The Chicago Traveler

Spaghetti, penne, rigatoni… pasta is pasta is pasta, right? Maybe not. Using the highest-quality products he can find, chef Theo Gilbert creates organic, nourishing foods that are certainly appreciated by his hungry customers. He changes the menu at Terragusto every couple of weeks based on what he finds at local farmers’ markets, keeping the selection new and fresh. And while the food is high-quality, the restaurant is far from stuffy: there are no fancy linens and corkage is only $1 per person.
From outside, you can catch a glimpse of workers kneading pasta on a wooden block near the window. However, …read more

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• Follow a trail of flour, chalk, and toilet paper on the Sixth Annual Great Chicago Anthrax Scare/Santa Hat Run. This four-mile run (for $44) includes a Santa cap, a hazmat suit, and four hours of food and open bar with the Chicago Hash House Harriers afterward. Meet at the Hidden Shamrock by 2 p.m. (Dec 15)
• Aunt Mabel gave you an ugly-as-sin holiday sweater last year. Here’s your opportunity to finally enjoy it. The Second Annual Fugly Sweater Bar Crawl begins at Blarney Stone at 2 p.m. and makes its way through Wrigleyville ‘til 12 midnight. Call for details …read more

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• Join the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement at Shikago Restaurant for their 2007 Holiday Party. Enjoy cocktails and modern Asian cuisine, all while taking in the beautiful city views. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. A $5 discount will be given at the door to those who donate professional apparel. (Dec 7)
• Want to support a Democratic candidate? RSVP for Change Rocks, a concert for Senator Barack Obama at the Riviera Theatre. Performers include Jeff Tweedy, Stephan Jenkins, and Jill Sobule. (Dec 7)
• The fifth annual Winter Arts and Crafts Expo at the Evanston Art …read more

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 I have to admit, I love this time of year. While I’m not a fan of chilly weather or candy-greedy kids, I can’t get enough of all things creepy and spooky. If you enjoy an adrenaline rush and want to potentially bust some ghosts, grab a tour with Chicago Ghost Investigations. This paranormal research group will teach you how to use authentic ghost-hunting equipment, including cameras, sensors, and thermal scanners. CGI investigators will be there to guide you, but for approximately two hours, you are the ghost hunter. This mind-altering experience is incredibly fun but also very intense, so be …read more

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As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to an end, here’s a look back at some of the moments in which The Chicago Traveler celebrated Latin culture and tradition.
• Two to Tango: There are places throughout the city where you can learn and practice this passionate dance from Argentina.
• La Pasadita may not look like much on the outside, but it’s quite possibly one of the best taquerias in the city.
• Carnivale features Brazilian, Cuban, Colombian, and Puerto Rican food which the executive chef likes to call “Latin soul food.”
• A Mexican sauce made from chile peppers and other spices, mole comes …read more

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I’ve sat and thought… and contemplated… and brainstormed… and I’m still having difficulty figuring out just what to say about Pete’s Pizza.
You see, just up the street from Crabbby Kim’s, Pete’s serves up some of the best thin-crust pizza in the city. The crust is firm and crisp… and very, very dry, which you’ll either love or hate. My family and I have held more than one graduation celebration in their spacious (recently remodeled) dining room, ordering several pizzas that were easily devoured. The tomato sauce is applied lightly, allowing ingredients like ricotta cheese, hot giardiniera, roast beef, or …read more

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Just steps away from the Brown Line, Café 28 dishes out Cuban and Mexican cuisine with a hip, urban atmosphere. The exposed brick walls and dark wood accents keep everything comfortable and relaxed.
If you think that all Latin food is the same, you’d be very mistaken. Cuban food is a bit more unorthodox: white rice, black beans, plantains, many Caribbean and Spanish flavors. Mexican dishes are more indigenous to their origin country: peppers, tortillas, etc. They are two very different worlds. Because of this interesting and unexpected pairing, many familiar dishes are kicked up with a unique twist.
For example, the …read more

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Alright, gentlemen. I hear you. Sometimes you’re not looking for a trendy club or a stylish bar. Sometimes, you just need a place where you can grab a beer, hang out with the guys, and watch the game. If you’re in the mood for a no-frills neighborhood sports bar, you might want to check out Crabbby Kim’s Bikini Bar.
And just why is this establishment called a “Bikini Bar”? Because all the female bartenders wear skimpy two-piece bikinis every night, all year long. The Hooters franchise has got nothing on these ladies.
If you can manage to peel your eyes away from …read more

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Just a few blocks away from my home, I can’t help but notice the Angel Food Bakery every time I pass it. Cute, retro, and with a bright green sign, this corner delight is awfully tempting. It’s filled with lime-green walls, custom-made cakes, and wide-eyed, drooling customers.
Pastry chef Stephanie Samuels is a self-taught artist, and her sweet masterpieces have been featured on the Food Network. Her cakes feature popular combinations like orange with caramel buttercream filling and white buttercream icing, lemon with lemon curd and spiky meringue, and carrot with orange-ginger buttercream. Feeling silly? Try a piece of the Spring …read more

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Tango started in the late 1800s in lower-class districts of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The dance had several fluctuations in popularity, but at one point, the Argentinean government actually hired dancers to tour and market the tango in the United States’ major cities. This sparked interest in many Chicagoans back then, but the social dance has found a remarkable following recently as well.

You can take lessons at the Dance Center Chicago from one of the best, Somer Surgit. He and his partner are professional tango dancers that teach and tour all over the world. “For me, it’s the way I express …read more

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