Thursday, December 27, 2018
#26 - Visit 52 New Buildings in Chicago (Fail)
I'm sure those of you who are taking the time to read this think this is a strange item to add. However, every time I enter a cool space in Chicago, I think, "Wow. This city has limitless amazing spaces." So I made it a list item to see them. Not all of the following are amazing. But some really are.
However, this was a really tough list item to track. I remembered at the start of the year but slowly forgot this was one of my list items. So it's possible I hit it and just don't remember other buildings I visited! And part of the point was to take pictures to show the range, and I definitely didn't do that. Oh well!
1 - 2412 N. Milwaukee
1/9/18, with Stephanie Souvenir and Denisse Ocasio
This building spans a few addresses and houses several businesses. I walk by it weekly on my way to host trivia. It's not what I had in mind when I wrote this item, but I'm counting all of the buildings. This building houses both The Pink Squirrel and Deadbolt, which I wrote about in my post about going to 12 new bars. It's a pretty basic one-story business, but the spaces within it are really different and well designed.
2 - 5625 N. Broadway
1/13/18
Again, not the space I was imagining when I went to Northside Toyota to get my oil changed. Their garage is a huge indoor space. It was a frigid day, and even though the two garage doors were constantly opening, heaters were coordinated to blast just the right amount of heat to keep it comfortable. I couldn't believe how many cars they fit in such a tight space. There was constant movement. And so much light from above. Really quite a lovely space that I wouldn't have otherwise noticed.
n I came up with this list item, but the first where I was aware of being in a new space. It was actually quite fascinating once I took notice.
3 - 1100 W. Bryn Mawr
1/13/18
While waiting for my oil to get changed, I ran down the street to get some food. Nookies Edgewater was right there, so I gave it a try. This space is way different than Nookies Too. It has a more modern, upscale vibe, though the service felt more like a slow-paced diner. Lots cooler spaces out there, but big enough that it didn't feel overwhelmingly busy and rushed.
4 - 5050 N. Sheridan
1/15/18
I tried out Crossfit at Primary Crossfit. A big, open, Crossfitty-type space.
5 - 2524 N. Orchard St.
1/16/18
I was assigned to observe my class at St. Clement's School in Lincoln Park. It was exactly what you'd think: an old, urban, Catholic school. But with a gym with a TON of sweet equipment.
6 - 2607 W. 17th St
1/16/18
I went to a fundraiser at Lagunitas Chicago for 826 Chicago. What a really cool space. I've been to a lot of breweries, but this. was. huge. It's playfully painted all the way through. When you walk in, you're greeted by a host and a loooonnnggg underwatery hallway with the chimes from the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory song. There are a few event spaces. We were in the bar area, on the third floor, but the third floor hallway windows overlook another space, a huge, purple game room where another event was taking place. The bar looked like a cozy bar, except the windows overlook the warehouse floor and all the brewing space. It's like being in a bar in a treehouse above a sea of beer. Then, there are catwalks all the way through the warehouse space where you can wander and watch people checking the giant casks, packing things, fixing things... Really a brewery wonderland. This is the kind of new space I had in mind when I made this list item. So glad I now know of yet another amazing place to visit and take visitors here in Chicago.
7 - 1102 W. Webster
1/25/18 with Nicole Garton and John Washo
We deviated from our usual happy hour spots this week, including a stop at Local Option with Nicole & John. It's definitely a bit craft beer, dark references (lots of 666s around the bar) pretentious but also great beer options. The server asked me what kind of beer I like, and I said whiskey, and he said they only had Maker's Mark and Jameson. So apparently they're not whiskey snobby. Or they're so whiskey snobby that that's what the owner likes so that's all there is. Either way, I made do.
8 - 2728 W. Armitage
1/30/18 with Drea Stoit
Chicago Restaurant Week at Table, Donkey, Stick with Drea Stoit! Detailed here.
9 - 1800 N. Lincoln
2/13/18 with Nicole Garton and Stephanie Souvenir
Another 2 Bar Tuesday in the books! Laura Masters made the suggestions but couldn't make it to join us. The happy hour drink specials here are decent $5 bubbles and drafts. The food looked interesting but was a little more than I was looking to spend. The space was very modern and clean. Lots of lines and low, almost 70's style decor. I really liked one wall that had keys hung on it like an old timey hotel. I would definitely go back for the ambiance.
10 - 1612 N. Sedgewick
2/13/18 with Nicole Garton
Second stop for 2 Bar Tuesday with just Nicole. The bar itself was my kind of bar. A little divey but still interesting. I think it's a rugby bar, which could be good or bad. Not an impressive space but a bar I'd like to return to.
11 - 2357 N. Milwaukee
2/15/18 with Laura Masters and Beth Jager
Always gotta grab one more week when out with Laura Masters!
12 - 401 N. Morgan
2/23/18 with Laura Masters, Megan Morrison, Missy Liebs, and others
Tickled Pink Gala!
13 - 4229 N. Lincoln
3/13/18 with Leanne Surmin and Drea Stoit
Oops. Misplanned 2 Bar Tuesday but wound up in a new place!
14 - 737 W. Wrightwood
4/23/18 with Norris Narsa, Angela Howard, Edric Cruz, Jessica Ornelas, and Ahmed Atia
What a cool little event space for such a bittersweet event: Wishing Norris and Angela best wishes on their journey to life on the west coast. I miss them dearly!
15 - 108 N. Green
4/2/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Theresa Chen, and others
A night out watching the NCAA Men's Basketball final.
16 - 113-125 N. Green
4/2/18 with Laura Masters and Alan Lee
A pop over to Fox Bar after a tough Michigan loss. What a cool space. Really beautiful and pockets that vary in look, from bright and spacious to small and cozy.
17 - 1851 W. Addison
4/10/18 with Missy Liebs and Holly Zann
I love this bar.
18 - 1055 W. Argyle
4/19/18
Pho. Yum.
19 - 1604 W. Chicago
4/22/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Missy Liebs, Megan Voss, Megan Daly, Stephanie Loring, Brandon Loring, Scott Jensen
Brunchin' at Beatnik with some of my favs!
20 - 724 W. Wrightwood
4/27/18 with Nicole Garton
We stopped at Burwood Tap on a walk further north just to see what it was like. It was a bigger space than I thought. It had a combo cabin-dive bar vibe, which I dug.
21 - 2728 N. Milwaukee
4/27/18 with Nicole Garton and Stephanie Punda
When transitioning from happy hour into a night out, it's always best to stop for dinner! We stopped at Renaldi's After Dark this week. It was fine. Actually I really liked the space. We went to the bar side, which is dark and small but has a large bar in the middle with stools circling. Then, upstairs, there's a little lounge that they've decorated interestingly with space for live music. I dug the space. Not the pizza.
22 - 1901 N. Clybourn
5/16/18 on recommendation from Leanne Surmin
My first trip to the chiropractor. I love this space. If I had an office not on a campus, I'd love to be a redesigned, old Chicago building with old hardwood floors and bare, brick walls. Such a pretty space.
23 - 150 N. Dearborn
5/17/18
Petterino's for a DePaul School for New Learning alumni night
24 - 3166 N. Clark
5/26/18 with Nicole Garton, Stephanie Punda, Leanne Surmin, Stephanie Souvenir, and John Washo
Wing Woman Night lunch at Ceaser's Killer Margaritas
25 - 815 W. Van Buren
6/7/18 with Matt Specht, Dave Merrill, Christian Kopp, Stephanie Souvenir, Nicole Garton, Stephanie Punda, Maureen McGonagle, Gale Stewart, Scott Vandermoon
25 - 320 N. Morgan
6/19/18 with Justin Phillips, John Washo, Leanne Surmin, Maureen McGonagle, Gale Stewart, Sarah Hardin, Scott Vandermoon, Rees Grant, Stephanie Souvenir, Stephanie Punda, Courtney Griffin, Nicole Garton
Such a cool trip to the Chicago Google Headquarters. I LOVED the local graffiti-type art. Gorgeous. Just a really cool space.
26 - 1200 W. Randolph
6/19/18 with Robin Heggum
We saw Roxane Gay!
27 - Unsure
6/19/18 with all the folks listed above at Google.
We had part of our summer retreat the Brailsford and Dunlavey offices in Chicago. The conference room was small, but the views were incredible.
28 - 1307 S. Wabash
6/24/18 with Laura Masters, Nicole Garton, and Jerry Munk
We had dinner at Lobo Rey.
29 - 1454 S. Michigan
6/23/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Eileen, Nicole Garton, and Jerry Munk
After dinner, we had a stop at Vice District Taproom in the South Loop. We played Taboo. I enjoyed the space in that it was a comfortable place to hang out and there were chalkboards everywhere. I wish they had fresh pieces of chalk for easier writing, but I enjoy a place that lets its guests leave their mark.
30 - 5358 N. Clark
7/8/18 with Ryan Groth
So happy to have a little Sunday Funday with my SD buddy Ryan. We hit up a few spots I knew but then also stopped in Replay in Andersonville to take advantage of the open windows on a gorgeous day. We did not take advantage of the free game play but maybe next time!
31 - 12 S. Michigan
7/15/18 with Grace Bagunu
We popped up to Cindy's in the Chicago Athletic Club. The inside was cool but I was expecting a bit more from the "rooftop" everyone raves about. It's just a balcony, though granted, a balcony with a beautiful view.
32 - 212 N. Green
8/3/18 with Nicole Green
A stop at the new Ballast Point location that I had no idea existed until Nicole came to town with some beer-knowledgeable friends. I don't really drink beer anymore but I had a taster or two in honor of my former San Diego life where I did drink beer.
33 - Unsure
8/22/18 with Rebeca Matus and friends
I was in a church somewhere on Ashland(?) for Rebeca's wedding. I can't seem to find the exact location. It was the only church I was in all year, and it was incredibly beautiful.
34 - 820 W. Lake St
9/1/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Megan Daly, Beth Jager, Missy Liebs, and Scott Jensen
I hit up Momotaro for Masters' birthday with some delightful company. What a gorgeous space. We were seated upstairs where we could look through the glass wall to the staircase and down at the bar. I didn't take any photos but I should have! The dinner details are here.
35 - 3123 N. Clybourn
sometime in September with JJ
A trip to the emergency vet with JJ: she's fine.
36 - 1136 W. Lawrence
11/9/18
A fun night out with Souvenir!
37 - 1550 N. Fremont
12/1/18
I got to meet Stephanie Izard in a Williams Sonoma that looks way bigger on the inside than the outside!
38 - 2936 N. Southport
I went to a show with Michael Bigelow at The Athenaem. The space itself was not as nice and as I thought. I wish it had the old theater specialness, but it just seems like a run-down theater.
39 - 108 N. State St.
12/6/18 with Laura Masters, Missy Liebs, Megan Morrison, and Carrie Kalita
 |
| Outside of The Pink Squirrel & Deadbolt |
1 - 2412 N. Milwaukee
1/9/18, with Stephanie Souvenir and Denisse Ocasio
This building spans a few addresses and houses several businesses. I walk by it weekly on my way to host trivia. It's not what I had in mind when I wrote this item, but I'm counting all of the buildings. This building houses both The Pink Squirrel and Deadbolt, which I wrote about in my post about going to 12 new bars. It's a pretty basic one-story business, but the spaces within it are really different and well designed.
2 - 5625 N. Broadway1/13/18
Again, not the space I was imagining when I went to Northside Toyota to get my oil changed. Their garage is a huge indoor space. It was a frigid day, and even though the two garage doors were constantly opening, heaters were coordinated to blast just the right amount of heat to keep it comfortable. I couldn't believe how many cars they fit in such a tight space. There was constant movement. And so much light from above. Really quite a lovely space that I wouldn't have otherwise noticed.
n I came up with this list item, but the first where I was aware of being in a new space. It was actually quite fascinating once I took notice.
