Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2023 i Chicago magazine

HOW MUCH HAS THE PIZZA SCENE CHANGED IN CHICAGO IN recent years? Consider that nine of the 25 places in our new rankings of pizza makers (page 48) weren’t around the last time we did such a list, in 2019. Some of these newcomers — notably, Milly’s, George’s, Kim’s Uncle, and Uncle Jerry’s—have brought fresh approaches to the classic Chicago styles of deep dish, pan, and tavern. We’ve also seen an influx of New York–style slices, with the likes of Zazas and Lobo. In charge of sorting out this evolving landscape was Chicago dining editor Amy Cavanaugh, aided by dining critic John Kessler and street food specialist and frequent contributor Titus Ruscitti. It was an all-star team of connoisseurs, each bringing a different expertise. “John opts for New York and European…

Q: Is “Sweet Home Chicago” actually about Chicago? Robert Johnson probably had not visited Chicago when he recorded what became our city’s unofficial anthem in 1936. “Oh, baby, don’t you want to go,” the Mississippi blues legend croons, “back to the land of California, to my sweet home, Chicago.” Huh? Last time we checked, Chicago was not located in California. Perhaps to avoid geographic confusion, when Chicago-based pianist Roosevelt Sykes covered the song in 1955, he changed the lyric to “that bright light city, sweet old Chicago.” The Blues Brothers, of course, sang it differently: “back to that same old place, sweet home Chicago.” So where was Johnson really encouraging his baby to go? Blues historians disagree. Mack McCormick claims Johnson had a cousin in Port Chicago, California, which would…

THE STANDARD model of particle physics is our best explanation for how the building blocks of the universe interact, but it doesn’t explain everything. That’s where Fermilab’s Brendan Kiburg and Brendan Casey come in. They’re part of a team of 200 scientists from 33 institutions around the world who have been observing the magnetic wobble of a subatomic particle known as a muon, using a powerful magnet at Fermilab. This ongoing experiment, known as Muon g−2, involves the acceleration of muons around a superconducting “ring” a thousand times at nearly the speed of light. In August, Fermilab announced that the team had measured the muon’s wobble with higher precision than ever before. The results confirm with even greater confidence that this wobble is faster than the standard model says is possible.…

ERIN LEVZOW’S LIFELONG journey to wellness wasn’t easy, but she has finally found her happy place, thanks to fancy footwork and jazz hands. Growing up near Rockford, she was overweight; as an adult, she reached 350 pounds. In 2008, gastric bypass surgery began a healthier era, but another key piece fell into place three years ago, when her husband bought the couple ballroom dance lessons. “We fell in love with it: a date night but also an amazing workout,” says Levzow, 40. She now dances with a professional partner, taking part in (and sometimes winning) competitions across the country. Beyond the physical benefits, dancing improves her focus and leadership—skills she uses as chief marketing officer of the Museum of Ice Cream, which has a location downtown. Levzow, who once worked as…

IN SELINA FILLINGER’S WHITE House farce POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, the bumbling president remains unseen. The playwright instead gives the spotlight to a coterie of female enablers, ranging from his first lady and the chief of staff to an amiable young mistress, as they labor to prop up the big guy. The women’s methods and motivations may vary, but ultimately they all debase themselves in different manners to keep the country’s father figure from flaming out. Which invites the question: Why does that guy get to be president, when they’re doing all the work? For Audrey Francis, who makes her Steppenwolf Theatre Company directing debut with the play’s Chicago premiere (October 26 to December 3), Fillinger’s lightly feminist comedy speaks to…

EVERY LOCATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL LUXE HOTEL CHAIN ST. REGIS has a Bloody Mary on the menu, and Chicago beverage director Diane Corcoran created a locally inspired version for the new Loop site at 401 East Wacker Drive. She walks us through the 1871, a smoky, savory tipple named, naturally, for the year of the Great Chicago Fire. It’s already served at the St. Regis Chicago restaurant Miru, which opened in May, and will be on the menu at the property’s forthcoming Tre Dita. The mix Corcoran’s concoction combines tomato juice, Miru’s housemade soy sauce and pickle brine, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Demerara syrup, plus seasonings like garlic and cayenne. She lightens it by blending and straining it: “That makes a huge difference in the drinkability.” The smoke Several elements…

