Hog Wild I went to the preview party for Hogs & Honeys (1555 N. Sheffield Ave.) hosted by Chicago-Scene.com, the Web site for party-hearty voyeurs. Modeled on the New York City biker bar featured in the movie Coyote Ugly, this Weed Street District outpost is the creation of Marc Bortz, mastermind behind Circus, Dragon Room, … Read more
Features Best New Restaurantsby Dennis Ray Wheaton and Anne SpiselmanOur annual roundup of what’s hot and what’s not in the dining world, from the Asian explosion to the check-in of hip hotel dining rooms. We scoured the city and suburbs to produce the definitive list of best places to eat right now. Power Brokerby Steve … Read more
Le Lan and Boka, both good restaurants already, keep the beat alive with talented alums of a hallowed kitchen.
Features Best New Restaurantsby Dennis Ray Wheaton and Anne SpiselmanTwenty exceptional new spots reach for the stars and join the dining hit parade, producing the catchiest numbers to come out of Chicago kitchens in the past year. Plus: Seven for sushi Party Pooperby Steve RhodesAfter two quiet years in office, U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald went … Read more
Water Works Blue Water Grill (520 N. Dearborn St.; 312-777-1400) expects to take a step up when its new exec chef, Joel Dennis (Tru), begins on June 25th. A grad of the Culinary Institute of America, Dennis worked as Alain Ducasse’s sous-chef for four years in New York, and he realizes he’s being tapped as … Read more
Let there be light: a new spot illuminates the West Loop scene
J Bar; Avenue M; Celebrity Beat
This month, Nagrant chats with Debra Sharpe, who has revamped and expanded her space at Cru Café & Wine Bar (25 E. Delaware Pl.; 312-337-4001) to include an outpost of her upscale Bucktown to-go hit, The Goddess and Grocer (1646 N. Damen Ave.; 773-342-3200). Debra Sharpe PODCAST: To hear more from Nagrant’s conversation with Debra … Read more
This month, Nagrant chats with two of the city’s most knowledgeable fishmongers: first, Dirk Fucik (Dirk’s Fish and Gourmet Shop, 2070 N. Clybourn Ave.; 773-404-3475), then Bill Dugan (The Fishguy Market, 4423 N. Elston Ave.; 773-283-7400), who have a combined 60 years of experience in all things aquatic.
Three new hot spots with prime beef and hopping scenes prove an indisputable point: red meat—and lots of it—never seems to go out of style PLUS: On Wine
