Eat. Watch. Do. — ‘The Bear’ review, drag brunch at The Walnut Room and top 10 summer art shows
It’s Thursday, Chicago.
With the solstice on Wednesday, summer has officially begun. If you’re out enjoying the warm weather and looking for delicious restaurants to try, we’ve got a list of Black-owned bars and restaurants in honor of Juneteenth and a list of notable vegan spots from the recent Vegandale fest.
But if you’d rather stay indoors, there’s still plenty to enjoy, from art shows and drag brunches in person, to the latest seasons of “The Bear” and “Swagger” from the comfort of your couch. As a Wes Anderson fan, I’m most excited for his latest, “Asteroid City,” hitting theaters tomorrow.
Have a great weekend, we’ll see you next week.
— Kayla Samoy, deputy senior editor
Review: ‘Magical Life’ by Larry Hass is a blend of magic, philosophy and Chicago
If sitting at a table in a beautiful venue, watching accomplished sleight of hand and pondering life’s deeper questions sounds appealing, this magic show may be for you.
Larry Hass bills himself as the philosopher magician and themes his show around ideas and beliefs. “It’s a nerd-magic niche, perhaps, but it’s a very stimulating one,” Tribune critic Chris Jones writes. Read his full review here.
26 Black-owned restaurants in Chicagoland
Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, was Monday, and to mark that federal holiday, writer Samantha Nelson has a list of Black-owned bars and restaurants around Chicago.
From casual counter-service joints to fine-dining establishments, you’re sure to find new favorites among these spots that you can keep visiting all year long. Read her full list here.
Top 10 art shows to see this summer: From a Stanley Brouwn retrospective to a Derrick Woods-Morrow solo exhibition
If you find yourself sunburned and sweating this summer, head indoors to an air-conditioned gallery to cool down. Contributing critic Lori Waxman has selected 10 promising art exhibits to visit. Read her full list here.
6 must-try samples at one of Chicago’s biggest vegan food fests
If you missed Vegandale in Grant Park a couple of weekends ago, Tribune editor Lauryn Azu is ready to catch you up. She’s picked six places she sampled at the fest that you can now try at your leisure around the city, with offerings from ice cream to tacos to canned cocktails. Read her full list here.
‘Asteroid City’ review: Love, loss, storytelling and aliens collide in Wes Anderson’s 1955 desert dreamland
“What I like about ‘Asteroid City’ is its sheer visual beauty, spiced with sweetness, and occasional dashes of real feeling,” writes Tribune critic Michael Phillips.
The film has a lighter and literally sunnier spirit than usual for Wes Anderson, he writes, and the quick-time banter keeps the movie moving. Read his full review here.
TacoSur went viral and got packed, but it’s still the best new taqueria in Chicago
TacoSur, the new Tijuana-style taqueria in Little Village has long wait times — but for a good reason. The taco-eating public swamped the restaurant — from the same owner as Tacos El Rey — after a video went viral on TikTok and Instagram.
“I’d prefer not to add more fuel to the fire,” writes Tribune critic Nick Kindelsperger. “But if any new taqueria deserves to be slammed, it’s TacoSur.” Read the full story here.
‘The Bear’ review: In Season 2, the Italian beef sandwich joint becomes a fine dining establishment. What could go wrong?
“The Bear” is back. For Season 2, its priorities are mostly outside the kitchen and the story isn’t always perfectly balanced.
However, the show “remains as absorbing as ever, with a visual language that is in love with food, and in love with the city itself,” writes Tribune critic Nina Metz. Read her full review here.
“Swagger” Season 2 review: Will their hoop dreams be deferred?
My worst moment: Tony Shalhoub was Mr. Invisible at an audition
Column: Drag brunch prevails at The Walnut Room, where history and radical acceptance collide
Every other weekend or so, if you head up seven floors at Macy’s to The Walnut Room, you’ll feel the music before you see the spotlights beaming from the drag brunch show.
Tribune critic Louisa Chu spoke with Ty Huey, a Black nonbinary bearded drag queen who performs as Lucy Stoole, about what the show means to them. Read her full column here.
‘No Hard Feelings’ review: A raunchy Jennifer Lawrence comedy that’s funny, and also kind of sweet
“This relaxed, agreeable comedy,” Tribune critic Michael Phillips writes, “works because the stars make it work, and the premise — a little hoary — doesn’t sweat the logic part.”
He praises Jennifer Lawrence for her fantastic timing and take-it-or-leave-it confidence in this reasonably humane R-rated comedy. Read his full review here.
Route 66, America’s ‘Mother Road,’ readies for its centennial
The eight states traversed by Route 66 are getting it ready for its 100th anniversary in 2026.
In Illinois, where the iconic highway starts and stretches for 300 miles, the state this spring awarded $6.6 million in grants to help communities upgrade and market their Route 66 attractions in advance of the anniversary festivities. Read the full story here.
