The Sandoval brothers--Alfredo, Felipe and Patricio--of Mercadito renown have opened Tavernita, which falls somewhere between a Med-Latin restaurant and a sexy, elegant lounge. Tavernita is in the great tradition of dining-spot-as-nightlife-destination.

There are a lot of roundups of, oh, everything this time of year, but we always look forward to the awards from the blogger community, and HotelChatter’s list has some fun, quirky nominations that get at the heart of what we love and hate about traveling.

Bar Toma (Gold Coast) - There's more to Chef Tony Mantuano than Spiaggia: namely wood-fired pizzas and Italian small plates.

Interesting fact about Chicago: Every resident has to read the weather forecast once in his or her lifetime. Municipal law states that each morning, a number is drawn from Mike Ditka’s mustache and if it's your assigned number, you must appear on WGN (the superstation) and broadcast the seven-day forecast. This morning, Chicago native and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy was chosen by the almighty ‘stache and he continued this Windy City tradition. 

Leslie Garry and Amy Goetz are cofounders of Delve Chicago. This is their take on four places they like, and one place they don't.

It was a fateful trip to New York, with its legendary cocktail bars, that convinced Brad Bolt to get into the mixology game. But luckily for the citizens of Chicago, he took his talents to the Windy City, where he's as comfortable handcrafting cocktails as he is tossing his customers an ice-cold can of PBR. Here he is on his personal innovations, what he loves most about Chicago, and the best drink he's ever had. Also, see below for his all-time favorite Chicago bars.

Justin Anderson takes pride not just in pouring and making quality drinks, but also in running a bar and making his customers feel welcome. The SoCal native can be found tending bar at a Chicago swank neighborhood watering hole. Here he is on his favorite part of the job, naming his drinks, and the perfect setting to enjoy a cocktail. Also, see below for his top ten Chicago hot spots.

There's something very Frasier and Niles about the idea of obsessing on that never-really-trendy yet decidedly rarefied Spanish tipple known as sherry. But Elizabeth and Mark Mendez' new Vera wine bar forwards a fittingly classical European experience.

There's something to be said about surrounding yourself with great works of art. Take advantage of the fact that more and more hotels understand this, and are eschewing the generic sunset watercolor that's long been a hotel staple, for more refined pieces. Here are the top five hotels who take art seriously. 

When you're craving the newest brunch spot, a heaping plate of pig poutine, or a seat at a packed sports bar, stroll over to one of these just-opened Windy City establishments.