The spot: The authentic Greek cuisine is worth the wait at newly opened Mythos. Dishes such as pastichio ($16), a Black Angus beef and macaroni casserole topped with homemade bechamel sauce, are made to order, which means a 25-minute wait. Likewise, the popular trio of Black Angus steaks ($16) takes 45 minutes to grill on charcoal briquettes. While the food is just like what you’d find in owner Toni Di Meola’s hometown of Athens, don’t expect Mythos to look like the Parthenon. With her chef sister Vicky Zervas, Di Meola fulfilled a lifelong dream of opening a “boutique restaurant” that Di Meola says “has nothing Greek except the cuisine.” Large groups have been packing the chic but still homey space, especially on weekends, so reservations are highly recommended.

The bottle: If you think the only liquor pairing suitable for Greek food is ouzo, it’s time to leave the frat house. Greek wines are going through a mini-renaissance. “They really have just recently stepped up, because they’ve been really blah in the past,” says Zervas. And since Mythos moved in the neighborhood, consumer interest has spurred nearby liquor stores to get in on the Greek wine tip. Best Buy Food & Liquors (1832 W. Montrose Ave. 773-271-3442) carries red and white blends (both $8.99) from Greek winemaker Kouros. But don't feel limited by region. Zervas says wine clubs have made her restaurant a hit; one group even brought in bottles 1960 and 1963 ports to sip--and share with her. ("They were excellent!" she says.) If you insist on your old habits, grab a bottle of Metaxa ouzo ($19.99) at West Lakeview Liquors (2156 W. Addison St. 773-525-1916), just a few stops south on the CTA Brown Line. Mythos charges a $5 corkage fee per bottle or six-pack. --Emily Hiser Lobdell is a  metromix special contributor.  metromix@tribune.com

Platinum blonde hair. Black bikini top. Tattoos on display. There I was—OK, there was my chosen avatar—rocking out to Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

I may have literally been bundled up after Friday’s snow fall, sipping a beer in the back room of Bucktown’s Whiskey Road, but once that plastic guitar hit my hands and I was on the tiny, corner stage tapping my toes, I felt transported.

I’d heard the buzz about the addictive nature of Guitar Hero, but I didn’t get it. The game itself is sort of like Dance, Dance Revolution for your fingertips. But the music is so much better!

Pretending to be some rock legend as you "play" tracks by The Who, Heart, Pearl Jam and the Rolling Stones? Well, that, and having your friends and "fans" cheer you on, is why this game is so great—and such an amazing social opportunity at a bar. Asking someone you’ve got your eye on to face off on a game? Now that’s a much better opening line than "What’s your favorite band?" any day.

Whiskey Road:  http://chicago.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/neighborhood_bar/whiskey-road-bucktown-wicker-park/245335/content

>> Check back Wednesday to read about our reporter’s experience at other video game nights at local bars. Until then, just wear this t-shirt

Winter may be the most appropriate time to play moody stuff like "Everybody Hurts," but this should brighten the mood of R.E.M. fans. It was announced today that the veteran group is appearing June 6 at United Center, with excellent support from Modest Mouse and the National. No info yet on ticket availability, but mark your calendar a nd check back for updates. R.E.M.'s new album, "Accelerator," will be released April 1.

 

It is a dark day in America. Why? Because the weekend box office featured a neck-and-neck race between, "Meet the Spartans," which I didn't see but looks to be as fun as a back waxing, and "Rambo," which I did see and can confirm is actually that painful to watch. "Spartans" came out on top with $18.7 million, followed by "Rambo" with $18.1 million. Last week's champ, "Cloverfield," slid to fourth with $12.7 million, ahead of fifth-place "Untraceable," Diane Lane's average thriller with $11.2 million. The week's other new arrival, the terrible dancing flick "How She Move" didn't even crack the Top 10.

SOUND OFF: Has the apocalypse arrived, now that "Meet the Spartans" and "Rambo" are on top?

