Tuck in for another Friday Buffet. more ›

Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias announced yesterday that the state is getting out of the loan business. On Monday, Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Patrick J. Londrigan signed the foreclosure order on the Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Convention Center, the first step in removing ownership from the politically connected powerbroker Bill Cellini. Although the owners quickly fell behind on payments, the loan was restructured in 1990, ensuring that the owners didn't have to repay the loan as long as the hotel didn't turn a profit. As a result, only two payments have been made on the loan in the last ten years. more ›

It must be easy for the writers of "My Name is Earl" to find ideas for the show, because all they have to do follow the local police blotters. A couple of these stories are ripe for an "Earl" episode, right down to the roles tailor-made for Joy and Crab Man. We wonder how many of these idiots believe in karma. more ›

Unless you're partaking in one of the lovely establishments along the colorful strip of north Lincoln Avenue, chances are you plunk down a credit card when you rent a hotel room. Makes perfect sense, right? Chicagoist is just hoping you didn't do so in the past few years whilst you visited the Joliet area to satisfy your gaming urges. On Thursday, area police raided seven hotels and arrested ten people who had stolen and sold over 10,000 credit card numbers across a span of six years. Two more people are being sought in the identity theft ring. more ›

It seems Chicago is following in the footsteps of Las Vegas and New York when it comes to hotel dining. On Sunday, the Tribune reported Chefs Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand of Tru have plans to bring four new restaurant concepts to the Westin Chicago North Shore Hotel, which will open in Wheeling this October. Dining options at the Westin will include Osteria Di Tramonto (serving breakfast lunch and dinner), Tramonto’s Steak & Seafood (a... more ›

Remember our sympathy yesterday for the Chicago woman who was attacked by bedbugs at a hotel in New York? Well, we still might send her a bottle of Calamine lotion, but we're not too worried about her mental anguish anymore. It turns out that Leslie Fox and her husband stayed in the same section of the same hotel again two weeks later, for five days no less. Fox's husband had a contract for a speaking engagement and she wanted to go with him. "I was absolutely loath to have to go back there, and I went back with great apprehension," she told the AP. Sure thing, but you didn't change your reservations to the Holiday Inn Express either did you? She's still pursuing her $20 million lawsuit against the hotel, but Chicagoist is betting she won't see that much money unless she either A) hits the lottery, or B) learns to hit a curveball better than Paul Konerko. Better start warming up that swing Leslie. more ›

Unless it involves children, consumers seem somewhat apathetic to the recall of goods nowadays. When someone smells cleaning supplies in the soda aisle of your local grocery store, however, there is luckily still a reaction. more ›

Ringing in the New Year with a half ton of weed, a semi full of chickens, stun guns, and a woman back from the dead. And of course, no New Year's would be complete without a few people lettin' off shots: On Tuesday, police confiscated over 1,000 pounds of marijuana from a garage on the southwest side. People, when are you going to get it through your thick skulls that hanging on to this much... more ›

This is usually the place where we’re supposed to tell you what excellent bands or movies are playing on New Year’s Eve. But you probably already have your plans sketched out, right? You don’t? Dear God! Don’t you know you HAVE to have major plans on New Year’s? It’s the end of the year! Therefore, you have to be at some huge party with lots of people, find someone to kiss at midnight, and have... more ›