Eat. Watch. Do. — Boonie’s review and pumpkin spice Malört

It’s Thursday, Chicago.

If Malört induces your gag reflex, then maybe it’s worth skipping CH Distillery’s pumpkin spice version of the already pungent liqueur. However, according to CH Distillery operations director Zachary Jarosz, “people who don’t like Malört say this is a little bit better.” To make the fall-themed Malört, the creators distilled pumpkin spice vodka, then added other ingredients like cinnamon and allspice.

In other dining news, Tribune critic Nick Kindelsperger reviews Boonie’s Filipino Restaurant. The project from Joseph Fontelera began at Revival Food Hall in 2020, and opened earlier this year in the North Center neighborhood.

To cap off October’s frightful delights, “Young Frankenstein” at Mercury Theater is the right amount of rowdy humor for Halloween-season entertainment. Read Tribune critic Chris Jones’ review here.

Enjoy the weekend, we’ll see you next week.

— Lauryn Azu, deputy senior editor

“Start with what’s becoming the restaurant’s signature dish, the sizzling sisig,” Kindelsperger writes. “While you could get a version of the dish at Revival, Fontelera gave it an upgrade by serving it on a screaming hot plate that draws stares from onlookers.”

Tribune critic Michael Phillips writes that there’s a really good film in theaters right now and streaming on Prime: A gripping Australian noir starring Julia Garner. Read his review here.

Just a few days remain to take a shot of Chicago’s most fall-themed liqueur. Read about the development of the drink and how you can sample, here.

Eat. Watch. Do.

Weekly

What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life … now.

As police procedurals go, “Annika” is one of the better offerings from Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. It all comes down to British actress Nicola Walker, Tribune critic Nina Metz writes. Read the review here.

Metropolitan Brewing, which has been embroiled in a yearslong rent dispute, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and said it “will not be able to make it through the winter … without a comprehensive restructuring or sale.” Read more about the pioneering riverfront brewery here.

Compared with the Broadway overblown spectacle, this show sits far more easily at Chicago’s intimate Mercury Theater, and “Igor, played by Ryan Stajmiger, turns in a knockout, Broadway-quality performance,” Tribune critic Chris Jones writes.

The first 312 Comedy Festival will include performers such as Hannibal Buress, Craig Robinson, Nicole Byer and Mary Lynn Rajskub. Read more about the fest that opens this weekend here.

At a time when the ranks of professional critics have shrunk to just a few, classical music humorist Aleksey Igudesman and actor John Malkovich insist this show is a love letter to a dying profession. Read about the show that plays tonight, here.

At the Mitsuzo and Kyoko Shida Evaluation Garden, scientists seek to determine which plants are best suited to thrive in the Upper Midwest. Read more about the gardens here.

For where to go and what to do to maximize the Los Angeles experience on a budget — like cruising Venice Beach and hiking Runyon Canyon — read here.