Time Out Chicago news

The NBA All-Star Game brought a slew of extravagant parties and performances to Chicago this weekend, with sightings of celebrities like Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West, 50 Cent and Cardi B. If you missed out on the action, there's at least one luxury pop-up experience that's still open—and you don't need an invite to check it out. Designer brand Gucci set up shop inside the former South Central Bank at 160 N Morgan Street, transforming the once drab building into a groovy, upscale retail experience. Wrapped in a purple geometric pattern and adorned with disco balls, the pop-up shop showcases Gucci's '70s-inspired GG Psychedelic Collection, which reimagines the iconic logo in technicolored hues. Shoppers can browse men's and women's handbags, luggage, shoes, accessories and jewelry. As a nod to the weekend's festivities, there's even a double-G–emblazoned basketball that goes for a cool $1,980, according to Block Club Chicago. Looking for something a bit more affordable? A $25 notebook is the least expensive piece of designer merch you can snag at this pop-up, but window-shopping isn't discouraged. Gucci's psychedelic West Loop retail experience will stick around through March 2 and is open daily from 11am to 8pm at 160 N Morgan Street. Take a look around the glitzy designer digs below, and start saving your pennies if you plan to ball out. Photograph: Pablo Enriquez for Gucci Photograph: Pablo Enriquez for Gucci Photograph: Pablo Enriquez for Gucci

Chicagoans have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Aon Center’s $185 million observation deck since it was first announced in 2015 and for good reason: Its vertiginous thrills will likely make the Willis Tower Skydeck and 360 CHICAGO seem tame by comparison. While plans for the Aon Center’s aerie received approval from the City Council at the end of 2018, it’s only now that a construction schedule and anticipated opening date have been announced. Work will commence during the third quarter of this year with a ribbon cutting slated for sometime in 2022. Will it be worth the wait? You betcha. Visitors will enter a brand-new 9,000-square-foot street-level pavilion before getting on elevators that will rise along outside of the building. Did we mention that they’re made of glass? There’s that, too. Once people get to the top, they’ll have the option of taking a spin on the Sky Summit, a gondola that dangles riders over the edge of the roof for 30 to 40 seconds. Formerly known as the Standard Oil Building and the Amoco Building, the 1,136-foot-tall Aon Center was completed in 1973, and is currently Chicago’s third largest structure. However, it will be bumped to fourth place once the Jeanne Gang designed Vista Tower is completed this fall. Still, think of all that the terror-inducing fun, not to mention a convenient location near Millennium Park—where the faint of heart might want to hang out while their braver friends go off to enjoy the ride. Take a look at what

As you read this, Sherp ATVs (which look like tiny boxes on a gigantic set of wheels) are cruising through Chicago stocked with Kanye West's latest creation for Adidas, the Yeezy Quantum. According to a release, West is launching the new shoe exclusively in his hometown today—and he wants local youth to be the first to snag them, free of charge. Sherps are being dispatched to Wicker Park at noon today (Friday, February 14) as well as Grant Park at 1pm and the West Loop at 2pm. Details are sparse, but if you're a young person who happens to be in one of the aforementioned areas this afternoon, keep your eyes peeled for a strange vehicle filled with sneaker boxes. The launch of West's latest footwear (which be available for $250 via retailers throughout Chicago on Sunday, February 16) coincides with NBA All-Star Game weekend in Chicago, which brings basketball stars, celebs and a long list of limited-edition product releases to the city over the next three days. If you're heading to any nightclubs or watch parties throughout the weekend, you're almost guaranteed to see a few hype beasts sporting the freshest Yeezys. West will also make an appearance in Chicago this weekend, bringing his Sunday Service concert series to UIC's Credit Union 1 Arena on Sunday, February 16. Tickets sold out in the blink of an eye, but as with everything that West has a hand in, there are plenty of secondary market options available if you simply must witness West's gospel show. Best of luck to al

