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The Chicago Reader

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City Life, Public Service Announcement Jan 29, 2021
Out and about . . . or not

Upcoming events and recommendations from our listings coordinator
- By Salem Collo-Julin
- Tags: Public Service Announcement, listings, events, bars, COVID-19, pandemic, Quiet Pterodactyl, Double Door, Girl Scouts, Constellation, Ernest Dawkins, Scary Lady Sarah, Twitch, Experimental Sound Studio

Columns & Opinion, On Transportation Oct 30, 2020
This COVID Chicago winter doesn’t have to suck

Fire pits, winter sports, and other ideas to lift your spirits this winter
- By John Greenfield
- Tags: On Transportation, COVID-19, coronavirus, pandemic, winter, Dr. Richard Novak, hygge, bars, restaurants, geodesic domes, fire pits,, patios, Hala Kahiki, biking, skiing, snowshoeing,, sledding, ice skating, Lincoln Park Zoo, Osaka Japanese Garden, Yoko Ono, Skokie Sculpture Park, Morton Arboretum, things to do this winter, outdoor winter activities

Food & Drink, Food & Drink Feature Jun 26, 2019
RIP Wanda Kurek, the queen of Whiskey Row

The 95-year-old bar matron has passed, but Stanley's will go on.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Food & Drink Feature, Booze, Food & Drink, Food Chain, Stanley's, Wanda Kurek, bars, Polish food, Back of the Yards, Guy Vanek Darlene Gonzalez, Stanley's Tavern

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Mar 29, 2018
The Warbler sings its song for every kind of eater

Stop the presses: there's an interesting new spot in Lincoln Square
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Review, Lincoln Square, Lincoln Square restaurants, bars, Gather, The Warbler, Ken Carter, David Breo, Gene's Sausage Shop, PNA, Thai restaurants, Davis Theater, Carbon Arc Bar, Jibek Jolu, Monty Gaels, Taco in a Bag, Monti's, Barba Yianni, New Asia, Nhu Lan, Gideon Welles, Nick's Pizza & Pub, Spacca Napoli, Cibo Matto, the Wit, Charlie Trotter's, cocktails

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Mar 14, 2018
Recommended
At Fort Willow David Morton and Michael Kornick have built a tree house among the faded factories

Chef Deirdre Quinn’s spicy menu is the cocktail bar’s thirst-kindling reason to play there.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Review, Fort Willow, DMK Restaurants, Mike Sula, restaurant review, bars, River West, the Hideout, Ada St., DMK Burger Bar, Fish Bar, County Barbeque, Marshall's Landing, Proxi, Deirdre Quinn, David Morton, Michael Kornick, Chantal Bennett, grilled cheese, Big Bite, Andrew Zimmerman, Emmanuel Nony, Scott Koehl, North Branch, Sterling Bay, gentrification, Recommended

Food & Drink, Bar Review Aug 8, 2017
At pour-your-own-beer bars, nothing but technology stands between you and your beer

Tapster and Navigator Taproom offer a buffet for beer lovers.
- By Julia Thiel
- Tags: Bar Review, Navigator Taproom, Tapster, pour-your-own-beer bar, Whiner Beer, Logan Square, Wicker Park, Fatpour Tap Works, El Hefe, Bull & Bear, Chicago Athletic Association, Pour My Beer, Red Arrow Tap Room, beer, bars

Reader, Reader events Apr 5, 2017
The Margarita Trail

Gear up for Cinco de Mayo by traversing the El Jimador Margarita Trail. Visit ten different Chicago establishments for a series of hosted happy hours with some of Chicago's best and brightest bartenders. Sip on custom-made Margaritas of all kinds and let El Jimador get you in the mood for Cinco.
- Tags: Reader Events, El Jimador, tequila, margaritas, bars, happy hours, Margarita Trail, 2017 Margarita Trail

Blogs, Bleader Mar 2, 2017
Video
Trump reportedly has accepted Bobby Rush's invitation to visit Chicago, and other news

Also, Jackson Park and public sculptures made a list of the city's most endangered sites.
- By Kate Shepherd
- Tags: News, Did You Read __________?, Chicago, Bobby Rush, Donald Trump, gun violence, Sophia King, City Council, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, publishing, Jackson Park, Barack Obama Presidential Center, public art, Altgeld Gardens, historic preservation, Wrigleyville, bars, Video

Blogs, Bleader Feb 23, 2017
An Internet-free ‘bookbar’ in Lincoln Park has banned laptops in favor of books and conversation

Kibbitznest Books, Brews & Blarney attempts a return to old-fashioned coffeehouse culture.
- By Aimee Levitt
- Tags: Books, Booze, Food & Drink, Kibbitznest, bars, coffeehouses, Kibbitznest Books, Brews & Blarney, Internet, Wi-Fi, cafe, Lincoln Park, book store, George Orwell, The Moon Under Water, books

