Some of the most upscale restaurants out there tout Chef's Tables -- the culinary VIP treatment in the form of a multi-course tasting menu dreamed up by the chef, at a special table usually situated near all the kitchen action. Now, along with spots like Charlie Trotter's and Aria, you can add another to the list: The Chef's Table at Holy Mackerel! American Fish House in Lombard's Westin Hotel.

Well, sort of. As it turns out, the table reference is figurative -- you can sit anywhere, so what we're really talking about here is a multi-course tasting menu tailored to your likes and steering away from your dislikes. Chef Danny Salgado, who most recently worked at Galileo 101 in San Diego, says he'll draw on seasonal ingredients to whip up creations for your table. This week, for example, you might start out with a peeky toe crab salad with cucumber, honeydew gelee and gooseberries, then move on to razor clams or black bass. 

It strikes us as the kind of thing that a group of biz travelers in town at Westin's conference center might sink their expense accounts into, but Salgado tells us that for the most part, it's caught on with locals. He's actually been offering impromptu tasting menus on slower evenings throughout the past few months, but since requests have started to pop up at, say, 7 p.m. on a busy Saturday night, he's formalizing the offering with a set size (five courses) and price ($100 per person; $150 with wine pairings) and time (seatings from 5-8 p.m. Thursdays). If you give it a try, be sure to tell us what you think...

We've got the perfect way to cope with the sub-Arctic temps: Distract yourself with these upcoming events showcasing spring and summer clothing. If you want to take home a super-summery outfit, break out your flip flops and crank up the thermostat in your apartment, we won't judge. Hey, you might even catch us doing the same, margarita in hand...

Tonight:
>>Pop in the four Akira shops along North Avenue (marked by red awnings and racy dancers working it in the windows) during the Red District Grand Opening Party, a belated celebration for the November opening of Akira's new men's boutique.

>>Sip cocktails and watch a fashion show to celebrate the launch of Studio-808.com, an online boutique featuring Chicago designers such as Art Institute grad Melissa Serpico Kamhout's dramatic jackets and pants. RSVP required.

 
Friday:
>>Habit, a Wicker Park haven for emerging designers, hosts a one-day Leap Day Sale.

>>The avant-guarde threads at Southport shop Tula are usually on the spendy side, but prices are a little less lofty during the last day of their Winter Sale.

>>From the old-school photo booth to the mannequin in a bathtub, spunky Ukie Village vintage shop Pistol Bazaar cracks us up. Save big on tagged items until March 9 in their Totally Cosmic Leap Year Sale.
 
Saturday:
>>The "Thaw" Spring Fashion Showcase at Big City Swing in West Town features designs from local brands such as Shades of Ebony, 828 and Double Stitch.  Click here for details.

>>If you can't make Thursday's launch party, no worries -- you can shop clothing and accessories from Studio-808.com's local designers at the Ultimate Designer Trunk Show in Lincoln Park. Click here for details.
 
Next week:
>>Shopping party Shecky's Girl's Night Out is coming up on March 12 and 13. Sample beauty products, sip on cocktails and browse clothing and accessory vendors that set up camp in the main hall of Union Station.

The spot: If you’ve ever driven the slowly developing stretch of Ashland Avenue between Chicago and Division Avenues, you’ve whizzed right past one of the best Chinese BYOBs in town—and you might not even have noticed it. A simple storefront marked only by a bright yellow sign, Mon Lung quietly has been serving Chinese food here since 1987. Owner Justine Yuen’s parents opened the restaurant in its original location on Milwaukee Avenue in 1982; they’ve since passed the business on to their daughter, who gradually has modernized the operation. Renovations three years ago included sprucing up the casual downstairs space, which houses a handful of glossy-topped booths and tables that fill up with neighborhood folks, families and a smattering of cops on break from their beats. Yuen hopes to turn the more loungey upstairs private party room into a bar after she obtains a liquor license in late 2008. You’ll find Cantonese and Mandarin standards on the menu, including chop suey, chow mein, fried rice and lo mein. Standouts include homemade egg rolls ($1.40 each) and extra-spicy Mongolian beef prepared with yellow onions, scallions and chili peppers ($8.75).

