100 Chicago restaurants open Christmas Day 2011

You don’t have to cook Christmas dinner.

UChicago scholars debate merits of Jewish foods

A University of Chicago tradition since 1946, the 65th annual Latke-Hamantash Debate takes place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22 at Mandel Hall in Hyde Park. Tobias Moskowitz, Fama Family Professor of Finance; Richard Rosengarten, associate professor in the Divinity School; and Malynne Sternstein, associate professor in Slavic Languages and Literatures and the College will [...]

65 Chicago places to eat Thanksgiving dinner, 2011

North Side, South Side or in the Chicago suburbs, you don’t have to cook your own Thanksgiving dinner. Chicagoland restaurants offer bountiful holiday feasts. Call for hours and menu details. Reservations are highly recommended if not required everywhere. Many restaurants also offer complete Thanksgiving dinners for carry out — several days’ notice is typically required. [...]

‘Porgy and Bess’: Controversial masterpiece worth a new look

Musically, thematically and theatrically, the Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess” has been a controversial work since its first 1935 production. The passing of time, as well as deft staging and glorious performances, make Court Theatre’s new production incontrovertibly excellent.

45 places in Chicago to eat Thanksgiving dinner 2010

Whether you’re on the North Side, the South Side or in the suburbs, you don’t have to cook your own Thanksgiving dinner. Chicago-area restaurants offer bountiful holiday feasts for almost every budget. Call for hours and menu details. Reservations are highly recommended if not required everywhere. Many restaurants also offer complete Thanksgiving dinners for carry [...]

Hanukkah, Chanukah: however you spell it, it’s soon!

The LeeVees debate the Hanukkah conundrum: “Applesauce or sour cream?” Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, begins at sunset Wednesday, Dec. 1. Get ready, Chicago! Learn some new latke recipes with Chef Laura Frankel at “Latke-Palooza” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in the South Loop. Executive chef [...]

‘The Mystery of Irma Vep’ a rollicking gothic spoof

Charles Ludlam’s most famous campy comedy, “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” gets a first-rate revival at Court Theatre in Hyde Park under the direction of Sean Graney. The play exhibits two of this straitened season’s theatrical themes, the “comfort-theater,” sure-thing revival, and the limited cast. But you don’t get more for your money than with [...]