Chicago

Muy Caliente Summer Edition

Winners of the James Beard Foundation's Restaurant and Chef Awards

Last night, the James Beard Foundation's winner's list was completed--the media awards were over the weekend and listed here yesterday. In addition to major excitement over the first ever Outstanding Bar Program award other highlights included a tie for Best Chef Southeast (a hot dining destination ... More >>

White Mystery

Last night, the James Beard Foundation's winner's list was completed--the media awards were over the weekend and listed here yesterday. In addition to major excitement over the first ever Outstanding Bar Program award other highlights included a tie for Best Chef Southeast (a hot dining destination ... More >>

'Mr. Saturday Night' w/ Jacques Greene

Last night, the James Beard Foundation's winner's list was completed--the media awards were over the weekend and listed here yesterday. In addition to major excitement over the first ever Outstanding Bar Program award other highlights included a tie for Best Chef Southeast (a hot dining destination ... More >>

Chicago Red Hot: Why Can't New Yorkers Get It Right? Custom American Wine Bar Almost Does

Custom's version comes close to the original, tastewise. One of the triumphs of the hot dog world is the Chicago-style frankfurter. But why can't anyone accurately reproduce it in New York? Certainly, we've had lots of attempts. The latest encountered by Fork in the Road is the "Mid West Custom-Ma ... More >>

Q&A: Chicago Underground Duo's Chad Taylor On Improvising, The New York And Chicago Jazz Scenes, And Leaving Thrill Jockey

Chicago Underground Duo's defection from their longtime label Thrill Jockey to the fledgling New York-based Northern Spy imprint—after fifteen years and some seven albums of visionary experimentalism gleaned from Windy City improv and post-jazz sonics—is actually a reunion of sorts. In ... More >>

Mae, Faye, Phyllis, And Joan, All Together And Looking Fierce

They all went to the same club--Chicago's Pump Room--at one time or another. And they've all ended up in the same amazing photo book, Icons At The Pump Room--a promotional item handed to certain lucky VIPs (like my friend Christian Freedom). If you like this quartet of diva divinity, just pick up ... More >>

My 5 Favorite NYC Hot Dogs

​At Shake Shack, our own approximation of the Chicago dog. Whether you call them frankfurters, wieners, tube steaks, or floaters, New York City is the hot dog capital of the world. And here are my five favorite local evocations of the silky sausage that came here from Frankfurt or Vienna, d ... More >>

'Talking Landscape: Early Media Work, 1974-1984'

​At Shake Shack, our own approximation of the Chicago dog. Whether you call them frankfurters, wieners, tube steaks, or floaters, New York City is the hot dog capital of the world. And here are my five favorite local evocations of the silky sausage that came here from Frankfurt or Vienna, d ... More >>

Rise Against

​At Shake Shack, our own approximation of the Chicago dog. Whether you call them frankfurters, wieners, tube steaks, or floaters, New York City is the hot dog capital of the world. And here are my five favorite local evocations of the silky sausage that came here from Frankfurt or Vienna, d ... More >>

Broadway Replacements: Your Favorite?

Darren Criss is attracting screaming Gleeks to How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and they're filling the seats once occupied by screaming Potterphiles. Which brings to mind the topic of Broadway replacements and how they fare in light of all the hoopla generated by the original star ... More >>

Coffee Cup Motifs in NYC's 59th Street Subway Station

​Don't fall in! In the last 10 years or so, lots of subway stations have been revamped, many with mosaics intended to reflect some associations with what's above the station on the street. Some of these motifs involve food and entertainment -- there are fish in the Delancey Street station, ... More >>

Ask the Critics: Where Can I Get Chicago-Style Hot Dogs?

Robert SietsemaShake Shack's Chicago-style hot dog ​Mark L. Asks: I've been craving a Chicago-style hot dog. Who makes the best one in New York? Dear Mark: Having spent several years living in Chicago, I can appreciate your love of the Chicago-style hot dog, which differs from the classic Ne ... More >>

'Verboten' w/ Hot Natured

Robert SietsemaShake Shack's Chicago-style hot dog ​Mark L. Asks: I've been craving a Chicago-style hot dog. Who makes the best one in New York? Dear Mark: Having spent several years living in Chicago, I can appreciate your love of the Chicago-style hot dog, which differs from the classic Ne ... More >>

Download "Enough," A Yowly Gem From Chicago's Mannequin Men (Playing Tonight And Tomorrow)

​Tonight at Shea Stadium and tomorrow night at Cake Shop the fine Chicago garage-rock outfit Mannequin Men will perform, and it would behoove you to attend one or both shows, should you not have plans for the weekend yet. But don't take my word for it. Below, download the chugging "Enough," wh ... More >>

