Be safe!

Even the lions who "protect" the Art Institute in Chicago are a good reminder to wear masks.  Stay safe and be smart!

The Tribune Building

Statue of American revolutionary Nathan Hale


I can not believe that I have passed by this landmark building countless times (located on Michigan Avenue near Wacker!!!) and never noticed anything! And even when I learned about the important of this building I still forgot to stop and look!!!

Prior to the building of the Tribune Tower, correspondents for the Chicago Tribune brought back rocks and bricks from a variety of historically important sites throughout the world at the request of Colonel McCormick. Many of these reliefs have been incorporated into the lowest levels of the building and are labeled with their location of origin. Stones included in the wall are from the Great Wall of China, the World Trade Center and the Taj Mahal. Walk around the building and be amazed at the reliefs!

Happy 4th of July!

Pirogi Heaven

I love Chicago, any time of the year, even in the winter!  There is always so much to do!  On a spur of the moment trip, we took in a great lecture at the Cultural Center, spent hours at the Art Museum where we explored the Picasso exhibit and discovered an authentic Polish restaurant!  Chicago always has the unexpected!   I must prefix that we went to a very stylish, sophisticated, upscale looking Asian restaurant that had me at the first hello.  Unfortunately, the food was way to sweet for my taste, so I left hungry.  My daughter Google a restaurant near the Loop, which led us to Pirogi Heaven purely by accident. Definitely not upscale, but a simple, immaculate, authentic Polish restaurant that was wonderful and took me back to Krakow!

Go Cubs Go!

Jeff Samardzija
(former Notre Dame football player)

A perfect day....club seats, 70 degree weather and a Cubs win against the Brewers!


The dugout

The day before the game, we took a tour of Wrigley Field, the oldest ballpark in the National League, which is filled with rich history. My favorite views were from the dugout and the press box.

Marilyn

You can't miss it! A 26 foot sculpture of Marilyn Monroe right on Michigan Avenue in Chicago! It's funny watching tourist standing under Marilyn trying to get a subway-grate view of her skirt in the same pose that she appeared in the movie "The seven year itch".

This is from the same artist, Seward Johnson who created the American Gothic farmer and daughter of Grant Wood's "American Gothic" fame. Visit soon as this will only be here until next spring!

Old Town

Saint Michael's Church--one of 7 churches to survive the Great Fire of 1871.


One of many pockets of gardens and statues in the neighborhood.


The sculptor of these horses is the same person who created the tin man scupture in OZ Park (located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood). These horse are sculpted out of bumpers from cars!


The Greeter's program offered through the Chicago Office of Tourism is one of Chicago's best kept secrets. You can tour over 22 different neighborhoods or pick a variety of areas of interest from farmer's markets in the city to architecture to legal! They are offered free to those visiting the city, but you may only use the greeter program ONCE per year. The docents are knowledgeable ambassadors and excited to share "their" city with you! To take advantage of the greeter program you must sign up 2 weeks in advance of your stay. (I have taken numerous "paid" tours of Chicago and still think that the Greeter's program offers one of the best tours!)

Since I learned of the Greeter program 4 years ago, I have been on 4 tours-Pilsen, the exact location of the Chicago Fire and it's history, Argyle Street and just recently Old Town.

Although I was familiar with Old Town and it's beauty, I was curious about it's history. Old Town is probably most well know for Second City, the comedy impro place that launch many careers such as Gilda Radner, Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi from Saturday Night Live. Old Town is a beautiful neighborhood filled with old Victorian homes and pockets of gardens and sculptures. It is also home to Saint Michael 's Church, one of the few churches not harmed during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Venture inside to see this beautiful church!

Chinatown of the North

I love exploring Chicago, learning about it's neighborhoods on my own or through tours. So when I heard that there was a neighborhood nick named "Chinatown of the North" located on Argyle Street and Broadway, I was intrigued! I have self toured Chinatown a few times (which is South of the city), but never heard of a Chinese population in the Northern parts! I also heard that this is one of the most diverse neighborhoods of Chicago. It is a blend of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai people.



The "gateway" or "El Station" to the "Chinatown of the North" varies greatly from Chinatown (which is located South and a definite local and tourist destination). The first step at the North location re-gentrification came in the form of a $250,000 grant to upgrade the El station into a pagoda and to make the ticket booth resemble a Chinese tea house in the early 7o's.

This is an interesting neighborhood, and not just because of it's diversity but because of it's conflicts. There has been much interest in "gentrifying" this neighborhood, but the resistance has come from it's business owners who fear high rents will replace the reasonable ones and perhaps displace them. Instead they retain their "authenticity" at the risk of crime and deterioration.

While there, I was fascinated with the Chinese grocery and fish market! My oldest daughter and I both love to cook but did not recognize much of what we saw. And she enjoyed buying tea at a faction of it's cost (.50 to $2 for a box of green tea!)
