 

OK, "Top Chef" fans -- start sharpening your knives. BravoTV announced the new season (filmed in Chicago) will debut March 12. Confirming long-standing rumors, 31-year-old Stephanie Izard (above), the chef-owner of Bucktown's recently closed Scylla (now the home of Takashi Restaurant), will be a contestant.  She will be joined by two other chefs with Chicago connections, Valerie Bolon, 32, a Kendall College grad, and Dale Talde, 29, (another Dale!), who worked with Shawn McClain and Carrie Nahabedian before moving to New York to work at buzz-spot Buddakan. For info, check out the NBC Universal Web site.

DID YOU DINE AT SCYLLA? DO YOU THINK IZARD HAS A SHOT?

 

Planning a trip to see Blue Man Group at Briar Street Theatre? Here's a friendly word of advice: floss. And pretty up your espohagus. Chicagotribune.com reports that audience member James Srodon is suing the show after being subjected to the "espohagus cam" during an October 2006 show. That's just enough of a visual to force our jaws apart for a group howl of disgust. Seriously, we get the whole interactive thing, but exploring the crimson depths of a grandfather's chops? We'll pass, thank you very much.

Read More: 

http://chicago.metromix.com/theater/article/blue-man-group-show/291205/content

 

 

The spot:  The nice thing about newly opened Korean barbecue BBop Lounge ( hours | maps | Reviews) is that if you’re a control freak, you can cook your own food on gas grills right at your table in this modern, minimalist space. If, however, you’re too lazy, unable or uninterested in grilling yourself (we’ll call you Type B), the chefs will take care of it for you. “We’re definitely a lot more service oriented than the traditional Korean restaurants, or we should be, at least,” restaurant partner Okcha McDonald says. The menu is still fairly traditional, filled with popular items such as chap chae, clear cellophane noodles in a soy-sesame based sauce with vegetables and an option to add meat ($11-$12.50); bi bim bop ($11-$12.50); and kalbi, or Korean short ribs ($20).

The bottle: BBop Lounge will likely have a liquor license by spring, McDonald says, so take advantage of the BYO status (with no corkage fee) soon. McDonald recommends beer with Korean barbecue, specifically Korean beer—if you can find it. Calls to nearby liquor stores all turned up the same answer: no Korean beer. So plan ahead and make a trip to Avondale, where Asian food market Chicago Food Corp. (3333 N. Kimball Ave. 773-478-5566) sells six-packs of popular Korean beers Hite and OB ($5.09 each). OB is a pale lager, and Hite is more of a golden-colored lager; both are commonly found on tap in Korea. If you’re in a pinch and need a place nearby, we like Galleria Liquors (1559 N. Wells St. 312-867-7070). You’ll have to settle for Stella Artois ($10.99 for a six-pack)—it’s not Korean, but its crispness will make a fine match for Korean ’cue. -- Emily Hiser Lobdell is a Metromix special contributor. ] metromix@tribune.com

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK OF BBOP LOUNGE HERE

We're in a state of shock. The NYPD has announced that Australian-born actor Heath Ledger has been found dead in his apartment. Ledger, who was in town last year filming the new Batman movie, was 28 years old.

For more details, keep an eye on Chicagotribune.com

 

This year's Academy Awards may not even have a ceremony due to the writer's strike, but the nominees are in. Here's our quick take on some of the major categories:

Best Picture
"Atonement," "Juno," "Michael Clayton," "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood." We're not ones to brag, but, well, we called it! Did you?

Best Actor
Congrats to Tommy Lee Jones, deservingly nominated for "In the Valley of Elah." This not only surprised us but may have kept out Denzel Washington, who's been far better in the past than he was in "American Gangster." Great to see Viggo Mortensen up for "Eastern Promises" as well.

Best Actress
Did Cate Blanchett really need to be recognized for "Elizabeth: The Golden Age?" Over Amy Adams in "Enchanted" or Angelina Jolie in "A Mighty Heart"?

Best Supporting Actress
Ruby Dee does make a mark in "American Gangster," but we were still hoping Jennifer Garner would slide in, thanks to her best-ever work in "Juno."

Best Supporting Actor
OK, now we will brag. Called this one too. Can Casey Affleck ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford") take down Javier Bardem ("No Country for Old Men")?

Best Director
A happy morning for Jason Reitman ("Juno"), nominated for his second movie, and Tony Gilroy ("Michael Clayton"), nominated for his first. Somewhere out there, Sean Penn ("Into the Wild") is pissed.

