If you're not a fan of farro (say that three times fast) you should be. more ›

This is part of Chicagoist's coverage of The European Union Festival, which runs March 5 to April 1 at the Siskel Film Center. more ›

The MCA, in their current show Italics: Italian Art Between Tradition and Revolution 1968-2008, want to show you something. They want you to talk about—no, see—no, know—no, understand—Italian Art since 1968. Unfortunately, they don’t get too far. more ›

This is part of Chicagoist's continuing coverage of the 45th Chicago International Film Festival. more ›

Authorities discovered an artifact find worthy of Indiana Jones. But rather than a cave or an ancient temple, this collection was found in a house in Berwyn. Over 3,500 artifacts - including terracotta figurines, letters from popes, and a handwritten manuscript by Benito Mussolini - were discovered at the home of John Sisto when he died over two years ago. And now, after an extensive investigation, federal authorities have determined that around 1,600 of the artifacts - valued at between $5 million and $10 million - had been stolen in Italy and shipped to the U.S. to be sold. FBI spokesman Ross Rice said the stolen artifacts will be returned to Italy and added no criminal charges related to theft, transportation or possession of stolen artifacts would be filed against the Sisto family by U.S. authorities. Since the items were shipped out of Italy in violation of that nation's Cultural Property Laws, charges related to those violations rests with Italian authorities. The other 2,000 artifacts - which were of indeterminate origin - were returned to the Sisto family. According to the Tribune's report: more ›

The foggy mist that hung over Chicago Monday night seemed a perfect backdrop to a mystical experience with local psychic Patrick O’Brien at RoSal’s Restaurant in Little Italy. O'Brien visits RoSal’s twice a month to hold mini psychic readings for the pasta-loving crowd. Even those of us intrigued by psychics are often put off by the dozens of 900 number-type, big fat fakers out there. But there’s hope. Anyone seeking a more worthwhile experience than one can find with the $5 street festival psychics (you know, one yes-or-no tarot card question, the generic “you’ll live a long life” palm readings) should give O'Brien a try. He has a reputation for accuracy, plus we've been told he helps the Chicago PD solve crimes. Nice. more ›

Different cultures around the globe have certain foods that are purported to bring about good luck if served and eaten at the start of a new year. While researching a story idea last month we spoke with Professor Bruce Kraig, President of the Culinary Historians of Chicago. Professor Kraig told us that, in Italy, lentils represent coins and that eating lentil soup is regarded as wishing for prosperity for the eater. more ›

The first time we ate the chicken focaccia sandwich from Miceli's Deli and Food Mart in the Heart of Italy neighborhood, the weather was markedly different. Specifically, it was about seventy degrees warmer and we didn't appreciate it as much. Focaccia sandwiches are much more agreeable in cold weather, don't you think? There's something about all those heavy ingredients and flavors that simply cry out for consumption when the mercury takes a nosedive. more ›

While Rod Blagojevich was dodging questions about a potential tax bill for flights from Springfield to Chicago, Mayor Daley was busy traveling the world on Chicago's behalf. In 2007, Daley made five overseas trips, including Brazil, Italy and France. But the IRS won't be looking at the Mayor's travel bills anytime soon because the trips weren't paid for with taxpayer money. Instead, they were financed privately, often by corporate interests. Both the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and the law firm of Baker & McKenzie have picked up the tab for Daley's jaunts. more ›

There are precious few days left for your last-minute holiday shopping. If you're out to get a jump on the crowds, consider catching an early breakfast and shopping through the lunch rush by hitting one of these Near West Side joints. 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 ›

What started as Chicago actor and director David Blixt’s creative inquiry into the Capulet-Montague feud quickly became so much more. The Master of Verona, Blixt’s debut novel set in 14th Century Italy, explores Italian political life, conspiracy, the life of Dante, and the possible backstory for Romeo and Juliet. While directing the aforementioned Shakespeare play years ago, he found its all-consuming resolution fascinating and troublesome, hinting at but never revealing the source of the families’ feud. So started an intense exploration that took the author to the Newberry Library, the University of Michigan, and the villa Serego Alighieri in Verona. more ›

While the mention of the word "oil" can often bring about heated debates on rising prices and the war in Iraq, that’s not the case at Old Town Oil, which specializes in 100-percent extra virgin olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars. This sliver of a store, located in the heart of Old Town, quietly opened three months ago and is the brainchild of four foodie brothers. After various trips around Europe, sampling the quality olive... more ›

You might have already heard of the City 2000 project. The mission was to document life in Chicago in the first year of the 21st century for future generations and all that (which, as NASA's "Ask an Astrophysicist" informs us actually started in 2001). Over 200 photographers set out to capture life in the city, as well as sounds and video, which are housed at UIC's library. You can watch parts of the project... more ›

