De Ville’s Advocate
A cleaned-up dive scores points for keeping things casual
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From Naples, With Love
Neapolitan pizza is to the ’00s what martinis were to the ’90s…
Loop Survival Kit
Sell the Sizzle
“I think I found a way to survive here,” says Alan Shikami, who has transformed Shikago (190 S. LaSalle St.; 312-781-7300) into the kind of “fun Japanese/Asian restaurant” he always wanted. In his new chef, James Okuno—Shikago’s former sous-chef and son of Kiyoshi Okuno from New York’s esteemed Sushi Yasuda—he’s finally found someone on the same page. Together, they’ve gone back to basics. “There was a place in Bangkok called the…
Weekend Photos: Crocodile
Save some dough, get some dough: Order a drink at the new Wicker Park nightspot Crocodile (1540 N. Milwaukee Ave.), and your server will offer you a free 9-inch Margherita pizza. Now that’s an economy-minded special you can sink your teeth into. We checked out the space—most recently home to Thyme Cafe and Cinnabar before that—this weekend, and found folks noshing on…
Singled Out: Burger
In a town with no shortage of burgers, Duchamp’s is the best we’ve had in ages
Designer Plates
Turning the Other Chic
Fred’s at Barneys, an American brasserie on the ninth floor of New York’s famed retailer, plans to open a Chicago version at 15 East Oak Street, inside the new Gold Coast outpost of Barneys in April. To put a local stamp on the restaurant, every employee will be from Chicago, save one: managing director Mark Strausman, the longtime chef of NYC’s Fred’s at Barneys. Strausman’s new passion is pizza and breadmaking—”I’m really into yeast right now…
Weekend Photos: Super Bowl Sunday at Reggies
What’s better than slaving over a pot of chili for five hours? Stuffing your
face for 60 seconds. On Sunday evening, we headed down to Reggies, where a few determined superfans gorged on
wings, hot dogs, and sloppy joes in competitive-eating contests while the
Super Bowl played on 20 TVs and three projection screens in the background…
Glam Rock
Lincoln Park’s new rock lounge may not be authentic, but it sure is pretty
Dish Flash: Grant Achatz Talks Hollywood
The latest interest in Alinea’s celebrated chef revolves around talk of a documentary of his life, directed by R. J. Cutler. We probed Achatz for details…
Footsie Index Goes Chocolate
Excuse Me, Your Purse Is Melting
Edible shoes. Edible jewelry. Edible handbags. This is not the usual direction of a trained chocolatier. But Rieko Wada, a graduate of the French Pastry School, is about to unveil just such a line of chocolates. Wada, along with her daughter, Kasumi Wada, is launching their popular online chocolate store, Chocolatines, as a bricks-and-mortar…