When Chicagoist was in high school, we knew that "Drug Free and Proud" banner hanging above the main entrance was a joke when we could smell the weed classmates had smoked at lunch. more ›

Mark Cuban was in town on Monday when his Dallas Mavericks faced off against the Bulls at the United Center. Of course the local media's questions directed at him regarded another pro sport team. When asked about his pursuit of the Cubs, he reiterated his interest in buying the team and that he wasn't interested in owning any other baseball team. He has not filed his official paperwork, however — Cuban said he was "waiting... more ›

Ah, the best laid plans of politicians and telecoms often go awry. When Chicagoist first heard the possibility that we could soon be bathing in glorious Wi-Fi in the streets of our fair city, we reacted with skepticism. We did dream a time when we could check our e-mail while riding the bus or post while relaxing on the beach. But that was back in 2006. Unfortunately, for now, we will have to put... more ›

If you're like Chicagoist then you're a warrior. A warrior without air conditioning. And in times like these, hot times … in the city, it's best to know all sorts of tricks for cooling down. There's the lake, there's the public library, most restaurants and, of course, lying very still with fans on every side of your body. Those are just a few ways of keeping cool without the aid of energy draining, electric grid straining pure 100% Freon (that's still what it is, isn't it?). But there are other ways. Like meals that don't involve the kitchen stove. A perfect example of at least part of a meal, though easily a main lunch course, is gazpacho. Ah, gazpacho the lovely summer soup everyone, herbivores and omnivores alike, can enjoy. When Chicagoist was a little one we weren't overly fond of gazpacho. We didn't get the concept of cold soup and we weren't overly fond of hot tomatoes (unless they came on top of our sauce) but we're all grown up now and have concocted our own mix of fresh veggies that we think will lower your internal temperature a little bit. more ›

When Chicagoist lived in Hyde Park, we had a local dive for every occasion: the best place to go with a hangover, the best place to satiate a Hawaiian pizza craving, the best place to use our fake ID. The Medici on 57th was always the best place to hang out with friends-- a funky, eclectic eatery with good food and constant coffee. But would our college favorite survive lunch with our toddler? Did the... more ›

a bit off-putting. We can't exactly understand what our deal is, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to make a single item from the book. This is clearly a prejudice we can't get past. more ›

One of the most notable features of S.R. Crown Hall at the Illinois Institute of Technology is that its massive open space on the first floor can be manipulated to accommodate numerous activities -- sometimes all at once. This was all apparent at last night's event, "Mixing the Perfect Mies: Celebrating Mies van der Rohe's 121st Birthday," hosted by the Mies van der Rohe Society at IIT. When Chicagoist arrived, we walked right into a black and white ball, complete with jazz music and martinis and tiny quiches, but as we became more aware of our surroundings, we noticed that numerous due date-driven students were hard at work behind a series of portable, collapsible walls on either side of the centrally located affair. We immediately flashed back to our college days, where we were pros at procrastinating, always working very casually until the last minute when a project was due. We'd then pound a couple of Red Bulls and frantically do two weeks worth of work in one sitting. This image made us feel sorry for the students being taunted by the appetizer buffet and open bar that suddenly appeared in the middle of their work space. more ›

When Chicagoist went to overnight camp, there was this game the older campers used to play with the younger ones. They’d tell the youngsters that if they ran the “circuit” from a certain bench, behind cabin 1, in front of cabin 2, etc. to cabin 12 and back to the bench in under a minute they’d get their name on a plaque in Cabin 13, where the CIT’s lived. Of course, there was no plaque, and there was no stopwatch. They’d simply start counting “54 … 55 … 56” as the kids got close. They’d always come up just short. And sometimes they’d puke up lunch. more ›

Skid Marks from The Ladies and Gentlemen more ›

Mmm, breakfast, what a great idea. When Chicagoist was growing up we made pancakes or biscuits almost every Saturday. We played around a fair amount with the ratios and ingredients of our batter; sometimes we would have green pancakes (not so good), other times we put the maple syrup right in the batter (really excellent). You name an ingredient, and there's a good possibility that we threw it into batter at least once (OK, not any ingredient). This weekend we made white chocolate chip pancakes, and they're a great beginning pancake. If you have kids, or are still a kid (at heart), then you should make this recipe for a special Saturday (or Sunday, though we think Sundays are truly for dim sum) breakfast. more ›

When Chicagoist was little, we remember catching glimpses of softcore porn on Cinemax when no one was looking. We watched wide-eyed, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. We also remember as girls, learning much from late-night OnTV, keeping the sound turned down and the giggles to a minimum. more ›

The older we get, the happier we are that high school is behind us, especially the stress and uncertainty of senior-year college decisions. When Chicagoist was applying to college, the tell-all sign of acceptance was the large, thick envelope in the mail. The small envelope, of course, contained a rejection letter. more ›

Ever wander around downtown, turn south on LaSalle, stare up at that blank, dead-end face and think, "What's it all about? What am I here for?" You're not alone. It's the question many floor traders have been asking themselves for some time now. You see them all the time: harried workers running around in various colored jackets, identifying tags so big Mr. Magoo could see them, jumpy even outside their homeworld of commodity trading in the infamous pits of the Mercantile Exchange and the Board of Trade. They have plenty reason to be skittish: According to the Trib, the merger between the two financial exchange giants is expected to hasten the death of pit trading. more ›

