Season three is just-so, neither excelling nor faceplanting. It is a set-up job that can only be viewed as one half of whatever comes next.
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Is the Rat Hole worth this kind of effort? It is a viral phenomenon that shows no signs of abating, but more than that, it is a snapshot of the city’s culture at this moment in time.
It is worth the effort. Save the Rat Hole.
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An effective abundance agenda would require a critical examination of every policy, from property taxes and crime, to transportation, zoning, licensing, and everything in between. But examining is just the start. A completely new way of thinking, legislating, and implementing needs to be established. Clear policy objectives followed by competent leadership and a resolve to innovate need to be prioritized.
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Mayor Brandon Johnson’s rock-bottom numbers could all be self-inflicted, and indeed, some of them are. Changing when elections are held would do nothing to change the challenges now facing the city. But maybe, changing elections can give the city a better opportunity at picking the right leader for the moment.
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Maxwells Trading has come out of the gate swinging. Every dish is designed with thought and care. Asian influence is also felt throughout, interpreted through a local lens. However Maxwells is classified, one thing is certain: it is Chicago’s best new restaurant.
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Akahoshi Ramen, the new restaurant from Mike Santinover, opened recently in Logan Square to grassroots fanfare that few restaurants receive. It is ultimately the culmination of a deep-rooted culinary passion. It shows.
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For anyone stepping into an Illinois brewery it’s not obvious that the laws and regulations that govern the industry are almost a century old and ill-suited to the times. But it is precisely these behind-the-scenes regulations that the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild are targeting in a new legislative push.
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Chicago’s traffic has always been notoriously bad but recent road work and shifting traffic patterns have exacerbated the issues. Even for a population used to sitting in traffic jams these new problems are pushing commuters to their breaking points.
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Ummo offers nice dining in a spot to be seen at. The food is more than passable, and some of the dishes punch well above their weight. The restaurant is young yet refined, and the attention to detail elevates the entire experience. Ummo is a welcomed addition to Chicago’s Italian dining scene, even if it doesn’t quite reach into its upper echelon.
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Kyōten Next Door is one of the most unique and best restaurants in the city. The omakase is worth every penny, and then some.
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The West Loop is over: over as an innovative engine, over as a local destination, and over as Chicago’s hottest food scene.
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Smoque Steak has done something rare: it has put a new spin on an old concept and stuck the landing. It understands its own concept and infuses it throughout the menu and the restaurant. It is one of the best new openings in the city this side of Covid.
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The Bear is clearly the best show currently on television. It performs fan service without being indulgent and avoids giving the audience fully what it wants. Its faults are minimal, its sophomore season is better than the original, and it still has room to grow.
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The Bear is not just set in Chicago — it is of Chicago, too. The show is a true love letter to its host city, one that doesn’t deal as much in stereotypes as in the figures behind them.
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For a parish that closed thirty years ago, and was in decline much longer than that, why has the neighborhood stayed so loyal to its skeleton on the corner of Chestnut and Noble?
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I still wrestle with how the surface level understanding of impermanence that derives from noticing changes in the world is wrong. There is value in knowing that I am the same man. The trick is not to root it in any particular incarnation of myself.
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What Houndstooth has to offer is more than a great meal. It should be destination dining for anyone living or traveling through Benton Harbor.
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Rose Mary is the real deal. Its menu is original and growing and it is clearly a personal expression of Joe Flamm. His influence is everywhere but not overwhelming, and the restaurant feels established despite just opening. It is the perfect spot to forget the pandemic for a few hours and, ultimately, to move on.
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As the craft beer industry continues to expand, new styles of beer constantly join the ranks of the classics. Most breweries produce not just IPAs, lagers, and stouts, they also increasingly produce hazy IPAs. But what are hazys, where did they come from, and why are they so popular?
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Give the customers what they want. Be consistent. Adapt to the times. This is the success formula Paulina Market has used for 70 years, and if Bill Begale and the staff at Paulina have their way, another 70 years of success is just around the corner.
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