Close Encounters of the Southern Kind: The Violet Hour guys hit Louisville
You heard it here first: The Violet Hour cocktail whiz Mike Ryan will bartend his last shift at the Wicker Park lounge this Saturday night. Ryan has accepted a job...
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Three for Thursday: JBar, LaSalle Power Co., and The Underground
Did I ever tell you Thursday is my favorite night out? There's always something to do, but without the fun! fun! fun! pressure of a Friday or Saturday. And yet,...
No Rest for the Chilly
Every day I wonder why I feel like I need a nap at 11 a.m., and then I remember: last night. Over the past week alone, I've visited (all in...
The Band Played On: Hairbanger's Ball tonight at Uncle Fatty's
Remember that sweet, soaring flute solo in the 1992 Guns N' Roses heartbreaker "November Rain?" I do. "November Rain" was released at the beginning of my estimable high-school flute-playing career....
The Chaser’s Five Can’t-Miss Outings of the Week
Just when I was gearing up for winter hibernation, the bait nightspots are dangling to lure drinkers in from the cold got the best of me. I’d be on liver-failure...
"Jersey Shore" in Chicago: The fist pumping comes to town Friday
UPDATE: All appearances by Jersey Shore cast members in Chicago this weekend have been canceled, according to reportsI had a disturbing phone conversation yesterday with my uncle Jack. “My mission...
It’s Complicated: Learning the ropes at the South Loop’s luxe new movie theatre and bar
The good news for the just-opened Kerasotes Showplace Icon Theatre in the South Loop is that plenty of Chicagoans think the concept lends a much-needed air of civility to moviegoing:...
Comparison Shopping: Surveying the masses for last-minute New Year's Eve parties in Chicago
A few weeks ago, while listlessly discussing options for seeing off 2009, my sister, Claire, proclaimed the following: “Other than marriage, New Year’s Eve is the biggest scam ever perpetrated...
The Whole Enchilada: Drinking and Schmoozing at the Mammoth Whole Foods
If there’s one place in Chicago—other than my nearby haunt, the River Shannon—that’s like my own personal Cheers, it would have to be the new Whole Foods in Lincoln Park....
Live from the Palace: Running the numbers on Bernard's Bar, the Gold Coast's new haute hangout in the Elysian Hotel
The Peninsula? The Four Seasons? The Ritz? Get me there, get me on a velvet couch—oh, and somebody get me a cocktail, please. I’m a sucker for luxe hotel bars....