Or, in honor of the start of holiday shopping season, we should probably christen this week's installment the "Black Friday Buffet". Anyway, let's get to it. West Lakeview Liquors weekly tastings will focus on Christmas ales (tonight) and whiskies (tomorrow). The French Wine Society is sponsoring a wine and cheese tasting at Taste Food & Wine in Rogers Park from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Cost is $30 for Wine Society members; $35 all others ChicaGourmets and... more ›

It's been said that politics makes strange bedfellows, but we wonder if politics just makes you crazy instead. While Blagojevich strolls around the capital trying to convince the General Assembly to play ball with his all but dead budget, Emil Jones is taking shots Mike Madigan by proxy. On Tuesday he kicked Sen. Louis Viverito (D-Burbank) an assistant majority leader, out of a closed-door Senate Democratic leadership meeting. Viverito voted against the plan for expanded... more ›

All kinds of nonsense has happened politically, so lets take a look back at the week so far: In case you live in a cave and missed the biggest news story so far this week, the FBI arrested 20th Ward Alderman Arenda Troutman on charges that she took bribes. “Well, the thing is, most alderman, most politicians are hos.” Lynn Sweet continues to think she's a blogger. We like her better when she dishes on... more ›

Really, what was Big Red thinking when she decided to sell pictures of her dog and her honorary black belt in karate in a garage sale? There is low, and then there is low. Defeated Republican gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka held an estate sale over the weekend to rid herself of "tchotchkes" collected in her 26 years of public service. Included in her collection of tchotchkes are a 5-foot stuffed penguin, a singing plastic... more ›

While we were busy obsessing over Ward politics and aldermanic races, all kinds of newsworthy events happened in the spectator sport of local Chicago politics. Lets take a look back at the week so far: Todd Stroger is asking Cook County's elected officials for budget cuts, in an attempt to trim the deficit. Facing a nearly $500 million shortfall, Stroger is asking Sheriff Tom Dart, State's Attorney Dick Devine, and Clerk of the Court Dorothy... more ›

While many of the lectures and panels for this year's Chicago Humanities Festival are already sold out, there still seem to be plenty of tickets left for the film series. The theme is “Peace and War,” a subject which is (unfortunately) as timely as ever, and Facets program director Charles Coleman has put together a superb lineup. All of the chosen films guarantee plenty of food for thought, some to an uncomfortable degree. We'd like to call attention to just a few. more ›

Chicagoist found this little gem in the Tribune yesterday, and it got us to thinking about strategy. Because, ya know, it's like a little over 2 weeks to an election. more ›

Chicagoist loves the Capitolfax Blog. Man, that guy is a hoot! more ›

After quibbling about who would wear what color suit, how big the podiums had to be, and when, where, and how they would exclude the Green Party candidate, Judy Baar Topinka and Rod Blagojevich finally had their first debate. And what an event it was, with each accusing the other of lying about everything from state contracts and patronage to property taxes and job growth. While Topinka said that her education plan wouldn’t expand gambling... more ›

We know this sounds like something that would show up in your spam folder, but we swear this is a real news story. Chewing gum will help you lose weight, reduce stress and help you focus during the day. Yet if all this is true, why wasn’t Ditka skinny, relaxed and erudite during the 1980s? more ›

As we mentioned yesterday, and in early November, Judy Baar Topinka wants to be the next governor of Illinois, and she is delivering the smackdown on Governor Blagojevich. more ›

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So yea, BIG fire at the LaSalle National Bank Building at 135 S. Lasalle St. last night. The "5-11 with three specials" fire (we're not sure either) started around 6:30 p.m. and wasn't completely extinguished until around midnight. We don't know what to do with that deli-order of a fire label. But it was a five-alarm fire and according to this web site a fire's label mostly refers to the amount of assistance required to extinguish it. The fire started on the 29th floor and may have spread to the 30th. more ›