It’s Thursday, Chicago.
And Independence Day weekend totally sneaked up on us! With hazy skies still on the horizon and a big weekend for NASCAR fans on deck, there’s so much to do and see in Chicago ? indoors included ? like watching the final “Indiana Jones” installment, sampling bites from Chicago’s growing halal chicken scene, or snagging a table at Avondale’s newest dining hot spot.
We’re also watching out for fireworks displays across the region, and of course, getting hungry for what’s on the grill. In case you haven’t placed your cookout order, our list of 29 Chicagoland restaurants with specials for the weekend may help.
Enjoy the weekend, we’ll see you next week.
— Lauryn Azu, deputy senior editor
The opening of Hot Chi in Revival Food Hall last month reflects a growing Chicagoland food trend: zabiha-halal chicken sandwiches. Illinois’ Muslim population is one of the fastest-growing and most diverse faith communities in the U.S., and the global market for halal food is expected to double by 2028. Read more about Hot Chi, along with North Side halal chicken spot Atomic Wings, here.
Review: An intensely rebooted ‘Tommy’ explodes with life on the Goodman Theatre stage
Director Des McAnuff’s reboot of “Tommy” at Goodman Theatre “is truly a ready-for-prime-time stunner with enough assets to bring its Chicago audience to its feet well before its end,” Tribune theater critic Chris Jones writes. The play also serves as a reminder to viewers why The Who and Pete Townshend’s music can still command arenas. Read his full review here.
Review: In ‘Another Marriage’ at Steppenwolf Theatre, can a relationship survive celebrity fame?
“Warlord might as well be called Enigma,” Tribune food critic Nick Kindelsperger writes of the new Avondale restaurant. “No news release was released before opening. No reservations are taken. Doors are only open from Friday to Monday.”
Chefs Trevor Fleming, Emily Kraszyk and John Lupton have created an evolving menu of local items cooked over fire, at fair prices to boot, Kindselsperger writes. Read his full review here.
“Dial of Destiny” is the fifth and final “Indiana Jones” movie, starring Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge on a quest to wrench a time travel device from the hands of a Nazi scientist.
“Many will enjoy the new film well enough, for the payoff of seeing Ford, the fedora, the bullwhip and the John Williams ‘Raiders’ march theme one more time,” Tribune critic Michael Phillips writes. Read his full review here.
5 Chicago restaurants showcasing Mexican and Chinese barbecue
With one of the most important barbecue holidays upon us this weekend, it’s prime time to explore its international presence in Chicago, including grilled skewers, barbecued duck and pork, or chile pasilla-marinated beef barbacoa de res. We have five picks for trying Mexican and Chinese takes on barbecue around the city here.
‘Rock Hudson: All that Heaven Allowed’ review: The double life of a Hollywood star
The HBO documentary about one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, “Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed,” offers a glimpse into the Winnetka-born actor’s complex double life — a heterosexual public image of brawn and wit, with a closeted private life and a fatal AIDS diagnosis. Read Tribune critic Nina Metz’s full review of the documentary here.
My worst moment: The time June Diane Raphael was cocktail party entertainment for the super rich
29 July Fourth specials at Chicagoland restaurants and bars, from grilling demos to poolside pops
Get into the swing of Independence Day by dining out this weekend. Restaurant specials include a dog-friendly patio party at Lottie’s Pub in Bucktown and food trucks and live music at One Allegiance Brewing in Chicago Ridge. Get the full list here.
Fireworks for 2023: All the displays around the Chicago area for the Fourth of July
The booming nighttime lights of Independence Day weekend have arrived. To help you celebrate in style, we’ve rounded up a guide to Chicagoland firework shows this weekend, from Antioch to Yorkville, here.
On its best pages, Josh Lettiere’s first novel, “Mickey Sojourn,” “reads like a collaboration between Hunter S. Thompson and Elmore Leonard,” Tribune reporter Rick Kogan writes.
The novel reflects Lettiere’s real life: his trips to Hollywood to naively shop a screenplay, disappointments and eventually robbing banks to survive, getting caught and winding up in prison. Read more about Lettiere’s journey here.
Peak excitement: Ditch the car and explore ‘America’s Mountain’ by foot, bike and train
Colorado’s Pikes Peak attracts about a half-million people each year, and is known as “America’s Mountain” for inspiring the tune “America the Beautiful,” written by Katharine Lee Bates. Lori Rackl describes how you can hike, bike or take a train to the summit here.
