When You Need To Get Away

You love your family like a fat kid loves Krispy Kreme, but you can handle only so much of them on Christmas.

So just in case you need something stronger than that home-made spiked egg nog or box wine, I've compiled a list of bars open Dec. 25:

Butch McGuire's: You'll still be in the Christmas spirit at this long-time Division Street watering hole that takes the holiday pretty serious. It's all decked out in seasonal splendor, with tinsel and trains choo-chooing all over the space. Surprisingly, the spot is full around 6pm, likely with those like-minded folks trying to escape. And touristy types.

Art Smith, Stephanie Izard Make PeekScore's Top 20 List of Celeb Chefs

When it comes to clout on the web for celebrity chefs, only two Chicago-based stars cracked the Top 20, according to PeekScore.

Stephanie Izard (Girl & The Goat) and Art Smith Table Fifty-Two) got the props for their high web presence.

Woman Used Match.com For Free Dinner Dates

Is she in it for the dude or the free dinner and drinks?! (Photo via thedish.restaurant.com.

She's supposedly in a serious, committed relationship now, but when Abbie Boudreau was single, she deliberately used Match.com to use well-to-do dudes for expensive free dinners. Boudreau claims she saved $1,200 a month from going on these dates.

She told her story to Good Morning America, and I really hope other women don't do this.

It's just not cool.

WhiskeyFest Tickets Selling Out Fast!

Uh, oh.

Just got this message from the folks who put on the annual WhiskeyFest at the downtown Hyatt:

"Chicago VIP tickets SOLD OUT this morning! Regular tickets are still available (for now). Buy them while you can!"

Ummmm, the event doesn't even happen until March 23. I suggest you get on this one ASAP. Get them right here.

Tuman's Staff Told To Look For New Jobs

Tuman's photo via Time Out.

Everyone's favorite dive bar may be on everyone's shit list now that word is out about what's going on over at the temporarily shuttered spot in Ukrainian Village.

An Ultimate Insider tells 312DD that the new owners of Tuman's told all the employees "to look for other jobs."

Says my source: "A guy I play football with is friends with [redacted], one of the (now former) employees there. He says that they told him the day they closed for renovations to look for another job."

Wow.

The new owners have only been in place for a few months and are already making enemies . . .

Lillie's Q, Roots Pizza Team Up For Awesome Collaboration

Roots sausage pizza photo via Freddy Love; Lillie's Q ribs photo from Lillie's Q.

Hey, kids! Christmas came early this year!

That's because on Dec. 15 Roots Handmade Pizza will introduce Lillie's Q BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza. Woot?!

The ingredients on this masterpiece are off the hook: Lillie's Q's award-winning pulled pork is smoked over peach wood for eight hours, then Lillie's Q's Hot Smoky sauce is folded under the cheese with Lillie's Q's Carolina Dirt rub and a bit of coleslaw sprinkled on top. Get the 12-inch pie for $22; 16 inches is $27.

Want a free taste?!

Negroni: 'A Top Food Trend of 2011!'

Barrel-aged Negroni photo via starchefs.com.

One of the cocktails I've been immensely obsessed with for the past two years is the classic Italian Negroni, so I was thrilled to find out it was named one of HuffPo's Top Food Trends of 2011:

"Campari declared 2011 to be the Year of the Negroni and it looks like its marketing actually worked. This simple cocktail only has three ingredients—Campari, gin and sweet vermouth—and was everyone's drink-of-choice this year. As is the case with many classic cocktails, there are always twists, which explains why restaurants have secret Negroni menus. The website Food Republic devoted a full week of coverage to pay homage to the cocktail."

Yay! Long live the Negroni! But . . . don't trust just anyone's, which I learned the hard way this year venturing out to many restaurants and bars in the city. Some were not balanced (It's imperative that all three components flow smoother than an ocean). Others were shaken, not stirred (That is blasphemy, according to bartenders). And a few tried way too hard by adding ingredients that had no place in this cocktail (olives, chocolate, vodka, cranberries, WTF).

Overall, I've had some great Negroni experiences, and here are my favorite places to sip them in the city:

Be Merry & Munch at These Holiday Brunches

Power shopping is serious business during the holiday season, but before you head out on your mission make sure you fill up with a nourishing good meal.

And if you're braving the weekend crowds, you'll want to check out one of these great brunches. From $15 bottomless Bloody Marys and Mimosas at 25 Degrees to Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club's annual Jingle Bell Brunch, here's what is going down: