Zach Long

Moving back to its traditional weekend, Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Union Park from July 15–17, 2022. The event still boasts one of the most interesting summer music festival lineups in the city, bringing together indie rockers, hip-hop artists and experimental musicians for a three-day party on the West Side. RECOMMENDED: Check out photos and reviews of Pitchfork Music Festival This year, stalwart rockers the National (originally scheduled to perform at the canceled 2020 festival), singer-songwriter Mitski and The Tonight Show house band the Roots serves as the festival's headlining acts. They're joined by symphonic rock collective Spiritualized, indie-pop outfit Japanese Breakfast, rapper Earl Sweatshirt, reunited emo rockers Karate and jazz fusion combo BadBadNotGood. There's also a handful of local artists on the bill, including rapper Cupcakke, singer-songwriter KAINA and hip-hop activist Noname. Former Chicagoan Jeff Parker (best known for performing with post-rock outfit Tortoise) will also appear at the festival, accompanied by his band the New Breed. Take a look at the complete Pitchfork Music Festival 2022 lineup below.

Chicago might be the Second City, but our attractions are first class. Need evidence of that fact? Look no further than the many Chicago museums, where you'll find everything from the best-preserved T.Rex skeleton ever found to paintings from Van Gogh and Picasso. Or take a stroll through our gorgeous parks and gardens, home to some of the best public art in Chicago (hello to The Bean). Or spend a day swimming in Lake Michigan's surprisingly huge freshwater waves at one of the many Chicago beaches, or see a jazz show at a bar once frequented by Al Capone, or have a Michelin-starred meal at one of the best Chicago restaurants... the list goes on. Whether you’re from out of town and visiting for the first time or a lifelong Chicagoan looking to see a little more of their home city, we’ve curated a list of the very best attracts Chicago has to offer, just for you. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, click here.

After several years without largescale public celebrations, the traditional Chicago St. Patrick's Day festivities are back this year—including all three parades. Get up early on Saturday morning to see the Chicago River dyed green and watch the procession in Grant Park, or head to Beverly or Norwood Park for neighborhood parades on Sunday. Saturday is also 312 Day, a made-up holiday invented by local brewery Goose Island that culminates with concerts featuring Yo La Tengo and Metz. And for those who don't want to wear green this weekend, there are plenty of museum exhibitions, performances and flower shows worth seeing. Make sure to enjoy some of the best things to do in Chicago this weekend. RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in Chicago right now

Chicago got a surprise river dyeing in 2021, but it's been two years since crowds gathered to watch the water turn green. On Saturday, March 12, the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local Union 130 will pour 50 pounds of dye into a quarter-mile stretch of the Chicago River (from Columbus Drive to State Street). After the river changes colors, it's off to Grant Park for the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade. Crews begin dumping dye into the river at 9am and it usually takes about 45 minutes to complete the process (here's how the dye the river). Whether you decide to crowd onto the Riverwalk or buy a ticket to a rooftop event, here's where you can watch the St. Patrick's Day Chicago River dyeing. RECOMMENDED: Our complete guide to St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago

What are you craving right now? There's a decent chance that one of the best new restaurants in Chicago is serving it right now. The past few months have welcomed a new burger joint from Gordon Ramsay, a brewpub overseen by one of the best breweries in Chicago and a hot pot restaurant where bowls of broth are delivered by robots (when they're not on the fritz). As you begin planning your spring dining schedule, we want to help you track down some fresh new spots to sample. That's why we've put together a list of the best new restaurants in Chicago that have opened their doors in recent months. Best of luck as you try to snag a reservation! RECOMMENDED: Discover more of the best restaurants in Chicago

Spring arrives in Chicago on March 20, which means that summer music festivals are just around the corner. In the meantime, some of the best Chicago music venues are packed with bands on tour—many of those concerts that were postponed earlier this year are taking place in March. You'll be able to see pop star Dua Lipa performing TikTok-approved hits at the United Center or catch Nick Cave headlining the Auditorium Theatre. Plus, acts like Yoa La Tengo and METZ are in town for 312 Day, and local acts like KAINA, Ratboys and Moontype are returning to stages throughout the city. Send off winter at some of the hottest concerts in Chicago in March. RECOMMENDED: Our complete calendar for concerts in Chicago