Pleasant surprises
Nominations for Sarah Polley's lovely adapted screenplay for "Away From Her" and for Brad Bird's hilarious original script for "Ratatouille"

Not-so-pleasant surprises
"Surf's Up" for Best Animated Feature?! "Norbit" for Best Makeup?! We don't care how good the makeup was, "Norbit" and "Oscar nomination" should never be in the same sentence.

OK, your turn: Who should have been nominated -- and who should not have been?

 

Ask and you shall receive, Chicagoans: The new Marc by Marc Jacobs (click here for store address/maps) boutique in Bucktown has only been open for less than a week, but the managers have already pushed back closing time until 8 p.m. daily because of the number of anxious shoppers knocking persistently on their locked door every night.

A quick primer: Marc by Marc Jacobs' is actually the fashion mogul’s lower-priced line, but as a look at the price tags could tell you, the clothing itself is still quite expensive by most shoppers’ standards. The displays are purposely downscale­—and there’s a certain irony to seeing a $678 men’s wool jacket hanging on a wheeled metal clothing rack and $158 bikinis stuffed into clear plastic pouches.

But in the supposed name of accessibility, they’ve never been afraid of bastardizing the brand by proffering cheap trinkets emblazoned with the MJ name. Metal bins near the shop’s entrance are stocked with clever cheap thrills such as clamshell-shaped mirrored compacts ($5) and pens shaped like lipstick tubes ($1.50). Skin cancer-awareness T-shirts featuring screen prints of nearly naked celebrities—you can’t miss their respective posters in the store windows—will set you back just $35.

Freebie lovers will truly relish in this deal, though: While supplies last, score a Marc Jacobs Chicago canvas bag (a bit flimsy, but supposedly a $12 value) with any purchase, even a $1 keychain or $4 plastic bubble ring.

OK, fashionistas: Have YOU been to the new shop yet? Click here to sound off on what you think and what you bought

Have you ever been at a low-key concert, standing in a packed crowd as everyone listened in silence, only to be distracted by a group of rude, loudmouth concertgoers? Well, anyone at Friday night's Tomorrow Never Knows show at Schubas--featuring The Redwalls, Illinois, Bon Iver and Wax Fang--got to experience that extreme annoyance first-hand during Bon Iver's otherwise haunting set. A group of gabbing gals destroyed the intimacy of Iver's performance when they walked into the music room. "Do you know what band this is?" one of the girls screeched, not actually sounding like she cared. She and her friends continued to chirp loudly until another girl nearby nicely asked them to please keep it down, resulting in the group of mood-killers insulting the friendly fan and threatening to fight her later. After Iver finished, one of the girls was overheard saying that concerts aren't like libraries, so they shouldn't have to be quiet.

Do you agree? Tell us your biggest pet peeve at concerts. Do you have an all-time worst concertgoing experience?

 

The first deserving box office champ of the year, the much-hyped monster movie "Cloverfield" lived up to expectations and took in $41 million to land at No. 1. That made it the biggest January opening ever and more than strong enough to defeat the incredibly bland "27 Dresses," which placed second with $22.4 million. Audiences further proved their own intelligence by avoiding the awful comedy "Mad Money," which placed seventh with only $7.7 million.

What did you think of "Cloverfield"? Was it scary, or did the shaky handheld camera make you nauseous?

And speaking of scary: Did you know Sylvester Stallone has a new "Rambo" movie coming out Friday?

 >>CLICK HERE TO POST YOUR THOUGHTS

 

The spot: Move over, late-night burrito joints: A new barbecue spot is making its mark in Lincoln Park after dark. The brightly lit, rustic and casual Smoke Shack opened in December and DePaul kids are slowly discovering this affordable counter-service option. A post-bar crowd is already stumbling into the six wooden picnic-style tables nightly. “We have a big crowd between 1 and 3 a.m.,” owner Julio Nepomiachi says. The Argentina-born Nepomiachi adds South American flair to the menu with a spicy grilled chorizo served with chimichurri sauce ($3.75). Traditional smoked meats prepared in a large smoker include half- and full-racks of St. Louis and baby-back ribs ($10.95-$20.95), pulled pork ($5.95) and brisket ($6.95) sandwiches.