3 - 1100 W. Bryn Mawr
1/13/18
While waiting for my oil to get changed, I ran down the street to get some food. Nookies Edgewater was right there, so I gave it a try. This space is way different than Nookies Too. It has a more modern, upscale vibe, though the service felt more like a slow-paced diner. Lots cooler spaces out there, but big enough that it didn't feel overwhelmingly busy and rushed.
4 - 5050 N. Sheridan
1/15/18
I tried out Crossfit at Primary Crossfit. A big, open, Crossfitty-type space.
5 - 2524 N. Orchard St.
1/16/18
I was assigned to observe my class at St. Clement's School in Lincoln Park. It was exactly what you'd think: an old, urban, Catholic school. But with a gym with a TON of sweet equipment.
6 - 2607 W. 17th St
1/16/18
I went to a fundraiser at Lagunitas Chicago for 826 Chicago. What a really cool space. I've been to a lot of breweries, but this. was. huge. It's playfully painted all the way through. When you walk in, you're greeted by a host and a loooonnnggg underwatery hallway with the chimes from the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory song. There are a few event spaces. We were in the bar area, on the third floor, but the third floor hallway windows overlook another space, a huge, purple game room where another event was taking place. The bar looked like a cozy bar, except the windows overlook the warehouse floor and all the brewing space. It's like being in a bar in a treehouse above a sea of beer. Then, there are catwalks all the way through the warehouse space where you can wander and watch people checking the giant casks, packing things, fixing things... Really a brewery wonderland. This is the kind of new space I had in mind when I made this list item. So glad I now know of yet another amazing place to visit and take visitors here in Chicago.
7 - 1102 W. Webster
1/25/18 with Nicole Garton and John Washo
We deviated from our usual happy hour spots this week, including a stop at Local Option with Nicole & John. It's definitely a bit craft beer, dark references (lots of 666s around the bar) pretentious but also great beer options. The server asked me what kind of beer I like, and I said whiskey, and he said they only had Maker's Mark and Jameson. So apparently they're not whiskey snobby. Or they're so whiskey snobby that that's what the owner likes so that's all there is. Either way, I made do.
8 - 2728 W. Armitage
1/30/18 with Drea Stoit
Chicago Restaurant Week at Table, Donkey, Stick with Drea Stoit! Detailed here.
9 - 1800 N. Lincoln
2/13/18 with Nicole Garton and Stephanie Souvenir
Another 2 Bar Tuesday in the books! Laura Masters made the suggestions but couldn't make it to join us. The happy hour drink specials here are decent $5 bubbles and drafts. The food looked interesting but was a little more than I was looking to spend. The space was very modern and clean. Lots of lines and low, almost 70's style decor. I really liked one wall that had keys hung on it like an old timey hotel. I would definitely go back for the ambiance.
10 - 1612 N. Sedgewick
2/13/18 with Nicole Garton
Second stop for 2 Bar Tuesday with just Nicole. The bar itself was my kind of bar. A little divey but still interesting. I think it's a rugby bar, which could be good or bad. Not an impressive space but a bar I'd like to return to.
11 - 2357 N. Milwaukee
2/15/18 with Laura Masters and Beth Jager
Always gotta grab one more week when out with Laura Masters!
12 - 401 N. Morgan
2/23/18 with Laura Masters, Megan Morrison, Missy Liebs, and others
Tickled Pink Gala!
13 - 4229 N. Lincoln
3/13/18 with Leanne Surmin and Drea StoitOops. Misplanned 2 Bar Tuesday but wound up in a new place!
14 - 737 W. Wrightwood
4/23/18 with Norris Narsa, Angela Howard, Edric Cruz, Jessica Ornelas, and Ahmed Atia
What a cool little event space for such a bittersweet event: Wishing Norris and Angela best wishes on their journey to life on the west coast. I miss them dearly!
15 - 108 N. Green
4/2/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Theresa Chen, and others
A night out watching the NCAA Men's Basketball final.
16 - 113-125 N. Green
4/2/18 with Laura Masters and Alan Lee
A pop over to Fox Bar after a tough Michigan loss. What a cool space. Really beautiful and pockets that vary in look, from bright and spacious to small and cozy.
17 - 1851 W. Addison
4/10/18 with Missy Liebs and Holly Zann
I love this bar.
18 - 1055 W. Argyle
4/19/18
Pho. Yum.
19 - 1604 W. Chicago
4/22/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Missy Liebs, Megan Voss, Megan Daly, Stephanie Loring, Brandon Loring, Scott Jensen
Brunchin' at Beatnik with some of my favs!
20 - 724 W. Wrightwood
4/27/18 with Nicole Garton
We stopped at Burwood Tap on a walk further north just to see what it was like. It was a bigger space than I thought. It had a combo cabin-dive bar vibe, which I dug.
21 - 2728 N. Milwaukee
4/27/18 with Nicole Garton and Stephanie Punda
When transitioning from happy hour into a night out, it's always best to stop for dinner! We stopped at Renaldi's After Dark this week. It was fine. Actually I really liked the space. We went to the bar side, which is dark and small but has a large bar in the middle with stools circling. Then, upstairs, there's a little lounge that they've decorated interestingly with space for live music. I dug the space. Not the pizza.
22 - 1901 N. Clybourn
5/16/18 on recommendation from Leanne Surmin
My first trip to the chiropractor. I love this space. If I had an office not on a campus, I'd love to be a redesigned, old Chicago building with old hardwood floors and bare, brick walls. Such a pretty space.
23 - 150 N. Dearborn
5/17/18
Petterino's for a DePaul School for New Learning alumni night
24 - 3166 N. Clark
5/26/18 with Nicole Garton, Stephanie Punda, Leanne Surmin, Stephanie Souvenir, and John Washo
Wing Woman Night lunch at Ceaser's Killer Margaritas
25 - 815 W. Van Buren
6/7/18 with Matt Specht, Dave Merrill, Christian Kopp, Stephanie Souvenir, Nicole Garton, Stephanie Punda, Maureen McGonagle, Gale Stewart, Scott Vandermoon
 |
| Loved the Google Chicago spaces |
6/19/18 with Justin Phillips, John Washo, Leanne Surmin, Maureen McGonagle, Gale Stewart, Sarah Hardin, Scott Vandermoon, Rees Grant, Stephanie Souvenir, Stephanie Punda, Courtney Griffin, Nicole Garton
Such a cool trip to the Chicago Google Headquarters. I LOVED the local graffiti-type art. Gorgeous. Just a really cool space.
6/19/18 with Robin Heggum
We saw Roxane Gay!
27 - Unsure6/19/18 with all the folks listed above at Google.
We had part of our summer retreat the Brailsford and Dunlavey offices in Chicago. The conference room was small, but the views were incredible.
28 - 1307 S. Wabash
6/24/18 with Laura Masters, Nicole Garton, and Jerry Munk
We had dinner at Lobo Rey.
29 - 1454 S. Michigan
6/23/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Eileen, Nicole Garton, and Jerry Munk
After dinner, we had a stop at Vice District Taproom in the South Loop. We played Taboo. I enjoyed the space in that it was a comfortable place to hang out and there were chalkboards everywhere. I wish they had fresh pieces of chalk for easier writing, but I enjoy a place that lets its guests leave their mark.
30 - 5358 N. Clark7/8/18 with Ryan Groth
So happy to have a little Sunday Funday with my SD buddy Ryan. We hit up a few spots I knew but then also stopped in Replay in Andersonville to take advantage of the open windows on a gorgeous day. We did not take advantage of the free game play but maybe next time!
31 - 12 S. Michigan
7/15/18 with Grace Bagunu
We popped up to Cindy's in the Chicago Athletic Club. The inside was cool but I was expecting a bit more from the "rooftop" everyone raves about. It's just a balcony, though granted, a balcony with a beautiful view.
32 - 212 N. Green
8/3/18 with Nicole Green
A stop at the new Ballast Point location that I had no idea existed until Nicole came to town with some beer-knowledgeable friends. I don't really drink beer anymore but I had a taster or two in honor of my former San Diego life where I did drink beer.
33 - Unsure8/22/18 with Rebeca Matus and friends
I was in a church somewhere on Ashland(?) for Rebeca's wedding. I can't seem to find the exact location. It was the only church I was in all year, and it was incredibly beautiful.
34 - 820 W. Lake St
9/1/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Megan Daly, Beth Jager, Missy Liebs, and Scott Jensen
I hit up Momotaro for Masters' birthday with some delightful company. What a gorgeous space. We were seated upstairs where we could look through the glass wall to the staircase and down at the bar. I didn't take any photos but I should have! The dinner details are here.
35 - 3123 N. Clybourn
sometime in September with JJ
A trip to the emergency vet with JJ: she's fine.
36 - 1136 W. Lawrence11/9/18
A fun night out with Souvenir!
37 - 1550 N. Fremont
12/1/18
I got to meet Stephanie Izard in a Williams Sonoma that looks way bigger on the inside than the outside!
38 - 2936 N. Southport
I went to a show with Michael Bigelow at The Athenaem. The space itself was not as nice and as I thought. I wish it had the old theater specialness, but it just seems like a run-down theater.
39 - 108 N. State St.
12/6/18 with Laura Masters, Missy Liebs, Megan Morrison, and Carrie Kalita
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
#24 - Try 12 New Restaurants in Chicago (Fail)
1 - Nookies Edgewater
1/13/18
I rarely go out for breakfast, but I like that I started this item in January with a start-of-the-day meal. I was at Northside Toyota getting my oil change, and it was going to be a bit, so I went down the street to grab some food. I've been to the one of the other locations, Nookies Too, mostly after many drinks in my 20's. This Nookies location is a bit more like a restaurant than the others. I had the corned beef hash and some ice tea. Both were enjoyable but nothing to go back for. I did like the option of tomatoes as a side. Still, a nice treat to have a meal out!
2 - Table, Donkey, Stick
1/30/18 with Drea Stoit
One of the best events in Chicago is Restaurant Week. People who have never lived here often do not know how flipping phenomenal the food is in this city. I mean, it's consistently rated as one of the very best foodie cities in the world. We even have Alinea, which I will never be able to afford to go to. Hell, I can't afford many of the top-notch restaurants in Chicago... except during Restaurant Week. I've had some very memorable meals. This year, Drea and I went to Table, Donkey, Stick. I liked it fine. But I also did a bad job making choices.
For my first course, I had the duck liver mousse. That was fantastic. Really smooth and flavorful.
For my second course, I had some kind of chic pea salad kind of thing. I didn't really get it, but it was fresh and filling.
For my third course, I ordered the pork shoulder. That was my mistake and completely my fault. When Drea was deciding what to order, she asked the server about the pork shoulder. The server said it was really good and described it as tasting more hammy than you might think. Well, I hate ham. Always have. So I asked her to clarify. Because I like prosciutto and many things ham-adjacent, but I do not like ham. She said she thought I'd probably still like it then. I didn't. It was so hammy. Like, not so hammy that I didn't eat it. I did. But the whole time I was thinking, yeah, this tastes a lot like ham. And I don't like ham. So that's my bad.
Their wine list was short but the server was super knowledgeable, so I was very happy with my wine. And when I'm happy with the wine and 2 of the 3 courses, hey, that's a good meal.
Plus, it was nice to catch up with Drea as we've only seen each other in busy groups since I've been back. It was a lovely choice for Restaurant Week!
