Chicago new essentials

THE PUBLICAN’S SUNDAY BRUNCH
WHY WE NEED IT The evils of brunch were well known before the Publican: There were long lines and cramped rooms, and the food was always something you could make at home. The Publican has eliminated those evils with its sunny, spacious dining room, inspired breakfast noshes and—most important—its reservations policy. We dare say its brunch is a pleasure.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Add some lighter dishes. Save the soft-boiled egg and the fresh ricotta, everything on this menu has enough meat and fat to last us three months. Problem is, we don’t want to wait three months between visits. 837 W Fulton Market (312-733-9555).—David Tamarkin

DISCO PARTIES
WHY WE NEED THEM The disco scene of the ’70s and early ’80s gave birth to modern dance culture. So whether you’re talking young guns playing their favorite disco-sampling MP3s, as the new Trick Disco night at Subterranean often does, or Chicago’s old guard spinning vinyl to a steppers crowd on a Sunday afternoon, as Ron Trent does with Love Hangover at the Shrine, we owe it all to the genre that’s reviled as much as it is admired.
HOW THEY CAN STAY ESSENTIAL All you budding disco DJs, do your homework. French house does not a disco party make. If you’re really intent on throwing a disco party à la DFA or Ron Hardy, tell a story; shake it up with the old and the new. —Joshua P. Ferguson

EPIPHANY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
WHY WE NEED IT This gargantuan Romanesque cathedral near Union Park has movable pews, making its spacious nave amenable to all kinds of events. A short-lived partnership with the Empty Bottle once made it downtown’s Logan Square Auditorium, but it’s the dance scene that’s really fallen for Epiphany’s affordable rates and room to move.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Keep booking shows and sell them out—only steady revenue will allow Epiphany to maintain this beautiful but timeworn room. 201 S Ashland Ave (312-243-4242, epiphany-chicago.org).—Zachary Whittenburg

THE BLACKHAWKS
WHY WE NEED THEM True, the Hawks have not hoisted the Stanley Cup in 39 years, but they’re close—perhaps favorites to do it this year—ranking in the top four in the NHL in goals per game, goals against per game, penalty kills, face-off wins and shots per game. Oh, and victories, of course. This isn’t a fluke season. Unlike our roller-coastering ursine teams, the Hawks are built to dominate their division for years. Plus, they have the coolest fight song in “Here Come the Hawks”—written by Richard Marx’s dad!
HOW THEY CAN STAY ESSENTIAL The front office must try to keep the core of young players together. And try to keep those cheap seats cheap. Two seasons ago, upper-level tickets could be had for $10. Now you’ll pay $25 for standing room. —Brent DiCrescenzo

CONVERTIBLE MITTENS
WHY WE NEED THEM Manufacturers like Tavo and Dots have been hawking touch-screen-friendly gloves since the iPhone blew up, but they’re a little dainty for winter waits on an El platform—especially because those just keep getting longer—not to mention wanting in the style department. Our handset is high-tech enough; we’ll stick with the fingerless-optional classic. Glacier Glove’s Windproof Flip Mitts (glacieroutdoor.com) are particularly suited to our harsh-on-hands climate.
HOW THEY CAN STAY ESSENTIAL As capacitive-touch technology continues to invade interfaces, capacitive fabrics will get picked up by more brands we trust. —ZW

GRUBHUB
WHY WE NEED IT It’s cold. You’re tired. And hungry. Sure, you can call your standby delivery joint. Or you can do the smart thing and order via grubhub.com. Sure, the site has helped Chicago residents place online food orders since 2004. But the site’s latest wrinkle makes GrubHub indispensable: You can search its large restaurant database by menu item, not just cuisine type. So if you live in, say, North Center and hanker for hot wings, you can conjure 74 eateries that’ll deliver sauced-up bird to your doorstep. Even more impressive, you can call up the one needle-in-a-haystack restaurant that delivers baba ghanoush to that ’hood, so your vegetarian friend can join you for a meal.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Keep expanding that restaurant database until all of Chicago dining is at our fingertips. —Frank Sennett

