All posts tagged: chicago

Sipping October

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This article was originally published in the Chicago Tribune. One of my best friends was in town for the first time, so I was showing her my sleepy little corner of Ravenswood Manor. “There are a few breweries nearby,” I offered after we’d walked enough to work up a thirst. “Show me!” she said. We set out east on Wilson Avenue, taking us through Lincoln Square into Ravenswood proper. We stumbled upon Dovetail Brewery and Begyle Brewing Company, which were jointly hosting a cheery little block party. As families and Cubs-clad 30-somethings mingled, we nibbled on golden pretzels and sipped golden ale, happy with our discovery. We could have stopped there, but I’m glad we didn’t. Our glasses empty, I suggested we leave behind the jolly crowd for quieter confines, heading a few blocks north to Band of Bohemia, the brewery-meets-beautiful-restaurant opened last year by two Alinea veterans: former head sommelier Craig Sindelar and former baker Michael Carroll, who has turned his talents toward brewing. Settling in at the bar, we ordered more snacks and a …

Chicago’s Best Bookstores: A Bibliophile’s Take

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The smell of freshly baked bread, the fabled aroma of “new car,” the scent of a freshly talcum’d baby: these are but some of life’s olfactory pleasures. How boring it would all be without them, right? And then, of course, there’s the woody, musty, leathery and wise smell of an old book, oft overlooked when you consider the others. When I lived in Chicago and was in the market for a good whiff of a well-written sentence–or just looking for a wordy adventure–these were my comfort-zones where I could lose myself for ages. Quimby’s Bookstore: Are you an indie kid at heart? If you are into zines, small-press releases, graphic novels and readings with by local and independently-published authors, Quimby’s has what ails you. Independently-owned with a helpful staff, Quimby’s and its sister-store, Chicago Comics, provide an off-beat selection for an off-beat clientele. Ravenswood Used Books: A veritable fire-hazard, Ravenswood Used Books in Lincoln Square on the North Side is a headache to navigate. Books are organized by section but that’s when any semblance of …

EOD Reading List: Merit Badges, Cookies, Pie + More

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I woke up this morning grumpy as all get out. Within minutes of waking and wiping the sleep from my eyes, I found out the hard way that the my building’s hot water was on the fritz (a rarity). As I got dressed, I fell over. My walk to the Metro North station was a hazard of black ice and I only narrowly avoided getting hit by a rude man’s nasal-ejection. To top things off, my coffee shop ran out of doughnuts… I had to settle for a Danish! Can you imagine?! Needless to say, I had myself a day, and yet, I found some goodness through it all, particularly in the links below. Turn that frown upside down: It’s Thursday, y’all! My friends over at body-positive Fat Girl Food Squad interview Toronto-based artist, Lee Mezaros. Her BE PROUD merit badge series combines the hand-crafted with whimsy and food, and will apparently be featured in Food Network Magazine‘s Bacon Issue. Enter their giveaway for one of the badges, too (my favorite is the Being a Smart Cookie one, …

Wine and Me: Contextualizing My Enjoyment

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As I find myself falling more deeply in love with wine—its pleasures, its history, its nuance and subtleties—I also find myself more reflective of how I am where I am now. I was never a huge wine drinker before, and even food was a passing interest, nothing more than the food I shoved down my gullet. A lot has changed, though, from when I graduated college in 2009 to now, and I’ve become so boring: I only want to eat and drink, and travel to those places where I can eat and drink. I want to consume, not just the food and wine themselves, but also their contexts, their histories. I’ve “found my passions,” and I feel like it’s been a long time coming.