Do you smell smoke? Don't panic. more ›

"Barbeque for us means smoke," says Smoke Daddy owner Derek Rettell. "A lot of barbeque places don't smoke, but our smoker is going 24/7." With the trendy BBQ craze in Chicago going full blast, we decided to learn how it was done from a classic spot. Smoke Daddy has been open in Wicker Park for 16 years, and Rettell and his crew know a few things about making great barbeque. We spent a morning surrounded by wood and meat, and came out happy, full and smelling like a campsite. more ›

Poll local barkeeps, and you're likely to find widespread support for Chicago's ban on smoking in their establishments (which turns 3 in less than a month, by the way). And yet ironically, amongst their ranks are the ban's most brazen scofflaws. You see, they've uncovered its ultimate loophole, finding increasingly clever ways to sneak smoke into our drinks. more ›

We chronicled our Saturday night earlier this week, and we need remind no one that it was colder than a witch's tit in a brass bra all day long. more ›

We'll never understand why The Muppet Christmas Carol doesn't get more love. The music is alternately joyous (above) and tear-inducing, like "Bless Us All," which seriously still gets us.... more ›