Some of the best food in Chinatown, courtesy of Serious Eats Chicago. more ›

Lao You Ju, the newest member of Tony Hu's restaurant empire, looks like a late-night fantasy of a 1980's business power restaurant. Red leather, curving lines, chandeliers and a gold accent wall covered with projecting sculpture. A bar which lovingly spotlights each bottle of Patron Silver completes the image, which is sort of fun despite how over the top it is. The food is solid, but the drinks and service, sadly, aren't quite up to the flashy standards of the decor. more ›

After some good old-fashioned community organizing, leaders in Chinatown have a political victory under their belt: the state legislature sent Governor Quinn a bill that once signed, will consolidate the 59 precincts in Chicago's Chinatown into one legislative district. more ›

A delicious remedy for the impending Chicago winter blues comes in the form of savory soup dumplings. Soup dumplings, also called xiao long bao, are particularly special in comparison to regularly steamed dumplings as they are pockets of warm dough with secret, surprising soup inside. more ›

The Cook County Sheriff's office shut down two drug operations on the South side over the weekend. In Chicago's South Deering neighborhood, a public school librarian and another man who's a lecturer at UIC were arrested and charged with growing marijuana in their home. Heidi Keller, who works as a librarian at Chinatown's Haines Elementary School, and Adrian Ortiz were arrested Friday at a home they shared at 3500 block of South Sangamon Street. Police say they spent about three months investigating the couple, who are charged with growing pot at a home on on the 10000 block of South Exchange Street. The couple say the bought the property as an investment. Police told the Tribune that there is "no evidence it was being used for anything other than a marijuana growing operation." Police say they found eight irrigation tables with 186 marijuana plants. They also found a complex lighting system and a system of water pumps set on timers. more ›

We spent a cold Saturday evening in Chinatown, eating hot food and braving the cold weather. We took the camera along and hope you enjoy some pictures of Chinatown at night. more ›

Chinese New Year is actually a 15-day festival that both celebrates the beginning of the lunar new year and, as the legend goes, uses bright lights and loud noises to frighten off the wild beast that appears at the end of each year. Apparently many Chinese get a full week off to celebrate. We can’t help you with that, but there are still some pretty fun ways to celebrate the Year of the Tiger in Chicago. more ›

• Terrence Ligon, the man acquitted of killing a 4-year-old in a 2001 shooting, was shot dead Monday night.
• A faked ID production ring in Chinatown was busted up by federal authorities today.
• Both the Cook County Sheriff's office and the Chicago Police Department are implementing new, more rigorous background checks for employees.

While waiting for the Procession of St. Rocco to pass yesterday, we began to feel pangs of hunger. Rather than pray to the Patron Saint of Pestilence, we asked for a menu at Bertucci's Corner. The corner itself is known as "Bertucci's Corner;" the family has been a longtime presence in Chinatown and many members of the family are also members of the Order of St. Rocco. more ›

We were wandering around Chinatown a few weekends back and picked up some beverages from the various bakeries we passed on Wentworth Avenue. Our grandmother regularly has these odd drinks on hand, but we'd never had the privilege of having these curious libations ever pass our lips. We decided to dive in and sample the following beverages. more ›

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A semitruck crashed into the stairwell at the Cermak/Chinatown Red Line stop at about 5:20pm. So far, reports are that two people were killed and around a dozen more were injured. [CBS 2] more ›

A man wanted for murder in California since 1998 was arrested in Chinatown yesterday after police received a tip that he was staying there. Fu Lin Wang, a native of Taiwan accused of killing his ex-wife and stepson, was arrested on the 200-block of W 24th Street last night after story about him ran in the Chicago edition of the World Journal, a Chinese newspaper. Someone recognized him and called the cops. Police went to the apartment in Chinatown, rang the doorbell, and were let in. more ›

While Thursday was the Chinese New Year, today was the annual Chinese New Year parade. With the temperature near zero and wind chill making it feel like 20-below, the crowd was very light. Nevertheless, the Year of the Rat, known by its formal name Wu Zi, year 4705, has begun. In ancient times, the rat was welcomed as a protector and bringer of material prosperity. According to Wikipedia, the rat is “associated with aggression, wealth, charm, and order, yet also associated with death, war, the occult, pestilence, and atrocities.” more ›

