Argh

I'm a tad worried about finding someone to sublet my place. So if any of my readers are interested in a 1br sublet in Wrigleyville from December to June, please leave a comment or email me. Thanks!

**Clarification: For my non Chicagoans blogging friends, Wrigleyville is a neighborhood within the bigger neighborhood of Lakeview in Chicago, north of Downtown. I live within a block or 2 or Wrigley Field. There are also around 20+bars and restaurant within a couple of blocks of my place.

Here is a Wiki entry on my 'hood: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrigleyville

Random Chicago-y Things...

It's been a particularly trying week so I'm sorry I haven't blogged anything cool lately! I don't have enough for a posting on one particular item, but I have some bits and pieces so here goes...

(1) Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins at the Vic Theatre - Chicago has some fantastic musical venues. Intimate, historical and just plain cool. One of these cool theatres is the Vic. When they don't have concerts, they do a Brew and View where you can drink beer and watch second-run (out of the mainstream theaters) movies. However on this occasion, I had the opportunity to see one of my new favorite performers, Jenny Lewis (lead singer of Rilo Kiley). Jenny was actually a child actress. She was in one of my childhood faves, Troop Beverly Hills. Now, she is a singer, who likes to dabble in a fun mix of indie rock and country.

(2) Brunch is my favorite time of the week - Sunday brunches have been my favorite times of my week for several years. Back in Florida, this is the time that I would see my close friends, catch up on the week, and eat tasty brunch food without worrying that I was going to be late to work. I've tried to continue this tradition while in Chicago. Luckily, I have found some friends who also enjoy this leisurely Sunday activity. There are several tasty and quirky places in the city to enjoy brunch. Two notable places are M. Henry and Tweet.

Both places are located in the Northside neighborhoods (M. Henry on the border of Edgewater and Andersonville; Tweet in Uptown). Both serve fresh, organic and inventive brunch menus. As well, both places typically have a long, yet well worth it wait. I love the quirky, artistic atmosphere as well. I also like that both places are so not typical Wrigleyville/Lincoln Park Chicago. There are no tvs blaring in the background. The crowd is eclectic. Plus the food. Can't stop thinking about the food!!

(3) Crawling for dessert? - While waiting to be sat at M. Henry, I saw a sign for a Dessert Crawl in Andersonville next Saturday from 7p-10p. For $20 per person, you can visit over 15 restaurants in the 'hood and try different desserts. There are some amazing pastry places in Andersonville so I can't pass this up. I also like the idea that this is a food crawl instead of a pub crawl. Sure a few more calories, but I know I won't be a drunken mess after this event.

So in some non Chicago news, I'm definitely moving home in December! So this blog as I currently have it won't continue since I won't be a Southern Gal in the Windy City. Any ideas on what I should blog about??

Brrr!

Can someone please call my management company and tell them to turn the heat on? I'm dying here!

I was spoiled in my last apartment. The majority of my neighbors were nice little elderly folks so they tended to heat the building early in the season.

Now I know why heat is included in my rent. Because they aren't going to turn it on!!!

For tomorrow, first snow! I will take time to appreciate it this time around as my days here are numbered :)

What a lovely day to...

frolick in the country?

Yes, you read it right. This city gal spent her Saturday enjoying some of the best parts outside of Chicago. The day started with apple picking at the All Season Orchard . All Season is located in Woodstock, IL, roughly 55 miles northwest of the city. At this orchard, you purchase a bag that can hold half a bushel (around 25 lbs!) of apples and it's 100% "U-pick-'em". For those who don't want to pick their own apples, you can buy apples in the general store at the front of the orchard. You can also purchase goodies such as unprocessed honey, lots of apple-based bottled sauces, and most importantly--apple cider donuts! It was such a great, sunny day and completely enjoyable to be outside, playing among the 7,000 apple trees (!!!).

After apple picking, we ended up (thanks in part to a call to my boyfriend for directions) at another Chicago suburban legend, Hackney's. Hackney's is a family owned and operated restaurant chain that has been in buisiness since the 1930s. We dined at the Glenview location on E. Lake, which is one of six area locations. They are known for their burgers and onion loafs. Burgers were excellent, incredibly flavorful and juicy. The onion loaf was a bit overdone for my taste, but it was still pretty good.

While winding back down Sheridan Rd. towards the city, we stopped at the amazing Baha'i Temple in Wilmette. This architecturally impressive temple is the only one of its kind in the US. There are nine Baha'i temples around the world, in countries such as Panama and Australia. The temple is open to all and is surround by tranquil gardens. Situated in the ritzy suburb Wilmette, it definitely stands out among the traditional Victorian and early American style homes. The most impressive part of the temple was the inside. Looking into the intricate details of the ceiling almost made me weak in the knees.

