Chef Jared Van Camp's new West Loop restaurant is almost ready. We got an early look, and we haven't been this excited for an opening in quite a while. more ›

If you haven't ventured over to Randolph street for a sandwich from J.P. Graziano, you're missing out. more ›

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 ›

For a lot of people, coffee isn’t just a morning ritual, it’s a way of life. Coffee connoisseurs, proud baristas, growers, roasters, you name it - a growing portion of the population lives and breathes by the bean. Behind the scenes is a whole coffee world and culture that makes our lattes and mochas possible. It’s what makes them taste so good. With its new training center, Counter Culture Coffee is looking to open up that fascinating world to Chicago’s coffee lovers. more ›

The standoff between West Loop residents and the restaurant Plush has been going on for four years. The restaurant attracts a young, professional black crowd, but residents argue the patrons are rowdy and desecrate the neighborhood. more ›

LUPEC, the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails, is having the prohibition-era equivalent of a pub crawl. The Chicago chapter is led by Sonja Kassebaum of North Shore Distillery, and with a slogan like "Dismantling the Patriarchy, One Cocktail at a Time," what's not to love? On November 12, LUPEC is hosting "Women Helping Women," an evening of shopping, drinking and charity. Participants (ladies or gentlemen) will take a tour through the fashionable shopping of the West Loop, visiting boutiques like Bess and Loie, 2 Sisters and Smitten. At each of the twelve stops, enjoy shopping and try one classic cocktail. more ›

The equine population of Chicago has tripled this summer, thanks to the horses performing in Cavalia in the West Loop.“It’s all about natural horsemanship and movement,” said performer Casey Hackett, 26. “We’re harnessing their energy into the performance, and the show changes every time.” more ›

Back in 1989 urban planners proposed a plan to develop the South Loop into an arts community that would provide fixed affordable housing for artists alongside studios, galleries, and performance spaces. At the time, a decline in manufacturing and warehousing business in the area north and west of the Chicago River had opened up an abundance of cheap loft space that seemed suited for working artists and galleries. more ›

A fight broke out at the Columbus Restaurant and Bar, 651 W. Washington Blvd, in the West Loop early this morning and police responded to find four people injured from stab wounds. One victim was listed in critical condition, another in guarded, and the other two in stable condition. The perp was also apprehended by police and hospitalized in stable conditions with minor cuts. No word from police of what led to the violent outburst. [WBBM] more ›

Art kids, brace yourselves. Version Fest 09 Immodest Proposals is upon us. Organized by Ed Marszewski & Co. (Public Media Institute), this year's events list comes close to sensory overload. From April 23 - May 2, progressive art, politics, and music will saturate the streets, galleries, and music venues of Bridgeport and the West Loop with programs galore to inspire and engage you. We’re also stoked about Friday’s Korean-Polish BBQ. more ›

We recently visited the bright West Loop byob spot, The Grocery Bistro, and took advantage of their three course prix fixe dinner menu, choosing any shared plate, entrée, and dessert for $25. (We recommend the salmon sashimi with fried egg and caper-soy vinaigrette, lamb chops and banana bacon tiramisu). Grocery's Chef de Cuisine, Andre Christopher of Japonais and Pops for Champagne fame, recently started serving a three course lunch as well: soup/salad, sandwich, dessert, and drink for $15. Enjoy your meal while playing "guess the movie playing on the plasma TV." I won. more ›

Tonight there's a slew of art openings to keep your eyes happy and your brains searching for the messages within the media: more ›

As Police Supt. Weis and G-Rod spar over bringing in the National Guard and State Police to quell the rise in violence, crime continues and makes us wonder if we'd be better off with the Man of the Moment. more ›

Chris Verene knows that sometimes you just need to feel good, and his magical art show’s gonna get you there. The Self-Esteem Salon (note: one photo is NSFW) returns this weekend to the West Loop, a three-day live-in experience that’s one part performance art, one part role play, and one part therapy session, totaling one of the most elaborate games of make-believe you're likely to see, or experience, in an art space. more ›

UIC officials have arrested a 24-year-old student after she allegedly sent out e-mails threatening violence on the West Loop Campus. The e-mail apparently went out Friday afternoon, and an eventual recipient was a senior administrator who reported the e-mail to police. According to a university spokesperson, the e-mail threatened violence in the spring. more ›

The police officer who beat the shit out of a female bartender last year? Well, some sticker fan in the West Loop does. more ›

We all know that Chicago has a little something for everybody. As far as dance classes go, there are bountiful opportunities throughout the city to try something new, develop a new skill, or just plain old embarrass yourself in front of your significant other. We went ahead and found some of the more interesting offerings in the way of dance classes: more ›

This was a good year to be a large cultural institution. If cuts in state arts funding and unstable financial markets made a dent in Chicago’s largest museums, they sure weren’t letting on. The Art Institute remained one of the city’s prime attractions, attracting hordes of frugal visitors on free Thursday nights to piece together Richard Misrach’s disorienting beach photography and William Pope.L’s naïvely charming travelogue, or to enjoy Jeff Wall’s mind-bending photography — his mid-career retrospective was the year’s most breathtaking exhibit. more ›