While in the neighborhood we sampled many different kinds of food from appetizers to egg rolls to desserts such as traditional Chinese almond cookies. But our favorite place turned out to be Bale, a Vietnamese sandwich shop with a French influence! We loved the "Subway Eat Fresh" version of sandwiches served on a baguette even if we couldn't identify many of the ingredients! We also loved the fish sauce for the dumplings which was wonderful! Bale was bustling with customers and because of their fresh fare, I could see why it's was a favorite among the locals.

Louis Sullivan

Louis Sullivan Exhibit at the CCC

The Guaranty Building in Buffalo



I love that he put as much detail into to small things like door knobs and mail slots as the big things!!!

I am fascinated with architecture. For me, I could look it it for hours, in fact when we go to the Chicago Art Museum you can find me in the architectural gallery staring in awe... in fascination... and at times in disbelief! Adore! Adore! Adore!!!....Can't get enough of it...I will tour anything with architecture! So when I heard that there was an exhibit featuring Louis Sullivan--the "Father of the Skyscrapers", I knew I would be there! Despite the fact that I had to drag...yes, I mean that literally...drag... and pull.... AND use my charm, to get my husband to this exhibit! Needless to say he was not nearly enthralled with this exhibit (wondering to myself what is wrong with this generally perfect man?????) but I loved it!!! It is at the Chicago Cultural Center until May.

Adler Planetarium

It was one of those perfect days when the stars aliened and everything fell into place. We found the closest parking spot on the street!!! (metered parking for $4.50 for 3 hours!!!)... we had perfect weather (35 degrees sunny, Chicago-style and no wind!) and we had free admission to the planetarium!

Raw Bar

This is a restaurant I have wanted to try for some time now. But it is located in Wrigleyville, a Chicago neighborhood that we only visit during baseball season and most of the Wrigelyville restaurants that we visit fit the whole rowdy, fun baseball scene.

So 3 days after the 2011 blizzard of Chicago, we ventured to Raw Bar which specializes in seafood and Persian and Mediterranean Cuisine. (And honestly, hats off to the Chicago Street department, because you never would have know there was a blizzard just a few days before! The streets and sidewalks were clean and the only reminder of the blizzard were the plentiful signs that sat on the sidewalks of the downtown saying "beware of falling ice".) Upon entering Raw Bar, I was honestly expecting a sports bar and was surprised by everything that followed including the art deco decor.

We started our dinner with a champagne martini for me and a pomegranate martini for my husband. The bread was served with parmesan cheese and Egyptian oil, which had a very distinct taste and was somewhat bitter but still full of flavor. For tapas, I ordered the little top necks steamers which had a wine au jus with garlic and scallions and my husband order the crayfish soup--which was so delicious I ended up ordering one for myself! He ordered the homemade cheese raviolis also. For dinner my husband had the jumbo charcoal shrimp with pistachios, pomegranate and cranberry and saffron rice. I had the special "sea fiesta" which was angel hair pasta with calamari, clams, mussels, squid and shrimp. They were very generous in their seafood and portions! Each plate that we were served was seasoned perfectly without compromising the dish--which is very difficult to achieve!

This restaurant also serves frogs legs, alligator, and ostrich for the more adventurous diner!

MY TIP: There is a ice skating rink right next to Wrigley Field--how fun! These is one of 10 rinks around Chicago.

Wine Not?

When we walked into our hotel in Chicago I noticed there was a wine tasting event in the atrium. When I asked the bellhop about it, he told me it was not open to the public. It was a gathering of wine makers (mainly from France, Italy and Spain) who were trying to convince the American distributors to purchase their wine, some going for as much as $500 a bottle! Although I joked with some of the distributors about their "fun job", they told me that in one day they "swished and spit" at least 50 wines and "had" to do it a second day! They did not seems as terribly excited about their job as me!

So in the atrium later that evening, enjoying a drink with my family and joking with our server about all the wine, she brought us a bottle of wine to sample, then another, then another, then a box to put it in(!) and then another and another! And if that was not enough she brought a wonderful cheese plate and later desserts! All compliments of our new foreign friends!...and no we could not drink all that wine but took it home to enjoy at another time!

Sweet Sixteen

Our beautiful niece just celebrated her sweet sixteen birthday to much fanfare! She was driven around Chicago in a 22 passenger stretch Hummer limousine. If that was not enough, a Cinderella horse drawn carriage awaited her to take her around the grounds of the Ritz where she had her sweet sixteen celebration. Among family and friends she was greeted by a photographer to capture all the important moments. The ballroom was fitting for a princess as it was decorated with beautiful 3 foot tall centerpieces and chairs draped in teal and yellow bows to reflect her color scheme along with a beautiful 4 tier cake. We enjoyed passed appetizers and a wonderful sit down dinner. Before her grand entrance we enjoyed the antics of a Michael Jackson impersonator. Melissa made her grand entrance on a chair lifted by 4 strong young men. She then proceeded to dance to a wonderfully choreograph dance with the 4 young men. She than left the dance floor to return in native Columbia guard to dance to another choreographed candle dance with another young woman. The night was filled with excitement and salsa dancing! The only thing missing from the event was MTV!

Wildfire

While in Chicago for the weekend, we met up with my husband's college roommate and his wife for dinner. I love when my husband and his friend get together because they are hysterical. My husband has a great sense of humor and so does his old roomie, so the time together is always guaranteed to be fun!