A DIRECT MESSAGE POPPED UP ON FACEBOOK FROM A friend I hadn’t seen in close to a decade. “Hey!” she wrote. “Are you in the movie Divergent?? I was watching it on a flight and swore I saw you?!” Every few years, I get a question like this over social media or from a coworker stopping by my desk. When I first began studying theater at Columbia College Chicago, I would scan the local papers and callboards for opportunities as a movie extra (or, as the tax forms say, “background artist”). I had learned about the concept from my dad, who spent a day on the set of The Untouchables when it was filmed in Chicago in the mid-’80s. He appears over Kevin Costner’s shoulder as a blond background blur in…

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, 1976 Wilfred Benítez stands in the middle of a crowded ring at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, one of his home island’s largest venues. He’s wearing a robe with his name stitched on the back, awaiting the judges’ verdict in his junior welterweight title fight against reigning champion Antonio “Kid Pambele” Cervantes of Colombia. For 15 rounds, Benítez displayed the footwork of a salsa dancer and evaded nearly every one of Cervantes’s jabs, showing a defensive acumen that will earn him the nickname El Radar. When the ring announcer declares him the winner in a split decision, Benítez raises his fists in triumph. His corner-men lift him high above the crowd and set a sparkling paper crown on his head. The theme to Chico and the Man, sung…

Notre 118 N. PEORIA ST. The West Loop’s minimalist showcase for hot designers in their infancy Who’s behind it The most public-facing of the four owners, CEO MJ Jaworowski, is a former buyer for Haberdash. Top drops A tightly curated selection of styles you likely won’t see elsewhere—some by up-and-coming international designers (like Raf Simons of Belgium), others born from cool collabs (Notre x Salomon) — is the MO. When they’re gone, they’re gone. The vibe Is it a gallery? A store? A lounge in West L.A.? It could pass for all. Put together a head-to-toe outfit and maybe rub shoulders with a celeb (musician Peggy Gou recently dropped in). SuccezZ 2214 S. MICHIGAN AVE. A South Loop mainstay that’s helped define the sneaker culture in Chicago Who’s behind it Owner…

“To quote Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice, ‘I, myself, am strange and unusual.’ Expressing myself through clothing is one of my joys, so when I came across Viridian Strange, an online vintage clothing and accessories store created by Sara McGeary, I knew I’d found my go-to. That was in 2021 at a pop-up in Pilsen; I’ve since followed her to other pop-ups around town. I’ve scored a floor-length gold-glitter tube dress that makes me feel like Carrie Bradshaw; a black Bike mesh football jersey, a gay staple I lived in all summer; and this amazing ’60s It’s in the Bag lime-green beaded Italian handbag. Very Sophia Petrillo. I feel like I’m shopping Lydia Deetz’s closet.”…

RODERICK WILSON MOVED TO CHICAGO FROM CHAMPAIGN IN 1997 TO STUDY AT Northeastern Illinois University. He settled in Bronzeville but was soon displaced by rising rents in the gentrifying South Side neighborhood. It wasn’t until about a decade later that Wilson became aware of an Illinois law, passed the same year he moved to Chicago, that prevents municipalities from limiting rent hikes. That law is now a battleground in the fight he helps lead for affordable housing. The law was passed at the behest of property owners who felt that ever since Chicago passed its Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance in 1986, during Mayor Harold Washington’s tenure, the playing field had been tipped against them. Among other things, that ordinance protects renters from “retaliatory” evictions, lets them withhold a portion of…

It’s easy to assume you know Jeff Tweedy. From his early days in Uncle Tupelo to 29 years at the helm of Wilco, the Grammy winner has crafted altcountry gems with heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics that offer his perspectives on love and life. But World Within a Song: Music That Changed My Life and Life That Changed My Music, his third book, offers bet-you-didn’t-expect-that turns, including: The Ultimate Riff Test When Tweedy tries out a new guitar, he plays “Takin’ Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive—“one of the most important” songs in his life. The Genre He Most Connects To Hip-hop, thanks to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message.” He notes: “Dylan never wrote anything nearly as incisive and direct.” The Song He Won’t Sing “The Star-Spangled Banner”: “The idea…

