Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2025 i Chicago magazine

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN CHICAGOANS SCOFFED AT DINING outside the city limits. But that is changing, as you will see in this month’s cover story, “How to Eat (and Drink) Your Way Through the Suburbs” (page 60). “A lot of chefs who made their name in the city are looking to the suburbs as the next place they should open their restaurant,” says Chicago dining editor Amy Cavanaugh. “It’s not super surprising anymore when I hear about Deere Park opening up in Highwood with Todd Stein, or Chris Curren adding a restaurant in Aurora later this year. It really speaks to an increased appetite in the suburbs for restaurants like this.” For a while now, the burbs have been a destination for some of the best ethnic cuisine in the…

Q: Why does Chicago have elevated trains? Two reasons: money and geology. In the early 1890s, as Chicago prepared for the World’s Columbian Exposition, there was a rush by private companies to build a public transportation system here. The first elevated train line was opened in 1892, and three more private lines would soon follow. In 1897, transportation magnate Charles T. Yerkes built the Union Loop, as it was then called, to connect the entire system downtown. Elevated lines were cheaper to construct than subways, so they appealed to the profit-minded transportation firms, which were supplanted by the Chicago Transit Authority in 1945. Underground rail was also more difficult to build here, says local historian Tim Samuelson: “Subway construction was problematic in Chicago given the soft clay-like nature of the…

1 INSIGHT HOSPITAL 2525 S. Michigan Ave. The future pope was born here, at what was then Mercy Hospital, in 1955. Well, not actually here. Back then, the hospital was located on the block just to the east. That building (pictured) was torn down after the new one went up in 1968. The space is now a parking lot. 2 CHILDHOOD HOME 212 E. 141st Pl., Dolton Visitors and media from near and far—as well as police parked out front—are the new normal on this unassuming south suburban street. Dolton is maneuvering to acquire the modest brick abode, which the Prevost family sold in 1996, and all the empty lots and homes on the block have been bought up since the pope’s election. Leave your prayer requests in a box…

WITH INGREDIENTS LIKE SWEET-SAVORY LONGANISA SAUSAGE, NUTTY pandan, and earthy ube, Filipino food has firmly taken hold in Chicago over the past decade. Among the many openings featuring the archipelagic country’s cuisine are a trio of spots in Ravenswood, all on Damen Avenue and in walkable proximity — including one super-buzzy new bakery (read: long lines). That combination has the makings of a culinary crawl too good to pass up. Here’s our stop-by-stop guide to this Filipino bang-bang-bang (to borrow from Louis C.K.). STOP 1 DEL SUR BAKERY 4639 N. Damen Ave. The backstory: Justin Lerias, formerly of Big Jones, started out holding pop-ups at Side Practice Coffee, offering pastries that drew on his Filipino heritage. That was such a success that in March he opened this storefront by the Damen…

IF YOU ASK JOHN CARRUTHERS, THE BEST Friday pizza night starts on Monday morning. That’s because the tavern-style crust he’s perfected as the creator of home-based Crust Fund Pizza owes its cracker crunch to a dayslong cold dough fermentation followed by a 12-hour cure. “The cure dries the dough and ensures a crispy crust and a quick bake,” he explains. See for yourself with the recipe for his Royko pizza, named for the legendary local columnist and topped with — what else? — the classic Chicago combo of Italian sausage and giardiniera. Nothing beats homemade sauce, but if you opt for store-bought, Carruthers suggests add-ins like fish sauce, Marmite, red wine vinegar, or dried herbs to add umami and balance out the tomato’s sweetness. CRUST FUND’S ROYKO PIZZA Makes 2 pizzas…

Cook County has the largest Palestinian population in the United States, and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview is the main hub. There, and in nearby suburbs, you’ll find an array of Palestinian, Jordanian, Yemeni, and other Middle Eastern culinary offerings. Here are five dishes to seek out. CHICKEN SHAWARMA at Alasala Restaurant The rotisserie chicken specialist, which has a location in Jordan, features the tallest spits of shawarma in the area. The bird is served Arabic-style, which means that thin strips of freshly sliced, well-spiced chicken are stuffed into lavash with pickles and garlic sauce, then griddled and sliced into bite-sized pieces. 8028 S. Harlem Ave., Bridgeview ZA’ATAR WITH CHEESE at Al Manakeesh The Halal-certified Palestinian restaurant specializes in Levantine breads. This pizza-like order is a warm, fresh-baked-flatbread called manakeesh, topped…

