Indholdsfortegnelse for January 2025 i Chicago magazine

Q: Why do so many street names on the Northwest and West Sides begin with K, L, M, N, O, and P? Edward P. Brennan was the father of the city’s grid numbering system. Chairman of the City Club of Chicago’s Committee on Street Names, the freelance urban planner had another clever idea for keeping street names straight: naming them alphabetically, based on their distance west from the Indiana border. The first mile of streets would begin with A, the second with B, and so forth. That would have required changing too many street names in established parts of town. But in 1911, Brennan’s system was partially adopted when the Northwest and West Sides were developed, beginning with K. The stretch of North Lawndale with streets such as Karlov,…

ACTORS GUSHING “I’VE always wanted to direct” has become a cliché. But Whitney White’s arc has been different. Her ambitions for the stage were long focused on performing. It wasn’t until she was nearly 30 that she leaned into directing. What followed was a quick rise to the A list. Less than a decade into a career on the other side of the footlights, the Chicago native scored a 2024 Tony nomination for her Broadway debut, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Now Chicago Shakespeare Theater remounts the slice-of-life comedy, opening a three-week run January 14. The cast will be new, but White returns, along with her Tony-winning design team. “I can’t say enough how important it is to me that this show is coming to Chicago Shakes,” she says. “It really feels…

The Fancy AVEC Dessert has always been a non-negotiable at Avec. Case in point: Its velvety brown sugar gelato unlocks new levels of deliciousness when drowned in a shot of rich espresso and finished with a crunchy little sesame cookie. $10. 615 W. Randolph St., West Loop; 141 W. Erie St., River North The Vegan VACA’S CREAMERY The oat milk soft serve here comes in vanilla and chocolate, plus seasonal flavors like tiramisu and pistachio. Order your fave with a steaming shot of espresso. Let it melt a little, and you’ve got a fresh take on your go-to oat milk latte. $7.50. 2324 W. Giddings St., Lincoln Square; 1436 W. Blackhawk St., Noble Square The Boozy LULA CAFE When a chef as revered as Jason Hammel declares on the menu…

CADINHO BAKERY & CAFE 3483 S. Archer Ave., McKinley Park Perfect order Pastel de nata, bolacha húngara, cortado On one wall of Cadinho Bakery is a mural by Mario Mena that catalogs the places owners Maria Alejandra Rivera and Eric Carlson have lived. There’s Rivera’s native Honduras, where she and Chicago-bred Carlson met and married; China, where they once taught; Portugal, where their dream of a pastry shop took root; and McKinley Park, where it’s become a reality. Rivera launched the business from the couple’s home kitchen in 2021, selling bolo de bolacha and pasteis de nata, Portugal’s ubiquitous custard tarts. In the brick-and-mortar shop, home now comes across as a mood. Carlson, an extroverted former Chicago Public Schools teacher, welcomes diners to the cozy and warm bakery, while Rivera…

FRESH SARDINES TOSTADA AT MARISCOS SAN PEDRO Sardines are the Rodney Dangerfield of fish. But they get their due in this Mexico-meets-Mediterranean dish. Lightly cured and pickled, the sardines are paired with pistachio mole, pickled golden raisins, sunflower seeds, crispy lentils, and an olive and caper tapenade, then set atop a crisp corn tortilla, letting the oily flavor of this love-it-or-hate-it fish shine. $15. 1227 W. 18th St., Pilsen — L.S. Mini Hot Dogs al Pastor at Proxi You’ll need to go to Proxi’s week-day happy hour (4 to 6:30 p.m.) to get your hands on this satisfying bar snack. Two mini hot dogs in poppy seed buns come topped with charred pineapple relish, creamy avocado sauce, and habanero. It hits all the notes of a Chicago dog, just in…