When you’re hungry and it's past midnight, Chicago offers more than just fast food drive-throughs to satisfy your cravings. Chicago late-night delivery restaurants boast takeout and delivery options that range from Jalisco, Mexico-inspired goat stew to rib eye steaks paired with pancakes. There’s good news for cheese lovers, too: Mancy dishes involve melted fillings that seem to be much more satiating after dark. Whether you’ve spent a night at the city’s best cocktail bars or at one of Chicago’s best music venues, these Chicago late-night delivery restaurants will provide much-needed grub into the wee hours of the morning. RECOMMENDED: Our guide to the best restaurants in Chicago

Let's face it: It's not St. Patrick's Day in Chicago without a parade and a green river. We've gone two long years without both of those festivities (not counting the surprise river dyeing in 2021), so we're especially excited to head back downtown this March to welcome the Irish holiday with full green-hued gusto. Kick off the day by finding a spot on the Michigan Avenue bridge, where you can watch gallons of dye being poured into the river (here's how they dye the river green). Then, make your way over to Grant Park, where bagpipers, dancers and politicians make their way north on Columbus Avenue for the parade procession. Once the festivities have wrapped up, feel free to hang around in the Loop to tour Chicago attractions like Millennium Park and the Art Institute, or make your way to one of the best Irish pubs in Chicago for a pint and a platter of fish and chips. Dig out your green clothes and prepare to party, because we've assembled everything you need to know about the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade. RECOMMENDED: Our guide complete guide to St. Patrick's Day in Chicago When is the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade? Organizers haven't set a start time for this year's river dyeing festivities yet, but the St. Patrick's Day Parade will step off at 12:30pm on Saturday, March 12. For optimal views of the fluorescent green water, head to the east side of the Michigan Avenue bridge, the west side of the Columbus Drive bridge, or find a spot on the Riverwalk between State S

Chalk it up to the luck of the Irish: St. Patrick's Day is officially back in Chicago! After two years of canceled events (and surprise river dyeing in 2021), some of the city's most beloved St. Patty's traditions are returning in full force for 2022. Head to the Loop to see the Chicago Plumbers Union Local 130 dye the river green—we've got some ideas on where to watch, if you're hoping to snag a prime seat—before making your way to Grant Park for the parade. Keep the festivities going later in the day at some of the best Irish pubs in Chicago, but be sure to save your strength for the South Side Irish Parade and Northwest Side Irish Parade the following day. Plus, you'll find tons of pop-up bars, shamrock-themed races and other holiday events to keep the Irish spirit going for the whole month of March. Get ready to party like a Leprechaun with our roundup of the best St. Patrick's Day events in Chicago. RECOMMENDED: Our complete guide to St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago

It may be the shortest month of the year, but you'll find that February is still jam-packed with stuff to do in Chicago—especially because some of the city's beloved annual events are back and in-person after a year away. Ring in the Year of the Tiger at the Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade (might we suggest dinner at your favorite Chinese restaurant in Chicago afterwards?) and celebrate Valentine's Day in Chicago with events tailored to lovebirds. Later in the month, strip down to your unmentionables for a good cause during the annual Cupid's Undie Run and catch the debut of "Frida: Immersive Dream," the kaleidoscopic follow-up to "Immersive Van Gogh." Looking for even more stuff to do? Get ready to make the most out of the month of love with our February 2022 events guide. RECOMMENDED: Events calendar for Chicago in 2022

Hey there Chicago,  Time Out editors have been seeking out the best of city life since 1968. We know that our cities are nothing without their restaurants, shops, cafés, bars, theatres, music venues, cinemas, art galleries—and all the other local, independently run places where people come together to eat, drink, laugh, think, create, cut loose and fall in love. We recognize that the past year-and-a-half has been tough for everyone, local businesses included. That's why we've been running our Love Local campaign to support local food, drink, culture and entertainment in Chicago. We've highlighted a new miniature golf course in a local park, checked in with two beloved bars that are reopening and asked artists to share their favorite spots in neighborhoods across the city. As Chicago continues to recover, Time Out's ongoing Love Local campaign will shine a spotlight on the people, places and organizations that make our city a special place. We hope you'll find some new spots to support. Zach LongEditorTime Out Chicago

You can't step inside a time machine and explore the past (not yet, at least), but you can experience bygone days by visiting the places where history transpired. There are elements of Chicago history scattered throughout the city that date back to its incoporation in 1837—you simply need to know where to look. One of the best museums in Chicago resides in a building that dates back to the World's Colombian Exposition of 1893, while the site of a notorious gangster's last stand can be visited across the street from a popular Chicago music venue. Want to learn more about Chicago history through present-day exploration? Check out these important pieces of Chicago history hidden in plain sight.

