Happy halfway-through-the-work-week, Chicago.
Positivity rates for COVID-19 continue to rise in Chicago, so if you’re getting back out there, take care of yourself and others. Meanwhile, after a year of pandemic angst and being cooped up inside, other people are developing something like “FOGO” — fear of going outside.
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Meanwhile, in today’s newsletter, we have recipe suggestions for using your leftover Easter ham (we know you have some!). We’ve also updated our list of new Chicago restaurants and reopenings, plus our favorite places to grab a Chicago dog — perfect for baseball season.
For your patio pleasure, check out a list of outdoor restaurant spaces open for spring. Plus, see this year’s Chicago Latino Film Festival comeback lineup, and the details on how to watch a rarely-seen Britney Spears documentary directed by a University of Chicago professor in 2002. See you Friday.
— Adam Lukach
Chicago chef Beverly Kim (Parachute, Wherewithall) has not been surprised by the recent rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans, particularly after a year of coronavirus-inspired slurs and slander directed at the same people.
Kim has not been one to stand still, however, and she spearheaded the launch of Dough Something, a nationwide effort to benefit Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ). Find out more about the monthlong event, which includes more than a dozen Chicago restaurants.
Since 2004, Brown Sugar Bakery and founder Stephanie Hart have been delighting customers and garnering acclaim, including a 2019 nomination for a James Beard Foundation Award.
Yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris joined the ranks of the delighted when she stopped at the Chatham bakery for some German chocolate cake on her way out of Chicago. Read more about the veep’s visit, including what other goodies Brown Sugar sent home with her.
32 Chicago restaurants and bars with open patios and rooftops for the warming weather
Al fresco dining season has officially arrived, and with indoor dining capacities still limited, patios are looking more popular than ever. If you’re planning on sitting down outdoors, take a look at our list of 32 outdoor spaces at restaurants and bars, updated for the season.
And please, if you’re heading back out to drink and dine, be safe, and be kind to your servers. Cheers!
In the wake of the #FreeBritney movement, check out the rarely circulated 2002 documentary “Stages: Three Days in Mexico,” directed by University of Chicago professor Judy Hoffman. The film plays like a concert movie only occasionally — and in name only, writes Tribune critic Michael Philips.
Produced to accompany a mass-market photo album aimed at her enormous fan base for the 2002 holiday shopping, “Stages” is a peculiar and touching hourlong account of her life that year, in the wake of the Justin Timberlake breakup and in the grip of fame. It’s scheduled to stream online Thursday.
You’ve never seen “Lord of the Rings” like this — unless you were in Russia in 1991.
Alinea’s return and Big Mini Putt Club’s debut lead 13 new restaurants and reopenings in Chicago
Diners are returning to dining rooms; restaurants are welcoming back regulars; and we’re keeping a running tab
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to help you keep track of all the comings and goings.
After being forced to take the year off in 2020 due to coronavirus, the Chicago Latino Film Festival will return this year — and with some tweaks.
This year’s festival plans to geo-block regional streams to encourage attendance, and it will offer a series of both indoor and outdoor screenings. Drive-in screenings include Lissette Feliciano’s “Women Is Losers,” Mariém Pérez Riera’s documentary “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It,” and Marcos Carnevale’s “El Cuartito.”
Visit the chimps with a hologram Jane Goodall in the upcoming “Becoming Jane” exhibit at the Field Museum.
The absolute best uses for leftover ham
Raise your hand if you’re now the not-so-proud owner of, like, seven-to-ten pounds of leftover Easter ham.
Don’t worry! You’re not alone. Many of us are trying to repurpose excess holiday proteins, and the good people at The Daily Meal have a variety of recipes to help,from a creative ham stomboli to ham-and-Swiss mac-and-cheese to a deviled ham salad.
There’s nothing like a hot dog at a baseball game, even if they are almost $10. Outside of the ballpark, they’re the next best thing to being at the game.
If you’re also feeling festive, or you’re just in the mood for some snappy encased meats, we’ve updated our list of 23 favorite hot dog stands in Chicago and its suburbs.