Shoe artist Marvin Baroota has been known to slip into DMs: “I messaged Shareef O’Neal, Shaq’s son, and asked him to connect me to Angel Reese.” The Sky star wound up donning several Reeboks that Baroota decorated for her, featuring themes like Barbie and Juneteenth. A Reese’s Pieces one even went viral. Baroota has done work for other athletic royalty (including the Bears’ Jaylon Johnson for the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats program), and for $300 to $500, you, too, can commission him. Working out of his Des Plaines studio under the banner of SoLegit, Baroota hand-embellishes with acrylic paint and sometimes exotic leathers. He prefers creative freedom. Translation: Don’t give too much direction. “It keeps the process genuine.” Reach him via Instagram (@marvinbaroota).…

Everybody can capture what they see in the field with the archives of their mind and heart and soul and spirit. The difference is, I capture it with the camera and share it. I hope that when people see my pictures, they’re there with me, seeing what I see, feeling what I feel. My father was a minister who said, “Love those who do evil against you.” But it was hard for me. I’m a visual person, and I’d retain everything I’d see. I remember one time when I was growing up in North Carolina, Daddy said, “Everybody be still and be quiet. Get in that room and don’t look out.” I looked out. The Klan were all in robes. They had burned a cross in our yard and put…

IT WASN’T JUST WRITER ELLY FISHMAN who returned to the lives of Jerryon Stevens and his family for “Chrishona Hodges’s Life Sentence” (page 52). Alyssa Schukar photographed both this and the 2016 story. Like Fishman, Schukar stayed in touch with the family after the first story ran. She was there to document hopeful moments, such as Stevens’s promising foray into boxing and his brother’s graduation from Orr Academy High School. Even after she moved to D.C. in 2019, Schukar kept in contact. And when a return trip to Chicago aligned with this assignment, she took it on, though with some sadness about what’s transpired in recent years with Jerryon and his brother and the impact that’s had on their mother. “I really love all of them,” she says. “It’s hard to…

1 The Bulls host Derrick Rose Night Jan. 4 to honor the former MVP and hometown hero, who called it quits this fall. The franchise will likely retire his No. 1 jersey, considering it hasn’t let anyone wear it since he left. 2 Still stewing about the election? Palestinian supporters and leftist groups are planning a Stop the Trump Agenda protest for Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, in Federal Plaza downtown. Expect ample use of bullhorns. 3 Wrigley Field will become the Frozen Confines Jan. 3 and 4, hosting two college hockey doubleheaders, including one women’s game. The marquee matchup: Wisconsin vs. Michigan State. 4 Among the dozens of state laws that will take effect Jan. 1 is the Worker Freedom of Speech Act. It prevents companies from retaliating against employees who…

ILLINOIS IS BETTING big on the future of quantum technology. The state is investing $500 million to build the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park on the former U.S. Steel South Works site in South Chicago. The 128-acre campus, scheduled to be partly operational by the end of 2026, aims to bring together quantum developers, researchers, suppliers, and others. The goal of its anchor tenant, startup PsiQuantum, is to build the first “useful” computer of its kind. Preeti Chalsani is charged with helping make that all happen. She is business development lead for the IQMP and chief quantum officer for Intersect Illinois, the economic development nonprofit partnering with the state to attract businesses. Chalsani, whose background is in applied physics, talked with Chicago about the future of the park, why this…

ZHOU B ART CENTER “The Zhou brothers stopped in Chicago [from China] because their aunt lived here, and instead of going on to New York to be a part of that scene in the ’80s, they stayed in Bridgeport and created all their international art from here. Third Fridays they open up the doors to show the whole building off.” 1029 W. 35th St. PALMISANO PARK “It’s an urban oasis built on a former limestone quarry, and it offers fishing ponds, walking trails, native plants, and breathtaking views of the skyline. I got engaged there.” 2700 S. Halsted St. GEORGE’S GYROS “This is a classic Greek city diner known for simple, hearty meals and a no-frills atmosphere. I like their omelets and chili.” 3445 S. Halsted St. BRIDGEPORT RECORDS “The…

