This Just In - New Steakhouse from Gilt Bar

After a delicious dinner at Gilt Bar, we came away not only with a full stomach, but also with some scoop. If you've had the rib eye at Gilt Bar (coal-fired, served with Bearnaise and Maldon steak salt) you know it's fabulous. But did you know it's so fabulous the team there has decided to enter the steakhouse scene? This new mecca of red meat will be located next door (a la Doughnut Vault) and open some time in 2012. The idea is so fresh the team is still finagling over the name, let alone the rest of the menu....

The last thing Chicago needs is another run of the mill steakhouse, but we're fairly confident the guys at Gilt will mix up the model and make something truly rare... ergh, ah well done.

So You Think You Can Dance?

Whether you have been blessed with rhythm or can't tell your right foot from your left, the Chicago Summer Dance Festival provides an outlet to let loose in public without the risk of questioning stares. Running each Thurs-Sun through September 18, you can put on your boogie shoes, learn some new steps (from seasoned professionals) and listen to live music in vibrant Grant Park. Offering every style under the sun including Swing, Salsa and Square dancing, this festival has got you poised to be the next contestant on SYTYCD (hot tamale train anyone?). Check out the full schedule here to see where and when you can fine tune your skills. Considering the 15th annual festival is 11 weeks long, you have not excuse not to get your groove on.

5 @ 5: Our Weekend Recos

This short work week somehow still managed to feel long. So all we have to say is T.G.I.F. See below for a few of our top weekend picks:

Be the First – Check out one of the hot restaurant openings from the week. Swing by Tribute in the South Loop or to one of River North’s newest additions, Bombay Spice and Roka Akor.

Dose Market 2.0 – Head to River East Art Center for your second round of Dose Market. Make sure to pop in between 10 a.m. and Noon for complimentary Thai-inspired Aviary cocktails from the man himself, Mr. Grant Achatz.

Burger Mania – Head to Roscoe Village’s Burger Fest for burgers from Goose Island, Stanley’s, John’s Place and Mario & Gino’s Burger shop. Add a little beer and a little live music for the perfect day fest.

Boys Boys Boys – We’ve been loving Boystown all week, and Halsted Tastes Better (a tasting of over 10 Boystown restaurants) is making us love it even more.

Staying in? - Skip the cooking. Call our guys at Roots Homemade Pizza who started delivery service this week. And please, please, don't skip the tomato, avocado and mozz salad.

Weekend Getaway: Three Floyds Brewery

Did you know that at any given time, anywhere in the US, you’re just 50 miles away from a craft brewery? Amazing, we know. Lucky for us, Indiana’s famed Three Floyds Brewery is less than 50 miles away in Munster, Indiana. The drive is a breeze. The hour and a half line to get into the Brewpub, however, was not. No matter, the food (the chef reigns from Blackbird) and brew are worth the wait.

We killed time with a brewery tour where we learned about the FFF brewing process. Insider scoop: the chef and the brewers just got back from to trip to Belgium, Germany and Denmark where they explored beer concoctions and food pairings. We can’t wait to see what they come up with.

Once we were in, we gulped down the I Love Deesko Tart tap beer. Medium bodied and a bit sour with fruity notes, this beer was made for summer. The FFF nosh is bar food on steroids. Think fries with horseradish mayo and chipotle ketchup, gooey macaroni and cheese with bacon and thin crust pepperoni pizza with red pepper flakes and parsley. It more than exceeded our expectations.

Moral of the story: put Three Floyds on your summer bucket list. While you do that, we’ll keep you posted on other breweries within our 50 mile range. Stay tuned.

Gold Coast in Grant Park

With Old Town out of the way, we have been anxiously awaiting the Gold Coast Art Fair - which for the second year in a row has outgrown its former Gold Coast location and now finds its home at Grant Park's Butler field.

What to expect besides original works of more than 350 established and burgeoning artists? How about FREE admission, interactive art demos, speed painting (not sure what it is, but sounds impressive), live music and great food. Speaking of food, this year, the festival will host the Glunz Family Wine & Beer Garden which offers guests wine, beer and sangria with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Chicago Special Olympics - a little activity we like to call "drinking for good."

