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Food In Chicago ? A Gastronomic Paradise

Street Food Stall

Image by teamshaw79 via Flickr

Many persons visit Chicago for its beautiful natural attractions, skyscrapers, or merely to enjoy the pleasure of living in the big city. However, those who love food have a special reason to visit Chicago. Chicago boasts of certain dishes that cannot be found anywhere else in the country. Further, there are certain restaurants in this city that have their own unique signature dishes that will not be available even in the best restaurants and hotels outside the city.

Those who love food will be overwhelmed by the sheer choice available in the city. Chicago is one big city that has retained a small town love for street food. You will come across many vendors offering a variety of street food consumed by a large number of individuals. Unlike other cities, street food is not considered suitable for poor people alone. There are many persons who can afford the most expensive restaurants but find it impossible to escape the lure of street food of Chicago.

If you love a fine dining experience, Chicago is the place to be. There are numerous festivals and events that are planned around the different popular cuisines in the city. Make sure you research on the internet and plan your trip in such a manner that you enjoy these festivals at zero extra cost.

Whatever you do, do not make the mistake of thinking that you can explore the gastronomic delights available in the city in a single trip. You will have to repeat your visits again and again to explore all that the city has to offer.

 

 

 

 

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Gardens Among the Stone: Chicago

Jay Pritzker Pavilion - December 12, 2008
Image via Wikipedia

Nestled among the Great Lakes where watersheds and rivers converge is Chicago. This collection of steel and stone stands as one of the country’s most famed destinations.

Incorporated in 1837, it has bloomed into the third largest city in the United States (shattering census records and witnessing endless swells of its population, a reflection of its varied heritage. Immigrants flocked to the area during its conception, looking for new opportunities). Its bold architecture, distinct districts and modern beauty mark it an ideal location for those craving excitement.

There is peace to find within the glass borders, however: Millennium Park offers refuge from the crowds.

Tucked within Chicago’s downtown area (which is recommended for all potential residents. A moving company quote will help to detail the costs of seeking property here) is 25 acres of unexpected greenery. Millennium Park constructed between 1998 and 2004 allows guests to experience a variety of outdoor pleasures. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion offers concerts and events. Crown Fountain combines water, light and streaming videos for an interactive experience. The Lurie Garden sweeps gently among the skyscraper shadows. BP Pedestrian Bridge is an architectural delight, with its girders curving wildly. And the Harris Theater is an open-air venue that boasts some of the most dynamic performances in Illinois. There is much to do.

Millennium Park is often touted as Chicago’s most ambitious project and all visitors will quickly agree. Its unique appeal cannot be denied, and those craving more than concrete will find it to be perfect. It is a combination of art, gardens and sophistication: much like the city itself.

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Feeling Blue this Winter? Get Green Aboard Shoreline’s St. Patrick Day Cruise

It’s time to grab your Guinness and long (preferably green) underwear for Chicago’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Cruise! While some might argue that March is not an ideal time of year for a cruise around the Chicago River, this event’s track record of selling out begs to differ. The Irish will raise a glass, elements be damned, so come join this hearty (or possibly crazy) stock on March 12th.

This cruise is worth taking, if for no other reason than to see the Chicago River in all its emerald glory. For over forty years, the river is dyed green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, and this year will be no exception. See it up close up while enjoying some of the traditional Irish fare that will be offered buffet-style aboard this expedition provided by Shoreline Cruises. While you munch on (potatoes?) you can learn about the role of the Irish in forming the great city of Chicago we see today.

To avoid conflicts with the popular St. Patrick’s Day Parade, there will be two departures available for the St. Patrick’s Day Lunch Cruise that will be offered pre (10:00 a.m.) and post (2:00 p.m.) parade festivities. Both cruises last about an hour and a half and depart from the Shoreline docks at Ogden Slip, located near the entrance of the Navy Pier. Tickets for these cruises are $31 for adults, $29 for seniors, and $17 for children.

If the green water isn’t enough of a draw for you, perhaps fireworks will do the trick. Shoreline is offering a third cruise in the evening for prime viewing of the St. Patrick’s Day fireworks. These tickets are priced at $32 for patrons of all ages and tickets for the three cruises will open for sale on March 7th.  The fireworks are scheduled to be set off at 7:00 p.m., but there is no word yet on the departure time of the cruise.  Check the Shoreline Sightseeing website for updated information.

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The Fight to Restore Fired Teachers in Chicago Public Schools Continues

It’s funny that in times of financial hardship, education is often among the first to be put on the chopping block.  If things are bad out there, don’t we want our kids to be smarter and better prepared to face what appears to be an increasingly unstable future?  Apparently, the Chicago school district attorney’s decision to fire almost 1,300 teachers last summer would indicate the contrary.

The school district attorney’s decision was a response to the Chicago Teachers Union’s unwillingness to cut almost $100 million in wages and benefits.  No one was safe, dispelling the myth that tenure gives a teacher job security, to the point of being untouchable. Out of those fired, 750 were tenured teachers.