Wilco's seminal studio album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was technically released on September 18, 2001 when the band began streaming it on its website (a rarity in the days before Spotify). But the group is about to observe the 20th anniversary of the record's physical release on April 23, 2002, which only came about after Wilco was dropped from its record label and signed with Nonesuch Records. The messy story behind Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is well-documented—the Sam Jones film I Am Trying To Break Your Heart does a good job summing up the interpersonal conflicts and music biz chicanery surrounding the album's recording and release. But the indelible impact of the music contained on the resulting record can't be overstated. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was Wilco's most effective expression of the band's experimental inclinations to-date upon its release, earning it a hallowed place in the group's catalog—and it just happens to have Chicago's Marina City Towers on its cover. To commemorate the album's 20th anniverary, Wilco is playing a trio of shows at the Auditorium Theatre (after a four-night run in New York City), performing Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in its entirety. The concerts will serve as a prelude to an archival re-release of the record later this year. We're not sure what to expect (A rendition of lost track "Cars Can't Escape"? A surprise appearance by producer Jim O'Rourke?) but we're sure that these concerts in the city where Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was built will be something special.

Café Marie-Jeanne only inhabited the building on the northeast corner of California Avenue and Augusta Boulevard for five years, but it’s hard for me to walk into its former dining room without conjuring up memories of croque madames and duck frites. The French-inspired restaurant was one I ate at with some regularity, and it’s sudden shuttering in the midst of the pandemic was just one of many disappointing permanent closures in Chicago. But I’m happy to report that Segnatore is a worthy successor, serving creative Italian fare that maintains the approachability favored by the space’s former tenant. The blackboards that once displayed Café Marie-Jeanne’s menu are gone, replaced by vintage oil paintings, candelabras and hanging bundles of dried flowers—a decorative theme inspired by the Italian folk healers that serve as Segnatore’s namesake. While it’s not overtly telegraphed by the restaurant’s decor, Segnatore’s Italian influences comes into focus as soon as you sit down at a candlelit table and peruse a drink menu that’s predominantly sourced from the boot-shaped, from the spirits used in cocktails to a long list of wines. Order some of the cherrywood smoked olives to snack on while you decide, because there’s no shortage of options. Building on years spent serving Italian fare at spots like Three Aces and Charlatan, chef Matt Troost compiles a menu that’s reverent in its technique (particularly the handmade pasta) but decidedly playful in its presentation. No dish exempl

For three decades Clifton Collins Jr has been bringing a memorable spark to relatively small parts in everything from Capote to Pacific Rim. Jockey is his turn in the spotlight, giving the veteran character actor a nuanced lead role to inhabit in a slice-of-life racetrack drama. From the outset, it’s easy to see where the film’s narrative is headed. Collins Jr is Jackson Silva, a lifelong rider who has been racing horses for decades. His line of work has left him with a litany of serious injuries and little more to his name than the RV that he calls home. His glory days are behind him and an uncertain future lies ahead. Yet Silva is unable and unwilling to quit the only job he knows. Even when confronted with his rapidly deteriorating physical condition, an aspiring jockey who claims to be his son and the encouragement of a co-worker with his best interests at heart, he refuses to hang up the saddle or settle for a new life as a mentor.  Shot on a racetrack in Arizona with non-actors appearing alongside a small cast of professionals, Jockey brings a heightened sense of reality to the unfamiliar world of horse racing. A scene in which a group of real-world jockeys rattle off the injuries they’ve sustained is particularly harrowing, providing a stark reminder of the traumas that come with the turf. Finally, Clifton Collins Jr gets his turn in the spotlight  While the script from writer-director ​​Clint Bentley is disjointed at times, most of the rough edges are smoothed over by

The stretch of Sheridan Road that borders Loyola University's campus in Rogers Park has long been home to student-friendly restaurants like Blaze Pizza and Taco Bell. Located just up the street (near local institutions like the New 400 Theater) Semilla’s Latin Kitchen casts a wider net—there’s a daily happy hour that caters to frugal undergrads and a sizable menu for diners seeking something more authentic than a Cheesy Gordita Crunch. Husband-and-wife co-owners Jose Roque and Patricia Norabuena are Chicago restaurant industry veterans—Roque was a founding partner at Wicker Park’s Amaru, while Norabuena formerly worked in the kitchen at the Pump Room. The menu at Semilla’s Latin Kitchen draws on Roque and Norabuena’s respective Mexican and Peruvian heritages, packed with dishes that demonstrate hallmarks of each country’s cuisine. Take one look at the appetizers served at Semilla’s and you’ll get a feel for the breadth of its offerings. There’s the hearty hummus-like tontoli (a traditional Mexican recipe that Roque’s mother often prepared) that’s made using ground cashews, pepitas and sesame seeds, served with pita bread for dipping. A Peruvian ceviche exemplifies the country’s seafood-heavy cuisine, with chunks of mahi-mahi that are likely larger than you’re accustomed to, accompanied by onion and sweet potatoes. While Semilla’s offers plenty of meat and seafood, vegetarians will appreciate a variety of dishes that make animal protein optional, including an array of quesadil

