Jumpin In the Lake

For some reason someone convinced me that it would be a good idea to jump in lake Michigan on 01/01/08. So at 11:15 am on New Years day Ryan and I went down to North ave beach and I noticed right away this was not some small time show, the parking lot was already almost full and there were people all around. When we walked around that restaurant on the beach and saw the water I also saw about a 100 people standing around the swimmers entry point, now I knew people took this seriously. As we neared the lake I realized that I may have made a giant mistake, first off the wind and air was freezing, and I heard earlier on the news that the water temp last year was 54 degrees and this year it was 32. Once we got closer I really started to kinda freak out, there were giant chunks of ice floating around all over the water as the waves crashed in all around. It wasn't even a beach any more it was just a ledge of ice. Ryan and I waited for some more of our friends to show up before we took off our clothes. Colin and Brian showed up with a crew and then it was go time. They stripped down and to my hilarious amazement they were all wearing matching American flag speedos. The laugh was nice but didn't last long because now with my clothes off and my bare feet on the freezing cold snow I really just wanted to get this over with. Chanting USA! USA! we made our way towards the entry point. I got to the ledge looked in saw the ice and water and went for it, It was cold but the Adrenalin kept me going I ran about 15 feet out and then launched my self in and under the water. When I came back up my hair immediately froze but I was still feeling good. Everything was basically all good until there was a little bit of a bottle neck to get back out of the water, since you had to climb up the ice to get out, this is when I realized... I was cold and freezing cold. I started breathing heavier and just wanted to be back in bed, then I realized that even getting out of the water was not going to help me, man I was cold. So out of the water I fly and then run back to my clothes, right now my feet I think are frost bitten. I immediately wrap my feet in my two towels and just stand there. The pain in my feet makes me forget about everything else, all I want to do is get them warm. My entire body actually has ice on it and the only thing i can do is worry about my feet I finally get them in socks and shoes without even putting my pants back on and then I start to feel better. We get some pictures and then head back to the car. As soon as we were back in the car and sitting with the heat on in a large and somewhat chaotic traffic jam, It was all better. I really wasn't that cold at all and my feet were all good again. So even though that was ridiculous and stupid, I don't really think It would be that bad if I was better prepared with some awesome socks and or sandals so my feet were not directly on the snow.

More pics here

Najstock

A few people I know are throwing an event called NAJSTOCK being held at Joe's on Weed. The Bands that will be playing are:

BULLY IN THE HALLWAY
TOM CARROLL & FRIENDS
REDMUSTASH
DAVE SODEN and PLATFORM 29

All of which I have not seen but from what I have seen and heard they are all awesome. So check it out they will be playing on Wed. Dec 26. The specials that come with the bands are 30$ all you can drink Coors Light, Well drinks and Wine from 10pm-2am and $2 Jameson drink specials. Joe's on Weed is a huge venue so lets show these guys our support and get as many people as we can over there.

No Country for Old Men

Well I'm not going to be the first one to tell you its bad because like all the critics before me I have to agree this movie was amazing. This movie is another success by the Cohen brothers. A dark movie about a hunter who when out one day happens to come across a gruesome scene of a drug deal gone bad. He sees that there are no real survivors so he decides to find the money that was supposed to be exchanged. He doesn't have much going for him in his life its just him and his wife living in a trailer so when he does find the money he keeps it for himself. This though sets off a whole chain of events that causes a lot of bloody scenes, so maybe some girls may not enjoy it as much, but leads into a fantastic climax. This type of dark movie the Cohen brothers have actually successfully completed before in their movies Millers Crossing and Fargo and this new movie takes the cake. As soon as I finished watching it I did want to watch it again to see if I could pick up more. I have a feeling I will be seeing the film a few more times and like The Big Lebowski never get sick of it.