1 COMEDY CAVALCADE The inaugural 312 Comedy Festival doesn’t feel like a cohesively curated fest so much as a bunch of venues realizing they had a lot of touring comics booked for the same week. But when the biggest names include Nate Bargatze, Nicole Byer, and Michael Che, a little cross promotion doesn’t hurt. Through Nov. 5. 312comedyfestival.com 2 RAINBOW CONNECTION Jazz singer and Chicago native Ann Hampton Callaway comes home for a benefit concert at Jazz Showcase, with proceeds supporting LGBTQ refugee organization Rainbow Railroad. Nov. 1. jazzshowcase.com 3 ORCHESTRAL ORBIT The Chicago Symphony Orchestra achieves liftoff with The Planets, performing all seven movements of composer Gustav Holst’s solar system suite. Nov. 2–7. cso.org 4 ROOT CAUSE While it continues to raise funds to build a permanent home in…

JUSTICE OF THE PIES What Celeb 1 baker and James Beard finalist Maya-Camille Broussard (of Netflix’s Bake Squad) finally gives us what we’ve always wanted: a brick-and-mortar shop for her delicious pies. Why You’ll find seasonal slices like bourbon pecan, but the menu features more than just pies, including banana pudding, cinnamon rolls, tomato-basil quiche, and lemon-lavender cookies. Where 8655 S. Blackstone Ave., Marynook 2 TILLY BAGEL SHOP What The pandemic pop-up darling is now slinging her signature rounds from her South Loop shop; lines have ensued. Why Get there early for Hannah Tillett’s flavors like cacio e pepe and garlic rosemary. She’s also selling bagel sammies. Where 34 E. Balbo Ave., South Loop 3 DENUCCI’S What The latest spot from the rapidly growing Ballyhoo Hospitality (Gemini, Coda di Volpe) serves Italian American red…

1 MILLY’S PIZZA IN THE PAN 1005 W. Argyle St., Uptown STYLE Pan TRY Updog (pictured, opposite page) The past few years have been a great time for pizza in this city. During the worst of the pandemic, new purveyors were cropping up every week, as many top chefs pivoted to takeout food. But no newcomer has wowed us like Robert Maleski, whose pizza is so flavorful, with its tangy tomato sauce and chewy, cheeseedged crust, that it has made us rethink how we see pan pizza. After he was laid off as a server, Maleski launched Milly’s out of a Logan Square ghost kitchen in August 2020 before moving it to an Uptown storefront. It’s a three-man operation: They serve just 65 pizzas a day, closing up shop when…

THE MOST famous movie theater in television history wasn’t a real place — but it was based on a real place. From 1925 to 2012, 445 Central Avenue in Highland Park was home to an unassuming two-story movie house. It opened as the Alcyon and in 1965 was renamed the Highland Park Theater. It also appeared in movies; in Tom Cruise’s breakthrough Risky Business, his character drives past the unmistakable Tudor Revival façade and color-blocked marquee. In its final years, before it was abandoned, then demolished in 2018, the theater housed four screens. But in its glory years, before it was subdivided in an attempt to compete with larger suburban multiplexes, it held just one cavernous auditorium. It even had a balcony. Having grown up in Highland Park, Michael Loewenstein knew…

I was always drawn to the arts. I recognized that I had absolutely no talent, but I loved being around creative people. I was always doing things in school, like being involved behind the scenes with the school play. It’s been about wanting to support the people who had the talent. The spotlight doesn’t have to be on me for me to be fulfilled or feel good, but I can shine it on you. I had to prove a lot coming into this job because I was an outsider. My background wasn’t in poetry, and past presidents all came out of higher education. It was very high scrutiny, people watching to see: Now what’s she going to do? Because I wasn’t one of their own. What’s the Chicago politics saying?…

