The Gage Transforms into a 'Blind Tiger'

Yep, that's a "blind" tiger right there!

Waaaaaay back in the day, there were sophisticated, black-tie speakeasies and there were seedy, illicit speakeasies. These were called Blind Tigers—with the tiger serving as a ruse—which sound a lot more fun than the ones we've heard about.

To school everyone on what they were like, The Gage once again opens its lower-level lounge for the Downstairs bash. The party promises to be a little risque, with some pretty naughty surprises you'll just have to find out about on your own.

Where You Should Be Dining . . . NOW

Bread & Wine's duck confit pierogi, with pickled red onion and herb crème fraiche. (Photo: Bread & Wine)

It might be the dead of winter in Chicago, but that's not stopping a number of restaurants from opening this month and in February.

So I stopped by The U's You & Me This Morning to rap with host Jeanne Sparrow about some of the most anticipated new spots, including red-hot Tavernita in River North and the sexy Storefront Company in Bucktown/Wicker Park.

But wait, there's more!

What's in Store at 'First Look For Charity'

Chicago Auto Show's "First Look For Charity" dessert spread from last year's event. (Photo: First Look 2011)

The Chicago Auto Show's First Look For Charity, the black-tie benefit where guests get an exclusive sneak peek of all the fabulous new cars, celebrates its 20th year on Feb. 9. It's raised more than $32 million for Chicago-area charities since 1992.

For the occasion, they're doing things a bit different, offering guests unusual bites from some local—and not so local—favorites.

Look for David Burke's Primehouse's Executive Chef Rick Gresh to whip up dishes certain to draw long lines. His bites include cheddar bacon dumplings, beef sliders with jalapeno ketchup, and duck confit bread pudding with whipped brie and aged-rum maple syrup.