There were some firecrackers a-poppin' last night: today is the first day of the first Lunar Month. So that means it's beginning of the Chinese New Year Festival, which started at midnight and traditionally lasts until February 15. Also known as the Lunar New Year, festivities are meant to celebrate and welcome the Year of the Rat. more ›

Bad behavior cranks up on the weekends, so here's a quick heads-up on all the horrible, terrible no-good things going on in our little world. more ›

Today, in honor of our favorite Christmas movie, A Christmas Story we've compiled a list of restaurants offering Christmas Eve dinner. You know, in case the Bumpases dogs ruin your family feast and you have to scramble the troops over some duck at a Chinese restaurant. more ›

In February we reviewed KS Seafood, a restaurant in the Chinatown plaza that set itself apart from its competition by focusing on Taiwanese cuisine. In the review, manager Tom Wu explained that Taiwanese cuisine separates itself from its Mandarin, Cantonese and Szechuan brethren by being drier and lacking the rich sauces and gravies of those other styles. We made a couple return visits in the following months and enjoyed our meals every time, especially the tofu, pork blood and tripe soup, which isn't as disgusting as it sounds. more ›

The Reader's Guide to Late Night Dining is now online, and there's the expected eclectic mix of diners, hot dog stands, taco joints, upscale pub grub, and places where only the fearless dare enter. Even better is that the range of offerings encompasses a wide stretch of the city and connecting suburbs (big love for Gene & Jude's Red Hots in River Grove!). If you're at the stage in life where "I'll sleep when... more ›

It's Wednesday, which means around this time we wait with bated breath for Chicago Magazine's Dish e-newsletter to find our inbox. And, in what's shaping up to be a week of notable restaurant closures, we can add Chinatown's Mulan to the list. It comes to us as a shock, but not a surprise. Kee Chan (Heat Sushi) hasn't been involved in the day-to-day operations here for months. more ›

Wednesday we told you about the closing of Penang Malaysian Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Chinatown for multiple health code violations. Even though a Penang spokesman would only comment to Chicagoist that they were "doing the best (they) could to correct the violations," manager Joe Leung felt slightly more confident when he told Crain's that they only had "plumbing problems" and expected to re-open that same day. We received an e-mail from Tim Hadac from... more ›

Although we're not usually huge supporters of ye olde credit card companies, American Express is doing well by us in its effort to help restore historical sites in a partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. From 2006 to 2011, the Partners in Preservation program will be dishing out $5 million dollars to specially selected historical sites across the country. This year, preservation efforts are focused on Chicago and four surrounding counties, where 25... more ›

Chicagoist needs your help. This weekend, we were getting ready to go out for some delicious Chinese food on the north side when we had a realization; we have no idea where to go out for Chinese food when dining north of Chinatown. In the past we've sung the praises of Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and so on, but when it came to finding a Chinese restaurant to head to on a Friday night, we... more ›

Well, you really couldn't ask for a better weekend to get your keister out there and enjoy the weather. There's also so much going on, you have no excuse. Here are a few samplings: - We know some of you are going to the World's Largest Block Party this weekend. It ain't our speed, but we know there are some of you who still like to party like it's 1994 with Rusted Root and Big... more ›

Another week, another all-you-can-eat Friday Buffet. The photo alone is giving us cravings for some shark meat. - It's National Ice Cream Month. Feeling charitable this afternoon? In the mood for ice cream? Then head over to Atwood Café between 2-4 p.m. and take part in their annual ice cream social to benefit the Fairy Godmother Foundation. Atwood chef Heather Terhune will donate $1 from every ice cream sold (graciously donated by Ciao Bella gelato)... more ›

During Kumail Nanjiani’s (all-too-short) set Friday night at the Vic, the comedian had a couple of woo-ers. Not suitors, per se, but people doing shout-outs to basically anything he mentioned. The most notable “Woo!” came when he started a joke about waiting for the train, which caused him to reflect that he’d never heard anyone give interjectoral props to the CTA in his life. After incidents like last Tuesday’s hour-long shutdown on the Green Line and Saturday’s cluster on the Red, our understanding of Kumail’s statement has increased tenfold. more ›

The writing was on the wall or, to be more precise, the windows. And, as often is the case in these scenarios, we weren’t happy about it. Perhaps that’s why we didn’t notice at first. Instead, we happily sauntered into Onu, a small Asian market in Boystown, like we have many times before (call us kooky, but ethnic markets make us happy, especially ones in our own hood). When we asked the clerk if she... more ›

