Cover Story

Best of Chicago
Good: the well spoken of, the longtime favorites, the new and surprising. Better: the perfect extra fillip, the graceful technique, the revelatory debut.

 

Features

Numbers Man
by Ryan Blitstein
After three top city jobs, including a stint as the mayor’s chief of staff, Ron Huberman brings his technocratic skills to Chicago’s troubled public schools.

The Jay Cutler Playbook
by Bryan Smith
The new quarterback for the Bears has been hailed as a savior but also knocked for lacking ma­turity. We parse the hype—and the criticism. 

The Great American Novelty
by Michael Lenehan
A Darien peddler of doodads with a knack for parlaying his Chinese connections into products just might be onto the Next Big Thing—in closets.

 

Departments

Arena
Page Two
Who loves public corruption? Defense attorneys. Arts & Culture Joe Pug brings his soulful licks to Lollapalooza; The Blip geeks out on comics; is this the season for Northwestern’s coach Pat Fitzgerald?; the crime fiction writer Marcus Sakey looks toward Hollywood; the legacy of Jay Bennett, reexamined. Plus: From amateur to avid: a biker’s guide to trails, events, and more Service Desk Maximize your job search by putting social networking to work. Style Our annual roundup of hot new design. Plus: A peek at the new Oak Street and Sales Check

Table
Mexican street food about to transfix River North; shortcake you will long for; and the ten hottest restaurants now

Cheers
by Kate Schwartz Seamons
Nightlife’s new highs, from Roof to Rootstock 

Romance
by Myra Janco Daniels
Meet Draper Daniels, the Chicago ad legend who inspired AMC’s Mad Men—and this real-life love story.

Adult Education
by Joanna Topor MacKenzie
Reinvent yourself with one of these eight classes.

Deal Estate®
by Dennis Rodkin
House and condo news from the city and the suburbs

Outer Drive
by Jeff Ruby
Am I a real Chicagoan? Some say yes. Some say no—and I never will be. 

 

Listings

Chicago Guide®
The young (emerging artists who shine) and the restless (octogenarians who jam)

Restaurants
Sixteen breaks in at three stars; two stars and bragging rights for SugarToad in Naperville.

 

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