Columns & Opinion, Identity & Culture Sep 21, 2016
Performance artist to Chicago: Get off our areolas

Bea Cordelia thinks the city’s liquor-license law has a gender-bias problem.
- By Derrick Clifton
- Tags: Identity & Culture, #FreeTheNipple, Bea Cordelia, Bea Sullivan-Knoff, art, poetry, spoken word, gender, gender identity, trans, transgender, sexism, misogyny, transphobia, women, cisgender, cisgender women, gay, lesbian, bi, LGBT, nipple, nudity, aereolas, performance art, live performance, bars, venues, nightlife

Reader, Reader events Apr 11, 2016
The Margarita Trail

Free 21+ event at Barcocina (2901 N. Sheffield Ave., Chicago) Tuesday, April 26, 2016 6-8 pm. Vote on the best Margaritas in Chicago!
- Tags: Reader Events, tequila, El Jimador, margaritas, bars, bartenders, mixologists, Barcocina, tequila tastings

Blogs, Bleader Jul 29, 2015
Crown Tap and Best Intentions are dive bars no more

Marble gets a name change and Crown Tap gets (another) facelift.
- By Gwynedd Stuart
- Tags: Booze, Food & Drink, Food Chain, Crown Tap Room, Crown Liquors, Marble, Best Intentions, chicago, bars, cocktails, logan square, avondale

Blogs, Bleader Jul 17, 2015
Where to eat and drink near the Pitchfork Music Festival and Union Park

These bars and restaurants are just a short walk from the Pitchfork festival grounds.
- By Tyler Daswick
- Tags: Food Chain, Music, Pitchfork Music Festival, bars, restaurants, Union Park, Cobra Lounge, Union Park Lounge, Kaiser Tiger, Twisted Spoke, CrossRoads Bar & Grill, Mahoney’s Pub & Grille, Maude’s Liquor Bar

Arts & Culture, Performing Arts Feature Aug 13, 2014
iO makes a big move into founder Charna Halpern's 'dream theater'

The legendary improv comedy company leaves behind two decades of history as it enters a shiny, cavernous space in Lincoln Park.
- By Brianna Wellen
- Tags: Performing Arts Feature, iO Theater, iO, Charna Halpern, Stacey Smith, Del-Tones, improv, Lincoln Park, Jimmy Carrane, Wrigleyville, ImprovOlympic, IOC, International Olympic Committee, bathrooms, theaters, ComedySportz, Del Close, short-form improv, long-form improv, Harold style, Swedish American Club, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Amy Poehler, The Daily Show, Conan O'Brien, SNL, Armando Diaz, Dave Koechner, Adam McKay, Jason Chin, redevlopment, Chicago Cubs, Ricketts family, Peter Gwinn, writers, comedy, The Colbert Report, Noah Gregoropoulos, improvisers, Chris Farley, TJ Jagodowski, Dave Pasquesi, Cecily Strong, Jordan Klepper, Eric Stonestreet, Scott Adsit, Jack McBrayer, George Wendt, Second City, bars

City Life, Space Aug 10, 2014
Video
A mushroom-shaped party pad by the designer of Playboy's headquarters

Charles Moelter's swinging-60s design is now the residence of Flipside Cafe owner William von Hartz.
- By Laura Pearson
- Tags: Space, apartments, homes, William von Hartz, Flipside Cafe, North Center, Bricktown, history, 1960s, remodels, Charles Moelter, Playboy, interior design, skylights, recessed lighting, mood lighting, midcentury modern, Daniel Queen Laboratories, speakers, kitchens, living rooms, wood paneling, light switches, bars, cabinets, entertainment centers, storage, bedrooms, bricks, Video

Food & Drink, Summer Guide May 14, 2014
Chicago craft beer explodes—and Chicago Craft Beer Week almost keeps up

Eleven days of beer events featuring more snifters than one human should ever have to handle.
- By Philip Montoro and Julia Thiel
- Tags: Summer Guide, Chicago Craft Beer Week, craft beer, beer, craft breweries, breweries, Julia Thiel, Philip Montoro, Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, CCBW, Jonathan Surratt, Twitter, @beerinator, bars, brewpubs, restaurants, shops, venues, apps, Beer Under Glass, Beer in Your Glass, Unicornucopia: Deuce, Lagunitas Beer Circus, Beerfly Alleyfight, homebrew, food, FOBAB, Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beer, Mini-FOBAB, Craft Beer Brewtality, Barrelling Down Division, Creative Minds on Tap, Tony Magee, Randy Mosher, Phineas X. Jones, Guys Drinking Beer, South of 80, New Brewer Showcase, Beasts of the Barrel, Comes in Waves, West Loop Craft Beer Fest, Battle for Lake Michigan