They suggested that we eat at Wildfire which is a 1940's style steakhouse. It has been voted Chicago's favorite restaurant 3 years in a row! We had late reservations and the place was bustling! I usually order seafood when I go out but since Wildfire is known for it's steaks, I ordered the Chef's Trio. It was three filet Mignon steaks with a choice of toppings. I chose blue cheese and panko, mushrooms and panko and a Bearnaise sauce with a side of au gratin potatoes. The steak was cooked to perfection and the trio was a great way to sample some of their famous toppings. My husband had the halibut with a side of creamed spinach. His halibut was moist and tasty. I am not a big fan of spinach and never had creamed spinach before but even it was delicious! It was easy to see why this restaurant was voted a favorite 3 years in a row!

Go Black Hawks!

Chicago was bursting with excitement over the Black Hawks winning the Stanley Cup! A sea of red and black was seen everywhere as over 2 million fans swarmed the downtown! Even the lions guarding the Art Institute decide to take a day off and join the celebration! The crowds were so thick, it reminded me of Saint Patrick's day in Chicago! The excitement and confetti was everywhere! It even spilled over into the Chicago Blues festival that was held in Grant Park.

Chicago's Chinatown

The Nine Dragon Wall





Chinatown Square Zodiacs


Cheerful...YES!!







The City of Chicago has over 22 different and diverse neighborhoods. Each unique and worth exploring. Chinatown, is an easy destination if you are staying in the downtown. All you need to do is hop on the Red Line and get off at the Chinatown stop-it couldn't be simpler! After you exit from the El you can see the gateway to Chinatown, so no need to worry about getting lost!

Once there sample authentic Chinese food, enjoy traditional Chinese moon cookies, inexpensive smoothies, and don't forget to visit the Chinatown Square. There are 12 statues, one for every animal in the Chinese Zodiac calendar. Read the descriptions on the statue and see if it describes you!

MY TIP: You can also take the water taxi which will drop you off in Chinatown, another fun way to travel in the City!

Chicago Botanical Gardens

The plan was to go to the Planetarium, but when we woke to beautiful, sunny, spring-like Chicago weather my husband suggested we visit the Botanical Gardens instead. There are over 385 acres with 24 different specialty garden areas, 15 acres of prairie,100 acres of woods and 8 lagoons. Although in late March, much of the gardens and flowers were dormant (with the exception of the greenhouse), but it was still a showcase of natural beauty! We loved strolling through the winding paths and exploring the different gardens. As beautiful as it was in it's dormant early spring season, we will definitely return when it is in it's full bloom!

Reel Club

We just returned from Chicago. We stayed in Oakbrook, one of it's suburbs. My husband did some research on restaurants and came up with 2 that he wanted to try. We decided on the Reel Club, which specializes in seafood.

The decor was very classic bistro. We sat in one of the half circle banquets surrounding the perimeter of the restaurant--cozy and romantic! The service was outstanding and the food even better! I can't remember the last time we ate out and my husband said "this is really good", in fact he said it at least 4 times! He had clam chowder, whitefish with an espresso BBQ sauce perfectly baked on a cedar plank served with an apple watercress salad. I had their seafood gumbo and a spicy linguine dish with lobster, shrimp and fresh crab meat. I am glad that the server asked if I wanted it a little or a lot spicy, as I choose a little and it was the perfect amount of heat!

The Shedd

While in Chicago,we revisited the Shedd Aquarium, which is the world's largest indoor aquarium. The Shedd has over 8,000 animals and over 650 different species. One of my favorite spots is the Caribbean reef, where you can watch a diver feed the animals! The Oceanarium is filled with beluga whales, sea otters, sea lions and dolphins is another don't miss! The curved ceiling to floor glass wall behind the Beluga Whale tank is a visual delight that makes you feel as if Lake Michigan itself is part of the room!!

The Shedd recently underwent a substantial renovation in 2009 and is definitely worth the visit or revisit. It was quite impressive, but I left wondering..... Isn't it ironic to have fish on the menu in their restaurants?

Snow Days!

Snow Days Chicago 2010

Who doesn't like snow days??? When my children were little I think I liked them even more than they did--it meant a day off of work for me and a full day with them! I would bundle them up to go outside. I think I spent more time bundling them then what they actually spent in the snow and then I would unravel them so they could enjoy a toasty cup of hot chocolate. When the snow would reach 3 feet, I would tell them that this is "REAL" snow--like the kind I grew up with in Buffalo. They would always laugh. Then my stories of the blizzard would come out!!

But the girls are older now, and still love snow, so we bundled up and headed to Chicago to enjoy a weekend in the city. Chicago's Snow Days, now in it's second year is a winter festival held in Grant Park. It features an international competition of teams who transform piles of snow into beautiful, artistic creations.

To keep warm this winter, try this recipe!

Hot Chocolate:

2 cups whole milk
Cook over a medium heat, do not boil.
Grated milk chocolate (for children) or bittersweet (for adults) to taste
Add marshmallows (optional)
Serves 2