Get ready for something new

Paul Kahan (left) and Donnie Madia are behind The Publican.


Two very high-profile places are set to open soon:

The 411 just dropped in my inbox about The Bristol debuting on Sept. 18 in Bucktown.

And The Publican—the long-awaited beer-focused lounge from the team behind avec, Blackbird, Violet Hour and Sonotheque—is arriving sometime next month in the Warehouse District.

I'm so there.

Something worth celebrating . . .

Sushi Samba (shown here) and Cat's Meow celebrate Brazil's independence today. (Photo: Sushi Samba)


Brazilian Independence Day actually fell on Sunday, but the celebrations continue!

Sushi Samba held a fabulous feast with live entertainment and samba dancers, and tonight the party carries on. Ginza Tropicallia jumps off every Wednesday with DJ Ed M, samba dancers and a band. Of course, you'll be able to chow down on Brazilian bites and sip specialty cocktails. 9pm-midnight. No cover.

And Cat's Meow hosts a neighborhood affair with Balada Brazil. This party includes live music by the Planeta Azul Trio (samba, funk, forro, Brazilian pop), samba dancers and DJ Sergio. Also, $3 Heinekens, $5 Caipirinha menu and $6 glasses of wine. 9pm-2am. No cover.

Other notable events happening today:

Maven and Hornitos Tequila transform Galleria Marchetti into the Garden of Agave. Deejays Flosstradamus, Million $ Mano, Patrycja Mikula and the "world's sexiest deejay" Colleen Shannon perform; comped tequila cocktails all night. 8pm-1am. RSVP to sarah@maven-chicago.com for free admission.

And Martini Park continues its weekly Martinis and the City "girls' night out" gig with a visit from Chicago's top men's-only salon. HALO [FOR MEN] will cater to female patrons, offering head reflexology, chair massages and other female-friendly services. Guests will also receive a gift card for their favorite guy. Comp appetizers and $7 specialty cocktails (Girls' Best Friend, Stiletto and BoTox). 6-8pm. No cover.

Barack (Attack) wins!

The Barack Attack (left, in blue) defeated the McCain Terrain with 174 votes to 166 votes as the best tasting maki at RA Sushi. (Photo: RA Sushi)


Who cares what the polls are saying . . .

The people have spoken—and chowed down—and they've picked RA Sushi's Barack Attack maki roll over the McCain Terrain. Barack Attack (layered with smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber and artichoke rolled in rice and seaweed and topped with crunchy blue tempura bits, finished with a sweet eel sauce and wasabi mayo) defeated the McCain Terrain with 174 votes to 166 votes as the best tasting maki.

Beginning Friday, it'll be "inaugurated" on RA's menu for $10, with $3 of every order benefiting Rock the Vote. You'll be able to get the Barack Attack until Oct. 3.

Oodles of noodles bar doesn't impress this writer

"The pork belly ramen in pho broth was better," says Michael Nagrant of Urban Belly's menu. (Photo: Hungry Mag)


Hungry Mag's Michael Nagrant takes a swipe at newcomer noodle bar Urban Belly and owner-chef Bill Kim:

"Here’s a guy who’s stepped down from his gourmet pedestal to bless the masses with an 'affordable' take on soul-satisfying Asian comfort food and the Korean treats of his youth. It’s a pretty tempting legend. Walk in to the cave-dark confines, compliments of a drab paint job, of Urban Belly, and you’ll see Kim manning the pass with his black hair flopping over a 'Karate Kid'-like Daniel-San do-rag, calling out table numbers and slurping on noodles to taste before he expedites his creations."

Hot stuff on a cold night

The local salsa scene is alive and thriving, as I discovered Sunday night at Hot Salsa Kitchen's party at Buzz, in River North.

Red-hot Latin music ranging from Afro-house to samba kept the floor pulsating with skilled and not-so skilled dancers for hours. And the most beautiful thing of all?! Those dancers came in all shapes and sizes and ages and ethnicities.

You can hit up a salsa party almost every night of the week, including tonight for Hot Salsa Kitchen's crazy popular dance event at Alhambra. Deejays Luis "Rollins" Rivera and Dwight Burr spin, and if you arrive early you can work on your moves during a complimentary dance lesson. 9pm-2am. $10.

If you're looking for something more chilled out, NoMI continues Cellar Notes, with this week's tasting: Blend Your Own Wine. Advanced sommelier Fernando Beteta will be on hand to guide guests through a tasting of different wines. It's also an opportunity to learn how to taste and evaluate wines based on the subtle nuances in flavor, acidity, clarity and color of each selection. 5:30-7:30pm. $30.

And Rockit Live! at Rockit Bar & Grill is the place to be if you're looking for karaoke. A live band will back you up if you dare to hit center stage. 8pm-2am. No cover.

How did we get so lucky?!

Word just came in that the one and only Candace Bushnell (of "Sex and the City" fame) is coming to town.

The red-hot author will host an exclusive viewing party at Manor for her hit TV show, "Lipstick Jungle." She'll also be promoting her latest book, One Fifth Avenue, a modern-day story of old and new money that's a nod to F. Scott Fitzgerald's Jazz Age tales.

That happens on Sept. 24.

Sports bars need to get their acts together

I'm not calling out any names of the culprits, but you know who you are!

With everyone still hyped up over the big Bears win over the Colts last night, I thought I'd get in a dig on the situation of the women's bathrooms in sports bars.

More than ever, women are taking an interest in sports, and the NCAA and professional football games are likely the most popular of them all. So you'd think someone—especially seeing so many female bar managers, servers and bartenders these days—would clean up those bathrooms.

I have no idea what the guys' bathrooms look like, but they cannot be any worse than what I witnessed over the weekend. At one Lincoln Park bar in particular, there was used toliet paper all over the floor near the sinks and in the stalls, overflowing toliets and a stench so bad you would've thought it was an outhouse.

This is not the first time I've witnessed this, and it's time to take a stand. These bars are making enough money and have enough staffers on hand to maintain clean bathrooms. Additionally, most of these spots serve food, and any place that cannot maintain a basic, clean bathroom should not be serving food.

I understand that bars get busy, but there's just no excuse for subjecting people to this *&^%$#@!@#$%!)?!

Forbes got it wrong

With all the hot-ass neighborhoods and bars here for the straights and gays, how could Forbes list Chicago as the 11th best place for singles?! I mean, really, what's up with Atlanta, Dallas, Washington D.C., Orlando (?!) and Boston beating us?!