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Countryside, IL · Lifestyle

WBEZ

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In acclaimed 'Once Upon a Time in Harlem' documentary, a Chicago journalist emerges from obscurity

At the height of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s, the city bustled with activity. People recited Langston Hughes’ “Weary Blues” poem on street corners. Duke Ellington delivered electrifying performances at the Cotton Club. A’Lelia Walker, daughter of millionaire Madam C. J. Walker, drew an enviable guest list to salons at her townhouse.

Chicago, IL · 2d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Illinois Restaurant Serves Holiday Meals Beneath A Giant Christmas Tree

A Christmas tree stands right in the middle of a department store dining room, rising so high it nearly brushes the ceiling. People book tables months ahead just to eat lunch under it. The room itself dates back to 1907. The walls are covered in walnut paneling, and crystal chandeliers...

Chicago, IL · 11h

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Illinois Bakery Still Makes Italian Pastries The Traditional Way, From Cannoli To Warm Focaccia

A coal-burning oven has been baking bread in one Illinois building since 1912. It still fires up every single day. That oven belongs to a corner bakery run by the same family since 1970. The founders came over from Italy in 1961, and their old-world recipes came with them. Around...

Chicago, IL · 1d

hoodline.com

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Camerata Chicago Brings Handel's Messiah to Oak Park, Wheaton, Hinsdale

Camerata Chicago is bringing Handel's Messiah to three western suburbs this month, pairing Part I of the beloved oratorio with the triumphant Hallelujah Chorus and the coronation anthem Zadok the Priest. The orchestra and chorus plan to perform the Hallelujah Chorus twice during each concert, with the second pass turned into an audience sing-along.

Hinsdale, IL · 1d

hoodline.com

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Robyn Mineko Williams Turns a Salt Shed Lounge Into a Dance About Mortality

Three Top Lounge at the Salt Shed — Site of Scheduled Performances. Chicago choreographer Robyn Mineko Williams will stage “To Leave You” at Three Top Lounge at the Salt Shed, 1357 N. Elston Ave., on Nov. 9 and 10. The performance brings together dance, music and visual art, with the audience moving around as the action unfolds.

Chicago, IL · 2d

takemetotn.com

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This Nostalgic Illinois Diner Has A Sweet Surprise For Anyone Who Loves Greek Donuts

Free Greek donuts are not something you expect with breakfast, but one Illinois cafe has been known to hand them out on select weekdays. That small surprise is enough to make any morning feel brighter. The kitchen leans on Greek roots and classic diner comfort. Lemon rice soup shares a...

Illinois · 21h

Axios Chicago

partner publisher · 5.3K followers

How well do you know Chicago's legendary improvisers?

It's no secret that Chicago has produced some of the funniest people on the planet. The big picture: From Second City to iO to The Annoyance, generations of improvisers have honed their comedy chops on Chicago stages before going on to "Saturday Night Live," Hollywood and late-night television. Why it matters: This weekend, iO celebrates its 45th anniversary , giving us the perfect excuse to revisit some of the legendary performers who helped make Chicago the improv comedy capital. This week's Kaufmann Quiz: Improv legends! https://www.opinionstage.com/api/v2/widgets/626e97b9-f72b-4309-8e2f-9fd4dec9cdb0/iframe Play more quizzes: Local TV legends Inventions Architecture Suburban landmarks Neighborhoods, volume 2 Neighborhoods, volume 1 Punk rock history Bears jersey numbers Action movies State politics Illinois routes Sports returns Local waterways Chi celebrities 4th of July Pride vol. 2 The Obamas 1996 Summer annoyances High school locations Street festivals Stadium hijinks Colleges and universities May Day Jazz in Chicago Chicago companies Street smarts Dive bars Department stores Bus routes Dance clubs Famous trades 2016 Chicago Fancy foodies (vol. 2) What's the frequency, Chicago? Bears playoff history 2025 news Movie theaters Chicago on TV Movie quotes Fall suburbs Scary Chicago 1998 Memorable locations Malls Newspapers Political satire Anthony Rizzo "The Dark Knight" film locations

Chicago, IL · 2d

hoodline.com

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Ringling Bros. Circus Returns to Rosemont With Daredevil Bello Nock, Seven Shows

The Greatest Show on Earth is pitching its tent in Rosemont this weekend, as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey brings its animal-free reboot to Allstate Arena for seven performances running Friday through Sunday. The production leans on acrobats, trapeze artists and a live DJ rather than elephants or lions, and it's bringing along a seventh-generation daredevil who's made a name for himself well beyond the big top.

Rosemont, IL · 2d

CBS Chicago

partner publisher · 230.8K followers

Chicago rat birth control pilot program now in Albany Park

A Chicago pilot program that feeds rat birth control to curb the city's rodent problem is now expanding into Albany Park.