Los Nopales

A great little authentic Mexican restaurant in the middle of Riverside I went to the other week is delicious and BYOB. Los Napoles is much bigger than I had first assumed when looking at the place from the outside. We were greeted from all sides when we walked in and the people did seem to get us a table as quickly as possible. We sat in the back and gave the waiter a presseco for him to open, right away you feel a nice calming atmosphere in the restaurant. Its is not loud and on this day it was not crowded, a few of us went there on the weekend before a movie. The food right away was delicious. We started off with some some cheviche. This cheviche was made up of shrimp and tilapia marinated in citrus juices and might have been the best I have had in the city. We then got quesadillas de espinacas, but had them add chicken, which actually turned out to be the special that day. Another successful appetizer down and then time for the main meal. We got Los Nopales Skirt Steak Special, char grilled skirt steak with frijoles borrachos, grilled cactus (los nopolas in spanish) salad, and fresh cheese sprinkled on top. Even though the three of us were splitting the food we actually all got are fair share and more. Obviously on a hungrier day someone could handle more on their own, but the point is they don't give you little tiny portions. I cannot complain at all about any of the food and its BYOB which makes it 10X cheaper than LasPalmas with comparable food. So if you are in the neighborhood, which not to many people are, so if you are just hungry for some good food its worth the drive and even a walk through the snow, there is also parking on the street.

Platform 29

They are playing this Wednesday the 21st. Please go check it out they are amazing. It is at Tommy Nevins Pub (1450 Sherman Ave, Evanston, Illinois 60201) there should be a good showing. Their MySpace page here.

Sorry, but check out the Pics

The Renagade

Stevie once again will have her store Truche being displayed at The Renegade Craft Fair which is located this year on Division in between Wood and Damen. As every year there is a wide range of things to check out so I would check it out if you get a chance. It starts at Noon and goes till 10 at night on both the 15th and the 16th. Along with jewelry there is art work clothing nik naks and even food. It really is worth going to.

A Tribute To Dan

Well as of the 1st Dan and Hilary are out of Chicago, Hilary to Dublin and Dan to Buffalo then Dublin. Dan was a friend of mine and the apartments since I moved in. I really will miss him. He was always a blast to hang out with. Dan was the first new person I met really moving into the apartment. I remember back when I was smokin cigs Dan before he even had met me knew I smoked, cause of the million cigarette butts in the trash, and taped a pack of camel lights to our door with a little note saying he got them at a bar, but doesn't smoke any more so he was giving them to me. Dan is a great soul and is a part of my history in that building so I am giving him a tribute through some funny pictures I have taken over the years. Have fun in Ireland Danny Boy, I'll miss you. I am grateful though of the fact that I now have an excuse to visit Ireland. Save me a spot on the couch.

My MBA

So I am going for my Master of Beer Appreciation this year. I signed up at the Goose Island brewery to become "educated" on all of thier beers. What this means is that I have to sit down and try all of the beers that they offer, no not all at once, but over the course of more than a year. The way it works is you get a little checklist with all the beers they have broken down by: spring, summer, fall, winter, year round classics, and reserve. The seasonal beers only happen during that season, obviously, but also they can run out so you will have to wait till the next year. That is when you go to the year rounds and the reserves. I started just a few weeks ago and haven't really made to big a dent. I have 5 checked off out of the possibly 45. When you reach your first 15 different styles of beer they award you with your own growler, 64oz, and same with your 30th. On your final beer though you receive a shirt showing that you are an MBA graduate and also your name is put on a plaque and hung in the Clybourn street brewery next to all the other graduates. I will let you know my progress and any especially delicious beers I come across. Right now my favorites are the Matilda and the Christmas ale, we'll see if that changes.

An Activity Day

Well I was feeling a little lazy lately, not really moving around that much this summer, so I planned an activity day. It actually turned out to not be the best day ever for it, but a good day none the less. So the plan was to go into Wilmette and pick up some bikes and cruise the North Shore. After a short ride we would then stop off at Gilson beach and jump in the lake for a swim and some kayaking. Then lastly a quick game or two of tennis. The day went really well and was a lot of fun I actually got to work out a little and not feel as shitty as I have been. Kayaking was a great time and was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be even in a some what calm Lake Michigan. After kayaking and swimming for awhile we grabbed a picnic in the Wallace bowl a little outdoor theatre in Gilson park that is actually a great place to see a play or even a little concert. Then a quick bike ride to dry off and we were off to tennis. This was somewhat new to me seeing as I have never really played tennis EVER, but it was a lot of fun. I knew tennis would be hard, but I didn't expect it to be as ridiculous as it was, trust me I need a lot of work. After all that a bike ride back home to find out that I also had a wedding that day and was late for it. In the end it was a great day with a crazy ending, but I cant wait to do it again. I highly suggest if anyone can get a hold of a kayak somewhere to give kayaking in the lake a try. Its a good work out and a lot of fun.

