The good news for the just-opened Kerasotes Showplace Icon Theatre in the South Loop is that plenty of Chicagoans think the concept lends a much-needed air of civility to moviegoing: free parking, no preshow advertising (other than trailers), no shrieking video games in the lobby, no kids without a guardian after…
Pollack’s Dinner at The Purple Pig in 157 Words
The Purple Pig (500 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-464-1744) opened quietly. Appreciative foodies kept the room at least half full all evening. Jimmy Bannos (Heaven on Seven) was there (he’s a partner, and his son is the chef) working the room. I saw Tony Mantuano (Spiaggia) slip…
DMK BURGER BAR In the Year of the Burger, Lake View became a holy place. 2954 N. Sheffield Ave.; 773-360-8686 BIG STAR Bourbon, tacos, and country music: All that’s missing is porn and firearms. 1531 N. Damen Ave.; 773-235-4039 XOCO Beneath all the complicated fast-casual rules lies the irrefutable fact: Xoco’s tortas are impeccable. 449 … Read more
The Bayless empire’s new annex is packed night and day; two blocks away a New York taco import brings the noise
The future is now: What better way to ring in 2010 than at Touch, a new “iBar” in Roscoe Village where patrons use interactive screens to order drinks and send titillating texts to neighboring tables? Our photographer headed to the space, formerly home to Bungalow Loungebar, on New …
A few weeks ago, while listlessly discussing options for seeing off 2009, my sister, Claire, proclaimed the following: “Other than marriage, New Year’s Eve is the biggest scam ever perpetrated on the American public.” I posted her observation as my status update on Facebook and received no fewer than 15 comments echoing…
In his prime, my grandfather could cut a round steak so thin that the Italians in the neighborhood would come to him for beef to make braciola, the classic rolled meat dish. Towering slabs of beef would enter Jack O’Connor’s West Side butcher shop and leave as meticulously trimmed T-bones, briskets, and rib eyes. … Read more
“I never went to cooking school,” says Stephen Wambach, but for someone without formal training, he’s managed to build an impressive resumé: The guy is the former corporate chef for Laurent Tourondel’s BLT Restaurant Group and has opened restaurants everywhere from Hong Kong to Miami Beach. As for his new venture, Epic, the 190-seat industrial … Read more
Vows of silence and chastity don’t sound terribly fun—and don’t even get us started on hair shirts. But you can’t go wrong with fresh-ground prime burgers, hand-cut fries, New York–style pizzas, and Belgian-style beers brewed on-site. Opening just such a 240-seat brewery next to a massive movie theatre sounds like a sure thing, and that’s … Read more
“Most people are doing small and medium plates. We don’t do anything small,” says Scott Harris (Francesca group), who has teamed up with Jimmy Bannos (Heaven on Seven) to open a hip spot for “wine, swine, and cheese” in the heart of the Mag Mile. Inspired by new Manhattan boîtes like Terroir and Gottino Wine … Read more
