Tales of the Cocktail Nominees; Sir Charles Buys Lightning Coaches Dinner at Cut; More

AROUND TOWN—In from the Big Easy today: the nominees for the 2015 Tales of the Cocktail awards. Eight Chicago spots made the cut: The Aviary and The Office, Celeste, Sportsman's Club, Three Dots and a Dash, Sable Kitchen & Bar, Lost Lake, and bar mentor Bridget Albert. Finalists will be announced on June 16 and winners on July 18. [Tales of the Cocktail]

RIVER NORTH—NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Sir Charles Barkley picked up the tab for 20 Tampa Bay Lightning coaches and managers at Chicago Cut Steakhouse on Sunday, as well as two ESPN broadcasters, who are all in town for the Blackhawks Stanley Cup finals series with Tampa. There's no word on how much it set the "round mound of rebound" back. [Tribune]

BOYSTOWN—The Chop Chop Chinaman case is over. Lakeview woman Jeannie Harrell pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal damage to property today after writing a message in lipstick on the embattled restaurant's window in February and was sentenced to one month court supervision and a $200 fine. The restaurant is closed but ownership is hoping to reopen. [Tribune]

AROUND TOWN—Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema filed a long feature on Chicago's restaurant scene today after his trip to town during the James Beard awards last month. The third in a 10-month series, after which the critic will rank his choices for America's 10 best food cities, hits many spots: Alinea, Fat Rice, XOCO, Dove's Luncheonette, Billy Sunday, Fatso's Last Stand, Parachute, Podhalanka, and The Radler among them. [WaPo]