South Loop
Acadia
Harmony, complement, and dichotomy define the cuisine and atmosphere of this new South Loop spot by the corner of 18th Street and Wabash. A little elegant, a little homegrown, Acadia is a unique experience in accessibly upscale dining, which is absolutely unafraid to defy your expectations. »
Grounded in Belief
“What do you know about your neighbors?” This was the first question that Amanda Neely, co-owner of Overflow Coffee Bar in the South Loop, posed to residents. »
Writing Cure
“It’s an isolating subject,” Ann Hedreen said Saturday night, referring to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other memory disorders. As organizer of a reading at Overflow Coffee Bar called “Brain Trust,” Hedreen brought together writers who have dealt with the isolation and sadness that comes from caring for someone suffering through such a disease. It... »
Floats Your Boat
Three types of people turned out last Sunday for the Chicago Boat, Sports & RV Show: boat people, family people, and conventioneers. The boat people flocked to McCormick Place for the boats. They bought boats (last year’s floor models), sold boats (“Rock-bottom boat show prices!”), and complained about things that were not boats (“Starbucks... »
Pressed and Ready
Cooking a waffle is a straightforward thing—any monkey can put an Eggo in a microwave. But Waffles—a new South Loop brunch joint—makes a big impression with its creative takes on this breakfast staple. »
The South Loop
From far away, the towering condo buildings of the South Loop appear crystalline and new, the products of more than 30 years of development. Yet the streets tell a much different story, worn by the highs and lows of the neighborhood’s past. Once the place to live in Chicago, Prairie Avenue hosted some of... »
Unconventional McCormick
Amid concerns of structural problems and inadequacy as an event center, the future of McCormick Place East is now in question. For the architects, environmentalists, politicians, and everyday people who have long disputed the building’s merits, the chance to decide what will become of the exhibition space has been a long time coming. »
Blues Limbo
Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation occupies an iconic building from a bygone era. Located in the old home of Chess Records, a blues powerhouse in the ’50s and ’60s, the ornate façade stands in sharp contrast to the clean steel and glass of the high-end condos next door. »