The bottle: If it’s convenience you’re after, dash down the street and around the corner to Rothschild Liquor Mart (1532 W. Chicago Ave. 312-421-1562), which stocks a range of budget buys. A light, crisp white wine such as Cavit pinot grigio ($7.99) would work well with any of Mon Lung’s seafood and chicken dishes. If you’re planning to order a heavier dish, like the Mongolian beef or the stick-to-your-ribs pot stickers ($5.85 for six), try a bottle of Mezzacorona cabernet sauvignon ($10.29). Mon Lung does not charge a corkage fee.

--Emily Hiser Lobdell is a Metromix special contributor.  metromix@tribune.com

With everyone crowing about Sixteen’s spectacular views, it’s no wonder that you missed the recent opening of Cityscape Bar. Yeah, we know the Holiday Inn doesn’t sound as sexy as Trump Tower, but after a visit during last night’s media party we do know one thing: The views are beautiful too. From this 15th floor lounge you can see neighboring Merchandise Mart up close, Sears Tower to the south, and the Chicago River as it bends around Wacker Drive. While we don’t expect this bar to be the next big scene, it might be a nice stop if you work nearby or are showing friends and family around town.

Get the scoop on more new bars here:
http://chicago.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/article/new-on-the-scene/113560/content 

--Host Jon Stewart. Pretty funny, no? Loved that he brought "Once" singer/star Marketa Irglova back out on stage to give a speech after the orchestra previously cut her off.

--Tilda Swinton of "Michael Clayton" winning the wide-open Best Supporting Actress race. Not to brag, but we did call it!

--OK, we didn't predict Marion Cotillard winning Best Actress for "La Vie En Rose." We'll make it up to you, we swear.

--Katherine Heigl admitted to being really nervous on stage. Do you appreciate her honesty, or is that kind of embarrassing? We're on the fence.

--Wow, big night for "The Bourne Ultimatum" in the sound-related categories! We were just waiting for someone to congratulate Matt Damon on his newfound happiness with Sarah Silverman …

--Is anyone else continually amazed at how different Daniel Day-Lewis is in real life, compared to his onscreen personas? Wild.

--The best movie won Best Picture. If you haven't seen "No Country for Old Men," it's time to change that.

Recap the show with red carpet photos, a complete list of winners and lots, lots more: http://chicago.metromix.com/movies/producer_guide/chicago-oscars-guide/288517/content

I’ve been eyeing Thai Urban Kitchen -- that Pan-Asian spot in Ogilvie Transportation Center from the owners of Lakeview’s Sura -- for months now, but I’m usually too busy making a mad dash to catch my train home to the West 'burbs to stop in. Finally, I got around to making dinner plans there, thinking it the perfect meeting ground for a group of girlfriends – a mix of city dwellers and suburbanites who commute downtown for work.

The evening started off on a weird enough note when our flustered server approached the table and candidly admitted how stressed out he was. We theorized that his blood pressure must be through the roof when the dining room was, you know, more than 10 percent full as it was that night. When a manager stopped by to help my vegan friend navigate menu options, we were dumbfounded when he asked her, “Can you eat seafood?” Biology lesson No. 1: Fish are animals too. When our server returned—remarking again about his stressed-out-ness—it seemed to take twice as long for him to input our orders into his PDA than it would have with a plain old pen and paper. But here’s to technology, right?

The cocktails were fine, the sushi was fine—but the oddity of the experience stuck with me the entire train ride home. Considering the lack of dining options near Ogilvie, though, we’ll probably be back. When you’re facing that lonely two-hour wait after missing a weekend Metra train, sushi and a martini beats McDonald’s by a mile.

Even if they ultimately disappoint, movies like "Vantage Point" make you hungry to know what's really going on. Viewers were certainly hungry for answers over the weekend, helping the irritating thriller earn $24 million to top the box office. It was by far the biggest new release of the week, considering Michel Gondry's goofy "Be Kind Rewind" placed seventh with $4.1 million and the sort-of OK teen movie "Charlie Bartlett" took in only $1.8 million. Yes, that's even less than the new Larry the Cable Guy movie, "Witless Protection," which still only drew $2.2 million. Ouch.

