Eat. Watch. Do. — Reviewing Portillo’s vegan hot dog, Top 10 summer movies, plus 9 new restaurants
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It’s Wednesday, Chicago!
Summer is eagerly waiting just around the corner, and at the Tribune, we couldn’t be more excited to finally be making some plans.
We’ve been working hard on our Top 10 summer previews, spread across a plethora of arts and entertainment genres. This week, we’ve got highlights in dance and movies. While the lists include heavy-hitters like Joffrey Ballet and “Jurassic World Dominion,” there are a variety of options featured. As a Filipino American, I was excited to see comic Jo Koy’s “Easter Sunday” movie make the cut.
Meanwhile, the restaurant industry is heating up too, with some places trying to make their comeback after facing pandemic closures. The Tribune’s Nick Kindelsperger takes a look at Naansense, a fast-casual Indian restaurant that recently reopened its brand-new Loop location, and he’s also got a review of Alpana, a comeback of a different sorts from Chicago sommelier and former “Check, Please!” host Alpana Singh.
See you next week.
— Kayla Samoy, deputy senior editor
Hebru Brantley’s Flyboy takes up residence at Navy Pier: ‘I couldn’t have asked for a better home.’
The iconic aviator-goggle-sporting youth called “Flyboy,” a creation of Chicago artist Hebru Brantley, recently found a new home within the Art Studio space at the Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier. Read the full story here.
Review: Alpana Singh is taking control with a gorgeous wine refuge in the Gold Coast
Despite what one might expect from a wine-focused restaurant in the heart of Gold Coast, Alpana has some surprisingly affordable options, writes Tribune critic Nick Kindelsperger.
And there were more surprises in store: along with a striking braised octopus and squid ink campanelle, he found himself just as taken with Alpana‘s salad section. Read the full review here.
Dance Top 10 for summer 2022: Joffrey to tap, flamenco to Dance for Life, and a few of our top picks are free
Although summers used to be relatively sparse dance-wise, the pandemic forced the dance calendar to shift later into the year as more events moved outside. That change seems to have lingered, as there are lots of dance events to check out this summer, from the Joffrey Ballet to Dance for Life to Rhythm World. Read the full list here.
Subscriber exclusive: Bronzeville Winery draws crowds with watermelon steak, plus 8 more new and notable restaurants around Chicago
Tribune critic Louisa Chu has the details on nine new and notable restaurants around the city, including Bronzeville Winery, which opened with a modernist vegan watermelon steak and a roasted marshmallow-garnished yam cocktail. Other notable new restaurants include 3 Sauces Hainam Chicken Rice, and Sip & Savor’s reopening. Read the full story here.
Summer movie Top 10 for 2022: Along with ‘Top Gun,’ will new movies from Disney, Marvel and Jordan Peele bring audiences back to theaters?
Could summer 2022 be a throwback summer season approaching pre-coronavirus box office action? While the answer is uncertain for now, Tribune critic Michael Phillips selected 10 movies to watch this summer, including “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Jurassic World Dominion.” Read the full list here.
Subscriber exclusive: Portillo’s unveils its first vegan hot dog Tuesday. Here’s how it tastes.
Portillo’s, the iconic Chicago restaurant known for its hot dogs, Polish sausages and Italian beef, has released a vegan Garden Dog at all locations across the country.
Tribune critic Louisa Chu has all the details on how it tastes — and if it’s worth paying 30 cents more than for the traditional Chicago-style hot dog. Read the full story here.
‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ review: A legal drama that’s an antidote to the Dick Wolf-ification of the TV landscape
Author Michael Connelly is all over TV at the moment: His Harry Bosch novels have been adapted into a very successful TV series, and his books about Mickey Haller, aka the Lincoln lawyer, are getting the TV treatment for Netflix.
Legal dramas have long been a staple in TV and film, but the cops in “The Lincoln Lawyer” are not portrayed as heroes. And Tribune critic Nina Metz writes that it “feels like a breath of fresh air.” Read the full review here.
Roaring good time awaits at Indianapolis children’s museum’s newly expanded dinosaur exhibit
When you step into the interactive Dinosphere exhibit at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, you’re met with thundering footsteps of dinosaurs, felt and heard but unseen.
The museum’s own staff paleontologists dug up quite a collection in Wyoming, which led to the expansion of the Dinosphere exhibit. Read the full story here.
Review: Moving TimeLine play ‘The Chinese Lady’ is really about the audience’s act of watching
Lloyd Suh’s play “The Chinese Lady,” which is now at the TimeLine Theatre, is both simple and complicated. Tribune critic Chris Jones writes that “it is a plea for Americans to look honestly at a Chinese face and truly see all its myriad contours and complexities, as buffeted by history.” Read the full review here.
Itching to start spring gardening? Here are 101 tips for Memorial Day weekend lawn care, planting and more
Spring took her time to get here, but as the high temperatures of early May mellow into more typical weather for the season, eager gardeners can spend a little time ahead of Memorial Day weekend prepping for the coming months of planting, weeding, mowing and more.
Whether you’re a first-time homeowner looking to lay some groundwork, or a seasoned pro exploring new ideas, here are our top tips for garden and lawn care in the Chicago area.