So Chicago visitors and natives alike, take the time to explore the areas outside the city. Chicagoland isn't just about skyscrapers and deep dish pizza!

Chicago Wish List

I have had a lot of great experiences while living in Chicago, but I still have a list of things I would like to do here, including:

1. See a movie at The Music Box
2. Eat brunch at the Four Seasons or have tea at the Drake
3. Watch a drag show at The Baton
4. Go to the Museum of Science and Industry
5. Listen to jazz at the Green Mill
6. Walk on lakefront path from Oak Street Beach all the way to Foster Ave. Beach (running out of time since it is getting cold soon!)

I used to have apple picking on my list, but thanks to a good friend of mine, I'm going to do this tomorrow!

Advice for a newbie to the "City of Big Shoulders"

Before I start, has anyone else heard Chicago referred to as the "City of Big Shoulders"? I heard that for the first time last week. I haven't tried researching where this name came from though.

My sis just moved to New England for school. As well, a friend of mine just moved here from Austin, TX. Both my friend and sis are lifetime southerners. I've been advising them on what they should buy to prepare for winter and thought i may make an interesting blog post. Or not. Oh well, too late..because I've already started!


(1) Thick, water resistant, Down Coat with a hood for the 30 degrees and lower days. If you want a higher end coat ($250+), North Face is pretty popular. This style in particular is regularly seen on the city street. However, if you are a little more economical --around $100 (me! me!), Lands End has some great coats. This is similar to the one I got last year.

(2) A lighter coat for those 40-50 degrees days. There is a little more flexibility in this area, since you could go with a leather coat, a lighter down coat, corduroy, etc. For in person shopping, I like Nordstroms Rack and TJ Maxx for bargains; Fields (errr--now Macy's) for mid range...For high end, any of the other department stores would work.

(3) Cute but functional rain boots. I"m actually on a search for a pair of these right now. I figure that I can use them when I move home too. I know. They sound incredibly dorky, but you know how I hate wet pant legs. I found this pair as well as this one at Target's website.

(4) Lined boots to wear while trying not to fall on the sidewalk. Now if you buy the right pair of boots, you shouldn't have this problem. I got a shearling lined pair of ankle boots from LL Bean last winter and they were awesome. Now how can I write about winter boots without mentioning the infamous Uggs. I'm sure they are very comfortable. In the right wintery environment, I bet they do a great job keeping your toes nice and warm. However, when girls started wearing them in all types of weather...even with shorts? YUCK.

(5) Wool Hats, Scarves (of various colors, thickness etc), and gloves (cheap ones, if you are like me and lose them all the time!)

(6) And for God's sake, cover your ears! Traditional ear muffs are kinda dorky. Luckily, there are more options these days. I used to have a pair of 180s but my hair is so thick that they wouldn't stay on. I used the headband thingy that people wear when they ski to keep my ears from getting frosty.

(7) Lots of long sleeves cotton shirts. Layers baby layers. That thick sweater will feel like a light cotton tank top when it is 15 degrees outside. Gotta layer --the wind cuts right through you!

Luckily, I'm enjoying 60 degree weather right now. I did pull my winter clothes suitcase out, but in defiance, I have left the bag unopened on my living room floor.

My cousin, Oysy, and a "Fat Pig" = My Friday night

My cousin and I had a "date" on Friday. We started out at Oysy for tasty, inventive sushi. Oysy is one of my fave sushi joints, second only to Tsunami on Dearborn. They have a terrific selection of speciality makis. One of the highlights of our meal was the Rainbow Dragon, which consisted of salmon, tuna, super white tuna, eel, ebi, shrimp tempura, masago, cucumber, chili tobiko, wasabi tobiko, black tobiko, avocado, and mayo. Whew! It came "snaking" out to our table, complete with a little dragon face.

After dinner, we headed up LSD to Uptown for the next part of our evening: Fat Pig. Say What? Fat Pig is a play, a Neil LaBute play, which makes its Midwest debut at the Profiles Theatre. I have been excited to see Fat Pig since I read about the off Broadway debut last year. Neil LaBute's work is so honest and emotional without turning into a made for tv movie. I saw the movie version of The Shape of Things, which starred the original cast from the play. Instantly I was drawn to Neil LaBute's ability to capture the truths of relationships. He just gets it.

The following is a sumary of Fat Pig, from the Profiles Theatre website...