Chicago's notorious frigid winter temperatures and the possibility of snow don't stop the Empty Bottle from throwing an outdoor concert in February. The Music Frozen Dancing block party sets up a stage outside of the Ukrainian Village rock club, fires up some heat lamps, stocks the coolers wil Goose Island beer and presents an afternoon of live music that you can take in while bundled up in your warmest winter coat. This year's lineup features psychedelic pop-rock outfit Divino Niño, jangling punk duo Sweeping Promises and dark club-pop puryevors Pixel Grip. Los Angeles post-punk act Automatic, noisy New York quartet Surfbordt and local rockers Stuck will also perform. As usual, admission to Music Frozen Dancing is free, but the Empty Bottle will collect donations for Chicago Coalition for the Homeless at the gate.

Combining bluegrass instrumentation with adventurous chamber music arrangements, the Punch Brothers make forward-looking folk music that respects traditions, but isn’t beholden to them. After a stint hosting a music-focused live show on NPR, frontman Chris Thile returns to the group reinvigorated, working on a tribute to the late Tony Rice's seminal bluegrass album Church Street Blues. Originally intended as a gift to Rice, Hell on Church Street takes his influential arrangements of songs by Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot and reimagines them with plenty of mandolin, banjo and fiddle.

Armed with a sharp wit and a penchant for shredding, Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett has quickly become one of indie rock's guiding lights, graduating to increasingly large festival stages and collaborating with the likes of Philadelphia rocker Kurt Vile. Her latest album, Things Take Time, Take Time, strips back some of the studio gloss of her previous release in favor of more direct songs that confront the trials of everyday life with laconic turns of phrase. "Time is money, and money is no man’s friend," she observes on the record's opening track, earnestly imparting the kind of wisdom that seems obvious, but bears repeating. Similarly eloquent singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin opens the show.

Like many folks, prolific rocker Ty Segall hunkered down during the COVID-19 lockdown and tried to put the downtime to good use. His 2021 release, Harmonizer, is the result of a series of solo recording sessions, during which Segall built tracks around synthesizers as well as his usual array of guitars and drums. He debuted some of his new electronics-tinged tunes at last summer's Pitchfork Music Festival and he's returning (accompanied by his Freedom Band) to perform them again during a two-night stand at Thalia Hall. Local garage rockers Axis: Sova support.

Not far from the glitzy dining and shopping destinations that line Rush Street in River North, Adalina is yet another high-profile Italian restaurant that has quickly become a hot reservation. Boasting a prominent chef (Soo Ahn, formerly of Michelin-starred Band of Bohemia) and ownership with experience running local nightclubs and steakhouses, it’s a spot with pedigree to spare. And if you enjoy a lively scene with your meal, Adalina might offer your kind of dining experience—if not, you’re in for a rude awakening. Upon entering Adalina’s second-floor dining room, it quickly became clear that my date and I would quite literally be rubbing elbows with our fellow diners (even late on a Tuesday night). Tables are crammed into the space, forcing you to squeeze through narrow lanes when you need to get up from your seat. The sheer number of people in the restaurant also makes for a noisy meal—even when my date and I moved closer to one another, it was difficult to hear above the din. I felt sympathy for the tuxedo-clad servers, all of whom clearly had to do a bit of lip-reading while taking some orders. Once we’d successfully transmitted our order to our server and food began to arrive, our first bites didn’t exactly get the meal off on the right foot. The cacio e pepe arancini made with forbidden black rice sounded great on paper, but the fried rice balls had a somewhat unpleasant gummy texture to them—at least by the time they arrived at our table. A caesar salad was laden with

Holiday season shows in Chicago have become something of a tradition for folk rock outfit Whitney. This year, the band is performing no less than five shows in the city where it was founded—plus an extra gig at SPACE in Evanston (Dec 11). Each of the concerts will take place at a different venue, so if you're looking to sing along to "Golden Days" in an intimate setting, you'll want to catch the band at Schubas (Dec 6), Sleeping Village (Dec 10) or the Empty Bottle (Dec 12). And if you prefer to be among a larger crowd, snag tickets to Whitney's gigs at Thalia Hall (Dec 8) and Lincoln Hall (Dec 9). Look forward to plenty of classic tunes, some interesting covers and the potential premiere of some tracks off the band's forthcoming record.

