The Chicago Traveler

• The Halloween Ghost Bash at Ghost Bar (hosted by the Lincoln Park Young Professionals) includes appetizers, candy, Skyy martinis, and a Bloody Mary bar.
• Plan B invites all Saints and Sinners to come up with the scariest, sexiest, and most creative Halloween costumes.
• Ohm holds its 6th annual Halloween Fundraiser with an open bar and prizes for best costumes. Proceeds benefit Urban Initiatives, a nonprofit organization working to boost children’s academic performance by establishing soccer programs.
• The Haunted Happening at Take Five offers a cash prize for best costume and benefits the Concordia Avondale Campus, a community center serving …read more

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• Miss Foozie hosts the 12th annual North Halsted Street Halloween Parade. (Register at Spin to participate in the parade.) After the parade, festivities include a costume contest and the Chicago Spirit Brigade.
• Comic book fans can party down at Heroes & Villians sponsored by Metromix at Harry Caray’s Tavern. Guests can enter the costume contest by having a professional photo taken in front of a comic book backdrop. Awards will be given for Best Hero, Best Villian, and Best Overall Costume.
• Psychic Sidney Friedman shows off his telepathic and mind reading skills at Davenport’s as part of Mind Shivers.
• …read more

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There was a bit of dispute over my last Best Pizzas list, as I expected there would be. It is a Chicagoan debate that has gone on for generations and will continue probably forever. So, just to add more fuel to the fire, here is another list of Chicago’s ten best ‘pies’ (courtesy of Citysearch and Yelp).
Honorable Mention: Gino’s East. If you enjoy reading, the walls here provide plenty of material.

10. Pizzeria Uno. The one, the only, the original. Loosen your belts now.
9. Piece. These very non-Chicago-style slices are simply delicious.
8. Home Run Inn. This old neighborhood tavern offers the …read more

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I know nothing about racing wagers. The last time I visited a dog track, my companion was trying to explain to me terms like trifecta, exacta, and place, but all I could think was, “I like the black dog!” But whether you’re a gambling novice or an old pro, you’re bound to have a good time at Stretch Run.
Stretch Run is a bi-level sports bar (around the corner from Cyrano’s) with over 200 television monitors, so you can be sure that every broadcast game, race, and event you can think of is on display here. The club has an OTB …read more

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Mather Tower may be Chicago’s slimmest skyscraper, but unfortunately, it has not always been the most physically fit.
Completed in 1928, the Mather Tower was originally meant to have a twin, but after the stock market crash of 1929, plans for the second building were canceled.1 The tower (just steps away from the Seventeenth Church) stands 521 feet tall (159 m), and due to its slenderness, it has the smallest floors of any skyscraper in downtown Chicago.2
Unfortunately, as beautiful as the tower and its abundant ornamentation are, the four-story cupola was declared structurally unsound in 2000 and had to be demolished …read more

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• The 11th Annual Chicago Art Open presents drawings, paintings, photographs, and more by nearly 300 artists at Merchandise Mart. (ends Oct 19)
• Several local spas are taking part in the Pretty in Pink Fundraiser and offering fixed-price ($31) massages, facials, and other beauty treatments. Every participating spa and salon has made a donation to Breast Cancer Network of Strength. Be sure to mention “Pretty in Pink” when booking your appointment. (ends Oct 31)
• Want to see something spooky? Take the Chicago Hauntings Ghost Tour, featuring Hull House, the sites of the St Valentine’s Day Massacre and Eastland Disaster, and …read more

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Can you name the seven key ingredients for a Chicago-style hot dog? Here are ten great places to conduct your research (courtesy of Citysearch and Yelp).

10. The Wiener’s Circle. Love it or hate it, this greasy spoon has got a “charm” all its own.
9. Gold Coast Dogs. All ten locations follow the Chicago-style recipe to the ‘T’.
8. Superdawg Drive-In. The winking hot dogs on the roof will be a sight you won’t soon forget.
7. Huey’s Hot Dogs. While serving up great dogs and burgers, this eatery is also well-known for its vegetarian-friendly dishes.

6. Portillo’s Hot Dogs. Both the nostalgia and …read more

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When it comes to Chicago-style deep dish pizza, there are a handful of famous names that are tried and true. Many of them (including Uno, Gino’s, and Malnati’s) are well-known far beyond the city limits. Another powerhouse in the Chicago pizza scene is Giordano’s.
There are 13 locations in the city and twice as many in the suburbs. Each of them look a little bit different from the rest, but you can usually expect to find red-and-white checkered tablecloths, wood-backed chairs, silver-topped red-pepper and parmesan shakers, and exposed brick. The Rush Street location (just off Michigan Avenue) has two floors and …read more

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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

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• Fall is coming, and with it arrives the Berghoff Oktoberfest, an outdoor celebration of food, drinks, and live music. (Sept 17-19)
• Filthy Pervert Seeks Same is a risqué comedy (directed by Michael Hampton) that explores how gay men find love—or lust—using today’s technology. (Fridays and Saturdays, Sept 19 – Oct 18)
• No, you’re not seeing things. The RedBall Project is a traveling art exhibit of a 15-foot (4.6 m) inflatable, shape-shifting sphere, stopping on bridges, in alleys, and at other specified locations. (ends Sept 25)
• The fourth annual Lincoln Park Fall Festival features live rock music and beer and …read more

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