Chicagoist admits to being intrigued by the All Women's Roller Derby Leagues here in Chicago. We have written about both the Windy City Rollers and the Chi*Town Sirens. What Chicagoist really likes is when you pair the action of Roller Derby with a visit to your local pub. That is what the Chi*Town Sirens are doing this season. On Thursday night from 6:30 to 9:30 roller-derby fans can meet the women of the Killopatras and... more ›

Scott's Hamburger Heaven is located on the western end of an unforgiving, sun-baked stretch of 35th Street, where only industrial plants and panhandlers thrive. Scott's is a textbook greasy spoon, just the way Chicagoist likes them. They serve breakfast 24/7; the jukebox comes to life, plays that Melissa Etheridge song that sounds like that other Melissa Etheridge song, and you wonder how you got it wrong on the whole "she's a lesbian" thing; the condiment... more ›

Chicagoist is woefully unacquainted with ritualistic initiation practices, unless you count the time in sixth grade when, in order to get invited to her pool party, Jody Turner demanded we all learn the words to La Bamba. more ›

Chicagoist has mentioned this before: when it comes to martinis we tend to be purists. If it isn't three chilled shots of gin with a lemon twist , it isn't a martini. Years of practicing mixology have also shown us that the sweeter cocktails can also knock one on his ass. The really pretty ones lead to a lot of impulse buys. more ›

We tipped you off a little while ago to the goings-on at Navy Pier. We now have more details on the revamp, and more on the inevitable and totally valid crankiness of local residents. more ›

Chicagoist is a bit old school in that we still love to listen to baseball on the radio. Sure, more often than not we watch the games on TV, but there's a certain romance to having somebody describe the nuances of the game that can't be seen, that the slower pace of the sport allows for. And there also room for stories--of teams and player from years past. We were almost disappointed when play resumed following a White Sox rain delay a few weeks back because we were enjoying some great tales about managers who knew they were about to be fired. more ›

What’s rarer then a one-eared jackalope? It’s a talented singer-songwriter given room to breathe by the major label music machine. Luckily for all involved Chicagoan Rachael Yamagata is a rare beast indeed. Her smoky vocals plumb the depths of human emotion while her ever morphing band provides backing that runs the gamut from willowy to brawn. Yamagata is an arresting live entertainer who peppers her cathartic performances with dashes of self-deprecation and witty asides. Chicagoist... more ›

It's the eve of the first meeting between the Cubs and the White Sox in 2005. For the players, it's an off day. But their fans are beginning to get riled up across the city. Debates, and probably fist fights, have fans of both teams disagreeing on the merits of their team vs. the other team. While the Sox are clearly the better team, reason played little part in these debates. And sometimes reason is... more ›

Remember that guy you knew (of) in high school that had a pet iguana? He had a certain independent spirit – the kind that says, “Yeah, I can love a reptile, so what?” He also spent most weekends with said reptile wondering why no one ever came over. more ›

It's 1:10 and you know what that means: The Sun-Times and union employees' noon deadline has come and gone. Those employees need to get out.. like.. uh.. NOW! more ›

What Chicagoist loves about David Sedaris is that the stories of his messed up childhood and family not only make us laugh hysterically, but they make us feel like ours aren't really that bad. We've read most everything David has written - his books, his Slate diary, his Esquire articles, we even love Dave's brother's website and the fact that Dave's sister makes cupcakes and sells them in NYC. We're crazy for everything Sedaris. Chicagoist bought mp3s of Live at Carnegie Hall and listened to them on our commute, trying not to laugh outload and appear to be a raving lunatic on the el. So we were so excited when a reader wrote in and told us that David is going to be in Chicago this weekend to promote his new book, "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim". Let the stalking begin! more ›