• Dream Theatre re-presents Anna, in the Darkness, a terrifying story about a young teacher trapped in her own home while the entire town gathers to kill her… and the audience is trapped inside with her… (ends Nov 2)

• Think the goriness has gotten out of hand? You haven’t seen anything yet. Annoyance Productions hosts Splatter Theatre, a parody of the Friday the 13^th series. With characters such as the school jock, the bumbling old man, and the virgin, you can guess that the stark white walls on the set won’t stay clean for long. (ends Nov 1)

• Oracle Productions holds their third installment of terrifying entertainment, Disturbed III. The audience stands still against the walls of a dark room during this 15-minute performance, while the action pops out from every unexpected corner. (ends Nov 1)

• In the over-the-big-top homage to ‘60s horror B-flicks, Haywire! tells the comedic story of a female circus star who has it all… and then is promptly sent off to the loony bin for 15 years. Does she return to take revenge? (ends Nov 15)

• Adapted from C.S. Lewis’ novel of the same title, The Screwtape Letters is a dark comedy about an apprentice demon that learns the ways of manipulating humans. (ends Nov 23)

• What’s scarier: the 1978 John Carpenter film Halloween… or the music of the Carpenters? You be the judge at the campy musical, Carpenters’ Halloween. (ends Nov 5)

• Combine the twisted vision of author and film director Clive Barker with the masterpiece of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, and you get Frankenstein in Love (or the Life of Death) at the Chemically Imbalanced Theater. (ends Nov 1)

Photo credit: (c/o SXC) Sophie, Mateusz Piatkowski, Dave Dyet

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

• 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 of the Dead exhibit, featuring local and international artists. Friday’s opening reception will include hot chocolate, free pan (sweet bread), and traditional candy skulls for sale. (Sept 26 – Dec 14)

• Why wait for Halloween for a fright fest? The Chicago Horror Film Festival is a three-day movie event including almost 30 frightful short flicks and feature-length films. (Sept 26-28)

• If horror isn’t your thing, check out the Asian Animation Film Festival, featuring films and shorts from Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan. (Sept 24-27)

• Fall is here, meaning it’s time for the second annual Wrigleyville Fall Crawl. Participating bars will be offering $2 beers, food specials, and giveaways. (Sept 27)

• Prost! An admission fee of $25 at First Saint Paul’s Oktoberfest will get you a plate of dinner (bratwurst, sauerkraut, strudel, and more) along with two glasses of wine, beer, or soda. (Sept 27)

• Prost! The DANK-Haus is hosting its own Oktoberfest with German food, beer, folk dancing, and live music. (Sept 27)

• Estrojam 2008: Decibelle features local and international female musicians, artists, educators, activists, and community leaders in dozens of events across the city. Partial proceeds benefit the Young Women’s Empowerment Project and FAIR Fund. (Sept 24-27)

• You won’t see this at the Olympics. In the New Belgium Brewing Urban Assault Ride, teams of two engage in a bike-riding scavenger hunt to find checkpoints around the city. At each station, the teams will have to complete a quirky challenge. Past obstacles have included bike limbo, modified Big Wheels, and tiny bicycles. Registration fees benefit West Town Bikes. (Sept 28)

• The Broadway production of Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage arrives in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. (Sept 28 – Dec 7)

Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) peppergrasss, R Tys Tyk, sanja gjenero

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

Today is Mexican Independence Day, commemorating the start of an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and Spanish colonial authorities, which started on September 16, 1810. The war lasted 11 years, resulting in Mexico’s independence from Spain.

While the parade was held this weekend (despite the rain), there’s still plenty of celebrating to do. Head on down to Pilsen for ¡Buen Provecho!, where you can sample signature dishes from more than 20 restaurants. The event takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. along 18^th Street between Wood and Halsted Streets. For more information, visit http://eighteenthstreet.org/event.html

Also, be sure to check out all the Mexican restaurants that have been featured here on The Chicago Traveler. Just click here for a listing of all eateries tagged “Mexican.”

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

• MC Hammer and Cyndi Lauper perform at Glamorama 2008, a fall fashion fundraiser at The Chicago Theatre featuring top designers. A portion of ticket proceeds benefit the Art Institute of Chicago. (Aug 22)

• The seventh annual Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest features more than 100 art vendors and 35 bands. Be sure to check out the fashion show and fire performance on Friday, or take a self-guided tour of artists’ studios on Saturday and Sunday. (Aug 22-24)

• In honor of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, try some award-winning wines from around the world at the Gold Medal Wine Tasting at Cafe Ciao. (Aug 22)

• The second annual Chicago Reggae Festival presents local, regional, and international artists and Caribbean food and merchandise. (Aug 23)

• Celebrate all that is Greek at the Taste of Greece with live music, dancing, games, and of course plenty of food from local restaurants. (Aug 23-24)

• Watch 13 consecutive hours of the TV series Angel at Slay-A-Thon 2008. Participate in themed games and an auction which benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation. (Aug 23)

• Shake your bon-bon to the sounds of merengue, salsa, cumbias, and more at the ¡Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival. Listen to Latin music from around the world while enjoying ethnic foods and browsing through arts and crafts. (Aug 23-24)

