If your liver could talk, what would it say? On the heels of recent, oh, let's call it cavalier disregard for the organ's well-being, more than a few of us would probably get a scolding. (Or would we not even be on speaking terms right now?) Whatever the state of the relationship, there's no doubt that a non-alcoholic cocktail on occasion can't hurt things. And as New Year's resolutions go, laying off the sauce is an easy one to uphold in Chicago thanks to the wealth of dining and drinking spots in the city that offer thoughtful, tasty n/a beverage options. Your social calendar will barely register the change. more ›

Hot off the wire - Spring, Shawn McClain's pioneering Bucktown restaurant, will be closing after New Year's Eve. "The close of the year seemed like the right time to let Spring go," McClain said. He plans to focus more on his other restaurants, Green Zebra and Sage (in Las Vegas). He will split his time between the two. If you're desperate for a fix at Spring, they will be offering special meals in November and December made of their most popular dishes over the years. Four-course menus will be $59. more ›

The business partnership between Shawn McClain, Peter Drohomyrecky and Sue Kim-Drohomyrecky has been slowly dissolving over the past year. McClain decided to retain the vegetarian-focused Green Zebra while also focusing on Sage, his restaurant in Las Vegas' Aria hotel; while the Drohomyreckys now own Custom House Tavern outright. more ›

Striking while the iron is hot in the afterglow of Craft Brewers Conference, the Garfield Park Conservatory is planning a night of beer inside the conservatory proper from 5:30-8 p.m. May 13. Tickets to the event ($45 day of the event, $35 in advance, purchase tickets here) will allow guests to sample beers from Metropolitan, half Acre, Goose Island, Argus Brewery on the Far South Side (we'll have more on Argus later), Hamburger Mary's and Rock Bottom Chicago surrounded by the foliage and fauna of the conservatory. Food for the event will be provided by Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park and Green Zebra. more ›

Mmm, hot soup sounds good. Especially since we expected 18 inches of snow and ice this morning. Whatevs, weatherman! So, we're back to the Friday Buffet. This is because we kept thinkin' it was due up on Fridays and kept missing Thursday. D'oh! more ›

We recently visited the kitchen of Green Zebra. We should say we rolled into the kitchen as we first dined on the four course dinner. Try the poached egg. You'll melt. Green Zebra is notable for offering mainly vegetarian dishes that can be prepared to fit a vegan diet, as well. Enjoy the pictures. more ›

Sometimes, you find excellent cocktails where you least expect them. On a visit to Green Zebra, Shawn McLain’s West Town vegetarian joint, we expected to find great food in a Zen-like, meat-free (or almost meat-free) environment. Less anticipated were the expertly designed and crafted cocktails. Their cocktail list is not extensive, but everything on it is good – and believe us, we tried EVERYTHING. Our favorite libation of the evening was the Bee's Knees, a gin cocktail made with lavender honey. Combine our growing affinity for gin-based cocktails and our love of herbal flavors and we’re easily sold. Best of all, unlike some restaurant cocktails, this one is also fairly easy to try at home. more ›

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A gift from Cupid's Treasures may be nice once in a while, but food is a time-tested aphrodisiac. Restaurants throughout the city are gearing up for one of their busiest days Thursday. Here is a list of price fixe dinners guaranteed to mae a romantic out of even the most callous individuals. more ›

Today we continue our series of letting you know about the New Year's Eve packages being offered by local restaurants so that you have enough information to make a decision and not wait until the last minute to grab a table. In case you missed yesterday's installment, we've linked to it here for your review. Vegetarians rejoice! Green Zebra will offer an all vegetarian, 5 course tasting menu priced at $75 per person, with an... more ›

The Stew is reporting that River North restaurant Graze is closing after a mere six months of business. We are sad to say goodbye to Graze because we generally thought Chef Bob Zrenner was a likable person with an interesting vision of fine dining for what was essentially three blocks off the Mag Mile. When we interviewed him in January he told us, "Small plates bring that high level of cuisine to people on a... more ›

Twenty of the top chefs in Chicago are joining forces with Food & Wine Magazine for the 2006 Entertaining Showcase at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Wednesday, November 15. The list of participating chefs reads like a who's who of Chicago fine dining: Food & Wine Best New Chefs Michael Carlson of Schwa and Graham Elliot Bowles of Avenues, Grant Achatz from Alinea, Shawn McClain from Spring, Green Zebra and Custom House, and Andrew Zimmerman... more ›

If Chicago is a culinary mecca, why is the Taste of Chicago little more than a beer-and-brat fest? Some top Chicago chefs were asked just that. more ›

With such a proliferation of food- and cooking-focused blogs and web sites out there, some days it's all Chicagoist can do to get to a handful of them to keep up. However, as is the case with the industry itself, the more the merrier. So in the same way we're always stoked to find a new approach to duck breast, we're equally as happy to find a blog with a different twist. more ›

We live in an uncertain world. So once in a while, it’s nice to be reassured of certain basic truths. For instance, last night when you went to bed, you probably knew that little kids don’t like vegetables. Good news: a new day has dawned yet kids would rather eat chicken fingers, pizza, hamburgers and mac and cheese. Or at least that’s what restaurants think. A survey by Technomic Information Services said that out of... more ›

Woe is the vegetarian in a city known for its meat. more ›

Not long ago Chicagoist was taken to Green Zebra, the second Chicago restaurant from chef/owner Shawn McClain (Trio alum & executive chef/owner of Wicker Park’s Spring). Green Zebra – named after Chicagoist’s favorite heirloom tomato variety (oh, yes…we’ll be seeing the tomatoes soon, oh so very soon… giggle…titter…drool) Sorry. We get excited. Known predominately for its veggicentric menu (but have no fear they also included a few carniverous offerings when we were there), the restaurant has become a destination for vegetarians looking for haute cuisine. We had a dish that was just a fantastic combination of flavors and textures, so we made it at home, with some variations. more ›

Seeds or seedlings? This is the intellectual debate that plagues us every year in early to mid-April. We know that the only way to obtain August tomato nirvana is to grow our own, but on a cold, rainy April day, that’s a long way off and it’s just hard to get into the mindset of gardening knowing that we won’t get outside for another six weeks or so. more ›

In its December issue, Travel + Leisure Magazine chose the best new American restaurant in 10 cities.. and guess what? They've profiled 7 Chicago restaurants. Yay us! On the list are: more ›

Whoa, crazy brainphone between Chicagoist and the New York Times—both of us are all about Green Zebra today. Chicagoist was there last night, and lookie lookie who's got a review of it today. Crazygonuts. more ›