The bottle: Nepomiachi also owns Tonic Room across the street. His five-year-old lounge is a destination in its own right, but its proximity to Smoke Shack makes it the perfect place to grab some beer to accompany the slow-smoked meats and hearty sides. Though you can’t carry open beer from Tonic Room across the street, you can purchase a six-pack of Argentina’s Quilmes beer ($8.99) there. Nepomiachi describes the flavor as a bit like a South American version of Harp. Of course, you have another BYOB option: Bring your own barbecue. Nepomiachi says you’re welcome to bring your Smoke Shack ’cue to the Tonic Room. --Emily Hiser Lobdell is a metromix special contributor.  metromix@tribune.com

Today's hip wine pros (sommeliers, neighborhood wine shop owners, etc.) tell us that the price of a wine is not always indicative of its relative quality. Just drink what you like, they say.  That may well be good advice. Press coverage -- and high ratings -- can catapult a wine's price above less well-known wines. But who cares? Turns out, we really do like the more expensive stuff more no matter what.  

According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, price tags affect how much you like the wine you drink. Researchers hooked people up to some sort of brain scanning device to monitor their pleasure while drinking identical wines. The catch: They were told one was a very pricey wine and the other was a bargain wine. The brain scans said they liked the "expensive" one more.  Given the same test -- sans pricing info -- drinkers showed a preference for the lower priced wines.

But haven't restaurants known this for years?

READ MORE: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-nat_wine_15jan15,0,746109.story

Everybody knows that when it comes to restaurants, dim lighting equals romance. With candles on the tables, soft pendant lights and flickering sconces on the wall, Wheaton wine bar The Cellar Bistro definitely has a cozy, shadowy vibe going on. So much so, actually, that our server offered to bring us mini-flashlights if we had trouble making out the menu. Since we thought our twenty-something eyes could handle it (and because wielding flashlights on a date seemed more laughable that romantic), we passed. Maybe we should have obliged—then we would have read that the prosciutto-wrapped shrimp dish we ordered was topped with set-our-mouth-on-fire pepper sauce. Whoops. Next time, we’ll remember there’s no shame in shedding a little bit more light on the matter...

 

Contrary to popular belief, the American public does, in fact, want to see two senior citizens travel the world onscreen. If those men are Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, that is. "The Bucket List," a comedy starring Nicholson and Freeman as globe-trotting cancer patients, topped the box office this weekend with $19.5 million. That's not terribly surprising consider the stars' popularity, yet it was just barely enough to edge out an even worse comedy, "First Sunday," which came in second with $19 million. Expanding to 500 more screens, the easy-to-love "Juno" continued to spread its charms, earning $14 million to place No. 3. Not surprisingly, the week's other new releases "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie" (No. 9 with $4.42 million) and "In the Name of the King" (Out of the Top 10 with $3.3 million) stunk it up as much at the box office as they did onscreen. What did you see over the weekend? Anyone else excited for "Cloverfield" this week?

Eric Aubriot has turned up again-- this time at Andersonville's Il Fiasco. It's a reunion of sorts for the 35-year-old stove hopping chef (Aubriot, Fuse, Narra, Alhambra Palace). The owner of Il Fiasco, Michael Moore, used to own Pasta Palazzo at the time that Aubriot had his eponymous restaurant next door. So what doe he have planned for the menu? Nothing too radical. "Michael wants it to be a neighborhood restaurant with great food, great pastas and great pizzas -- at an affordable price,'' To that end, he's started tweaking the menu a bit, adding a  sea bass with savoy cabbage, lardoons, and a red wine reduction ($18). Regarding his short lived stint at Alhambra Palace last year: "It was intended to be a short stint," he says. "People get worried when you get a job and you leave a month later, but they don't know what's going on behind the scenes."

Have you ever been in the middle of receiving a facial, gliding along to the New Age music, and thought, "Man, I'd be a lot calmer if someone would put on 'SexyBack.'"

