Cover Story

30 under $30
by Dennis Ray Wheaton and Jeff Ruby
We found a whole slew of great ways to eat well for less—trusty BYOs, prix fixe stunners, and places that don’t seem to realize how good they are.

Trashed
by Bryan Smith
The tragedy of Michael York—a high-school student who turned up in a squalid West Side alley, dead from an apparent drug overdose—painfully illustrates how heroin has invaded the St. Charles area.

Cue, Shtick
by Marcia Froelke Coburn
A long-ago Chicago stage hit propelled Alan Gross into a Hollywood screenwriting career. This month, the playwright, back in town, brings a new dark comedy to the Goodman Theatre.

Prince of the City
by Richard Babcock
A reporter for the Chicago Tribune, Jake Lingle spent lavishly and hung out with the city’s elite, including Al Capone. A lethal gunshot ended all that—and 80 years later, the questions remain.

Departments

Arena
PAGE TWO Giannoulias gets dissed; Dart: “Sheriff Schindler” ARTS & CULTURE Meet Andrew Lippa, the composer for the creepy, kooky new Addams Family musical; A Pocket Guide to November, from Atwood to Umbrella; obsessed: the vampire edition; the Ponce family’s latest project; a risky new musical features the songs of Jon Langford; International Contemporary Ensemble dazzles again. Plus: Planning a trip to Pilsen? If so, use this guide. STYLE On the eve of holiday party season, we show off some top beauty tricks from the pros. Plus: Sales Check

Table
Burgers on every corner; Neapolitan pizza on every other corner

Cheers
by Amalie Drury
A new Old Town bar acts its age; where to fly solo on Thanksgiving

Books
by Joe Meno
James McManus’s new history of poker claims that no other game better expresses the spirit of America.

Reporter
by Lucinda Hahn
After the Chicago PE teacher Anne Burke met Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics took off.

Checkbook
by Robert Krughoff
Nitrous oxide, please? Here are 40 of the best local dentists.

Deal Estate®
by Dennis Rodkin
A foreclosure, a short sale, and three new city condo projects

Outer Drive
by Jeff Ruby
The aura of the Lab School

Chicago Guide®
Who’s afraid of Irma Vep? Plus, Peter Gallagher, Skip Gates, and hip-hopera

Restaurants
Mado, a Bucktown BYO, makes the list; Joe’s Seafood and Follia as good as ever

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