Just thought I would let you know what I did last weekend. Some more pics here

Nacional 27

Went to a fancy restaurant the other day with Erin. I have heard a lot of good things about Nacional 27, so I thought I would check it out. The restaurant serves modern Latin food and has a new and interesting approach to its ceviche. They also seem to take great pride in their cocktails cause they have a lot to choose from. The strange and great thing about this restaurant is later in the night they clear away several tables and become more of a dance club, they have dj's and dancing going on till 2 in the morning. Our dinner was earlier so, missed this, but do want to go back and see what its all about. The drinks we had were actually really good and made me want to check out some of there other fancy drinks, but held off. There is a 100$ drink called the millionaire something and has gold in it, that's a little ridiculous and obviously I wasn't going near that. The food we had was really good, we started off with a watermelon and Ahi tuna cheviche, which tasted like no other cheviche I have had before. The cheviche tasted like they switched the lime from a normal ceviche and used watermelon, it was interesting. We then tried some tapas as an appetizer and got the chicken empanadas, which were also very good. For dinner I got the steak tenderloin medallions which was obviously delicious and melted in your mouth. The steaks came laid over potatoes these were phenomenal. Erin got the pacific blue nose "hauchinango", a tropical white fish, laid over a salsa verde with cilantro. Hers was really fantastic and didn't taste at all fishy. For dessert I got the churros with three cheese ice cream. At this point I was really full, but still managed to force this down cause it was so good. Erin got the better of the desserts. She got, cuatro chocolates, which was chocolate cake, chocolate sorbet, pudding and chocolate milk. Overall the food was amazing and the atmosphere made you feel like you were definitely in a nice restaurant, but the feeling we got when we were there was they were rushing us. We received our cheviche and tapas at the same time as our bread and drinks then 5 minutes later we received our main dishes. So we had to put our meals aside while we finished the first parts and the entrees some what cooled off. We figured what the hell though, but then when we did start finishing things our cheviche, empanadas, drinks and bread they never really came back to clear it off. It wasn't all that big a deal except that the food is kinda expensive so you figure you wouldn't really be rushed considering we were there at an early time and it was not that crowded. Any ways like I said the experience overall was good and I would probably go back, but I would go later maybe just for the tapas and the late night dancing.

Usagi Ya

Usagi Ya, another of the many sushi places in and around Chicago, happens to be relatively unknown, yet very good. It's not the best in Chicago, but a lot better than most. This passed weekend I went there for my second time and was just as impressed with it as the first time. All the food was fresh and tasted delicious. Sometimes at certain sushi places the sushi is either not fresh or it's not the right temperature (either too hot or cold) and what I hate the most is when they use to much of the vegetable, whether it be cucumber or avocado or whatever instead of a good portion of meat. Well none of this even has anything to do with Usagi Ya because all their food has been great. I think the only reason it's not all that busy is because its on the corner of Division, Ashland and Milwaukee. There is a lot of other crazy stuff going on at that corner that makes a good sushi restaraunt being on the corner a little out of place. It might have something to do with that it is across the street from Nelson Algren park, which happens to always be full of homeless people, but I don't know. All I know is that I have been there and it's worth giving a try cause it's better in my opinion than Zen noodles and Sai cafe. Oh and their Saki was perfect.

