April 2012
1 post
The Lolla Line-Up...Unveiled!
There’s been plenty of speculation about the 2012 Lollapalooza line-up but the festival makes it official tomorrow night with a special announcement at Debonair Social Club. Starting at 10 p.m., DJs will spin sets from past Lolla acts to amp the crowd up for the midnight revelation. “Special guests” are expected to be in attendance, and the party continues after the lineup has been released with...
February 2012
2 posts
Cook(s) in the Kitchen
Epic returns for another season of its educational and tasty lunches with executive chef Mark Pollard at the kitchen’s helm. On the third Thursday of every month, the restaurant will feature a themed prix fixe lunch that guests will not only have the pleasure of tasting, but witnessing the preparation of in a 30 minute demo prior to the meal. February’s menu, titled “To the Heart through the...
A Painter's Paradise
FM*Gallery opened in the Fulton Market neighborhood this past fall, and now that they’ve planted their roots in the art scene, they’re inviting you to come help them create it! Every Wednesday night from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., you can sign up alone or with a group for a BYOB painting class in the gallery’s showroom space. Instructors will provide a list of materials needed before class. Whether...
January 2012
2 posts
Chicago Collection has been nominated for the 2012 River North Best Business or Service Award! Help us win here!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RiverNorthBest2012
Live Like the Locals
As much fun as it is to be a tourist in our own town with all the usual attractions, it’s also fun to see the hidden gems we’ve yet to discover throughout Chicago.
Introducing the Not for Tourists Guide to Chicago 2012. This ultimate, live-like-a-local handbook to the Windy City goes beyond the typically listed attractions to showcase Chicago’s best restaurants, nightlife, art scene and...
December 2011
6 posts
With Christmas right around the corner, it’s your last chance to reflect on 2011 before the New Year—and your last chance to catch The Fine Print Theatre Company’s new production, “Christmas in Chicago.” Taking a comedic, musical approach to nostalgia, the show features four comedic improvisers, who take to the stage to poke fun at the recession, Occupy protests and all the rest of the events...
The New Ring Pop
Ring in the New Year and pop open those bottles with charm and pizzazz this holiday! We love this adorable bottle opener in the shape of a ring pop: Manufactured by Wild Eye Designs, the opener is comprised of stainless steel and glass and is available in pink, blue, amber, green, red and clear. Sure to dazzle the crowd, this nifty piece is the perfect stocking stuffer for that fabulous someone...
It's All Greek to Me
Photo Credit: National Hellenic Museum
Ancient Greece arrives in Chicago this winter with the brand new, four-story, 40,000-square foot National Hellenic Museum in Greektown. The only museum in the U.S. dedicated to the history, arts and culture and, of course, mythology of the Greek culture, the museum caters to guests of all ages. Children and adults alike will enjoy interactive computer...
Republic of Lights
Read all about local band Republic of Lights in the winter issue (out now!) then catch them live next week at Schuba’s!
Republic of Lights at Schuba’s Tavern
$8
Tuesday, December 13, 8 p.m.
Schuba’s Tavern, 3159 N. Southport Ave., 773.525.2508
Cups of Joy
Gallery Café, Caramel Apple Cider
Some people look forward to the lights while others favor the seasonal music—but the holidays just aren’t the holidays without the bevy of specialty drinks that our local coffee shops bring us! Check out these tasty treats from a few of our favorites.
The Gallery Café in Bucktown/Wicker Park features a very special drink for the holidays with its own take on a...
Muppet Fever
With a new film in theatres, a recent appearance on Chelsea Lately and an article in Marie Claire, Miss Piggy is in demand like never before. Lucky for us, there’s still a few days left to cop her look with her limited edition web-exclusive makeup line for M.A.C. Cosmetics, Miss Piggy for M.A.C. The collection includes a blue-pink frost eye shadow titled “Miss Piggy Pink,” a Penultimate...
November 2011
6 posts
Tree Hunting, City Style
Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com
For a single lady in the city, obtaining, transporting and setting up a tree can seem a daunting task indeed. This season, leave the hard work to the experts and head over to the lot at Big Star to peruse a line-up of trees, wreaths, lights and stands from City Tree Delivery before having your decorating supplies delivered,...
Starry Night
The Adler After Dark series returns tonight with a special Thanksgiving-themed evening of festivity. Check out the organization’s Edible Science Fair to enjoy some truly out of this world tastings and food demonstrations. Particularly noteworthy is tonight’s featured specialty drink, the Autumn Kiss—its combination of apple cider, rum and cinnamon will have you in the holiday spirit in no...
Skate Away!
