Arami
The few pieces of sushi that I ate at Arami were the best sushi I’ve had. While the sushi is certainly more expensive than many places in Chicago, the quality is worth the high price tag. Arami focuses on pristine fish and carefully chosen flavor combinations instead of the overstuffed messes of rolls that some sushi restaurants offer.
Zuke sake nigiri – Norwegian salmon, soy marinated
My first introduction to Dee Snider’s Rock & Roll Christmas Tale was at the Broadway In Chicago summer preview concert – although the premise sounded a little questionable, Dee Snider’s energy made me cautiously optimistic about the musical’s prospects. The first night of previews, however, dashed those hopes, and the opening night did not go nearly far enough to make up for that. Continue reading
I, too, come here to be entertained. I come here to be moved. But my favorite nights in the theatre at not the ones where I left thinking about how much I loved it. . . . My favorite nights in the theatre are the ones where I left asking questions. Maybe getting into an argument – not about whether the show was good or not, but about whether we are good or not.
That is how Season on the Line begins, and to be perfectly frank, The House Theatre of Chicago‘s world premiere production of Season on the Line was one of my favorite theatrical experiences thus far in my life. I was entertained; I was moved; I loved it from the start – and it did make me ask questions. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, but it also caused me to think more deeply – about whether honesty is always truth, when it’s time to say no, what the theatre is for, the role of a director and the qualities of leadership, the relationship between art and critic, the relationship between art and ego in a theatre company, the impact that a review can have, and what happens when a chasing a review becomes more important than an artistic vision. Continue reading
NAHA is Carrie Nahabedian’s Michelin-starred restaurant in River North. The atmosphere had that white tablecloth, fine dining feel, but it wasn’t as luxurious as The Lobby, nor did it have as much personality as Sepia or Boka. The tables were very close together, and it was surprisingly loud, even without music. Given all of its accolades, I had such high expectations for NAHA, but it ended up being one of the most disappointing restaurant experiences I’d had in quite some time. Continue reading
Night Out Reviews 