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy headlines a pair of shows at Metro, backed by a band that features his sons, Spencer and Sammy Tweedy, multi-instrumentalist Liam Kazar, guitarist Jame Elkington, Macie Stweart and Sima Cunningham. In concert, Tweedy mostly sticks to tracks from his recent solo albums—Warm and Love is the King—though there's a decent chance he'll throw a few Wilco tunes on the setlist. Whether you're a diehard Yankee Hotel Foxtrot fan or a frequent viewer of The Tweedy Show, you'll likely enjoy hearing the singer-songwriter's slightly more subdued rock and off-kilter pop tunes just before Christmas arrives.

Set on the mean streets of Manhattan during the latter half of the Civil War, Paradise Square isn't the first musical to examine how people of different races, cultures and socioeconomic status come together in New York City. Evoking elements of shows like Ragtime, West Side Story and Hamilton, Paradise Square often finds its own voice by way of pastiche. In its pre-Broadway run in Chicago, it's a show with potential—and with plenty of room for improvement. The narrative revolves around a cast of characters who gather at the titular bar, located in the Lower Manhattan slums known as the Five Points. Owned by a freeborn Black woman named Nelly O’Brien (Joaquina Kalukango), the tavern serves as a meeting place (and dance floor) for the neighborhood’s Black and Irish residents. When her Irish husband (Matt Bogart) goes off to fight in the war, Nelly welcomes an escaped slave (Sidney DuPont), a young Irish immigrant (A.J. Shivley) and a mysterious piano player (Jacob Fishel) into the bar, just as tensions between the neighborhood’s denizens begin to boil over. The number of characters to keep track of approaches the level of a contemporary HBO drama, and it’s the management of their various narratives (or lack thereof) that often causes Paradise Square to falter. The show’s villain (John Dossett) has little to do except represent the well-heeled residents of Manhattan and their dislike for the residents of the Five Points. Similarly, a character based on songwriter Stephen Foster

After making a temporary move to September in 2021, Pitchfork Music Festival will return to its usual weekend in July this summer, taking over Union Park from July 15–17. The summer music festival revealed its complete lineup this morning, including headlining acts the National (originally scheduled to perform at the canceled 2020 festival), singer-songwriter Mitski and The Tonight Show house band the Roots. RECOMMENDED: Check out photos and reviews of Pitchfork Music Festival Other notable artists on this year's lineup include symphonic rock collective Spiritualized, indie-pop outfit Japanese Breakfast, rapper Earl Sweatshirt, reunited emo rockers Karate and jazz fusion combo BadBadNotGood. Of course, there are plenty of returning acts, such as Duluth-based noisemakers Low, unpredictable hip-hop artist Tierra Whack, Welsh singer-songwriter Cate Le Bon and Danish punk rock band Iceage. Local musicians are also represented on Pitchfork's 2022 lineup, including rapper Cupcakke, singer-songwriter KAINA and hip-hop activist Noname. Former Chicagoan Jeff Parker (best known for performing with post-rock outfit Tortoise) will also appear at the festival, accompanied by his band the New Breed. “Our goal was to highlight a diverse group of artists who are taking their musical genres to new heights, and I’m proud of how it’s come together,” Pitchfork editor in chief Puja Patel said about the festival's 2022 lineup in a statement. According to a release, Pitchfork Music Festival 2022 wi

It's been nearly two years since visitors have been able to take in a show at the Grainger Sky Theater, gaze up at scale models of the planets contained in our solar system or look inside the tiny Gemini 12 capsule that brought a pair of astronauts to space and back. That will change on Friday, March 4 when Adler Planetarium officially reopens, welcoming guests back to the popular Museum Campus attraction—in fact, it's the final major Chicago institution to reopen after closing at the onset of the pandemic. Like the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium, masks and proof of vaccination won't be required to visit the Adler Planetarium, thanks to the repeal of Chicago's mask and vaccine mandates on February 28. A release states that Adler is "mask friendly and we strongly support your choice to wear a mask." The Alder Planetarium is also debuting new hours, open from 9am–4pm daily, except on Wednesdays when the museum will remain open until 10pm. Admission on Wednesday nights (beginning at 4pm) will be free for Illinois residents (with proof of residency), though you'll still need to reserve your complimentary tickets through the Adler Planetarium's website. Moving forward, you'll need to purchase all Adler Planetarium tickets in advance via the institution's website. There's also a new ticket option for frequent visitors: The Star Pass, which offers one year of unlimited access to Adler Planetarium exhibits, visits to the Doane Observatory and sky shows in the domed theater. A St