ZK Foods

I cant believe it has taken me this long to write about this place, maybe because I always forget about it, not at all because of its food though it is because of its location. For some reason when walking around my neighborhood I never really find myself on Milwaukee north of North ave and when I do I really only go to the Hair Cuttery or Blockbuster, which is strange because there is a lot of really interesting things over there. Anyways, This place is a hidden gem. ZK Foods serves a lot of home cooked style meals, but also has some interesting dishes you wouldn't normally see. It seems there main meals at lunch are soups and sandwiches both of which I have tried, the chicken chili, split pea, and a Reuben sandwich all of which were delicious and very well portioned (the sandwich was huge). I also was there another time and was able to try the mac and cheese, talapia tacos and had a bit of Erin's "Grilled Eggplant Sandwich with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, roasted red peppers and fresh basil leaves" which was cooked very well. I saw the meatloaf and the turkey sandwich that were also giant plates full, but also looked good, probably checkin one of those out next. I really did like there soup though and they have fresh ones all the time so if you just stop in there they have soups ready for carry out and made a sandwich for me to take out real quick, but there seating area is inviting so if you have the time I'd just grab a seat. If you happen to be walking by this place definitely check it out.

Wicked

I finally got around to seeing Wicked the Musical. It was really good. I have never really been to a musical before so I didn't really know what to think, but like all the reviews have said it was not to be missed and I'm glad I didn't. The seats were in the middle and up one level. The view was really good and the price of the ticket was not too ridiculous, though they were still expensive. I really wish I had read the book, but still understood and enjoyed all of it. It really does make you feel like you are watching a movie. It's impressive how they change the sets so fast and so smoothly. The costumes are well made and the actors I thought did a great job. The songs they sang were overall well done. Some of the songs were catchy and some were just funny, and the choreography went well with all the songs. The whole thing was worth the money and should be checked out if you can get a ticket. I think it has become a lot easier to get good tickets where as before you couldn't get anything without spending over $200. Thanks Erin for coming with me and finding my ticket.

16" Softball National Championship

If any random crazy fans of 16" softball were interested the "No Gloves" Championship is going on this weekend in Forest Park.

For the schedule click here

Philadelphia

Ok there is a little to much to talk about and I'm a little late so i will say a bit and then have to let the hundreds of pictures I took tell the rest of the story. First things first, I love Philly. This was my first time there and I did not know what to expect and I was blown away, blown away by the history, the layout, the diversity, the night scene, and the people of this city. Nothing, the whole time I was there, didn't make me want to just move there. I cant believe how strange it is to walk around and see buildings that are hundred and hundreds of years old, and yet inside them might be a new restaurant or a bar. I went to Philly a week early for my cousin Mike Gawlicks wedding, he married Erin Victory. Mike was nice enough to let me be in his wedding as a groomsman, that was a lot of fun, but I'm getting ahead of myself cause I was there a whole week just experiencing the city before the wedding, which by the way was great and went really well. When I got into Philly it was about 8 pm and I actually didn't have any clue as to where I was and or where I was going, I also didn't have a place to stay and no one to meet up with. The Nondorfs got in earlier that day, but were out to dinner and Erin's sister Joy did not get off work till 11 so in the airport I followed some signs that got me to a train it said it was going into the city so I hoped on it. I was kinda hoping like in Chicago, DC or even New York the last stop on the train would be in the heart of the city, turns out its not. So I missed my stop, but not that big a deal, easily recovered. After turning around I got of in the middle of what they call Center City (the heart of Philly). Hmmm... well then I just kinda wondered around with a tux, a bag of clothes and a backpack for awhile and tried to find maybe a bar or restaurant that looked inviting to just hang out in till either the Nondorfs were done with dinner or Joy got off of work. The problem was that not only did I not see anything to go into, but it actually all looked kinda shady and therefore caused me to keep walking, I ended up in Chinatown for a little while which was nice cause there I didnt feel like anything would happen to me. I really didn't mind any of this except that the bags where getting heavy and there is no real way to hold a tuxedo bag. Finally I saw a sign, which I later realized where all over the city, that pointed directions towards landmarks. Al had told me that the hotel and where they would be around was near Independence Hall so I followed the sign, which was just an arrow pointing up, but it made me feel better any ways. Little did I know that I was still kinda far away. Eventually wondering through the streets of Philly at night I was able to meet up with the Nondorfs right near Independence Hall and I realized that I was able to be in the same spot as the signing of the Deceleration of Independence on the 4th of July and I that this is exactly where I wanted to be for the next week. All this happening within only 2 hours of being in Philly. Ok all that was just an intro and I feel it was already to long so I am not really going to say much else except that Lorenzo's on South street was the best pizza and of all the steak sandwiches, Geno's, Pat's, Jim's Ishkabibbles and others, Ishkabibbles in its little pink open window storefront had the best sandwich. I did try the wiz, I didn't put gum on a tree, but I did see "the playground where I spent most of my days" and ran the rocky steps among many other things. The whole trip was unbelievable and I cant wait to go back. I'll have pictures in blogs below.