I took no pictures of my food.
3 - Maggiano's
1/23/18 with Maureen McGonagle, Gale Stewart, John Washo, Scott Vandermoon, Nicole Garton, Leanne Surmin, Stephanie Punda, Sabrina Wilson, Shaun Cooley
I've been hearing about Maggiano's for over a year now. Apparently it's Moe's favorite restaurant and we lunch there regularly during work retreats. But I'd never been.
It was definitely much fancier than I was expecting. I had the chicken piccate. Um... yum. I probably could have done the lower-cal version of something as it was quite buttery, but for the bites where I could forget about the guilt.... delicious.
Plus, we spent the whole meal talking about cats and I didn't have to drop a dime. Delightful.
4 - Hei Yen
4/19/18
Thanks to a promotion with Heartful Editor, I was able to quit my regular gig hosting trivia with Whaddayaknow. Honestly, I flippin love hosting trivia and working for Whaddayaknow, and the only reason I stepped down was because the hours are just too rough on me. Since gigs don't start until 7/7:30pm and I finish my full-time job around 5:00pm, I just always felt like I was wasting those in-between hours and those extra 2 hours felt more like 4-5 hours, which makes for a very, very long day. However, if I can ever swap my schedule around, I will totally pick back up with trivia again (if Dan will have me).
Because I finally had my Thursday evenings free, I was able to check out Third Thursdays on Argyle. I'm not really sure if this is an ongoing thing or was just a trial run. It's supposed to be several businesses that have deals on the 3rd Thursday of every month. I decided to check out Hei Yen. I had some pho. It was good. I still like a few other places down the street better, but I will totally go back there to try other things, particularly as I heard a woman at another table raving about some dish they have that she can't find wherever she's from, so she comes back every time she's in town. I'm not sure I got the discount, but hey, new place, yay!
5 - Beatnik's
4/22/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Missy Liebs, Scott Jensen, Megan Daly, Megan Voss, etc.
Masters was back at it again with the organizing of fun events. She got us a reservation at Beatnik's, and there must have been 25 of us there. Yes, we were one of those annoying giant brunch groups. And we had nothing to celebrate except brunch together.
Masters and I split a bottle for mimosas and I had the smoked salmon toast. I tasted a few other things. The food was very good, but the portions were very small, so for the price, there are better brunch spots. But the ambiance, whoa. This place is gorgeous. So overdone to the point that it's perfection. I really, really enjoyed the space. And the company.
6 - City Winery
6/29/18 with Robin Heggum
7 - Lobo Rey
6/23/18 with Jerry Munk and Nicole Garton
Nicole, Jerry, and I headed down to the South Loop for a food truck fest and to meet Masters and the gang. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, the fest was at capacity and not letting anyone else in. But... we were also pretty far into our Sunday Funday, so we really needed some food. We met the gang at Lobo Rey and had some Mexican food that was decent but the service took forever. I'd consider going back and giving it another shot as the space was really cool and Masters and Alan rave about it, but I wasn't super impressed.
8 - Beatrix
7/22/18 with Tara Edberg
Tara was in town and we were able to grab dinner. Since she was staying downtown, I did a little Yelp search for something reasonably priced by high rated near Michigan Ave... yes, those places to exist! I found Beatrix, which had more ratings for brunch but also looked good for dinner. The vibe had more of a brunch/lunch spot because there's a coffee/pastry shop in the the entry way, but the seating area was nice and trendy.
I had some wine and the cheese ravioli. It wasn't as much food as I was hoping for, but everything was really good. And it's not that the portions were unreasonable, but without any decent side options, it was a weirdly small amount in just getting one dish, and it would have been weird to get two. There were some apps, but we weren't really in the mood for those.
So overall, it was fine.
9 - Momotaro
9/1/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Missy Liebs, Scott Jansen, and Megan Daly
We hit up Momotaro for Masters' birthday. The drinks and service were excellence. The big shocker for me is that the best thing I think we had was the friend rice. The sushi, salads, and soup were good, but the fried rice was a game changer.
10 - Roanoke
11/15/18 with Laura Masters and Beth Jager
Masters made us reservations for dinner before I went off to see Miss Saigon with work buddies. They had a prix fix menu for theater goers, so we jumped on that. I had a beet salad, huge, tasty steak with potatoes, and panna cotta ice cream. Super good.
11 - Pueblo
12/6/18 with Laura Masters, Missy Liebs, Megan Morrison, and Carrie Kalita
Pueblo is tucked in a mall that is tucked into a huge building on State Street. I had no idea there was even a mall there. None of us had ever been, so we went for dinner before going to see The Play That Goes Wrong. The service was slow and the food was overpriced--though in a touristy area, so that makes sense--but everything was tasty. I likely won't go back, but I wasn't disappointed.
I rarely go out for breakfast, but I like that I started this item in January with a start-of-the-day meal. I was at Northside Toyota getting my oil change, and it was going to be a bit, so I went down the street to grab some food. I've been to the one of the other locations, Nookies Too, mostly after many drinks in my 20's. This Nookies location is a bit more like a restaurant than the others. I had the corned beef hash and some ice tea. Both were enjoyable but nothing to go back for. I did like the option of tomatoes as a side. Still, a nice treat to have a meal out!
2 - Table, Donkey, Stick
1/30/18 with Drea Stoit
One of the best events in Chicago is Restaurant Week. People who have never lived here often do not know how flipping phenomenal the food is in this city. I mean, it's consistently rated as one of the very best foodie cities in the world. We even have Alinea, which I will never be able to afford to go to. Hell, I can't afford many of the top-notch restaurants in Chicago... except during Restaurant Week. I've had some very memorable meals. This year, Drea and I went to Table, Donkey, Stick. I liked it fine. But I also did a bad job making choices.
For my first course, I had the duck liver mousse. That was fantastic. Really smooth and flavorful.
For my second course, I had some kind of chic pea salad kind of thing. I didn't really get it, but it was fresh and filling.
For my third course, I ordered the pork shoulder. That was my mistake and completely my fault. When Drea was deciding what to order, she asked the server about the pork shoulder. The server said it was really good and described it as tasting more hammy than you might think. Well, I hate ham. Always have. So I asked her to clarify. Because I like prosciutto and many things ham-adjacent, but I do not like ham. She said she thought I'd probably still like it then. I didn't. It was so hammy. Like, not so hammy that I didn't eat it. I did. But the whole time I was thinking, yeah, this tastes a lot like ham. And I don't like ham. So that's my bad.
Their wine list was short but the server was super knowledgeable, so I was very happy with my wine. And when I'm happy with the wine and 2 of the 3 courses, hey, that's a good meal.
Plus, it was nice to catch up with Drea as we've only seen each other in busy groups since I've been back. It was a lovely choice for Restaurant Week!
I took no pictures of my food.
3 - Maggiano's
1/23/18 with Maureen McGonagle, Gale Stewart, John Washo, Scott Vandermoon, Nicole Garton, Leanne Surmin, Stephanie Punda, Sabrina Wilson, Shaun Cooley
I've been hearing about Maggiano's for over a year now. Apparently it's Moe's favorite restaurant and we lunch there regularly during work retreats. But I'd never been.
It was definitely much fancier than I was expecting. I had the chicken piccate. Um... yum. I probably could have done the lower-cal version of something as it was quite buttery, but for the bites where I could forget about the guilt.... delicious.
Plus, we spent the whole meal talking about cats and I didn't have to drop a dime. Delightful.
4 - Hei Yen
4/19/18
Thanks to a promotion with Heartful Editor, I was able to quit my regular gig hosting trivia with Whaddayaknow. Honestly, I flippin love hosting trivia and working for Whaddayaknow, and the only reason I stepped down was because the hours are just too rough on me. Since gigs don't start until 7/7:30pm and I finish my full-time job around 5:00pm, I just always felt like I was wasting those in-between hours and those extra 2 hours felt more like 4-5 hours, which makes for a very, very long day. However, if I can ever swap my schedule around, I will totally pick back up with trivia again (if Dan will have me).
Because I finally had my Thursday evenings free, I was able to check out Third Thursdays on Argyle. I'm not really sure if this is an ongoing thing or was just a trial run. It's supposed to be several businesses that have deals on the 3rd Thursday of every month. I decided to check out Hei Yen. I had some pho. It was good. I still like a few other places down the street better, but I will totally go back there to try other things, particularly as I heard a woman at another table raving about some dish they have that she can't find wherever she's from, so she comes back every time she's in town. I'm not sure I got the discount, but hey, new place, yay!
5 - Beatnik's
4/22/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Missy Liebs, Scott Jensen, Megan Daly, Megan Voss, etc.
Masters was back at it again with the organizing of fun events. She got us a reservation at Beatnik's, and there must have been 25 of us there. Yes, we were one of those annoying giant brunch groups. And we had nothing to celebrate except brunch together.
Masters and I split a bottle for mimosas and I had the smoked salmon toast. I tasted a few other things. The food was very good, but the portions were very small, so for the price, there are better brunch spots. But the ambiance, whoa. This place is gorgeous. So overdone to the point that it's perfection. I really, really enjoyed the space. And the company.
6 - City Winery
6/29/18 with Robin Heggum
7 - Lobo Rey
6/23/18 with Jerry Munk and Nicole Garton
Nicole, Jerry, and I headed down to the South Loop for a food truck fest and to meet Masters and the gang. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, the fest was at capacity and not letting anyone else in. But... we were also pretty far into our Sunday Funday, so we really needed some food. We met the gang at Lobo Rey and had some Mexican food that was decent but the service took forever. I'd consider going back and giving it another shot as the space was really cool and Masters and Alan rave about it, but I wasn't super impressed.
8 - Beatrix
7/22/18 with Tara Edberg
Tara was in town and we were able to grab dinner. Since she was staying downtown, I did a little Yelp search for something reasonably priced by high rated near Michigan Ave... yes, those places to exist! I found Beatrix, which had more ratings for brunch but also looked good for dinner. The vibe had more of a brunch/lunch spot because there's a coffee/pastry shop in the the entry way, but the seating area was nice and trendy.
I had some wine and the cheese ravioli. It wasn't as much food as I was hoping for, but everything was really good. And it's not that the portions were unreasonable, but without any decent side options, it was a weirdly small amount in just getting one dish, and it would have been weird to get two. There were some apps, but we weren't really in the mood for those.
So overall, it was fine.
9 - Momotaro
9/1/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Missy Liebs, Scott Jansen, and Megan Daly
We hit up Momotaro for Masters' birthday. The drinks and service were excellence. The big shocker for me is that the best thing I think we had was the friend rice. The sushi, salads, and soup were good, but the fried rice was a game changer.
10 - Roanoke
11/15/18 with Laura Masters and Beth Jager
Masters made us reservations for dinner before I went off to see Miss Saigon with work buddies. They had a prix fix menu for theater goers, so we jumped on that. I had a beet salad, huge, tasty steak with potatoes, and panna cotta ice cream. Super good.
11 - Pueblo
12/6/18 with Laura Masters, Missy Liebs, Megan Morrison, and Carrie Kalita
Pueblo is tucked in a mall that is tucked into a huge building on State Street. I had no idea there was even a mall there. None of us had ever been, so we went for dinner before going to see The Play That Goes Wrong. The service was slow and the food was overpriced--though in a touristy area, so that makes sense--but everything was tasty. I likely won't go back, but I wasn't disappointed.