Before he helped set a template for contemporary sketch comedy with the HBO series Mr. Show with Bob and David and was cast as slimy lawyer Saul Goodman in the hit series Breaking Bad (and its subsequent spin-off, Better Call Saul), Bob Odenkirk was just a kid from Naperville, IL who got a taste of Chicago's thriving comedy scene when he attended a show at the Second City as a teenager. That formative experience—and a chance meeting with improv guru Del Close—are expanded upon in the opening chapters of Odenkirk's new memoir, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama, which looks back on his career as a writer, comedian and unlikely action movie star. This week, Odenkirk returns to Chicago in support of his book, chatting with fellow Saturday Night Live alum Tim Meadows at the Music Box Theatre on Wednesday, March 2 during an event presented by the Chicago Humanities Festival. Ahead of his appearance, we had a quick chat with Odenkirk about his memories of Chicago and his cravings for Al's #1 Italian Beef. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.  In your mind, why was Chicago the best place to begin your career? I was very lucky to have grown up in Naperville near Chicago, and as a result have a neighbor bring me to Second City—and that was pretty much all the reason you need to start your career in Chicago, if you love comedy and sketch comedy. But the truth is, Chicago was and is a great city to start your career because it has a thriving theater scene, and people actua

When it was initially announced last November, the latest show at the Lighthouse ArtSpace inside the Germania Club Building was titled “Frida: Immersive Dream.” But organizers clearly decided that there's a certain amount of brand recognition after the success of “Immersive Van Gogh,” recently renaming the Frida Kahlo show to fall in line with the established “Immersive [INSERT ARTIST NAME HERE]” template. As it turns out, the initial “Immersive Dreams” descriptor was very appropriate, considering the often surreal nature of the show's source material. This set of projections celebrating Kahlo's work manages to harness the emotional and sometimes political nature of her work—in many ways, it makes better use of the experiential format than the Van Gogh display. If you attended the aforementioned Van Gogh show in Chicago, you're already familiar with the venue within the Germanic Club Building where the display is presented. I didn't notice any major changes in the space itself, which comprises two larger rooms, a pair of smaller rooms and a balcony that overlooks the largest room. No matter which room you choose to stand it, you'll see some of the same images on display, though the projections look most impressive where they're spread across the 35-feet-tall walls of the two larger rooms. The two best places to immerse yourself in the projections are still from the floor of the largest room or from the balcony that overlooks it. Admittedly, it's been more than a year since I

Beloved Humboldt Park bar the California Clipper closed during the pandemic, but the vintage light fixtures inside the tavern are glowing red once more. On Thursday, February 24, the bar's new operators Orbit Group (Good Measure, Segnatore) will open its doors for the first time since 2020, allowing guests to order a cocktail and slide into one of the red leather booths. Don't worry—not much has changed at the Clipper. “There is a fresh coat of paint, the sign has been updated and there's new carpet on the stage. Other than that the space is the same on purpose, because as far as we were concerned the space is perfect,” general manager Carly Brown explained. The one major addition is a new lounge located in the adjacent space that formerly housed coffee shop C.C. Ferns, which is currently being called "The Little Clip." Local firm Siren Betty Design handled the renovations to the space (along with some small upgrades to the main bar), building a custom sapele wood and Formica bar featuring a curved back and mirrors that echoes the design of the original bar. The lounge's old linoleum floor was replaced with a new material that matches the original's coloring and the light fixtures hanging from the ceiling were sourced from the recently shuttered Southport Lanes in Lakeview. According to Brown, the small room will pay homage to Danny's—the defunct Bucktown bar where some of the Clipper's current staff once worked—equipped with a DJ booth and an intimate space for late-night da