Did you feel manipulated by the constant cliffhangers in "Vantage Point"? Or were you busy catching up on Oscar-nominated flicks?

1. Meet at the Sofitel hotel. A friend and I stopped by the launch party for www.alphawomen.com, a site we learned after a chat with the founder, is aiming to be a community for professional women who want to communicate with each other about personal and work-related issues. (My friend and I had no trouble keeping up our girl talk with each other.) We had some cocktails with p.i.n.k. vodka to kick off the night and keep us going—it’s infused with caffeine and guarana. And we even got mini-hand treatments and makeup touchups. A very girly start to our girls’ night indeed.

2. Dinner at Pizzeria Via Stato. We pulled up a couple of seats at the bar and ordered the cheese-and-spinach fonduta appetizer, pepperoni pizza and a cookie plate for dessert. I love me a good pizza, and I honestly have to say I have found myself a new favorite spot…yum! The fact that I woke up thinking about the slightly sweet sauce, the super-thin crust which was soft in the center and crisp and crackery at the edges, well … I can’t wait to go back for more!

3. See if Ashlee Simpson can sing. For our final stop we headed to The Underground to meet up with some other girl friends for a special live performance by Ashlee Simpson. We just had to go to see if she would lip sync. Or do that weird jig. The now red-headed younger and edgier sis of Jessica Simpson sported a black hoodie and blueish-purple skinny jeans when she stepped up to sing around 11 p.m. From the other side of the room it didn’t seem like she was lip syncing, but then I wouldn’t exactly call it singing either. Her style is a more low-pitched, raspy style of sexy talking. She worked her way through some new material. When she finished, applause was barely audible--perhaps the Chicago crowd was a bigger fan of her bf Pete Wentz (who we didn't bother to look for). But we did notice many in the mostly female crowd making a mass exodus to the coat check. Hmm.

What did you do on your last girls' night out? Do share ...

The spot: When a restaurant has been open for 23 years, it’s obvious they’re doing something right. La Sierra, which means “mountain range” in Spanish, has been in owner-manager Julio Sierra’s family since 1985. His parents Hugo and Mercedes Sierra originally opened the space as a bakery, later expanding into a full-service restaurant. Julio Sierra and his younger brother Carlos spent their teenage years helping out at the restaurant, which serves their family’s native Ecuadorian cuisine as well as traditional Mexican food. The bright space, decorated with colorful folk art, is busiest with a neighborhood crowd during the evenings. On weekend nights, Ecuadorian families flock to the Ravenswood spot for fritada, a fried pork appetizer with hominy and toasting corn ($9.50), or estofado de carne, a beef stew made with Ecuadorian spices, potatoes and peas ($9.95). On the Mexican side of the menu, find steak, spicy pork or chicken tacos ($1.65 each) and grilled items such as bistek a la Tampiquena (pictured), a skirt steak with a cheese enchilada, avocado and fries ($10.95).

The bottle: If you’re looking for a cold one, Rayan’s Discount Liquors (1532 W. Montrose Ave. 773-728-7765) is just a few steps away and has a full selection of chilled Mexican beers, including Modelo Especial, Pacifico, Sol and Corona (all $8.29 per six-pack). We were thrilled to discover that Rayan’s also seems to be hip to South American wines, still some of the best bottle bargains out there. The Chilean Veramonte sauvignon blanc is just $9, while the Chilean Gato Negro chardonnay is only $4.99. Snag a bottle of Argentinean Trapiche malbec for $6, or spring for a slightly more expensive Alamos malbec for $12. La Sierra does not charge a corkage fee.

-- Emily Hiser Lobdell, Metromix special contributor

If you've ever seen differing price tiers at other salons for regular staff and master stylists, then that's kind of how it'll work here: Patrons can shell out about $40 for a punk-rock haircut from a non-celebrity stylist or pay a premium for a consult, cut and color with Mollin himself. Though Clandestine hasn't released an official menu of salon services or prices yet, it's started taking appointments. Click here for phone number, maps and more details.

According to Metro publicist Jenny Lizak, the change is simply a response to customer feedback and the club's determination that Metro and Smart Bar didn't need Ticketmaster.