■ Some say the ’80s are dead. Carrie Meghie’s response? Hold my yarn. Her new Chicago-based handbag brand, Neon Fringey, is a nod to a childhood steeped in craftsmanship and creativity. Raised learning to knit alongside her mother, Meghie once earned the right to wear a metallic silver bikini only because she made it herself. The former hotel manager and restaurateur turned real estate investor (luxury villas in Jamaica, no less) has channeled her artistry into bags now sold at Felt in Logan Square. Each piece is a carefully considered blend of texture and color, often crafted from fibers Meghie creates herself. And while early designs were heavy on neon, her latest take a more wearable turn: Think neutrals with a flicker of highlighter brights. They’re still impossible to ignore…

No. 1 CARRIE MCCORMICK @properties Christie’s What are buyers looking for these days? We’ve seen a flight to quality. People are tending to go toward new construction or something that was done with high-quality finishes. Anything that needs updating, that’s more than 20 years old, that’s the stuff that has been more stagnant, because people don’t have the vision or time for updates. Where has the market been surging? In the downtown market — Streeterville and River North — there was a post-pandemic dip, and pricing got to a point where it made sense to buy. I’ve been setting records in River North SALES ABOVE $20 MILLION ■ Jim Abbott Baird & Warner ■ Mark Ahmad Century 21 ■ Ashley Arzer Redfin ■ Elizabeth August @properties Christie’s ■ Mario R.…

1 The Chicago Sky will retire Candace Parker’s No. 3 jersey Aug. 25. Yes, she only spent two seasons here, but she did win us a title and is from Chicago (OK, Naperville). 2 Still smarting over the state’s refusal to lower the sales tax on school supplies from 6.25 percent to 1.25 percent for a six-day period this month? Head to Iowa or Missouri, which offer such a break the first weekend of August. 3 With six City Council members identifying as democratic socialists, the most among big cities, Chicago seems a fitting host for the Democratic Socialists of America’s convention, Aug. 8–10. 4 The Savannah Bananas, baseball’s Harlem Globetrotters, make their first local appearances Aug. 15–16 at Rate Field. Expect on-field dancing and wacky rules like fan-caught foul…

MATT FRIEND COMmands attention. A facile talker with a resonant bass timbre and the energy of a small nuclear reactor, the 27-year-old Chicago-raised comedian is a charmingly formidable presence. It doesn’t hurt that he’s 6-foot-4 and a snappy dresser. Also, he was deemed “sexy” by none other than People magazine, so there’s that. After he began doing standup while attending New York University, Friend’s career grew in fits and starts, but lately it’s been by leaps and bounds, thanks to his spot-on impressions. Videos of him imitating famous people to their faces — primarily on the street and on the red carpet — have been a hit on social media. Most of the celebrities seem delighted. (Bill Maher, not so much.) Friend’s ever-expanding arsenal of voices includes those of Donald…

EVEN BEFORE KRISTEN Kaza had twins, mothering had long been one of her talents. The event producer—best known for starting Slo ’Mo, an LBGTQ dance bash now held at Sleeping Village—proudly wears the nickname Party Mom. “I’ve always approached parties through a maternal lens,” she says. Those skills leveled up in 2022 after she developed peripartum cardiomyopathy, a rare heart condition, and delivered her girls 12 weeks early. While she and her wife had their hands full with two fragile infants, Kaza also had to adapt her strategies for self-care. She added a couple of new routines — naps and Pilates — to her de-stressing habits. “I joke that I’ve been waiting my whole life to be in my 40s,” says the Logan Square resident, who hit the big four-oh in…

1 Chocolate-and-Peanut-Butter-Dipped Swirl Cone DAIRY STAR Dipped cones rule at this classic seasonal ice cream stand. The regular size gets you a tower of soft serve that teeters about seven inches above the cone. There are 13 dip flavors (everything from cotton candy to birthday cake), but a swirl cone encased in a chocolate and peanut butter shell is the order. Don’t worry if things get messy—regulars know there’s a hose out back. $6.50. 3472 W. Devon Ave., Lincolnwood 2 The Chili Crunch BAOBING BAR The star dish at the summer-only ice cream shack tucked behind Stephanie Izard’s Duck Duck Goat is the Chili Crunch sundae. An unlikely meetup of tamari soft serve, chile crunch, spiced fried wontons, fresh strawberries, and sprigs of cilantro, it hits the sweet-savory intersection perfectly. $14. 857…