There's a new Batman movie opening in theaters on March 4—simply titled The Batman—and if you've seen the recent trailer, you'll know that coffee plays a role in the Dark Knight's latest cinematic outing. In fact, it seems that the new iteration of the Riddler (played by Paul Dano) is being set up as a talented barista with a knack for question mark-inspired latte art. To celebrate Robert Pattinson's upcoming turn in the point-eared cowl, local roaster Dark Matter Coffee is partnering with Warner Bros. Pictures to give away Batman-themed lattes this weekend. You'll need to head to Dark Matter's Electric Mud cafe (by the Western Blue Line station) on Saturday, February 26; Sunday February 27; or Monday, February 28 to score your free drink. From noon to 6pm each day, guests will be able to claim a gratis Batman Latte (a rather stoic honey latte with cinnamon) or a Riddler Latte (an intriguing chocolate, honey and habanero latte with cinnamon). Each drink comes topped with the Riddler question mark—made with cinnamon instead of foam—and is available on a first come, first served basis. Electric Mud will also have a selection of The Batman T-shirts, hats, puzzles and posters to give away to guests throughout the day. It's rather fitting that you'll be able to sip a dark brew fit for a Dark Knight in Chicago, where The Batman filmed several exterior shots and a motorcycle chase back in 2020. While New Yorkers might think otherwise, Chicagoans knows that our city is the real Gotha

For the first time since 2019, the James Beard Foundation will hold its James Beard Awards ceremony on June 13, recognizing some of the most talented chefs, bakers, bartenders, sommeliers and restauranteurs in the United States. The awards ceremony will take place at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, but the James Beard Foundation revealed its semifinalists this morning—and there are plenty of familiar faces up for awards. Chicago is well represented among the semifinalists for the Best Chef: Great Lakes award, which recognizes an outstanding chef based in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan or Ohio—a Chicago chef has taken home the award during the past four ceremonies. There are a total of nine Chicago chefs up for the 2022 Best Chef: Great Lakes award, listed below: Rodolfo Cuadros, Amaru, Bloom Plant Based Kitchen and Lil Amaru at Time Out Market Chicago Diana Dávila Boldin, Mi Tocaya Antojería Paul Fehribach, Big Jones Jason Hammel, Lula Cafe Dave Park, Jeong Darnell Reed, Luella’s Southern Kitchen Noah Sandoval, Oriole John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, Smyth Erick Williams, Virtue Restaurant & Bar The complete list of semifinalists for the Best Chef: Great Lakes award includes chefs based in Indianapolis, Detroit, Cincinnati, Dearborn, MI and Lakewood, OH. Chicago restaurants and bars are also semifinalists in other James Beard Awards categories, including Parachute and Oriole in the Outstanding Restaurant category; Kasama in the Best New Restaurant category; and Nobody's Darli

Named after chef Darnell Reed's great grandmother Luella Funches, Luella's Southern Kitchen has been serving po' boys, gumbo and barbecue shrimp since the restaurant opened in 2015. And while Reed has usually offered a menu of Louisiana-style dishes in the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, it hasn't been possible to celebrate Fat Tuesday at the Lincoln Park spot for the past few years, because Luella's is usually closed on Tuesdays. You won't be able to dine at Luella's on Fat Tuesday this year (it's closed!), but diners will be able to find some of Reed's favorite dishes inspired by his travels in New Orleans at Time Out Market Chicago. From February 25 through March 1, Luella's Southern Kitchen is taking over a kitchen at Time Out Market Chicago, serving a wide array of Mardi Gras-appropriate fare, including muffuletta, crawfish étouffée and king cake. “The Muffaletta is definitely my favorite sandwich to eat,” Reed said, talking about his preferred New Orleans dishes. “We're serving it hot or cold, which is something I hadn't seen until I went to Johnny's Po-Boys in New Orleans.” Served on focaccia that Reed and his team bake in-house, Luella's muffuletta is a traditional take on the sandwich that Italian immigrants introduced to New Orleans, stacked with salami, mortadella, deli ham, provolone, mozzarella and muffuletta relish. For those who aren't familiar with New Orleans cuisine, Reed recommends sampling his chicken and sausage gumbo, which draws on a variation of the d