1 Former Illinois congressman and perpetual Trump critic Adam Kinzinger just moved to Texas, but he’ll be back Nov. 5 for the Chicago Humanities Festival to discuss the Jan. 6 insurrection and his new book. 2 Big Ten (or is it Big Fourteen? Big Eighteen?) basketball tips off Nov. 6. Northwestern hosts Binghamton, while Illinois welcomes Eastern Illinois. 3 Second City begins its move on the First City. On Nov. 16, the comedy troupe will open a 12,000-squarefoot complex in Brooklyn, with two theaters and seven classrooms. 4 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was one of a host of John Hughes movies set in a fictional North Shore–ish suburb. Hughes is gone, but Chevy Chase, a.k.a. Clark Griswold, will be at the Chicago Theatre on Nov. 26 for a screening and conversation.…

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MEXICAN ART “It’s an anchor in the community and something that can never be appreciated enough: [one of] the country’s largest collection of Mexican American art. In all chapters of my life, the museum has always felt like a home. Learning something new there, seeing something that resonates with me, that inspires me, has always been so meaningful.” 1852 W. 19th St. CARNICERIA MARIBEL “It’s famous for the food and being a neighborhood staple, but also for its murals on the side. The Selena one is relatively new. It’s such a beautiful tribute, so well done. One of my favorite covers I’ve done on TikTok is a Selena tribute at the mural. People from all over were asking, ‘Where’s this mural?’” 1801 W. Cermak Rd. 18TH STREET…

WHILE I’VE EATEN MORE THAN my fair share of risotto and even have a bag of Arborio rice in my kitchen, the dish’s reputation of being fussy scared me off from making it. It turns out I worried for nothing. As chefs Dean Zanella and James De Marte taught me at a recent risotto class at their cooking school, Tutore, the dish is actually fairly approachable — and they should know. They have 75 years of professional culinary experience between them, and both grew up with Italian grandparents who had a passion for cooking. Now they’re sharing that knowledge with home cooks. Tutore, which opened in June at 2755 West Belmont Avenue in Avondale, offers two-to-four-hour classes ($97 to $200), ranging from basic techniques (gnocchi, pasta, and risotto) to more elaborate…

HAVE YOU DINED WITH US before?” asks the server. I have, but my guests haven’t, and truthfully I’m happy to hear the spiel again. When staffers introduce you to Smoque Steak, the new Avondale steakhouse from Smoque BBQ owners Barry Sorkin and Mike McDermott, they do more than explain the plates meant for sharing. They make sure you understand the unusual process by which the steaks here are cooked—a method that brings together modern technologies for both smoking barbecue and cooking thick cuts of meat. Each cut of beef, from prime rib eye to shoulder-cut chuck, goes through a three-step process. First, it’s smoked until the flesh is imbued with the essence of smoldering oak. Then it’s vacuumsealed and cooked in a sous vide water bath until the internal temperature reaches…

A SIDE DISH OF SEARED MUSHROOMS bathed in miso butter may not be a Thanksgiving standard, but rest assured it’ll be right at home on your holiday table. “The umami and savoriness it brings are familiar and taste like Thanksgiving, while at the same time tasting both unique and new,” says Mott St. chef Edward Kim. While the luscious sauce comes together in just a couple of minutes, it does require some TLC: For a glossy, stable emulsion, Kim advises keeping the heat low and whisking in a bit of extra water if the butter begins to separate. EDWARD KIM’S PAN-SEARED MUSHROOMS WITH MISO BUTTER Makes 8 servings Active time 15 minutes Total time 20 minutes 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed3 Tbsp. white miso1 Tbsp. water, plus more as needed6 Tbsp.…

Winters around here might not scream for sunglasses. But Krewe’s assortment, notable for frames in bold colors and lively patterns (Beyoncé and Gigi Hadid are fans), gives Chicagoans the sunny outlook they deserve. The New Orleans import’s new location in Tribune Tower is its first in the Midwest. While the NOLA-inspired specs are flashy (think: cat-eye silhouettes with a marbled-confetti look), sleek and simple is the aesthetic inside the plant-adorned shop, which feels like a conservatory-meets-museum. And with a staff that’s eager to offer advice, as well as pour you a refreshment, you know this is a place to laissez les bons temps rouler. 435 N. Michigan Ave., Magnificent Mile…