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 ›

Happy St. Patty’s Day, folks! We are taking off a little early this morning, for what we hope will be a long drunken day filled with debauchery in celebration of wanting to be Irish. At about 10:45 a.m. the Chicago River will be full of Fluorescein, the chemical used in the annual dyeing of the river. The magnificent green can be seen from the Wacker Bridge on Michigan Ave and it should last about 30... more ›

Last week Chicagoist was invited to a wine tasting at Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro. We were told that there would be appetizers, an opportunity to meet the one and only Alpana Singh and, of course, wine to taste. It sounded like a good time, so we bundled ourselves up and got on the bus. Having never visited Mrs. Murphy's we weren't sure what to expect. In addition to being unfamiliar with the location,... more ›

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know that today is St. Patrick’s Day. Yes, Chicago has a large Irish population and its history is dominated by the contributions of one particular Irish family. But like all other cities in the U.S., today is the day when anyone who’s worn a green shirt while eating a potato and watching a Colin Farrell movie will lay claim to a little “Irish” heritage. more ›