RENDANG REPUBLIC 3355 N. Clark St., Lake View ■ Perfect order Lumpia, beef rendang, Duck Inn-do hot dog ■ When we last saw John Avila, he was slinging Indonesian food at Minahasa in Revival Food Hall. The chef built a fan base there for beautifully seasoned dishes, but slow traffic forced him to close. It always felt like his food deserved its own space, which it now has in Rendang Republic, a counter-service spot he opened with Rizal Hamdallah in April near Wrigleyville. The location is just right: People in Cubs gear sit side by side with folks of Indonesian heritage and neighborhood residents like me. We’re all here for dishes like Mama Betty’s lumpia, a delightfully greasy egg roll stuffed with chicken and shrimp. And if you’re new to…

IN THE MID-’90S, AS I BECAME EVEN MORE CAPTIVATED IN MY LATE teen years with becoming a chef, I devoured the Charlie Trotter cookbooks I’d found in an Ohio bookstore, falling in love with his style of food and philosophy. Then, after I got my first computer, I would scour the internet for new information on this guy and his restaurant. I was obsessed. I moved to Chicago in 2000 solely to work for Charlie. Working at Charlie Trotter’s was like physically living inside one of his books. I was relentlessly pushed to perform at a first-class level of excellence, learning directly from the master himself about innovations in restaurant and kitchen management. It was the hardest job I’ve ever had, but Charlie gave me a world-class education in the nuanced,…

> Restaurant Mehanata Imagine you’ve rented a car in Sofia, Bulgaria, driven for an hour, and found yourself in a farmhouse overstuffed with wine barrels and tapestries depicting women in bonnets. Here, people will erupt into line dances, and skewers of shashlik crisscross platters like coats of arms. Order the namesake sach, a clay pan filled with meat, onions, mushrooms, pickles, fries, and gobs of melted cheese. 1141 Lee St., Des Plaines > Cariño In particular: the taco omakase, a 10 p.m. eight-course counter-service meal ($125). An enormous molcajete will appear, and a cook will cast a mesmerizing spell as he grinds a salsa that you will soon spoon over a tortilla cradling a fat slice of wagyu strip loin. Everyone present, you suspect, is high, including the cooks. 4662 N. Broadway,…

Having lived in Japan for a couple of years, I can recognize the two kinds of Japanese restaurants in America. There are those that serve the craveable treats people the world over love — sushi, tempura, ramen—and those that serve the more varied dishes Japanese natives search out for a taste of home. In the Chicago area, the latter exist almost exclusively in the north and northwest suburbs, closer to where many expats live. Here are my three faves. SCHAUMBURG TORIZEN Lunch here is never a bad idea — particularly if you order the crackly Berkshire pork tonkatsu. But at night, you can try all the izakaya dishes you won’t find elsewhere. I’m obsessed with the daikon salad topped with crispy whole silverfish, bonito flakes, and nori. 22 E. Golf…

CAMP WANDAWEGA IN Elkhorn, Wisconsin, has long been a destination for Chicagoans looking to embrace the outdoors without roughing it too much (think cute cabins, treehouses, and tents). Now owners Tereasa Surratt and David Hernandez have brought their ethos to Chicago with a store they recently opened at 1429 West Grand Avenue. Wandawega Bureau of Tourism builds on the product lines the couple have been hawking at the campgrounds and online. THE MERCH You’ll find the expected—Wandawega-branded camping supplies such as matches, towels, dartboards, and (pictured) duck calls and utility bags—but plenty more. The store will rotate exclusive offerings from the likes of Pendleton and Anthropologie, including heavy-duty blankets and candles. Wandawega has also collaborated with Chicago’s CH Distillery to produce a bourbon (upper right) in celebration of the camp’s…

No. 1 DAWN MCKENNA Coldwell Banker Where is the market tightest? The North Shore and western suburbs. Most of those sellers have unbelievable mortgage rates, and they’re cautious about getting rid of that. If something’s priced well and looks great, they’re getting multiple offers. SALES ABOVE $30 MILLION ■ Connie Antoniou Luxury Lifestyles Jameson Sotheby’s ■ Christie Ascione Group @properties Christie’s ■ Ballis Group Compass ■ Baran Group @properties Christie’s ■ Tim Binning Team RE/Max ■ Rubina Bokhari Luxury Group Compass ■ Buy Sell Love Chicago Team @properties Christie’s ■ Camille Canales Group Compass ■ Carrie & Renee Team Compass ■ ChicagoHome Brokerage Network @properties Christie’s ■ Chicago Home Partner @properties Christie’s ■ Cor Team Fulton Grace ■ Corwin Partners Jameson Sotheby’s ■ Lauren Dayton Real Estate Group Jameson Sotheby’s ■ Deidre…

