James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally delicate mob boss in HBO's “The Sopranos” helped create one of TV's greatest drama series and turned the mobster stereotype on its head, died Wednesday in Italy. He was 51.

James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally delicate mob boss in HBO's “The Sopranos” helped create one of TV's greatest drama series and turned the mobster stereotype on its head, died Wednesday in Italy. He was 51.

Light jazz music outside on the patio beckons diners into Stevens’ steakhouse in Gurnee.The staff is welcoming with an air of formality that is reflected in the food — think high-class entrees on a middle-class budget. The dining room specializes in steaks and seafood, with chicken and pasta for those who crave neither surf nor turf. And make sure to leave room for the exceptional...

It’s hard to miss the enormous 20-foot-wide American flag on the side of Richard Ormbrek’s home. Comprised of around 180 tiles painted with scenes of Americana against a background of red and white stripes, the flag pops from the orange cedar shingles with traffic-stopping audacity.

Cannon firings on the bluff overlooking Lake Huron and antique rifle firings on the parade ground are noisy reminders that history comes to life every day at this 233-year-old fort on Mackinac Island, Mich. Every summer day, that is. The fort, like most of the island, goes quiet the rest of the year. During the May to October season, temperatures barely reach into the mid-70s, cooled by breezes...

Who said fashion is all about the next new thing? Author Lauren Weisberger revisits her over-the-top characters from “The Devil Wears Prada,” including top magazine editor and ice queen Miranda Priestly, 10 years later in her latest novel, “Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns.” It turns out, other than a few fleeting trends that clearly define the setting as 2013,...

Gordon Lightfoot seems to like to keep people guessing, including himself. “I don't like getting locked into the same show every night,” he said. So the Canadian folk musician has a setlist system he likens to a baseball team's pitching rotation — one fans will see in action when his “50 Years on the Carefree Highway Tour” comes to the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan...

Wheeling native Jillian Jocson couldn’t put the script for "Mahal" down. She laughed and cried all the way through, seeing her own Filipino family in the story of Reyes clan, starting previews this week at Chicago's Stage 773. “I felt so connected,” Jocson said.

With Prince William and the former Kate Middleton expecting their first child in mid-July — and much of the world interested in the birth of a future monarch — the royals’ office has released some of the couple’s plans, although many details are still being kept private. Kate has made several public appearances recently but is expected to keep a low profile in the final weeks of her pregnancy.

In a surprising reversal of an earlier decision, the Des Plaines City Council Monday night denied an extension for a temporary conditional use permit that would have allowed the Fountain Blue banquet facility to continue operating its outdoor tent for 18 months. “I was for this, but this thing stinks," 4th Ward Alderman Dick Sayad said. "I'm not going to vote for this.”