City Life, Space Apr 13, 2014
Video
An interior designer transforms a former tavern into a home

Aleks Furman's Bridgeport home was once an Elvis-themed bar and a notorious gang haunt.
- By Andrea Bauer
- Tags: Space, Aleks Furman, apartments, Bridgeport, bar buildings, tavern buildings, bars, glass brick, walls, kitchens, bedrooms, windows, Merchandise Mart, showrooms, interior designers, couches, sculptures, Paul Erschen, Edie Fake, 3form, reclaimed wood, art, photographs, stained glass, Video

Music, Music Feature Mar 20, 2014
An oral history of the Green Mill

The neon-lit bar at Lawrence and Broadway, now a legendary jazz club, has been around for 107 years—and has more stories than any tavern in town. Here are a few from the past three decades.
- By Patrick Sisson
- Tags: Music Feature, Green Mill, Uptown, bars, jazz clubs, history, oral history, Chicago Tribune, Phohibition, jazz, Pop Morse's Roadhouse, beer gardens, Tom Chamales, Green Mill Gardens, Moulin Rouge, Uptown Theatre, Jazz Age, Jack McGurn, Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn, Al Capone, tunnels, smuggling, Joseph Lewis, Rendezvous Cafe, comedy, The Joker Is Wild, movies, Billie Holiday, Al Jolson, Texas Guinan, cabaret, 300 Club, James Doherty, nightlife, Jason Cole, Batsis brothers, Steve Brend, Dave Jemilo, bar owners, American Indian Center, Patricia Barber, speakeasies, bartenders, Brad Goode, musicians, performers, halfway houses, hillbillies, Sharon's Hillbilly Heaven, liquor licenses, Marc Smith, Uptown Poetry Slam, paintings, statues, Jimmy Moscarello, plumbing, Aragon Ballroom, Ed Pedersen Quintet, Ed Pedersen, Brad Goode Qunitet, Vu Jazz Quintet, Susie Hansen Band, Deja Vu Big Band, Mike Finnerty, Mike Finnerty & the Heat Merchants, 4 AM bars, Neil Tesser, jazz critics, cocktails, Ted Sirota, Sabertooth Organ Quartet, Clifford Jordan, Jazz Showcase, Wilbur Campbell, Blackstone Hotel, Katerina's, The Jazz Bulls, Fred Anderson, London House, Mr. Kelly's, Von Freeman, Andy's, Elastic, poetry, poetry slams, football players, Chicago Fire, Chicago Poetry Ensemble, martinis, booking, Mighty Blue Kings, old-fashioneds, manhattans, classic cocktails, E2, Gold Star Sardine Bar, Sheila Jordan, accents, Starbucks, drinking, Malort, Malort face, Chicago Reader

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Mar 7, 2014
Baffo tries to bring a bit of Mario Batali's Babbo to the midwest

Eataly's fine-dining restaurant would benefit from a higher dose of simplicity.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Baffo, Eataly, Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, Italian restaurants, Babbo, ravioli, foie gras, brown butter, antipasti, sweetbreads, duck, quince, carpaccio, Cicchetti, bars, tips, service, bagna cauda, sardines, lobster, mushrooms, eggs, pasta, pappardelle, beef, cheeses, garganelli, truffles, sommeliers, wine lists, calamari, seafood, capers, currants, pine nuts, chiles, tomato sauces, simplicity, pork, rapini, branzino, fennel, menus

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Feb 21, 2014
Recommended
At Analogue, cocktails get top billing but the food steals the show

The Cajun menu at Logan Square's new cocktail bar is deceptively complex.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Review, Analogue, Cajun food, Violet Hour, gumbo, po'boys, dirty rice, biscuits, Julia Thiel, Chicago Reader, Robert Haynes, Henry Prendergast, cocktails, Alfredo Nogueira, Rootstock, Flipside Cafe, trout dip, saltines, crackers, hot sauce, potato salad, chicken, sausage, mirliton, chayote, mushrooms, garlic, meat, cheese, fish, local sourcing, french fries, pork, Slagel Farms, sandwiches, beef, hot dogs, chowchow, beans, Au Cheval, fattiness, headcheese, boudin balls, peppers, Scotch eggs, mashed potatoes, yams, desserts, bread pudding, sweet cocktails, The Matchbox, beer cocktails, bitters, purls, Malort cocktails, Malort, bars, Cajun restaurants, Recommended

Arts & Culture, Feature Feb 12, 2014
V-Day Issue: A power couple like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, but better

