Chicago

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?

The picturesque interior scene of a Michigan Avenue residence is done by Kara Mann. Her interiors are beautiful with a mix of classic and modern, in addition to being full of life. I was lucky enough to have this exclusive interview with Mann for Haute Living. In the interview you get an idea of how Mann got into design and some of the most popular pieces at the Chicago showroom. If you're in the Chicago area be sure to stop in the showroom and see in person some really great pieces.

In response to the underground and hip SPiN in New York and LA, the wildly popular ping-pong (or table tennis to be official) bar founded by none other than Susan Sarandon has spawned a spin-off (ha ha) in the Chi.

George Zaharoff is a mid-luxury menswear designer based in Chicago. His impeccable tailored clothing including made-to-measure and off-the-rack suits, jackets and trousers is rich in details, extraordinary textures, and unique fabrics hand-picked from the finest Italian mills. Described as a “Wunderkind” by WWD, George Zaharoff’s energy, heart and frequent store appearances have inspired a solid base of loyal customers among Chicago’s elite.

As anticipation builds for next week’s big unveiling of the first-ever Chicago Michelin Guide, the Michelin team offered the city a sneak peek last night with the Bib Gourmand selection. The Bib Gourmand designation denotes good cuisine at a reasonable price in a variety of comfort categories. Defined as “Inspectors’ Favorites for Good Value,” Bib Gourmand restaurants offer two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less (tax and gratuity not included), and are often of most value to a city’s residents, who regularly dine in neighborhood restaurants.

After a very sick couple of weeks, (flu season one point for you) all I have been craving as of late is warm, hearty comfort foods. In typical haute fashion, instead of mom’s kitchen, I turned to a few former Ritz chefs. Prarie Fire is the newer downtown extension of the wildly popular Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook (Northshore moms, rejoice).