Features

Hip Parade 
They’re cutting deals with major-label record companies, playing the White House and MTV. Here are seven hot local musical acts – from jazz to rap – that are ready to break on through to the other side. Plus, new music on CD by local bands, and where to see them live

Dining in the Dark
by Dennis Ray Wheaton
Sleepless (and hungry) in Chicago? Our chief dining critic has searched out the best in late-night bites, from spicy Seoul food at a 24-hour Korean restaurant to an elegant dessert at a downtown hotel.

Da New Age Bear
by Marcia Froelke Coburn
Out with the Ditka tantrums and in with the low-key, good-buddy approach of new Bears coach Dave Wannstedt, who plans to prove that nice guys finish first.

The Gang That Couldn’t Snitch Straight
by Michael Abramowitz
The government’s war on the notorious El Rukns looked like a resounding success. But then the startling allegations about sex, drugs, and lies started coming.

Staying the Course
by Libby Morse
Learn how to talk to your auto mechanic, coach a Little League team, rewire a lamp, or speak German: practical skills for practical times in our roundup of the fall’s adult-ed offerings.

At Home: Made in Chicago
by Dan Santow
In the 1990s, people expect ease, comfort, and good design in their furniture. Here are six architects and designers who know how to give the people what they want.

Departments

Letters

Frontlines
High flying, the high cost of dying, a zany gal named Ione, and Cries & Whispers

Metro
by Greg Hinz
How the NRA gets its way in Illinois; why power broker James McPike is Com Ed’s new best friend
Stage & Screen
by Penelope Mesic
Andrew Davis comes home to direct Harrison Ford in The Fugitive.

Chicago Woman
by Marcia Froelke Coburn
The age of leanness through liposuction sends two actresses to a new stage.

Opinion
by Jack Grimshaw
Ask not who is going to be the next black mayor of Chicago. Ask which candidate is best for our city and its diversity.

Prime Time
Hot dates around town this month

Real Estate

by Dennis Rodkin
David Haid’s modernist masterpiece is for sale in Evanston. Plus, recent and notable residential sales

Budget Beat
by Anne Spiselman and David Novick
Summer street eats: Our experts tell you where to go for fast food that’s as delectable as the slow kind.

Back Talk
by Henry Hanson
Kevin Bell, Jim Wood, Ann Nathan, Stanley Tigerman, Victor Skrebneski, Richard Hull, and Donna Tadelman