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was a part of a recent study on the racial and social equity of the top 50 public universities in the U.S. The good news: U of I is one of the top public universities in the US. The bad news: it got an overall grade of F; the school does not fairly represent the population it serves. U of I joins the ranks of Penn State, the University of Mississippi and 5 other schools who received F’s. The important conclusion of this study is that “students in the entering and graduating classes at these schools look less and less like the state populations those universities were created to serve.” According to the study, in 2003 public universities gave $257 million in grants to students whose families earned more than $100,000 per year. Grants to families earning 100k+? That’s craziness. more ›

You know how sometimes you’re just walking down the street, and you absolutely need to purchase high-tech skiwear immediately? No? Yeah, us neither. But from now until Feb. 19, should you have the overwhelming urge to buy some Ralph Lauren RLX high-performance gear, you can – from the privacy and comfort of Michigan Ave. more ›

When Chicagoist is ready to get rid of an old computer or gadget, we try to donate it somewhere. We know, that 233 MHz, 32 MB RAM PC with a dot matrix printer may not be a hot seller at the Salvation Army store, but as long as it's working, we figure someone could get some use out of it, if anything for a stress reliever. But sometimes the damn thing is just broken, a worthless piece of electronic detritus, and dumping it on someone else isn't a morally acceptable option. Tossing it in the trash doesn't feel right either, because we know there are various and sundry metals and plastics inside that will likely outlive the human race. more ›

FreeDarko more ›

Over the summer, Chicagoist went to Springfield for the first time since the ubiquitous 7th grade state capital field trip. While we didn’t remember Springfield ever being particularly thrilling, we had heard some positive reviews of the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and just assumed that we didn’t get to see all that the capital had to offer last time we were down south. more ›

When Chicagoist got an invitation to preview Ethel's Chocolate Lounge's holiday collection of chocolates, we got a little excited. When we actually read the whole invitation and learned that the event was also a chocolate and wine pairing event, we got really excited. Chocolate and wine, how can you go wrong? The answer is, well, that you can't. When Chicagoist and our guest walked into Ethel's Armitage location we were enthusiastically greeted by not one but three Ethel's representatives. Within minutes our coats were taken (or they would have been if we were wearing one), a large pink platter of chocolates was offered (and taken), and we received lovely cheat sheets describing and explaining the wine and chocolate pairings. Heck, we even got to meet and talk to the woman behind the chocolates, Chef Jin Caldwell. more ›

When Chicagoist was in the eighth grade, we once spent 45 minutes trying to fish a stuck candy bar out of a vending machine with a coat hanger, just to impress a girl. Ignorant jackass that we were at that age, we didn't realize that maybe the most chivalrous thing to do would have been to drop some change in the machine and buy her another. more ›

When Chicagoist was living abroad, discussions of American politics were often the most interesting, as well as the most embarrassing. Unlike the U.S., where many people would prefer news about Brangelina to political races around the globe (or in the States, for that matter), the global media has always taken interest in American politics. This election season, the hotly contested 6th Congressional District seat has unexpectedly become an international election favorite, with reporters from Europe,... more ›

When Chicagoist moved to the city, we immediately went on a tireless search for our beloved Thai dish, panang curry. Several take-out orders and many Thai iced teas later, we were still disappointed, only managing to find one that was not as terrible as the others, but still by no means “very good.” more ›

When Chicagoist was in sixth grade, few things were better than the sweet, sweet glory of a Snickers bar and Orange Crush from the vending machines before student council meetings. But young Illinois school students will now have to try finding similar excitement from still water and carrot sticks, as a new law will require replacing sugary, fatty foods and drinks with healthful alternatives. While current state laws prohibit the selling of unhealthful foods to... more ›

When Chicagoist made plans last week to go to Venus Greek-Cypriot Cuisine, we weren't sure what to expect. It's in Greektown and has Greek in the name, so we knew it'd have Greek food, but what's "Cypriot"? We learned quickly that what separates this restaurant from the rest in Greektown is that it's the only place in Chicago to feature the cuisine of Cyprus. more ›

A-spire-ing Tower? more ›

When Chicagoist was in college, our friends who had to stay for a fifth year called it "Taking the Victory Lap." They'd spend a year taking six hours a semester, hitting on underclassmen at the bars, sleeping most of the day, and drinking and smoking most of the night. Come to think of it, that's kind of how they got to that fifth year in the first place. It's a time-honored tradition for career students afraid or unwilling to leave the comfy, hedonistic nest of college and enter the real world. Faced with the scary costs of a college education these days, Mayor Daley is suggesting that high school students be given a chance to take their own fifth-year victory lap. more ›

The last time Chicagoist tackled eating on the Southwest Side, our map reading skills were called into question. So, knowing that this week's installment of "Cheap Eats" is located in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood, we'll let you debate whether this qualifies as a south side cheap eat, or a west side cheap eat. We're here to tell you about the food, which is worth the trip, with or without a compass. When Chicagoist last... more ›

When Chicagoist was a little girl, there were only two prizes we wanted to win at the summer carnivals: goldfish and those mirrored pictures with the band logo etched over them. While we always did well with the goldfish, and brought tankloads of the damn things home every year, our luck was not as fortunate with the mirrored pictures. Which is probably just as well. No eight-year-old girl should have an etching of the Van Halen logo hanging from her bedroom wall. more ›

Simi; Lead Singer, Suffrajett more ›

Only in its third week of business, Koda, the casual French bistro in the far South Side Beverly neighborhood, is doing amazing business. When Chicagoist decided to sample some of Koda's fare last week we were faced with a ninety-minute wait for a table, before opting to just sit at the bar. more ›