The October Issue Of Chicago Magazine

I perused the October issue of Chicago Magazine the other day, and there were some interesting articles this month. The cover story, Best of Fall, features nine events "to put on your calendar, " with a special emphasis on "an epic new album" by Jeffy Tweedy. I'm afraid I've never heard of Jeff Tweedy, and really don't care about his existential crisis, although perhaps I should. More interesting was reading about Barry Pearce. the "modern day Algren," who grew up near Midway Airport and has a new book coming out called The Plan of Chicago. Also, Kevin Shaw is premiering One Golden Summer at the Chicago International Film Festival, a documentary about an all-Black Jackie Robinson West team from Chicago's South Side Morgan Park neighborhood who won the Little League World Series in 2014, only to have it taken away the following year. There is also an article about the last Republican mayor of Chicago, Big Bill Thompson, a pal of Al Capone, who a 1993 survey of historians ranked the worst big-city mayor in American history. In "The 312" section, there is a story about a house in Evanston, built in 1889 and designed by Joseph Lyman Silsbee - Frank Lloyd Wright's mentor and first employer - which evidently had an influence on Wright's work. It is a huge place, 7,500 square feet, and now on the market for $3 million, with a view of Lake Michigan. Most eye-opening is a review of a new upscale steakhouse called The Alston, which occupies an entire city block in Chicago's River North neighborhood and is described as a three-ring circus designed for the New Gilded Age. The reviewer was critical of many of the dishes and unhappy with the level of service, but says the place is a lot of fun and he will be heading back soon, despite dinner for two costing an average of $350. Unless you go for happy hour caviar, where you can get an ounce of Russian roe with waffles for a mere $65. Count me in! Can I get an Old Style with that?