

The Reverend Mark Sorvillo cut an extravagant figure—dining at expensive restaurants, shopping at luxury stores. It took a sting to prove he was stealing from his parishioners

Marcia Froelke Coburn

"By Far the Best"

Itinerant homeowner says this house was her favorite

Closeout Sale

Overloaded inventory may mean new-home bargains in 2008

Dennis Rodkin

No Return

Transplanted Chicagoans learn you can't go home again

Dennis Rodkin

Wedding Cakes Not Wanted

Developer's decision to omit traditional parking pedestals creates visual link with street

Dennis Rodkin

Out of Line

With unusual design touches, these architects put the Funke in funky

Dennis Rodkin

They're Back

Ralph Johnson and CMK reunite for another downtown tower

Dennis Rodkin

Oy to the World

Balkan Beat Box blends klezmer brass with hip-hop, dub, funk, and folk. The duo will play at Logan Square Auditorium Dec. 7th.

Jennifer Wehunt

All Lacquered Up

With its first new album in several years, Shellac is scheduled to play at Hideout this month

Kevin McKeough

5 Hotspots for ...

yuletide parties

Sarah Preston

Pole Position

Grab a Southside and a seat, and enjoy the spectacle at Rockwell Lounge.

Sarah Preston

Boundary Issues?

Nah. A new bar aims to please the masses—and succeeds

Sarah Preston