Here are some suggestions for a non-carnivorous Fat Tuesday, plus a recipe for Bourbon Street Red Beans and Rice from the Vegan 101 cookbook. more ›

We at Chicagoist bid you a very happy Mardi Gras. Which, of course, is French for "Booze Tuesday." For many, with the hammer of self-sacrifice aiming to strike, Mardi Gras represents a splendid last chance to indulge. But how to celebrate? Well, America looks to New Orleans for direction on this one - and NOLA doesn't disappoint. We're not talking test tube shots and hurricanes. She's given us a much more precious gift to savor; we're talking about the Sazerac. more ›

So we know where to get paczkis today. But what if you wish to go that extra length today and opt for some beignets? Where to go? Lucky, we have a few options for you. more ›

As the city spends today celebrating Polish hero and honorary American Casimir Pulaski, ovens across Chicago are firing up in preparation for tomorrow's Fat Tuesday revelry, all to be punctuated by paczki galore. more ›

Hello, cornholios. Where've you been all my life? Hmm...how many insults have food words incorporated into them? Perhaps that's another post for another day. This week: Free coffee, Mardi Gras fun, Academy Award parties...What could go wrong? more ›

Who needs a drink after this year's primaries? Don't worry, with both Mardi Gras and Super Tuesday today, there's plenty going on around town where you can get your drink on, and watch the election returns. more ›

Here are some things to do this evening to consider bringing your voter receipt. more ›

Sometimes you can't wait for Mardi Gras to cook up a hot pot of gumbo. We love the rich textures brought on from the roux, the savory elements lent to it by the various meats, and the spices of the broth. Add some filé powder and ladle some over wild rice and we can't think of a more perfect dish for a damp, rainy day. more ›

Fish on Fridays and denouncement of vices may be just for Catholics in the upcoming Lenten season, but luckily the preemptive celebration of Mardi Gras seems to span all religious sects. And this Tuesday’s celebration is set to pack an extra punch considering it’s not just Fat, it’s Super. If your presidential pick is pulling up the rear and you need a place to drown your sorrows, check out our choices for the best Mardi Gras bashes in town. more ›

Some events in the next seven days to consider saving your freshly shoveled parking space with a few chairs. more ›

Award-winning food and drink writer Fiona Beckett will sign copies of her new book Food, Wine & Friends at the House of Glunz in Old Town this evening. The event runs from 5-7 p.m., and there will be a reception with wine and hors d'ouevres. Cost is $20 for the reception, $40 for the reception and a copy of the book. All you amateur sommeliers should be making a beeline to Sam's Wine & Spirits... more ›

Austinist gets arty with an interactive guide to SXSW, loved some local art galleries and a new art exhibit and lamented the possible loss of "Friday Night Lights" production to New Mexico. Bostonist was happy they finally found an Anna Nicole Smith connection to their fair city and that an Apple Store was opening up. They were less happy that new rules have been established limiting underage shows and that their Governor is spending... more ›

As with the previous two playoff games, Mayor Daley will make a food-related wager with his counterpart in Indianapolis on the upcoming Super Bowl that'll see our Bears and their Colts face off in Miami. Chicago, with our great gastronomic traditions, always offers up a smorgasbord of culinary delights — deep dish pizza, Eli's cheesecake, Vienna hot dogs, Ann Sather cinnamon rolls, Italian beef, Mexican foods, etc. But typically Chicago gets the short end of... more ›

Hurricanes be damned, the spirit of Mardi Gras is alive and well in New Orleans. This weekend, give it up Chicago style with several fundraising events happening around the city. more ›

Here at the Chicagoist offices we’re counting down the days to Ash Wednesday and one of our favorite times of the year- pointing out all the hungover Catholics with dirty foreheads and shag carpeting for tongues eating pepper and egg sandwiches. This weekend finds a literal smorgasbord of events leading up to Fat Tuesday itself: - Starting Friday Carnivale (702 W. Fulton) will feature a Mardi Gras–themed menu featuring dishes like Moqueqa --seafood stew with... more ›

The first long-term station closures went into effect today as part of the CTA’s Brown Line expansion project. Riders who usually use the Rockwell and Kedzie stops were treated with temperatures climbing toward the 30s as they walked to adjacent stops at Kimball, Francisco and Western. The CTA says the closures will last for up to six months, but at least there’s something to look forward to in the near future – the Francisco and Kimball stations will be closed for four consecutive weekends beginning this Friday. Whee! more ›

Five months after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, the future of New Orleans remains mired in doubt and bureaucracy. When the mainstream media shelves substantive debate over the city’s rebuilding to decipher Mayor Nagin’s “Chocolate City” speech, the art world picks up the slack. Two local exhibits and a new play examine The Big Easy, the city and the idea. more ›

chocolate New Orleans” (a vision we wholly support. Hell, Chicagoist sometimes feels like we could stand for some flavor around here). more ›

Hoping you and thousands of your closest friends can turn 35th Street into one big baseball Mardi Gras this weekend, our very own South Side Yawkey Way or Waveland Avenue? Don’t count on it. Come game time, Officer Friendly won’t let you get near the stadium without a ticket. But if you’re savvy enough to linger around Bridgeport six hours before game time tomorrow, an unusual pre-party awaits. more ›

Labor Day is traditionally the symbolic end of summer in Chicago, but for the local art scene it marks a major transition. Chicagoist missed a rash of summer exhibition closings last weekend but, as much as we procrastinate, don’t plan to make the same mistake this weekend. Schneider Gallery’s Portrait closes Saturday. The exhibit brings together seven photographers who capture their subjects unconventionally but in deeply affecting and sometimes freaky ways. Down the block, Saslow... more ›

Chicagoist loves doughnuts, so when Ann Sather restaurant -- home of another breakfast favorite, cinnamon rolls -- sent out the word that on Tuesday, February 8, they would be serving paczki, at their Lakeview location we made plans to make like Homer Simpson and put in our order. more ›

Mardi Gras is coming up, believe it or not, and Chicagoist is planning on celebrating it with a three-hour open bar at Fizz on February 5th with the Emergency Fund - you can buy tickets online today for $30, or at the door for $35. Chicagoist is a proud supporter of Emergency Fund. more ›