This week you're going to see articles online and in print noting the 75th anniversary of the repeal of the Volstead Act, which will be celebrated throughout the city on Friday. Prohibition didn't stop people from drinking, particularly in "the city that works." Places like the Green Mill actually thrived during Prohibition (we'll be writing about Green Mill and its Prohibition-era history later this week). more ›

Everyone's favorite libertarian think tank is taking its show on the road! The Cato Institute is hosting a luncheon with Robert Novak today at the Drake Hotel. Registration starts at 10:30, but you'll want to get there early, as several senior Cato fellows will be addressing the crowd of local paleoconservatives and free marketeers. Randal O'Toole, an expert on urban growth and planning issues, kicks off the event with his keynote address, The Best-Laid Plans:... more ›

OK, you got us here: Ricci & Company really isn’t a market per se. Unless you’re a squirrel and this small River North spot specializing in hand-roasted nuts has everything you need for your daily intake and then some. But just because Ricci doesn’t stock edibles from all the food groups — who can keep up with that ever-changing list anyways? — that doesn’t mean it’s not worthy of a mention here. First off, there’s... more ›

We’ve been patiently waiting for The Hottest Moms in America television show to post a gallery of audition pictures from its recent Chicago stop this past weekend. All week, we’ve been seized with the possibility that perhaps the women of Chicago are not as hot as we think they are. Is this some kind of payback for eschewing the skinny black pant faux-trend? Luckily, local photog Rich Mohr is picking up the slack with... more ›

The various televised beauty pageants we’ve seen in the past often purport to be talent competitions or scholarship programs, regardless of whether they are of the USA, World or Universe variety. Anyone with two working brain cells to rub together knows that this is a total load. So we have to at least give credit to the Hottest Mom in America competition for brazen honesty. "The Hottest Mom in America" is a new TV show... more ›

The venerable old Drake Hotel, nestled in all its glory upon the northernmost reaches of Michigan Avenue, has long been the Chicago hotel equivalent of your loveable, old, slightly intimidating rich great aunt… you know, she used to be the belle of the ball and has hung out with royalty a few times, but is looking kinda haggard and just hasn’t been herself lately. Well, in a move that is essentially akin to giving that... more ›

If 2004 was the year of tapas, or small-plate dining, then 2005 will be the year of the Comfort Food. Comfort food — think hearty, filling — has been making its way onto menus for some time now. After 9/11, the school of thought was that restaurant patrons wanted something that would soothe the mind as well as sate the belly. Meatloaf, for instance, has popped up in some unexpected places such as Bar Louie,... more ›