AMEX CARDS TO PAY LAZ PARKING METERS
WHY WE NEED THEM Everyone likes to stick it to the man, and we can’t think of a more deserving Chicago purveyor than meter monopolizer LAZ Parking. The company that upped parking fees around the city at the start of the year (and will likely do so again every January 1 for the next four years, as its contract with the city allows) deserves to pay AmEx’s pricier merchant fee (about 2.5 percent, compared to the 1.7–2 percent charged by other credit-card companies).
HOW THEY CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Just keep up the awesome public relations, LAZ, and we’ll gladly keep paying our annual credit-card fee just to spite you. —Judy Sutton Taylor

FAKE SHORE DRIVE
WHY WE NEED IT Go figure. The foremost authority on Chicago rap is a white desk jockey—originally from Indiana. When not selling ads for the FX network, 29-year-old Andrew Barber fills his fakeshoredrive.com blog with free mix-tapes, videos, demos, leaks, beefs and hype. No local act, from the street spitters to the backpackiest of hipster-hoppers, seems to slip through his fingers. The Hoosier’s got cred, too: Last year, Barber released the site’s first official mix-tape, loaded up with Kanye, Lupe, Twista, the Cool Kids and Rhymefest.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL The VIP lounge is tempting, but Barber must resist becoming too buddy-buddy with celeb MCs and turning his site into a PR vehicle. And never, ever pick up a mike. —BD

HORSESHOE CASINO
WHY WE NEED IT This casino boat, relaunched in late 2008, boasts a better-than-average buffet (the Village Square), a handsome Vegas-style showroom (the Venue), and a Hammond, Indiana, mooring that’s easily accessible (via an easy-peasey drive or free shuttle service from downtown Chicago). But for lovers of live poker, the Horseshoe Hammond beats the local competition hands down with its slick 34-table poker room, $100–$200 buy-in tournaments at noon every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday (plus a $500 tourney the last Saturday of each month), the Chicago Poker Classic (Friday 26–March 9) and the oft-electrifying World Series of Poker Circuit event in October.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Mix in a few weekly evening tourneys and we’d be in pure poker heaven. 777 Casino Center Dr, Hammond, IN (866-711-7463, horseshoehammond.com). Poker room: 219-473-6065.—FS

GROUPON.COM
WHY WE NEED IT The days of feeling deep shame as you apologetically hand a coupon to your server are officially over. Groupon, a barely year-old Chicago-based company with outposts around the country, has made miserly living chic with daily deals sent to your e-mail in-box. The discounts aren’t just for restaurants (although there are plenty; recent deals have included half off at Bistro 110 and Tank Sushi): We’ve scored a $99 deal for $200 worth of treatments at Soothe Your Senses Day Spa in Edgewater and 50 percent off flowers at florist Grow.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL The Groupon folks could be a tad more discerning when green-lighting some deals. A coupon for a ghost tour? In January? No, thanks. —Laura Baginski

TRUMP TOWER
WHY WE NEED IT We’ll admit we were skeptical at first: Previously, nothing Donald Trump produced could be deemed tasteful or stunning (except for maybe his daughter). But we stand corrected: The slender, futuristic skyscraper almost takes on a celestial quality on a sunny day, when the gleaming mirrored windows reflect the passing clouds. And at a time when new buildings are a rarity, Trump Tower injected some life into our skyline.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Keep up the quality at Trump’s restaurant, Sixteen, and its bar, Rebar. Oh, and maybe it’ll help if the economy improves so people don’t have to sell their condos at a gut-punching loss (see: Rex Grossman). 401 N Wabash Ave.—LB

BUS TRACKER
WHY WE NEED IT The buses slowly rumbling along our city’s potholed streets aren’t exactly the picture of reliability. That’s why Bus Tracker, which uses GPS to track buses’ whereabouts on ctabustracker.com, is so genius. Now we can time our morning routines to show up the moment the bus lumbers up to our stop.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Bus Tracker isn’t perfect: We’ve shown up at our stop when the bus was supposed to arrive, only to wait five minutes for it to appear. And we’re mystified by those ghost buses—ones that somehow evade GPS tracking for most of their routes until—presto!—they appear on the site as “approaching” our stop. We’d also suggest Train Tracker, but it turns out plans are underway for a CTA pilot program installing digital next-train displays on platforms this year. —LB

