Kevin Long stretches his expertise over state lines on a daily basis. He serves as executive chef at both SHRINE Asian Kitchen, Lounge and Nightclub at MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Scorpion Bar, located in Foxwoods Casino. Long also heads the kitchen at Tosca and Caffe Tosca in Hingham, Massachusetts. Humbly starting his career at family restaurants on Boston’s South Shore, Long rose to work alongside one of his idols, Thomas Keller, at The James Beard House and the Park Avenue Cafe.

● Lincoln Hall (Lincoln Park) - Owners of Schubas Tavern go all out, and all in, for Chicago's newest live music club.
● Bar Novo (The Loop) - Luxe cocktails at luxe prices. Renaissance Hotel's typically plush bar with bites.

Forbes trotted out a "Most Toxic" survey, and proudly crowned Atlanta the Queen of Dirty, with Detroit coming in as runner up (can they ever be the best at anything?), and Houston, Chicago, and Philly rounding out the top five. And by "toxic" they don't mean backstabbing and trash talking, so unfortunately they're not referencing NeNe, Kim, Lisa, Kandi, or Sheree. Instead, the survey focuses on air quality and the amount of toxic chemicals released into the water and air in the metro areas. Atlanta takes the top spot because of its dirty immediate neighbors -- Forbes is quick to point the finger at Sandy Springs (holla Sheree!) and Marietta.

● Chilam Balam (Lakeview) - Refined Mexican comes to Lakeview with creative small plates and locally-sourced grub.
● Mercadito (River North) - Popular New York tacos and ceviche drop in River North. Just awesome.

● Nana (Hyde Park) - South side shows softer side with bright, cheery, organic brunch spot.
● Rockwood Place (Wrigleyville) - Slinging drinks in the old Central space to the old Central crowd.

● 33 Club (Gold Coast) - Past-blasting recreation of the grand ol' dining clubs without the grand ol' price. Old-school Chi nostalgia in full effect.
● Cibo Matto (The Loop) - Polished Italian restaurant that's the third venue to grace the inside of modern boutique hotel The Wit.
● Little Bucharest Bistro (Logan Square/Humboldt Park) - Closed since 2004, Lil' Bucharest's back with modern takes on Eastern Euro classics.

[See part 1 and part 2 of Paper Route's tour blog.]

We were privileged to play once again at one of my favorite venues in the country: Schuba's in Chicago. It ended up selling out, which came as a shock to most of us, as it is still difficult to tell how we'll do in different cities before we get there. That in itself was one of those moments that I felt like I knew I was right where I'm supposed to be, doing exactly what I should be doing. Afterward, we invited everyone out to our van, where we played a few songs inside of our trailer as a crowd gathered around. It was incredible to see people connecting to songs that we all put so much of our lives into. Enjoy the clip above that someone posted -- I apologize for the fan singing along, she was just having such a good time!

● Fred's at Barneys (Near North Side) - The Platinum Card set has just been ruptured by a fashionable new arrival.

These are getaways for lovers -- or lusters -- only, without the family, just-good-friends, kids, laptops (lap dancing and clothing optional) or other encumbrances. Either you want to see and be seen, or you don’t. Whether you’re after an in-room Jacuzzi, couples massages, meals, or just a fireplace and a view, read on.

Pan Deï Palais (Côte d'Azur) - A princess’ historic palace turned boutique hotel in the heart of St. Tropez. With only 12 guestrooms, the palace is exclusively reserved for hotel guests -- so unless the people you’re trying to avoid are staying there, you’re safe. Valmont treatment fit for a princess are available in guestrooms and spa.
Also rans: Château de la Chèvre d’Or, L’Hôtel Du Cap – Eden Roc, La Réserve Ramatuelle.

The Sears Tower has pretty much owned the month of July. Considering it's the tallest skyscraper in the country, it never gets the credit a building of that stature deserves. Even Chris Farley chose Chicago's other tall, black building to overdose in. But the cool new Skydeck has reinvigorated the public's interest in the shouldered monolith. Even Kanye West is blogging about it. But now that the landmark has finally gone viral and savvy bloggers are jumping on the bandwagon, some foreign insurance company went ahead and stole its name! Well, they didn't exactly steal it. It cost them approximately 140,000 square feet of office space, but Willis Group Holdings out of London got their wish, and the Sears Tower is officially now the Willis Tower. Oh, and Chicagoans are pissed!