Chicago Flower & Garden Show offers theatrical preview of spring

Do you need a breath of spring? The snow’s still piled up and we’ve weeks of mudtime ahead before things start turning green, but you can get a preview of the coming season starting tomorrow during the Chicago Flower & Garden Show on Navy Pier through Sunday, March 14.
The 2010 show’s theme, “Cultivating Great [...]

Gung hay fat choy! Chicago Chinese New Year celebrations

With a clash of cymbals and the bang of drums and firecrackers, as well as traditional dragon parades and lion dances, the Asian New Year will explode into the Chicago area on Sunday, Feb. 14, with a variety of events at restaurants and around town.
Chinese legend says the noise and dancing animals chase away evil [...]

Exquisite ‘Private Lives’ worth the perils of Navy Pier

Every time I attend a show at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, I wonder, all over again, who had the bright idea of putting a theater on Navy Pier? To be sure, the theater complex has gorgeous views of Lake Michigan, but who cares about the views outside a theater? It’s slow and awkward to get onto [...]

21 cheap dates for New Year’s Eve in Chicago

If you’ve been putting off making New Year’s Eve plans because funds are short, don’t worry. You don’t have to spend a fortune to celebrate the end of 2009. Although, sadly, big municipal celebrations have fallen victim to the economy this year, there are still plenty of low-cost options for Dec. 31. Here are 21 [...]

60 more Chicagoland restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner

Is there anyone left cooking Thanksgiving dinner at home? Most restaurants used to close on Thanksgiving, but no more.
Last week I ran a list of 25 Chicagoland restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner and apparently only scratched the surface. I’ve heard from dozens more Chicago and suburban restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving.
So here are [...]

Wine weekend: Get 10 percent off on Pinot Days

Pinot noir is the queen of red wines.
More than 50 pinot noir producers will pour their wines Saturday, Nov. 14, at the third annual Pinot Days Grand Festival. This is your chance to taste the newly released 2007 vintage, which is being called the best in decades, along with more than 300 pinots, and meet [...]

Chicago celebrates the music of the world

 

Step out of your musical comfort zone and try a new beat.
Summer music festival season isn’t quite over — there’s still the 11th annual Chicago World Music Festival, tomorrow through Thursday. The fest features traditional and contemporary music from diverse cultures across the world, with some 55 global concerts at 21 venues.
Many events [...]

Chain restaurants thrive while full-service slumps

Get ready for an explosion of chains.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that some 700 “fast casual” restaurant chains will launch in the next year, according to Chicago-based Technomic Information Services.
The category, pricier than McDonald’s, but not quite full-service, includes counter-service spots like Chipotle Mexican Grill, Potbelly Sandwich Works and Panera Bread. Sales in that segment grew [...]