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Thursday, December 20, 2018
#8 - Run 125 Miles (Fail)
 |
| A run on the Embarcadaro on a sunny San Diego Saturday morning. |
February: More treadmills, but one day, the weather broke in to the 40's, so I went for a run along the lake front. What a great decision. As I reached my turnaround point, I discovered the Montrose Dunes, a place I never knew existed despite all my runs and bike rides along the Lake Shore Path. I slowed to walk along the beach towards the dunes, and a guy was walking nearby. He called over, "Do you want to see a snowy owl?" He gestured towards the water where a small group of people were gathered. They were bird watchers, come to see an unusual sight: a snowy owl in Chicago. My phone is not good enough to take pictures so far, but one of the photographers let me look through his telescopic lens. Really, really beautiful and a happy coincidence on a beautiful day. It was really nice to get such a lovely reward on my run!
 |
| About a dozen people checking out a snowy owl. |
March: So many treadmills.April: Finally outside!
May:
June: Welp. I just learned that the nagging lower back pain I have is a herniated disc. And guess what aggravates it? Running. Eff. So I'm on a break.
November: I tried to resume running. It's not my back. It's my hip. So... running is still a no go. Not good for my emotional wellbeing :(
_______________________________________
So I'm wrapping up the year with just under 100 miles. But if it weren't for injuries, this definitely would have been done. I'll try again next year!
#19 - Try All of Ruhlman's 20 Techniques (Fail)
When I finished my PhD program, K Rob gifted me with the book Ruhlman's 20, which walks through 20 essential techniques for cooking and includes recipes to practice each one. I did 12 of the 20 last year. I managed to knock 5 more out this year. It's a little weird I can't quite seem to finish it up. Some of the techniques and recipes left are very doable. I think what's actually happened is that I've gotten so into cooking that I've been reading a variety of cooking sources and trying all kinds of things, inspired my my new skills gained from practicing with Ruhlman. I'm sure I'll finally knock these last three out next year!
Many thanks to my perpetual taste testers, Chris Zann, Holly Zann, Elizabeth Pearson, and Michael Bigelow! I'm so happy to have a gang that regularly gathers together to enjoy each other's company and cooking!
The ones from this year are in bold.
1. THINK
Last year. Game changer.
2. SALT
I did this one last year, and I still get requests for the raw zucchini salad and make it often.
I also made lemon confit, a type of preserved lemon peel. I don't quite get it. Either it rotted or I don't enjoy the taste or I'm using it wrong. I still don't know.
3. WATER
I made a meatloaf cooked in a water bath last year. This year I did a weeknight coq au vin. Like literally on a weeknight when I just happened to have (most of) the ingredients. It definitely wasn't as picture perfect as the book, but it was incredibly flavorful. I will definitely give this a go again. And so easy!
4. ONION
Maybe next year!
5. ACID
I made it for the first time last year, but I'm so stoked to have this pulled pork recipe in my repetoire. So easy to make, plenty to share, so flavorful.
6. EGG
Practiced only last year with a tart.
7. BUTTER
All these experiments were last year, but I have definitely not been shy about the butter lately.
8. DOUGH
Yum. Snickerdoodles, but also last year.
9. BATTER
10. SUGAR
11. SAUCE
I love the sauce chapter. I did some sauce last year and now I make versions of that sauce (including lots with butter) often.
12. VINAIGRETTE
Last year I made a light vinaigrette for a salad at the Zann's.
This year I did an endive with vinegrette. It was super easy, definitely not as pretty or easy to eat as in the book, but it was super tasty.
13. SOUP
I need to make more soup. I can't wait to try variations from the sweet bell pepper soup I did last year.
14. SAUTE
I generally grill or bake chicken breasts, but Ruhlman said to give sauteing a try, so I did. Whoa. So moist. (That's for you, Holly.) This recipe was sauteed chicken breasts with tarragon butter sauce, which called for the simple butter sauce described above, with tarragon. As we ate these, Zann declared, "It turns out I like tarragon." But really I think he might just like butter and the tarragon was inoffensive.
15. ROAST
I have always been comfortable roasting, but I am thankful to this book for stepping up my roasting game. I did my experimenting with roasting last year.
16. BRAISE
17. POACH
I tried a couple poaching recipes.
It wasn't in the book, but after reading about poaching I decided to give it ago with my own concoction. I was craving a version of lemon-pepper chicken, and I decided to mix that up with poaching. Instead of just water, I used homemade chicken stock, lemon, garlic, and pepper and poached a single chicken breast, just for my dinner. Poached chicken always looks so bland, but this was likely the best chicken breast I have ever cooked myself, possibly one of the best chicken breasts I've ever eaten. I'd say I still prefer grilled chicken, but this was way, way better than any baked or broiled chicken I've had. I'm stoked to have this new technique in my repetoire.
The next week, I tried Ruhlman's warm arugula sad with bacon and poached eggs. I had to fudge a bit as my local grocery store didn't have arugula. I got an arugula-spinach blend instead. I also missed the part where I was supposed to get thick bacon, not regular pre-packaged bacon. While I hope to try the full recipe someday, I'm proud that I can improvise so easily now. The salad was very hearty and tasty. I will definitely make it again.
Oh right, the poaching part! I love eggs and have always wanted to learn to poach them. Turns out, I should have just Googled it years ago. Ruhlman offers a similar technique to Serious Eats. I went for the Serious Eats technique because it seemed easier to just use a strainer than a perforated spoon. I did take his suggestion of using water that is not bubbling. I think I might try it with a simmer next time because it seemed like the whites weren't as pretty as I would have liked. But everything turned out great and I will be poaching eggs on the regular thanks to this book.
18. GRILL
My next living space definitely needs access to a grill. I used to grill regularly in San Diego (where grilling season is year round), and I miss being able to cook flavorful, healthy food quickly.
I feel a bit like I'm cheating at this one, but it's going to have to do for now. Most of the technique Ruhlman teaches about grilling is about open flame and direct and indirect heat. I don't currently have a grill and the Zann's have a gas grill, so the charcoal techniques he offers are wasted on me.
For one of our Sunday dinners, I was asked to do the main dish and then I just couldn't decide between the Rip's own marinade for steak and the basic white wine marinade for chicken. So I did both. With the cut of steak, I should have cooked it on lower heat for a bit longer, but the chicken, I nailed the chicken. Perfectly cooked and very flavorful. Both marinades were foolproof and delicious. I've already done a version of the Rip's own to make sloppy joe's with some ground beef I needed to use up. No, that has nothing to do with grilling, but I'm stoked that I'm starting to understand how to combine flavors enough that I can apply these recipes to whatever I happen to have in my fridge.
19. FRY
20. CHILL
I did my best to make my version of a tasty "dessert" (read: after-dinner thing that might have a hint of sweetness) for one of our Sunday night dinners. I tried making granita. Grapefruit granita, to be exact. It's a simple recipe: just grapefruit juice, sugar, and white wine. It takes some commitment as it requires stirring every 30 minutes to break up the ice crystals, but I figured I could do that. It's supposed to take about 2-2.5 hours. So I made it about 3 hours in advance. I stirred it after 30 minutes--still pretty liquidy. I stirred again after an hour--didn't look any different. Again after another 30 minutes--still no change... and this continued until I headed with my slush to dinner. I put it in the freezer there, where it stayed for probably another 2 hours. Still just liquid with a few ice crystals.
My dear friends the Zanns assured me it was okay and we spooned out some of the liquid. It was tart. Really tart. I dug it. But it certainly wasn't a dessert. I took it home and froze it fully. I truly liked it. I even mixed a little with some vodka for a vodka slushie. Very tasty. For me, at least!
Many thanks to my perpetual taste testers, Chris Zann, Holly Zann, Elizabeth Pearson, and Michael Bigelow! I'm so happy to have a gang that regularly gathers together to enjoy each other's company and cooking!
The ones from this year are in bold.
1. THINK
Last year. Game changer.
2. SALT
I did this one last year, and I still get requests for the raw zucchini salad and make it often.
I also made lemon confit, a type of preserved lemon peel. I don't quite get it. Either it rotted or I don't enjoy the taste or I'm using it wrong. I still don't know.
 |
| Coq au vin simmering |
 |
| The fanciest of chicken thighs |
4. ONION
Maybe next year!
5. ACID
I made it for the first time last year, but I'm so stoked to have this pulled pork recipe in my repetoire. So easy to make, plenty to share, so flavorful.
6. EGG
Practiced only last year with a tart.
7. BUTTER
All these experiments were last year, but I have definitely not been shy about the butter lately.
8. DOUGH
Yum. Snickerdoodles, but also last year.
9. BATTER
10. SUGAR
11. SAUCE
I love the sauce chapter. I did some sauce last year and now I make versions of that sauce (including lots with butter) often.12. VINAIGRETTE
Last year I made a light vinaigrette for a salad at the Zann's.
This year I did an endive with vinegrette. It was super easy, definitely not as pretty or easy to eat as in the book, but it was super tasty.
13. SOUP
I need to make more soup. I can't wait to try variations from the sweet bell pepper soup I did last year.
 |
| Sauteed chicken breasts with tarragon butter sauce |
I generally grill or bake chicken breasts, but Ruhlman said to give sauteing a try, so I did. Whoa. So moist. (That's for you, Holly.) This recipe was sauteed chicken breasts with tarragon butter sauce, which called for the simple butter sauce described above, with tarragon. As we ate these, Zann declared, "It turns out I like tarragon." But really I think he might just like butter and the tarragon was inoffensive.
15. ROAST
I have always been comfortable roasting, but I am thankful to this book for stepping up my roasting game. I did my experimenting with roasting last year.
16. BRAISE
17. POACH
I tried a couple poaching recipes.
It wasn't in the book, but after reading about poaching I decided to give it ago with my own concoction. I was craving a version of lemon-pepper chicken, and I decided to mix that up with poaching. Instead of just water, I used homemade chicken stock, lemon, garlic, and pepper and poached a single chicken breast, just for my dinner. Poached chicken always looks so bland, but this was likely the best chicken breast I have ever cooked myself, possibly one of the best chicken breasts I've ever eaten. I'd say I still prefer grilled chicken, but this was way, way better than any baked or broiled chicken I've had. I'm stoked to have this new technique in my repetoire.
The next week, I tried Ruhlman's warm arugula sad with bacon and poached eggs. I had to fudge a bit as my local grocery store didn't have arugula. I got an arugula-spinach blend instead. I also missed the part where I was supposed to get thick bacon, not regular pre-packaged bacon. While I hope to try the full recipe someday, I'm proud that I can improvise so easily now. The salad was very hearty and tasty. I will definitely make it again.Oh right, the poaching part! I love eggs and have always wanted to learn to poach them. Turns out, I should have just Googled it years ago. Ruhlman offers a similar technique to Serious Eats. I went for the Serious Eats technique because it seemed easier to just use a strainer than a perforated spoon. I did take his suggestion of using water that is not bubbling. I think I might try it with a simmer next time because it seemed like the whites weren't as pretty as I would have liked. But everything turned out great and I will be poaching eggs on the regular thanks to this book.
18. GRILL
My next living space definitely needs access to a grill. I used to grill regularly in San Diego (where grilling season is year round), and I miss being able to cook flavorful, healthy food quickly.
I feel a bit like I'm cheating at this one, but it's going to have to do for now. Most of the technique Ruhlman teaches about grilling is about open flame and direct and indirect heat. I don't currently have a grill and the Zann's have a gas grill, so the charcoal techniques he offers are wasted on me.
