Five Chicago properties make Conde Nast Traveler's annual Hot List

Chicago, stand up!

Several local red-hot properties get props in Conde Nast Traveler's 12th annual Hot List, which comes out in May. It's considered the insider's guide to the newest, hottest, sexiest hotels, restaurants, spas and nightclubs opened all over the world in the past year.

Chicago hotels:

Hotel Sax: 333 N. Dearborn St., 312-245-0333

Trump International Hotel & Tower: 401 N. Wabash Ave., 877-458-7867


Chicago restaurants:

Aigre Doux: 230 W. Kinzie St., 312-329-9400

Brasserie Ruhlman: 500 W. Superior St., 312-475-9112

Sepia: 123 N. Jefferson St., 312-441-1920

A toast to TreeTinis, eco-friendly fashions

All TreeTinis sold at Whiskey Bars will help save America's trees. (Photo: Gerber Group)


I'm not going to get all preachy about Earth Day—which fetes its 38th anniversary today—but there are some pretty cool things going on around town where you can have your usual fun while helping the environment:

At hip, Euro-style Lumen (839 W. Fulton Market, 312-733-2222), you'll get an eco-friendly fashion show hosted by Wicker Park's Funkshion (2121 W. Division St., 773-697-4119) and Image magazine. As always, drink specials, and a sophisticated industry crowd. 9pm-2am. No cover.

All three of Rande Gerber's Whiskey Bars get in on the action with a special on the TreeTini. Tonight only they're $6 (regularly $14), and for each one sold, a tree is being donated to a place in dire need of forestation and ecological improvement. The TreeTini was created by Live It Green, an Illinois-based sustainability company, and it's available for the special price at Whiskey Blue (172 W. Adams St., 312-782-4933), Whiskey Sky (644 N. Lake Shore Dr., 312-255-4463) and The Whiskey Bar/MEXX Kitchen (1015 N. Rush St., 312-475-0300).

Make your way to the fourth-annual Get Trashed on Earth Day at Mahoney’s Pub & Grille (551 N. Ogden Ave., 312-733-2121). The idea is for this event to be a chill-out opportunity for those who've spent the day cleaning up trash in the local neighborhoods. They’ll be serving up three special Earth Day cocktails: a Mud-tini (a creamy chocolate martini), Ocean Blue (a blue, citrus vodka cocktail) and Greenie-Tini (melon and green apple martini). Fifty percent of the profits of the cocktails benefit Keep Chicago Beautiful, a non-profit organization that works with the business community, schools, neighborhoods and government agencies to improve our environment through education, public awareness and community involvement.

And ZED451 (739 N. Clark St., 312-932-1100) finally debuts today. The contemporary steakhouse designed by renowned architect Chris Smith (Buddakan, Philadelphia and New York; Grayz, New York; and OLA, Miami) is very heavy on wood throughout the interior and much of it is reclaimed. One of my fave highlights of this sexy newcomer is its rooftop lounge, which features real grass, a fireplace and no reservations to sit down. Seasonally driven cocktails include the Cucumber Sage Martini (fresh cucumber and sage mixed with lemon and Hendrick’s gin), Gingered Bourbon Lemonade (composed of citrus infused Woodford Reserve Small Batch Bourbon with freshly squeezed lemonade and a zesty ginger kick) and the Kiwi Strawberry Martini (with fresh kiwi and strawberries blended with Reyka vodka and housemade sour mix).

More props for Alinea

Grant Achatz's Alinea continues to collect accolades. (Photo: Alinea)


S. Pellegrino's World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2008 list includes Alinea (1723 N. Halsted St., 312-867-0110) ranking in the 21st position—a 15 position jump from 2007’s list. The highest-seeded Chicago restaurant, Alinea debuted on the list last year as the Highest New Entry at 36. The entire list is here.

The S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, now in its seventh year, has established itself internationally as the most credible guide to the best places to eat on earth. A restaurant’s ranking is decided purely on the votes of a large panel of well-respected international judges collectively called The Nespresso World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy. The Academy comprises of 700 chefs, restaurateurs, food writers and restaurant critics.

Get out . . .

. . . tonight and enjoy the amazing weather at:

Bistrot Margot (1437 N. Wells St., 312-587-3660) on the relaxing sidewalk cafe for half price on all bottles of wine. The unassuming French bistro is a favorite for chilled-out evenings with a sig other or friends.

Chaise Lounge (1840 W. North Ave., 773-342-1840) for industry night. Grab seats in the outdoor cafe or on the rooftop for cabana action. It's $4 for most premium cocktails on the menu.

