Food, food, and more food

While east coasters were bracing for Irene this weekend, I was trying to squeeze in as much time outdoors as possible to enjoy the amazing weather (and free time before the fall teaching schedule kicks in). My Aunt Sandy was in town for a little break from the sweltering temperatures in Texas and we spent Friday afternoon eating our way through the neighborhood. We went to Gene's Sausage Shop for a giant pretzel on their lovely rooftop, sampled some caramels at Amy's Candy Bar, ate lunch at City Provisions, took a walk along the lakefront, and ended the afternoon with a slice of pie from First Slice Pie Cafe.

Hilary's Cookies

Last week, a co-worker brought me a chocolate coffee cookie from Hilary's Cookies and I've been obsessed ever since. After doing some research, I found out she has a store front in Lincoln Square where she sells vegan cookies, ice cream sandwiches, and other yummy treats. If you're in the area, she's having an event on Friday evening to preview some new goodies for the fall, including cookie cupcakes!

Sunday

Sunday was a beautiful day so I met up with Alex and Violet to enjoy some al fresco dining at Three Aces. Their patio was lovely and would be a great spot to meet up with friends for an evening drink. Later, we stopped by Skinnie Piggy, a sweet shoppe in Little Italy, for some cupcakes. You can choose a cupcake in either the skinnie portion or the piggy portion. I got the lemon drop cupcake in the skinnie portion, so you can imagine how big the piggy size is! 

Marmalade

After getting my butt kicked at the gym, I met up with Talitha at Marmalade for our weekly breakfast date. Marmalade recently opened in the space previously occupied by Le Sabre Restaurant. We ordered the pear french toast and breakfast sandwich, both of which were delicious. My favorite part of the meal, though? The coffee! I'll have to stop in again to find out what they were brewing!

Revealing Chicago

These photos of Chicago by photographer, Terry Evans, are so stunning. The aerial photos are part of a larger project, Revealing Chicago. Visit her website to see many more amazing photographs.

"I intend to highlight issues that concern everyone in Chicago, but that is not all. I want to share the beauty of this gorgeous, complicated city. Sometimes Chicago from above reminds me of looking at virgin prairie found from waist level twenty-five years ago, when I photographed the rich interweaving intricacy of grasses. More than anything, I wanted to show the diversity and complexity of Chicago, yet I have not even come close. This is an incomplete portrait, a fraction of a second in the life of Chicago, and every picture contains more stories than the image reveals."








(all photos by Terry Evans)

Upcoming Chicago shows

I've already got my ticket for the Fleet Foxes show in October but there are a bunch of other great shows coming to Chicago this Fall. Here are some of the bands I'm hoping to see live when they come to town.

Cat Yoga

Nope, this isn't a photo from Halloween...

At a wedding gig this past weekend, the bride requested we wear these angel costumes as we serenaded her down the aisle. There's a first for everything! For some reason, my eyes are glowing in this picture, so I look like a possessed angel.

The rest of the weekend was pretty low key...tennis with Christine, Scrubs marathon, and sushi with Bonnie!



Helplessness Blues

Looking forward to seeing these guys and their sweet harmonies live when they come to Chicago in October!

Epic Burger

Talitha and I deviated from our normal breakfast routine and met up at Epic Burger for lunch. It's a little embarrasing how excited I get over a good burger and fries (and milkshake too!). There is no shortage of great burger joints in Chicago but I have yet to try many of them. So, naturally, I made a list of places to check out:

1. Kuma's Corner
2. DMK Burger Bar
3. M Burger
4. Urban Burger Bar
5. Five Guys
6. The Burger Philosophy
7. The Butcher and the Burger
8. The Burger Joint

Chicago folks, do you have a favorite burger?

Cubs Win!

Mark and I saw the Cubbies win their 6th straight game on Friday afternoon. It was the perfect afternoon to sit outside and enjoy a ballgame. The highlight of the game was seeing the speedy Tony Campana hit an in-the-park homerun. Not ones to leave a game early, we stuck around until the last out and then literally ran down Clark St. so I could make it to work on time. Totally worth it!

Lulu Belle's

This weeks breakfast trip was to Lulu Belle's Pancake House. We ordered Belle's Bacon, a waffle with bacon slices cooked inside. Sweet and savory in one...genius!

Afternoon diversion

I recently discovered NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts and am thoroughly enjoying watching these intimate, live performances. Some of my favorites: Givers and The Civil Wars.

Dusk Variations

I took advantage of my night off from teaching and headed to Millenium Park for an evening concert. The Turtle Island String Quartet performed music by Jimi Hendrix, Coltrane, and Balakrishnan.  It was a fantastic concert!