For one of our Sunday dinners, I was asked to do the main dish and then I just couldn't decide between the Rip's own marinade for steak and the basic white wine marinade for chicken. So I did both. With the cut of steak, I should have cooked it on lower heat for a bit longer, but the chicken, I nailed the chicken. Perfectly cooked and very flavorful. Both marinades were foolproof and delicious. I've already done a version of the Rip's own to make sloppy joe's with some ground beef I needed to use up. No, that has nothing to do with grilling, but I'm stoked that I'm starting to understand how to combine flavors enough that I can apply these recipes to whatever I happen to have in my fridge.
19. FRY
20. CHILL
I did my best to make my version of a tasty "dessert" (read: after-dinner thing that might have a hint of sweetness) for one of our Sunday night dinners. I tried making granita. Grapefruit granita, to be exact. It's a simple recipe: just grapefruit juice, sugar, and white wine. It takes some commitment as it requires stirring every 30 minutes to break up the ice crystals, but I figured I could do that. It's supposed to take about 2-2.5 hours. So I made it about 3 hours in advance. I stirred it after 30 minutes--still pretty liquidy. I stirred again after an hour--didn't look any different. Again after another 30 minutes--still no change... and this continued until I headed with my slush to dinner. I put it in the freezer there, where it stayed for probably another 2 hours. Still just liquid with a few ice crystals.
My dear friends the Zanns assured me it was okay and we spooned out some of the liquid. It was tart. Really tart. I dug it. But it certainly wasn't a dessert. I took it home and froze it fully. I truly liked it. I even mixed a little with some vodka for a vodka slushie. Very tasty. For me, at least!
#7 - Read War and Peace (Fail)
So... I never posted this amazing post last year. But I failed last year. I succeeded this year.
______________________________________________________________________________
Starting in October, my goal was to read at least 3 chapters a day. I met that goal many days and exceeded it on a few. I'm still only half way through.
______________________________________________________________________________
Starting in October, my goal was to read at least 3 chapters a day. I met that goal many days and exceeded it on a few. I'm still only half way through.
I'll attempt a more entertaining post when I actually finish... in 2020.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
#6 - Read 3 More Books From the Top 100 of the 20th Century List
#7 - Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
12/9/18
This was a reread. I'd read Catch-22 maybe 15 years ago. I remember being impressed by the cruel wittiness and ironies throughout. I was struck by the same again this time around. What struck me even more this time was that though this book is laced with genuinely funny scenes, situations, and characters, it does not pull punches when it comes to the realit
ies of the inevitable pains of war. The annoyances are actually annoying to read, the heartbreak visceral and sudden. And it's so full of toxic masculinity that I suspect Heller wrote misogyny purposefully, reflective of his wartime experiences and the extreme objectification of women of the time. But now that I'm reading another one of his books, I'm less sure how much self-awareness about the treatment of women in his books is present. Regardless, I'm glad I read this again and highly recommend it to anyone who has not yet.
#15 - To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
1/5/18
This book didn't make a huge impression on me. When I think of it, I think of a romantic yet melancholy feeling and brooding men and women, but it's tough to remember anything about the story except standing on the beach. I'm curious why this book didn't really strike me more than that.
Also, I find the cover on the version that is linked to be upsetting. I'm glad my copy is just an old timey hardcover.
#90 - Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
6/9/18
It took me a long time to finish this book, yet it was really, really good. It's incredible how Rushdie can write so complexly yet his poetic turns of plot are so clear. It's clear that Rushdie has continued to hone his craft since this first major novel, and I look forward to reading more of the work of this literary and political celebrity.
12/9/18
This was a reread. I'd read Catch-22 maybe 15 years ago. I remember being impressed by the cruel wittiness and ironies throughout. I was struck by the same again this time around. What struck me even more this time was that though this book is laced with genuinely funny scenes, situations, and characters, it does not pull punches when it comes to the realit
ies of the inevitable pains of war. The annoyances are actually annoying to read, the heartbreak visceral and sudden. And it's so full of toxic masculinity that I suspect Heller wrote misogyny purposefully, reflective of his wartime experiences and the extreme objectification of women of the time. But now that I'm reading another one of his books, I'm less sure how much self-awareness about the treatment of women in his books is present. Regardless, I'm glad I read this again and highly recommend it to anyone who has not yet.
#15 - To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
1/5/18
This book didn't make a huge impression on me. When I think of it, I think of a romantic yet melancholy feeling and brooding men and women, but it's tough to remember anything about the story except standing on the beach. I'm curious why this book didn't really strike me more than that.
Also, I find the cover on the version that is linked to be upsetting. I'm glad my copy is just an old timey hardcover.
#90 - Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
6/9/18
It took me a long time to finish this book, yet it was really, really good. It's incredible how Rushdie can write so complexly yet his poetic turns of plot are so clear. It's clear that Rushdie has continued to hone his craft since this first major novel, and I look forward to reading more of the work of this literary and political celebrity.
#7 - Read 36 Books (Fail)
Well, I know there's still time left, so this list might get slightly longer, but there's no way I'm reading 24 more books in the next 2 weeks, so here it is. (To be fair, I should probably get credit for at least 20 books for making it through War and Peace.)
I mean, dang, I took on some serious stuff this year. Maybe a little lighter next year!
1 - To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
1/5/18
*2 - The Tales of Beetle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
1/7/18, gifted to me by Rebeca Matus
*3 - The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien
I'm not sure
4 - The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo
4/14/18, gifted to me by Kevin Robitaille
5 - Little Fires Everywhere
4/29/18 (audiobook)
6 - Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
5/30/18 (audiobook)
7 - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
6/9/18, recommended by Maureen McGonagle and read with me by Alicia De La Pena
8 - Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
6/9/18
***9 - Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
7/1/18, gifted to me by Casey Jordan
10 - Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
7/28/18, given to me at the DePaul Campus Rec Elf Ceremony
11 - Babbit by Sinclair Lewis
10/30/18
*12 - Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
12/9/18, read for the second time
*Recommend
Saturday, December 15, 2018
#9 - Go to 50 Group Fitness Classes
1 - Primary Crossfit
1/15/18
It was also on my list to try Crossfit. So I figured I'd start this list item with that one. Since that one is a stand-alone list item, I'll leave the in-depth description for that post.
2 - Sound Healing
1/26/18
The DePaul Women's Network offers a wide variety of workshops on campus. When the one for Sound Healing came out, I was taken back to some emotional yoga classes that ended with the singing of crystal bowls. Yeah, it's super hippy/new age, and I'm into it. It's so helpful for me to take time in my day to check in with my body and mind, to notice what I'm feeling. A full hour of Sound Healing felt like exactly what I needed at the moment, three weeks into a busy quarter where I hadn't been still often. Unfortunately, the people coordinating the event didn't pass on yoga etiquette to the attendees, so one person came 35 minutes late and then negotiated with the instructor to stay while the rest of us were taken out of the moment. Then, during the sound bath at the end, it was apparent the person checking the second class in told them to wait outside the studio, so there were 15-20 women chatting loudly just outside the door. I tried to let the distraction go and be in the moment, but I just couldn't do it. I've been battling some anxiety where my thoughts race and I can't focus, and that moment felt like a metaphor for it: the chattering distracting me from being present in the things I wanted to do. But, overall, the instructor was delightful and I would totally go again if offered the opportunity.
3 - Yoga
1/29/18
I have 3 instructors at DePaul that I like so far. I've put their classes on my schedule with the intention to go twice a week. Here's a start!
4 - Yoga
3/12/18
5 - ?
?
6 - ?
?
7 - Yoga
4/12/18
8 - Yoga
4/19/18
9 - Yoga
4/23/18
10 - Yoga
6/1/18
1/15/18
It was also on my list to try Crossfit. So I figured I'd start this list item with that one. Since that one is a stand-alone list item, I'll leave the in-depth description for that post.
2 - Sound Healing
1/26/18
The DePaul Women's Network offers a wide variety of workshops on campus. When the one for Sound Healing came out, I was taken back to some emotional yoga classes that ended with the singing of crystal bowls. Yeah, it's super hippy/new age, and I'm into it. It's so helpful for me to take time in my day to check in with my body and mind, to notice what I'm feeling. A full hour of Sound Healing felt like exactly what I needed at the moment, three weeks into a busy quarter where I hadn't been still often. Unfortunately, the people coordinating the event didn't pass on yoga etiquette to the attendees, so one person came 35 minutes late and then negotiated with the instructor to stay while the rest of us were taken out of the moment. Then, during the sound bath at the end, it was apparent the person checking the second class in told them to wait outside the studio, so there were 15-20 women chatting loudly just outside the door. I tried to let the distraction go and be in the moment, but I just couldn't do it. I've been battling some anxiety where my thoughts race and I can't focus, and that moment felt like a metaphor for it: the chattering distracting me from being present in the things I wanted to do. But, overall, the instructor was delightful and I would totally go again if offered the opportunity.
3 - Yoga
1/29/18
I have 3 instructors at DePaul that I like so far. I've put their classes on my schedule with the intention to go twice a week. Here's a start!
4 - Yoga
3/12/18
5 - ?
?
6 - ?
?
7 - Yoga
4/12/18
8 - Yoga
4/19/18
9 - Yoga
4/23/18
10 - Yoga
6/1/18
#5 - Complete the 2018 Book Riot Reading Challenge (Fail)
Each year, Book Riot releases a challenge to read books that fit the description of 24 different tasks. I've seen my reader friends post about this year after year, and I decided to add it to my list this year. I didn't make it very far, and in fact, only met 3 of the challenges (listed below). In one of the challenges, I read 3 books that fit that description, but of course, I only got to cross one task off the list. I'm going to guess my biggest obstacle here was that I decided to read War and Peace, which did fit one of the tasks, but I surely could have read 24 complete books in the time it took me to get through that one :)
5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countires (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa): War and Peace, Midnight's Children, and Love in the Time of Cholera
6/9/18, read with me by Alicia De La Pena and recommended by Maureen McGonagle; 6/9/18, and 7/28/18
9. A book of colonial or post-colonial literature: Midnight's Children
6/9/18
15. A one-sitting book: The Tales of Beetle the Bard
1/7/18, gifted to me by Rebeca Matus
5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countires (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa): War and Peace, Midnight's Children, and Love in the Time of Cholera
6/9/18, read with me by Alicia De La Pena and recommended by Maureen McGonagle; 6/9/18, and 7/28/18
9. A book of colonial or post-colonial literature: Midnight's Children6/9/18
15. A one-sitting book: The Tales of Beetle the Bard
1/7/18, gifted to me by Rebeca Matus
Friday, December 14, 2018
#61 - See a Friend I Haven't Seen in at Least 3 Years
I have this one on my list every year, but this year, this was handed to me as it was my 20-year high school reunion.
Dude, I love high school reunions. They're just so... awkward. If you see me in person, ask me to tell you some stories from my 10 year. As a teaser, it was $35/person at a hunting club. A lot of us assumed that meant dinner was included. It was not. There were some apps and then unlimited beer and wine. People got toasted.
I was really looking foward to more weirdness at my 20, but really, it was just kinda pleasant. I mean, there were only like 30 of the 350 of us, but I really enjoyed catching up with some people I hadn't seen in a long time. I think the weirdest thing that happened was that many of us admitted that our class really didn't like each other--like we were always in last place at spirit week--yet this group seemed perfectly content to talk to whoever was around them.