Q&A: Chicago Artist Michael Tewz on His Work of Art Elimination, His Buddy Sucklord

BRAVOTewz on Work of Art One of the more intriguing aspects of Work of Art, the BRAVO reality show we've been following, is that the show's producers chose a handful of cast members who'd already had a presence in the world, whose self-propelled careers could exist apart from the reality-television ... More >>

The Sea and Cake

BRAVOTewz on Work of Art One of the more intriguing aspects of Work of Art, the BRAVO reality show we've been following, is that the show's producers chose a handful of cast members who'd already had a presence in the world, whose self-propelled careers could exist apart from the reality-television ... More >>

Deep Thoughts from a 'Pizza Douche': How a Slice Is Like Cleavage

brendan-c/flickrLife of pie.​Sure, he's from Chicago and he's been called a "pizza douche," but Patrick Bertoletti, who happens to be ranked second in the International Federation of Competitive Eating, says he's eaten at more than 200 different pizzerias around the world, including New York's ... More >>

'Oktave' w/ Jeff Derringer+Edit-Select+Raiz

brendan-c/flickrLife of pie.​Sure, he's from Chicago and he's been called a "pizza douche," but Patrick Bertoletti, who happens to be ranked second in the International Federation of Competitive Eating, says he's eaten at more than 200 different pizzerias around the world, including New York's ... More >>

Umphrey's McGee

brendan-c/flickrLife of pie.​Sure, he's from Chicago and he's been called a "pizza douche," but Patrick Bertoletti, who happens to be ranked second in the International Federation of Competitive Eating, says he's eaten at more than 200 different pizzerias around the world, including New York's ... More >>

Sex Is Comedy, Kind of, in Autoerotic

brendan-c/flickrLife of pie.​Sure, he's from Chicago and he's been called a "pizza douche," but Patrick Bertoletti, who happens to be ranked second in the International Federation of Competitive Eating, says he's eaten at more than 200 different pizzerias around the world, including New York's ... More >>

Casey Anthony Career Plans! Here's A Great Idea!

​So she got off. I guess that really was rotting pizza in her car trunk, not the decomposition stench of her murdered and duct taped daughter. So what's in Casey Anthony's glamorous future? I know!

What to Drink at Prune: The Chicago Matchbox (Like, Duh)

Each week in The Daily Shot, we have ourselves a drink that we think you should try, too. girluninterrupt/foodspottingGet lit.​The drink: Chicago Matchbox The bar: Prune (54 East 1st Street, East Village, 212-677-6221) The price: $10 Ingredients: Homemade lemon vodka, Sacramento tomato jui ... More >>

VillageVines Finally Gets a Food-Related Name, Now Called Savored

Savored​VillageVines, the online restaurant discount site that sounds vaguely like the bottle of $3 Chardonnay found in the back of grandma's cupboard, has undergone a makeover and now finally has a name that sounds like it's at least related to food. It'll now be called Savored. And with a ... More >>

Tony Awards Prove My Blind Items Right!

​This very week, my column has a blind item about an actor/director who broke up with a Wicked chorus boy, only to take up with the Pal Joey guy, who broke up with an ex Chicago cast member. I also said that the Chicago guy is now a pair with that Book of Mormon star. Well, at the Tonys toni ... More >>

My Grandmother's Horehound

​The candy has a rather dusty appearance. That's "horehound," not "whore hound" -- though the joke works if you say it out loud, rather than see the word written. While the former might suggest an overly promiscuous feral dog, the latter is an herb that was used long ago to make hard candy.

Backstreet Boy Makes Movie Debut

​My favorite Backstreet Boy, Kevin Richardson, got good reviews for stepping into Chicago on Broadway a few years ago, and now he's taken another career advance by going Indie-wood. He costars in the Steve Balderson-directed The Casserole Club, a Mad Men-era glimpse into the dark side of Cali ... More >>

TALK SOUP

Mark Bazer chats with Das Racist

Thieves Steal $80K Worth of Human Hair From Beauty Supply Store

​Thieves broke into a Chicago beauty supply store on Easter and made off with almost $80,000 worth of human hair. The Tribune reports that the robbers pried open a metal door at the shop's rear and targeted the most expensive brands of hair once inside. Jay Han, the owner of Beauty One, said t ... More >>

Chicago Foodies Are Even More Batshit Than New York Foodies

Alinea Grant Achatz, the man most likely to drive Chicago diners to distraction.​Remember way back when Ko opened and people were doing all sorts of crazy shitto get a reservation? Three years later, Chicago has put us to shame.

SLUDGE MATCH

Metal in a meatgrinder

LIAR, LIAR

What would you do for love?

Jason Stein Quartet

What would you do for love?

The 2011 James Beard Award Finalists Are...

