Get ready for crazy holiday parties (and the ensuing bad behavior) with this app, designed to measure your sobriety and warn you not to drunk-text your boss. more ›

IN today's listings: Green City Market heads to Bridgeport tonight. more ›

We can't quite believe we're posting this, but based on the sheer volume of news coverage over the past few days, some people must care about this huge wedding that's happening on Friday across the pond. Frankly, we're almost tired of hearing about it - the number of press releases pushing special wedding cocktails that we've gotten have just about pushed us over the edge. On the other hand, we're as interested in pretty dresses and flower tossing as the next man, though, and if there are good drinks involved, you might be able to get us on board. Might. Anyway, a lot of decent bars and restaurants are offering neat events specials, if you want to watch the blessed event - they might even make it worth it. more ›

• Bridget Houlihan and Tammy Green were at the media unveiling of the renovated Café Spiaggia Tuesday night. [Chicago Bites]
• Christina Couch, writing for Time Out Chicago, ponders whether Outstanding in the Field's advocacy of the farm-to-table movement gets lost in the $200-250 per person price tags for their dinners. [TOC]
• From Chicago magazine's Dish newsletter: Argentinian street food in Bucktown; Carol Wallack will turn her original sola space into a family-style Hawaiian/Asian informed restaurant once sola moves downtown to 340 N. Clark St.; M Burger opens a second location at 5 W. Ontario in late August. [Dish]

• Mike Sula, in keeping with the Reader's "road trip" theme this week, took a road trip to June, a Peoria restaurant that splits the fine line between molecular gastronomy and the localvore movement that he surmises may be the best new restaurant in the Midwest. [Reader]
• Sula also likes the gyro jibarito at Thamara Dominican Restaurant in Humboldt Park. Next week, Megan will calculate Sula's reduced life expectancy. [Reader]
• Rachael Ray crowned her favorite Chicago hot dog today. Whatever. At least she had the good sense (or savvy producers) to put Superdawg and Jimmy's Red Hots in her final three. [The Stew]

more ›

If Pomegranate Ginger is not your thing, Solixir comes in two other flavors with unique functional benefits. The Blackberry Chamomile (Relax) drink contains herbs like hibiscus, lemon balm and passion flower to help you chill out and unwind. The Orange Mate (Awake) drink contains natural caffeine from Yerba Mate, as well as ginseng, turmeric, and angelica to provide natural energy before a workout or as an alternative to your morning coffee. If you think these drinks sounds like medicinal hard-to-swallow tonics, we assure you Solixir is light and refreshing. more ›

In lieu of our regular Wine Wednesday post, we found it much more fitting to focus on the colossal eating and drinking occasion that is the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for Chicago, we can't say 'we almost made it' or even whisper a word of smack talking to our buddies, but we will find a way to chest-bump and guzzle booze with the best of them. Here are some of the drinks and eats the Chicagoist Staff plan to indulge in...and some are just indulging in drinking (guess, Monday will be a slow one at Chicagoist). more ›

A few weeks ago we found ourselves in Boston and thirsty for a cocktail. The interwebs told us that a visit to Drink would be worth our while. They were most certainly correct. How to describe the place? Picture what would happen if The Violet Hour operated a bar on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, and you'll have a fair idea. As bustling a bar as we've had the pleasure to visit, with each bartender expertly fashioning cocktails at the speed of sound. more ›

What have Our Town's other culinary watchdogs been up to this week? more ›

To recover from the holidays, and prepare for a few more months of winter, this healthy hot tea will give your digestive tract and immune system a powerful boost. more ›

Other media have been charting their favorite restaurant openings of the past ten years. Here at Chicagoist, we’ll let them have it and instead stick to the standard year-to-year review of what we thought were the top stories surrounding local food and drink. There’s been a lot to write about the past twelve months. In our four years covering food and drink for the site, this has arguably been the most rewarding year on the beat. more ›

Dear Megan, more ›

• Want to learn how to wield your chefs knives like a pro? the Chopping Block's knife skills class is their most popular course. With this class you'll learn how to mince, dice, slice, sharpen and maintain your knives to their peak efficiency. (4747 N. Lincoln, 773-472-6700, 7-9:30 p.m., $45)
• Rebar at the Trump International Hotel and tower (401 N. Wabash, 312-588-8114) weekly champagne table takes place in the lounge's VIP area from 5-7;30 p.m., hosted by sommelier Steven Lee. Cost is $50
• Decorate your own Christmas cookies at Beijo de Chocolat (3334 W. Foster Ave., 773-267-0138) from 6-8:30 p.m. attendees will receive a sozen sugar cookies to decorate and get to enjoy mulled cider. Cost is $20.