Mr and Mrs Gawlick

Not to many wedding pics I think I was to busy dancing. The wedding though was amazing and the reception afterwards was in the Penn train station and was the coolest setting I've seen. Thanks Victories. Some pics here

Philly Photos

Independence Hall

The First Bank

Rocky and Joe

Masonic Temple

Geno's Steaks

Click on the Pictures to get my sets, or here

Happy Village

I thoroughly enjoy this bar and hope to be frequenting it more often, not because of the booze or the people (not that there was anything wrong with them), but because of there beautiful beer garden and there ping pong room. The actual bar area is kinda dark and dive-y with a good bartender and a small crowd, so therefore liked by me. When you walk in there are the arcade games and the jukebox with small tables lining the left wall. The long straight bar is on your right and goes pretty much the length of the room. Behind the bar on the walls are your standard nic naks like a clock with Bobby and John Kennedy, along with the classic Christmas lights and beer promotions hanging all around the ceiling. At the end of the bar you can either go straight or you can go right. Right is the bathrooms, which for some reason have an unusually large urinal, no problem, except it is contrasted hilariously with an extremely small sink. Passed the bathrooms and in a second room was the ping pong room. Nothing crazy just two Ping pong tables with a bar in the back and little tables all around the room for people to watch or wait. What I thought was really cool about this room is that they have a little boom box sitting in the front of the room with a pile of cds people have left, the cds are all burned and mostly mixes that you have know idea what are on them, but it is definiatly an ingenious idea. Right next to the boom box is a port and speakers for an ipod. Say if you came early on a Saturday morning and not a lot of people are there, just throw on your ipod and play some pong to what you want. Back out through the bar and out the other door is the beer garden, its real simple, but looks amazing. Immediately to your right is a pond and a garden, straight in front of you is an archway covered in ivy and through that are the tables and chairs. It is not huge and I could see it getting packed on a nice day, but it is worth checking out. There is no food or at least none that I noticed, but the beers seemed cheap and reasonable and the place is really worth checking out.

I Know I Suck

Sorry about no posts forever, Ive been in a funk, but I will be back and more reliable. I have several posts I want to do so I will get them going as soon as possible. I doubt I can get to all of them today but don't worry they will follow shortly. I will start it off with a short one...

I saw this bike on the street the other day and it is the coolest thing I have ever seen, I have actually had a concept in my head to make a bike for the last couple of years and this is about the only bike that has come close to looking like my design. Its made by Puma and costs a ton of money and I don't think you can get it in the US, but its really a pretty sweet bike. That cord in the picture actually helps hold the bike together and if you were to steal the bike and try and ride it without the key that cord snaps off and the bike becomes unrideable (I think I made that word up). This is one of the many cool things it can do besides its awesome look.

more pics

more info http://www.puma.com/bike/pindex.jsp

Happy Birthday Erin

A Globe

My Aunt Peggy Macnamara, who makes awesome watercolor paintings and has a couple of books out, was asked to paint a globe for the city of Chicago. Its sort of like the "Cows on Parade" they did a while back, but now they are using huge globes. Anyway if you are ever by the Shedd or the Field Museum check it out.