The story, if you can call it that, focuses around a pop quintet's final show and their attempt to use God-loving songs to save the souls in the seats. The approximately two-thirds-full crowd at the 2 p.m. Sunday show wasn't terribly eager to clap along -- half of the audience looked like the last boy band they followed was the Monkees -- but a uniformly strong cast didn't let that stop them from delivering silly songs like "Church Rulez" as if they were playing to an arena packed with screaming 12-year-old girls.

The music industry, thankfully, has moved on from the boy band craze, but the show still feels relevant, at least in its send-up of the business' fickle, financially obligated priorities, and in its wink-wink acknowledgement of the hypocrisy of supposedly spontaneous on-stage preaching that actually feels as unrehearsed as an infomercial. The number in which the guys incorporated Lamb Chop-style hand puppets is, um, not quite as fresh.

But forget the serious stuff. "Altar Boyz" is just an opportunity to laugh at Adam Zelasko's faux-Spanish accent as Juan, bad boy Luke's (Tyler McGee) use of "exhaustion" as a euphemism for "alcoholism" and the dynamite singing voices of all five cast members, particularly Brian Crum as secretly/blatantly gay Mark. It's cheeky, funny and aware of its own inherent goofiness, which is a lot more than can be said for most real boy bands.

The ability to teleport certainly would be helpful during the dog dogs of winter (not to mention the never-ending CTA woes), and audiences showed their interest in globe-hopping over the weekend by vaulting the lame Hayden Christensen sci-fi flick "Jumper" to the top of the box office with $27.2 million.

Proving that people will never get sick of the same ol' dancing movies, "Step Up 2 the Streets" racked up $19.7 million to place second, with the surprisingly trippy family film "The Spiderwick Chronicles" close behind with $19.1 million. The weekend's best movie, the pleasant romantic comedy "Definitely, Maybe," only made $9.7 million and placed fifth.

Are people actually less interested in romantic comedies on Valentine's Day weekend? And why does Hayden Christensen always look so bored?

Here are just a few things to get you excited: a 60-foot-6-inch bar (the distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate), a Holy Cow! Burger Bar, patio seating and a second-floor Skybox with views of Wrigley Field.

>> Click here to read more about Harry Caray's Tavern and other new bars in New on the Scene.

Evites and attached jpeg flyers are a dime a dozen. If you really want to grab our attention at Metromix, send us … um, Barbies?! That’s what we got to announce an “exclusive opening party” for recently opened nightclub Mannequin (click for address). Mission accomplished: You got our attention. And then you got us playing--we thought she would look a litte more apropos by riding a bottle of V.S.O.P. Courvoisier.

Though we're sure Oprah’s uber-busy campaigning for Obama and launching her first primetime network series “The Big Give,” her people haven’t been too busy to launch her first retail store, kitty-corner from Harpo Studios in the West Loop. We stopped in yesterday to take in all of of the O-ness that is The Oprah Store.

Then we stepped up to the store and saw four glowing “O”-shaped lights on silver pedestals in front of giant O-shaped window displays, we took a deep breath and prepared ourselves for “O”-verload. We expected to be bombarded with souvenir-worthy tokens like T-shirts and baseball caps, but the shelves are also packed with pajamas, teapots, luggage, baby booties, water bottles and stationery, all emblazoned with the “O” logo. We’re not sure why you’d want to buy “O” logo dinner napkins or serving trays, but if your pooch is a die-hard fan, you can outfit him in a magenta polo with the signature emblem on the collar.

Since the big O herself was nowhere in sight, the closest you’ll get to the media mogul is the “Oprah’s Closet” section, where you’ll find clothing she may or may not have actually worn (apparently, for celebs it’s common enough to have a closet full of never-worn clothes). If you’re Oprah’s size (or sizes, a store staffer told us she's been everywhere from a size 6 to size 14 over the years), you could conceivably score some deeply discounted designer goods here; we spotted silver rosette-adorned Manolo Blahniks for $250, a Miu Miu pleated skirt for $200 and a Chanel tunic for $150, but also Banana Republic flats for $30. And not surprisingly, 100-percent of the proceeds go to her Angel Network charity.

