All stories about "Chicago"

Good magazine has done double-duty, selecting the best blocks from around the country for budget-friendly (under $20) eats. So what are the best blocks to hit when you're low on cash? Queens' Roosevelt Avenue, Houston's Travis Street, Seattle's Fremont Avenue North, Chicago's Broadway, Miami's Southwest 8th Street, Nashville's Nolensville Road, and LA's W. Sunset Boulevard. [Good]

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Chicago's Wrigley Field is ringed with quirky rooftop baseball clubs. These venues give Cubs fans stadium-quality views in a private setting. The rooftop clubs have existed since the day the stadium opened in 1914, but their presence was endangered four years ago when Wrigley bigwigs threatened to put up screens blocking views of the field if the clubs didn't agree to share their profits with Cubs owners. The rooftops survived the dispute by agreeing to give the ballclub 17% of their profits, but one club owner refused to sign on. Now, the team is threatening to block out the three rooftops owned by renegade club honcho Tom Gramatis if he doesn't pay up by April 15th. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the 14 rooftop clubs made "as much as $18 million last year," and both the clubs and the Cubs have "thrived" under the profit-sharing agreement. [Chicago Sun Times]

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You have until the 10th of May to see the Edward Hopper show at the Art Institute of Chicago. Over at Slate, Witold Rybczynski has an essay talking about the the way that architecture was used in some of Hopper's best works.

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American Airlines canceled nearly 200 flights (more than 34% of its entire fleet) this morning "after a Federal Aviation Administration audit raised questions about how a certain bundle of wires is secured to the MD-80 aircraft." The airplanes in question had been inspected, but AA and FAA inspectors "were unsure if the work had been done properly." Re-inspections are currently taking place. The majority of AA's cancellations affected its two primary hubs--Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. [Dallas News]

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InterContinental Hanoi Westlake, Hanoi.

Boston
• 606 Congress: A New American restaurant with a seafood-heavy menu is now open inside the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel.

Chicago
• Berry Chill: This frozen yogurt shop opened last week, beating the arrival of a Pinkberry.
• Drew's Eatery: Catering to eco-conscious diners, this new café is entirely green -- from its organic food to its biodegradable serveware.

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The river will run green come Saturday morning, and the booze-fueled festivities will follow soon after. The party in Chicago starts bright and early (if you were out the night before) at 10:45a.m., at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River, and goes until everyone blacks out. Some pubs are opening as early as 7a.m. Saturday morning, so there's plenty of time to get in some serious drinking. After the jump, the best places to do so. (photo)

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Badrutt's Place , Miami.
Boston
• 40 South Street: The former vintage men's boutique Gumshoe re-opens with a new name and new section for the ladies.

Chicago
• Natalino's: A 75-seat, classic Italian-American restaurant is now open in West Town.
• Mercat a la Planxa: New Michigan Ave. restaurant serves tapas -i including ones with Spain's famed jamon Iberico -- and Catalan-inspired cocktails.
• Rockstar Dogs: Minor Threat photos, stripper poles, and a flatscreen TV airing music videos are just a few bonuses at this East Village hot dog joint.

Dallas
• Stoneleigh Hotel : After a 14-month-long, $36 million renovation, The Stoneleigh now features luxury Art Deco-inspired décor, a full-service spa, and Bolla restaurant.

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Calling itself the Micro-Fiber Militia, a group of crocheters in Chicago are following in the footsteps of groups like Knitta Please and the Knitta Crew, covering tree trunks, scaffolding, bike racks, and bus-stop poles with crocheted flowers and other colorful designs. One new group of works makes use of glow-in-the-dark yarn. Is it vandalism or graffiti of some type? The group's founder prefers to call it "artistic littering." [Methods Reporter]

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If this phrase gets your heart racing like a sip of Sommelier-Stephen's Black Tea-Milk Chocolate Soup, then you've probably got your Tivo/DVR all set up for Wednesday night. Top Chef is in Chicago for its fourth season, and thanks to excited Second City foodies running for their laptops, we've got a good idea of what the contestants were up to while in town. This is all about spoilers without the spoil, so feel free to enjoy it just like a marathon of Top Chef: a feast without the calories.

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Chicago lawmakers are proposing a ban on miniature ziplock baggies, because pretty much nobody uses them for anything other than storing crack, cocaine, and weed. The law would prevent "self-sealing plastic bags under two inches in either height or width," from being sold in the city. The ban probably won't have too much of an impact, though, since drug dealers can just purchase their baggies on the internet. For example on one site that I found by googling "dime bag," mini ziplocks are available in several designs, including a version festooned with marijuana leaves. The site notes that their products are "great for storing rare coins, jewelry, and stamps!" I'm sure that, in addition to drug dealers, jewelers, coin collectors, and philatelists are all devastated by the proposed baggie ban in Chicago. [Chicago Sun-Times]

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Few and Far, London.