Platform 29

"The Next Generation" are playing another gig and this one is important. the last show at Tommy Nevins was awesome but this seems like it is going to be much bigger and better and since they are movin on up they decided they need a name change, they will no longer be called The Next Generation, but instead they are going to be PLATFORM 29. They will be playing at the Irish heritage center on this Friday the 13th, so come down and show some support.

Here is the link http://irishfestchicago.com/irishfestchicago.aspx

(They are still called The Next Generation)

or click here

I'll Get To It I Promise

Well, I have been out awhile first I had Connor and Molly's Wedding on Friday the 29th, then I had to wake up at a nice 5:45 to go to the airport so I could be back in time for the Patriot Games, and after that crazy weekend I went to Philedelphia on Tuesday night. I stayed in Philly from Tuesday till Sunday for a vacation and more importantly Mike Gawlick and Erin Victory's wedding, which Mike was nice enough to let me be a groomsman in. The whole week in Philly was awesome. I cant get it all in right now, but I will soon. Many stories to tell.

Can You Name That Bug?

5$ to the person who can tell me what this is. Found it on the stoop.

Manu Chao

I was able to go see a show last Sunday at the Aragon and it was a pretty cool experience. The person I went to see was Manu Chao. His band that plays behind him is called sound system. The Aragon was packed when we got there. Luckily we had tickets cause it was sold out and there was a line literally around the block. Manu Chao was born in Paris, France and after, forming a band, he moved to Madrid, Spain. That alone makes his music interesting, but over the years Manu has played with all sorts of different people - groups from Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Manu is very much influenced by the places he has been and therefore his music is very diverse. At any moment you will be listening to French, English, Arabic, Portuguese, but mostly he sings in Spanish. The concert was crowded, ridiculously hot with no AC, the sound was not the best (not to mention in Spanish most of the time) and yet this concert was one of the best I had ever been to. The atmosphere was unbelievable and it felt like at any moment the people in the crowd would run out into the streets singing his songs. The crowd felt as though they really were hanging onto every word that Manu Chao spoke. He would stop, say some words in Spanish ("papers for all") and the whole place would erupt into cheers with several different flags being flow in the air. Also, the music itself was like nothing I had ever heard before. He would go from a slow style of rock to reggae to what sounded like Rage Against the Machine all in the same song. Being down in the middle of the madness will not be forgotten. Once it was over and I was leaving with a shirt that was now completely covered in sweat and my ears ringing all I wanted to do was go out and by one of his CDs and if he is to come to Chicago again I will with out a doubt be there again.

The Patriot Games Part 4

Well it is almost time again for one of the greatest events of the summer, The Patriot Games 4th Annual at Oz Park (Webster & Larabie, Chicago, IL). This year it is being held on Saturday the 30th of June. As usual we are expecting a great crowd with some real competitive games going on. Hopefully this year we can exceed our numbers from last year because like last year we will be donating money for a cause. This year we will be giving much needed money to the children of Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters), a home for orphaned and abandoned children in the south of Mexico. Ellie has been volunteering at this home for the past 5 months now and has come to know and love all these kids. As usual there will be tons of food and plenty of beer along with great people and a ridiculous time. Shirts and teams will be decided around 11:30 this year so get there on time. We are hoping for 80 plus people which would be a similar style tournament as last year, but we are expecting something more around 70 more like the second year. The cost this year is the same as last year, $35, with that you get a shirt, food, beer, an amazing day and also a donation. If you are going and can mail a check early it is always appreciated, 1848 W Henderson Chicago, IL 60657. I hope to see everyone there.

The Next Generation

Last Thursday I got to finally see The Next Generation and they were amazing. They are made up of Tommy Sullivan, Eddie O'Connor, Johnny Russo and Liz Sullivan. They also had a drummer but I don't know his name. The band played at one of my old suburban hang outs Tommy Nevins Pub in downtown Evanston. The concert showed a wide range of what this crew can do. They played I would say almost every song you would want them to from Wilco to the Grateful Dead and from Jurassic 5 to Irish Music. They have also written their own songs, which are all unbelievable. The band was made up of two guitars, a bass, a violin, a keyboard and drums - it was an impressive set up. The strange thing I heard over the weekend though is that Tommy Nevins stiffed them and they were not paid at all. They were told that the bar would collect a cover at the door that they would get and then any money the bar made over a certain amount they would get to split with the bar. Instead they didn't even collect a cover and they also didn't give them a cut of the bar money even though they made 300% over what they were supposed to. Anyways, whatever, bands life I guess. They are playing again real soon at the Irish Heritage center. I' ll try and figure out when.