Chicago, IL · 3d

Axios Chicago

partner publisher · 5.3K followers

Chicago dining scene sees healing foods and new Chinese spots

The Chicago food scene is cooking up fresh developments in food as medicine, new Chinese eateries, a Fulton Market Gibson's and some changes at LeTour and Sifr. Let's dig in. Herbal medicine: Award-winning Edgewater Thai restaurant Herb is launching new dishes designed to heal and delight. Chef Patty Neumson tells Axios that recent health challenges inspired her to infuse fresh menu items with healing ingredients from traditional food cultures including ginger, turmeric and cassia leaves. Winter squash chicken curry at Herb in Edgewater. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios Eat up: I recently sampled a velvety winter squash and chicken curry, zingy ginger pork, refreshing pomelo salad and pleasingly (for me) bitter cassia leaf curry that can be served with tofu or beef. All intense but delicious. Fresh Chinese spots Dungeness crabs at Marina Bay in the 88 Market. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios Last month saw the opening of perhaps the city's biggest Hong Kong-style dim sum and seafood spot with Marina Bay in Chinatown's 88 Market Place. The enormous main dining room offers dim sum until 3pm, when it becomes a Hong Kong-style seafood restaurant and banquet facility. What I'm eyeing: All the traditional Cantonese fare, of course, but also matcha Phoenix buns

Chicago, IL · 2d

hoodline.com

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Stitchdown Expo Lands in Chicago, Aiming for 2,000 Shoe Lovers and 50+ Brands

Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood is playing host this week to a gathering built for people who care deeply about what’s on their feet. Stitchdown Expo programming runs Thursday, November 5 through Saturday, November 7, with the Expo at Artifact Events on November 6 and 7 and activities spanning multiple venues. It includes a materials trade show and main Expo floor, workshops at the Chicago School of Shoemaking, tannery tours at Horween Leather Co. and other activities at Live Bash. Organizers describe it as a global footwear event showcasing makers across clothing, leather goods, tailoring and other thoughtfully made retail categories.

Chicago, IL · 2d

everafterinthewoods.com

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8 Old-School Illinois Bowling Alleys Where Shoes, Lanes And Food Still Cost Like 1985

A bowling alley in Illinois started out as a 1911 garage, and it later became a filming location for Groundhog Day. Yes, the Bill Murray one, and I can’t stop smiling at that detail. Another spot rolls on 12 wood lanes beneath a historic theater. A third still keeps...

Illinois · 2d

Newser

partner publisher · 21.3K followers

Man Finds Kitten at Airport, Opts to Fly Home With It

(This content was created with the help of AI.) A missed flight at Chicago's O'Hare ended with one traveler gaining a four-legged companion. Minnesotan Virgil Wiebe was smoking a cigar outside the airport's Terminal 1, after his connecting flight had taken off and he waited for the next available flight, when a tiny orange kitten, thought to be about 3 weeks old, trotted up to him with no mother in sight, reports People. "This little guy just charged up to me [and] climbed on my foot," Wiebe tells KARE. "What are you supposed to do when a kitten kind of attacks you?" He says he texted his wife...

Chicago, IL · 1d

unearththevoyage.com

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Rows Of Pinball Machines Fill This Stone Park, Illinois Arcade Where The Games Are Meant To Be Played

Some of the best finds in Illinois hide in buildings you would drive right past without a second look. You pull up to a quiet block, half wondering if you took a wrong turn, and then you hear it: bells, flippers, and the happy clatter of steel balls. Inside waits...

Stone Park, IL · 1d

Parade

partner publisher · 863.3K followers

In 1893, a Woman Born Into Slavery Made Pancakes at the World’s Fair and Became the Country’s First Living Brand Ambassador; She Was Buried in an Unmarked Grave

Born into slavery in Kentucky. Made pancakes at the 1893 World’s Fair for 27 million visitors. Became the country’s first ever living brand ambassador. Buried in an unmarked grave. The brand she made famous lasted 130 more years.

Chicago, IL · 2d

hoodline.com

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Garfield Park Conservatory Opens 4-Acre Child Wild Garden, First of Its Kind in a City

Garfield Park Conservatory has a sprawling new reason for West Side families to head outside: a four-acre nature play garden called the Child Wild Exploration Garden, packed with climbing mounds, a sensory cave, a prairie maze and a floating boardwalk. Park District Superintendent Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and the district's director of conservatories, Mary Eysenbach, cut the ribbon on the space Thursday at the conservatory grounds in Garfield Park.

Chicago, IL · 1d

takingthekids.com

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This Illinois Donut Shop Tucked In An Alley Makes Vegan Donuts So Good People Order Ahead And Detour For A Dozen

Twenty-four hours. That’s how long the brioche dough takes before it becomes a doughnut at one tiny Illinois window, and the whole thing is vegan. No eggs, no butter, no milk. Yet the lineup reads like a classic bakery case, with Boston cream, apple fritters, and a flaky vanilla bean cronut.

Chicago, IL · 1d

suburbanchicagoland.com

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Eddie Merlot’s Announces Holiday Menu with Signature Steaks and Seafood Favorites

Eddie Merlot’s Announces Holiday Menu with Signature Steaks and Seafood Favorites. Eddie Merlot’s is bringing elevated dining to the holiday season with a limited-time Holiday Menu, available Nov. 3 through Jan. 4 at all locations. The menu features premium cuts of meat, fresh seafood and seasonal wine pairings,...

Burr Ridge, IL · 1d

takingthekids.com

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6 Illinois Pizza Joints Where Tavern-Cut Squares Have Fed Families For Over 50 Years

Tavern-style pizza has its own official holiday now. It lands every October 22, and I love that a thin, crunchy pie earned a spot on the calendar. The squares came first for a practical reason. Early tavern pizza was handed out as a free snack, cut small so folks could eat with one hand.

Chicago, IL · 1d