Lauren Brocato

Lauren Brocato covers how people actually spend their time in Chicago’s entertainment, food and culture scenes, focusing on specific venues, events and neighborhood experiences rather than abstract trends. She is the Things To Do Editor at Time Out Chicago, shaping coverage that ranges from restaurant rankings and bar guides to parks, gardens, nightlife and weekly event roundups. Her service-led pieces combine clear practical detail with vivid descriptions of atmosphere, whether breaking down a major festival schedule or spotlighting a basement comedy show. Alongside her current role, she brings a broader entertainment and publishing background that includes food, arts and literary coverage for a range of magazines.

Major events and festival coverage

Brocato’s entertainment work includes translating large-scale events into usable guides, such as her coverage of the Lollapalooza 2026 lineup, updated set times and streaming schedule.

She writes listings and previews for major concerts, including a Harry Styles show at Soldier Field that is framed within the city’s wider music calendar. As editor of weekly “best things to do” roundups, she curates time-sensitive guides that blend marquee happenings with smaller experiences, giving readers a single, updated view of what is worth attention across the week. The emphasis is on timing, logistics and clarity - lineups, dates, locations and what to expect on site - so that large events feel navigable rather than overwhelming.

This event work sits within her broader role connecting big-ticket entertainment with the more intimate venues and gatherings that define the city’s culture.

Dining, bars and nightlife guides

A substantial portion of Brocato’s output focuses on where to eat and drink, anchored by major list features such as the “best restaurants in Chicago” and similar citywide rankings.

In these roundups she organizes a broad dining landscape into clearly labeled recommendations, often highlighting cuisine, neighborhood and standout qualities to help readers match restaurants to occasions. She also writes individual reviews and spotlights, including coverage of Loaf Lounge’s now-famous chocolate cake associated with the television series “The Bear,” which situates a single dessert within its wider pop-cultural context. Her nightlife reporting ranges from guides to rooftop bars and waterfront restaurants, where she ranks patios and riverfront spots for their views, drinks and overall experience.

She profiles specific bars such as The Owl, described as a go-to destination for late-night chaos, and a “sexy cocktail hideaway” beneath The Hoxton, showing a preference for venues with distinctive personality and atmosphere. Across these pieces, the through-line is detailed, scenario-based service: what a place feels like, who it suits and when it is best experienced.

Parks, gardens and outdoor escapes

Beyond indoor entertainment, Brocato devotes consistent attention to parks, gardens and outdoor spaces, treating them as key parts of the city’s leisure culture. Her guides to the “absolute most beautiful gardens” and “secret parks and gardens” identify specific locations and features - from wildflowers and manicured beds to quieter memorial spaces - that help readers decide where to visit for different moods and seasons.

Many of these pieces include her own photography credits, reinforcing a hands-on approach that is grounded in direct observation of how these spaces look and feel.

She incorporates lesser-known parks alongside headline attractions, positioning green spaces as destinations for exploration rather than background scenery. This outdoor beat complements her restaurant and nightlife coverage, rounding out a picture of entertainment that includes daylight, family-friendly and reflective experiences as well as evening outings.

Broader entertainment and publishing background

Brocato’s Time Out Chicago profile notes that she has previously served as the masthead’s Food and Drink Editor and contributed to Eater, extending her expertise across both dining journalism and digital city guides. She has edited nearly a dozen Modern Luxury publications in different markets, helping audiences in cities from New York to the Bay Area discover notable restaurants, events and cultural experiences. External records of her work show a portfolio that includes entertainment, arts, poetry and book reviews, with bylines in outlets such as Miami Agent Magazine, Modern Luxury Cs, Vox Magazine, Modern Luxury Media and Chicago Agent Magazine.

That mix of city magazines and niche publications gives her a publishing perspective that spans lifestyle, real estate-adjacent titles and cultural commentary. Taken together, her current editing role and prior magazine experience position her as a journalist who ties entertainment coverage to a wider sense of urban living and taste.