Nicole Schnitzler – Page 3

Actor Michael Crawford poses with a Phantom mask at Her Majesty's Theatre in London in 2006 for the documentary "The Phantom of the Opera - Behind the Mask." Crawford was a longtime lead of "The Phantom of the Opera."

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ was my late mother’s musical, and her strength. Now it is mine.

December 24, 2019 at 12:00 a.m.

The music box opens and a small stuffed monkey appears, slowly clapping two brass cymbals to produce a familiar melody. I look down at my lap as the tears build....

The new Old-Fashioned: How Chicago bartenders are bringing classic cocktail into 21st century

May 31, 2019 at 4:04 p.m.

Boozy, comforting and capable of chasing away even the fiercest Chicago chill, the Old-Fashioned is one of the most ordered cocktails in colder months. And while its traditional makeup comprises...

Yes, you can find a chic wedding dress and stay on budget. Chicago’s best wallet-friendly bridal shops

May 12, 2019 at 11:41 p.m.

Many women have dreamed about their wedding dress for decades, envisioning the perfect style, fit and designer for their big day — and some savvy shoppers among them have spent...

Pilates + Coffee owners Ryan and Jacquelyn Brennan say the coffee bar, left, gets possible Pilates customers asking about the studio, right. "They'll start inquiring about things like, 'What's Pilates?' 'What are the benefits of it?' 'What's that piece of equipment?'"

Need a cup of coffee? Consider your local shoe store.

May 31, 2019 at 4:04 p.m.

It once was the case that Chicago’s finest studios and shops wouldn’t allow customers to walk around their spaces with just-purchased, piping hot, to-the-brim cups of coffee. Nowadays, they’re serving...

Peanut Butter and Jelly Invade the Rest of Your Lunchbox

July 2, 2026 at 3:45 p.m.

These chefs are pushing the PBJ nostalgia to its limits—namely, in cocktails and chicken wings.

Stylish beach reads

May 12, 2019 at 11:29 p.m.

There's no better way to embrace summer months (and gear up for the hotly anticipated fall collections ahead) than by hitting the beach with this season's best style books. Whether...

The Violet Hour Celebrates 10 Years of Top-Caliber Cocktails Today

July 2, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.

Here are 10 memorable concoctions from the not-so-hidden-anymore Wicker Park lounge.

If Anyone Deserves a 100-Year Graduation Party, It's Ernest Hemingway

July 2, 2026 at 3:56 p.m.

This Saturday's soiree in Oak Park celebrates the legendary writer. Here's what you might not know about him.

The Pluma De Iberico Bellota (Iberian Pork Loin) at Mercat a la Planxa in Chicago is naturally delicious and prepared simply on the grill.

Iberian pork shoulder at Mercat a la Planxa

May 2, 2019 at 1:25 p.m.

When Mercat a la Planxa chefs Aaron McKay and Evan Behmer were sampling cuts of Iberico pork for their menu, there was one that proved unparalleled from the start: the...

Guests at the Ladies' Room at Fat Rice are given ingredients and directions for how to make their own Vermouth. As the directions state, there is no wrong way. The ingredients are: clove, wormwood, orange peel, vinho sidecar, citrus quinine liquor, galangal vodka, matsutake, artichoke and orange chamomile bitters.

Mix-your-own vermouth at The Ladies’ Room at Fat Rice

May 2, 2019 at 1:25 p.m.

Understanding bartender Annie Beebe-Tron's deconstructed vermouth — dubbed, simply, the Vermouth ($18) — may take a quickie lesson in vermouth: The spirit is made from wine infused with herbs and...

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