"FAT PIG is Neil LaBute's award-winning and bitingly funny romance about love in the modern age of body image and peer pressure. Tom is a young career guy who hits it off with Helen, a bright, sexy woman who happens to be plus-sized - and then some. As he reluctantly finds himself falling in love with Helen, Tom's colleagues are brutally cruel in their assessment of his new mate. LaBute probes our carb-counting, extreme makeover nation by asking tough questions. How much has our relentless pursuit of beauty turned us into an uglier species?"

Fat Pig did not disappoint at all. It was funny and sad and honest, without being trite. The cast at Profiles was incredibly compelling, as if these parts were written specifically for them. Also the venue itself is amazingly intimate (50 seats!). It was the perfect environment to see this play. I would highly recommend taking in this play if you get a chance. The theatre is located on Broadway north of Irving Park.

Now I must get back to watching the Gator game. Go Gators!

P.S. Did anyone here the tornado sirens downtown on Friday night? My cousin and I were on our way to dinner when we heard it. I had no clue what it was at first. My cousin had to clue me in. Pretty freaking scary!!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of a Chicago Fall

I just returned from a wonderful long weekend in Florida. My return was met with the the light crispness of an inevitable fall. Aside from my body not liking the 25 degree drop in weather, I'm a fan of the change in seasons. Some would argue that Chicago only has two seasons: Winter and Construction. However, I am a girl from Sunny Florida, where Septembers are marked by a drop in temp from 95 to 89 degrees. Anything below 70's feels like fall to me.

So here it is...the good, the bad and the ugly of fall...

Good: Football (College and NFL); knee high boots; Fall TV
Bad: Putting away the flip flops; Shorter days; End of the Daley Plaza Farmers Market
Ugly: Wet jean bottoms caused by puddles; Sinus misery; Umbrellas that can't stand up to the wind

It is my last Chicago fall. This Southern girl is headed home hopefully by the end of the year!

New layout

Hi everyone,

I got a little bored of the dark design (I've had it since last December), so I'm trying this one out. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. After all, you are the one that has to read it! Thanks!

Chicago Cheap Eats

Chicago's Citysearch page published a list of top cheap eats in Chicago. Here is the story:

http://chicago.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/cheap_eats/?brand=msn

One of my favorites (Potbelly's) made the list. You'd be hard pressed not to stumble across a Potbelly's during a trip to the Windy City. Like many other cities and their local foods, it helps to know how to order a Potbelly's sandwich. Potbelly's is insanely efficient. You could be 10 people back from the actual order counter and have your order taken. Skinny..Regular or Wheat...and don't tell the first person what you want on your sandwich...that's the second person's job to dress your sandwich. You catch my drift. My personal favorites include Turkey or Chicken Salad on Wheat, Skinny (1/3 less bread).

Another cheap eat in Chicago is found at numerous neighborhood bars. The famous $1 burger. Monday's are a popular day to offer this special. From Kincade's in Lincoln Park (you can upgrade to a Deluxe Burger with fries for $2) to The Dark Horse in Wrigleyville to Celtic Crown in the outskirts of Lincoln Square...the $1 burger is a popular cheap eat.

Local Music Scene: Jenny Gillespie

Chicago is a hotbed for local talent. On any given evening, you can hear local artists in every neighborhood of the city. No matter if you like jazz, blues, emo, rock, country, hip-hop or some amalgam of the aforementioned, you can find a venue and an artist to entertain you. I've heard a lot of good local musicians, but I'd like to highlight one of my faves: Jenny Gillespie.

Jenny is a singer/songwriter whom I met through her sister. She sings the loveliest songs of the rich, folky variety. If you are a fan of Aimee Mann and Joni Mitchell, you'll enjoy her songs. She likes to sing about the places she's been and the dreams she has. I recently had the opportunity to see her perform live at Uncommon Ground. The combination of her talented vocals, sensitive words, and intimate setting made for a wonderful way to spend a rainy Thursday evening.

You can find Jenny's music on iTunes. She has an EP called "Love and Ammunition" as well as an self-titled acoustic effort. My favorite song of hers is Mountain Laurel. Aside from listening to the snippets on iTunes, you can check out her MySpace page here.

Check it out! Hope you enjoy...

Missing...

While having dinner with a friend of mine, we lamented about the things we missed from our respective hometowns. A fellow EastCoaster herself, my friend (who I will call Preppygirl) misses preppy guys and Tastykakes. Here is a list of things I miss about living in the South (aside from my family, boyfriend, and friends)...

