Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2024 i Chicago magazine

IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO LIVE HEALTHY, IT OUGHT TO BE a doctor, right? That was the notion behind having contributing writer Web Behrens interview four physicians about their own wellness routines for “Top Docs 2024” (page 72). One thing that struck Behrens: Whether it was dancing or boxing or playing tennis, the doctors had all found fitness outlets they enjoyed. “It’s so important to exercise, but to do it successfully, so that it’s fulfilling as opposed to an obligation, you have to find something that brings you joy,” says Behrens, who was inspired to rediscover his own passion for biking. The experience affected him in another way, too. Behrens’s doctor had been encouraging him to start taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, but it wasn’t until interviewing Valluvan Jeevanandam, a UChicago Medicine cardiac…

Q: What was the coldest day in Chicago history? On January 20, 1985, an air mass sweeping east from the Rocky Mountains hit Chicago at 6 a.m., coinciding with the predawn chill. That sent the temperature at O’Hare plummeting to minus 27 degrees — a record low that still stands. Not even the polar vortexes of 2014 (minus 16) or 2019 (minus 23) could match it. The 1985 freeze was so cold in Washington, D.C., that President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration was moved indoors to the Capitol Rotunda. On that Sunday—a day when the wind chill here fell to about 70 below zero—Cook County Hospital treated 30 cases of frostbite, and 25 percent of United flights to or from O’Hare were canceled. Attendants at a Shell station at Irving Park…

THIS MONTH, A TEAM OF top medical researchers, chemists, biologists, and bioengineers in Chicago will open the best bioresearch center money can buy. It’s part of a national network of such sites that, together, have a lofty goal: to cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of this century. That’s the kind of ambition you can have when you are backed by billionaires. The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago, located in Fulton Market, is funded by a $250 million grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropic foundation set up by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Operating out of a temporary space since October, the lab melds the state’s most esteemed scientific institutions — the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Northwestern University…

1 STANDUP SPECIALISTS The second annual Comedy Gazelle Awards sees the zine of the same name both celebrating and sending up the city’s standup scene, with performances by some local favorites. Jan. 4. thedentheatre.com 2 HOPELESSLY DEVOTED In UIC’s new exhibition Contemporary Ex-Votos: Devotion Beyond Medium, present-day Latino artists create works in response to 19th- and 20th-century retablos, or small devotional paintings in the Mexican folk art tradition. Jan. 12–Mar. 16. gallery400.uic.edu 3 SETTLING SCORES The jazz musician and composer Terence Blanchard, whose opera Champion is at Lyric Opera this month, revisits some of his celebrated film scores (including BlacKkKlansman and Da 5 Bloods, both Oscar nominated for their music) with the Chicago Philharmonic. Jan. 13. auditoriumtheatre.org 4 SCREEN AND HEARD The 2000 film adaptation of Nick Hornby’s music-nerd novel…

JANUARY IN CHICAGO BRINGS COMPETING IMPULSES. OUR HOLIDAY indulgences are over, our pants a little tight, our bodies starved for wholesome things. And yet the long, bitter nights call for comfort. At Pizza Matta, Jason Vincent offers a compromise of a salad: a bracing tangle of greens and crunchy raw veg and seeds, finished with pepperoni and a bold vinaigrette. While Vincent’s OG dressing features peppers fermented for two weeks until funky, the version here, lifted by piquant Calabrian chiles, comes together with a few flicks of a whisk, for a quick dish that’s equally fortifying and fun.—CATE HUGUELET JASON VINCENT’S PEPPERONI SALAD Serves 4 Active time 10 minutes Total time 25 minutes ¾ cup cherry tomatoes¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided Salt and pepper½ tsp.…

SHALL WE DANCE? “I used to be a rhythmic gymnast, many years ago in Ukraine. I have made music and movement part of any exercise I do, because that makes it more likely to be successful and lasting. Over the last 10 years, my husband and I started doing ballroom dancing. That’s been very joyful. He has since quit, claiming to have a back injury, but I still love it. There’s a wonderful community around it, and that’s the secret to any success: having people around you who are passionate.” THE SKINNY ON SKIN CARE “Skin care is part of my waking-up routine. I experiment with Korean products, and I’ll play with a mask now and then. I use moisturizers religiously and sunscreen consistently. I fell in love with Colorescience…

CARDIO CARE “I don’t like the treadmill because it’s high impact. My favorite is the elliptical, because it does upper and lower body and I can watch a TV show and not really think about it. Doing cardio comes out of necessity for me. I’ve done more than 1,500 heart transplants, when I stay on my feet upwards of 10 hours. I need endurance. With cardio, I get my heart rate up to 150 for at least 10 to 15 minutes of my half hour, four to five times a week. I do it just before dinner, because right after you exercise you get an endorphin high. About three hours after that, you hit a lull, and that naturally puts me to sleep.” FASTING AND FAT “I intermittently fast —…