We noticed a short Fran Spielman piece today reminding us about Daley's globe-trotting and found something we didn't expect — bikes! When we first read about Paris's new bicycle initiative, Velib, we salivated. The city peppered the city with more than 20,000 heavy-duty rental bikes in an effort to become a city of bikes. The program almost seems too good to be true. The bikes can be rented from 750 stations throughout the city, free... more ›

Scott Harney must have been very very good in a previous life. Well, that is, if you believe in that sort of thing. How else do you explain having a job where you have to spend—emphasis on the have to—large amounts of time eating high-end chocolate and cheese, followed by drinking lots of very good wine? Okay, we know that his job as wine director at Eno also involves doing some work-like tasks, too, but we’re sure even he would admit he’s got a sweet deal. more ›

World Sport Chicago, an organization that has helped spearhead Chicago's 2016 OIympic Bid, is working hard to bring international sporting events to Chicago to strengthen that bid. This weekend is an example of that effort; the U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team will take on Italy here in Chicago as part of the FIVB World League. The World League is composed of the top 16 men's volleyball teams in the world divided into four pools. The... more ›

If it hasn't been drilled into your heads yet, street festival season is kicking into high gear. This week, we'll highlight a couple to check out, as well as feature one of the more humorous press releases to reach our inbox this week. Strap it on! We'll Call Ours the "Triple Bypass": Wendy's is hosting an online contest to see who can design their next burger. Folks who log on to www.thisismyburger.com can choose from... more ›

“I promise you, this story is going some place. I’m not simply blogging,” said author Erik Larson at the Printers Row Book Fair, which was in full swing today. more ›

A: A free movie every week. To us summer is about more than music festivals, street fairs and outdoor dining. It's also about enjoying wonderful cinema, either indoors in a wonderfully air-conditioned theater, or outside on a big freakin' lawn. And we'll be getting plenty of chances for both over the next several months thanks to Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival. Better known as the organization behind the annual Chicago International Film Festival,... more ›

The theory goes that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Good thing Kathy Rose had a different plan. When faced with a family crisis — Rose lost her parents to heart disease and cancer — this former nurse took her passion for Europe and good-for-you food stuff and created City Olive, a cozy shop in Andersonville with a soft spot for olive oils. more ›

It will be a few years before Chicago learns whether or not the world's most elite athletes will be coming here in 2016 for the Summer Olympics. In the meantime, it is the goal of World Sport Chicago to bring amateur sporting events and international competitions to Chicago. The organization's mission is "to enhance the image, awareness, and participation in Olympic and amateur sports across Chicago with the goal of giving all athletes the opportunity to see and experience sport across all levels." more ›

The “‘Check, Please’ effect” is defined as “a surge in business for the three highlighted restaurants (featured on any given episode) after the show appears with later small surges whenever the program is rerun, which is multiple times on WTTW.” The term “surge” is a generous one. If unprepared, a smaller restaurant is mobbed and taxed beyond its capabilities. Albany Park’s Noon-O-Kabob is often presented as exhibit “A” for the effect’s existence. More recently... more ›

For the 75th anniversary of the Lindbergh kidnapping, Time released what they believe are the top 25 crimes of the century. We must say, we got sucked in and were captivated by the crimes, some of which we were familiar with and some we were completely unawares. Two of the crimes were from the Chicago area. John Wayne Gacy, executed by lethal injection in 1994, murdered 32 boys and young men. Police found 28 of them in a crawl space in his Des Plaines home. The mysteries of the human psyche, the false sense of security in suburbia, the facade of an upstanding citizen — these were all brought to the forefront in an American society that was getting comfortable. more ›

Alaska? Iceland? Actually, this is The Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentine Patagonia. And Lisa Lubin used to be there, but not any more. Let us back up to the beginning, though.. Lisa Lubin is a former TV producer at ABC7 who helped start the show "190 North." In her 9 years in Chicago she completely immersed herself in the city. She played in a summer tennis program, owned real estate, taught a TV production... more ›

We admit, we deal in stereotypes. It's like our own version of Occam's Razor — the simplest humor is usually the funniest. But when you get a bunch of middle schoolers in a room together to act out these stereotypes, we think it probably stops being funny. And there are a lot of Italian-Americans in Batavia who feel the same way. Incredibly, there is a drama teacher in the suburb who thought it would be... more ›

1st Course, Lobster Soymilk: Lobster miso & soy-apricot soup finished with enoki mushrooms, black tiger shrimp, beets & truffle oil more ›

Nine years ago, Mayor Daley promised to replace all the parking meters in the city with "pay-and-display" boxes. Today there are only a handful of the machines that let drivers pay for a preset amount of time and toss the ticket on their dashboards, mostly because they cost almost $10,000 each. Like a true political promise, Daley's idea wasn't backed by any funds. Only a few boxes were installed downtown, on the Little Italy restaurant row, and one block of Lakeview. more ›

Jane Hamilton’s new book, “When Madeline Was Young,” begins with the unfortunate knowledge that there is no more waiting, the other shoe has definitely dropped. more ›