Since summer of 2010, a majority of those that were fired have found work teaching in other districts or been rehired by CPS.  The union is fighting for what they estimate to be about 500 teachers who still remain out-of-work and asking that their jobs be restored.

With the bickering back and forth between the union and the school district attorney, it seems like one key point has been ignored.  What about the students who lost their energetic and passionate young teachers?  These teachers never had a prayer; their lack of seniority put them first on the list.  What about the struggling students who are now getting lost in the larger classes?  What about the brilliant students, whose talents won’t be discovered and cultivated?

We ask students to think critically about the world around them, but do we?  What message does this send about the value our country places on education?

Many people have lost their jobs in this recession, but consider those who lost something less tangible: inspiration brought on by an inspiring person.  In a sense, this kind of loss is immeasurable because true inspiration can lead to infinite possibilities.  Sorry about that, kids.

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Double Standards are Dangerous

Chicago isn’t the first place to have a teacher-student sex scandal blow up in the media, but it is unique in that their coverage has asked people to consider whether there is a double standard in the way the public reacts depending on the sex of the accuser.  In this case, the woman, a teacher named Ashley Blumenshine, was accused of having sexual relations with one of her students.

Would public reaction be different if the teacher was male?  The answer is a resounding yes!  For some reason, an act that labels one person a sex offender renders another person the best teacher ever.  How is that possible?  Perhaps because when boys have sexual relations with an older woman, they are viewed by their peers, and even older males, as being lucky.  Conversely, when an older man who sleeps with a young girl, he is thought to have stolen her innocence, thus making her the victim.

This mindset is wrong for more reasons then there is time to delve into here, but the resounding one is that it’s an abuse of power.  The teacher, regardless of sex, who engages in this deplorable conduct is guilty of grossly abusing his or her power, and breaking the trust that was given to them by the school, the parents, and society.  For that alone, they should be condemned.

Then there is the ick factor to consider.  The same ick response that a priest molestation case elicits should apply here.  Have you ever spent time with a high school boy?  Can you imagine engaging in sexual relations with him?  If that doesn’t make you say ick, then something is definitely wrong with you, and that’s another part of these cases that the authorities don’t seem to be dwelling on.   These adult women having sex with young boys in their care are sick.  Moreover, they are unstable, and that emotional instability and the desire to enter a relationship with the cruelest animal known to man, aka the teenage male, is evidence of their psychosis.  There should be some real concern, as emotional instability has the potential to manifest itself in many ways, some being dangerous.

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Chicago’s Double Door: a find for musicians and fans alike

Where can you enjoy a full bar and a great band with 500 of your closest friends? Chicago’s Double Door, of course! The Double Door is located in Wicker Park and is considered an intuition by Chicago natives.

The Double Door serves as venue for a wide variety of musical genres, so you’re sure to find a show you’ll enjoy.  If concert tickets were a sacrifice you made to the recession, you can stop feeling guilty.  At the Double Door, a bigger name doesn’t mean a bigger price.  It is rare that ticket prices will exceed $20, regardless of the artist.  Some of these acts include The Smashing Pumpkins, Bush, and the Rolling Stones.  Moreover, the alcoholic beverages range between $3 and $5.  Who says you can’t always get what you want?

The Double Door is general admission, so there are no seats for you lazy folks out there.  However, if you like to get to know someone a bit before sweating on them, you may want to duck out of the main floor and head to the basement, where there is an additional bar, pool tables, and booths.  There is also a mezzanine with another bar where you can still see the stage.

The excellent acoustics in this venue make the Double Door a favorite with musicians as well as fans.  The Double Door offers some very reasonable deals and extensive in-house options for recording live performances.  In addition, they offer full production rehearsal time seven days a week.  Utilize their talented staff of engineers to hone your skills and make your performance unforgettable.

Come listen to music the way it was meant to be heard.

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Sheriff’s Fight to Ban Indigent Burials Prompts Discussion

What do you want to happen to your body when you die?

Death, especially our own, isn’t a subject we love to entertain, but it’s a certainty, along with taxes (I’m talking to you, Wesley Snipes).  It’s also a subject that elicits a great deal of emotion and consequently, people have some strong opinions on it.  In Chicago, one man, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is calling for an end to indigent burials.

Dart says that the practice of burying several people in one casket is appalling and cites the recent case of 26 babies being placed in the same wooden box to illustrate his point.  Perhaps he and others are still reeling from the scandal at Burr Oak Cemetery two years ago.  Apparently the cemetery was charged with taking dead people out of their graves, tossing them, and reselling the plots, then filling up the used grave with another person’s remains.  It was even reported that a mass grave containing the remains of dead corpses that had been removed was discovered.