I could tag like 20 people, but I'm just going to tag Jason Rogers since I treated him like I did in high school (as a little brother), and we had a great night with other Salinians. If anyone else in this photo wants to get a blog tag, I'm happy to add you :)
Monday, December 10, 2018
#27 - See One of My Favorite Comedians
For about the past year and a half, I have been SO into the podcast My Favorite Murder. It's two women who are into true crime, so most episodes, they each (casually) research a story of a murder and then tell those stories to each other. I love it because Karen Kilgariff is smart, funny, and real, and Georgia Hardstark drinks wine from a can, has super great cats, and seems so kind. Together, they're my favorite kind of pair: the kind of pair who complements each other and seems to see in the other an inspirational piece of themselves. Plus, I appreciate that when they say problematic things (out of ignorance), they immediately admit those mistakes, apologize, and often, make a gesture of their commitment to do better moving forward. At least on the air, they never lose themselves in defensiveness and denial, and I enjoy how they model that behavior, particularly for other white women.So, after a year and a half of fandom, I was SO stoked that Karen and Georgia were coming to Chicago on their tour. And then, when it came to buy tickets... I realized I couldn't go.
So, there went that.
But, in one of my Murderino groups, someone said, hey, I didn't get tickets to MFM, but The Dollop is coming, does anyone want to to go that? And I was like, YES!
Maybe not an all-time favorite comedian, but I got to go to a live taping of The Dollop, a podcast I started listening to pretty religiously this year. It's an American history podcast where one comedian (Dave Anthony) tells a story from American history to his friend (Gareth Reynolds), who has no idea what the topic is... about. Sometimes, the podcasts are cry-alone-on-the-train-from-laughing funny while others expose our country's deeply problematic and really, shameful past. You never really know which one you're going to get, but I think that's partly why I like it.
Luckily, a new-ish friend and I are both into The Dollop, so even though there were not seats together, we managed to find seats 2 rows apart, met briefly before the show, and laughed about it after. It was a deeee-light. Attending live podcast tapings are now a thing I'm into.
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| Later that night I went to a bar that was taken over by pirates. |
Sunday, December 2, 2018
#40 - Go to Another Book Signing.
So... I MET STEPHANIE IZARD.
I mean, I met Stephanie Izard.You know, first woman to win Top Chef. Winner of Season 4.
Iron Chef.
Opened the Chicago restaurants Girl and the Goat, Little Goat, and Duck Duck Goat.
And also, a fellow Wolverine ('98).
And she was super chill.
The event wasn't super organized. Walking in, I thought I was in the wrong place. but after asking around, I found Stephanie just chillin the back, giving some feedback to a guy making, what I assume was, the green goddess chicken salad in her new cookbook.
So a few of us hung around until they brought out books. Stephanie apologized for not going a demo, which I wasn't expecting anyways. Then, took us one by one, signed her new book, invited us to take some snacks, and took pictures and such.I'm terrible at small talk but was able to ask if she could write "Go Blue" as I am a fellow wolverine, and she did, and she was just chill and great.
I was fangirling so hard.
Go Blue.
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I should also give credit to Robin Heggum for including me to go see a conversation with Roxanne Gay facilitated by Megan Stielstra. Roxanne Gay was... beautiful. I cannot get enough of her dry honesty and the way she is unapologetic to her fans and critics. I need to read more of her books because I think they'll help me be more honest in my own writing. I'd never heard of Megan Stielstra but I am so excited to read her work as well. It was really fun to see someone so intelligent and accomplished in her own work facilitating a conversation that was both honored Gay and treated her as a friend and fellow human. I loved it.
I didn't count this at first because we didn't met either author nor get our books signed, but I suppose the main purpose of this item on my list was to join in community in celebration of the power of the written word and the authors who choose a difficult profession and to share their work with their readers. I find it very powerful to be in those spaces, knowing everyone there has been moved by someone's words enough to show up and hear more.
Friday, November 30, 2018
#30 - Go to a Therapist
I'm a person who has always believed that everyone benefit from therapy. We all have things our brain has gotten twisted that then cause us suffering or frustration or anxiety or fear, etc. And therapy can help untangle those things and support us in learning new ways to interact with our world and ourselves.
He even cut the visit short. Like, well, let's catch up in two weeks. So I said sure, made a follow up appointment, and then cancelled it later.
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| Never have I had such mixed feelings about a place. |
But also, I've never gone.
I mean, I suppose I went once in college to our counseling center. But I remember the guy I talked to focusing on one event in my life that really didn't interest me to talk about. Reflecting on that event, sure, it hurt and gave me some trust issues, but I got over it. I also remember there was something else I wanted to talk about, and he wouldn't let me do that. So I never went back.
I've been planning and planning to give therapy another try. I felt even more strongly during my PhD program (a) when I developed anxiety, which was really weird to develop in my mid-30s when I thought I pretty well understood they way I moved through life and (b) where everyone kept telling me that the group dynamics and adult development classes I loved so much were kinda like group therapy. I was like, oh, well, these experiences certainly are challenging, sometimes painful, but they result in so much growth. Completely worth it. I felt like my cognitive and emotional selves grew so much through those experiences.
So finally, I'm back in Chicago, and I have great insurance, so I decided to check in with my nurse practitioner (NP) and get a referral for a therapist. My NP was amazing. So compassionate, kind, and active. She gave me the names of two therapists that worked with their office. So I made an appointment.
My first appointment was more of an intake session. The doctor asked me a lot of questions. I explained that I've gotten pretty damn good at managing my depression but that anxiety was new. I explained what triggered my anxiety. And then he asked me all these questions about my family, background, and present life. And then, he kinda... seemed perplexed about why I was anxious. He even fished. Like, do you have any siblings? Yes, one brother. Do you have a relationship with him? Yes, he lives in Michigan, but we get along great. Oh. And similar questioning. I figured it was just intake stuff since we only had half an hour.
Then two weeks later I went back, to his actual office. The receptionists there were so kind and gentle. There were all kinds of people waiting. Finally the doctor came to get me and took me back to his office. And his office was so... bare. Like, so bright and no personal touches. It was weird. Like sitting in an adjunct faculty's office.
The session was... boring. Again, he kept fishing. And then he kept saying things like, well, it seems like things are going well now. And I was like, yeah... And he was like, so maybe just give it some time. And I was like, ??? Like, that's the whole thing about anxiety. It's not reasonable. I know I'm physically safe (like, as safe as one can be in Chicago). I know I'm emotionally safe and have great relationships with loved ones, friends and family. I know I'm financially stable, even if I'm not where I want to be. I know all that. And yet, I still experience anxiety. Which is unreasonable. Which is why I was seeing a therapist.
He even cut the visit short. Like, well, let's catch up in two weeks. So I said sure, made a follow up appointment, and then cancelled it later.
It was kind of reminiscent of my first visit to a therapist. I didn't feel heard. The only thing that was triggered was my sense that this person wasn't seeing me. And I would have talked about that because I know it's something that does trigger me. But I was not interested in talking about that with this person.
I know that it takes time to find the therapist who is the right fit. I will put this back on my list next year because I'm confident I can find someone. It may just take some trial and error, maybe some referrals.
Suggestions welcome :)
Monday, September 24, 2018
#17 - Pickle Something
I love pickles. I love pickled things. Pickling is easy. And cheap.Why has it taken me so long to pickle my own things?
K Rob used to pickle stuff all the time when we were roommates in San Diego. Mostly onions, of what I remember. And every time, I'd be like, dang, this adds so much to this dish.
So, I finally had my first attempt at pickling.
I started with a search on the Serious Eats website of pickling techniques. I started with the very first recipe on the article called 23 Pickle Recipes We Love: garlic dill pickles. A classic.
The recipe called for 8 ingredients. I came home from the store with 7 of them. Luckily I had bought fresh dill for a sauce for dinner, so I subbed that in for dill seeds. I'm sure that matters, but I wasn't about to walk the full block back to the store. No way. Plus, I see fresh dill in pickle jars all the time. So...
Chop, peel, boil, combine, wait.
Viola.
Pickles.
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| Before |
So again, on my own, peel, boil, combine, wait.
.................
Well, I had some mixed results.
The spicy garlic dills? Delightful. Just hot enough to make the sides of my news break out in a little sweat, just like they do with McClure's spicy dills (the best pickles of all time). They had taste and enough crispness. I am so glad I can keep these on hand because a spicy pickle is my favorite cure for rough morning.
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| After: YES |
Then, gem of all gems, the pickled garlic. I'm never going to need to worry about vampires again with these little guys. Yes, I ate them whole, just popped the whole clove in my mouth. I mean, not all of them. But I kinda want to eat all of them. They have that garlic bite but then they mellow out quickly and just leave a nice, clean mouth feel with that lingering garlic taste. Plus, they were so easy. I'm going to make these all the time, to snack when I need a little flavor, as a side for cheese plates, and to throw into salad dressings and other items. Yum.
I also bought pears to pickle but haven't quite gotten there yet. I'll add an update when I get to them.
#76 - Visit Tahoe
I am a sucker for a lake in the mountains. There's no place that feels more like home to me than Brant Lake, NY. The blues, the greens, the crisp mountain air, the cool lake water... My stress and anxiety melt off me within an hour of being there.
My love of that place has translated a bit where I feel refreshed anytime I'm in a lake in the mountains. From the first time I saw a picture, I had my heart set on having that feeling at Lake Tahoe someday.
My chances of finding an excuse to make the trip to Tahoe spiked when I met Mariko in my PhD program. They spiked again when Mari planned her wedding to Tim and invited me. A small wedding for someone I love to someone she loves surrounded by their loved ones, some of whom are also my loved ones in one of the most beautiful places in the world? I didn't even have to make a conscious choice.
The only downside to this trip was that I had to leave my annual week at Brant Lake with my family a few days early and fly from Albany to Sacramento at 6:00am and then drive 2 hours to Tahoe the day of the wedding. The only painful part was leaving camp. The rest of the trip was a breeze as I was so looking forward to exploring a new place.
Lake Tahoe itself is so very beautiful. It's funny. Even though I live just 2 blocks away from Lake Michigan, one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world, I was still in awe of the sheer size of Lake Tahoe. It's also so deeply blue and, in the summer, when I was there, surrounded by such deep greens and bright wildflowers.
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| What a beautiful day |
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| I sat on this rock for a long while. |
The wedding itself took place on a large deck overlooking the lake just before sunset. The reception was just inside. It was an incredible backdrop, and I'm so thankful to have spent a night with some of the people from my program, classmates and faculty, whom I grew to love and care for.
The next day, I had breakfast with Kai and then took my time, driving along the lake in my rental car with a fresh, local chai latte. I had to pass through some traffic on my way to Emerald Bay, but after I squeezed through a campground, the road opened up to mountain roads, sometimes just along the cliffs, looking over the lake. I drove, stopped, hiked, and wondered all day.
Just being in such a beautiful place made me set some intentions for my future, and I'm thankful I had so much time to reflect.
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| One of the few proper uses of rock cairns I've seen on a popular trail |
We also had a nice Saturday night where Heather won some money at the casino, and a group of us, including the newlyweds, shared drinks and stories until it was time to part.
I am very much looking forward to the day the mountains call me back!
Sunday, June 24, 2018
#4 - Read War and Peace
Woof.Well, this took forever.
And I'm not sure why I did it.
Well, I have had a hard time focusing on reading anything lately. For some reason, my brain just zooms around and cannot focus on the words on the page. I've had to make myself sit still to even watch TV lately because I feel this constant guilt that I'm not doing enough. So, maybe a bad time to try War and Peace.
I did find the epilogue interesting, thinking about free will and the inevitability of world events.
But hey, onto other books now.
Monday, May 28, 2018
#18 - Learn to Poach an Egg
I love eggs. I particularly love a runny yolk but do not love a runny white, so I tend to favor over-medium eggs thinking poached eggs were beyond my skill set.They are not.