MLK Jr. was my first influence and inspiration. When my junior English teacher at Rich Central, Ms. Argue, made me do a talent show, I hit the stage thinking about King: I want to speak the way he spoke, I want to command the crowd the way he did. He was the pinnacle. ■ When I did HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, I got so nervous that I messed up and had to start over. Using that moment, I was able to say, OK, I’m never going to allow myself to get to the point again where I’m fumbling. It’s like, Man, these are people. You perform for people all the time. This is family. You’re good. So ever since then, I get the excitement, the adrenaline, but not the “Oh…

THERE’S AN OLD SAYING IN WAR AND IN POLITICS: THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY friend. For Mayor Brandon Johnson, understanding that might just be the secret to getting reelected—something that once seemed unfathomable. When Johnson made a Sunday pulpit appearance in May at Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn, he hadn’t set out to become a target of Donald Trump. But when he boasted of having six Black officials in his cabinet and increasing opportunities for Black contractors, the MAGA outrage machine went into overdrive: End Wokeness, an anonymous account, posted Johnson’s remarks on X, where they were viewed a million times, including by the assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights, Harmeet K. Dhillon, who retweeted them with the comment “No bueno.” The next day, Dhillon wrote…

IT’S HARD FOR ME TO STICK to just one thing,” says Jessica Risker, who is both a singer-songwriter and a licensed therapist. The balance of running a local counseling practice while making psychedelic-tinged folk “can be hard, but now I’m so happy with the combination. I enjoy putting a lot of different things together in what I hope are fresh ways.” Her latest thing? A new album, Calendar Year, which drops August 1. Risker will promote the release—her first in seven years—with a show at Constellation on September 5 and another in New York City. She was just starting to gain notice as a musician when new motherhood and COVID forced the hiatus. She’s done a lot of growing in the interim. This album draws material from her life, both…

1 THE ALSTON What A splashy new steakhouse from Jenner Tomaska (Esmé) and the Fifty/50 Group lands downtown. Why With caviar bumps and $300 seafood towers, this is the place to ball out. Where 750 N. State St., River North 2 NIC + JUNIOR’S What Junior Borges explores the intersection of Brazilian and Italian cuisine at this upscale spot. Why We’re talking plates like chicken piri-piri Parmigiano. Where 405 N. Wabash Ave., River North 3 FRIENDS OF FRIENDS What Heisler Hospitality and Meadowlark’s Abe Vucekovich team up for a casual joint. Why Sip a Big & Spicy, with jalapeño rum, tropical fruits, and gochujang. Where 2001 W. Grand Ave., West Town 4 PROXI What The West Loop staple shifts its focus to go all in on Asian flavors. Why The food, like a decadent king crab motoyaki…

As felt a gust of I walked through the doors of Orchestra Hall, I something new. It was a Wednesday in April, and I was attending a rehearsal of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. There was a brightness in the room, a sense of fertile anticipation among the musicians onstage and the smattering of people out in the seats. As the orchestra warmed up, everything was swirling winds and slicing strings and burbling brass, a bracing, crisscrossing cacophony. Then a hush, and out from the stage door emerged Klaus Mäkelä. He ascended the podium, standing with the excellent posture of youth. Full of lithe energy, he offered a few brief, happy hellos and leaped right into conducting sections of Gustav Mahler’s massive Third Symphony, the longest in the standard repertoire of…

HIGHWOOD BEST WAY TO TELEPORT TO MAUI DURING A CHICAGO WINTER Da Local Boy When the pandemic hit in 2020, Nate Domingo, born in the Philippines and raised in Maui, lost his job as a chef at a Kaanapali Beach resort and so followed his wife, Diana, to Illinois, where she pursued a graduate degree and he got a job at a Highland Park car wash. His coworkers there told him the Hawaiian food he cooked for them was too good to give away, so he and Diane started a catering business and then a food truck. Last year, riding a wave of word-of-mouth enthusiasm, they opened a restaurant across from the Metra station in Highwood and called it Da Local Boy, in honor of their 7-year-old, Sky, who, Nate…

IT’S BEEN A TALE OF TWO housing markets in the Chicago area of late. “Under $1 million, especially for first-time buyers, the market has been on fire. More than likely, you’re going to have to pay over asking,” says Eugene Fu, an agent with @properties Christie’s International Real Estate. But at the upper end, $2 million and above, purchasers are finding more leverage: “That market is softer. Those buyers generally have more choices and room to negotiate.” The biggest driver of this dichotomy? Millennials looking for starter homes. “In any of the neighborhoods that cater to them, we expect really intense competition for a property,” says Fu. “But homes around Michigan Avenue that are historically targeted toward empty nesters — those people aren’t buying in Chicago right now. They’re going straight…