Last week, our own Betsy Mikel took a stab at living on food stamps - or, more accurately, living on the dollar equivalent of food stamps - as part of the SNAP Hunger Challenge. With that fresh in our minds, Noreen Malone's article on Slate practically jumped out of our computer screens and smacked us in the face. She attempted the exact opposite project; instead of trying to save money, she tried to figure out just how much dough could be sucked up by a dinner for two from Whole Foods. more ›

In a column yesterday, former Gourmet and current Salon food columnist Francis Lam declared Wiener's Circle "the most depressing hot dog stand in America." Lam based his assessment wholly on the racially-tinged post-last call smackdowns between the all-black Wiener's Circle staff and the nearly all white, all male, all drunk clientele. Lam does use some of his column space to differentiate between the early evening shenanigans (captured by the Tribune's Kevin Pang in the above video) and the darker, more ominous goings on after the bars let out (chronicled by the now-classic, well traveled clip from "This American Life" after the jump; both clips NSFW for language). more ›

When it comes to liquor stores we tend to be equal opportunity. We'll search high and low, near and far, for the best deals at stores large and small. While the boxy superstores like Sam's, Binny's and Armanetti's have their merits, the smaller stores are noted for their more personal touch. The LUSH Wine & Spirits locations in University and Roscoe Villages are wonderful for customers because they can sample practically everything LUSH has to offer and will work with customers to acquire hard-to-find wine, beer and spirits. more ›

At a recent brunch we learned about a neat platform for visual and performing artists to share their works-in-progress. Salon at ROOMS gallery, occurring every third Thursday of the month, is similar to a poetry reading but is expanded to include “sound, performance, video, dance, sculpture, readings,” and the like. The monthly art exchange allows artists the opportunity to gain experience with presenting their work in an environment that nurtures feedback and discussion. more ›

A couple of localvore items of note to start: more ›