• Amateurs and professionals from around the world swim, bike, and run in the 26^th Annual Accenture Chicago Triathlon, the world’s largest triathlon. The race begins at Monroe Harbor and ends at Columbus Drive just south of Balbo Drive. Cheer on the athletes, and join them at the post-race party which features live music, food, beer, and an awards ceremony. (Aug 24)

• The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii celebrates Italian-American culture with Festa di Tutti I Santi, featuring a church service, bocce games, ethnic foods, kids’ activities, and a $5,000 cash raffle. (Aug 24)

Photo credit: Franco Folini c/o Wikipedia, City of Chicago

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

8. Red Apple. This Polish buffet just keeps on going and going and going…

7. Reza’s Restaurant. As if the extensive Mediterranean menu wasn’t enough, the Sunday brunch buffet offers an incredible number of options.

6. Mr. Greek Gyros. Everything from hot dogs to pork chops to souvlaki can be found at this 24-hour Greektown spot.

5. Joy’s Noodles & Rice. The atmosphere is just as light and refreshing as the popular Thai cuisine.

4. Hema’s Kitchen. On the far north side, you’ll be lucky if you can see your plate underneath all the Indian food.

3. Lindy’s & Gertie’s. For over 80 years, these two establishments have been keeping hungry South Siders full and satisfied.

2. MacArthur’s. The soul food here was popular long before Barack Obama sang its praises.

1. Manny’s Coffee Shop & Deli. This well-known South Loop staple has been serving up huge sandwiches for over 60 years.

Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) minvervah, polomex (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), JOE M500

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

• Celebrate Puerto Rican culture at the Fiesta Puertorriquenas in Humboldt Park, featuring crafts, food, live music, and dancing. The festival’s high point is the Puerto Rican Day Parade on Saturday along Columbus Drive, from Balbo Drive to Monroe Street. (June 12-15)

• Festa Pasta Vino is an annual celebration of Italian food, family, and culture, featuring authentic cuisine from local restaurants, cooking demonstrations, parades, and live music. (June 12-15)

• Meet paranormal radio show host Edward Shanahan, astrologists, and tarot readers at Weather Mark Tavern’s Friday the 13^th Party. Drink specials include $2.50 Miller drafts. (June 13)

• Night owls can join Mystic Blue every Saturday for their After-Hours Moonlight Cruise. The outing on Lake Michigan includes a DJ, dancing, martinis, and free appetizers. Boarding begins at 12:15 a.m. (ends Aug 30)

• Watch more than 100 local artists work together on a 500-foot (152 m) mural along the lakefront at the Artists of the Wall Festival. The festival also features live music, arts and crafts, and food vendors. This year’s theme is “Winds of Change.” (June 14-15)

• The 59^th Annual Old Town Art Fair is the country’s oldest juried outdoor art fair and features 260 artists displaying paintings, photographs, jewelry, sculptures, and more. Enjoy live music, kids’ activities, food vendors, and a raffle. Rain or shine. (June 14-15)

• Get a variety of international foods from local restaurants, browse arts and crafts, and listen to live music from four stages at the 43^rd Annual Andersonville Midsommarfest. (June 14-15)

• About 150 local men prepare more than 200 dishes at the 19^th Annual Father’s Day Real Men Cook at the South Shore Cultural Center. The event includes kids’ games and live music. Expect everything from barbecue to soul food to desserts. (June 15)

• Enjoy something educational with Dad. Dads get free general admission at the Museum of Science and Industry in honor of Father’s Day. (June 15)

Photo credit: Glorius (c/o Flickr), Real Men Cook

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

This cafeteria-style diner in the South Loop is the palace of pastrami, serving a mixed clientele of white-collar executives, blue-collar workforce, and elderly regulars from the neighborhood. On your first visit, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the wall full of daily specials. Manny’s has it all: stuffed green peppers, pepper steak, sliced beef with mushrooms, ox tail stew, baked fish, barbecue beef, lamb shanks, grilled chicken breasts, spaghetti, stuffed veal, fried smelts, turkey chili, and more.

And the sandwiches? They’re bigger than your head! While the corned beef sandwich is the signature dish here, all of the options here are excellent. Stand back and watch as the pastrami, beef, salami, or bologna is piled higher and higher. Sides like potato pancakes, chips, coleslaw, and potato salad all cost less than $2. If you have any room left, desserts are available, including Eli’s Cheesecake, assorted pies, and rice pudding.

Manny’s is a legendary deli that has been serving up memorable dishes since 1942. With huge portions of old-school flavor, it’s no wonder it has been in business for so long.

Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) JOE M500

Manny’s Coffee Shop & Deli ($): 1141 S Jefferson St; 312-939-2855
Mon – Sat: 5:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Street parking difficult; valet available
Public trans: Bus # 12, 127
http://www.mannysdeli.com/

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

The “Scariest Platform” goes to the State/Lake station right in the heart of downtown. The intersection of State and Lake is the hub of the Chicago transportation as dozens of buses travel through it or within a couple blocks. The Red Line runs underground, while the five Lines that comprise the Loop (Brown, Purple, Green, Pink, and Orange) all stop at this station. As you can imagine, there is a lot of pedestrian traffic and a lot of riders crowding onto the platform. And yet, at most, it only provides a width of 8 feet (2 m) for all those people to stand on. Depending on where you’re standing, this could definitely be a very scary platform.

