General

A lot of talk is given to fast food and the restaurants that are associated with the “eat on the go” movement. However, there is a shift taking place right here in Chicago which prides itself on moving at a slower pace - actually tasting your meal and knowing that it was prepared through sustainable means. Slow Food, a not-for-profit organization believes that “the food we eat should taste good and that our food should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health.” Additionally, Slow Food focuses on the producers, stating that they “should receive fair compensation for their work, and be treated with respect in their communities.”

The warm weather is on its way out - signaling the end of the Summer Blockbuster. Throughout the past few months countless movies have made their debut; some reaching the coveted ‘blockbuster’ status, while others simply just fizzled. A majority featured A-list cast members and numerous explosions, but few had substance. If you’re looking for something true, local, and inspiring, check out Kartemquin Films (KTQ) newest feature: The Interrupters. Approaching their 45th Anniversary Celebration on September 15th at the Metro, KTQ is world renowned for producing grounding breaking documentaries right here in Chicago. Past films include Hoop Dreams (1994) and No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson (2010). There are various showings of The Interrupters throughout the city. Take a look!

Calling all Fashionista's! Come and enjoy a night out on the town filled with "fame, fashion, and flavor"! There are plenty of festivities to participate in throughout the night. Hosting this ultimate party is Bravo TV's Brad Goreski (you may know him from "The Rachel Zoe Project"), CS Magazine, and Gilt City. This is the perfect thing to do with a group of friends for some flirty fun. Taking place on September 8th, celebrate style by attending 900 North Michigan Shops from 6pm-9pm.

I woke up at 5am this morning for a BIG press day with Billy. We had to do 5 radio shows, a live tv show & a PSA all in 5 hours when he literally just stepped off a plane from France, Hungary, and Austria 12 hours prior. When he initially told me about how much press he wanted to do BEFORE he was live on Windy City Live- I thought it was absurd, but in all the time I have known him, I can say he pushes himself to work beyond what most people think is feasible. The main purpose behind all this press was to talk about two events that are the very important to him to support art & theatre in Chicago & raise scholarships for kids - The Madhatter's Ball & The Piven Theatre Gala.

Hey BillyDec.com readers! Matt Kochis here, Summer Intern for Billy - thought I would share this fun event happening this weekend! The Chicago Cubs are throwing their first ever “Wrigleyville Block...

Hey there! It's Morgan Waller from the Marketing Department here at Rockit Ranch Productions - so I’m taking a leap and writing for AChicagoThing.com for my first time ever - Nice to “meet” all of...

The Make A Wish Foundation of Illinois is celebrating their 25th Anniversary of their Gala the "Wish Ball" this Saturday May 21st by honoring 25 people and organizations that they have deemed "Leaders In...

Shocking title I know - someone who beat me to the paper just texted it to me! Just wanted to confirm its true and that I couldn’t be more excited! Although I'm sad to see Oprah leave on the 25th, I'm...

Many who follow me on Twitter & Facebook ask me how I navigated my culinary research and development tour through South East Asia last month so I thought I would feature one of the companies that...

I laughed yesterday when I tweeted that I was going to be a guest talking about Social Media in Business on a new live show with Cardinal Francis George & Second City, knowing that immediately...