Eat. Watch. Do. — 6 summery red wines, Cultivate Chicago guide and ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’
It’s Thursday, Chicago.
Hope you’ve been staying safe and cool amid the hot weather this week.
If you’re looking for something refreshing to sip but are loyal to red wine, check out this list of options perfect for summer. If that’s not enough, we’ve got a review of Oakville Grill & Cellar, which has the largest California-only wine list in the city.
For entertainment you can enjoy from the comfort of your couch or a dark movie theater, we’ve got a review of the movie “Bottoms,” a look at the latest Star Wars entry on Disney+, “Ahsoka,” and a peek at Season 2 of “Power Book IV: Force.”
Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll see you next week.
— Kayla Samoy, deputy senior editor
‘Bottoms’ review: In a queer ‘Fight Club’ with a side of ‘Heathers,’ the jokes and punches fly
Tribune critic Michael Phillips describes this movie as “peppy, bloody and swift,” where “jokes about sexual assault, the raging patriarchy and Black Republicans not yet of voting age are equally fair game.” Read his full review here.
Just opened: Ummo debuts in River North, plus 6 more new Chicagoland restaurants
Chicago’s newest restaurants include Ummo in River North, plus Soule to Soule and a new spot from the chef behind Sueños. Read the full story here.
What is the new ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’ series on Disney+ and why you should care
“‘Ahsoka,’ so far, leaves us wondering where ‘Star Wars’ is now. Do we still love it? Do we need it?” writes Christopher Borrelli. Read the full story here.
6 red wines to keep you cool during a red-hot Chicago summer
From lighter, crisply balanced reds to full-bodied, tannic wines, Chicago sommeliers offer suggestions for red wines that are enjoyable during hot summer weather. Read the full list here.
Cultivate Chicago: With headliners GZA, Record Company and Vic Mensa, everything you need to know about the first-time music and cannabis fest
Chicago Cultivate Festival is a three-day music and cannabis (and culinary) bash. This event is stacked with highly learned vendors, nonprofits and local creatives. Read the full guide here.
Review: California wines shine at Oakville Grill — but what about the food?
Oakville Grill & Cellar has Chicago’s largest California-only wine list, which fortunately showcases that state’s many great regions.
“Chicago may never be Napa, but with Oakville, we can at least pretend in comfort,” Tribune critic Nick Kindelsperger writes. Read his full review here.
Starz series ‘Force’ returns for Season 2 with Joseph Sikora ready to take over Chicago
On Sept. 1, the second season of the Starz series “Power Book IV: Force” will be back. The show stars Chicago-born actor Joseph Sikora. Read the full story here.
Ratboys’ new album ‘The Window’ is the most confident, assured version of the Chicago band’s music
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the band members turned inward, to a creative pod, to make new music. The results of those efforts make up their latest album, “The Window,” out Friday. Read the full story here.
Jazz trumpeter jaimie branch died last year. Her final album, out now, soars onward.
For the past year, jaimie branch’s inner circle worked tirelessly to push her final record with her quartet, “Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))” — out Friday — across the finish line. Read the full story here.
Martin Luther King’s ‘Dream’: Letting freedom ring from Stone Mountain, 60 years later
Sixty years after Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech invoked freedom in Stone Mountain, the Atlanta suburb is brimming with potential, largely driven by Black entrepreneurs. Read the full story here.
