Eat. Watch. Do. — ‘Succession’ review, National Cheesesteak Day, plus Lolla lineup
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It’s Thursday, Chicago.
And we’re so good at finding things to celebrate. For example, Friday is National Cheesesteak Day. Though you probably don’t live in Philadelphia, you can celebrate the Chicago way, with gooey melted cheese on an Italian beef.
If your family and friends are gathering for iftar in the coming days and weeks, we have recipes for a few Somali dishes that are sure to please a crowd this Ramadan.
And now that tickets are on sale for summer bashes like Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Fest and the Chicago Humanities Festival, we can say that spring has sprung in Chicagoland, even if the sun doesn’t seem to have gotten the message.
Enjoy the weekend, we’ll see you here next week.
— Lauryn Azu, deputy senior editor
Review: Vermilion transforms with one woman’s fiery Indian Chinese flavors and convictions
At longtime River North fixture Vermilion, “the new Indian Chinese incarnation is concise and much more personal,” critic Louisa Chu writes. Owner Rohini Dey recently revamped the original Indian Latin menu, and now Vermilion is serving dishes like chili chicken, a re-imagined dim sum dish, jackfruit spring rolls and luscious desserts. And Dey doesn’t shy away from giving her menu items provocative names. Read more here.
‘Succession’ review: The billionaires are back for a final season on HBO, battle lines drawn
The final season premiere of “Succession” is out on HBO Max this weekend. “Let us take this opportunity to savor Brian Cox’s final lap as Logan Roy, he of the towering rage, manipulative tendencies and sulky disappointment in his progeny,” critic Nina Metz writes. Read her review here.
Readers’ Choice Food Awards 2023: Vote for your favorite restaurants, bars and more
The nominations have been tallied, and it’s time to start casting those votes — for the mayoral runoff, sure, but just as importantly: for the 2023 Readers’ Choice Food Awards. You can vote for your favorite bar, restaurant, online food sensation and more every day until March 31 here.
‘John Wick 4’ review: A globe-trotting American assassin in Paris, Berlin and Neverland
Keanu Reeves reprises his role as John Wick in the latest sequel, out this weekend in theaters. Clocking in at almost three hours, too much of “John Wick: Chapter 4″ mistakes grandiloquence for excitement, critic Michael Phillips writes in his latest review. “But yes, as bloody diversion goes, the audience gets its money’s worth.”
The late Lance Reddick, who died Friday and played Charon in the “Wick” series, appears briefly in the early scenes of the movie, and Phillips has thoughts on that as well. Read more here.
Celebrate National Cheesesteak Day with a secret Chicago cheesesteak, yes, cheese on Italian beef
You might celebrate National Cheesesteak Day on Friday with the beloved sandwich imported from Philadelphia. Or perhaps with cheese on Italian beef — Italian beef authority Al’s #1 Beef serves it, and so does Portillo’s. Read Louisa Chu’s take on why cheese on Italian beef isn’t so taboo here.
Lollapalooza lineup 2023: Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish and Red Hot Chili Peppers
Lollapalooza announced its lineup for 2023 this week. Headliners include Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers and ODESZA. The four-day music festival will be Aug. 3-6 in Grant Park, bringing more than 170 bands to nine stages. Tickets went on presale today. Read more here.
Pitchfork Music Festival 2023: The Smile, Big Thief and Bon Iver
Chicago Humanities Spring Fest 2023: Ruth E. Carter, Rainn Wilson, Stacey Abrams and plenty of music
Review: Theo Ubique is just the theater to put on a fresh and lively ‘Threepenny Opera’
Evanston’s Theo Ubique Theatre is performing Bertolt Brecht’s “The Threepenny Opera” until the end of April. “This 1928 composition ... really never goes out of style, and as long as corruption, hypocrisy and virtue signaling remain a constituent part of human behavior, it never will,” theater critic Chris Jones writes. Read more here.
Savory and sweet Ramadan recipes to break the fast
With Ramadan beginning Wednesday, Muslims worldwide are gathering with family and friends to share meals after sundown. Try out these four Somali recipes to celebrate, like Soor iyo Dalac Bilaash, tomato-topped grits, or Rooti Farmaajo, cheese-filled buns baked into a honeycomb pattern. Learn how to prepare these dishes and more here.
With a Pink Floyd cover band, we listen to ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ on its 50th anniversary
“The Dark Side of the Moon,” the eighth studio album of the band Pink Floyd, turns 50 this month. The Tribune’s Chris Borrelli interviews Kyle Strong of the Chicago Pink Floyd cover band Think Floyd USA to discuss the album’s timeless meaning. Upcoming events to commemorate the anniversary include an Adler Planetarium show set to the album March 31 and a performance by Think Floyd USA on April 1 in Crystal Lake. Read more here.
Head to southern Indiana for fertile vineyards, historic hotels
Southern Indiana has an unlikely treasure trove of vineyards and wineries. Read where you can sample terrific food and wine, unwind in woodsy and romantic rural hotels and discover a different side of the state here.
