Jodie Foster’s vigilante flick “The Brave One” took charge of the box office this weekend, earning $14 million to snag the top spot. That’s a pretty lame opening, but it was a very hit-and-miss movie. Thankfully, it was more than the take for “Mr. Woodcock,” which landed at No. 3--just behind “3:10 to Yuma”--with $9.1 million. Even sadder, though, was the debut for “D-War: Dragon Wars”—or is it just “D-War” or “Dragon Wars: D-War” or “Dragon War: D-War: The War of the Dragons of the War of the Dragons”?—which brought in only $5.38 million. Things will surely bounce back next weekend, though, right? I mean, who doesn’t want to see Amanda Bynes update “Snow White” in “Sydney White,” or Jessica Alba do a lot of cute, stupid stuff in “Good Luck Chuck”? Yeah; we don’t really want to see that either.

Is it just us, or is everyone meaner when Anthony Bourdain is around? It’s like all of the other judges feel the need to one-up his searing criticisms and outrageous metaphors. Don’t get us wrong—we love his colorful comments. We’ve just noticed that Tom is in rare form when Bourdain is next to him. Even Padma—dear, sweet Padma—acquires a bit of an edge when he’s around. We shudder to think what effect he might have had on Gail if she’d been around to judge this week.

With Bourdain leading the charge, things got brutal on this episode. Some of it was probably deserved. (We didn’t even want to look at Tall C.J.’s broccolini, his ultimate undoing, let alone eat it.) But the comparisons to prison food and references to the worst dish ever served on Top Chef felt a bit over-the-top. So, since everyone’s probably feeling a bit wounded at the moment, we though we’d bring a little positive energy to the table by pointing out the things we love about each contestant.

Dale: There are several things we love about Dale, not least among them the fact that he’s from Chicago. But first: Whew. That was a close one. We’ve noticed Dale’s not really a detail guy, but portioning for 17 diners instead of 18 was a fairly large oversight. It probably would have cost him the round if everyone else’s food hadn’t been so awful. What Dale does do well, though, is teamwork. We’re not yet sure if he’s a leader, but what we do know—and love—about him is that he’s a good teammate. He’s aware of what’s going on around him the kitchen, and when he sees someone in trouble, he swoops in to help—he’s SuperDale! We also love that when other chefs don’t take the same tack (not to name any names, Hung), he calls them out on it.

If ticketholders weren't already upset by the cancellation of Amy Winehouse's upcoming show in Chicago, they will be now: both of the White Stripes' dates at the Aragon (Oct. 6-7) have been cancelled as well. A press release explained that drummer Meg White is suffering from "acute anxiety" and unable to travel, so the entire tour has been called off. Says the band, "We hate to let people down and are very sorry." Well, we forgive you Jack and Meg. Get well soon. Then come back!

The spot: The service couldn’t be friendlier Los Nopales, a quaint Lincoln Square Mexican spot; the accommodating staff brightens an already welcoming yellow-walled dining room. The restaurant’s namesake, los nopales, or cacti, appears in a few dishes, including a tasty Los Nopales skirt steak special ($13.95). The steak, chargrilled and sprinkled with cheese, is served with frijoles borrachos (drunken beans) and grilled cactus salad. More traditional dishes come with rice, beans and salad. Try the tilapa en salsa verde ($11.95), a tender grilled tilapia filet served over Spanish white rice and smothered in green tomatillo sauce.

The bottle: The only thing missing from the authentic Mexican menu at Los Nopales is a margarita—and luckily, you only have to stroll a block north to Westwood Food Shop (4634 N Western Ave. 773-561-0463) to find one. Pick up a bottle of ready-to-drink Jose Cuervo Authentic Cuervo Lime Margarita ($13.99 for 750 milliliters), with Cuervo Especial right in the bottle. If you only need tequila, grab a 750-milliliter bottle of Jose Cuervo Especial Gold ($17.99). Like your marg with salt? Snag a container for $1.99. Los Nopales charges a $1 corkage fee for each bottle or six-pack. -- Emily Hiser Lobdell, Metromix special contributor.