Digging up corpses and wooden boxfuls of dead babies are disturbing without a doubt, but as a society, we need to start thinking about alternatives. There is simply not enough room to bury each person in an individual plot, not to mention the fact that cemeteries are terrible for the environment.  Why not cremate people? Isn’t it really about the ceremony and the act of celebrating a person’s life and letting them go?  Is that decaying corpse or pile of ashes really your loved one?  Anyone who has been to an open casket funeral or wake can attest to the fact that it’s odd because though what’s there resembles the person you knew, there is clearly an absence.  They’re not there anymore.  They’ve moved on, now shouldn’t you?

This doesn’t mean that desecrating bodies is acceptable.  We need to find viable ways to handle the dead without overshadowing the living, while being respectful to the memories of the people they were. If nothing else, at least Sheriff Dart has started a dialogue about the subject. Too bad the other side can’t comment.

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The Massive Auto Refinancing Craze in Chicago Might Just Help the Economy

Refinancing your car loan isn’t just for those who are looking to save money. Over the past couple of years there has been an increase in the number of people in Chicago who have decided to pursue a refinancing. With this increase in the number of people who are seeking out auto refinancing loans it has made many people wonder exactly what are the benefits of an auto refinance.

The biggest benefit that comes from refinancing any type of auto loan is the ability to save money. Many people who purchased cars three to four years ago were forced to accept auto loans they had high interest rates. High interest rates mean higher car payments and more money being paid back to the lender in interest. When people refinance their auto loan they are able to essentially receive a new auto loan at a lower interest rate. Over the past few years, interest rates have plummeted, which caused many people to consider refinancing in order to get a better interest rate.

While it might seem as if a car loan refinance only benefits the loan holder it can actually benefit the whole economy. As these people are taking advantage of lower interest rates they have more money in their monthly budgets to spend, if they choose. This money can be used to purchase other items and can help jumpstart the economy. The economy has been lagging due to people not having money to spend. This income allows people to make purchases and shop when they otherwise might have cut back.

Despite the fact that the majority of the people of Chicago are refinancing for personal reasons, the increase in auto refinancing might just be able to help the surrounding economy and help pick up stores and businesses that might otherwise have shut their doors forever due to the bad current economy.

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An Armed Society is a Polite(r) Society

The United States Supreme Court voted to remove Chicago’s 28-year-old gun ban in June of 2010.  Chicago Police Department statistics reveal that after the ban was enacted, the handgun murder rate in the city actually increased and Chicago citizen faced one of highest murder rates in the country, four times that of the national average.

The good news?  Since lifting the ban, police report that they are starting to see a decline in the murder rate.  The homicide rate is at the lowest it’s been in 25 years.

Perhaps bolstered by this news, or in reflection of the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and several others, nine bills relating to firearms have been filed with the Illinois House of Representatives.  Though they vary, they all have the common goal of making gun regulations less stringent.

Part of loosening regulations might mean making Wisconsin, the only state other than Illinois to prohibit concealed weapons, go solo.  There is legislation on the table to allow adults who complete a certification course to carry concealed firearms.

The idea is that the unknown might keep some would-be gangsters in check.  This philosophy says that if anyone could be carrying a weapon, then you might be a little less hasty to start a gunfight.  This is further supported by data that shows decreased crime rates where concealed weapons are allowed.

So is an armed society a more polite society?  Chicagoans will soon find out.

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Attention Book Lovers!

Any book nerd or individual involved in the publishing industry can attest that the literary scene is alive and well in Chicago.  With the snow piled high and no clear end in sight, it’s time to hunker down with a good book while we wait for spring.  So why not do it in a new venue and with a book written by a fellow Chicagoan?

Chicago’s Cultural Center houses the Chicago Publishers Gallery and Café, an institution that contains a collection of over 2,300 books and periodicals from over 100 book publishers and 75 periodical publishers.  What could be better than that?  How about the fact that all of them, as well as hundreds of authors, are based in Chicago or greater Illinois?

At the Chicago Publishers Gallery and Café, no genre of literature is excluded.  Comic book enthusiasts can peruse the shelves side-by-side with lovers of the classics.  You can find best-selling novels or just read the daily newspaper.  After you grab a snack from the café, you can pick your nook.  There are six different themes of nooks to choose from: general interest, small/university presses, Chicago writers, children’s, magazine and periodicals, and local interest.

Get comfortable because these materials are not for sale.  This makes the Gallery feel more library-like, despite the fact that checking out books is not permitted.  Don’t fret; patrons are encouraged to purchase books through the Gallery’s Amazon store or through one of Chicago’s independent booksellers.

Individuals interested in the publishing industry would do well to utilize the Gallery’s computers and browse the extensive publishing resources available.   The Gallery is part of Department of Cultural Affairs, and thus makes building community among members of the industry a top priority.  Local publishers and writers can benefit from the events and programs that the Gallery organizes to support their endeavors.  It is worth checking out the calendar of events periodically, as you will certainly find a panel discussion or presentation that interests you.

Just like there is a nook for everyone, there is also a niche.  You will surely find yours at the Chicago Publishers Gallery and Café.

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