Guess I'm A Truck Guy Now

Just bought a brand new Toyota Tundra last night, I really like it. This is actually the first car I have really bought that was sold by a real dealership so my experience last night was interesting to say the least. All the stories are true and it is for sure intimidating walking into that little room were you are negotiating your deal, but it all went well.

More pics here

May St. Cafe

May St. Cafe is a little place in Pilsen. It's a real "diamond in the ruff." This place is way off the beaten path, but that doesn't mean it's not frequented. The restaurant from the outside is a nice bright color green, impossible to miss from the road. The size is a little misleading and though it's definitely not all that big, there is plenty of room. The menu is Latino mostly, but like its deceptive size, it is much more than it looks. The menu is actually Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban food, but has both Asian and French influences. The food is truly unique and has its own style. All the food I tried was excellent and enjoyed by everyone at the table. We had two different kind of quesadillas for apps - the Cuban with beans and cheese and one with chicken in it. For entrees I had the shrimp diablo, an amazing dish that I thought was going to be small, but actually turned out to be the biggest meal. It was mostacolli type noodles with a spicy, rich sauce and a hefty amount of shrimp mixed up inside it all. Some of the other meals at the table were a pork tenderloin that was cooked to perfection and was very juice. It, too, was a good sized portion. The salmon came out with rice, beans, and tortillas which made awesome little tacos. Last, but not least and easily the most interesting of all the meals and probably the bravest order was the chipoltle cinnamon chicken fajitas. This was exactly what it sounds like and that's what made it so interesting. Cinnamon and chipotle don't seem like they could possibly work, but it did. It was something new and different, but still good. The price isn't too bad either. I mean it's not cheap, but it is a really nice restaurant and it is BYOB which cuts down on the bill greatly. Transportation really has to be by cab; you could find public transportation around, but it's a walk.

Looptopia

This looks like it is going to be a lot of fun. I will be checking it out later tonight it is located all over the loop and Kim's show is actually projected onto the buildings in the city so it should look amazing. I highly recommend people see what this is all about.

"Commute"
by Kim Alpert
1 S. Dearborn

This surreal installation features distorted video of commuters in the morning and evening over the Chicago bridges zigzagging down the side of a building. The bridges will be replaced with clouds and the endless loop of commuters walking represents the waking like of the influx of people who come to work downtown.

Starts around 6:00pm and goes into the night.

Quenchers

I love this bar, it is on the corner of Fullerton and Western across the street from an old school diner. This bar looks real sketchy from the outside and is sketchy looking on the inside, but the place and people are not. The crowd usually starts out consisting of old timers but has a younger crowd that shows up a little after work usually to sip on some nice beers from around the world. They have hundreds of beers in this small place. It is set up so that you pick what you want to drink by the country. So if one day you want some beers from a country like Brazil well then you can choose off their giant blackboard under the Brazilian flag and grab say a, Xingu (a great black beer) or you can get a Belgium Kwak in a hilarious glass that actually needs to be held up by some wooden contraption. Quenchers also has a back room where they almost always have something going on, live shows, parties, karaoke, etc. They have the usual bar food not all that bad but not anything special, they do have a popcorn machine if you don't want anything, something I always enjoy in a pub. This is a bar to definitely check out.