LINCOLN HALL
WHY WE NEED IT A decade after Lincoln Park’s legendary Lounge Ax shut its doors, the neighborhood finally has an alternative to the mammoth Park West. The swank new Lincoln Hall comes from the experienced hands behind Schubas, meaning you can expect the same level of quality touring and regional acts that has kept its smaller sibling a reliable incubator for rising artists. Since opening in October, the venue has already wowed us with great sound and top-shelf bookings, as the recently wrapped Tomorrow Never Knows fest demonstrated, bringing in blog faves like Atlas Sound and the Cribs.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL The audiophile-worthy sound system is already in place. Just keep the quality talent coming and the ticket prices low. 2424 N Lincoln Ave (773-525-2501).—Areif Sless-Kitain

THE NEW COLONY
WHY WE NEED IT Debuting with the provocative Amelia Earhart: Jungle Princess in fall 2008, this theatrical company devoted to new work has quickly established itself as a vital storefront voice. Productions including the new musical Tupperware and site-specific FRAT in 2009 drew a young, new-to-theater crowd. Andrew Hobgood and crew’s gambles paid off when last fall’s Calls to Blood proved a genuine hit, taking over the Royal George’s cabaret theater for its extended run.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL The most important step for any young company is to stay in business. The New Colony has found an audience; further exploring the dramatic intensity the company scored in Calls to Blood might help keep crowds coming back. —John Beer

COUPONCABIN
WHY WE NEED IT We never, ever press the PLACE ORDER button at our favorite online stores without first checking CouponCabin. The site, based in Chicago, has a searchable database of coupon codes for 2,000 stores, which gives you the magic words to type in the promo-code field on your online order form.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Add more stores to the database! couponcabin.com.—LB

GALLERY 186 AT THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
WHY WE NEED IT Before the Art Institute opened this space on the first floor of the Modern Wing in May 2009, the museum—and Chicago—had no public gallery dedicated to film, video and new media.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Better signage would bring in a bigger audience. Switching pieces more often and showing more than one at a time would keep the crowds interested. —LW

LOCAL BEER
WHY WE NEED IT Following in Goose Island’s footsteps, newcomers Half Acre, Revolution and Metropolitan have revived this city’s brewing heritage. And though they’re outside city limits, we’ve pretty much claimed Three Floyds, Two Brothers and Bell’s as our own, too. Drinking locally has never been easier or tastier.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL We’re all about hometown pride, but so far, the new crop of Chicago-based breweries just hasn’t knocked our socks off. Hopefully Revolution will change that. —JK

OUTFIT EVENTS
WHY WE NEED IT With weekly residencies at Bull & Bear, Crescendo, Manor, RiNo, StaySub 51 and , party and promotions machine Outfit Events—and its head DJ, Dante the Don—is the undisputed king of posh nightlife in Chicago. Its mix of pop, hip-hop, electro, exclusive mash-ups and edits may not be subversive or terribly underground, but Outfit is single-handedly shaping the soundtrack of mainstream clubbing in the city.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL A presence in more than five clubs, five days out of the week doesn’t leave much variety from one night to the next. And while it would be absurd of us to recommend throwing fewer parties, it might be worth adding a few more DJs to the stable. —JPF

HOZAC RECORDS
WHY WE NEED IT The collapse of Touch & Go and Flameshovel hit the local indie-rock farm system like a plague of locusts. With a roster of scruffy, fuzzy and hooky garage acts, HoZac Records shakes its fist at prevailing record-industry trends by focusing on dumb fun. It hearkens back to when a label meant something—a scene, an aesthetic, a little world to buy into. These bands might sound a bit scruffy, but there’s always a fundamental, old-school poppiness lying under all the fuzz. New signees Medication drink and drone like old Guided By Voices, while the Smith Westerns have seduced A&R men with their denim, brattiness and hummable hooks.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL HoZac needs to persuade bands to stay put on its label. Sub Pop poached Dum Dum Girls, and we have a sinking suspicion the Smith Westerns will upgrade, too. —BD