Gramaphone Records 2843 N. CLARK ST., LAKE VIEW A North Side EDM destination for DJs from all over Origin story The bustling strip of Clark Street where this store sits was known as a “record store alley” when Gramaphone opened in 1969. Starting in the early ’80s, its club-loving owners specialized in house and other electronic dance music. Though that remains a focus, the shop has “come full circle,” says the current owner, DJ Michael Serafini, and now sells “a little bit of everything.” The vibe The black-and-white checkered floor and DJ booth replicate the look of the original location (the store moved two blocks down Clark when Serafini took over in 2005). Give vinyls a spin on one of six record players for your own private testing disco. Who shops here DJ Shadow,…

THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS 2015, CHICAGO POLICE RESPONDED TO A CALL FROM the father of a 19-year-old college student, Quintonio LeGrier, who was at his Austin home wielding a baseball bat, apparently in mental distress. LeGrier himself had called 911 three times that morning asking for help. But he never got it. An officer who arrived at the scene, Robert Rialmo, wound up fatally shooting LeGrier outside his father’s home. In the process, Rialmo accidentally killed a neighbor, Bettie Jones. Prosecutors declined to press charges against the officer, saying LeGrier had moved toward him with the bat above his head. Rialmo was later fired. But that’s little solace for the woman who lost her son. “He called for help — to get shot?” LeGrier’s mother told the press. “I don’t understand…

MAYA-CAMILLE BROUSSARD MAY have named Justice of the Pies for her late father, Stephen J. Broussard, an attorney who baked on weekends to relieve stress, but it was the work of her mother, Camille Billingslea, a retired physician at Stroger Hospital, that inspired the celebrity chef to consider accessibility in creating her bakery’s first brick-and-mortar location (8655 S. Blackstone Ave., Marynook). So it’s only fitting that Broussard has her mother read the daily specials aloud to each customer from behind a glass case containing signatures like bourbon pecan pie, salted caramel peach pie, and spinach, bacon, and feta quiche. Broussard thought her mother’s soothing voice would make disabled people feel at home. As someone living with partial hearing loss, Broussard knows what it feels like to be left out, so she…

IF YOU’VE EVER SAT DOWN to a sumptuous Persian meal, then you’ll likely picture this: a table laden with stews, grilled meats, and a grand sabzi khordan, a platter piled high with fresh herbs like tarragon and cilantro, cubes of feta, crunchy raw vegetables, and walnuts soaked in water to remove their bitterness. A plate of barbari flatbread will make the rounds. In a home, the host may present a chelo, an inverted pot of basmati rice topped with a saffron crust, the treasured tadig. At a restaurant, you may find yourself facing a fragrant mound of basmati so massive it’ll figure in your next four meals. “It is very much a family-style cuisine,” says restaurateur Mariam Shahsavarani. “But I also knew it was not outside the realm of possibility…

PB & CARBS “Every morning I have a cup of coffee with a bit of cream. At work, I have another. I maintain that until about 1, 2 o’clock, when I feel like I’ve got to eat something—usually a peanut butter sandwich, my healthy go-to. I guess I’m hip, because I’m an intermittent faster. I’ve been a pescatarian for 17 years. I jokingly say I’m on a high-carb diet: I love pizza, pasta, rice. I’ve been the same weight since I was 18.” KNOCKOUT TACTIC “Boxing is the greatest workout. It’s something that resonates with me because it’s a sport of discipline. I started with it at the Police Athletic League in Brooklyn when I was a kid. I love playing basketball, but my back began to hurt, and it…

1 Rapper G Herbo is due to be sentenced Jan. 11 for running up $140,000 on stolen credit cards to rent luxury cars, charter private jets, vacation in Jamaica, and even buy a $10,000 Yorkie. He faces up to 25 years. 2 Illinois’s minimum wage is moving up to $14 an hour Jan. 1, on its way to $15 in 2025. This next increase will make it nearly double the federal minimum wage, which has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009. 3 Most alderpersons will get raises, too, this month – to $145,974 a year. Only Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez and Byron Sigcho-Lopez turned down the 2.24 percent cost-of-living hike. 4 The state’s Paid Leave for All Workers Act goes into effect Jan. 1. Illinois is only the third state to guarantee…

YOU’VE PROBABLY ALREADY REACHED FOR YOUR PARKA UPON READING “polar vortex.” But for the blissfully uninitiated: When Chicago gets hit with one, crippling snowstorms can occur and temperatures can plummet 30 to 40 degrees below normal. We experience literal Arctic weather. As in, actual air that should be in the Arctic is in Illinois. Though these extreme cold snaps have happened off and on here for years, the phrase went mainstream in frigid January 2014, and it stuck, because “polar vortex” sounds metal as hell. The last occurrence was in 2019, when temperatures hit negative 23. So if we’re on the five-year plan, we’re due! WHAT IT IS (AND ISN’T) First off, a polar vortex isn’t a storm. It’s a weather phenomenon. Stop villainizing polar vortexes! In fact, it forms above…