"Yuma" corrals slow weekend Audiences gave a collective yawn towards last week’s new releases, with “3:10 to Yuma” topping the box office with an unimpressive $14.1 million. That’s awfully low for a well-reviewed vehicle starring Christian Bale and Russell Crowe, but considering the pleasant weather and people’s general disinterest in Westerns, $14 million isn’t too shabby. $5.5 million, however, is pretty shabby, though, and that’s all that the repulsive action flick “Shoot ‘Em Up” took in over the weekend to land at No. 6. (Smart move, America.) But the weekend’s big, big, big loser was “The Brothers Solomon,” an occasionally funny comedy that brought in just over $500,000. Yikes. Did you strap on your spurs and go see “3:10 to Yuma”? How do you think “Shoot ‘Em Up” compares to that other Clive-Owen-protecting-a-baby movie, “Children of Men”?

Update on Doug Sohn: The owner and head sausage dude at Chicago's famous encased meat emporium, Hot Doug's, broke his leg three weeks ago, forcing him to close the place while he recuperated.  Good news: He sent a note today telling us that he plans to reopen on September 12.

Finally, Colicchio and crew got it right. We were ready for Howie to pack his knives and go weeks ago.

But, oh, the irony! Poor Howie. When he finally decided to try to be a team player, his food tanked, and he had his worst night ever. So much for playing nice.

We don’t have a lot of sympathy for the guy, though. We just can’t get past the fact that he presented a big ol’ martini glass full of nothing during the Quickfire Challenge. You’re a chef, Howie. Your job is to feed people. And just how awful could it have been, anyway? Even Tall C.J. put on his best smile and served a dish he’d sweetened with … salt.

Now that we’re down to six chefs, things are going to get interesting. The challenges are tougher, and the stakes are higher. And that, of course, means it’s time to start making some predictions. Here are ours, in the order we think they’ll pack their knives and go.

Hung: Yeah, we like to play with our food too. But not when $100,000 is on the line. It’s bad enough that you’re buddies with evil Marcel from Season 2 and that you almost sliced Casey’s head off a couple of episodes back, but then you had to go and build a psychedelic Smurf village during last night’s Quickfire Challenge? Nobody cares what you do in your off-time, Hung, but the only mushrooms that belong in a kitchen are portabellas, oysters, shitakes … and, well, we’ll leave it at that. And what was up with that salmon mousse blob on a cucumber? It might go over well at the country club with Buffy and Mitzi, but Dana Cowin clearly was not amused.

Dale: Honestly, we’re torn as to whether Dale or Sara will go home first. Obviously, we’re pulling for Dale. But at this point, we’ve got to be realistic. While Dale’s early issues (presentation, namely) seem to have resolved themselves, a new Achilles heel has emerged: He’s too nice. He took one for the team last night when he swapped $11 worth of goat cheese for yogurt at the supermarket, and his dish suffered for it. We’re not asking you to go all Gordon Ramsay on us, but Dale, please, take a cue from Howie. Show some spine! If you don’t, you’ll only prove that old adage: Nice guys finish fifth.

Sara: Our favorite cheese maker has been the show’s biggest sleeper, only really coming into her own during the last few episodes. And now that her nemesis, Howie, is gone, she’s going to be able to focus even more on her food. She might not quite be Top Chef material, but everybody loves cheese.

Brian: Last night’s Spam triumph aside, Brian is bound to meet his match eventually with a challenge that forces him to cook something other than fish. Also, does anyone else feel that part of the reason Brian’s stuck around this long is because, well, he’s kinda cute? Don’t get us wrong—he’s no Sam Talbot. But he’s clearly emerging as the show’s token hottie (male hottie, that is—we don’t mean to take anything away from Casey) and it always seems that the final few contestants are among the most, uh, “marketable.”

