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There are many, many spots to bring your dog in Chicago

The "dog days" of summer are here, and if you're a dog lover, bringing your canine buddy along to Chicago bars and restaurants is one of the best ways to spend your time. Here are 60 great dog-friendly spots to bring your pooch the next time you dine or drink out, some that even give out free bacon and assorted doggie treats. Listed alphabetically and freshly updated for summer 2017.

She’s put in time with The American President, and now Annette Bening is turning her attention to state-level government. The Oscar-nominated actress has joined the Hurricane Katrina-focused Season 2 of FX’s American Crime Story, TVLine has learned. She will play Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who led the state during and after the devastating 2005 storm. Bening recently was […]

But burgers aside, Small Cheval leaves a lot to be desired.

Phil Vettel thinks Bar Siena "shows a lot of promise" as a casual Italian restaurant and bar aimed at the sports crowd. For starters, grilled octopus with shishito peppers and a Calabrian chili pepper vinaigrette is a fine option while a "delicious" prosciutto and fig pizza "alone justifies Bar Siena's existence," highlighted by its "puffy" edges and thin crust. Housemade pastas are a "strength" too and include a "cute" duck mac ‘n' cheese and a short-rib lasagna that's "pure comfort-food pleasure." Desserts like the overfilled bomboloni are "tasty," but Vettel's favorite is a hazelnut gelato bar encased in chocolate and covered with crushed hazelnuts. [Tribune]

The Blanchard "proves there's still a place for refined French cuisine in Chicago," writes Amy Cavanaugh. The menu features "elegant, delightfully unstuffy" dishes that "offer a fresh look at French food." There's oeuf outhier, a classic dish of whipped eggs and caviar in an eggshell that includes "vodka-scented" crème fraiche, as well as a foie gras preparation that encases it in "super crunchy" black truffle and candied lavender coating to channel "amazing chicken nuggets." Simpler items are also "well-done," such as dover sole in brown butter with capers, while a coconut financier with passionfruit curd and roasted fruit for dessert is a "tropical riot of flavors."

Cavanaugh also tries Small Cheval and thinks that while it's fine for a burger, stick with Au Cheval "for a better overall experience." Like its older sibling, the "perfectly melted" cheese, Dijon, onion, pickles and puffy bun "add up to a delicious combination" but everything else could use some refining. Fries have the "texture of cardboard" and cocktails are "watery but expensive." She cautions that you'll still have to wait a little bit for the food but times are "much shorter" than a peak Au Cheval line. [TOC]

Purdue's offense proved to be too much for Western Michigan, 43-34.