If you’re anything like me and can’t cook your way out of a microwave, splurge a little extra this year and forgo the homemade stuffing and canned cranberries for some fine dining made by the greats. Since the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, there will be a little extra thanks given. Cooking is so last year.

In this day and age, doctors see an average of 20 to 40 patients a day and have as many as 4,000 patients. The level of medical care inherently suffers in a healthcare system where quantity supersedes quality, and doctors are allocated an average of seven to fifteen minutes per exam.

Emmanuel Nomy was raised in the French countryside. He often accompanied his parents to open-air markets and dairy farms, which profoundly influenced his taste and career path. After attending culinary school, he fixed his sights on the front of the house. After moving up in the ranks with the Chefs de France (Orlando, FL) in collaboration with Walt Disney, Nony was presented with an opportunity to work with Hyatt International. Over the next sixteen years, he oversaw the food and beverage options around the globe. In 1996, he moved to Tokyo to manage the Park Hyatt, voted the best hotel in Japan and featured in “Lost in Translation.” Upon returning to the states, he helped open the highly anticipated Park Hyatt Chicago and it’s restaurant NoMI. He has since settled in Chicago to open a restaurant of his own, Sepia.

There’s something about the crisp fall air that puts you in the mood to be pampered. Just make sure you hit up one of these fabulous spa treatments with seasonal flavor before you go into hibernation for the winter.

Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush invites you to enjoy an entertaining evening of live opera featuring The Songs of Cole Porter paired with a Wine Dinner prepared by Executive Chef Federico Commachio on Thursday, November 18. The opera will be performed live in the restaurant in an intimate, private dining experience. Guests will indulge in Prosecco champagne and Hors d’oeuvres beginning at 6:30 PM. The four-course wine dinner will begin at 7 PM and guests will enjoy the talented sounds of Cynthia Firing, Soprano – Peter Reiff, Tenor – Alessandro Magno, Baritone – Celeste Rue, Pianist – and special guest John Michael Coppola from Jersey Boys as Cole Porter.

Dim sum, translates in Cantonese to “a Touch of Heart” and include a variety of little Chinese delicacies in one plentiful meal. It’s the ideal setting so you can taste a bit of everything. Because sharing is caring.

Christmas came early for some Chicago chefs. Due to the Chicago selections for the first-ever Michelin Guide being leaked last night by a mysterious yelper, the star announcement came a day early to much anticipation, buzz and rumors. After two years of rigorous research by Michelin’s team of anonymous inspectors, Chicago joins New York and San Francisco as the only American cities with an annual Michelin Guide.

No time to get the jet out of storage? Fake it (I know, we typically don’t preach such a thing), but sometimes just a one-hour escape is all you need to clear your head from a long day at the office.

Mediterranean food is as varied as the cultures represented on the sea border. The cuisine is characterized by it’s flexibility, range of ingredients and regional variations. As diverse is the eats are our picks for Top 5, but hey, variety is the spice of life, right?