How's this for a diversion? Counter Culture Coffee is going underground and you are invited. On Friday, August 5, Chicago's newest coffee collective is hosting an open house to celebrate local food producers, artists, brewers and coffee crafters. Localvores and others looking to sample some of the city's up-and-comers are welcome to stop in. Coffee connoisseurs on a budget rejoice; this event is free and comes with caffeine! more ›

It's almost May, which means our time with Mayor Daley is drawing to a close. Before His Rahmness takes over in about three weeks, Mayor Daley has been busy trying to figure out how to say goodbye to his mayoral nest and to thank those who have seen him and Chicago through everything. What's the first thing that comes to Mayor Daley's mind? Giving away free money Having an open house at City Hall, to personally meet and greet those who have supported him at his best and at his worst. more ›

more ›

Chicagoist braved smoke inhalation from the Dexter Building fire last night to attend a little open house for a new Loop burger joint, Patty Burger. The place is the brainchild of former Jimmy Johns CEO Gregg Majewski, and the Chicago flagship location just recently began serving at 72 E. Adams. Patty, by the way, is the name of the restaurant’s mascot (for lack of a better word) — a nod to the 1940s pinup girl. Patty and her small, burger-focused menu look to be attempting an In-N-Out Burger sorta theme, promising fast, fresh (not frozen) burgers, fries and shakes. The menu also features an egg sandwich for breakfast, and chili and a veggie burger for those so inclined. more ›

Today is the first day of October and that means it is the start of World Vegetarian Day. According to Wikipedia, the day was established in 1977 by the North American Vegetarian Society. We plan on taking the opportunity to try out one of the many vegetarian friendly restaurants we haven't been to today, and you should to. Today is the final day of The 36th Annual Pilsen East Artists' Open House . The open... more ›

Now that the weather is turning cool, it’s time to start catching up on your reading and taking a few self-improvement classes. For some of us, that means finally learning to play a musical instrument. We’ve had a ukulele gathering dust in the corner for a while, so we’re finally going to head to Old Town School of Folk Music and hit up some of their classes. But this season, we’re also planning on checking... more ›

Victory Gardens Theater is shedding its identity crisis. Up until now, it was entirely possible to see show after show by the Lincoln Avenue hub’s resident companies without ever discovering a VG original. That’s too bad, since they’ve been breaking Chicago playwrights like Charles Smith and James Sherman for over 30 years. They also cast that guy from CSI years before he was popular and that guy from The Cosby Show years after he sported that Gordon Gartrelle knockoff. more ›

Elizabeth Berg is a true Chicago treasure. Originally from Minnesota, but now settled here, she has written over sixteen books, is listed by current best-selling authors as one of their “favorite” writers, and of course, the ultimate for any novelist (or no), her novel “Open House” was one of Oprah’s Book Club books. Now, we’re kidding of course, it’s not the ultimate, but it sure doesn’t hurt, and we won’t knock anyone or anything that’s getting people to read. So, here’s a quick shout out to Oprah, book clubs and those McDonalds paper-tray-placemat things. more ›

The Silk Road Theatre Project is truly blessed. Dedicated to showcasing Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Asian playwrights chronicling the people of the Silk Road and their descendents, the company took residence in the First United Methodist Church (a.k.a. The Chicago Temple) three years ago. Despite religious differences, church and company leadership forged a mutual respect born out of shared goals. Both groups value storytelling as a powerful tool to foster harmony in a diverse society.... more ›

Gothamist posts on the capture of a NYC perv thanks to Little Brother and a camera phone. They also scour the city for vodka martinis and Shamrock shakes and spot the friend from the Wonder Years at a city law firm. New York police think that Littlejohn is their man. Houstonist is no stranger to megachurches or stripmalls or mega-strip-churchmalls. The children of Houston are under assault by unknown forces as this week a playground... 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 ›

Are you finally going to heed those voices in your head this year? Your siblings asking you to stop buying them sweaters they won’t wear, your parents begging off the coffee table books, or your significant other wincing at the edible lingerie? Haven’t you promised yourself you’d get them something new and unique? Chicagoist has plenty of gift ideas, and so does the local arts community. A few of this weekend’s arts events are geared towards holiday commerce and helping you find that perfect, one-of-a-kind gift to impress friends and loved ones while expunging those pesky voices. more ›

For some Chicagoans, today’s World Music Festival Chicago 2005 kickoff validates our town's role as ambassador of global culture. For many more of us, this week will serve as an introduction to a glut of inventive musical stylings prompting a pledge to continue broadening our musical horizons. The most adventurous music fans can see dozens of performers from five continents at venues spanning every corner of Chicago. If you'd like a low-risk introduction, check out... more ›

Some of our readers think we don’t pay enough attention to the world of news and entertainment on the south side. Point taken. It’s nothing personal. We love the south side and would get down there more often if it wasn’t such a trek. So for our readers looking to explore south of the South Loop, we’ve put together a late summer art gallery crawl for your enjoyment. In Pilsen, the alternative art space Polvo... more ›

Chicagoist loves people who like to make themselves laugh, and we are certain that such a person exists on staff at the Chicago Trolley Company. Have you ever noticed that the vast majority of the free trolleys that circle the Loop are named? And not just named, but named to rhyme with “trolley”? Check out the wooden name plates located just beneath the windshield. more ›

Man, it's October. That's so…authentic and autumnal. We just want to like, bite pumpkins and take a bath in apple cider and see our breath and jump in leaves and stuff. No? Just us? Anyway, there's so much stuff going on this weekend we have no idea how we're going to cram it all in, especially cause tonight is shot—holla, season premier of Degrassi. Here's but a few of the many exciting happenings around town... more ›