Tall C.J.: Last night’s episode said it all. Where Howie buckled and threw in the towel, C.J. took a potentially devastating mistake (oops, that was salt!) in stride and moved on. He’s cool under pressure, people don’t hate him, and he turns out sophisticated dishes with relative consistency. Plus, he’s able to work in small spaces despite his freakish height.

Casey: That’s right, you heard it here: Season 3 will give us our first female Top Chef.

See what our friends at The Stew had to say about last night's show.

Last night was a great night that pretty much felt like an official end to a long and awesome summer—my beach volleyball team won our bracket of the Chicago Sport & Social Club’s rec league! We played against two teams, for two and a half hours, on wet sand due to passing pre-game rain showers, and well into the darkness to win the title (and a long-sleeve, commemorative championship T-shirt). Congrats, Purple Cobras!

To celebrate, the team went to Melvin B’s. It seemed fitting: As we marked an end to our summer league, the famous truck stop-themed bar and grill was supposed to be making its final call on Sunday to make way for a boutique hotel. Imagine our surprise when staffers told us they got a stay—Melvin B’s will now be open until October 1! Let’s raise a glass to a warm and dry September.

So keep summer going with Melvin B's frozen (and strong) strawberry daiquiris, rum runners and vodka lemonades while you can. Fill up on a juicy cheeseburger with fresh-cut potato chips. Order a round of brews with your pals. This patio scene has been a Gold Coast staple since the ’60s, and despite the bugs crawling up the trees and fences on muggy nights, or the dingy interior, this place has a special Chicago charm that draws a crowd. Thanks for the memories, Melvin.

The spot: Claustrophobes need not fear Adesso, a corner Italian restaurant with a spacious, airy dining room and even more expansive outdoor seating along Broadway and Buckingham Place. Sit along the bustling sidewalk, and you’ll never lack for topics of conversation (though if you’re looking for a bit more intimacy, ask for a seat on the Buckingham side). Inside, the industrial chic decor sets a sleek backdrop for the regional Italian cuisine. On the menu, you’ll find traditional pasta favorites such as lasagne Barese ($15) and spicy spaghetti arrabiata ($11; $14 with shrimp), as well as some unique options such as the hamburger con rucula, an arugula-pesto burger smothered in provolone and served on a pretzel roll with a side of rosemary-sea salt fries ($11).

The bottle: Wander up the street to Treasure Island (3460 N. Broadway. 773-327-3880) for a bottle of Italian wine to complete your meal. Tracy Liang, director of wine and spirits for Treasure Island Foods, makes it easy for you to select the perfect vino with shelf notes on several wines. She recommends a medium-bodied 2004 Villa Calcinaia Chianti Classico “Piegaia” ($13.99) to go with heavier lasagna or cream-based dishes, or a crisp 2006 Villa del Borgo Pinot Grigio ($9.99) to complement seafood. The 2005 Dievole “Pinocchio” Nero d’Avola ($10.99), a popular red choice due to the sketch of the famous puppet on the label, is best served with stick-to-your-ribs pasta or meat dishes.

[ Emily Hiser Lobdell is a Metromix special contributor. ] metromix@tribune.com

So we finally caught up with chef Shawn McClain to get the scoop on his involvement with the revamping of LePassage. As it turns out, Three-Headed Productions partner Matt Lindner is a friend of McClain’s, as well as in investor in his restaurant Green Zebra.

“It’s a friendship thing,” McClain said of his role in the LePassage project. The chef will draw up some ideas for updated bar food and small plates—as of now, nothing’s been finalized. “I’m sure [the menu] will be eclectic. …no specific theme … It’s not gonna be serious,” McClain said.

Other than coming up with the ideas for the nighttime nibbles, don’t expect to see him working at the subterranean spot. McClain tells us he’s just helping out where he can with ideas, but he will not be in the kitchen. He’s just a friend helping a friend.