As you’d guess, most of the foot traffic so far has come from visitors in town for Oprah show tapings at the studio across the street, but if you’re in the neighborhood, we think it’s worth stopping in to check out the bevy of goods made by South African artisans. Earthy woven baskets, colorful Zulu wire bowls and carved wood picture frames sit in an expansive modular shelving unit near the rear of the store; the centerpiece of the display is a collage in the shape of Africa, made up of postage-sized digital images of Oprah and the young girls at her leadership academy in Meyerton, South Africa.

Click here for more on the Oprah store, including pics, hours and maps.

The spot: While showering your loved one with affection on Valentine’s Day is expected, you should really treat your sweetheart like a king or queen every day of the year. A good place to start is Treat, the delightful and sometimes overlooked eatery on the border of Humboldt Park and Logan Square. Chef-owner Tamiz Haiderali describes the cuisine as “contemporary American with Mediterranean and Indian flavors.” The seasonally changing menu always serves the perennially popular chicken tikka masala ($12.95), and Haiderali says he can barely keep up with the daily demand for the lamb burger ($8.95 with a side). Art lovers will dig the works by local artists (all for sale), which rotate on and off the bright yellow walls monthly. Neighborhood diners enjoy the outdoor patio in the summer and live jazz in the casual indoor space on Thursday nights.

The bottle: Plan ahead the day before you dine at Treat by placing a call to Logan Square’s Provenance Food and Wine. Owner Tracy Kellner is familiar with Treat’s menu and is happy to make wine recommendations. Provenance will even deliver the bottle to Treat for you at no charge (with a $15 minimum order). Kellner suggests the 2006 Brandborg Or Blanc, a dry blend of riesling, gewurztraminer and pinot gris ($15) as a match for Treat’s spicier dishes. She says the 2004 Kana Barbera from Horse Heaven Hills, Wash., ($16) is an excellent red to drink with the Moroccan lamb shank prepared with preserved lemon and saffron oil ($16.95). If you make your plans at the last minute, don’t fret. Foremost Liquor (3301 W. North Ave. 773-772-2200) is just around the corner from Treat. Pick up a bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne ($15.99) to make your own mimosas at Treat’s weekend brunch. Orange juice is $1.50.

-- Emily Hiser Lobdell is a Metromix special contributor.  metromix@tribune.com

If you can't wait until Lollapalooza for a big, huge, massive Midwest music festival (or just can't afford to head to Bonnaroo in Tennessee) you're in luck. In Rothbury, Michigan, the just-announced Rothbury Festival (July 3-6) will feature more than 70 bands on eight stages, with the lineup including John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, Modest Mouse, Snoop Dogg, The Black Keys, Of Montreal and lots, lots more. Tickets for the environmentally friendly fest--which includes a "Think Tank" and "Energy Fair," according to the press release--go on sale 11 a.m. Feb. 27. No info on prices yet.

More info here
http://www.rothburyfestival.com/

Hurry and get tickets for the final week of "Good Boys and True" at the Steppenwolf, playing through Feb. 16. Sort of an American answer to Alan Bennett's "The History Boys," which shares the same '80s time frame, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's tale of sex, revenge, class, gender politics, and morality within the hallowed halls of -- where else? -- a boys Jesuit  prep school offers plenty of rewards. But the chief reward isn't a boy at all. It's ensemble member and Steppenwolf artistic director Martha Lavey. She plays Elizabeth, a doctor whose golden child and Dartmouth-bound son (played by Stephen Louis Grush, pictured above with Lavey) is implicated in -- what else? -- a sex scandal (and that's not the half of it.) As the plot layers unravel, Levay conveys the conflict of a protective mom and outraged humanist with rawness, refinement and restraint.

But if that's not enough reason to get you in a seat, Steppenwolf is hosting a send-off party, featuring 2-for-1 tix, specialty cocktails, and a DJ spinning '80s retro. (Use code "3927" by phone at 312-335-1650 for 2-for-1 tickets and access to the party).

Click here for Metromix details on the play, Chris Jones review and more.