La Vita (1359 W. Taylor St., 312-491-1414) for half-price wine bottles. On Monday and Tuesday, any wine this family-style Italian eatery sells by the glass you'll also get by the bottle. Their rooftop deck, which seats about 30 guests, should be open tonight.

Sheffield's Wine & Beer (3258 N. Sheffield Ave., 773-281-4989), in Lakeview, for $3.50 pint specials and $2 cans of "bad beer" of the month. The sprawling beer garden attracts a healthy number of the area's young professionals.

Mole master on next mission

Got a message in the mailbag over the weekend that Geno Bahena—the "king of mole"—is planning to open yet another haute cuisine Mexican eatery in Lincoln Park at Halsted and Webster.

I'm still trying to track down the name, but if it's any indication of his previous projects like Tepatulco Restaurante (2558 N. Halsted St., 773-472-7419) in Lincoln Park as well as the now shuttered Ixcapuzalco, Chilpancingo and Mi Sueno Su Realidad, it's gonna be a tongue twister.

Stay tuned . . .

New look, menu unveiled by 312 Chicago

Dean Zanella, executive chef of 312 Chicago, returns with a new menu and look for the restaurant on Wednesday. (Photo: 312 Chicago)


312 Chicago (136 N. LaSalle St., 312-696-2420), which closed for a week for a complete overhaul, reopens Wednesday. The changes are part of a major renovation of Hotel Allegro, and includes a new menu from Executive Chef Dean Zanella.

Highlights of the new contemporary Italian menu include grilled boar sausage with dandelion, white bean and radish salad as a starter, as well as a lobster panini and a grilled filet of beef on Sicilian potato cake, with gorgonzola and barolo wine sauce.

Bob Puccini Design is behind 312 Chicago's new look, which includes a wine wall that becomes a focal point of the space, while the upstairs library has been transformed into a private wine-tasting room cleverly encased in wine displays. The newly refreshed bar is updated with charcoal-granite countertops, a black back bar with alabaster inlays and a focus on displaying wine through a new cruvinet system.

How did we overlook her?!

While all the Chicago foodies and dining writers are going absolutely rabid over Stephanie Izard's performance on Bravo's "Top Chef," there's another local culinary cutie competing on a similar show.

Twenty-four-year-old Jennifer Gavin, who's in the running to become executive chef of Gordon Ramsey's new LA restaurant on his "Hell's Kitchen" reality series on FOX, is originally from Chicago and a line cook for a five-star country club.

She's a little buck wild and may not have as much experience as Stephanie or some of the chefs she's competing against on "Hell's Kitchen," but let's show her some love too, ok?!

"Hell's Kitchen 4" airs on FOX every Tuesday at 8pm CST. Miss an episode? See them all here.

What the critics are saying . . .

. . . about:

Cape Cod Room (140 E. Walton Pl., 312-787-2200): "The mid-twentieth century seafood-house menu has a few of 21st-century additions, but the famous Bookbinder’s soup with the little vial of sherry is still there (it tastes exactly the same), along with Dover sole, lobster thermidor, oysters Rockefeller, creamed spinach, etc."--Emily Nunn (Chicago Tribune) Read it all here.

The Drawing Room (937 N. Rush St., 312-266-2694): D.C. Crenshaw's video blog at Fete Select TV.

Gene & Georgetti (500 N. Franklin St., 312-527-3718): "Steaks and chops, the heart of the menu, are right on the money, but barren plates need a splash of color, if only a sprig of parsley. Lightly charred, the petite strip ($23.75) is well-marbled, robustly flavored and tender. For beef en brochette ($24.75), two substantial filet medallions are capped with thick bacon slices and flanked by whole mushrooms, finished with white wine, garlic and herb sauce. The meat is irreproachable, but a few red peppers or tomatoes would add color and variety."--Laura Bianchi (Crain's Chicago Business) Read it all here.

Miss Asia (434 W. Diversey Pkwy., 773-248-3999): "You could play it safe with Thai standards (Sticky Rice’s legendary sausage and other interesting favorites are noticeably absent), but for a more memorable meal, try hopping around the map. The Cambodian lotus root and banana blossom salads both pack bracing tart-spicy-sweet flavors; soft Vietnamese crêpes bulge with ground pork, bits of shrimp and mushroom; and Bambu Bali catfish gets a subtle (maybe too subtle) jerklike dusting."--Heather Shouse (Time Out Chicago) Read it all here.