Ten years of Jager bombs. Ten years of cream cheese-filled maki rolls. Ten years of pickles on a stick. Yup, it’s been exactly a decade since we launched our Web site. You must be wondering, “Metromix, how do you do it? (And manage to look so young!)”
The answer’s simple, friends: We love it!
Well, sure, some things we love more than others, so below you’ll find the 10 things we love the most — hold the cream cheese.
1. BYOB
Just a few years ago, BYOB joints were a novelty, the domain of obscure ethnic eateries. Today, BYOB’s a way of life. Mom-and-pop diners like Nookies Tree (3344 N. Halsted St.) don’t bat an eye when you lug a bottle of champagne to brunch. Three-star spots like Schwa (1466 N. Ashland Ave.) let you play sommelier, testing your wine-pairing skills against gargantuan nine-course tasting menus.
2. Brunch
The night before he died, New York Times journalist, raconteur and world-class gastronome R.W. Apple Jr. made a recommendation for the perfect pancake: The Bongo Room (1470 N. Milwaukee Ave.) in Wicker Park. This fact stands as sweet testament to Chicago’s position as the best place in the world to grab a late-morning Sunday bite. That’s because with a bit of imagination and a whole lotta batter, places like The Bongo Room, Kitsch’n on Roscoe (2005 W. Roscoe St.) and Orange (3231 N. Clark St.) — the holy trinity of this town’s brunch scene — have led the charge of transforming what was traditionally a chef’s afterthought into the most-anticipated meal of the week. Now pass the frushi!
3. Fest season
Listen, we know winter stinks, but doesn’t the promise of a cool brew (or five) during a sunny weekend street fest balance out a few chilly nights? From heavyweights like Blues Fest to smaller ‘hood bashes like the Palmer Square Boulevard Arts Fest, we tremble with anticipation for our chance to snarf pad Thai from a flimsy paper plate while juggling a beer and watching some random band. This weekend’s Chicago Mayfest starts the season.
4. Music to our ears
Pete Toalson and Bruce Finkelman are picking up where great venues like Metro and the much-missed Lounge Ax have left off. Not only have they made Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western Ave.) a world-renown destination for live music, but they’ve recently branched out and have started staging packed concerts at Logan Square Auditorium, Lakeshore Theater and Portage Theater, among other underutilized venues.
5. Alfresco season
We love this city’s outdoor dining-and-drinking scene almost as much as the Chicagoans who are obsessed with it. Spring weather is freezing? No problem. Twisted Spoke (501 N. Ogden Ave.) will turn on its outdoor heaters. There isn’t a proper patio? That’s fine. Semiramis (4639 N. Kedzie Ave.) will plunk a couple tables along Kedzie Avenue. Whether you’re impressing a date at Shanghai Terrace (108 E. Superior St.) or kicking back at Happy Village (1059 N. Wolcott Ave.), some spot surely has set chairs and (maybe) a table outside for the occasion.
6. Gayborhood liberation
You knew something was about to give when baby strollers started rolling past the gone-but-not-forgotten Manhole. Yep, the so-called “gay ghetto” has grown up. Additions like Minibar (3341 N. Halsted St.) have given Boystown a touch of class, and with the number of straight women you’ll find at Roscoe’s (3356 N. Halsted St.) on Fridays, you have to reconsider your definition of a gay bar. And not only has Boystown grown up, it’s also grown out: Andersonville is now home to Atmosphere (5355 N. Clark St.), Star Gaze (5419 N. Clark St.), Hamburger Mary’s (5400 N. Clark St.) and newbie SoFo (4923 N. Clark St.).
7. Storefront theaters
Sure, you’ve had a few “Wicked” times in the Loop’s Theater District, but Chicago’s off-Loop spots and fringe companies offer the alt-adventures we love. Better yet, you get real diversity: Think spectacle (Redmoon Theater), epic original (The House Theatre of Chicago), irreverent (Gorilla Tango), alfresco (Theatre-Hikes) and campy (Hell in a Handbag Productions). One to watch: Theo Ubique Theatre Company’s “The Laramie Project” at No Exit Cafe in Rogers Park (through June 24).
8. Indie flicks
You’ve been to midnight movies at Music Box, and you don’t always dig the ultra-underground programming at the Gene Siskel Film Center and Facets. That’s why it’s great to remember — especially in a summer of big, action-packed blockbusters — the Landmark Century Cinema (2828 N. Clark St.) is there to deliver the indie goods. Don’t miss the best movie we’ve seen this year, “Away From Her,” now playing.
9. Haute mixologists
Virtual cocktail chefs at restaurant-bars make our taste buds dance with delight. Homemade infusions, flavored syrups and fresh seasonal ingredients are making their way into cocktail shakers around Chicago. Some of the best: Adam Seger at Nacional 27 (325 W. Huron St.) and Jennifer Contraveos of Graze (35 W. Ontario St.). For nights when you can’t quit the club, check out Myong Park’s cool concoctions at Enclave (220 W. Chicago Ave.).
10. Home brews
When England’s The Guardian wrote Goose Island’s Imperial Pale Ale “may just be the best beer in the world,” it confirmed what we already knew — Chicago is a World Class beer town. It seems like every beer fest is heaping some form of praise on local brewpubs Piece (1927 W. North Ave.) and Rock Bottom (1 W. Grand Ave.). And if this city doesn’t brew it, it certainly sells it. The selection of Belgian beers at Hopleaf (5148 N. Clark St.), vintage and obscure ales at Delilah’s (2771 N. Lincoln Ave.), and American craft brews at Map Room (1949 N. Hoyne Ave.) and Sheffield’s (3258 N. Sheffield Ave.) can’t be beat.
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THE TIMES OF OUR LIFE
1997
Nov.: Blackbird opens — BYOB! Liquor license comes through in late January. Chicago Bull Dennis Rodman unveils his nightclub Illusions; it lasts about a year
May: Ambria Chef Gabino Sotelino ties with Roland Liccioni of Le Francais for James Beard’s Best Chef Midwest. Material Issue’s final album, “Telecommando Americano,” is released posthumously
Dec.: Chris Farley, 33, is found dead in his John Hancock Center condominium
1998
Dec.: Old Town School of Folk Music opens Lincoln Avenue outpost. First Chicago-area Krispy Kreme opens at 5420 S. Harlem Ave., Summit. Circus nightclub opens in burgeoning Weed Street nightlife district
March: Michael Jordan-backed One Sixtyblue opens on Randolph Street’s Restaurant Row
May: HotHouse reopens in the South Loop
Nov.: “Ragtime” christens the newly renovated Oriental Theatre
1999
Sept.: Michael Jordan’s eponymous restaurant announces closing
Dec.: Tony Mantuano named executive chef of Spiaggia; Bin 36 opens
Feb.: Biology Bar opens
April: Blackbird chef Paul Kahan named one of Food and Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs. Tru opens. “High Fidelity,” starring John Cusack, starts filming in Chicago
2000
Feb.: Gino’s East leaves longtime home on Superior Street and takes over the space left behind by megaflop Planet Hollywood (633 N. Wells St.)
Jan.: Lincoln Avenue’s legendary Lounge Ax closes. Hipster sushi trend gains culinary credibility with the opening of Mirai; Nine opens, considered trendiest restaurant of the year
Dec.: Smashing Pumpkins plays Metro for its final show. Goodman Theater takes up residence in the Loop
2001
Aug.: Wilco leaves Reprise Records; multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett leaves Wilco
Oct.: The Chicago Sketchfest is born
June: Grant Achatz replaces Shawn McClain at Trio; McClain opens Spring in Wicker Park
2002
Aug.: Fogo De Chao introduces churrascaria-style dining to Chicago
Jan.: “Barbershop” begins filming on the South Side
April: Trio chef Grant Achatz receives Rising Star Chef of the Year award from James Beard Foundation
Nov.: “Spider-Man 2” films fight sequence on the “L”
2003
June: Long-itinerant Lookingglass Theatre moves into the Water Tower Water Works
Sept.: Japonais opens
April: The original Checkerboard Lounge closes
Dec.: Park Grill opens six months ahead of official Millennium Park unveiling
2004
July: “Batman Begins” starts filming in Chicago
Sept.: Metromix crowns Bungalow Loungebar’s Chad Johnson Chicago’s Best Bartender
Feb.: “The Weather Man” begins filming in Chicago. Kanye West releases his debut, “The College Dropout”
2005
June: Demon Dogs, the Chicago classic nestled under the Fullerton “L” stop, serves its final frank
May: Fall Out Boy releases its major-label debut, “From Under the Cork Tree”
July: Lollapalooza makes Chicago its home
2006
Sept.: Esquire movie theater, a Gold Coast institution, closes
Oct.: Empire Liquors, Debonair Social Club and Sweet Alice open in Wicker Park
Feb.: Sola opens in Lincoln Square
May: French bistro Koda opens and upgrades Beverly’s dining options
2007
May: Bravo TV names Dale Levitski (formerly Trio Atelier) a “Top Chef” contestant. Illinois House OKs smoking ban for Jan. 1, 2008
Jan.: Vince Vaughn begins filming “Fred Claus” in River North
June: Ambria scheduled to close after 27 years (this item as published has been corrected in this text)