The Christopher Charles Anti-Aging Skincare Spa (980 N. Michigan Ave. 312-664-6404) thinks you should, now that it's offering the Sea Creations Choreographed Facial. For the low, low price of $240, you'll receive a 90-minute treatment using "anti-aging pearl proteins," as you unwind to music that aesthetician Renee Byrnes claims will "take you through an emotional journey inspired by triggering sensations in the body through choreographed movements." In other words, it seems, your face, neck, arms and feet will be massaged as they would be in any spa treatment, except this time Fergie, Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake are bumping in the background. Find more information at ChristopherCharlesSpa.com .

We haven't tried it, but "Metromix" on CLTV snagged a first-hand look at the facial. http://chicago.metromix.com/music/world_now_video/musical-facials/282987/content

The spot: Don’t put away those Uggs just yet. If you think this week’s warm weather means winter’s over, you’re probably not from around these parts. When the temp retreats to its frigid January norm, you’ll find us warming up in the cozy confines of Tre Kronor. Those Scandinavians know how to ward off winter chill. Packed with students and a friendly neighborhood crowd, the downstairs dining room is Old World cozy, with bright decor and a colorful troll mural painted on the east wall. Owner Larry Anderson, of Swedish descent, and his wife, Patricia Rasmussen, of Norwegian descent, have kept traditions alive here for 16 years. The hearty breakfast is popular for the pannekaker (Swedish pancakes) topped with lingonberries ($4.95). At dinner, nothing warms the soul like kottbullar, Swedish meatballs served with lingonberries and cucumbers ($11).

The bottle:  If you want the full-scale Scandinavian warmup treatment, bring aquavit, a grain-based liquor seasoned with caraway seeds, anise and herbs. Sam’s Wines and Spirits (1720 N. Marcey St. 312-664-4394) sells a handful of aquavits from across the pond, such as Sweden’s O.P. Anderson ($22.99) and the less expensive Danish Aalborg ($16.99). But North Shore Distillery in Lake Bluff, Ill., makes an aquavit that Sam’s spirits director David Soto calls “one of the best” ($25.99). Tre Kronor will be ready with small, frosted glasses kept stored in the freezer. --Emily Hiser Lobdell is a metromix special contributor. --By Emily Hiser Lobdell, metromix@tribune.com

Warming up in front of our very own fireplace would have been nice after getting caught in that torrential downpour this week -- too bad taking the liberty of installing one in our apartment would definitely get us evicted. The next best thing is DayNa Decker’s wooden fire sculptures--artful tabletop boxes that emit a flickering flame (pictured below; $345-$575 at Elevenzees). If that’s too pricey for you, huddle up next to one of Decker’s apple green candles -- the extra-wide wicks emit a faint crackling sound as they burn -- and use your imagination ($44-$68).

 

If you feel yourself slipping into a serious case of the winter blues, hold on: The owners of The Continental and Darkroom welcomed 2008 by breaking ground on a double-wide lot which will eventually be home to The Old Oak Tap, a bar boasting nearly 2,000 square feet of beer garden--in front! The whole idea of the tap is to bring the outside in, so look for modern rustic decor that makes use of stone and reclaimed oak among other natural materials. Partner Chris Ongkiko (The Continental and original Lava on Damen Avenue) tells us chef John Manion (of recently shuttered MAS) will be consulting on the menu, and the bar will be stocked with a lot of beer and wine. But with the stellar track record of the partners' other spots, we're definitely psyched about the music: indie rock, but more varied sounds than the cool beats you hear at Continental. Target opening: September 2008.

This is totally random, but we couldn't pass up a comment. Apparently, Ohio rapper has legally changed his name from Daniel Michael Miller II to "The" Dan Miller Experience. That's right; "The" -- quotation marks and all -- is part of his name, making his first name "The" Dan, his middle name Miller, and his last name Experience. It seems that Mr. Experience may now have trouble securing any type of "normal" job--"paging Dr. Experience ..."--but it is kinda cool, sort of. Do you think Experience's name change is awesome or crazy? If you could legally change your name to anything, what would you change it to?

We're glad to see Minibar is  hosting a viewing party on Thursday for Bravo's new reality show/elimination contest "Make Me a Supermodel". Ronnie Kroell, that sort-of lanky Chicagoan who survived the first round of cuts, is, after all, a former server at the Boystown hang. When we stopped in this weekend to ask if the bar was planning something special, the bartender just sort of waved it off. "Oh, he hasn't worked here in a really long time," he said. It's true. But Kroell is keeping busy. Not only with the show, but he helped create 4+1 Productions, a diversity-focused arts organization.

