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Gold Coast Dogs Are as Good as Gold

Gold Coast Dogs Are as Good as Gold

Do I sound like a broken record yet? From one of my earlier articles:
The Chicago-style hot dog has seven essential toppings: a boiled or steamed all-beef dog on a poppy-seed bun with (1) mustard, (2) relish, (3) chopped onions, (4) tomato wedges, (5) a pickle spear, (6) sport peppers, and (7) celery salt. I’ve seen a few varieties on this (including lettuce, sliced pickles, cucumbers, and/or green peppers) but the “lucky seven” mentioned above are the components of a classic Chicago-style dog. And yes, the exclusion of ketchup is just as important as the ingredients that are included. Why? …read more

Enjoy Some Fine Art of Pizza

Enjoy Some Fine Art of Pizza

As we’ve learned well by now, great food doesn’t just come from swanky digs. Restaurants like Taste of Peru and La Gondola overcome their strip-mall surroundings with big flavors. Another popular spot that could be easily overlooked (but you’d be severely missing out if you did) is Lakeview’s Art of Pizza.
Here, pizza truly is an art—a masterpiece, in fact—in which every detail is enjoyed and appreciated. The canvas is your choice of crust: thin, pan, or (my recommendation) stuffed. The Art’s sauce does more than just hold your preferred ingredients in place; its seasonings actually contribute incredibly to the overall …read more

Allerton Hotel Is in Tip-Top Shape

Allerton Hotel Is in Tip-Top Shape

When touring Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, you can’t miss the historic and beautiful Allerton Hotel. Completed in 1924, this 25-story 360-foot (110 m) skyscraper was the first structure to be built with pronounced setbacks and towers resulting from the new municipal zoning laws.1
Across from Saks Fifth Avenue, the hotel was built by the Allerton House Company as part of a national chain of “club hotels.” It was meant to provide young single professionals with the amenities of a hotel and the social scene of a private club. Fourteen floors were reserved for men, and six for women. The men’s and women’s …read more

Alice Millar Chapel Is a Student’s Sanctuary

Alice Millar Chapel Is a Student’s Sanctuary

Some of the most beautiful architecture pieces are religious places of worship. Such is the case with the Alice Millar Chapel at Northwestern University.

Millar Chapel is interdenominational, serving a variety of faiths in the college community. Completed in 1962, the building stands 151 feet (46 m) at its highest point and was a gift to the school from Foster G. McGaw, a University trustee, and his wife. The chapel was named after McGaw’s mother and contains 720 seats and a 100-rank Aeolian Skinner organ.
 
Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) wallyg, giratikanon, Anne Ruthmann
Alice S. Millar Chapel and Religious Center: 1870 Sheridan …read more

Surfing Chicago Online

Surfing Chicago Online

This weekend, anyone and everyone’s been talking about the Chicago Gourmet, the inaugural “celebration of food and wine.” Andrew Huff of Drive-Thru attended the Opening Gala, which was a hit; however, the high cost may have kept more than a few people away. According to the MenuPages Blog, the upscale festival could have used a few more cheese and crackers and a little less wine. Zef Frank at Time-Out Chicago was impressed by neither the food nor the vintages. Their opinions may fall on deaf ears, however; the Chicago Tribune interviewed a few top Chicago chefs, none of which were …read more

Center on Halsted Offers GLBT Resources

Center on Halsted Offers GLBT Resources

Situated within the Lakeview neighborhood, Boystown is the home to hundreds of thousands of Chicago’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender residents. Even more pass through the area every day to visit the gay-friendly bars, coffeehouses, and restaurants. In 2001, a group of community leaders shared a vision to create a focal point for the neighborhood. That dream became a reality in 2007 at the Center on Halsted.
This new space provides a safe and modern place for people and organizations to gather and share resources. Along with offices and meeting spaces, the community center also provides free wi-fi, a library, galleries, …read more

Celebrate the Freedom to Read

Celebrate the Freedom to Read

I’ve always been an avid reader, and it always shocks me when any book—especially those that I read as a child—are proposed to be banned. How can people speak of defending our democratic freedoms when they want to take away our freedom to read?
Tomorrow begins Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read, an annual celebration of all books that have ever been banned or challenged. The American Library Association, along with the Chicago Tribune and the McCormick Freedom Museum, reminds us all not to take our books for granted.
Now celebrating its 27th year, Banned Books Week commemorates our intellectual …read more

Weekend Stuff (Sept 26-28, ‘08)

Weekend Stuff (Sept 26-28, ‘08)

• We’re all familiar with the Taste of Chicago, an all-out food fest featuring dozens of Chicago restaurants. Foodies will want to check out the upscale version, Chicago Gourmet. Over two dozen famous Chicago chefs (including Rick Bayless, David Burke, and Art Smith) will be offering some of their signature dishes for the event, along with wine tastings and cooking demonstrations. (Sept 26-28)
• Dia de los Muertos is still over a month away, but you can begin celebrating this weekend at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Dia de los Muertos: La Vida Sin Fin is the nation’s largest Day …read more

Forbes Declares Chicago America’s Most Stressful City

Forbes Declares Chicago America’s Most Stressful City

It’s been a while, but b5media’s Travel & Culture Channel is celebrating another Theme Day soon, centered on “Changes.” Change is necessary, but it can be stressful, and we Chicagoans certainly know stress. In fact, last week Forbes declared Chicago as America’s Most Stressful City. Eep!
Chicago has had to endure plenty of changes recently: flood-inducing rains, a depressing economy, expensive gas prices, and an unbelievable sales tax. Combine all this with the country’s second-highest population density, and you have the formula for a stressful situation.
Forbes examined the country’s 40 largest metropolitan areas and looked at things like unemployment rates, housing …read more

It IS Rocket Science (and More) at Science Chicago

It IS Rocket Science (and More) at Science Chicago

Fall has arrived, and that means the kids are back in school learning about all their favorite subjects. If your children, your teens, or even you yourself have a curiosity for all things science, a great opportunity awaits you right here in Chicago.
Science Chicago: Life’s a Lab is a year-long celebration of science and learning that will appeal to people of all ages. More than 100 public and private institutions are hosting events where Chicagoans can explore and discover how the world around them works. After all, science isn’t just in a textbook; it’s in action every day.
The festival covers …read more

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