The Strange Case of the Dentist and the Pimp

With the right kind of porcelain, the right shade of pearly translucent white, the thinnest of veneers can dazzle away the realities of the most troubled of teeth. Until the day the feds came to...

Bryan Smith

Treasure Hunter

At Architectural Artifacts, his huge store in Ravenswood, Stuart Grannen holds court in a kingdom of the beautiful, the rescued, and the reclaimed

Marcia Froelke Coburn

Re-Wright

When a young Oak Park couple finally bought the Frank Lloyd Wright house they had long admired, they teamed up with top-of-the-line talent to make a good house great

Christine Newman

The A+ Team

We crunched data from more than 1,700 public elementary and middle schools in the Chicago area—evaluating everything from average class size to expenditures per student to standardized test...

Dennis Rodkin and Amy Rainey

Vital Signs

An immigrant’s pluck, an inspired vision, and four generations of elbow grease: how the White Way sign company has brightened Chicago’s cityscape for 83 years

Jennifer Wehunt

Press Boxing

Jay Mariotti says he doesn't play by jock rules, referring to Chicago sports media. Read more about how he's dealt with the critisism from both the sports media and athletes.

Dirk Johnson

Table of Contents

Their Way

One is beneath a train station; the other’s beside a gas station. But both restaurants—quirky and unique from top to bottom—deliver the goods, foodwise

Dennis Ray Wheaton

Team Spirit?

Chicago Bulls mascot Benny the Bull isn?t the only furry friend who's run into trouble on the sidelines. The Closer reveals more members of his ornery order.

Jeff Ruby

The View from My Window

Though he’s not in a penthouse and the lake is nowhere in sight, “I wouldn’t trade [the view] for the world,” says Bobins.

Nora O’Donnell

Price of Eternal Rest

The high costs of funerals could scare a person half to death. Here’s how some of the Chicago funeral expenses stack up.

Rebecca Little

The Perfect: Oktoberfest Meal

Oktoberfest began as a wedding bash outside Munich and spread, by the turn of the century, to Chicago, where it remains an excuse to stuff our gobs with German fare. These odes to Deutschland put...

Jennifer Wehunt

Marooned!

After a 30-year hiatus, varsity football returned to the University of Chicago in the 1970s—sort of.

Jeff S. Rasley

Monopoly's New Game

Besides being Kanye West's manager, John Monopoly can add "club owner" to his resume with the opening of the members-only Boutique.

Sarah Preston

Kid 'N' Play

Forget snakes and snails. What little boys really want are cool tees, rugged jeans, and a clothing store designed like a playground. For them, Red 21 Boys—named after a familiar football...

Stacy Wallace-Albert

Writers on the Record with Victoria Lautman - Adam Gopnik

In his 20 years at The New Yorker, Adam Gopnik has worn several hats: art critic, Paris correspondent, author of the “New York Journal” column. Victoria Lautman caught up with Gopnik, who spoke...

Uncorked!

When star sommelier Belinda Chang issues a call, the wine world spills forth.

Deborah Wilk

Trick Out a Great Room

Nick Berkus tricks out an Avondale condo

Amy Rainey

Barre None

A Spanish rookie joins the season’s hottest dance ticket.

Cassie Walker

Victory Gardens: A Love Story

Victory Gardens is movin’ on up. We trace key moments in the storied theatre’s 30-year history.

Mara Tapp

Style Sheet - October 2006

Planning a trip? Add a few cool comforts for the road ahead.

Stacy Wallace-Albert

The Diva Decreased

Deborah Voigt shocked the world when she revealed that the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden had fired her because she was too hefty. The seductive diva has slimmed down and is speaking to Chicago.

Graham Meyer

Califone Comes Home

After two years gone, the quartet resurfaces with a dazzling new album.

Kevin Mckeough

The Short List - October 2006

We found it! A kids’ album that won’t bug parents; a Sundance hit comes home; freaky marathon outfits; and more for October

Marvel-ous Talent

An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories, out in October, spotlights more than 75 artists including four Chicago natives. Showing that Chicago’s comic community extends beyond...

Rebecca Little

Easy Being Green

Chicago is on the cutting edge of an architectural movement to create buildings that look good—and do good, too. This fall, the Museum of Contemporary Art highlights enviro-friendly local projects.

Karin Horgan Sullivan

That Sinking Feeling

When Matt and Sarah Adess moved into their Wicker Park condo in 2000, they didn’t realize they were buying intoa six-year nightmare. A cautionary tale about new construction gone terribly bad

Dennis Rodkin

Deal Estate - Topping the Charts

Dennis Rodkin

Deal Estate Condos - October 2006

Dennis Rodkin

Been Up So Long, Looks Like Down to Me

With for-sale signs staying around longer, and prices flattening—and even dipping in a few spots—Chicago’s hot-and-heavy real-estate market has entered a dreaded new phase: normalcy

Dennis Rodkin

Recipe File - October 2006

Tomatillo a versatile berry lends its characteristic tang to a richly satisfying chicken soup developed by Jason Handelman

Dining Tidbits - October 2006

Budget Beat, Mecca, French, and Wine Country

Chefs on the Grill with Michael Nagrant - Rick Tramonto

Each month food journalist Michael Nagrant conducts an interview with either a well-known or emerging Chicago chef. This month, Nagrant chats with Rick Tramonto of Tru and several upcoming spots...

Chefs on the Grill Podcast Instructions