SOFIA VINTAGE
WHY WE NEED IT More and more vintage-clothing shops have opened in the city within the last year (a reaction to the recession, perhaps?), but this Gold Coast gem takes it to the next level. Your wardrobe doesn’t exclusively consist of old-school duds, and neither does this men’s and women’s boutique. In addition to fab finds from estate sales and auctions, plus consignment items, Sofia also stocks new collections from up-and-coming designers such as nümph, Dear Creatures and Chaser. Plus, the owners edit the (cleaned) vintage merch to mirror the looks found on the runway. For instance, you’ll currently find on-trend women’s silk floral tops ($40–$80) and men’s leather bomber jackets ($100) in store.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL The shop hosts fashion shows and in-store events—a February runway show at Underground is a recent example. Keep those coming (along with a fantastic selection of merch), and Sofia will have no problem staying essential. 1165 N Clark St (312-640-0878, sofiavintage.com).—Kevin Aeh

SHOW ’N TELL SHOW
WHY WE NEED IT Some of the city’s most engaging artists are working in graphic design, but galleries don’t show their work. Zach Dodson and Mike Renaud’s “graphic” talk show allows designers to display work, showcases the drag hilarity of Zach’s brother Seth as Spokes Mom and, for some reason, features puppets.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Having outgrown the Whistler and Schubas and moving on to Lincoln Hall, the show needs to find a venue that’s big enough for the crowd but doesn’t lose the intimacy. showntellshow.com.—Jonathan Messinger

GRINDR
WHY WE NEED IT In negotiating any gay male hookup, travel time is key. Recently launched iPhone app Grindr facilitates instant shags by homing in on the distance away of other dudes (in feet!) through GPS tracking.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL The app is limited in scope: It offers only basic profile info, allows for just one pic per profile and only shows 100 dudes at a time (200 if you’re willing to pay $2.99, but still). But if it can work out these bugs, we know where we’ll be heading for all future connections (wink, wink). —Jason A. Heidemann

QUICKIES
WHY WE NEED IT The city is crawling with reading series—and that’s a good thing—but a lot of them are starting to sound the same. This bimonthly show forces writers to keep their stories less than four minutes long, lest they be heckled off the stage. It lends the show everything a good reading needs: a sense of humor, a lack of pretension and a strict time limit.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Take the show back to monthly. Why make the people wait? Innertown Pub, 1935 W Thomas St (773-235-9795, quickieschicago.blogspot.com).—JM

JUST FOR LAUGHS FESTIVAL
WHY WE NEED IT In the same way that music festivals have become annual staples (Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Coachella), so too are joke fests (L.A. and New York Comedy Festivals). Comedy king Chicago deserves a monolithic offering of its own—enter Montreal’s annual gut-busting fest.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL While we were skeptical of yet another Canadian import (William Shatner is plenty), if this very funny fest continues to appeal to soccer moms (Ellen DeGeneres), suburbanites (Martin Short, Bill Engvall) and comedy hipsters (Bob Odenkirk, David Cross and Hannibal Buress), we might just be singing “O, Canada”! June 15–19, justforlaughschicago.com.—JAH

FOUR-STAR MEALS FOR LESS THAN $10
WHY WE NEED THEM The democratizing recession has been a boon to Chicago food lovers. Does anyone remember how we fared before $3 pork-belly tacos at Big Star, $10 tortas at XOCO, $4 bowls of soup at Belly Shack and $8 burgers at DMK Burger Bar?
HOW THEY CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Just because the food’s cheap doesn’t mean we’re going to accept stasis. Bayless’s new daily specials are a good sign, but we’re hoping the opening menus at all these places will continue to evolve. —JK

MUSEUM PARTIES
WHY WE NEED THEM These days, museum-going often means booze, dancing and DJs—oh, and art and exhibits. The Museum of Contemporary Art—the institution that launched the idea of merging art with the cocktail-gulping young professional set in 1996—changed up its weekly Tuesday in the Cafe offerings in 2009. “We started new programs because we wanted to have more living artists here to meet and interact with the public,” explains MCA director of visitor services Amy Corle. Following suit: In 2009, the Adler launched After Dark (third Thursdays), drawing over-21 patrons for cocktails and the ultimate in egghead entertainment—astronomy trivia and games. Also launching last fall: the Robie After Hours (third Fridays), which allows about 50 folks to drink and casually learn about Frank Lloyd Wright’s seminal Prairie School masterpiece. The Art Institute has been hosting its quarterly After Dark series since 2007, featuring music, performances by theater group Collaboraction, a cash bar and, for the truly art-curious, museum tours.
HOW THEY CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Bring on the drawing parties and science trivia, because when these evenings lean toward the formulaic (a snoozefest science lecture at the Adler) or cheesy (the MCA’s date hookup table, the Creation Station), we stay home. —Madeline Nusser

