Eat. Watch. Do. — Best burritos, ‘Air’ review, plus Easter specials

Ariel Cheung, Chicago Tribune
·4 min read

It’s Thursday, Chicago.

The freshness of spring has always signaled a chance for new beginnings.

In Chicago, baseball fans are pinning their hopes on a great season (or at least a great bar). Spring TV and movie premieres give us something new to chew on (metaphorically) as do restaurant debuts, in a more literal sense.

At the same time, we’ve got lots of tried-and-true things worth celebrating: Portillo’s turns 60 this year in style, South Side jazz guitarist George Freeman will turn 96 this weekend just as he releases a new album, and while new movie “Air” might not cover a lot of new ground (Michael Jordan! shoes!), it’s a fun watch anyway.

Keep an eye on those April showers — there’s been quite a deluge — and we’ll see you next week.

— Ariel Cheung, food and travel editor

Chicago band Miirrors releases debut album ‘Motion and Picture,’ and will play the Hideout

“Motion and Picture,” the debut album by Chicago indie rock band Miirrors released in late March, was a work-in-progress for many years — 22 years to be exact.

But it was time well spent, writes music critic Britt Julious ahead of the band’s show at the Hideout this weekend.

Column: How does an irreverent fried chicken and pizza restaurant observe Ramadan?

“Holy Buckets Halal Chicken & Pizza stands out as an unlikely Arab American cultural ambassador by serving up knowledge with disarming humor, as often as it does the fried chicken tenders they call Gaza Strips,” writes Tribune food critic Louisa Chu.

And, especially during Ramadan, that’s an important contribution to our city, she says. Read more about why in her latest column.

South Side guitarist George Freeman is still packing Chicago’s jazz clubs, at age 96

George Freeman has done more than witness jazz history; he’s made it, writes the Tribune’s Hannah Edgar.

And when Freeman headlines the Green Mill this weekend, he’ll be celebrating not just his 96th birthday — yes, you read that right — but the release of a new record.

63 Easter specials at Chicagoland restaurants, from take-home meal kits to indulgent $300 buffets

Feast on ham and hot cross buns, bring the kiddos along to meet the Easter Bunny, or make an at-home Easter meal a breeze with meal kits from Chicagoland restaurants. Here are more than 60 specials for the holiday weekend.

‘Air’ review: Damon and Affleck team up for the story of Nike’s pursuit of Michael Jordan

The Ben Affleck-directed, Matt Damon-starring flick “Air” is “a movie about winners, winning,” writes Tribune critic Michael Phillips — and what’s not to love about that?

There’s also tons of ’80s vibes, Viola Davis and her real-life husband portraying Michael Jordan’s parents, and ... not much Michael Jordan. Read more in Phillips’ review here.

‘Beef’ review: Ali Wong and Steven Yeun play LA drivers whose road rage spirals into a battle royale

Out Thursday on Netflix, “Beef” is a tale of road rage-driven revenge, and a mostly successful one, writes Tribune critic Nina Metz. See how a one-off encounter between Ali Wong’s Amy and Danny, played by Steven Yeun of “Minari” and “The Walking Dead” fame, spirals into quite the saga in her review here.

Happy Portillo’s Day, Chicago: 60th anniversary Dog House tour kicks off after Lightfoot proclamation

We’re not ones to turn down a food holiday (it’s also National Burrito Day, fyi), nor an excuse to swing by Portillo’s for a faithful rendering of one of Chicago’s many iconic foods. For the chain’s 60th anniversary, it’s taking a replica of the original Dog House trailer on the road — and Portillo’s faithfuls can stop by for some freebies.

‘Schmigadoon!’ review: Season 2 of the musical parody morphs into Schmicago

Tribune critic Nina Metz says her cold dark heart melts a little during the second season of “Schmigadoon!” She also finds the show’s return has improved upon its first season, with better songs, a tighter plot and better visuals. Read more about the show’s move to Schmicago in her review.

Review: In ‘A Soldier’s Play’ at CIBC Theatre, a great drama finally has its moment

Charles Fuller’s “A Soldier’s Play” won a Pulitzer Prize in 1982 but did not appear on Broadway until 2020 because, at least in Fuller’s telling, the playwright refused to change his final line at producers’ demands.

The line in question? “You’ll have to get used to Black people being in charge.”

So there was something apt about the opening of the national tour of “A Soldier’s Play” in Chicago taking place on a night when the city elected its third Black mayor, Brandon Johnson, writes Tribune theater critic Chris Jones. Read more in his review here.

In search of Mary Magdalene: A French pilgrimage brings devotees to shrine, dwelling of sainted disciple

Much of what you might have learned about Mary Magdalene isn’t true, writes Erika Hobbs. And after her own unlearning, Hobbs found herself on a pilgrimage in southern France, where she sought out the shrines, basilica and other tributes to the sainted disciple. Read more about her journey — just in time for Easter — here.