(1) Vidalia onions and Georgia peaches in the summer
(2) Light sweaters in the winter
(3) Sunrises at the beach...and the smell of the saltwater in the air
(4) Sweet tea and bbq; Fresh Seafood
(5) The relaxed, laid-back pace of life
(6) Peterbrooke Chocolates
(7) Manatee watching from friends' boats
(8) Driving on A1A with my windows rolled down
(9) SEC and ACC football (specifically the Florida Gators!)
(10) Publix

Don't worry! I have lots of things I'll miss about Chicago when I move home. I will post that at a later time...

Off to watch football! Yay for NFL Sundays!

OT: Oh no he didn't

John Norris (from MTV) with blond hair. No. Make it go away.

A Tale of Two Zoos

I recently had the opportunity to visit two of the most well-known zoos in the country. Both Brookfield and Lincoln Park (LP) Zoo are located in the Chicagoland area. People have their favorite, but I thought it only fair to review them based on the following categories: Location, Cost, Variety of Animals, and Staff.

Location

(1) Brookfield - Located in Brookfield, IL, 14 miles west of downtown Chicago. Most accessible by car but there is a Metra stop a block or so away.
(2) LP - Located in Lincoln Park (the neighborhood and the actual park). Easily accessible by walking or by the 151 or 156 bus. Cabs readily available as well. Parking for those who want to drive in the city.

Winner: LP
For a city gal such as myself, LP wins hands down. I can stop by LP Zoo at my leisure, while going to Brookfield requires arranging a car ride or consulting the Metra schedule/getting to Union Station.

Cost

(1) LP - Free! Enough said. There is a cost to ride the paddleboats ($12/half hour) and Carousel ($2.00/ride)
(2) Brookfield - $10.00 - adults. $6.00 - children. They too have a Carousel, which you can ride for $2.50. They also have a good selection of special shows for additional cost. When I went last, I paid $16.00 for zoo admission plus 3 special events (with the Motor Tram including one of those events).

Winner: LP
Really. It is hard to beat free, but Brookfield is very reasonable.

Variety of Animals

(1) Brookfield - Brookfield sits on over 216 acres and boy does it use those acres well.This zoo has over 2500 types of animals. As I mentioned earlier, they also have a good variety of special exhibits, such as the Butterfly House, Dolphin Show and more. I was especially impressed by the penguins and the entire Tropic World exhibit. Tropic World is home of all the monkeys. It is massive and impressive. I love the pachyderms too!
(2) LP - This zoo is considerably smaller in side, coming in at 35 acres. They definitely do not have the variety of animals that Brookfield offers. And there weren't any pachyderms! Unless I missed them, but how can you miss an elephant? I did think that you could get up close and personal with the monkeys a lot easier that at Brookfield. While you would need a full day to cover Brookfield, LP can be visited if you only have a few hours to spare.

Winner: Brookfield
You just can't beat the vastness of Brookfield!

Staff

(1) LP - There were several opportunties where zookeepers could interact with the guests. While visiting the monkeys, my sister and I were talking to one of the zookeepers who gave us the story about the different personalities the monkeys had. Also while visiting the gorillas, we were treated to a lecture by one of the zookeepers.
(2) Brookfield - I was able to see trainers working with dolphins during the actual show. Even more entertaining, I got to see a seal training session/feeding. That was hilarious! The seals were really hamming it up. The staff was terrific in educating and showcasing their animals.

Winner: TIE!
It is so hard to pick because both zoos have wonderful staffs.

After looking at the ratings, LP Zoo won 2 of 4 categories, while Brookfield won 1 of 4. However, if I lived in the suburbs or at least had a car, Brookfield may have won that category. In the end, both zoos are wonderful in their own right. If you ever have the opportunity to go to either, do it. Be a kid for a day. It is good for your soul.

Au Revoir Carson Pirie Scott

Aside from Marshall Fields, the Carson's is a landmark on State St. Carson's announced that they are closing their famous location on the corner of State and Madison. Many longtime Chicagoans are saddened by this closing, but I wonder if people had just shopped at this location more, the store would not have met its fate. This location has reported declining sales, especially with so many people flocking to Michigan Ave. (Home of Nordstroms, Saks, Lord and Taylor and the soon to be Macy's). Luckily for Carson's fans, the other Chicagoland locations are remaining open.

Even though I'm sad that they are closing this location, I'm excited to see the restoration of the building take place! Any ideas on what retail establishment should go in Carson's place?

Update: ComEd Bill

I finally got my ComEd bill for the past three months. The total was........






$109 and cents!

I was really scared it was going to be over $200 bucks. It ends up totalling an average of $36.33 per month.



Whew.