1 BLUES BROTHERS REMIX Move over, Nick the Lounge Singer: Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers—blues rockers Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia—take the stage. Jan. 3–4. thaliahallchicago.com 2 NOVEL EXCHANGE Martyr! writer Kaveh Akbar joins Chicago’s own Lindsay Hunter in conversation for Authors on Tap. Jan. 4. exileinbookville.com 3 WHEN HE’S 65 Once dubbed “the music mayor of Chicago” by WXRT, Nicholas Tremulis returns to celebrate his 65th birthday with his 15-piece band. Jan. 4. metrochicago.com 4 BRING YOUR PILLOW The shortest entry in the long-form film series Settle In? At 317 minutes, the ironically named Happy Hour. The Godfather trilogy clocks in at nine hours. Jan. 4–25. siskelfilmcenter.org 5 RED HOT In between podcasts and films, ginger-haired comedian Andrew Santino stops in his hometown for a standup show. Jan 11.…

TYLER McCALL AND HIS HUSBAND, ERIC CAMPBELL, ran a successful social-media marketing and consulting business but felt “ungrounded,” says McCall, “like we weren’t doing anything in real life.” They channeled McCall’s love of pens, pencils, and stationery into a jewel box of a storefront they opened in May 2023. “People are looking for ways to reconnect and push back on technology,” he says. To that end, you’ll find a packed-to-the-gills inventory of cult-fave offerings from Japan and items from mostly women-owned, indie businesses in the United States. And though the shop has a website showcasing its wares, you can’t order them online. “There’s something special about coming into the shop to matchmake and find exactly the right product,” says McCall. “For now, we want to preserve that.” 1480 W. Berwyn Ave.,…

EeroQ Sure, everybody talks a big game about trapping and controlling electrons that float on top of liquid helium. But if this Humboldt Park firm actually pulls it off, it can build a largescale computer whose qubits—the basic units of quantum computing—can stay “coherent” (i.e., in a quantum state) for a long time. Photon Queue Quantum computing requires memory, which requires storing photons (the smallest particles of light). That’s where this firm, started by U. of I. PhDs, comes in. It’s working on a more efficient way to house single photons—or what it matter-of-factly calls “practical photon storage.” memQ It’s trying to find a scalable way of “storing quantum information for longer periods.” A key priority: figuring out how such computing can be made compatible with our existing telecommunications infrastructure.…

LUKE STOIOFF’S JOURNEY into conscious wellness began around fourth grade. He was a soccer-loving kid in Northbrook when Guillain-Barré syndrome ambushed him, causing his immune system to attack his nervous system. The experience of spending a couple of months in the hospital and a year in a wheelchair “helped motivate me to pay closer attention to what I do with my body,” says Stoioff, the 43-year-old cofounder of the restaurant and bar operator DineAmic Hospitality. These days, he alternates weight training and cardio with jujitsu: “I always wanted to be the Karate Kid.” SPAR POWER “For the past 13 years, my favorite way to exercise has been training at Valko Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It’s 30 minutes of instruction and 30 minutes of sparring. Three days a week is perfect for me. Jujitsu…

When the chefs from Mexico City’s lauded Masala y Maíz came to Chicago in 2022 for a popup at Bar Sótano, Rick Bayless and chef de cuisine Rishi Kumar sent them to dine at the Coach House, Zubair Mohajir’s South Asian tasting-menu restaurant. But it was Mohajir who found inspiration in Masala y Maíz’s Indian, Mexican, and African mash-up when he later visited. He started playing around with his own fusion at the Coach House, bringing together ingredients popular across Indian and Mexican fare in new ways. This summer, Mohajir and Kumar teamed up to open Mirra and tapped David Mor to create the drinks. Turn the page for a primer on how they integrated the two cuisines. 1954 W. Armitage Ave., Bucktown FOUR DESI-MEX MASH-UPS AT MIRRA…