JESS ROBBINS, THE SINGER-songwriter who fronts the local synth-pop outfit Course, wasn’t willing to settle for just any venue or opening act for a show marking the release of the group’s second LP, the dreamy, atmospheric Tight Feathers. Which explains why it isn’t happening until January 13 — nearly three months after the October 20 release. “We really wanted to play Constellation, and Steve Dawson is opening for us. He’s an amazing musician, a real established Old Town [School of Folk Music] teacher who also has like three bands,” Robbins says. “So we had to find a day that worked for his whole band and for my whole band.” She sees the delay as a plus. “It’s nice, you know? Then people are reminded of the record again. I’m not…

Bokamaro Who’s behind it: North Shore Distillery What it is: A bok-choy-based amaro that’s the latest in the distillery’s line of out-there limited edition products. It includes bitter melon and sarsaparilla. How to use it: A white Negroni: 1 ounce Bokamaro, 1 ounce gin, and ¾ ounce dry vermouth. Stir with ice and pour into a glass over ice. Garnish with a grapefruit peel. Where to find it: Binny’s and North Shore Distillery (13990 W. Rockland Rd., Green Oaks) Misoo Who’s behind it: Four friends, including a bartender and a designer. Michael McAvena (formerly of Heisler Hospitality) heads product development. What it is: An Italian-style, herb-laced bitter aperitivo in the spirit of Campari How to use it: The Misoo Spritz: 3 ounces Misoo, 2 ounces sparkling wine, and 1 ounce…

PRIMARY CARE FAMILY MEDICINE Guy J. Agostino La Grange (UChicago AdventHealth La Grange) Joyal O. Akkawi Burbank (Advocate Christ) Paulo A. Aranas Tinley Park (UChicago) Stephen Behnke Schaumburg (Ascension St. Alexius) Amy Blair Maywood (Loyola) Edward A. Blumen Evanston (NorthShore Evanston) William J. Brander Mount Prospect Brian A. Chicoine Park Ridge (Advocate Lutheran) Lakshmi P. Dodda South Shore (Jackson Park Hospital) Erin Dominiak Park Ridge (Advocate Lutheran) Deborah L. Edberg Fifth City (Northwestern) Steven J. Eisenstein Northbrook (NorthShore Highland Park) Carlos A. Gomez Jefferson Park (Ascension St. Mary) William H. Gros La Grange (UChicago AdventHealth La Grange) Inna Gutman Park Ridge (Advocate Lutheran) Margaret M. Hannon Western Springs (UChicago AdventHealth La Grange) Emelie Ilarde Oak Lawn (Advocate Christ) Laura Jean Johnson Logan Square (Advocate Masonic) Kevin Koo Park Ridge (Advocate…

CARB UNLOADING “I try to limit carbs for me and my husband. Dinner will be protein and greens. We are from the Philippines, so rice was a big part of our diet growing up. We experimented with cauliflower rice, quinoa, lentils — just something different — and after some time, you realize you actually don’t crave the rice we used to have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” TENNIS, ANYONE? “We fell in love with tennis when our kids were young. That was 17 years ago. It’s been such a blessing, because we can play wherever we are. The tennis bag has a guaranteed spot in our check-in luggage. What I like about the game is it’s not just physical; it’s a whole lot of mental. And there has to be…

A year of hosting Zoom parties during the pandemic left Chicago sisters Renee and Nicole Pettiford ready to raise a glass to a new endeavor: designing drinkware. “We’ve always enjoyed bringing people together,” says Renee. What started with rhinestonespangled martini glasses has expanded into iridescent Champagne flutes, stemless wineglasses (pictured, $20 a pair), and, soon, a cocktail shaker—all sold online under the name Sister.ly Drinkware. Business got a recent boost when their glass coffee mugs were named one of Oprah’s Favorite Things. It’s all cause for celebration, says Renee: “We start every drink with a toast, even if it’s water, coffee, or tea.” sisterlydrinkware.com…

■ I’m not self-made. I’m the manifestation of something that was generationally in the making. I’m the realization of my mom’s and dad’s and grandmom’s dreams. I had eight sisters who loved me and a childhood where there was no disconnect between my excitement and aptitude and ambition and my parents’ ability to say, “Yeah, go for it. We love you.” ■ When I have an exhibition, it’s a chance for me to say, What do I feel like studying right now? It is a kind of research prompt. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican crew in Humboldt Park, and about the presence of Puerto Ricans on Division Street and how Division is changing. ■ There are external things constantly impeding on the parts of…