Together for 17 years, Lynn Rondeau and Katy Bird are the type of people who'll parallel park your car for you.
- By Kevin Warwick
- Tags: Feature, couples, Lynn Rondeau, Katy Bird, producers, professors, mathematicians, parallel parking, self-esteem, coffee, bacon, routines, cocktails, movies, video games, radio, bars, jogging, Bucktown, Gallery Caberet, meat, music, cooking, Netflix, parallel parking, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, Dyson, pizza, Calo Pizzeria

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Feb 1, 2014
Recommended
At Paul Kahan's Nico Osteria, two worlds collide with a bang

Can rusticity thrive inside a refined Gold Coast hotel? You betcha.
- By Mara Shalhoup
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, Nico Osteria, One Off Hospitality Group, Gold Coast, hotels, Big Star, Blackbird, Avec, The Publican, burgers, Erling Wu-Bower, Italian restaurants, rusticity, Thompson Hotel, bars, bourbons, Pappy Van Winkle, kitchen counter seating, mussels, ciabatta, salt, Rick Bayless, bucatini, squid ink, sardines, fish, triangolini, menus, fettunta, bruschetta, starters, pastas, entrees, crudo, octopus, crab, sformato, sunchokes, lobster, branzino, service, turnips, greens, wine lists, Italian wines, Greek wines, Karydas Xinomavro, meat, pork belly, swordfish, sartu di riso, arancini, risotto balls, Amanda Rockman, desserts, affogato, gelato, sorbet, cocktails, Recommended

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Dec 27, 2013
A10, the much-anticipated Hyde Park restaurant, is for now a B minus

Matthias Merges gets an A for effort, though.
- By Mara Shalhoup
- Tags: Restaurant Review, A10, criticism, Chicago Reader, restaurant ratings, grading restaurants, stars, movie reviews, recommendations, Matthias Merges, Charlie Trotter, Yusho, Billy Sunday, Hyde Park, south side, University of Chicago, Harper Court, development, Avondale, neighborhoods, Logan Square, design, decor, bars, cocktails, draft cocktails, simplicity, chicken liver, snails, steak, cauliflower, raisins, boudin noir, blood sausage, squid, salted cod, rapini, pizza, eggplant, burrata, seafood, pasta, sauces, potatoes, service

Food & Drink, Food & Drink Feature Dec 23, 2013
Our favorite restaurants of 2013

From suburban ramen to west-side barbecue to tiki time in River North
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Food & Drink Feature, Tumblr, Characteristically Unimpressed Mike Sula, new restaurants, criticism, Mike Sula, Sam Worley, Mara Shalhoup, Chicago Reader, Matthias Merges, A10, Paul Kahan, Nico Osteria, The Radler, Lincoln Square, Rainbow Cuisine, Wanpen Phosawang, Pramote Rukprueksachart, Spoon Thai, Ramen Misoya, Gene Kato, Mount Prospect, Sumi Robata Bar, River North, Japonais, Gastón Acurio, Tanta, Three Dots and a Dash, Paul McGee, Lettuce Entertain You, bars, restaurants, Dillman's, Brendan Sodikoff, The Berkshire Room, Benjamin Schiller, cocktails, Reno, Katie Wyer, Rickshaw Republic, Homestyle Taste, Chinatown, Bridgeport, Sze Chuan Cuisine, Ben's Bar-Be-Cue, Smalls Smoke Shack, Takito Kitchen, Carnivale, David Dworshak, Ajoomah's Apron, Billy Sunday, Blackwood BBQ, Chop Shop, Dusek's, Gogi, Johnny Casserole, The Little Goat, Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed, Oon, Parson's Chicken & Fish, Sofi, Ward Eight, Yan Bang Cai, Ahjoomah's Apron, The Chop Shop, Dusek's Board & Beer, Little Goat Diner, Sofi Restaurant, Berkshire Room, dining in 2013

Food & Drink, Restaurant Review Nov 22, 2013
Recommended
The Chop Shop keeps it simple

Wicker Park's multidisciplinary butcher/bar/restaurant/performance space does a lot—and does a lot with a little.
- By Mike Sula
- Tags: Restaurant Reviews, The Chop Shop, fasting, restaurant reviews, meat, chicken, Honey Butter Fried Chicken, Wicker Park, butcher shops, bars, performance spaces, Minelli Meat & Deli, Butcher & Larder, Publican Quality Meats, deli meats, cheese, antipasti, sausage, steak, pork chops, Italian sausage, chicken, salmon, burgers, gnocchi, Urban Union, rib eye steak, strip steak, potatoes, hanger steak, bacon, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, shrimp, root vegetables, beer, charcuterie, duck, pancetta, pork, liver, root vegetables, sandwiches, Chop Shop, Recommended

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