The “Granddaddy of American Art Festivals” takes place this Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00PM - get more info at gcartfair.com

North Coast Music Festival: Line-Up Announced

DMB Caravan, Lollapalooza, Pitchfork - Chicago has enough music festivals to keep the party going all summer long and trust us, we are not complaining! To add to your already jam-packed summer is the "closer" of all festivals (and a personal favorite), North Coast. The day-by-day line-up was just announced and we selected some highlights from each. Seems like the perfect way to say goodbye to summer 2011.

Friday, September 2, 2011- David Guetta, Wiz Khalifa, Wolfgang Gartner

Saturday, September 3, 2011- STS9, Fatboy Slim, Common, Rusko, Major Lazer, Great Divide

Sunday, September 4, 2011- Bassnectar, Thievery Corporation, Benny Benassi, Van Ghost, Paper Diamond

Check out the full line-up, get single-day tickets and scope the after-party scene here

Moving on up: Ikram

We all know and love the carefully curated collections that Ikram continues to wow us with year after year - which is why we were thrilled to learn that the store will continue to bring its fashion cred to Chicago, but in a space quadruple its current size (16,480-sq ft. to be exact).

While Ikram's original location solely focuses on women's apparel, according to the store's website the new space will boast a cafe and gallery as well. The new diggs will be located at 15 E. Huron and as far as we can tell from the construction, it's going to be a destination in itself. Sip on a champagne cocktail while checking out the latest from Prabal Gurung? A girl can dream.

Ikram's new and improved location opens on July 27

Next Up: A Tour of Thailand

As Next gears up to make their first cuisine change on July 8th, Grant Achatz tweeted the menu for the restaurant's new Thai menu.

Also check out the Sun-Times article on the inspiration behind the menu. Set to mimic a tour of Thailand, the menu weighs heavily on the culture impact of street foods.

Let the bidding war for a table begin (again).

5 at 5: Our Weekend Recos

How will you be celebrating America’s Birthday? Here’s what we have in store.

Fireworks: July 4^th at Navy Pier starting at 9:00 p.m. Find a friend with a rooftop or head downtown early if you want to get a good look at the city’s only Fourth of July ‘works.

The Butcher and the Larder: If grilling is part of your 4^th festivities, go see Chicago’s butcher, Rob Levitt, at The Butcher and the Larder. This weekend at The B&L take home bone marrow burgers (Saturday only), beef kabobs marinated in salsa verde, Kalbi (Korean short ribs), and cheddar brats.

Crosstown Partying: Don’t have tickets for this weekend’s Crosstown Classic? Not a problem. Head to the Wrigleyville block party on Saturday from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. to be part of the action.

Elixir Opening: Yes, we were just in Boystown last weekend. But that was before there was a cocktail lounge with a secret door into Hydrate. Elixir (3452 N. Halsted) opens this weekend. We can’t wait.

Longman & Eagle Picnic: Our favorite Logan Square spot will be holding a $20 all-you-can-eat pig picnic on July 4 at 5:00 p.m. God Bless America.

Celebrating the 4th with Chicago's Best BBQ

Heading into one of the biggest BBQ days of the year, we’re trying to pick out our favorite dishes from our go-to Chicago BBQ joints, and it's no easy task. We’re not just talking ribs and brisket here. We’re talking desserts, moonshine and…you guessed it…bacon candy.

In celebration of the 4^th, see below for our most highly desired, smokey bites:

• Chicago Q: Kobe Sliced Brisket + Bruleed Macaroni and Cheese + Sazerac (ri 1 Rye Whiskey, Pernod, Bitters)
• Lillie’s Q: Smoked Fried Chicken (new on the menu) + Collard Greens + Strawberry Shortcake (pictured) + M&M&M (Moonshine, Maker's Mark, Mint Syrup)
• Honky Tonk: Viking Beef Short Ribs + Fried Green Tomatoes + Bacon Candy + live music
• Smoque: Pulled Pork + Texas Sausage + Peach Cobbler