Ambiance has always an important part of the experience of dining at a restaurant, but it's no longer enough to simply hang some art on the walls and light a few candles in the evening. Thanks to the rise of social media and experiential pop-ups, decor and theming has become just as important as what's coming out of the kitchen—just look at the dazzling curtains and greenery at Alla Vita or the cozy Euro-style café character of GoodFunk. The recently-opened 2d Restaurant in Lakeview is centered around a unique, comic book-inspired aesthetic, lined with black and white drawings as well as chairs and tables that have been covered in white paint and outlined with bold black accents. Former Kizuki Ramen operator Kevin Yu and his wife Vanessa Yu (an interior designer) were inspired by cafés decorated with intricate drawings that originated in Malaysia a few years ago, eventually spreading to places like Tokyo, Hong Kong and Dubai. In the midst of the pandemic, the pair began thinking about the kinds of experiences that could entice people to sit down in a restaurant.  “I was looking at the future of the hospitality world and realized it’s got to be different," Kevin Yu said. “We wanted to create a space where people can forget about all the hardship that’s out there.” Photograph: Zach Long Painstakingly designed by Vanessa, the drawings on the walls of 2d Restaurant are the product of four months of work, hand-drawn by local artist Mia Larson. According to Vanessa, the inspirati

Can't wait for spring in Chicago to arrive? We're right there with you. At some point in February (and sometimes as soon as January), many Chicagoans start pining for weather that's warm enough to encourage us to leave out apartments and spend some time outdoors. We're not asking for 80-degree Chicago beach weather—though, at this point we wouldn't mind it!—just something that suggests that spring is around the corner. Thankfully, there are some telltale signs that winter is on its way out... CTA platform heaters will be turned off soon According to the signs posted on CTA platforms throughout the city, Chicagoans have the privilege of getting as cozy as a rotisserie chicken roasting under heat lamps from November 1 through March 31 each year. You may miss the warmth during an April snowstorm, but at least the dwindling days of getting toasty on the train platform mean that warm weather will soon arrive. Your inbox is filled with Cubs and White Sox ticket package offers Nevermind the fact that MLB players are currently locked out from team facilities as the players' union negotiates a new collective bargaining agreement with owners. If you bought tickets to a Cubs or Sox game at any point during the past two decades, you're already getting offers for ticket packages (or, at the very least, single-game tickets) for the upcoming baseball season. And they're probably not going to stop anytime soon—unless you unsubscribe. You’re noticing piles of dog crap that have been covered i

Chicago is a city that already boasts some amazing burgers, but that didn't stop Gordon Ramsay from opening a River North restaurant that specializes in stacks of beef. Since it opened in December, Gordon Ramsay Burger has been introducing local diners to the British chef's take on a dish that has become nearly synonymous with American cuisine. “There’s something quite unique about a competitive city that houses so many great gourmet burgers,” Ramsay told Time Out Chicago in a recent interview. We stopped by Gordon Ramsay Burger to put the TV chef's culinary creations to the test—including a hot dog that he's stubbornly decided to serve topped with Chicago's least-favorite condiment. Here are a few things that you should know before you sit down inside of Ramsay's first Chicago restaurant. The loaded burgers are good—and a little expensive You can’t go to a place called Gordon Ramsay Burger without trying the burger—and with a thick, flavorful patty, slightly seared edges and tons of topping options, the restaurant’s signature dish doesn’t disappoint (we were especially fond of the saucier variations, like the blue cheese, onion and aioli-smothered Blue Cheeseburger). Even so, at $15–$19 a pop, it’s definitely one of the pricier burgers you’ll find in Chicago, so budget accordingly.—Emma Krupp The menu boasts some British touches From the slab of Stilton atop the Blue Cheeseburger to the UK-based brand of gin (from Hepple Spirits) used in some of the cocktails, Ramsay's Briti

The opening day of the latest Major League Baseball season is set for March 29, despite the fact that team owners have locked out MLB players from team facilities as they attempt to hash out a new collective bargaining agreement between the players' union and the league. Spring training seems to be delayed and the two sides don't appear to be closing in on a new agreement, according to the latest report from ESPN. But that hasn't stopped the White Sox (and the Cubs) from trying to sell tickets to games during the upcoming season as its currently scheduled. Today, the White Sox unveiled the team's initial lineup of promotional items, which are typically given away to the first 10,000 to 20,000 fans who come through the gates (the Chicago Cubs also give away promo items, but the team hasn't announced its array of free swag yet). Highlights of the initial lineup include a hockey jersey styled after the Nike MLB City Connect Series "Southside" uniforms that the team wore during the 2021 season and a Hawaiian shirt that depicts slices of Beggars Pizza, baseballs, the Sox logo and six-pointed stars. The items will be given away throughout the 2022 White Sox season, which is currently scheduled to kick off on March 31 at Guaranteed Rate Field, facing off against the Minnesota Twins. The end of the regular reason arrives on September 25, when the White Sox face the Detroit Lions. Check out the initial lineup of White Sox promotional items below, along with the dates on which they'll