Question: What do you get when you screen a film about a Humboldt Park kickball league, shot in part in local bars, at the Portage Theater, the proud new owner of a liquor license? Answer: fire twirlers, a marching band, go-go dancers, and lots of drinking. We sent our photographer to the premiere of Left Field Thursday. Browse our photos…
When the door to one Latin-inflected nightclub closes, another one opens. On Friday we checked out opening night at Avila, a spot that’s taken over Club 720’s River North location as well as its M.O.: Latin music, a VIP vibe, and plenty of dancing…
President Obama’s new secretary of education takes the lessons of Chicago Public Schools to the big stage
February 22, 2009 — Chicago magazine and the Associate Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation teamed up again this year to celebrate the 81st Annual Academy Awards in style. “A Dark Night”-themed viewing party at the new South Loop tapas restaurant, Tapas Valencia, welcomed over 250 guests who enjoyed signature cocktails, wine, beer courtesy of Stella Artois, and delicious tapas. The new GLK-class from Mercedes-Benz set the stage as guests arrived on the red carpet. Once inside, a silent auction and raffle sponsored by Mercedes-Benz benefited JDRF. Photos by Randy Lee Belice
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I stopped by the “Kindred Spirits” event at the Thos. Moser showroom on Thursday night—it was nice to see a solid turnout on such a torrential evening, and the snacks and spirits were tasty. Andres Verzosa, a Maine gallerist and curator, was on hand to give a talk and slideshow on the work of the late artist Bernard Langlais, whose found-wood assemblages (think Louise Nevelson, only more rustic) and paintings are featured at Moser this month. The party was hosted by designer David Moser (son of the company’s founders, Tom and Mary), who also presented his new Kinesis chair and ottoman, pictured above. It comes in cherry or walnut, and swivels on a cast-bronze base that was inspired by the human hand—lighter patina between the stretched out “fingers.” I tested it out, and the sleek, organic design is a winner. So comfortable and enveloping, and the finish is beyond smooth. You can really see and feel the love that goes into all of the custom woodwork at this bi-level boutique, which is offering free delivery for all orders placed through March, and also discounting floor samples and a number of their most popular designs.
—BRADLEY LINCOLN
List Price: $2.975 million
Sale Price: $2.81 million
The Property: Although this 5,700-square-foot home was built in Chicago’s Old Town in 2005, its brick and limestone construction, its slender, arched windows, and its flat façade make it appear much older. But if the attached two-car garage doesn’t give away its true age, a look inside at the elevator…
One of the city’s best modern furniture and accessories showrooms, Morlen Sinoway Atelier, is having a sample sale starting March 3 at 9:30. Find discounts of 20 to 70 percent off lighting, area rugs, accessories, chairs, and side tables. The sale runs through the end of March. Morlen says that last year he “dipped his toes” into the sample-sale waters, but this year the sale is much bigger.
—JAN PARR
Anna Davlantes creates a talk show with an unlikely angle: the opinions of ordinary Chicagoans.
An avant-garde rocker with a Joni Mitchell sound
The successful black playwright shares a secret—namely, her white Russian muse
