08/25/08

The Last Hurrah

Last week was The Fiancé's rite-of-passage dudefest commonly known as the Vegas bachelor party. Before his trip, I laid down one simple rule: No touching strippers in inappropriate places. That's it. One rule. I didn't ask him not to go to strip clubs; I didn't remind him not to gamble away our life savings (he knows better). But maybe there should have been two simple rules. On our first weekend apart since getting engaged, it might have been nice for...

Posted at 05:12 PM in Relationships | Permalink | Comments (4)

08/21/08

No Bull: The scoop on Bull & Bear; plus, a new bar alert and celeb spotting

Luke Stoioff—along with fellow Stone Lotus partners David Rekhson and Brandon Zisman—has been working on Bull & Bear (431 N. Wells St.), a high-end sports bar for Loopers and traders, for more that a year. Although the place isn’t slated to open until mid-October, the trio already has a slew of other projects in the pipeline, including...

Posted at 04:36 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (1)

08/18/08

Ten Things Men Should Know About Women

The wedding is about a month away, and I haven't had an unaided night of sleep in weeks. My friends and my doctor have told me it's perfectly normal to develop irrational anxieties before a wedding, as long as the panic has nothing to do with the decision to get married. Although I don't have a single doubt about spending the rest of my life with The Fiancé, I've been a little apprehensive about the living together part—especially right now, when the two of us are still in a condo built for one...

Posted at 06:43 PM in Relationships | Permalink | Comments (16)

08/14/08

If the Shoe Fits: My Night at Hammond’s Horseshoe Casino

What I loved and hated—and felt suspiciously neutral about—at the newly renovated, $500 million Horseshoe Casino, floating just off Hammond, Indiana. I checked out the spot Friday on opening night, along with about 6,000 other partygoers. Is this Chicago's next nightlife destination? You be the judge...

Posted at 03:59 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (9)

08/11/08

The Accidental Bridezilla

The invitations went out last week, and suddenly everyone seems to have entered panic mode. The Fiancé, who typically keeps his cool under even the most strenuous circumstances, had to take a walk last Monday after I mentioned that some of our guests had already received their invites. It seems our pending nuptials are making even him a little nervous...

Posted at 02:58 PM in Relationships | Permalink | Comments (12)

08/07/08

Celebrity-palooza, Bar News, and more

There are after-parties, and then there are industry parties. Just about every club worth its cover was touting its own "official" Lollapalooza after-party last weekend. The Underground sent out mass emails and text messages bragging that Lindsay Lohan and waify gal pal Samantha Ronson were in the house—they were hanging out while Sammie's Grammy Award-winning brother (and Sunday Lollapalooza act) DJ Mark Ronson spun at the club...

Posted at 04:36 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (6)

08/04/08

Showers are the New Sweet Sixteens

When I was in high school, I had a Sweet Sixteen. I wore a bright blue and rainbow-striped sweater from Benetton with shoulder pads. The sweater was three sizes too big, and it swallowed its tighter, matching cousin, the sweater skirt. Who got invited to Sweet Sixteens was the stuff of Gossip Girl. Midway through my party (at the now-shuttered Brio in Highland Park), I sat front and center opening gifts, dolling out my best "oohs" and "ahhs" before 40 frenemies. I feigned excitement over a stuffed animal...

Posted at 04:04 PM in Relationships | Permalink | Comments (0)

07/31/08

Nightlife Scoop: Rockit GM Leaves the Ranch, and More

In one of the bigger bar shakeups of the year, Cary Michael, former GM of Rockit Bar & Grill, announced his resignation last week, just days after the head of Rockit Ranch’s PR, Maura Daley (aka the mayor's niece), also said her goodbyes. I caught up with Michael to talk about his leaving and his in-the-works nightlife venture: an as-yet-unnamed spot in West Town (1371 W. Chicago Ave.) with partners Howard Natinsky (Five Star, Fat Cat) and Jim Dragatsis (Marigold)...

Posted at 03:16 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (0)

07/28/08

Girls Gone Mild(ish)

Bachelorette parties aren't what they used to be—or maybe I'm not who I used to be. After spending more than a decade reporting on the club circuit, the last thing I wanted for my own pre-marital sendoff was to run around town with a veil on my head. After all, bachelorette parties—and their accompanying paraphernalia—aren't exactly a desired demographic at most nicer clubs downtown...

Posted at 03:33 PM in Relationships | Permalink | Comments (6)

07/24/08

This Week's Nightlife Buzz: The It List

1. GQ has named its top 20 cocktails in America, and two are from Chicago: The Violet Hour's Juliet & Romeo and Nacional 27's Strawberry-Rhubarb-Basil-Balsamic Mojito. Agree? Disagree? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.

2. Zocalo and Partida Tequila team up for a tequila tasting tonight...

Posted at 04:15 PM in Nightlife | Permalink | Comments (8)