Thanks to Serious Eats, I found a pretty simple step-by-step process for poached eggs, which was very similar to Ruhlman's suggestions. Basically, the issue with poaching eggs is that the protein in the whites isn't consistent, so if you just break an egg into the water, there are stringy bits that get in the way of the perfect poached egg. And no need for vinegar.
Serious Eats recommended using a mesh strainer, getting out that watery material before poaching the egg. Ruhlman's technique was similar, but the mesh strainer was easier, particularly as it could be used to place the eggs in the water and pull them out again.
I gave it a go when making a warm salad from the "Poached" chapter of Ruhlman's 20 Techniques at a Sunday night dinner with the Zanns and co.
I'll need a little practice getting the egg consistently how I want it, but overall, no issues. Poached eggs. Yum!
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
#25 - Try 12 New Bars in Chicago
1 - The Pink Squirrel
1/9/18 with Stephanie Souvenir and Denisse Ocasio
2 - Deadbolt
1/9/18 with Stephanie Souvenir and Denisse Ocasio
Before I moved away from Chicago, I had a tradition with friends called Three Bar Thursday. Every other Thursday, we would pick a neighborhood and go to three bars we'd never been to before. It forced us to explore the city and we found some real gems.
In November, I started it up again with a little modification. It's now Two Bar Tuesday and happens the second Tuesday of each month. Three bars is a bit aggressive for someone my age, and Chicago now has happy hour, so Two Bar Tuesday is no longer a late-night activity.
In January, I met up with Steph Souvenir and Deni Ocasio to Logan Square. We started at The Pink Squirrel, a small, new bar on Milwaukee. It was a delight. It has a retro diner vibe with a wide menu of craft cocktails (all $10) and one item on the food menu: turkey club. What I didn't know is that there's a mini bowling alley in the bar, two lanes with a candlepin-like thing going on. They're still working out what/how to charge, but on slow weeknights, you can bowl for free. All of the drinks we tasty and fun, and I would love to go back!
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| The Pink Squirrel |
1/9/18 with Stephanie Souvenir
Bar two from Tue Bar Tuesday in January (Described above) was Deadbolt, The Pink Squirrel's neighbor. I imagined it as a hipster joint but was actually more genuinely cool than I thought it would be though it's definitely more of a late-night joint that showcases DJs, so on a Tuesday at 7pm, when they open, we were the only ones there besides the bartenders... for 2 hours. Still a cool spot.
3 - Kubo
1/13/18
I took myself on a date to Sketchfest at Stage773. (Shows are hit or miss, but the tickets are so cheap, it's worth trying a few. I loved The Comedy Dance Collective and may try to see them again sometime.) After, I took myself for a drink. I was going to stop across the street at a favorite spot of one of my friend's, Cooper's... but it was gone! Tragic, yes. I decided to check out the new place that took it's spot, Kubo. I sat at the bar and had a glass of wine. The selection is way better than Cooper's. One of the staff (maybe one of the owner's) suggested I come back for dinner sometime, so I took a look at the menu. It's a Filipino place (also with American-style options), and I'm really curious to go back! 3/3 in new bars in the new year!
4 - Lagunitas
1/16/18
I used to volunteer regularly with 826 Chicago. Now, I just can't seem the time to make it work. It could be due to the location. It's not easy to travel south-west/north-east in Chicago, but it probably has more to do with me working 4 jobs. Either way, I got an invitation for a fundraiser at Lagunitas Chicago, and I could make it. I've never been to Lagunitas, and it's definitely a fully functioning, gigantic brewery, but the event was held in a bar area, so I'm counting it.
In general, Lagunitas Chicago is an amazing space. I describe it in detail in another post, so I won't here. It was a nice event: $10 suggested donations for tickets, $6 beers, and free food from a variety of Chicago vendors. I even had my first vegan Gyro. It was just okay. I hope to make a trip back to explore the rest of Lagunitas as it's a huge space with a lot going on.
5 - Local Option
1/25/18 with Nicole Garton and John Washo
After over a year of walking by Local Option, which is just down the street from where I work, I stopped there for happy hour with coworkers. There is a decent selection of decent beer, but I haven't been much into beer since leaving San Diego. I asked for whiskey and they had Maker's Mark and Jameson. Definitely a beer bar. But I made do just fine. It's tough to describe the ambiance but my best effort is a combination of beer elitist, demonic, and divey.
6 - The Kennison
2/13/18 with Nicole Garton and Stephanie Souvenir
A 2 Bar Tuesday stop! It had a decent happy hour: $5 bubbles and draughts. The food menu looked pricier than I was interested in at the moment, but I really liked the vibe. I would definitely go back and sit at the bar.
7 - Sedgewick Stop
2/13/18 with Nicole Garton
The second 2 Bar Tuesday stop after the above. Nicole and I both liked this spot. The only reason we didn't stay longer is that it was Fat Tuesday and they were having a... thing. I mean, I'd love to see a burlesque show at a rugby bar on a Tuesday night, but the $20 cover was a little more than we were looking to spend. I do hope to go back!
8 - The Heavy Feather
2/15/18 with Laura Masters and Beth Jager
What's a night with Laura Masters without trying one more place? Masters, Beth, and Alan came and played on the bar team for trivia as I hosted at Paulie Gee's, so of course we had to go get a drink after. We were heading down Milwaukee when Laura suggested The Slippery Slope. It wasn't quite the right timing for Slippery Slope, so we headed upstairs to The Heavy Feather.
What a cool little spot. Super seventies lounge vibe with great craft cocktails. I would love to sit at the bar there one night, have the bartenders do their magic, and chit chat the night away.
9 - Monty Gael's
3/13/18 with Leanne Surmin and Drea Soit
This was an accident. It was 2 Bar Tuesday and I was all psyched to try 2 new places, so Leanne and I walked there from work, and right as we were about to go in the door, I remembered I'd been to that bar before. I looked around and realized we were actually in my old neighborhood and when I'd picked the places I thought it was further west on Montrose. Oops.
So, we went across the street to Monty Gael's. There had been another bar in that spot when I'd lived in that area, but it'd gotten replaced with Monty Gael's. They had a delightful happy hour that gave us plenty of time to Yelp a second bar because, again, I used to live in that neighborhood, and at that time had been newly single and tried every bar in the North Center area.
10 - Kitsune Restaurant and Pub
3/13/18 with Leanne Surmin and Drea Stoit
Well, as described above, I kinda picked 2 bars for 2 Bar Tuesday that I'd already been to, so Kitsune was a bit of an improvisation and not quite a bar but more of a very tiny restaurant, even though the title does say "pub." The food looked great, but we just had fun cocktails. I would love to go back and eat sometime.
11 - Fox Bar
4/2/18 with Laura Masters and Alan Lee
I checked out Fox Bar for a 2 Bar Tuesday but decided to save it for a later date. But then, Michigan played in the MEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, which was completely unexpected. So I went to watch with Laura, Alan, and friends. While the game didn't give us much to celebrate, we still decided to have one more drink, as is standard of a night out with Laura. (At this point, it seems like I'm teasing, but I LOVE my random nights out with Laura where we explore new places!)
Laura said Fox Bar was right across the street and then wasn't sure if we could get in because she wasn't sure if it was a part of Soho Club. I had no idea what Soho Club was and what I was missing out on, but good news, you do not need to be a member of Soho Club to get into Fox Bar. It is this really tiny room on the second floor of the lobby area. Swinging doors. Great music. A pay phone. Awesome cocktails. Even on a Monday night, it had a nice vibe. I'd love to go back... but I imagine it gets packed at any reasonable time to go.
12 - Wooden Nickel
4/10/18 with Missy Liebs, Stephanie Souvenir, and Holly Munk
Another successful Two Bar Tuesday! Lots of gratitude to Nicole who found these places... and then couldn't come along after all.
The Wooden Nickel has a decent location and a happy hour (half-off drafts), but wasn't ideal for those of us who aren't big beer drinkers and weren't hungry. I'm not sure if I'll go back but I wouldn't be made if someone else suggested it.
13 - Kite String
4/10/18 with Missy Liebs and Holly Munk
We'll call this a baker's dozen... and likely many more to come as it's only April.
This is the Two Bar Tuesday champion so far. What a great find. Thanks, Nicole! It's a new place, very small, only 4-5 high-top tables plus the bar. Cute neon kite above the bar. And what. A. De-LIGHT!
For drinks, they have a full bar, plus "bubblers." You know, those things that used to be full of lemonade at the roller skating rink and are still at a lot of pool concession stands? When we were there, there were four different pre-mixed cocktails bubbling around in there. I know what you're thinking, "Pre-mixed? Gross." But you're oh so wrong. They were delightful. I started with the bourbon horchata, but I believe by the end we'd tried them all--passion fruit punch, hibiscus negroni, limonada maragrita--and invited The Melissa. They were all tasty and quite quite strong.
They also have great little Mexican-style snacks: chips and dip, taquitos, and and alfajores. I know again, you're like, "Okay." The chips include both homemade corn chips AND beet chips, which were SO good. The dips, all flavorful and I can't remember which was my favorite. For taquitos, think the rolly machine at 7 Eleven, but then flavors like pork & pineapple and seasonal vegetable. The alfajores were from Lucilla's Home Made Alfajores down the street.
Why do I know what everything tastes like, because in the middle of the menu on the wall it says "ENTIRE MENU $20." So we were like, um... yes please. And tried it all.
Also fun, it's apparently already a Tinder meetup spot, so if you're lucky like us, you might be quite tipsy on your bubbler drinks, look over to see a couple making out at the bar, in the middle of this very tiny bar, and ask your friends, "Wait? What day and time is it?" And they'll reply, "Tuesday, 8 o'clock." And you'll lose yourself in the wonder of this life.
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And it continues... but with briefer reviews
13 - Burwood Tap
4/27/18 with Nicole Garton
After the regular happy hour spot, we stopped at Burwood Tap. I liked it. I would like to go back place.
14 - Renaldi's After Dark
4/27/18 with Nicole Garton and Stephanie Punda
Meh.
15 - Theater on the Lake
6/5/18 with Laura Masters, Missy Liebs, and Holly Zann
Gorgeous view. Mediocre food, drinks, and service.
16 - Drawl
6/5/18 with Laura Masters and Missy Liebs
One of my new favorite sports in town. Whiskey bar with great bartenders and decent food.
17 - Waydown
6/19/18 with Nicole Garton, John Washo, and Stephanie Punda
I dig this rooftop bar in Fulton Market. Cool space, great drinks, fine views.
18 - Vice Brewery
6/23/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Eileen, Nicole Garton, and Jerry Munk
19 - The Green Lady
6/28/18 hosting trivia for Dan Burns
Cool spot for people who like beer and great spot for trivia on Thursdays
20 - Replay (Andersonville)
7/8/18 with Ryan Groth
When a friend is only around for one day, and it's a Sunday, Chicagoans gotta show off their neighborhood with a Sunday Funday! We hit a few spots, but I'd never been to Replay in Andersonville. Huge open windows on a nice day plus free game play!
21 - The Monkey's Paw
8/7/18 with Drea Stoit and Stephanie Souvenir
Cool little spot. I hope to go back.
22 - The Boxcar
9/3/18
My new fav local spot. So great.
23 - Fort Willow
10/23/18 with Stephanie Souvenir, Danielle Arens, and Delaney Cherveney
2BT! Really cool space in a really strange part of town. Great happy hour if you can get there in time: you buy your first cocktail and the house buys the second. Super interesting cocktails.
24 - J9 Wine Bar
10/23/18 with Stephanie Souvenir and Laney Cherveney
We were planning on another spot for our second stop of the night and then ended up here. Great little spot. There was a free wine tasting of awesome Lebanese wines. We had a great cheese plate and a glass each and rounded out a nice little night!
