Best New Restaurants

Twenty-one restaurants, countless thrills. Several of this year's top new spots bend rules and influences; others give classic genres much-needed shots of adrenaline. Either way, all 21 of them...

Dennis Ray Wheaton and Jeff Ruby

A Goddess by Night

This season, eveningwear embraces the classic flow and drape of Grecian designs—and gladiator sandals bring out the warrior in a woman

Stacey Jones

The Show Goes On

Two years ago, Christopher Kennedy, the president of the Merchandise Mart and an heir of the iconic clan, rescued the city's leading art exhibition from last-minute ruin. This year, it opens with...

Marcia Froelke Coburn

Towering Ambition

The Chicago Spire aims to be the tallest skyscraper in North America. But will it get built? The twisting tale so far

Jay Pridmore

Plumbers Who Won't Drain Your Wallet

Need a plumber you can count on? Here are 24 of the best in the Chicago area

Robert Krughoff

May 2008 Table of Contents

Contributors—May 2008

Jay Pridmore, Bob Coscarelli, Crystal Yednak, Robert Krughoff, David Murray, Dennis Ray Wheaton, Jeff Ruby

Feedback

In this month's letters: antisocial justification, the F-bomb, solar investment, a relieved mother, a magnet school, and more Web sites

Three Questions

Dennis DeYoung: Styx frontman, native Chicagoan, and creative force behind the world-premieere musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Lucia Mauro

Taste of Chicago

The Bottom Lounge returns in true punk-rock fashion: bigger and more ambitious than before.

Kevin McKeough

Solo Show

The industrial-rock band Ministry, launched in Chicago in 1981, comes home for its farewell tour this month.

Kevin McKeough

Freebie of the Month

Best bet for a free event this month: Tony Fitzpatrick's exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center

Amy Wiens

Rich Foods

With gas prices going up, home values sinking, and the economy in turmoil, here's one more thing that's straining Chicago-area budgets: food.

Emily Kaiser

Up to the Plate

You may know that The Closer, when he's not Closing, reviews restaurants. People constantly ask him, "Man, how do I do that?" His answer: Eat like a maniac, and write like you mean it. Oh, and make...

Jeff Ruby

Hot for Teacher

Only three Chicago-area teachers crack the Top 50 "Hottest Professors" list

Kristy Holland

Gop.com

Cook County GOP officials turn to the Web for help against their rivals

Ben Goldberger

Political Calculus

How the race for president would be different if the Democrats had followed the GOP's lead

David Bernstein

5 New Lake View Watering Holes

Finley Mahony's, The Pony, Harry Caray's Tavern, Scarlet, and Wilde Bar & Restaurant

Sarah Preston

Serious Posers

The new dance club Mannequin dolls up River West nightlife

Sarah Preston

Dropping the Name-Dropping

Expect a heavy emphasis on sports and music at Aberdeen.

Sarah Preston

5 Albums That Inspire...

Tim Rutili, the frontman of Califone, which plays with Iron & Wine April 21st and 22nd at the Vic

Not Wright

Four coming out from the shadow of Frank Lloyd Wright

Sarah Downey

Downshift

Local H shows its emotional side.

Mark Guarino

Urban Oases

Got visitors? Put them up in one of these neighborhood hotels for a taste of real city life.

Karin Horgan Sullivan

The Hair Guide

The 'dos we found at Hair Wars

A Cut Above

We canvassed friends and associates in search of Chicago’s top stylists and then sent anonymous “clients” of every hair type to test their skills. The stylists profiled here earned the best...

Anne Halliday with Rebecca Little

Sales Check

A roundup of sales, store openings, and shopping news in May 2008

Rebecca Little

Critical Mass

Noteworthy new releases in May

Anne Halliday

Writers on the Record

Victoria Lautman chats with Aleksandar Hemon

Victoria Lautman

Weeknight Find: Culture Clash

Actor-playwright Heather Raffo stars in a one-woman play, 9 Parts of Desire, for three weeks starting May 3rd.

Cassie Walker

High Time

Jennifer Koh's new album showcases an eclectic career at its height.

Andrew Patner

The Buzz Bin

On May 2nd, students at The School of the Art Institute will present the best runway show in Chicago.

Rebecca Little

Shopper: Branca

Italian-born interior designer Alessandra Branca will open a 2,900-square-foot concept shop dedicated to her "classic, with a wink" aesthetic

Rebecca Little

You Should Know ... Ashley Wheater

The Joffrey has a new man in town—and not even The Nutcracker is safe.

Danielle Braff

A Slippery Subject

A conversation with Bill Clinton biographer Carol Felsenthal

Edward McClelland

Saving Grace

From Sundance favorite to box-office flop, what the fate of John Cusack's Grace Is Gone says about us

Crystal Yednak

Young Writers Block

They all moved here for one reason: Chicago is the place young playwrights come to get a break.

Cassie Walker

The Blip - May 2008

Bright spots on the month’s cultural radar

Unanswered Cries

Before she died in 2004, Kathleen Savio, the third wife of former Bolingbrook police sergeant Drew Peterson, repeatedly warned authorities she would be killed. Now her death has been reclassified a...

David Murray

A Bid to Buy

Web site helps would-be homeowners make an irrefusable offer

Dennis Rodkin

A Close Call

Parties to deal agree to delay finalizing sale for seven months

Dennis Rodkin

Fending Off a Tax

Anticipating political change, seller cashes in on house

Dennis Rodkin

A Village in a Village

New homes just "part of the neighborhood"

Dennis Rodkin

Showers from Heaven

Noiseproofing, high-end appliances, and other amenities enhance condos

Dennis Rodkin

Memory Lane

Amid change, project's design blends yesterday with toda

Dennis Rodkin

Dining Tidbits

For May 2008: Union Pizzeria, Summer Noodle & Rice, Soul, Shochu

The Tale of the Taco

Seven great tacos that make a celebration seem in order

Mike Nagrant

See Marcus Cook

Marcus Samuelsson lets his food do the talking.

Jeff Ruby

Trend: Gluten-Free Goodies

The offerings at Rose’s WheatFree Bakery & Café may be gluten-free, peanut-free, casein-free, corn-syrup-free, and trans-fat-free, but they obligingly leave in the most important element: flavor.

Jeff Ruby

Who Will Buy the Condos?

Since 2000, developers have flooded downtown Chicago with more than 20,000 new condos and townhouses—yet at the end of 2007, nearly 8,000 of them sat unsold. Will that glut drag down the local...

Dennis Rodkin