Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Show: J. Cole North Carolina native J. Cole made an auspicious debut on Jay-Z’s “A Star Is Born” and followed it with guest spots alongside fellow on-the-verge rappers like Wale, B.o.B., and Jay Electronica. “Whether or not he’ll live up to the promise of that Jigga track’s title remains to be seen, but his latest single, ‘Who Dat,’ sounds like a club ripper-upper,” writes Miles Raymer. “And the fact that it contains a line where he actually brags about not having a chain suggests that he’s got healthy reserves of personality to draw on.” FreeSol, Vonnegutt, Bin Laden Blowin’ Up, and Sulaiman open.
Dinner: Otom Now under chef Thomas Elliott Bowman, Otom continues to offer comfort food with Homaro Cantu-inspired tweaks—for example, a BLT starter made with caramel-braised bacon, smoked tomato jam, and romaine puree or chicken and waffles with purple yam waffles, chicken breast, egg, gravy, and okra.