I'm partially ashamed to admit I call myself a "theater person" since I've never seen "Rent." Until last night, that is. The nationally touring production is currently staging at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (through Sunday) with a couple of reality TV graduates in tow. Heinz Winckler (pictured above with co-star Jennifer Colby Talton), the first winner of "Idols" (the South African version of "American Idol") stars as Roger Davis. In case you didn't see that version of the series, you can sate your celeb-etite with the talented vocals of Season Four "American Idol" finalist Anwar Robinson, who plays Tom Collins.

As expected, "Rent" is a big blowout show, but the production seems to favor the (mostly) powerful vocals of the cast, leaving the acting at a bit of a disadvantage. In other words, it's a cast of singers who can dance, rather than dancers who can sing (or actors who can do either thing really well). Maybe this isn't a bad thing. There are nearly 20 songs in act one alone (with about 10 more to follow in act two) and who wants to be assaulted by off-key singing for more than two hours? The singers, however, could have channeled their inner actors a bit more for the emotionally charged script. Winckler seemed more comfortable belting rock ballads than expressing rocky emotions.

Overall, "Rent" is an enjoyable production with a young, energetic and fresh-faced cast. Yet a little seasoning would have gone a long way here.

Want to see it yourself? Tickets range from $22.50-$70. Ticketmaster.com. More info here:

http://chicago.metromix.com/theater/theater_event/rent-loop/172314/content

So bitter about Valentine's Day you feel like aiming an arrow at that stupid Cupid’s head? We feel ya.

Don't boycott the day by staying home alone—shove your fabulous single self into the faces of saccahrine, cavity-inducing couples by celebrating your own way, at an anti-Valentine’s Day party or pub crawl.

Tune in to Q101.1 WKQX-FM at 8:50 a.m. Thursday, when I’ll be talking with morning show hosts Alan Cox and Jim Lynam about alternative celebrations for people not into candy hearts and flowers.

>>> Can’t resist being lovey-dovey? Check out our Valentine’s Day guide:
http://chicago.metromix.com/home/producer_guide/chicago-valentines-day-guide/284752/content

At America’s Bar in Hoffman Estates, not a night goes by without someone whipping out their camera phone to snap a photo of that girl up on the bar. No, we’re not talking about some over-served twenty-something shaking her groove thing—we’re referring to this hilarious statue of the Statue of Liberty. She’s holding down her billowing skirt, a la Marilyn Monroe, with a martini glass held high. Did we mention she rotates?

Owner Richard Garcia was inspired by a similar statue he saw in Las Vegas years ago, so he commissioned Elgin-based Acme Designs to craft this 5-foot-6 sculpture out of fiberglass and plaster. “I call her my girlfriend,” he says. “But her name is, of course, Ms. Liberty.” He’s currently working on getting her martini glass to illuminate with colored lights.

Not impressed by kitschy riffs on Americana, you say? We also like their twist on the traditional Ladies’ Night: Gals who order a $6 martini can also snag a chocolate-covered fortune cookie. If you’re lucky, the fortune inside will score you prizes, such as a mani or pedi at the new Rockstar Salon & Spa in Roselle.

OK, we've seen a lot of, um, "interesting" cocktails in our day (beergarita, anyone?), but this one is really, really odd: The Nicotini ($12) at Viet Bistro. It's the perfect solution for those tired of shivering in the cold to get their nic fix. Sommelier/"bar chef" Rashed Islam creates this concoction by steeping loose European tobacco in sugar cane juice to extract the nicotine. "It's almost like making tea, in a sense," he explains. He then mixes the extract with anything you'd like, including with chocolate espresso-infused liqueur or straight up. A smoker himself, Islam says the Nicotini helps him get through his shift. "One martini keeps me occupied for, like, four hours," he says. "It's almost like a nicotine patch." 

"I thought this was the late show," exhausted Yeasayer singer Chris Keating said toward the end of his group's early-show set Friday at Schubas.

