It’s Wednesday, Chicago!
The city finally seems to have shaken off the final clutches of winter and entered spring (with a vengance, some might say). For those of you looking for something to sip as you enjoy the warmth and sunny skies, Josh Noel has the inside scoop on canned cocktails from Tip Top Proper Cocktails — which rank high for this ready-to-drink expert.
If you’re looking for your drinks with a garnish of innovation, Goose Island Beer Co. will put more than 2,000 Barrel House Collection NFTs on sale Friday to celebrate its Bourbon County Stout.
And if you need a little guidance exploring the city now that the weather is nice, writer and photographer Jessica Mlinaric’s second book, “Chicago Scavenger: The Ultimate Search for Chicago’s Hidden Treasures,” is out Sunday, looking to help readers engage with the city and find hidden neighborhood gems.
See you next week.
— Kayla Samoy, deputy senior editor
Iconic neon sign at Orange Garden restaurant winds up in surprising hands after auction
Orange Garden’s vivid 90-year-old sign reading “Chop Suey” in bold letters hasn’t been lit since 2020. But it was recently sold at auction for $17,000 — and to a familiar name to Chicagoans and rock enthusiasts alike. Read the full story here.
Subscriber exclusive: Craft breweries are pairing NFTs with real-world perks such as free beer forever. Here’s how Goose Island is joining the fray.
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Goose Island Beer Co.’s newest Bourbon County offering is one of the most striking innovations to date in the brewery’s long history — but you can’t drink it.
Relatively few breweries have gotten involved in non-fungible tokens, but Goose Island’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, has been an early and aggressive adopter, writes the Tribune reporter Josh Noel. Read the full story here.
This past weekend, Steppenwolf Theatre opened its new, 400-seat theater-in-the-round, an elegant, intimate performance facility. But as Tribune critic Chris Jones writes, Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull” “struggles to see that light.” Read his full review here.
Neil Gaiman will draw a crowd when he speaks in Chicago — and here’s why
On Friday, Auditorium Theatre will host “An Evening with Neil Gaiman,” featuring one of the rare authors who can fill the 3,900-seat venue with merely his presence and a short stack of writing.
Gaiman can seem to be everywhere and is unique in his ability to bind together TV, film, comics, children’s books, adult novels, cosplay costumes, social-media chatter, Netflix, Amazon, DC Comics, God, the devil, angels, trolls, ghosts, fairies, alternative realities and Norwegians. Read the full story here.
Review: 3 Little Pigs Chi makes superb Chinese American food to satisfy your inner empress
Henry Cai, chef and owner of 3 Little Pigs Chi, originally launched his virtual venture on Instagram in February 2020. He found a home at Humboldt Park Eatery, a shared kitchen, in November, where makes what he calls untraditionally authentic Chinese American food.
And as Tribune critic Louisa Chu writes, it’s definitely worth a try, given how “his fried chicken sandwich alone shows a mastery of many worlds.” Read the full review here.
There are lots of true crime dramatizations out there, but Tribune critic Michael Phillips said this HBO Max offering is “exceptionally good.”
The show follows Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette), a business executive married to novelist, columnist and aspiring politician Michael Peterson (Colin Firth). Kathleen died either by bloody accident — or a brutal murder committed by her husband. Read the full review here.
‘Bosch: Legacy’ review: The LA noir of Harry Bosch is back, this time sans police badge
Subscriber exclusive: Old Post Office food hall, from team behind Empty Bottle and Thalia Hall, slated to open in June
In June, an expansive food hall called From Here On will open on the ground floor of the Old Post Office building in the South Loop. Roughly a dozen vendors, all Chicago-based, will set up shop inside the expansive space.
The team behind the project hopes it will help breathe life back into Chicago’s downtown. Read the full story here.
10 for summer TV: Returning favorites, untested newcomers and ‘Stranger Things’
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Streaming’s disruption of the traditional TV season means new shows and new seasons are premiering year-round. Tribune critic Nina Metz gives a look at some noteworthy new shows and returning favorites coming to your TVs this summer. Read her recommendations here.
My worst moment: ‘Gaslit’ star Shea Whigham and the time he blasted De Niro’s ear
Taste test: Tip Top canned cocktails are not only tip top — they’re adorable too
While ready-to-drink cocktails have been around for years, Josh Noel writes that “Tip Top Proper Cocktails stand out.” Tip Top, which arrived in Chicago earlier this year, offers six classic drinks: Old Fashioned, Manhattan, daiquiri, margarita, Negroni and Bee’s Knees. The beverages come in cans that are just 3.4 ounces, which Noel writes is “just about right for cocktails as boozy and full-flavored as these.” Read the full story here.
“Rock of Ages” follows the story of Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip, of Dennis Dupree’s Bourbon Room, of the aspiring singer Drew and the aspiring actress Sherrie, as narrated by the mullet-haired Lonnie.
While Tribune critic Chris Jones said the musical is a fun time, he said the show is missing its central idea and “there’s a bit too much going on in this over-choreographed, over-frenetic and over-staged production.” Read the full review here.