BEFORE WRITING A REVIEW, I like to have a postprandial phone conversation with chefs to check their bios, get a better sense of their culinary perspective, and maybe coax out a good quote that speaks to character. Was your mom an improviser in the kitchen? What is it you love about Cool Ranch Doritos? What was the first meal that blew your mind? Only then do I feel comfortable levying criticisms. Every once in a while, though, what I really want is a recipe. At Oliver’s, Alex Carnovale makes some of the best roast chicken I’ve ever eaten. Yes, it’s juicy, crisp-skinned, and from an Indiana natural farming cooperative. All great, but there’s a flavor level to its sauce that I, as a home cook, need to unlock. First things first,…

MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO, SARA Rowe, the late partner at Shaw’s Crab House, set her chef team a lofty challenge: Create the best seafood salad in the business. The result — a luxurious jumble of sweet shellfish, crisp greens, and not one but two dressings — has been a beloved menu fixture ever since. This at-home version gets an assist from store-bought vinaigrette. Though a fair bit of prep work remains, readying the Louie dressing and salad components in advance cuts down on dinner-time assembly significantly. SHAW’S SIGNATURE CHOPPED SEAFOOD SALAD Makes 4 salads Active time 40 minutes Total time 55 minutes 2 Tbsp. finely diced celery1½ tsp. minced chives2 Tbsp. sweet relish1 cup mayonnaise¼ cup ketchup1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar½ tsp. cognac⅛ tsp. Tabasco sauce⅛ tsp. Old Bay seasoningJuice…

PLUS: PEEK INSIDE THEIR MEDICINE CABINETS PRIMARY CARE FAMILY MEDICINE Guy J. Agostino La Grange (UChicago AdventHealth La Grange) Joyal O. Akkawi Burbank (Advocate Christ) Paulo A. Aranas Orland Park (UChicago) Stephen Behnke Schaumburg (Ascension St. Alexius) Amy Blair Maywood (Loyola) Edward A. Blumen Evanston (Endeavor Evanston) William J. Brander Mount Prospect Brian A. Chicoine Park Ridge (Advocate Lutheran General) Lakshmi P. Dodda South Shore (Jackson Park Hospital) Erin Dominiak Park Ridge (Advocate Lutheran General) Deborah L. Edberg Fifth City (Northwestern) Steven J. Eisenstein Northbrook (Endeavor 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 General) Margaret M. Hannon Western Springs (UChicago AdventHealth La Grange) Mary Hutton Oak Park (Endeavor Elmhurst) Emelie Ilarde Oak…

It’s not the earthy aroma of incense. Not the faded letterman jackets on the wall. Not the Brother sewing machine draped with jeans. It’s Emanuel Edwards. And when he talks of the philosophy behind the Goody Vault, his vintage clothing store, you can tell it’s him that makes this place so special. Edwards describes himself as “part historian, part stylist, part sewing artist.” He plies these trades in the Flat Iron Arts Building, where the business he brought to Chicago from Alabama in 2022 now has a cult following (English singer Charli XCX recently sent her stylist here). Spanning the 1920s to the ’90s, these are not just clothes; they are people’s memories. I hear about senior cords worn to a 1954 Purdue graduation and an “S” baseball jersey from…

Warehouse Liquors 634 S. WABASH AVE., SOUTH LOOP Find an extensive whiskey and wine collection in this venerable showroom. The vintage Gene Charness founded the shop in 1983. “Most places sell price; I sell knowledge,” he says. It’s worth a visit to chat with him, as well as to poke around the 1895 building with copper-colored tin ceilings and redwood fixtures. The splurge A few bottles of Scotch here sell for four digits, but Charness points to Glenfarclas, his “house pour,” for $299 and the 17-year-old Tamdhu for $400 as faves. Connoisseur cred In 2023, Charness was inducted into the Keepers of the Quaich, a prestigious international society of Scotch whisky evangelists. Mise en scène On one side of the narrow shop, whiskey bottles nearly reach the 15-foot ceiling. On the opposite, old…