It’s Thursday, Chicago.
There’s a wide array of frightful and delightful activities to enjoy as we count down the days until Halloween in Chicago. You can consult our list of where to find ghoulish-themed dining specials, the city’s most haunted objects and a review for what’s probably the most eerie ballet on stage this year.
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But what’s more horrifying than bad and expensive tacos? Tribune critic Nick Kindelsperger explores this topic in his latest review. We also have a roundup of exciting new restaurants, and some heartbreaking closures, in dining.
Finally, as the Chicago International Film Fest continues, Michael Phillip interviews “We Grown Now” director Minhal Baig and Rick Kogan interviews first-time director Claude-Aline Nazaire-Miller.
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Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll see you next week.
— Lauryn Azu, deputy senior editor
Kevin Daniels as Tiny, from left, Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane, Jimmy Dunn as Moose and Jack Cutmore-Scott as Freddy Crane in “Frasier.” (Chris Haston/Paramount+/HANDOUT)
“If only the ‘Frasier’ revival for Paramount+ conjured anything close to the effervescent wit of the Seattle-set original,” Tribune critic Nina Metz writes in her review. Read her thoughts on the reboot here.
Muah Cotton Candy owner Sonya Song works on cotton candy creations at her shop in Chicago’s Water Tower Place on Oct. 7, 2023. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Tucked away on the seventh floor of Water Tower Place is a tiny shop serving colossal confectionaries. Read about that store and six other restaurant openings in Chicago here.
Director and writer Minhal Baig outside her home in Chicago’s Hyde Park on Oct. 16, 2023. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
The “We Grown Now” director grew up in Rogers Park and is a star on the rise, according to Tribune critic Michael Phillips. The movie “struck me not just as a vital and beautiful addition to the list of key Chicago-made movies about Chicago, but as a film staking out its own style of poetic realism,” he writes. Read more about Baig here.
Master taquero Juan Monarrez stacks slabs of al pastor onto a spit for roasting at Tacombi, 126 N. Peoria St., on Sept. 14, 2023, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
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Though tacos don’t have to be cheap to be delicious, a bevy of West Loop taquerias are serving up overpriced tacos that underdeliver, Tribune critic Nick Kindelsperger writes. Read his trio of mini-reviews here.
Claude Miller at home in Chicago on Oct. 11, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
One of the shortest movies at this year’s Chicago International Film Festival is about the artist Nick Cave and will be screening again Oct. 22 at the Chicago History Museum. Read more about the movie here.
Halloween specials at the Voodoo Lounge at Ina Mae Tavern. (Ina Mae Tavern)
From pumpkin carving with cocktails to dog-friendly costume contests, embrace spooky season and check out our guide to celebrating Halloween at Chicago-area restaurants here.
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Aila Ayilam Peck and Kroydell Galima in “Night Watch” at Raven Theatre. (Michael Brosilow/HANDOUT)
If you’re a fan of “Only Murders in the Building,” on Hulu, there’s a chance you’ll also enjoy “Night Watch,” a mystery-thriller now at Raven Theatre. Read Tribune critic Chris Jones’ review here.
Chicago Tribune’s 2023 Holiday Cookie Contest.
The ovens have cooled, and aprons have been hung. Now it’s time to vote for Chicago’s favorite cookie to see who will compete for one of our cash prizes! Cast your vote here.
Jonathan Dole and José Pablo Castro Cuevas in Joffrey Ballet’s “Frankenstein” at Lyric Opera House. (Cheryl Mann/HANDOUT)
The Joffrey Ballet’s “Frankenstein” has everything you want for the spooky season: a gothic setting, sci-fi wizardry, a dash of hedonism, death and destruction and gasp-worthy shock value. Read about the production here.
Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila in 2022. (Bien Bautista/AP)
Younger Filipino Americans are looking for more authentic ways to experience the Philippines, and the Philippine Department of Tourism is looking to meet them where they are. Read about the initiatives underway here.