In 2019, we asked more than 34,000 urban dwellers from across the globe to weigh in on the nitty-gritty details of life in their cities. What we learned might not surprise you: Chicago was voted the food and drink capital of the world, beating out 47 other metropolises—including culinary hotspots like New York and Paris—to take the No. 1 spot. Restaurant-heavy neighborhoods the West Loop and Logan Square also scooped up top marks as the best locales in the city to grab a bite. Now that we’ve entered a new year (and a new decade) it’s time for you, dear readers and citizens of our great city, to reevaluate if Chicago really is the best place in the world to eat and drink. You can also sound off on a host of other city-related questions, like: How expensive is it for a night out? When was the last time you went out for brunch? And is it maybe even possible that Chicago is the best city to have it all, like voters said for two straight years? Help us find out and put your opinion on record with our Time Out Index 2020 survey. It’s an easy-breezy, 10-minute way to give your honest assessment of life in the city, packed with fun questions about culture, social happenings, sex and more. Plus, once you’ve finished, we’ll tell you your soul city—the place that, based on your survey answers, you need to visit this year. May the best city (cough cough, Chicago) win!

Red roses and Fannie Mae chocolates are nice, but this Valentine's Day, Chicagoans can give a gift that even the most curmudgeonly heart can’t refuse—a cuddle session with a litter of adorable, squishy-faced puppies. In exchange for a one-time donation, local no-kill animal rescue One Tail at a Time will send your loved one a puppy-gram (a.k.a. some quality time with up to five pups) on Friday, February 14. For $250, you can secure 15 minutes with one puppy; $500 gets you two puppies for 30 minutes; and $1,000 includes five puppies for 30 minutes. Though the last two options are sold out, there's still time to nab the first package, dubbed "Puppy Love." The pups in question are a litter of nine bloodhounds, all of which are named after iconic sleuths like Ace Ventura, Nancy Drew and Veronica Mars. Big bonus: Although they’re still little and need to stick around with their mama (a stately pup named Lady Pinkerton) for a few more months, they’ll eventually be up for adoption at One Tail should you happen to fall in love. You can order the ‘gram online until February 12. Take a closer look at the irresistible bloodhounds below. Photograph: Sam Schultz, Dogs & Not Dogs Photography Photograph: Sam Schultz, Dogs & Not Dogs Photography

The most amazing omakase experiences in Chicago are known for their intimate tasting counters and high-end sushi, but the latest newcomer to the scene seriously ups the ante. Opening on February 14, Sushi Suite 202 transforms a 500-square-foot guest room inside Hotel Lincoln into a six-seat sushi counter that serves a 60-minute, 17-course omakase menu for $125 per person. Guests with reservations can access Sushi Suite by checking in with the first-floor concierge and claiming their key to the room. Inside, the space looks a lot like a typical hotel room—except for the fact that there's a six-seat sushi counter where the bed once sat and a posh cocktail bar just off the living room area. Once service begins, New York chef Kin Wangchuk churns out 17 varieties of nigiri sushi topped with everything from ruby-red shrimp to creamy hunks of uni. Thirsty? The suite is also equipped with a self-serve sake vending machine, from which guests can choose a trio of fish-friendly pairings for $30. The aforementioned bar offers a curated menu of cocktails for guests who are waiting for their turn at the tasting counter. Like its counterparts across the country, Sushi Suite is a timed experience that lasts for just 60 minutes (don't worry, the skilled chefs here are trained to keep you on track). For sushi enthusiasts who don't want to be confined by the clock, there's always the option to rent out the suite for 29 of your closest friends. When the evening is over, you'll have access t

Just in time for Valentine's Day, popular cocktail bar the Sixth transforms into As You Wish, a Princess Bride-themed drinking den complete with specialty cocktails and recreated scenes from the iconic 1987 film. Head to Lincoln Square from February 11 through March 22 to have a drink with your Princess Buttercup or Westley. Bar manager Dylan Seo and his team of talented mixologists dreamed up the impressive cocktail menu, drawing on the movie's most beloved characters and quotable lines. True to the Sixth's mission to expose drinkers to fascinating ingredients, these tipples incorporate everything from citrus ash and oyster tincture to banana oat milk and tobacco essence. The tequila-based Inconceivable is garnished with a chocolate-covered strawberry, while the Shortage of Perfect Breasts promises to be a refreshing sipper with gin, aquavit, sugar snap pea syrup and citric acid. As You Wish takes over the Sixth at 2202 W Lawrence Ave from February 11 through March 22, open Tuesday through Thursday 5pm–midnight, Friday 5pm–2am, Saturday 5pm–3am, and Sunday 4–10pm. Take a look at some of the themed cocktails crafted by Seo and his bar team, utilizing beautiful glassware, funky garnishes and custom ice cubes made in-house.  Photograph: Sarah Zelman/The Sixth Photograph: Sarah Zelman/The Sixth Photograph: Sarah Zelman/The Sixth