​Earlier this afternoon in Portland, OR, the James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for the 2011 James Beard Awards. So without further ado, the nominees, after the jump:

The Foodie Registry Invites Married Couples to Hit Their Friends up for Dinner

​Couples in Hong Kong recently began turning to McDonald's to fulfill their twisted dreams of matrimonial bliss, and now a fast-growing website is making it possible for American couples to gain edible pay-off for their decision to wed.

'Discovery Presents Trus'me+Tyson Ballard+VDRK'

​Couples in Hong Kong recently began turning to McDonald's to fulfill their twisted dreams of matrimonial bliss, and now a fast-growing website is making it possible for American couples to gain edible pay-off for their decision to wed.

Man Surprised to Find that Online Girlfriend Asking Him for Money Is Not Real

​There is a sucker born every minute. On the Internet, multiply that by 200,000, and you'll get the amount of money that a hapless 48-year-old man from the Chicago suburb of Naperville sent his supposed "online girlfriend" whom he'd actually never met. But he'd seen her Florida driver's licens ... More >>

Your Weekend In Nightlife, Starring Stretch And Bobbito, DJ/Rupture, And Azari & III

​Your week starts with a little dancing, courtesy of a dancing DJ. We've sung Willy Joy's praises as Kid Sister's DJ more than once, but tonight it's all about him. Chicago's juke-loving, bass-fiending dance DJ celebrates the release of his Woman Like Me EP on Plant Music with a set at Ella We ... More >>

9 States Are Now Under Blizzard Warnings, and Other Freaky Weather Facts

​Although our winter storm warning has been downgraded to an advisory, the weather still has the makings of something rather apocalyptic. It's being called "life-threatening." Across the nation, people are freaking out. Even people in England are worried about our well-being (or are smugly enj ... More >>

"Why Isn't My Blog More Popular?" Quitters Wonder

​Old people tend to be bad at blogging, according to a sad, strange trend piece in Crain's Chicago Business, which is making the rounds online today so internet experts can chuckle at clueless novices. Like going to the gym, eating healthier and other New Year's resolution-type self improvemen ... More >>

Butt-Dial Leads to "Hostage Situation," or, Why You Should Never Listen to Hip-Hop in Winnetka

​You know how when your phone rings and you're so excited to answer it because maybe you don't get phone calls all that often, and so you pick up, eagerly but outwardly cool, 'cause you're like that, and then you hear some muffled sounds and maybe something reminiscent of a gunshot or chairs b ... More >>

Hijacking Alert Issued Over Spilt Airplane Coffee

​Perhaps the most disturbing part of this story about an in-flight cockpit coffee spill is this: Pilots are allowed to drink coffee while piloting commercial airliners!? Because it seems that a coffee spill could do far worse than simply triggering a hijacking alert and forcing a United Airlin ... More >>

'Big Booty Hoes'

​Perhaps the most disturbing part of this story about an in-flight cockpit coffee spill is this: Pilots are allowed to drink coffee while piloting commercial airliners!? Because it seems that a coffee spill could do far worse than simply triggering a hijacking alert and forcing a United Airlin ... More >>

The Smith Westerns+Ducktails+Bass Drum of Death

​Perhaps the most disturbing part of this story about an in-flight cockpit coffee spill is this: Pilots are allowed to drink coffee while piloting commercial airliners!? Because it seems that a coffee spill could do far worse than simply triggering a hijacking alert and forcing a United Airlin ... More >>

Magnolia Sets Up Mission Control in Harlem, Readies for World Domination

Then one day, the cupcakes started eating us.​The cupcake cartel that is Magnolia isn't just opening five new locations around the country. It's priming itself for world domination with a new 5,200-square-foot production facility in Harlem, according to the Wall Street Journal. The new factory ... More >>

Fright or Flight Response

Why are Mexicanairlines so fearless?

Lupe Fiasco's Lasers Has A Release Date

​So Atlantic Records has been sitting on Lupe Fiasco's new record, Lasers, for a couple years now, an untenable state of affairs given that "he's really much more than just a rapper from Chicago -- he represents a generation, and a movement," as it was explained to us last week by the guy plan ... More >>

Mike Reed's People, Places & Things

​So Atlantic Records has been sitting on Lupe Fiasco's new record, Lasers, for a couple years now, an untenable state of affairs given that "he's really much more than just a rapper from Chicago -- he represents a generation, and a movement," as it was explained to us last week by the guy plan ... More >>

Urge Overkill Play Mercury Lounge Tonight; Tickets Still Available

​Given the public's abiding interest in '90s bands that may or may not have reunited, we thought we'd point out that proudly hedonistic Chicago power-pop goofballs Urge Overkill are taking another crack at it, playing their first live show in forever tonight at Mercury Lounge, and at least las ... More >>