My Big Fat Greek Meal

I've ridden the Halsted bus through Greektown numerous times, but I never had the opportunity to eat there. Luckily my cousins and my cousin's boyfriend from Dallas were in town and they wanted to try some Greek eats. I've heard great things about Pegasus and luckily they were open to my suggestion. I couldn't decide on an entree so I opted 2 small appetizers so I could taste both. I ordered Tiropitakia, which are baked filo dough stuffed with feta cheese and Dolmathakia Yialatzi, which are stuffed grape leaves with rice and herbs, with yogurt sauce on the side. Both dishes were quite tasty and I didn't feel too full afterwards.

Greektown was a cute area to dine in and I saw plenty of other establishments worth checking out. There is a Taste of Greece festival this weekend that should provide a fun introduction to the neighborhood if you have never been.

Gangsters + Meat + Baseball = Perfect Boyfriend Visit

My wonderful boyfriend has been visiting me for the past several days. I took time off from work too so it was like a real vacation! Except I didn't have to leave the city and I got to sleep in my own bed :)

Some Blog-related highlights...

(1) Untouchables Tour - There is a tour that takes you to all the major landmarks of Chicago Mob history. Ths bus tour lasted about an hour and 45 minutes. We hit up Holy Name Church on State St... then the Southside (Al Capone country)...then the Westside (Pilsen and Little Italy)...and finished up at the site of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre on Clark St. in Lincoln Park. I highly recommend this tour if you are interested in the history of organized crime in Chicago. The people who run the tour are fun and just the right amount of cheesy.

(2) Sal & Carvao - This is my favorite Brazillian churrascaria in Chicago. Fogo is more popular but it is always way too crowded. At Sal & Carvao, the wait staff takes excellent care of you. It is never too busy and provides a cal dining environment. If you have never dined ar a churrascaria, here is a crash course. There is no menu. You pay a flat price that includes an amazing salad bar and an insane assortment of meats. At Sal & Carvao, they serve 14 types of meat--from flank steak to filet mignon to parmesean crusted pork. All the meats are served on swords by men dressed as Brazillian Gauchos. A tasty tasty treat for sure!

(3) Cubs game - One of my friends at the Tribune hooked us up with some pretty sweet seats to the game. We were 8 rows from the field. We got to see the pklayers warming up. Plus we saw just how skinny Juan Pierre is LOL. No wonder he can move so fast and steal those bases! The cubs got beat badly but the St. Louis Cardinals, but with the Old Style beer flowing--who really cared? Wrigley Field is an experience that all baseball fans should have the opportunity to have.

Baseball-apalooza

**Please note: This is only a partly related Chicago posting!**

On Monday, I went to the White Sox/Angels game at US Cellular Field. This was a make up game from the rained out one in May. Even though the Sox lost, I had a good time with friends. Plus I finally got to try corn OFF the cob. They scrape the corn off and you can pick your seasonings. I got salt, butter and red pepper.

On Tuesday, one of my friends asks me if I would want to go to Milwaukee (Miller Park) for the Brewers/Cubs game. I'm no Cubs fan, but the opportunity to add another MLB park to my list was too good to pass up! So we made the trek up to Milwaukee, enjoyed our club level seats and listened to trash talking Cubs fans.

Here is the list of MLB parks visited with their home team in parenthese. These are in order attended, so you Sox fans, don't flip on me that Wrigley is listed before The Cell lol

Turner Field (Atlanta Braves)
Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs)
US Cellular Field - aka The Cell (Chicago White Sox)
Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers)

Of course I would want to see games in all the parks, but here is my wish list for future park visits:

Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles)
Shea Stadium (New York Mets)
Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox)
AT&T Park (San Francisco Giants)

Enough about baseball, I have some fun stories from when my sister visited. Specifically ones that discuss peeing apes and monkeys with prominant anatomy, but I will have to write it up when I'm not feeling so lazy!

R.I.P. Marshall Fields

On September 9th, Marshall Fields will be no longer. It will be reborn as Macy's. Now I don't have anything against Macy's. I love the Thanksgiving Day parade. However, it is hard to imagine that there will no longer be Fields in Chicago.

When I first moved to the city, the Fields on State Street was like a beacon of light in the big bad city. There is a magical feeling when you walk into Fields. It was comforting. I didn't need to buy anything to feel how special this place was. Even before moving here, I was exposed to Fields. When I was in elementary school, my aunt and uncle always bought me a Field's Christmas Bear.

Now the green and cream colors will be replaced with the Macy's red. The building will always be known as the Marshall Fields building, but the place as we once knew it will be gone.

No matter what, I'll still be a Fields Girl!