Eat. Watch. Do.

It’s Thursday, Chicago.

And it’s a big weekend for movies, with “Barbenheimer” finally hitting theaters. The internet has memed the simultaneous release of these two very different films, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” and some moviegoers are planning to watch them back-to-back in a true double-feature experience.

If you’re looking to soak up some time outdoors instead, Pitchfork Music Festival comes to Union Park this weekend, or if theater is more your style, we’ve got recommendations for seven outdoor options to enjoy this summer. Plus, we have the latest on a new restaurant in Avondale called Smoque Steak.

Have a great weekend, we’ll see you next week.

— Kayla Samoy, deputy senior editor

7 outdoor theater options for summer 2023: Shakespeare dominates under the stars

James Ridge, Ronald Román-Meléndez and Teri Brown in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" at American Players Theatre. (Liz Lauren/HANDOUT)

Warm weather means it’s a great time to enjoy some live theater on a comfy blanket outdoors. While Shakespearean productions abound, there are also options for those who want to check out other playwrights or enjoy tunes from their favorite musicals. Read the full list here.

Review: Smoque Steak, a different kind of steak in Chicago

Red chimichurri is drizzled onto a skirt steak with fries at Smoque Steak on June 28, 2023, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

The owners of Smoque BBQ have opened a different kind of steakhouse in the Avondale neighborhood, and Smoque Steak is drawing crowds.

Tribune critic Louisa Chu takes a look at the modern steakhouse, which cooks steaks in an unusual three-step process with smoke, sous vide and searing in cast iron with butter. Read her full review here.

‘Barbie’ review: A doll’s life is richly, unexpectedly imagined by Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie

Ryan Gosling, left, and Margot Robbie in a scene from "Barbie." (Uncredited/AP)

Come on, Barbie, let’s go party. Co-writer and director Greta Gerwig’s latest project has lots going on, a lot of it terrifically imaginative, writes Tribune critic Michael Phillips.

The movie is “a kind of cinematic seminar, full of ideas and feelings, along with the jokes, built around the cultural impact of a plastic star called out by her own movie as an emblem of ‘sexualized capitalism’ and ‘unrealizable physical ideals,’” he writes. Read his full review here.

‘Oppenheimer’ review: Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy dissect the tortured conscience behind our atomic age

Cillian Murphy as the "father of the atom bomb," J. Robert Oppenheimer, in director Christopher Nolan's movie "Oppenheimer." (Melinda Sue Gordon/AP)

“Oppenheimer” is filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s “most haunted film to date,” writes Tribune critic Michael Phillips.

Weekly

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

It stars a pitch-perfect Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the thin man in the famously oversize fedora. Read the full review here.

25 stands with Chicago dogs in the city, suburbs for National Hot Dog Day

Chicago-area hot dog stands serve up char dogs, Polish sausages, Chicago-style dogs and more. (Chicago Tribune staff)

Wednesday was National Hot Dog Day, but if you didn’t have a chance to grab this iconic Chicago dish, we have a list of 25 first-rate hot dog stands in Chicago and the suburbs.

Pitchfork Music Festival 2023: The must-see musicians and all the entry details

Kelela performs during her Raven tour at Thalia Hall in Chicago on March 18, 2023. She's part of the Sunday lineup at Pitchfork. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Chicago Tribune)

Pitchfork Music Festival, taking place in Union Park July 21-23, continues to set itself apart from other fests by curating an eclectic set of performers across a variety of music genres. This guide has everything you need to know about this year’s lineup.

Sweet on Mesquite: Just beyond Dallas, world-class rodeo and barbecue await

The Mesquite Championship Rodeo features professional riders fighting to stay atop their bucking broncos and bulls. (City of Mesquite)

Roughly 12 miles east of Dallas, Texas, suburban Mesquite proves a bustling spot teeming with barbecue history and rodeo roots. We’ve got all you need to know about a visit to Mesquite, which is a hub for artists and the location of an award-winning rodeo.

‘Minx’ review: In Season 2, the perils of success from a feminist mag with male centerfolds

Jake Johnson and Ophelia Lovibond appear in Season 2 of "Minx." (John Johnson/Starz/HANDOUT)

No longer a startup story, this year the show examines the moral compromises of a feminist magazine featuring male nude centerfolds. The show has its issues, but it is “a fun, easy watch,” Tribune critic Nina Metz writes. Read her full review here.

My worst moment: Sean Puffy Combs walked out on Aunjanue Ellis

Legal Sea Foods to open on river at former site of Dick’s Last Resort

A banner announces the arrival of Legal Sea Foods below Marina City, across from the Riverwalk in Chicago on July 17, 2023. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

The restaurant will replace Dick’s Last Resort at 315 N. Dearborn St. in the Marina City Towers and will likely open this winter, according to Kim Lapine, chief marketing officer for Legal Sea Foods’ parent company, PPX Hospitality Brands. Read the full story here.

Review: On opening weekend for CSO at Ravinia Festival, towering highs and trenchlike lows

"Turn up the Joy: Beethoven 9 Expanded" is conducted by Marin Alsop in Highland Park on July 14, 2023. It was the opening night of the 87th Chicago Symphony Orchestra Residency at the Ravinia Festival. (Michael Schmidt/Pioneer Press)

Friday’s opener for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 87th summer in Highland Park fell far short of the moment, though Saturday saved the weekend, writes critic Hannah Edgar. Read the full review here.

Breaking Barriers at Ravinia highlights women composers

Eat. Watch. Do. — Pitchfork guide, ‘Barbenheimer’ reviews, plus 25 Chicago hot dog stands

Eat. Watch. Do.