Trine Tsouderos

Fall is almost upon us. It's time to greet the cooler weather with some fresh specs. But what's in? What's out? For answers, we turned to Alissa Fields, self-proclaimed "Queen...

With its office parks and strip malls, Darien's South Cass Avenue off Interstate 55 (near Exit 273B) doesn't present obvious choices when it comes to dinner-hour takeout. But with a...

Tower records is gone. And as of last month, Virgin Megastore is too. So are scores of local independent record shops, slaughtered by the iPod, iTunes, Amazon.com and "big box"...

Somewhere between a bite of the crisp, tender crust of a still-warm apple pie and the last mouthful of a meaty shepherd's pie, the world fell in love with pies....

First impressions: It would be easy to walk right by Helen's. Clad in brown siding with a simple "Helen's" stenciled on the street-side window, this South Side soul food diner...

On Saturday in Grant Park, Kenny Rogers will sing "Happy Birthday" to a 2,000-pound cheesecake decorated with marzipan cherries the size of baseballs. The country musician will ceremonially cut the...

Chicago Public Schools chief Arne Duncan was a little fry in Hyde Park when he played "Running Bases." "I was really small," said Duncan, who is now 6 feet 4...

Ravinia Festival did worry, a little, about the cicadas competing with musicians for picnickers' attention this summer. After all, the parklike setting does have a lot of trees. And trees...

PEOPLE WATCHING-EST Nothing beats lunching and people-watching with gal pals at Cru Cafe & Wine Bar's outdoor tables, says Michelle Elliott, 36 (from right), who met friends Sun Segura, Helene...

"Seasonal" is in season. You've probably seen this word on restaurant menus and restaurant Web sites. Head to Prairie Grass Cafe's site and you'll learn chef Sarah Stegner uses "fresh,...