Despite the frigid temperatures, wintertime in Chicago can be magical (really!) and there’s no better way to ring in the coming season than ice skating at Millennium Park’s iconic McCormick Tribune Ice Rink. Kicking off its 11th season tomorrow, the rink welcomes more than 100,000 skaters annually. Take your family, your date or hit the ice solo this year. Why not? It’s free!
McCormick Tribune...
A Very Vintage Holiday
Start your holiday shopping early this year as The Vintage Bazaar presents its vintage holiday pop-up shop sale in Logan Square this weekend. Get there on Friday at 7 p.m. for the preview party, where a $20 ticket will get you food, a drink ticket and first dibs to sample the collection. Normal shop hours are on Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event brings together 14 vendors of...
Girl & the Cookbook
Still waiting on your reservations at The Girl & the Goat? Bring some of chef/partner Stephanie Izard’s famed flavor home in the meantime as she signs copies of her debut cookbook, Girl in the Kitchen: How a Top Chef Cooks, Thinks, Shops, Eats and Drinks at Macy’s on State Street tomorrow.
In addition to her local prominence as one of Chicago’s culinary elite, the Bravo television “Top Chef:...
Very Versace
Start lining up, people—fashion powerhouse Versace is bringing its couture looks to a whole new audience and adding a twist with its collaboration for H&M, set to debut in just over a week. On November 18th, several Chicago locales, including Michigan Avenue, will be included in 300 of 2,220 H&M stores featuring the line.
With vibrant tones and iconic prints in leggings, dresses and...
October 2011
5 posts
Up for Grabs
Grab some hot new designer items for your fall/winter wardrobe this weekend while supporting a great local cause. Luxury consignment service eDrop-Off has joined forces with nonprofit charity Primo Center for Women and Children in coordinating a shopping event for which all proceeds will benefit homeless women and their children. For just $20, you can fill a bag to the brim with next-to-new items...
Extra Delicious
With the holidays just around the corner, the calorie fests aren’t far behind! Extra gum has just the antidote for those expanding waistlines with their Extra Dessert Delights—five delicious, sugar-free sticks of pure Heaven with just five calories of piece. We put each flavor to the test recently at Hubbard Inn and compared the company’s current lineup side-by-side with the desserts that...
Happy Birthday, JewelMint!
Fashion week has arrived in the Windy City in all its glory, and now you’re surely asking yourself the question that’s on every woman’s mind: What will you wear to all those stylish events?
Join JewelMint in celebrating its one year anniversary this Wednesday at Beauty Bar and score some fabulous accessories to top off your outfits. The popular, online jewelry subscription allows members access...
The Wonderful World of Dr. Seuss
Theodor “Ted” Seuss Geisel has been delighting the world with his classic children’s books since 1937, when he published And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. Nearly 75 years later, the Museum of Science and Industry is paying homage to the author, illustrator, cartoonist, sculptor, social and economic commentator with its new exhibit: “There’s Fun to Be Done! Dr. Seuss & The Art of...
News from Chicago Collection!
Chicago Collection has a new home!
Find us at 500 N. Dearborn St., Suite 1014, Chicago, IL 60654.
The fall issue is here; stop by to pick up your copy today!
August 2011
4 posts
Everything but the Kitchen Sink
Make your way to the Everything But The Kitchen Sink Sidewalk Sale this Sunday to score some new swag for your kitchen and dining room. Big Star, Violet Hour, Publican, Avec and Blackbird will be donating their extra unused plates, cutlery, beer mugs, chairs and more to the sale. These popular food spots are teaming up to help raise funds to rebuild the Garfield Park Conservatory, which suffered...
At the Drive-In
Savor those fleeting summer nights this weekend with a double feature, drive-in movie style. FIAT Brand North America lines up 40 of its new Fiat 500s in front of a pop-up big screen Friday, Saturday and Sunday for people to enjoy original flicks such as The Thomas Crowne Affair, Oceans Eleven Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and all of their respective remakes in true summer style....
Keep on Rockin'
Lolla may be over, but the live summer music isn’t! The Samsung AT&T Summer Krush 2011 tour makes a pit stop in the Windy City for one night only with free performances from Bush (!!!) and special opening act Chevelle, both set to release new albums later this year. Hosted by the Congress Theater, concert tickets will be available to the public in limited quantities. Log onto the Summer...
Be Their Guest
Don’t miss your chance to see Broadway smash Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in its final performances at the Oriental Theatrer this weekend. Opening at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in 1994, this classic tale of a cursed prince and his headstrong love interest concludes its second run in Chicago on August 7.
Emily Behny shines as Belle, while supporting cast members Logan Denninghoff (Gaston) and...
