Next Thursday's second day of the Tomorrow Never Knows weekend may be its most eclectic, which is an enticing departure from the usual blog-approved buzz acts. more ›

You can trust Chicagoist when we say that tending bar can be a rewarding but sometimes thankless job. Still, some nights we wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Even though our "barside manner" sometimes resembles more "bizarro world Nick" from It's a Wonderful Life than Tom Cruise in Cocktail we were shocked, shocked, we say, that no one even thought to mention the Bridgeport bureau for mention as one of the city's best bartenders for 2005. Shite, our excellence has been sustained over a period of years. Then we took a deep breath, came back to reality, and said, "Wait a minute. It's Metromix!!" The same people who weighed in on this probably wouldn't recognize a dive bar when they walk into one. more ›