25 - Navigator Taproom
10/27/18 with Chris Zann, Holly Zann, Ashley Russell, JP Palmares, Drea Stoit, Dan Burns, Jerry Munk
What a great time with so many of my favorite people celebrating someone's 40th!
26 - Innjoy
10/27/18
Best night ever? Maybe!
27 - Sparrow
11/20/18 - with Laura Masters, Missy Liebs, Megan Morrison, Beth Jager, and Stephanie Souvenir
Another 2BT! This time as a pre-party for my birthday. Sparrow was a great spot. Cuban bar with a great vibe and awesome happy hour specials.
28 - The Albert
11/20/18 with all of the above
Stop 2 for the night: the hotel bar in the new hotel EMC2. I dug the vibe. The server was also really great with us, even calling over the bartender to make sure he was putting int he right drinks for us. My only complaint is that I wish there were books everywhere, but it's just that one wall.
29 - Bellwether Meeting House and Eatery
11/20/18 with all of the above
Stop 3 (it was my birthday): super weird spot. Kind of a clubby vibe but then also not? Weird people. Weird music. Decent food and drinks.
3 - Kubo
1/13/18
I took myself on a date to Sketchfest at Stage773. (Shows are hit or miss, but the tickets are so cheap, it's worth trying a few. I loved The Comedy Dance Collective and may try to see them again sometime.) After, I took myself for a drink. I was going to stop across the street at a favorite spot of one of my friend's, Cooper's... but it was gone! Tragic, yes. I decided to check out the new place that took it's spot, Kubo. I sat at the bar and had a glass of wine. The selection is way better than Cooper's. One of the staff (maybe one of the owner's) suggested I come back for dinner sometime, so I took a look at the menu. It's a Filipino place (also with American-style options), and I'm really curious to go back! 3/3 in new bars in the new year!
4 - Lagunitas
1/16/18
I used to volunteer regularly with 826 Chicago. Now, I just can't seem the time to make it work. It could be due to the location. It's not easy to travel south-west/north-east in Chicago, but it probably has more to do with me working 4 jobs. Either way, I got an invitation for a fundraiser at Lagunitas Chicago, and I could make it. I've never been to Lagunitas, and it's definitely a fully functioning, gigantic brewery, but the event was held in a bar area, so I'm counting it.
In general, Lagunitas Chicago is an amazing space. I describe it in detail in another post, so I won't here. It was a nice event: $10 suggested donations for tickets, $6 beers, and free food from a variety of Chicago vendors. I even had my first vegan Gyro. It was just okay. I hope to make a trip back to explore the rest of Lagunitas as it's a huge space with a lot going on.
5 - Local Option
1/25/18 with Nicole Garton and John Washo
After over a year of walking by Local Option, which is just down the street from where I work, I stopped there for happy hour with coworkers. There is a decent selection of decent beer, but I haven't been much into beer since leaving San Diego. I asked for whiskey and they had Maker's Mark and Jameson. Definitely a beer bar. But I made do just fine. It's tough to describe the ambiance but my best effort is a combination of beer elitist, demonic, and divey.
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| Sedgewick Stop hurricane |
2/13/18 with Nicole Garton and Stephanie Souvenir
A 2 Bar Tuesday stop! It had a decent happy hour: $5 bubbles and draughts. The food menu looked pricier than I was interested in at the moment, but I really liked the vibe. I would definitely go back and sit at the bar.
7 - Sedgewick Stop
2/13/18 with Nicole Garton
The second 2 Bar Tuesday stop after the above. Nicole and I both liked this spot. The only reason we didn't stay longer is that it was Fat Tuesday and they were having a... thing. I mean, I'd love to see a burlesque show at a rugby bar on a Tuesday night, but the $20 cover was a little more than we were looking to spend. I do hope to go back!
8 - The Heavy Feather
2/15/18 with Laura Masters and Beth Jager
What's a night with Laura Masters without trying one more place? Masters, Beth, and Alan came and played on the bar team for trivia as I hosted at Paulie Gee's, so of course we had to go get a drink after. We were heading down Milwaukee when Laura suggested The Slippery Slope. It wasn't quite the right timing for Slippery Slope, so we headed upstairs to The Heavy Feather.
What a cool little spot. Super seventies lounge vibe with great craft cocktails. I would love to sit at the bar there one night, have the bartenders do their magic, and chit chat the night away.
9 - Monty Gael's
3/13/18 with Leanne Surmin and Drea Soit
This was an accident. It was 2 Bar Tuesday and I was all psyched to try 2 new places, so Leanne and I walked there from work, and right as we were about to go in the door, I remembered I'd been to that bar before. I looked around and realized we were actually in my old neighborhood and when I'd picked the places I thought it was further west on Montrose. Oops.
So, we went across the street to Monty Gael's. There had been another bar in that spot when I'd lived in that area, but it'd gotten replaced with Monty Gael's. They had a delightful happy hour that gave us plenty of time to Yelp a second bar because, again, I used to live in that neighborhood, and at that time had been newly single and tried every bar in the North Center area.
10 - Kitsune Restaurant and Pub
3/13/18 with Leanne Surmin and Drea Stoit
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| Not Fox Bar but the lobby of Soho Club |
11 - Fox Bar
4/2/18 with Laura Masters and Alan Lee
I checked out Fox Bar for a 2 Bar Tuesday but decided to save it for a later date. But then, Michigan played in the MEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, which was completely unexpected. So I went to watch with Laura, Alan, and friends. While the game didn't give us much to celebrate, we still decided to have one more drink, as is standard of a night out with Laura. (At this point, it seems like I'm teasing, but I LOVE my random nights out with Laura where we explore new places!)
Laura said Fox Bar was right across the street and then wasn't sure if we could get in because she wasn't sure if it was a part of Soho Club. I had no idea what Soho Club was and what I was missing out on, but good news, you do not need to be a member of Soho Club to get into Fox Bar. It is this really tiny room on the second floor of the lobby area. Swinging doors. Great music. A pay phone. Awesome cocktails. Even on a Monday night, it had a nice vibe. I'd love to go back... but I imagine it gets packed at any reasonable time to go.
12 - Wooden Nickel
4/10/18 with Missy Liebs, Stephanie Souvenir, and Holly Munk
Another successful Two Bar Tuesday! Lots of gratitude to Nicole who found these places... and then couldn't come along after all.
The Wooden Nickel has a decent location and a happy hour (half-off drafts), but wasn't ideal for those of us who aren't big beer drinkers and weren't hungry. I'm not sure if I'll go back but I wouldn't be made if someone else suggested it.
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| Melissa, me, and Holly about to fully dive into our new favorite bar. |
13 - Kite String4/10/18 with Missy Liebs and Holly Munk
We'll call this a baker's dozen... and likely many more to come as it's only April.
This is the Two Bar Tuesday champion so far. What a great find. Thanks, Nicole! It's a new place, very small, only 4-5 high-top tables plus the bar. Cute neon kite above the bar. And what. A. De-LIGHT!
For drinks, they have a full bar, plus "bubblers." You know, those things that used to be full of lemonade at the roller skating rink and are still at a lot of pool concession stands? When we were there, there were four different pre-mixed cocktails bubbling around in there. I know what you're thinking, "Pre-mixed? Gross." But you're oh so wrong. They were delightful. I started with the bourbon horchata, but I believe by the end we'd tried them all--passion fruit punch, hibiscus negroni, limonada maragrita--and invited The Melissa. They were all tasty and quite quite strong.
They also have great little Mexican-style snacks: chips and dip, taquitos, and and alfajores. I know again, you're like, "Okay." The chips include both homemade corn chips AND beet chips, which were SO good. The dips, all flavorful and I can't remember which was my favorite. For taquitos, think the rolly machine at 7 Eleven, but then flavors like pork & pineapple and seasonal vegetable. The alfajores were from Lucilla's Home Made Alfajores down the street.
Why do I know what everything tastes like, because in the middle of the menu on the wall it says "ENTIRE MENU $20." So we were like, um... yes please. And tried it all.
Also fun, it's apparently already a Tinder meetup spot, so if you're lucky like us, you might be quite tipsy on your bubbler drinks, look over to see a couple making out at the bar, in the middle of this very tiny bar, and ask your friends, "Wait? What day and time is it?" And they'll reply, "Tuesday, 8 o'clock." And you'll lose yourself in the wonder of this life.
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| THE ENTIRE MENU IS $20 |
And it continues... but with briefer reviews
13 - Burwood Tap
4/27/18 with Nicole Garton
After the regular happy hour spot, we stopped at Burwood Tap. I liked it. I would like to go back place.
14 - Renaldi's After Dark
4/27/18 with Nicole Garton and Stephanie Punda
Meh.
15 - Theater on the Lake
6/5/18 with Laura Masters, Missy Liebs, and Holly Zann
Gorgeous view. Mediocre food, drinks, and service.
16 - Drawl
6/5/18 with Laura Masters and Missy Liebs
One of my new favorite sports in town. Whiskey bar with great bartenders and decent food.
17 - Waydown
6/19/18 with Nicole Garton, John Washo, and Stephanie Punda
I dig this rooftop bar in Fulton Market. Cool space, great drinks, fine views.
18 - Vice Brewery
6/23/18 with Laura Masters, Alan Lee, Eileen, Nicole Garton, and Jerry Munk
19 - The Green Lady
6/28/18 hosting trivia for Dan Burns
Cool spot for people who like beer and great spot for trivia on Thursdays
20 - Replay (Andersonville)
7/8/18 with Ryan Groth
When a friend is only around for one day, and it's a Sunday, Chicagoans gotta show off their neighborhood with a Sunday Funday! We hit a few spots, but I'd never been to Replay in Andersonville. Huge open windows on a nice day plus free game play!
21 - The Monkey's Paw
8/7/18 with Drea Stoit and Stephanie Souvenir
Cool little spot. I hope to go back.
22 - The Boxcar
9/3/18
My new fav local spot. So great.
23 - Fort Willow
10/23/18 with Stephanie Souvenir, Danielle Arens, and Delaney Cherveney
2BT! Really cool space in a really strange part of town. Great happy hour if you can get there in time: you buy your first cocktail and the house buys the second. Super interesting cocktails.
24 - J9 Wine Bar
10/23/18 with Stephanie Souvenir and Laney Cherveney
We were planning on another spot for our second stop of the night and then ended up here. Great little spot. There was a free wine tasting of awesome Lebanese wines. We had a great cheese plate and a glass each and rounded out a nice little night!
25 - Navigator Taproom
10/27/18 with Chris Zann, Holly Zann, Ashley Russell, JP Palmares, Drea Stoit, Dan Burns, Jerry Munk
What a great time with so many of my favorite people celebrating someone's 40th!
26 - Innjoy
10/27/18
Best night ever? Maybe!
27 - Sparrow
11/20/18 - with Laura Masters, Missy Liebs, Megan Morrison, Beth Jager, and Stephanie Souvenir
Another 2BT! This time as a pre-party for my birthday. Sparrow was a great spot. Cuban bar with a great vibe and awesome happy hour specials.
28 - The Albert
11/20/18 with all of the above
Stop 2 for the night: the hotel bar in the new hotel EMC2. I dug the vibe. The server was also really great with us, even calling over the bartender to make sure he was putting int he right drinks for us. My only complaint is that I wish there were books everywhere, but it's just that one wall.
29 - Bellwether Meeting House and Eatery
11/20/18 with all of the above
Stop 3 (it was my birthday): super weird spot. Kind of a clubby vibe but then also not? Weird people. Weird music. Decent food and drinks.
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