He was kidding, but no one in the sold-out crowd could blame him for being worn out. His highly buzzed Brooklyn band turned in a dynamic, extremely engrossing set as the early show opening act (fellow New Yorkers MGMT headlined the early show and opened the late show). Also, despite telling me in our interview that he would no longer bash drummer Luke Fasano's cymbal and cut his arm open, Keating still wound up with a bloody right arm mid-show. (I didn't see him hit the cymbal but can't imagine any other reason he would be bleeding.) Injuries and all, the quartet did a fantastic job of adapting their complex debut album, "All Hour Cymbals," leaving the intricate sitar backdrops to recorded loops and doing all that a well-honed band could really do on stage. The band sounded tight, excited, and driven to succeed. It wasn't the dance party that Keating said he wanted out of an audience—perhaps the late show delivered a more mobile crowd—but the delivery was more than impressive.

The same can't be said for MGMT, whose lackluster set resulted in the crowd epitomizing the hipster cliché of "standing around and looking bored." The band's album "Oracular Spectacular" is better than fine but their live show is much worse, with the members' youthful, scraggly appearances doing nothing to help rough, ragged arrangements of tunes cooler than MGMT looks. (Frontman Andrew Vanwyngarden looks like the obnoxious punk who picked on your kid brother in high school.) While Yeasayer's set made me want to go home and listen to their record repeatedly, MGMT made me want to shrug them off for good.

Read the metromix interview with Chris Keating  here:
http://chicago.metromix.com/music/article/friendship-bracelets-for-all/299265/content

Audiences didn't let bad reviews and an awful-looking trailer keep them away from seeing Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson's exposed, bronzed skin in "Fool's Gold." The romantic comedy topped the weekend box office with $22 million, edging out Martin Lawrence's horrific comedy, "Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins," which placed second with $17.1 million. The only good news is that the disturbingly popular Disney vehicle, "Hannah Montana/Cyrus Miley: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour," slid from $31.1 million in its opening weekend to a third place, $10.5 million take in its second week.

As for Paris Hilton's atrocious "The Hottie and the Nottie," it, like, totally tanked, earning only $26,000 in 111 theaters. That number seems obviously horrible, but for some contrast it's worth noting that Colin Farrell's decent comedy-thriller, "In Bruges," made $471,200 in only 28 theaters.

Did you see any of the bad new movies this weekend, or have you been catching up with the Oscar nominees?

...Morton's The Steakhouse? Yep, it's true. Well, it is according to the Illinois Restaurant Association, anyway. It will receive the honor Feb. 11 at the trade association's annual meeting -- or is that "meating". Congrats, Morton's.

>>> What's your restaurant of the year?

When we stopped in Lincoln Park barber shop-men's boutique hybrid Guise a few months ago, we were psyched to hear that they had an expansion in the works to add salon services and clothing for ladies. And we’ve got an update: Owner Brad Habansky (who recently brought in new biz partners Heidi Taylor and Jodi Immel to handle all things womanly) just announced that the official relaunch is set for March. Expanding on the homonym nature of the current name (guise sounds like guys -- get it?) the new shop will be called Guise/Chic and will open down the street at 2128 N. Halsted St. Now, guys, you can bring a gal pal along on your shopping excursion and she can browse dresses or get a blow out while you model slick J Lindeberg blazers or sit down for an old-fashioned shave.  

>>> In other L.P. shopping news, trendy women’s boutique SHE, which opened just last summer on Armitage, is already expanding northward with a suburban outpost in Highland Park to open March 15.

The Bonnaroo music fest in Tennessee sure will rock this year, as this morning concert organizers announced that Metallica and Pearl Jam will headline the annual fest (June 13-15; tickets on sale Feb. 16). Sounds great and loud, and fans also have reason to celebrate scheduled performances by Kanye West, Sigur Ros and the Raconteurs. (As for Jack Johnson, Willie Nelson and Phil Lesh and Friends, well, can you say "predictable"?) The "Comedy Tent" is solid too, with appearances by David Cross, Janeane Garofalo, Jim Norton and more.

Will you be heading to Bonaroo this year?

OK, this is kind of goofy, but we love it, anyway: Lincoln Park's Twisted Lizard is offering an el cheapo $25 "His & Herrito" burrito dinner on Valentine's Day weekend, which includes rice, beans and two margaritas -- oh, and what we guess is a heart-shaped burrito (we think kind of make it out on this publicity still it if we squint).

