Eat. Watch. Do. — SZA in Chicago, Soulé review, plus 29 Lenten specials
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It’s Thursday, Chicago.
We hope you didn’t stuff yourself to the brim on Fat Tuesday. The great thing about Chicago is that no matter the time of year, there are always delectable things to eat across this fair city. Plus, there’s no better time to sample a bevy of seafood-based dishes than during Lent.
With voting for municipal elections this coming Tuesday, unwind from the stress of politics with comedies on streaming like “Cunk on Earth” and “Party Down,” which our entertainment critics reviewed this week.
And if you’re sorry you missed SZA at the United Center last night (as I am), worry not, for we have a rundown on exactly what went down at her first arena tour here.
Enjoy the weekend, we’ll see you here next week.
— Lauryn Azu, deputy senior editor
Review: There’s no place like home for Soulé, bringing its Creole soul food back to North Lawndale
Chef Bridgette Flagg’s new home for Soulé was custom-built from the ground up in the neighborhood where her culinary journey began.
Catfish takes center stage on the menu at this location, where “not one, but two catfish fillets perch on top of a huge bowl of grits, served with a creamy garlic sauce that ends the debate over sweet or savory before it even starts,” writes Tribune food critic Louisa Chu. Read more of her impression of the new restaurant here.
Review: Netflix’s ‘Cunk on Earth’ is the funniest mockumentary around
The British mockumentary series “Cunk on Earth,” now on Netflix, “is the funniest thing I’ve seen in months, and not just on Netflix,” writes film critic Michael Phillips.
Diane Morgan plays Philomena Cunk, an oblivious television personality who surveys human history in five half-hour segments. Read Phillips’ review here.
29 Chicago restaurants with seafood specials for Lent, from fish fries to lobster tails
Speaking of seafood, with the Lenten season underway, we’ve rounded up 29 restaurants serving up your perfect Friday night family meal, or whichever day you prefer.
From a Wisconsin-style fish fry to fried fish tacos, there’s something for permanent pescatarians and temporary ones alike.
‘Party Down’ review: After a 13-year gap, Adam Scott and his fellow Los Angeles cater-waiters are back
A new “Party Down” season is back, 13 years since episodes last aired on Starz. Playing a cater-waiter with a bumbling boss, Adam Scott got his breakout role on the show, going on to act in “Parks and Recreation” and “Step Brothers.”
“This is actually the one time I’ll celebrate Hollywood’s obsession with reincarnating old IP,” Tribune critic Nina Metz writes. Read her thoughts on the show’s return here.
Just opened: ‘Cousin’ of Momotaro hitting Southport Corridor, plus 5 more new restaurants in Chicago
Boka Restaurant Group is opening three concepts in the space formerly occupied by Southport Lanes.
One of these, Itoko, is a brand-new sushi and robata restaurant from Gene Kato, the chef at Momotaro. Read more about Itoko and five more new restaurants in Chicago here.
Review: ‘Les Misérables’ at the Cadillac Palace is tour that’s both timelessly excellent and of the moment
While “Les Misérables” is a lovable and long-lived classic, sometimes these great productions can still evolve and improve, theater critic Chris Jones writes. The production at Cadillac Palace Theatre includes Chicago favorites Matt Crowle and Christina Rose Hall and fresh faces like Haley Dortch. Read more here.
Review: ‘Villette’ a welcome if uneven take on the Brontë story by Lookingglass Theatre
Review: ‘Fen’ at Court Theatre is a rare Caryl Churchill play, set in a bleak rural community
Lunch in the Loop: How restaurants are finding their footing downtown as office occupancy still lags
In office-centric parts of downtown, lunch-focused restaurants are trying to regain ground as the trickle of in-person workers remains uneven and pedestrian traffic still lags behind pre-pandemic numbers.
Imee’s Kitchen, a Mediterranean restaurant serving quick bites, is one place seeing some success. Read more about what’s working — and what isn’t — here.
At 103, Sister Jean of Loyola University has a memoir: Shocking details? None. Gripes? Just one.
Chicago celebrity Sister Jean has a new memoir coming out. While there aren’t any juicy details in the book, there are unexpected surprises, like the story of the time her family’s monkey was stolen. Read her sit-down interview with Tribune reporter Chris Borrelli here.
What it took for Frank Sennett to write his new novel, the political thriller ‘Shadow State’
Biblioracle: Why a 1-star review convinced me to read the book anyway
7 Chicago restaurants tracing the culinary journey from Africa to the Americas
Explore the culinary connections between Africa and the Americas at these seven spots across Chicago, from Senegalese yassa and jollof rice in Bronzeville, to Puerto Rican mofongo in Logan Square.
Review: SZA packs the United Center for her ‘SOS’ tour, an arena headliner on the rise
At United Center Wednesday night, the R&B singer SZA navigated complex emotions from her latest album “SOS” amid a nautical backdrop.
Chicago was the second stop for her first arena tour, and she performed with energy and confidence, critic Bob Gendron writes. Read more about the show, with opening act Omar Apollo, here.
