Monday, June 14, 2010

Party Continues All Over Town for Champions!

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Blackhawks players spraying the crowd with Champagne at Roof Friday. (Photos: Roof/theWit)


Blackhawks team captain and MVP Jonathan Toews and 15 of his teammates arrived at Roof Friday night with the Stanley Cup and were joined at 12:45am by actors Vince Vaughn and Kevin James.

The teammates stood on the outdoor bar and passed the Cup from player to player as they sprayed the crowd of screaming fans with bubbly.

STAGE BITES: The Weekly Dining & Drinking Guide

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Dennis Leary headlines Chicago Theater as part of the weeklong "Just For Laughs" festival.


Every Monday look for the week's top performances paired with the best deals before and after the show:

Just For Laughs at various Chicagoland locations. Tuesday through Saturday, some of the country's funniest comedians hit the stage, including high-profile stars Ellen DeGeneres (7:30pm Wednesday), Cedric The Entertainer (8pm Friday) and Dennis Leary (8pm Saturday) at the Chicago Theater. Events will be held at large-scale venues as well as more intimate comedy clubs. Get entire schedule and tickets here.

Atwood Cafe: Small plates like the Graham Cracker Fried Calamari or bourbon-infused chicken and pork sausage pair well with hand-crafted cocktails. Or head here after the show for Atwood After Dark for $5 glasses of vino and apps like the Shrimp "Corndog" and B.L.T. with crispy pork belly. Proximity to show: Two blocks south; five-minute walk.

It's Time to Dance Again!

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A scene from the nightclub in "The Last Days of Disco."


Caught the late-1990s film, "The Last Days of Disco," on the Style Channel Sunday and it totally made me nostalgic for nightclubs pre-bottle service again.

The movie's crammed with juicy club scenes that make me yearn for a place to go where everyone's deliciously glam and obviously having a great time on the dance floor.

Chicago's Limelight and Shelter—dance clubs that raged in the late 1980s and 1990s respectively—are two of the spots that come to mind in comparison to the movie.

Incidentally, some reunions are reportedly underway later this year.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Samuelsson's 'BBQ Bootcamp' Certain to Sell Out!

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"Top Chef Master" Marcus Samuelsson (Photo: C-House)


Now that he's been crowned "Top Chef Master," Marcus Samuelsson is gonna be one red-hot commodity.

He's a New Yorker, but Chicago's also claiming him seeing as his C-House restaurant in the Affinia hotel is one of the hottest seafood spots to open in years.

The BBQ Bootcamp was a huge success last year, but look for it to be even more hyped this summer.

Mark Mendez to Step Down at Carnivale

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Chef Mark Mendez (Photo: Carnivale)


Some shocking news, folks, on the chef front.

Mark Mendez is stepping down as executive chef of hot Latin resto Carnivale.

From his blog:

Six Sweet Scenes This Weekend . . .

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Zoë Kravitz headlines a show with her rock band, Elevator Fight, at Debonair Social Club on Sunday.


When your dad's a legendary rock star and you're a gorgeous girl, you basically have two choices: become a model or launch your own singing career.

Zoë Kravitz, a breathtaking beauty who happens to be the spawn of rocker Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, chose both.

We'll see if she has the chops when she performs at a benefit for Autism Speaks with Philly-based band Elevator Fight at Debonair Social Club Sunday.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Former Graham Elliot Mixologist Lands at Blackbird

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Lynn House, award-winning mixologist (Photo: graham elliot)


Lynn House is having one hell of a month.

The award-winning mixologist, who was formerly at Graham Elliot and The Drawing Room, was featured in the June issue of Ebony.

And now she's got a hot new gig, according to an Ultimate Insider.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Rap Stars Serenade Kanye West on His B-Day

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Lupe Fiasco (left) and Common at Buca di Beppo Tuesday. (Photo: Barry Brecheisen-WireImage/Getty)


The Rush Street location for Buca di Beppo played host Tuesday to not one, not two, but three major hip-hop stars as Kayne West celebrated his 33rd birthday.

The mega star was serenaded by Lupe Fiasco and Common, who led students from the Kanye West Foundation in singing "Happy Birthday."