Eat. Watch. Do. — Pitchfork guide, ‘Barbenheimer’ reviews, plus 25 Chicago hot dog stands

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

It’s Thursday, Chicago.

And it’s a big weekend for movies, with “Barbenheimer” finally hitting theaters. The internet has memed the simultaneous release of these two very different films, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” and some moviegoers are planning to watch them back-to-back in a true double-feature experience.

If you’re looking to soak up some time outdoors instead, Pitchfork Music Festival comes to Union Park this weekend, or if theater is more your style, we’ve got recommendations for seven outdoor options to enjoy this summer. Plus, we have the latest on a new restaurant in Avondale called Smoque Steak.

Have a great weekend, we’ll see you next week.

Kayla Samoy, deputy senior editor

7 outdoor theater options for summer 2023: Shakespeare dominates under the stars

Warm weather means it’s a great time to enjoy some live theater on a comfy blanket outdoors. While Shakespearean productions abound, there are also options for those who want to check out other playwrights or enjoy tunes from their favorite musicals. Read the full list here.

Review: Smoque Steak, a different kind of steak in Chicago

The owners of Smoque BBQ have opened a different kind of steakhouse in the Avondale neighborhood, and Smoque Steak is drawing crowds.

Tribune critic Louisa Chu takes a look at the modern steakhouse, which cooks steaks in an unusual three-step process with smoke, sous vide and searing in cast iron with butter. Read her full review here.

‘Barbie’ review: A doll’s life is richly, unexpectedly imagined by Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie

Come on, Barbie, let’s go party. Co-writer and director Greta Gerwig’s latest project has lots going on, a lot of it terrifically imaginative, writes Tribune critic Michael Phillips.

The movie is “a kind of cinematic seminar, full of ideas and feelings, along with the jokes, built around the cultural impact of a plastic star called out by her own movie as an emblem of ‘sexualized capitalism’ and ‘unrealizable physical ideals,’” he writes. Read his full review here.

‘Oppenheimer’ review: Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy dissect the tortured conscience behind our atomic age

“Oppenheimer” is filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s “most haunted film to date,” writes Tribune critic Michael Phillips.

It stars a pitch-perfect Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the thin man in the famously oversize fedora. Read the full review here.

25 stands with Chicago dogs in the city, suburbs for National Hot Dog Day

Wednesday was National Hot Dog Day, but if you didn’t have a chance to grab this iconic Chicago dish, we have a list of 25 first-rate hot dog stands in Chicago and the suburbs.

Pitchfork Music Festival 2023: The must-see musicians and all the entry details

Pitchfork Music Festival, taking place in Union Park July 21-23, continues to set itself apart from other fests by curating an eclectic set of performers across a variety of music genres. This guide has everything you need to know about this year’s lineup.

Sweet on Mesquite: Just beyond Dallas, world-class rodeo and barbecue await

Roughly 12 miles east of Dallas, Texas, suburban Mesquite proves a bustling spot teeming with barbecue history and rodeo roots. We’ve got all you need to know about a visit to Mesquite, which is a hub for artists and the location of an award-winning rodeo.

‘Minx’ review: In Season 2, the perils of success from a feminist mag with male centerfolds

No longer a startup story, this year the show examines the moral compromises of a feminist magazine featuring male nude centerfolds. The show has its issues, but it is “a fun, easy watch,” Tribune critic Nina Metz writes. Read her full review here.

Legal Sea Foods to open on river at former site of Dick’s Last Resort

The restaurant will replace Dick’s Last Resort at 315 N. Dearborn St. in the Marina City Towers and will likely open this winter, according to Kim Lapine, chief marketing officer for Legal Sea Foods’ parent company, PPX Hospitality Brands. Read the full story here.

Review: On opening weekend for CSO at Ravinia Festival, towering highs and trenchlike lows

Friday’s opener for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 87th summer in Highland Park fell far short of the moment, though Saturday saved the weekend, writes critic Hannah Edgar. Read the full review here.