Features

The Road To Summer
by Geoffrey Johnson
A world-class golf course overlooking Lake Michigan. A wilderness resort on a Lake Huron island. A luxury cruise that visits all five Great Lakes. These are just three of 14 Midwestern destinations that all lead to warm-weather fun.

The Quiet Billionaire
by John Cook
Area native Joe Mansueto built Morningstar into a financial information powerhouse. Now he’s taking on the risky world of magazine publishing. Can he succeed again?

Back On Pointe
by Marcia Froelke Coburn
This summer, after a reversal so remarkable that it has become a business school case study, the Joffrey Ballet celebrates its 50th anniversary. Here’s how it happened.

Vince Vaughn In Love
by Gary Dretzka
Shunning the California lifestyle, Vince Vaughn just bought a place here. He tells us about dodging the paparazzi, Cubs vs. Sox, and how he got from Lake Forest to the tabloids.

The Ex Files
by Graham Meyer
The recent conviction of former governor George Ryan only adds to the long list of local public officials who have run afoul of the law. We caught up with a few of them to see how they’re spending their time after serving their time.

At Home: Lighten Up
by Christine Newman
Architect Paul Florian updates the work of a modernist forerunner for a Gold Coast client who believes that color is as essential as the sun. So one day it was out with the cool purple and in with the hot tangerine.

Departments

Letters

Contributors

Arena
Could a Chicago duo stage an upset in the country’s premium denim market? Cheap Trick wants you to want its new album; a transgendered economist finds virtue in capitalism; confessions of Chicago’s cultural bloggers; dancer turned designer Katrin Schnabl; Victoria Lautman chats up Julia Glass; there goes the neighborhood-indie style settles in Logan Square; Sudoku, crosswords, more.
PLUS: The Shopper, Style Sheet, and Sales Check

How We Spend
by Clare La Plante
Consumption of organic food is on the rise locally, but compared with elsewhere, Chicagoans still like their produce chemically enhanced.
PLUS: Where Illinois ranks in generosity, and the latest wrinkle on local use of Botox

Show Business | Tracks Of Tears
by David Bernstein
A dispute over the rights to Kanye West’s early recordings casts a cloud over the local rap scene, and offers a peek at the star as a young unknown.

four | one | one
Our newest department makes its début. This month, political expert Paul Green describes the “perfect” mayor, and we take a look at Chicago’s job market and the popularity of franchising.
PLUS: Senior editor Geoffrey Johnson presents the view from his office window, which overlooks Chicago’s birthplace.

Deal Estate
by Dennis Rodkin
A Walgreen estate with a homage to Wrigley Field; a familiar Loop skyscraper gets a face-lift; a record $2-million-plus sale for Clarendon Hills; flexing in Lake View; and a pedestrian paradise in Glen Ellyn

Nightspotting
by Sarah Preston
Our reporter gives the A-OK to J Bar, the swank new cocktail hangout at the James Hotel, and Avenue M, a steak house with ample bar space.

Classifieds
The Closer | Second Looks
by Jeff Ruby
Faced with a museum full of masterpieces, The Closer seeks advice on how to get the most out of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Events

Chicago Guide®
During June:
What we don’t know about frogs could kill us. As early indicators of the health of our environment, these endangered amphibians point to the precarious state of the earth’s well-being. It’s one of the many fascinating facts pointed out in Frogs: A Chorus of Colors, an exhibition opening this month at the Museum of Science and Industry that shows just how colorful and remarkable these amazing creatures really are.
Marquee: A preview of coming attractions

Food & Drink

Dining Out | Small Plates Club
by Dennis Ray Wheaton
Suddenly, “small plates” are big business in the restaurant world. We weigh in on four such places that get it right-and one that doesn’t.

Restaurants
The definitive guide to Chicago’s top restaurants
This Month: Six new and updated listings, including Parlor and Zealous
Dish: The hottest restaurants right now; gossip; Oprah’s chef spills the beans on his upcoming Gold Coast restaurant