So if you're in the mood to support the hometown guy stop in.

The Golden Globes as we know it is cancelled. Instead, you'll get a Dateline recap of the nominees, a press conference announcing the winners, and an "Access Hollywood"-style special on the parties. Is anyone else kinda glad that now the best acceptance speeches can be saved for the Oscars?

More here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/env-goldenglobes7jan07,0,3739356.story

 

It took us six weeks, but we finally got our Sunday night dinner at Table 52.

Sunday is the only night you can get Art's family-style fried chicken, which is the only thing we wanted. Well, of course we were more than tempted by the shrimp and creamy grits appetizer and the mac 'n' cheese sides. The verdict? Yes, it was worth every mouth-watering moment of anticipation. And, yes, you should make your reservations now.

Best moments:

Art Smith in full effect. Greeting us as we entered, he was never out of sight as he chatted with diners and dashed back and forth from the small, butter-cream dining room to the wood-fired oven or the kitchen.

A cast-iron pan of biscuits served family style -- pillow-soft interiors with a slightly chewy, slightly salty exterior.

Smoked rutabaga -- served in a truffle-oil drizzled slaw. Amazing.

Boneless fried chicken? Smith said so many customers had asked for his famous recipe to be served in a more genteel way, he obliged. Consider me a convert.

The best way to spruce up a kumquat? Soak it in Southern Comfort, serve alongside pecan pie. To die for.

Art Smith appears on Larry King Live tonight. The ironic twist? The subject is eating healthy!

 

 

Another week, another box office victory for "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." Instead of lamenting the unintentionally hilarious adventure's $20.2 million weekend--bringing its three-week total to $171 million—we'll just celebrate the rise of "Juno," which, after nearly doubling its release across the country, earned $16.2 million to place third, just behind "I Am Legend," second with $16.4 million. Believe it or not, the week's one new release, the terrible horror flick "One Missed Call," came in fifth with a not-bad $13.5 million. Did that many people think "One Missed Call" looked scary, or did everyone just go to laugh at its awfulness?

If you've been curious about Soul in Clarendon Hills (the new Howard Davis-Bill Kim venture mentioned in our 8 in '08 story), we've got a few more details to whet your appetite. While the suburban space is under construction, executive chef Karen Nicolas has commandeered a corner of the kitchen at Kim's Le Lan to experiment with future menu items. Apparently, raiding the pantry there hasn't proved very helpful. "It's funny, because [Le Lan is] an Asian restaurant, there's not a lot of the product that we need," Nicolas told us. "So I've been making a lot of trips to Whole Foods." Soul is a big culinary score for the 'burbs: Nicolas is, if we say so ourselves, kind of a big deal. Before working at the Metropolitan Club here in Chicago, she worked at critically acclaimed spots such as NYC's Gramercy Tavern, Aureole in Las Vegas and Hawthorne Lane in San Francisco. For a menu preview, check out New on the suburban scene.
 

With everyone and their mom resolving to lose weight in that overly idealistic tradition of the new year, we weren't surprise to hear that North Shore Mexican eatery La Casa Del Gordo (that's "the house of the fat man" for the non-Spanish fluent) is slimming down in 2008 -- when it comes to the prices, that is. On Jan. 8, the restaurant debuts a revamped menu with lower-priced tapas options, from baked goat cheese with rachero-basil sauce ($5.95) to crab cakes with a kick from serrano chiles and mango salsa ($8.25). A new daily happy hour from 4 to 5:30 p.m. with free passed appetizers (they're calling it the oh-so-festive "Cantina Cocktail Hour") is also a treat for your maxxed-out post-holiday bank account. Even the most well-intentioned resolutions are bound to fizzle out by the end of this month anyway, so why delay the inevitable in the face of a good dining deal? 

Where do babies come from? Janet Jackson songs, apparently.

People reports that the 41-year-old singer says that fans often tell her, "This child was conceived listening to you," which has us wondering: Would anyone be willing to know what song was playing while they were conceived? If so, what song would you hope was responsible for you? What would you do if you found out it was, say, Jefferson Starship's "We Built This City"?