Futuristic family the Jetsons might be jealous of the technology being employed inside Hayden Hall, Chicago's newest food hall from DMK restaurant group (Ada St., Fish Bar, County BBQ). Guests who frequent the space, which is nestled inside the CNA Building at 333 S Wabash Ave in the Loop, will use the Grubhub app to monitor food-prep times and order eats from the hall's 10 stalls. Place an order in advance for pick-up, opt for delivery or mull over the menus on your phone from the venue's picturesque natural wine bar. Every kiosk provides a constantly updated wait time so that customers know exactly how long their meal will take to prepare. A digital leaderboard plastered near the entrance also displays these digits so that walk-in diners can easily assess their plan of attack. Though each kitchen is equipped with mounted iPads that allow guests to browse and purchase menu items without downloading the app, DMK co-owner David Morton says that he expects most people will take advantage of the mobile technology. Photograph: Lindsay Widdel     Hayden Hall offers a hodgepodge of brand-new collaborations, revivals and DMK spinoffs. In addition to the main lineup, there's a first-floor coffee bar and bakery as well as a fully stocked salad bar upstairs. Also located on the second floor is a new outpost of beloved restaurant Ada St., complete with 75 seats, a beautiful cocktail bar and lunch and dinner menus. The interior of the 25,000-square-foot food hall was designed by

When emo-punk rockers My Chemical Romance reunited for the first time in seven years to perform in Los Angeles last December, rumors swirled about where else the group might play in 2020. This morning, frontman Gerard Way and company revealed that the band will serve as the headlining act on Saturday, September 12 at Riot Fest—a festival with a reputation for booking long-awaited reunions (The Replacements, Misfits, Jawbreaker). RECOMMENDED: Photos and coverage of Riot Fest music festival My Chemical Romance's Riot Fest gig is the third date on a larger North American tour that kicks off in Detroit and will take the band to cities like Boston, Atlanta, Brooklyn and Las Vegas. The last time MCR played Chicagoland was all the way back in 2011, when the band shared a bill with Blink-182 (who, coincidentally, topped last year's Riot Fest lineup) at what is now the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park. If you want to lock down your ticket to Riot Fest, the festival is offering early bird three-day passes for $140 as well as an assortment of more expensive VIP options. And don't expect any more early lineup announcements—organizers are promising to reveal the full slate of acts sometime this spring.  Want more? Sign up here to stay in the know.

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have strong roots in Chicago; it's the city where the pair shared their first kiss, got married and launched a political career that lead them to the White House. While we're still not sure exactly when the Barack Obama Presidential Center will open its doors to the public in Jackson Park, Chicagoans will be able to see a couple works of art inspired by Obamas on display at a local museum in 2021. The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery announced that the portraits of President Barack Obama and Mrs. Michelle Obama by artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald, respectively, will embark on a five-city tour next year. The Art Institute of Chicago will be the first stop on the nationwide tour, where the portraits will be on display from June 8, 2021 through August 5, 2021. After the portraits leave the Art Institute, they'll be exhibited in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Houston before returning to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. in 2022. Unveiled in 2018, the Obama portraits were notable for their striking modern appearances and use of bright colors, standing in contrast to past presidential portraits that favored a classical style and a somber palette. Painted by Kehinde Wiley, Barack Obama's portrait depicts the president against a wall of foliage, with flowers symbolizing his heritage (including Chicago's official flower, the chrysanthemum) peeking through the leaves. The portrait of Michelle Obama by artist Amy