If one margarita doesn't get you in the mood, there's a buy one-get one free deal for the rest of the evening, too. The special is available Feb. 14-17 during regular hours. Our only complaint: Doesn't this special come in a His & His or a Herrito & Herrito variety?

Find more VALENTINE'S DAY deals here

Normally, we try to avoid trailers if possible--half the time all the good stuff in the movie is in the trailer anyway. But you can't get away from all the movie ads during the Super Bowl, so here's our take on some of the best and worst promos for hot upcoming flicks.

The good

"Wanted" with Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman, opening June 27
Not only is the movie filmed in Chicago, but it threatens to put a fresh spin on the flashy, we-can-see-individual-bullets-flying style of "The Matrix." Maybe. 

"Iron Man" with Robert Downey Jr., opening May 2
Comic book adaptations certainly aren't reliable, but Downey Jr. usually is, and we're primed to see director Jon Favreau ("Elf, "Made") kick off the summer movie season.

The bad
"Leatherheads" with George Clooney, Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski, opening April 4
Clooney's directorial effort may turn out OK, but the commercial made it look both corny and smug.

"Semi Pro" with Will Ferrell, opening Feb. 29
Anyone else think that after the surprisingly funny "Blades of Glory," Ferrell should quit sports movies while he's ahead?

The ugly
"You Don't Mess with the Zohan" with Adam Sandler, opening June 6
Adam Sandler stars as an Israeli soldier/New York hairstylist. This may have sounded funny on paper, but on screen not so much. Of course, if you think Sandler plus goofy accent equals comedy gold, then get excited.

I know that for some people Mardi Gras is about rewarding “Girls Gone Wild” behavior with strands of beads, but the latest Mardi Gras event that arrived in my e-mail box is just too much. River North nightclub Manor is actually hosting a party called Beads and Boobs Tuesday night. Are you kidding me? Its strikes us a just a tad ironic that this sexist crap is occurring on the same night when the United States may possibly choose its first ever female candidate for president. This is almost as bad as those bars that host breast cancer awareness parties called Beer for Boobs … but I digress.

We have one question: What kind of woman would actually attend this event – would you?

UPATE 1:59 p.m.: Uh, we take it all back. Apparently, Cans has struck one for gender equality with their Mardi Gras party flier. And now we're really disgusted:

If you denied the immense popularity of Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana until now, it's time to face the facts. Thanks to crazed 12-year-olds everywhere, "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Disney 3D" raked in $29 million to destroy its competition at the box office and become the biggest Super Bowl-weekend opening of all time. Second place went to Jessica Alba's horror remake "The Eye" with $13 million. Both Eva Longoria Parker's irritating starring vehicle "Over Her Dead Body" ($4.6 million) and the kind-of funny stoner comedy "Strange Wilderness" ($3.1 million) failed to crack the top 10.

Are you surprised by the success of "Hannah Montana"? Or by the failure of Longoria Parker on the big screen? Will Jessica Alba ever make a good movie? Discuss!

So there wasn't a new Project Runway this week -- but as a slight consolation, we've discovered the ultimate in shameless fan paraphernalia: the Tim Gunn postcard by local greeting card company La Familia Green. Like the rest of her designs, Chicagoan Mollie Green (she's rooting for Jillian and Chris, by the way) handmakes each postcard in her Logan Square studio. We can't think of a better token to leave on your PR-obsessed coworkers' desk. Or, you're behind on your cross-country correspondence, we suggest you pick one up, grab a pen and a 26-cent stamp and, you know -- make it work.
 
Available at Hazel in University Village, Paper Doll in Wicker Park and Paper Boy in Lakeview, and online at lafamiliagreen.com

After 11 years and a recent ownership change, Lincoln Park bar and lounge, Bordo's, a hotspot for the post-college crowd in its heyday—is closing its doors after Super Bowl Sunday. Come March, look for yet another sports bar to move into Lincoln Avenue, The Spread. The owners of Club 720 are behind the new upscale sports lounge, which will feature outdoor seating, a completely new look and an opening week contest where the public is invited to submit recipes and name suggestions for The Spread’s signature cocktail. Stay tuned for more details…

Bordo’s link: http://chicago.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/lounge/bordos-eatery-and-sauce-sheffield-de-paul/134557/content