May 3-13, 2011

By Ryan Torok
Published on May 3, 2011

Follow Chicago Tribune jazz critic Howard Reich as he sets out across the United States and Eastern Europe to uncover why his Holocaust survivor mother believes the world is conspiring to kill her. The documentary explores a little-known disorder: late-onset post-traumatic stress disorder. A Q-and-A with Reich and producer Joanna Rudnick follows. Tue. 7:30 p.m. Free (RSVP required). Museum of Tolerance, 9786 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 772-2498.

Brunch at Brent’s

Published on April 28, 2010

“Hungry People Eat at Brent’s,” the sign that greets us proclaims, and we are among the hungry when we arrive. Outside, it is damply gray and occasionally rainy, and the deli’s bustling interior seems all the cozier for it. Just inside, would-be patrons stand in quiet groups, mostly families, mostly with very young children. More than one set of sons sport matching sweaters; their parents are outfitted in sweats and running shoes, a mild concession to the impropriety of actually wearing your PJs in public. We wait for 10, maybe 12 minutes before being whisked off to a midroom booth; our orders are taken quickly and dispatched with efficiency. Sunday brunch at Brent’s is one-half family affair and one-half well-oiled machine, an experience that is brisk without ever seeming brusque. Owner Ron Peskin prowls the room in a bright yellow short-sleeve button-down shirt, seating customers and chatting with regulars. His name, along with those of his wife and children, are printed at the bottom of each receipt, thanking you for your business.

Over the Brooklyn Bridge

By Mark Schiff
Published on February 10, 2000

I am a comedian and I have been lucky enough to have worked in my business for 20 years. This is a huge thing because most people in comedy never even work 20 days in 20 years.