Asak's New Blog

In honor of Asak's new blog, sportstalk19512 I thought I would talk about some of the amazing sports we had this weekend, minus one horribly disappointing Bulls game. There were five Cubs/Sox games, The Kentucky Derby, the NBA playoffs and a big time boxing fight. One thing the weekend really did was remind me of how much I like horse racing. It is truly the most exciting 2 minutes in sports. I forgot the thrill of the build up and the back stories. What was really amazing about the Derby this weekend is how "Street Sense, the 9-2 favorite, rallied from 19th under jockey Calvin Borel to pass the pacesetting Hard Spun in the stretch and draw away to a 2 ¼-length victory in the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs." It actually was amazing even after they showed the replay 20 times. Street Sense just rode the inside post passing everyone one by one and with only two or three horses left he moved right, threading the needle and then just flew in front of the leader. It was really fun to watch. That was only one of the many great events that happened, but the other sports talk I will leave up to Asak, such as is it really going to help the Yankees that they signed Roger Clemens or is there no way they can catch the Red Sox anyways or can the Bulls bounce back from such a crushing defeat.

Everyone check out asaks blog here

Lotties

It used to be great till they decided they didn't feel the need to treat their regular customers with any sort of respect. Lotties is were we watched every single bears game, unless of course we were at the game. The bar has good food, really nice waitresses and tons of TVs. It's a perfect place to watch a game, there is only one problem and it is big enough for us to switch our location for next year, everything is overpriced. This wouldn't be that big of a problem except that when you bring 25 friends to a bar and they all spend hundreds of dollars you would think maybe once they would by you A drink back, but NO. We went the whole season without anyone we knew getting one thing free or even on discount. The other ridiculous thing about there stupid operation is that they don't keep a correct tab. They just charge you anything they want and always more. I had three beers once and was on a tab with Al who also had three and our bill was 80$. They just give you a receipt with millions of extra beers on it and when you say something they make up something to get out of it. The end all though was on the NFC Championship game against the Saints the Lotties decided they were going to raise there prices, almost every other bar in the city had specials that day to celebrate. Other bars realized that they would be making more money because the Bears were so deep in the playoffs instead of alienating people. Well their lose. Next year we will be at a different bar.

Cans

This place is not all that great, but I still find myself here every once in awhile. This place is more of a frat bar then anything else. It is called Cans for the obvious reason that almost all their drinks come in cans. The food is decent but I recommend sticking with the appetizers. Cans almost always has some deal going on. Mondays used to be 20 cent wings - I think it still is - and Thursday is $4 tall cans which is a pretty good deal considering they are twice as big. The downfall of Cans though is the crowd and the TVs. I mean are you a sports bar or not, the TVs are in the most awkward spots and you usually need to break your neck just to get the best view. The crowd is made up of mostly meat heads in tight shirts looking for some action. Cans also loves playing bad music way too loud even when no one is there. The service is also terrible; the waitresses are for the most part good looking, but they thing they are the shit so don't expect them to smile, hang out or even come back with your drink any time soon. They do have a pool table though, a plus, if you could use it. Usually it is too crowded to get in a game since it doesn't have much room to begin with. I guess this bar might be good on a Monday, Tuesday after work, but definitely not that great any other time.

The Bucktown Pub

The Bucktown Pub is one of my favorite spots. It's a simple corner bar with a chill atmosphere, and usually not that many people are in there, which I like. The bar used to be an old biker stomping ground just off the highway, but since then has gone through some major changes. It looks as if at one point it was more of a hippie rock n roll bar with black light posters and old 1960's concert posters. It is not that way anymore, but still real laid back. Some little perks that make this bar better than just the normal dive is the stale popcorn and the games in the back. They have, obviously, Golden Tee and pinball which are great, but the real reason I go back each time is because they have old school shuffle bowling, a great game in which you slide a small metal puck across a slick waxed surface sliding underneath what looks like pins hanging from above. Once underneath it triggers the pins to pop up and you play like regular bowling, a great game, that has been the start of even better nights. Another good thing about this bar is their summer beer garden which isn't the biggest in the world, but it's never crowded. The beer and liquor menu are nothing special but they have everything the average drinker would want. The only downfall is they don't have any other food besides the popcorn. This place is real good for a pint after work or before you go out on the weekends. The bar is ok on Friday, Saturday night, but it does get a little crowded. I like going there with a small crew and hanging out watching a Bulls playoff game before going out. Like I said, it's one of my favorite bars.