WANG’S
WHY WE NEED IT With its eye-popping Far Eastern decor, classy drinks (Bangkok mojito, anyone?) and unabashed display of cutout cocks wallpapering the WC, the chic cocktail lounge stands out among the cookie-cutter Boystown watering holes.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Continue to offer a vibe that differs from the rest of B-town. Wang’s alternative beats beat Halsted’s high-energy sounds anytime. 3317 N Broadway (773-296-6800).—JAH

LOGAN SQUARE
WHY WE NEED IT With rents that make Wicker Parkers suck air through their teeth in jealousy, Logan Square already had a lot going for it. But with the more recent opening of great spots like Revolution Brewing, the Whistler, Longman & Eagle and the Dill Pickle Food Cooperative, this already-rad neighborhood reached a tipping point and became the ultimate hangout spot. But watch it, Logan: You’re one gastropub away from oversaturation.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL More parks and less gang violence would make the neighborhood even better. —Ruth Welte

INSPECTOR GENERAL’S 0FFICE
WHY WE NEED IT Nogoodniks flock to Chicago politics like flies to shit. Though 20 years old, Chicago’s oversight office dedicated to combating waste and corruption in city government only recently became a formidable presence. Former IG David Hoffman laid the smack down, investigating everything from idle sanitation crews to dishonest hiring in the Department of Human Resources to, most famously, the parking meter–lease debacle.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL New IG Joseph Ferguson must push the City Council to pass an ordinance recently introduced by Mayor Daley that would allow the IGO to probe aldermen. When the City Council created the IGO, it prohibited the office from investigating aldermen. How curiously convenient! —Jake Matthew Malooley

A BUTCHER YOU KNOW AND TRUST
WHY WE NEED IT Buying beef, chicken and fish from places you don’t trust is like buying a watch from some random dude’s overcoat—sketch city. Find a butcher that has the same values you do (ethically raised and pasture-fed are good places to start); Paulina Meat Market or the new City Fresh Market in the Chicago French Market should be able to hook you up.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Transparency is crucial if you’re trying to buy ethically, so butchers need to start going all Alice Waters on their displays, listing not just the cut of meat, but where it came from. —DT

CYNAR, APEROL AND OTHER ITALIAN BITTERS
WHY WE NEED THEM To get to Cocktail 201, you need to get down with the bitter punch of Cynar and Campari. For starting a meal, there’s nothing better to perk up your taste buds, which is why restaurants such as Nightwood and Hearty have incorporated them into premeal cocktails. But the stuff is perhaps more crucial after a meal—a neat glass of bittersweet Aperol will help your stomach handle all that pork belly (in fact, the Publican has incorporated Cynar into its “after pork” libation), and unlike espresso, it will help you sleep, too.
HOW THEY CAN STAY ESSENTIAL The key to keeping bitters popular is moderation. Don’t drink them every night. The minute you become immune to their herbal kick, you’ll need to move on to something else. —DT

CIRCLE SCARVES
WHY WE NEED THEM Between your gloves, hat, scarf, sweater, jacket and bag, something always gets left behind on the El or blows away with a mighty gust of wind. But a circle scarf, a loop of fabric that wraps around your neck, is one of those why-didn’t-we-think-of that? inventions (we like the Unisex Circle Scarf, $28 at americanapparel.net). Say goodbye to fly-away scarves. These guys stay on for good.
HOW THEY CAN STAY ESSENTIAL We’d like to see lightweight summer versions, too. —Jessica Herman

CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY’S AUDIOBOOKS
WHY WE NEED THEM Now that “disposable income” is nonexistent, the library is the go-to place for books, movies and audiobooks. The audiobooks in particular, downloadable to your computer (and most to your iPod) are pretty amazing, considering most audiobooks cost upwards of $30. There’s still some wonkiness with compatibility, but we hear there are hacks for that (though we’d never approve of such a thing).
HOW THEY CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Allow more than one person to “check out” an audiobook at a time—they’re just electronic files, not books. —JM

I-GO CAR SHARING
WHY WE NEED IT If you seem to be dodging more skittish, inexperienced I-GO car drivers, it’s not your road-rage-ravaged imagination. Local green-minded vehicle-sharing nonprofit I-GO has offered carless city folk reserve-by-the-hour wheels—including hybrids—since 2002, but the concept has really picked up speed lately, with membership doubling in the past two years and convenient pick-up spots expanding to 35 neighborhoods and six suburbs.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL We’d love the option of picking up a car in one place and dropping it off in another. And enforcing the pets-in-crates-only rule would help: We’ve encountered many a car carpeted in dog hair. igocars.org.—MS

WINDY CITIZEN
WHY WE NEED IT Like Digg for Chicago, Windy Citizen serves up the local zeitgeist at a glance, allowing users to share, rate (grading is done in “clout” points) and discuss news and videos.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL Revive the blogs! WC once had a robust roll, from a photo blog on gentrification to the city-mysteries buff “Chicago Explainer,” which are now inactive. —JMM

KERASOTES SHOWPLACE ICON THEATRE
WHY WE NEED IT We’re happy to pay a couple of bucks extra per ticket ($12.50 instead of $10) for the luxe moviegoing experience offered by this South Loop newcomer: frozen yogurt at the concession stand, reserved seating, sparkling-clean environs, überfriendly staff. The VIP option ($17.50/ticket)—which entails even bigger and cushier seats and the option to bring in food and booze—just sweetens the deal.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL ICON, please take some chances on under-the-radar films. We know chick flicks and blockbusters bring in the crowds, but we’d love you even more if you’d give us the chance to check out an indie film we’re dying to see. In other words: More White Ribbon, less When in Rome. 150 W Roosevelt Rd, kerasotes.com.—Liz Plosser

SEASON PASS TO ICE-SKATE AT WRIGLEY FIELD
WHY WE NEED IT We miss baseball during the off-season, and we’ll do anything to feel as if we’re closer to Cubbies before springtime. Plus, it’s just really cool to say that you’ve skated at the most iconic ballpark in the MLB, and season passes are just $50.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL The novelty factor means crowds are putting up with lines to get in and lace up this season; the rink could use a bigger check-in trailer (or two) for next season. 1060 W Addison St, 773-404-2827.—JST

THEWIT
WHY WE NEED IT An acclaimed Mediterranean restaurant, a destination rooftop bar and a luxurious spa and private movie theater easily made theWit the first hotel in some time that we could proudly recommend to coastal visitors (even if it is, technically, a Doubletree property). But it’s locals—not tourists—who’ve benefitted the most from those swank amenities.
HOW IT CAN STAY ESSENTIAL TheWit’s making every effort to stay relevant: Since the initial not-so-great reviews, Cibo Matto chef Todd Stein has revamped the hotel’s first-floor restaurant, State & Lake. Keep changing the menu, hope the sun shines and start taking reservations for ROOF—waiting in a line around the block loses its appeal very quickly. 201 N State St (312-467-0200).—Julia Kramer

YOUR OWN 3-D GLASSES
WHY WE NEED THEM You’ve seen those big cardboard bins in which you are encouraged to deposit your 3-D glasses after the movie. How much faith do you really have in the sanitizing procedures that the theaters assure us are followed for those glasses before they are passed out to the next patrons? With more 3-D movies on the way in the wake of the huge success of Avatar, we suggest keeping the pair you get at your next 3-D movie or ordering a new pair from reald.com.
HOW THEY CAN STAY ESSENTIAL A smart entrepreneur needs to bring out 3-D glasses with designer frames. Yes, big chunky black frames remain a staple of hipster culture, but the frames for 3-D glasses look like props from a children’s television show. The character who wears them would be named Poindexter. Give us some style options, please. —Hank Sartin