It's Labor Day weekend, but that doesn't mean all of us are grilling for possibly the final time this season. Here are some events, tastings, dinners and special offers to keep you busy this weekend and beyond: more ›

So far this week we've already given you the heads-up on the mado/Webster's Wine Bar/Bluebird collaborative dinner and the Chicago Botanic Garden's Pepper Weekend. 'Course the big thing for us is the Publican/New Holland beer dinner Sunday. If those three don't tickle your fancy, try these events. more ›

Koval Distillery in Andersonville has been making some noise of late, as the city's only distillery. They've also been making some amazing spirits and liqueurs, from what we tasted a couple weeks back at Uncommon Ground Devon's Friday Farmers Market. more ›

We recently received a sample of Mount Gay Extra Old, a fine aged rum from Barbados we'd never tried. On the rocks it's superb: a true sipping rum with hints of burnt sugar and spice, and a subtle floral scent. Actually it reminded us a lot of bourbon. That started us thinking ... more ›

“The Year in Review” is an apt, if overused, phrase this time of year. Coupled with what turned out to be a busy and eventful 2K8, and we’re hard pressed to distill what we found most newsworthy into a limited number of words. We can’t whittle it down to just our favorite dishes, restaurants, chefs or events. Frankly, those types of stand-alone year-end recaps bore us. more ›

We've always wanted to make Hot Buttered Rum. Partly because of the name. Well, admittedly, any name that makes us giggle is a go. Like Hot Cross Buns. Or Hot Buttered Rump. Anyway...Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink had a recipe and we gave it a go. more ›

Word has it that the Pontiac Cafe -- Wicker Park mainstay and the first big patio in the area where it was possible to witness firsthand the ebbing of the artist residents and the rise of corner banking and hip chain store patrons -- will be closing its doors for the last time October 17. Let's see, all we have left now is Double Door and Subterranean to keep us coming back to the Six Corners. Get in now and drink now, because another icon is going down. What a bummer. more ›

Survival of the Fittest: more ›

The Hyde Park Bar Louie, at 5500 S. Shore Dr., was closed on Wednesday by health inspectors. Inspectors had previously visited the establishment in September and ticketed the restaurant for offenses but gave them time to fix them. When they visited again on Wednesday and found flies and mouse droppings, they shut the place down.

"Bar Louie had more than a week to correct their problems and remain open, but they ignored the Dumpster Task Force warnings and did not make enough effort to correct the problem," said Josie Cruz, deputy commissioner of the department's Rodent Control.

DEBATE more ›

We love a good mojito and aren't opposed to playing with the recipe just a little bit. Over the weekend we put together some strawberry mojitos to cool us down. Enjoy these outside as a nice twist on this hot weather favorite. And if you've never grown your own mint, this is the perfect to do so as you'll always be ready to whip up this fresh cocktail. more ›

The Kentucky bourbon brand erected a billboard across from Wrigley imploring, "Save our Ballpark's Name." The website listed on the sign, www.saveourname.com, includes a petition demanding that Wrigley remain Wrigley forever. Additionally, Beam will be handing out t-shirts and other paraphernalia around Wrigleyville with the "Save Wrigley" theme all summer long. But didn't the Tribune Co. already say that the Wrigley name wasn't going anywhere? Guess that's the problem when big corporations try to go guerrilla. more ›

We have to admit we're a bit caught off-guard by an email we just got from the Empty Bottle: more ›

more ›

'Tis the season for free champagne tastings. Get started tonight at the Artisan Cellar (located on the first floor of the Merchandise Mart) with a sample of some rare bubblies from 4-6 p.m. Learn all about the history of smothered foods from author Wilbert Jones, the author of Smothered Southern Foods. Jones' lecture, "Smothered - Southern Style" is being held Saturday at the Chicago History Museum, sponsored by the Culinary Historians of Chicago. The lecture... more ›

Hearts all across Chicago were broken last January when Zephyr closed its doors. We walked past its former space a few days ago and wouldn't you know, construction workers were busy building what looked to be another restaurant. Alas, it won't be Zephyr 2.0 but rather an Irish-style bar and restaurant (pictured), opening in March 2008 (to their best estimate). The workers didn't know what it was going to be called. New York Times writer... more ›