A Different Shade of Sepia
Kendal Duque, named the best new chef of 2008 by Chicago magazine last May, announced he will leave his chef position at Sepia (123 N. Jefferson St.; 312-441-1920) at the end of March to pursue his own restaurant in Chicago. “It will probably be a small, casual place,” says Duque, a 36-year-old native of Ecuador. “l have a very, very good concept in mind and I’m being as tightlipped as I can for now. But I can say that I have a lot of energy…
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…
Bull & Bear 431 N. Wells St. This newbie offers in-table taps, 25 TVs, one projection screen, and free WiFi (so you can trash talk your bracket buddies over IM). Stretch Run Sporting Club & Grille 544 N. LaSalle St. Talk about madness: This spot houses 240 TVs—that’s a 1.2:1 TV-to-barfly ratio. Plus, … Read more
Nightlifers, meet Chicago magazine’s new professional barfly, Kate Seamons. Kate, meet our very thirsty readers. By day, Kate’s the managing editor of newser.com, a site that could make us all a little smarter. (Before that, she spent four years at the helm of centerstagechicago.com, a post that required its fair share of bar hopping—you know, for research.) By night, she’ll be trolling the taverns of Chicago, looking for your next go-to spot for…
BYO Alert
“I have no restaurant experience,” says Hector Peña, owner of Café Bella (3311 W. Fullerton Ave.; 773-292-5040), a brand-new Logan Square BYO. “I’m a real estate broker. My experience is McDonald’s, when I was 17 years old. My buddy is the chef, and I have always wanted him to open up his own place because his food is marvelous.” The buddy in question is Cesar Casas, a veteran of Ambria who most recently ran…
The Publican, The Bristol, and Province: three smart, approachable newcomers with the skills—and the pork—to satisfy the hungry masses during lean times
Smak-Tak!, Chickpea, Trader Vic’s, Main Street Smokehouse
Saturday was jam-packed at The Pony in Roscoe Village: The afternoon brought out the bar’s Jayhawks contingent for the NCAA matchup of Kansas and Nebraska (the “home” team prevailed, 70 to 53). As the evening wore on, the good times got rolling—and the hurricanes started flowing—at a Mardi Gras bash. We sent our photographer to snap shots of the scene.
Editor’s note: Change is coming to your inbox. Along with a retooling of our events coverage in the magazine (if you haven’t seen it lately, check out Chicago Guide in our March issue, on newsstands now), Marquee is getting a new name and a new look. Keep an eye out for the new Chicago Guide newsletter next Wednesday, featuring only the events worth your time and money. We know you’re busier, so we’re getting pickier. Let us know what you think.
Hi. Remember me? It’s your former Last Girl Standing–turned–newlywed. It’s been a while since I last blogged, and the rumors are true: After seven rewarding years as Chicago magazine’s nightlife columnist, I’ve made the very tough decision to leave my post. My last Nightspotting column will run in the April issue of the magazine, and this is my final post in this forum. [Insert violins here.]…
