Saturday Double Feature: New Chicago Hospitality Spots and A&E News

Former Irish Pub Goes Southwestern

Little remains of the former The Celtic Crown in North Center. Save for a sign perched above the front door that reads “Go n-éirí an bóthar leat” or “may the road rise to meet you.” That sign appears to be a token of the pub’s former life as it ventures onward as The Western Bar & Kitchen. The Western opened in July and is still a newcomer in the neighborhood, but it is settling in just fine.

Upon first glance, the pub owned by Farrell Walsh and Kyle McCabe looks like a typical cozy spot. Yet it is expansive, with the intention of having theater companies and performers use some of the space as a performance venue. Their space is so massive that it makes the petite menu look even smaller by comparison. That menu, however, has been presented with superb precision. Each dish my spouse, Kyle, and I experienced when The Western hosted us a few weeks ago was done to perfection.

Namely, the Southwestern Salad with Chicken was so flavorful that I am still dreaming about it. A well-seasoned chicken Milanese served with a zingy lime vinaigrette, housemade chips, and a fresh mix of salad with avocado, the salad is filling. It matches the contemporary but home-grown vibe of the pub. Pairing it with a margarita on the rocks by Dave, the bartender, was a great choice.

Touches of cabin charm throughout the pub make it feel lived in, but approachable. It is precisely the kind of place you could go with a group of friends or a casual date night spot. I, for one, am imagining quite a few dates there in my future. Those beef fat fries are a dangerous, albeit alluring, treat.

Beyond the food, The Western is going to join the ranks of Chicago’s storefront theater scene. Co-owner Walsh is also the artistic director of CIC Theater, whose new home will be the pub’s theater space. It is an improvisational theater company that does shows and classes. CIC is still raising funds to get the theater space up and running after having had a home of their own for the last five years.

As our storefront theater scene continues to lose valuable performing spaces, it is heartening to see entrepreneurs endeavoring to make it work. I can’t wait to see a CIC show at The Western and get my hands on another chicken salad sometime soon.

The Western Bar & Kitchen, 4301 N Western Ave, Chicago, website, open daily.

Wind Creek Chicago Southland Redefines Hospitality

This week, my friend and I were hosted for a night at Wind Creek Chicago Southland, a new casino/hotel resort complex in East Hazel Crest. From the moment we set foot on the property, before anyone even knew we were hotel guests, every single person we encountered embodied the spirit of hospitality. From Mike at the front desk, who couldn’t have been kinder to Carmen at the 17th-floor steakhouse ALTO, who recommended more dishes for us to pair with our choices, the experience felt like a home-away-from-home moment.

Chicago doesn’t always get the credit it deserves for Midwestern warmth. But if you ever doubted in your mind about it, I’d insist you visit Wind Creek Chicago Southland. You’d be hard-pressed to find another hotel in Chicagoland with friendlier staff. Even Erika, the barista at the hotel’s Starbucks, introduces themselves to customers after learning their name. Not once in my life have I ever experienced that at any coffee shop on Earth.

These are moments that make hotels special places. They can’t be replicated or faked; they’re genuine moments of human connection, and it’s so easy for them to be lost in the hubbub of hospitality. I wasn’t even going to feature the hotel in the newsletter; I have other coverage plans. But I also wanted to give them proper credit for how incredible their staff was when I was there.

Wind Creek Chicago Southland opened its casino in November 2024, with the hotel opening in April 2025. The location embraces a resort environment, giving guests everything they’d need for a relaxing stay. For foodies, you can even sample a bit of everything at the Food Bazaar. With six different restaurants to choose from, the bazaar, operated by Fabio Viviani Hospitality Group, works like an all-you-can-eat operation with distinct areas and freshly made food.

Do what we did and ask the staff for their food recommendations. But don’t leave without grabbing a dessert from Sugar Lips. You’ll be glad you did!

Chicago A&E News

• Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre is presenting the first-ever Chicago Latinx/e Contemporary Movement Festival on Saturday, October 11, at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. The event features a community hour and performances by Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, as well as several other Latinx/e artists who will showcase contemporary and experimental dance. The festival aims to celebrate and uplift diverse Latinx/e perspectives, highlighting stories of heritage, resilience, and identity through socially conscious artistry. Tickets are available online.

• Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble (CDE) is presenting the reimagined "Full Circle Festival" from September 19-28 at 1650 W. Foster Avenue. The festival will showcase longer works of physical, fringe, and dance theater, a change from its previous format of shorter pieces. This year's lineup includes a variety of titles such as Josephine, Every Brilliant Thing, Chicago MemoryScape, and Arachne. Tickets are available here.

• Co-Prosperity, in collaboration with Goethe-Institut Chicago and Scherben, presents "Two Roses and a Briar Pipe," an art exhibition running from September 19 to October 24. Inspired by a scene from Rainer Werner Fassbinder's film Despair, the show explores the duality of social life—the mundane versus the violent. The exhibition features works by five artists from Berlin, Vienna, and Chicago who convey feelings of alienation and political inefficacy through sculptures and installations that comment on national and social identities.

• Co-Prosperity is presenting "When There is No One Left to Sit," an exhibition by Sayeda Misa Sourour, running from September 19 to October 24. The project, which was two years in the making, features photographs taken in Cairo that capture the presence of the Monobloc chair. Through these images and related sculptures, the exhibition explores themes of absence, memory, and the universal experience of being in a specific place.

• Court Theatre is presenting a new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Marti Lyons. This production, which runs from November 14 to December 14, explores themes of deception and desire, posing the question of whether there is strength in submission. The cast includes Melisa Soledad Pereyra as Katherina and Jay Whittaker as Petruchio. Tickets can be purchased online.

• Four Seasons Hotel Chicago has appointed Brent Balika as its new Executive Chef, where he will also lead the hotel's Adorn Bar & Restaurant. A Chicago native with nearly 30 years of culinary experience, Balika previously served as the executive chef at RPM Steak. He brings a focus on seasonality, simplicity, and refined technique, along with extensive experience from Michelin-starred kitchens and beverage certifications.

• High Stakes Productions brings the improvised murder mystery show Clued In back to The Second City with a new installment for the Halloween season, titled Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way. The show runs from October 2 to October 31, with a special Halloween performance. This new show features some of Chicago’s most accomplished improvisers, who create a unique murder mystery each night based on an audience suggestion of an inherited object. Tickets can be purchased online.

• Kokandy Productions will stage the first Chicago revival of the musical Jekyll & Hyde in over 15 years, running from October 9 to December 21, 2025, at The Chopin Theatre. The production, directed by Derek Van Barham, will feature a 15-piece orchestra and star David Moreland in the dual lead roles. Based on the classic Gothic horror story, the show is a chilling tale of a man wrestling with his two identities. Tickets are now available.

• Northlight Theatre is extending its 50th-anniversary season opener, the world premiere of James Sherman’s The First Lady of Television, through October 12, 2025. The play tells the true story of Gertrude Berg, the creator and star of the 1950s sitcom The Goldbergs. The show explores the conflict she faced when her co-star was accused of communism, forcing her to choose between her show's future and defending a colleague. Tickets can be purchased online.

• Oil Lamp Theater has announced its 2026 season, which opens with the political comedy The Outsider from January 23 to February 22. The season also features the musical The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown, as well as the comedies Poor Behavior and I Love You Because. The theater's year will conclude with a classic thriller that will be announced later in November. 2026 season subscriptions are now available.

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company, in collaboration with Mark Cortale, presents "A Merry Little Christmas with Megan Hilty," a festive holiday concert. Two-time Tony Award nominee Megan Hilty, accompanied by her longtime friend and music director Matt Cusson, will perform a selection of classic and contemporary holiday tunes alongside beloved Broadway favorites. This special engagement will feature three performances only on December 12 and 13, 2025, in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater. Tickets can be purchased online.

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company will host "No Stars in Jefferson Park," an evening of storytelling and celebration for Maggie Andersen's new memoir. This event, which is part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Festival, is scheduled for Tuesday, October 28, at 8 pm. Local theater artists will join Andersen from the book to celebrate her memoir, a love letter to Chicago, and a coming-of-age story about her time as a founding member of The Gift Theatre. Tickets are available now.

• The Conspirators are adapting the Marx Brothers’ film Duck Soup for the stage, with performances running from October 24 to November 23 at the new Stars & Garters venue. The production, adapted by Sid Feldman and directed by Wm. Bullion, is a pure comedy that playfully satirizes politics. While the cast and full production team are still to be announced, tickets for this fun take on the classic are on sale now.

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