Each month Mercadito offers Tacos for Strength, a tasty promotion that features a special taco created by a guest chef. more ›

Some of the best mobile eateries and stationary chefs in the city will convene in Noble Square on Aug. 27. more ›

In case you missed it, the Garfield Park Conservatory was completely trashed by last month's hailstorm - most of the glass panels were broken, shards destroyed hundreds of plants and the conservatory, one of the nation's most glorious, is partially closed for renovation. Oh, and did we mention that there's no money? Well, Paul Kahan's restaurants are pitching in to help. This Sunday, from 12-4 at Big Star, all of the Blackbird group of restaurants will be hosting a sidewalk sale, selling all of their used (and undamaged) dishware, furniture and kitchen supplies. more ›

The Hideout's excellent seasonal Soup and Bread benefit is returning for a special, all summer soup (read: cold) edition tonight to benefit the Garfield Park Conservatory. The Chicago landmark sustained heavy damage after last week's hail storm, with roughly half of its glass-paned roof shattered, and damage to some of the rare plants housed below. more ›

In May 2010, Topolobampo hosted the release party for Del Maguey Mezcal Vida, the latest offering from the renowned brand of Oaxacan Mezcals. Vida de San Luis del Rio, as its full name goes, has since become a darling of the Chicago bar scene. Vida is starring in a number of hit drinks right now; Big Star's Oaxaca Vieja, Violet Hour's Heads You Lose, the Drawing Room's Los Muertos and WaterShed's Italian Hurricane (which we recently reviewed) are just a few examples. more ›

Will 2011 be Bourbon's year? We sure hope so. Big Star, for one, is doing its part to make that happen with exciting recent and upcoming additions to its single-barrel Bourbon program. Paul Kahan hinted at the arrival of freshly acquired barrels on Twitter last week, so we caught up with Michael Rubel, beverage director of Big Star (and neighboring Violet Hour), to find out what we should be sipping on our next visit. Rubel has been building Big Star's stockpile of exclusive Bourbons, bottled from barrels he hand-picked in Kentucky, for more than a year. Six barrels' worth are already available, and the contents of two more will hit the shelves this week and (probably) next. more ›

We often fantasize about chaining Mike Ryan (of Sable) or Stephen Cole (of Violet Hour) to one of our radiators and forcing them to teach us bartending. A wholesome dream, shared by every Chicago booze lover, but also probably illegal and dangerous - after all, what if you got drunk and they escaped? Now, you can get the same results without the possibility of arrest, violence and property damage. more ›

Big Star is getting close to its first anniversary and they're ringing it in with beer, tacos, and music. Pretty much like any night there. more ›

For about a year, I've been discussing in passing with Wiener and Still Champion owner Gus Paschalis on a Sonoran hot dog collaboration. When made with care, this border take on the hot dog can be as revelatory as your first Coney dog, NEw York style dog, or Chicago dog. more ›

Bon Appétit sure has been on a Chicago kick lately. The Purple Pig made its list of best new restaurants in the country earlier. Now the magazine deems Chicago as the best city for cheap eats in America. Can't disagree, but the Chicagoist staff pleads bias here. more ›

It bears repeating: you can stumble into a place that serves a good al pastor taco anywhere in this city. It's the benchmark by which any taqueria should be measured. more ›

Ladies, if you're trying to figure out how you're going to kill some time this weekend, consider putting together your submission package to become the next "Miss Wicker Park." If you're female, unmarried, between the ages of 21 and 36 (Cougars need not apply, apparently), and living in Chicago or any of the collar counties, you can throw your tiara into the ring for the chance to win a thousand bucks and the title of Miss WP as well as all the privileges that go along with it. If it's preferred seating at Big Star or Violet Hour, we might sign up ourselves. more ›

How many of you enjoyed patio seating during that brief warmup last week? The artist's rendering above is what Big Star's patio will look like, minus the mob. more ›

The recent purchase of Sam's Wine and Spirits by Binny's meant that we had to replace our Sam's rewards card with a Binny's rewards card. Ug, monopolies. more ›

If you watch television you're sure to run across the archetype of the "cool dad:" the father who stumbles into middle age futilely trying to relate or stay relevant to his kids by adopting their slang and diving head first into their hobbies only to come across as the bumbling buffoon they fear becoming most. Usually you find the "cool dad" in drug awareness commercials, but actor Ty Burrell plays the role perfectly in the role of Phil Dunphy on the ABC comedy "Modern Family." Then there's the other "cool dad," who really was cool back in the day. He smoked, drank, trolled for some strange on the weekends, probably met his wife at some boozy last call at Green Mill one Sunday morning, settled down, had kids and now allows himself a chuckle or three whenever his teenage kids act out, thinking "Yeah, I remember my first beer." more ›

For those of you who, like our own Tankboy, have been frustrated by Big Star's seating policy and early kitchen closings (which we'll discuss in our review of the place later this week), here's a consolation prize. Big Star's takeout window opens today at 4 p.m. Be warned: like everything else Big Star does, the takeout window is cash only. [via] more ›

While in DC the previous weekend we decided to dive deep into the beer menu at the Brickskeller. Our favorite selections from our visit belonged to Green Flash Brewing in Vista, CA, particularly their hop Head Red Ale and West Coast IPA. We were back in town in time for all the "OMG! BIG STAR IS OPEN!!" twittering going on. We went to Big Star last week and made sure not to use any tasty adjectives that would draw the ire of the Twitterati. more ›

It was only a couple weeks ago that Big Star was announced as the name of the Paul Kahan taco joint in the old Pontiac Café space. Now there's a firm opening date: November 9. more ›

Paul Kahan's beer and tacos joint in the old Pontiac Café space now has a name. Big Star is set to open in the next month or so. Big Star is largely influenced by Depression-era Bakersfield, California. that means there's gonna be a lot of Dust Bowl country music, Merle Haggard and Buck Owens being spun by Danny's Tavern and Reckless Records. more ›

We know you're getting all geared up for Lollapalooza, but it's time to start preparing for Life After Lolla. The Old Town School of Folk Music boasts an impressive lineup of fall shows, all of which go on sale tomorrow morning (Friday, August 1) at 9 a.m. Here are some of our picks. (Note: Unless otherwise noted, all shows are at the Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall, 4544 N Lincoln Ave.) more ›

No one could ever say Limbeck doesn’t have a really fucking good time on stage. Beyond their blatantly catchy, Big Star-inspired twang take on the poppy gems the kids these days love, this band can’t seem to have a shit time if they tried - one of the best parts of seeing Limbeck live is that you’d swear they think every show is the best show they’ve ever played. more ›

Whew! We made it through all the familial obligations of the holiday season. It’s a dead week at work and that means we need some stuff to do at night. This week offers a lot of possibilities for getting together for a pint or two before we even hit New Year’s Eve. If the Christmas hangover is gone, head over to the Hideout tonight for a Boxing Day Show with Kelly Hogan and Scott Ligon.... more ›

This week marks the return of Adventures in Modern Music at the Empty Bottle. Arriving on the heels of the World Music Festival, the five-day event celebrates experimental music like the mash-up dance rock of Brazil’s Tetine, blessed-out head trips of France’s Colleen and Trapist’s space rock. A full lineup is available at the Bottle’s website, but don’t forget to see You’re Gonna Miss Me, a documentary at the Siskel Film Center on the fall... more ›

Liam Davis, Frisbie more ›