We really, really, wish we'd come up with the phrase "amuse-douche." Nicely done, Menupages. Chef Frank Brunacci is going to be at the helm of the restaurant in the yet-to-be-completed Trump tower. Michael Nagrant interviewed him and says he's "more of a haute comfort food purveyor than a food scientist," even though he likes to sling "shark bacon and olive oil ice cream." Check out the podcast here. File this under things we are pumped... more ›

We always appreciate when the New York Times Travel Section takes time out of its busy day to come and visit our little Midwestern city. The last time they stopped by they discovered that the West Loop is cool! This time, they send "the frugal traveler" to answer one of life's big questions: Is it possible to spend a weekend in Chicago and spend less than $500? The answer, of course, is not only that... more ›

That steady wailing sound you may have heard this morning is 45,000 runners freaking out about Sunday’s forecast. For the 30th Chicago Marathon, Tom Skilling is promising record heat with a generous dollop of humidity. Runners, it’s time to dig deep and summon the strength that got you through that 14-mile training run in August or that sweaty half-marathon you conquered last month. To the thousands who fear death or worse this weekend, we say:... more ›

This one’s dedicated to those out there whose main form of exercise revolves around a slick, shiny pole. No, we’re really not talking about anything relating to Chris Nieratko. … Well, maybe in an indirect fashion. Earlier this month, a funky new health club opened up in the West Loop. This wasn’t just any club, however. This was a club for the ladies. Flirty Girl Fitness at 1325 W. Randolph offers a range of salacious... more ›

Chicagoist has a love-hate relationship with wine. We love slurping the stuff – hey, we’ve even managed the swirl-and-sniff technique without spilling… well, most of the time anyways – but we hate that we feel so intimidated, overwhelmed and just plain stupid at wine shops (is it us or are wine clerks getting younger and younger?). Just Grapes understands our plight. According to Don Sritong, managing partner/director of wine education, the mission of this West... more ›

Packer Jennings’ gleefully subversive panels, journalistic mash ups, and participatory projects hearken back to Abbie Hoffman’s Vietnam-era jabs at The Man. Jennings claimed he was unfamiliar with the Yippie agitator when we made the comparison at Three Walls last weekend, but Corporate America’s most aggravating philosophies and practices haven’t changed much since Hoffman’s klepto manifesto started disappearing off bookshelves. Three Walls’ latest exhibit features Jennings’ instruction panels for the aspiring revolutionary. Our favorite series imagines... more ›

It's now (sort of) official: Robert Redford's Sundance Cinemas has signed a lease to open an eight-screen theater on the site of the former Fannie May candy factory in the West Loop. The last time we reported on this story was way back in 2005. But as anyone waiting for a Dominick's to reopen in lakeview can tell you, real estate development often moves about as quickly as a glacier. (Tangental rhetorical question: whatever happened... more ›

A fire on the roof of the Heller International Building at 500 W. Monroe St. broke out just before noon today. We've been seeing lots and lots of smoke, but aren't sure how large the actual fire is. The Trib isn't reporting any injuries — yet — but that hasn't stopped the media from hurrying over. Between the sirens, the helicopters and the fire trucks racing around, it sort of feels like a war... more ›

Speaking of people dying... On the coattails of the bartender-beating incident, six off-duty cops are accused of attacking four businessmen in a bar on December 15. The men, two of whom were brothers, were allegedly playing pool at West Loop's Jefferson Tap and Grille when the officers pounced on the group, unprovoked. When witnesses dialed 911, the pugilistic police waved them off. The melee was supposedly caught on tape. More bad news for Chicago's Finest:... more ›

So much has happened in politics this week, all across our little city. From the ministers in the West Loop, to construction and development on the South Side, to Top Cops Downtown getting notice in DC, it's like Chicago is just one big happy village, people. Let's take a look: Blago's Budget Puts Him in Touch With God. Governor Rod Blagojevich is on a "crusade," bringing tax fairness, education and health care to all of... more ›

We find Donald Trump to be a tragic figure, what with the ceaseless self-promotion, the infantile manner in which he responds to criticism, his unsolicited advice to politicians, the way he adopts the facial gestures of his succubi consorts, all those skyscrapers rising to the heavens like modern-day Towers of Babel, and the general bad behavior that stems from his misogyny. What next for a man who lives by the motto that if you paint... more ›

In an interview last month, veteran West Loop gallery owner Rhona Hoffman reflected on how art collection has evolved throughout her career, how the internet has supersized the art fair and made the global scene more accessible than ever. But this interview came not from Art in America or an academic panel but from a Bad At Sports podcast event at ThreeWalls gallery. Art enthusiasts have access to more information, images and, thanks to last... more ›