We don't know about where you are, but it seems like spring can't decide whether or not to happen. Some days are warm, some days are cold, and sometimes you aren't sure which. Baseball may have started up (and soccer/football winding down) but it still seems cold out there. Unless it's not. Anyways, onto the -ists.
Austinist happily anticipated fall's Austin City Limits, even though they're not fully recovered from South By Southwest. In other music news, a Texas country legend got in hot water after shooting a stranger in the face and a young singer songwriter prepared to embark on another zany tour. Some downtown pranksters pulled off a funny April Fools joke, but Austinist wasn't laughing when '04 Democratic hopeful John Kerry flip-flopped on his Texas appearance.
As Bostonist handed out tips on how not to be "that guy" they watched as the city looked for a few good men as the murder count kept climbing and they mayor tried to put on a happy face. But crime won't get them down, it's Spring and the Boys of Summer are in full force and coming home to Fenway next week. In the meantime they'll be happy not to see any bloody socks and very happy that the butt-load of money spent in the off season seems to have gotten a 10k return.
DCist was feeling confrontational this week. First they told San Diego, and their supposedly superior panda sperm, to get bent. Next they jumped into the fray of the American University students vs. Karl Rove showdown, and then got testy about Inside Edition's Rat Patrol's visit to D.C.. Finally they wrapped up by challenging Metro to make their Knight Rider-style bus upgrades the real deal. Chicagoist saw their top cop resign after police officers were caught on tape in beer brawls on multiple occasions. They also appeared as guest on Chicago Access Network Television's "Talkin' Funny" and got excited about Theatre Seven of Chicago's new show "Is Chicago."
Houstonist was all about conflict this week: a man vs. his prized cockatoo, a woman vs. a really sucky carjacker, the suburbs vs. enormous presidential busts, classic architecture vs. the wrecking ball and a neighborhood vs. a herd of cows.
Phillyist had Phestival Phever, err, Festival Fever, what with both music and movie festivals hitting the city. When they weren’t out using their press passes to have fun, Phillyist staffers were trying not to get stuck in public restrooms, photographing big, tall buildings, getting upset about repackaging, watching their beloved hometeam, and gettin' excited for some unibrow action.
LAist crashed the red carpet premiere of Year of the Dog before heading to the 2007 US Sumo Open and watching the female matches. An Angels baseball player refused to take part in a Jackie Robinson tribute, so they visited the best drive-in movie theatre around - one that happens to be in a suburb called City of Industry (eek!). They tried e-mailing City Council, but the e-mails bounced, so they rocked out on Broadway with Mars Volta.
Gothamist got into the swing of April with the opening of Coney Island, where the famous Astroland amusements may be open for the last time. The Big Apple blog chatted with the guys behind Human Giant, the new MTV show, contemplated NYU's minority magazine with its Yellow Fever cover, and visited the Auto Show where really young girls shilled and activists protested against gas guzzlers. And a warning to folks visiting Chinatown just to buy fakes: You may be locked in a basement for hours during police raids.
Londonist Londonist feared for its health after learning that their city is a more unhealthy place to live than the environs of Chernobyl. But we still love this city, where a simple photoshopped image of St Paul's can land us with a TV slot Meanwhile, a white London councillor who blacked up to look like Nelson Mandela got support from the former South African president.
SFist was stuck in the middle of a lot of things. Like the great battle between cars and bicyclists after a driver either ran over a biker or was assaulted by a wild pack of bikers. Then they got themselves in the middle of the debate over the release from prison of video blogger Josh Wolf. Luckily, to lighten things up, their Mayor did something stupid again.
Torontoist got stylish as they checked out some "street furniture," suggested healthy Easter alternatives, and pondered whether they really are a "capital of style." Elsewhere, somebody posted fake street signs and somebody else responded to them.
Photo by Gothamist's Tien Mao Written by SFist's Jon Shurkin more ›

Thanks to wcityw for helping us get revved up for this weekend's amateur drinking night! more ›

Back in our Chinese New Year post, we recommended that readers check out the recently opened KS Seafood, in the Chinatown Square Plaza. It's located in a small storefront, filled tightly with large banquet tables and seating in every available open space. KS Seafood is one of only two restaurants in the city that specializes in Taiwanese cuisine. Some of you are probably reading this and thinking, "It's all Chinese food. How does Taiwanese cooking differ from Mandarin, Cantonese, and Szechwan?" Indeed, it is a valid and interesting query, grasshopper. more ›