While some commuters may have complaints or make jokes about how the stations (and some of the passengers) smell, the Sun-Times gave its “Best-Smelling” award to the Red Line Argyle station. This is due to all the Asian restaurants in the north side neighborhood, offering delicious fragrances to waiting riders. The Pink Line Western stop, serving the city’s Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods, enjoys the aromas of nearby Mexican eateries and deserves an honorable mention.

My own “Best” and “Worst”? Well, one of the worst bus/train transfers has to be the Red Line Garfield station. In order to make my way from the train station to the eastbound bus (or vice versa), I had to cross ten lanes of traffic. Ten! There is currently a stoplight there that is supposed to help with traffic, but that doesn’t help you when you’re trying to catch that bus that just pulled up to the stop across the street. And the bus driver can’t hear or see you waving from ten lanes away! To make matters worse, there’s no seating or shelter available. I know there are quite a few similar stations which require unfortunate commuters to trek across several lanes of traffic, sometimes without a stoplight.

As far as “Best,” I think the Red and Blue Line stops at Jackson are very interesting for a couple of reasons. The two stations look a lot cleaner and more modern after the city spent an extensive amount of time and money renovating them. There’s always some kind of street performer, though I can’t guarantee how talented he or she will be. The crowd is a fascinating mix of urban teens, tourists with shopping bags, blue-collar workers, and Blackberry-wielding businessmen, making it a perfect people-watching spot. Finally, even though both stations are underground, a block-long tunnel that is even deeper underground connects the two stations, a feature that is unique to these two eL stops.

You can find the article and the complete Sun-Times list here. Do you have any eL recommendations of your own?

Photo credit: (c/o Flickr) zol87 (1, 2), sallycinnaminn, BigFreaky

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

• At the Ibeji African Market Days, you can browse through handmade baskets, handbags, silk scarves, silver jewelry, and more on the ground floor of the James R. Thompson State of Illinois Center. Profits benefit orphans and women with HIV/AIDS in Africa. (Apr 10-11, e-mail)

• Support mentoring programs for local high school students at Spring for the Students: The Minds Matter of Chicago Spring Fundraiser. The event includes an open bar, appetizers, and auctions. (Apr 11)

• Ever wonder what your pet is thinking? Bring your pet to Red Dog House, where animal psychic Rachael Resk will tell you just What’s On Your Pet’s Mind. (Apr 12-13)

• The ChIRP Record Fair and Other Delights invites music enthusiasts to browse used and rare albums from across the Midwest. Visitors can expect CDs, DVDs, posters, magazines, live music, DJs, dancers, and more at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse. (Apr 12-13)

• Bring your best homemade beer to the Chicago Home Brew Contest at Binny’s Beverage Depot. Representatives from Samuel Adams and Binny’s will determine a winner, who will receive a trip to the 2008 Great American Beer Festival in Denver. The event also features free beer seminars and tastings. (Apr 12)

• Golf fans can watch the final round of the renowned tournament on two plasma screens at The Masters Viewing Party at Golftec. Sip on five exclusive PGA wines, and compete for clubs in long-drive and putting contests. (Apr 13)

• Dreamlandia (written by Octavio Solis) is where dreams and reality collide for a family living on the border between U.S. and Mexico as they deal with NAFTA, narcotics, and illegal immigration. Playing at the Victory Gardens Greenhouse Theatre through May 4.

Photo credit: Marja Flick-Buijs

Post from: The Chicago Traveler

Chefs and owners Mario Santiago and Guadalupe Aguilar often come out to check on their guests to see how they’re enjoying the Mexican and Puerto Rican menu. Many of the dishes are made with organically grown vegetables, so most of the selection is seasonal. However, first-timers absolutely must try the French double cream brie and pear quesadillas. Even patrons who stick to the basics like chips and salsa will notice the incredible taste and texture of the salsa, truly making it unique. Just beware of its spicy kick!

Moving on to the hearty entrées, the wild salmon with a tequila lemon butter cream sauce is excellent, served with Spanish rice, black beans, and sautéed vegetables. Carnivores will be delighted to see the 16-ounce New York strip steak (from Allen Brothers) on the menu, hand-rubbed in five peppercorns. Finally, finish off the experience with a cup of Intelligentsia coffee and a plate of mango flan or plantain soufflé.

These tasty dishes do attract a good crowd, so reservations are recommended. And be sure to take a moment to stop and see the beauty that is the Pilsen neighborhood.

Photo credit (via Flickr): BenSeese, cc

May St Café ($$): 1146 W Cermak Rd; 312-421-4442
Tues – Thurs: 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Fri – Sat: 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Sun: 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Street parking; free lot available
Public trans: Bus # 21
http://www.maystcafe.com/

Post from: The Chicago Traveler