July 2011
3 posts
Backstage Pass
Lolla may be completely sold out (!), but those sans tickets needn’t worry—you can still get in on the festival fun with live shows and a killer party. Join Gilt City Chicago Saturday afternoon for their Better Than Backstage Pool Party at EnV. Indie-faves The Cults will be on hand to provide poolside tunes, as will local music duo The Hood Internet. Mindy Segal of Hot Chocolate will be doling...
Local Flavor
Photo: Author Jennifer Olvera
In a city that offers such unique and diverse dining options, it can be a daunting task to find the gems. Lucky for us, local food writer Jennifer Olvera has spared us the work with her comprehensive guide to Chicago’s culinary scene. Her book, Food Lover’s Guide to Chicago: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants & Events, gives you an insider’s...
Gear Up
You’ve finally given up on high gas prices and daily traffic jams in favor of a more eco-friendly mode of transportation: the bicycle. Now, it’s time to gear up. Enter Chrome.
This San Francisco-based company opened its second flagship store in Wicker Park last month in response to a growing number and demand of Chicago cyclists. Founded by people who know and understand bikes, you’ll find...
June 2011
4 posts
Mix it Up
Photo: JASC Tsutaka Taiko, courtesy of artist.
For the past 15 years, the Museum of Contemporary Art has played host to countless extraordinary acts and performances. Tonight, they’ll be celebrating with their remix/reimagined: 2011 Performance Benefit, and you’re invited to join the party! Enjoy cocktails and dinner from Chicago’s favorite food trucks—5411 Empanadas, Hummingbird Kitchen and...
A Swingin' Party
Tired of the same old cocktail party? Us too. Tonight, switch it up and transport yourself back to an era of glitz and glamour with StyleChicago.com’s The End of Prohibition 2011 party. Award-winning restaurant and gastropub The Red Canary will become a swanky speakeasy from 6 to 9 p.m., when you can toast to the Jazz Age with special cocktails and Peroni beer while playing roulette or craps on...
Say Y.E.S.! to Fashion
Like fashion? Y.E.S! Cocktails? Y.E.S! Charity? Yeah, we thought so. Join Y.E.S! (Young Executives for Success) for its 4th Annual Benefit Fashion Show this Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at TZAR Ultra Lounge to get your fix of all three.
Featuring a runway show with summer fashions by Sofia and hair by Teddie Kossof Salon & Spa, you can kick back in the swanky club while you view the show, then...
Ice, Ice Baby
Summer’s finally heating up in Chicago, but River North’s new late night hot spot is keeping everybody cool. Tzar Ultra Lounge, the club/lounge hybrid that opened its doors just a few weeks back, offers Chicagoans a fresh alternative to the standard nightlife scene. Founder James Oraha of Level Builders construction design firm has modeled TZAR after the world’s best nightclubs in Russia,...
May 2011
1 post
‘Tis the season for al fresco dining, and patios all over the city are opening up, allowing diners to bask in the long-awaited glorious rays of sunshine while they savor their fare. While there’ll be plenty of places to check out this season, we’re more than a little curious about the new lemon and cucumber elixirs at one sixtyblue. These in-house, fruit and vegetable concoctions are left to mix...
April 2011
9 posts
Book It!
Borders may be vanishing before your eyes, but there are still plenty of places to pick up your latest reading material in the Windy City! Rediscover a few local bookstores as the mega retailer says farewell.
Unabridged Bookstore: Lakeview
This neighborhood spot comes equipped with plenty of well-read, knowledgeable staff members to be your literary guides: Their hand-written lists of...
Lash Power
Raccoons belong in the forest; not on the streets of the Windy City. But rainy days make for runny mascara, and you’d better go waterproof, lest you should look the part of a woodland creature. Right? Not if you have falsies! And we don’t mean the stick-ons from Sally Hansen’s. Runny, flaky, too short, too light: The Spa @ Equinox solves any lash problem you can fathom and virtually eliminates the...
Spring Style
All this rain can make it easy to forget that bathing suit season is just around the corner. But nothing will remind you faster than a new generation of local models strutting their stuff on the catwalk! Sponsored by dealavue.com, Factor Women Model Management Company and Chosen Model Management held their “A New Generation of Faces” fashion show at LaSalle Power Company Thursday night for an...
Save it for a Rainy Day
With a week’s worth of rain on the forecast, it’s time to invest in a few shower accessories! Check out the Gadgets page of our current issue for some inventive new rain gear, or head over to Shrine Haberdashery for a few not-so-fair-weather basics. From the chic and functional Francesco Maglia Solid Black Shadow Striped Umbrella ($460), to the curve-handled Orange Medallions on Blue Canopy with...
Green Gardens
If you got a few ideas from our spring landscaping feature, but still aren’t quite sure where to begin when it comes to your own outdoor space, we recommend checking out the 11th annual Antiques and Garden Fair at the Chicago Botanic Garden this weekend for even more inspiration. Titling this year’s fair “Landscapes Transformed: Gardens of a New Era,” the exposition will include antique garden...
Spa-cial Treatment
You’ve been hiding your body all winter, but as the sun begins to peek, it’s time to drop those layers: Make sure you’re prepped and polished to within an inch of your life—at a discount, no less—from now through Sunday, for national Spa Week 2011! Now in its 7th year, the nationwide event returns by popular demand to expose consumers everywhere to the benefits of spa procedures. From...
Fancy and Fuzz Free
We all have it: pesky, unsightly or unruly hair in places society says we shouldn’t. But let’s be honest—who really has the time (or funds!) to run to the salon for a wax every time a straggler arises? Not us! That’s why we’re “waxing poetic” over bliss’s latest innovation: Poetic Waxing Wax Strips. Available in smaller strips for brows, lip or chin and larger ones for body waxing, these...
Shop 'Til You Drop
New Discoveries, 2236 W. Roscoe St., 773.360.8564
We’re not afraid to admit that we have a little problem when it comes to shopping, and we know we’re not the only ones! Fellow addicts have yet another reason to spend this Thursday as Roscoe Village boutiques team up to incorporate food, drinks and surprising rewards into the mix with a neighborhood shopping event called It’s in the Bag!...
Chatting with Rebecca Taylor
I am sitting in the lobby of the W Chicago when a fashion icon casually walks up to me: It’s Rebecca Taylor, in the flesh. She’s just come from a manicure at Bliss Spa (she’s chosen a lovely shade of red) and has only 30 minutes before she’s off to meet 20 of Nordstrom Oakbrook Center’s most loyal customers for an unforgettable personal styling session. With recent store openings in both...
March 2011
8 posts
Sex Sells!
Steam up your weekend (and your digs!) with a stop at the International Vintage Poster Fair. The world’s oldest and largest expo of its kind is making a pit stop in Chicago with more than 10,000 authentic posters dated from the 1890s to the 1980s and vetted by the International Vintage Poster Dealers Association (IVPDA). The feature exhibit, Sex Sells! Sex Appeal in Advertising! will be a main...
Make a Wish!
How quickly time flies! It seems like only yesterday we were standing on a balcony of the Palomar Chicago, welcoming Kimpton’s latest addition to the city with open arms. Now the hotel’s turning 1, and you’re invited to join in on the celebration! A $10 donation to help the Chicago Arts Partnership in Education (CAPE) is all you’ll need to gain access to the party, where...
Wardrobe 101
Photo by Andrew Tse from FigPhoto
Start your spring cleaning off right this year with an expert look inside your closet! Join wardrobe guru Carolle Partington and local designer Kate Coxworth of Kate Boggiano at the 900 Shops today as they join forces to bring you the “basics of color, proportion… personality of dress and how all three should impact your wardrobe decisions.” The 30-45 minute...
Mad for March
Not into the usual March Madness? Check out a more refined option tonight with a fusion of wine, music and storytelling. Webster’s Wine Bar hosts Serendipity Theatre Collective’s 2nd Story group for their monthly performance readings of themed narratives. Lights will dim throughout the evening and the spotlight will shine on storytellers Kevin Crispin, Tricia Lunt, Byron Flitsch and Julie...
Behind the Birkin
Take a peek behind the scenes of international fashion house Hermès this weekend when the French label brings its European techniques to Oak Street.
Hosting a weeklong Festival des Métiers (Festival of Crafts), the event is open to the public and will give guests a firsthand look at the beautiful craftsmanship that goes into each and every scarf and Birkin that passes through artisan hands at the...
Mighty Mini
Say hello to the latest and greatest in beauty innovation: Clinique’s new Bottom Lash Mascara. Featuring one of the smallest micro-mini brushes on the market, this 24-hour thermal active formula is designed to individually elongate each bottom lash without smudging or smearing. Get to those hard-to-reach inner lashes with a quick vertical wiggle of the wand, then extend horizontally. Complete...
Tasty Travels
Take a culinary trip around the world this Monday as prominent local and national chefs alike engage in a fight to reverse childhood obesity at Common Threads’ 6th annual World Festival. With proceeds going to support the organization, which aims to enlighten the children of low-income families with their after-school, nutrition-based cooking courses, the event will give your taste buds a chance...