Chicago Day 46 - 52

Dear Diary,


It's been awhile since I blogged :) This week has been a relatively eventful week. Here are some highlights of what we watched, ate, did and visited:


*Theatre in Chicago*


Steph and I went to catch the Blue Man Group Chicago, on Tuesday night at Briar Street Theatre. 


The show was fantastic. Definitely no regrets about it! As reviews say, it is one of the best productions to catch. Highly entertaining especially if you're a lover of visual arts, music and good comedy. The Blue Man Group consists of three Blue Man who act like aliens but they perform a variety of interesting acts, some involving participation from the audience :) It was really good! 


Just a tip if you're watching this: The highlight of the show is at the end. Definitely get seats on the main floor and in the centre columns. Also, you might wanna try and see if you can get half-priced tickets online. I actually went downtown in the afternoon to check if I could get any half-priced tickets from Hot Tix (the outlet is located just opposite the Chicago Cultural Centre along Randolph Street). Thankfully, there were tickets onsale for that night! I got two tickets at half price (which would have cost USD$156 originally for two people). 

They have a strict policy on photography and videography. However, they allow alcohol in the theatre - which is a plus for me! Get the Mimosa. It's really good! - and they do have a bar providing light refreshments :) There are no intermissions, so make sure you hit the bathroom prior to the show! :P

*Blues in Chicago*


When you're in Chicago, one of the things you definitely need to do is to listen to some really good jazz or blues music. One of the good things about living in Lincoln Park is the close proximity and accessibility to some really good blues clubs in town. Do check out Kingston Mines, or if you prefer a cosier, neighbourhood setting, B. L.U. E.S at Halstead is definitely recommended. (It's just across the road.) We were there on Thursday night, after Steph's rehearsal, and it was still packed even at 10.30 p.m. There's an entry charge of $7 per person. Live music goes on even until past midnight.

*Cupcake Trail - Swirlz Cupcakes*


As promised, I did checkout a few cupcake stores on my list, beginning with the one closest to home. Swirlz Cupcakes is a tiny store located along W. Belden Avenue, just across the road from my regular Starbucks hangout along Lincoln Avenue.  It has a vast array of prettily decorated cupcakes, including gluten-free and vegan gluten-free cupcakes.

I love this poster :)

The classic Red Velvet Cupcake

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cupcake

Verdict? The cupcakes disappointed:( The appearance of the cupcakes were alluring but I found the cupcakes a little dry. Thankfully, the strawberry buttercream dipped in ganache was delicious but I found the cream cheese buttercream a little too sweet for my liking. Overall, I'd give it a 3.5/5 for appearance, 2/5 for taste.    

*Cupcake Trail - Magnolia Bakery*

This bakery was a last minute addition to the list. I was curious when I saw Cheng return home one day with a bag of Magnolia Bakery goodies, so I googled it online, only to discover that this bakery is actually quite a hit! Originating from New York, it has outlets in NYC, L.A., Dubai and Chicago.  So I decided to check it out the next time I hit the city.

I actually visited the bakery twice in a week - first, on Wednesday, after spending the afternoon at the Institute of Art and a second time, on Friday, with Steph, after lunch at Macy's. The first time I visited, I tried the Devil's Chocolate Cupcake. The second time I visited, Steph and I had the classic Red Velvet  cupcake and their famous banana pudding (which was fantastic!!). 

The store front along State Street.

Cupcakes, muffins, pies, pudding or freshly baked goods anyone?

Red velvet cheesecakes! Yum:)

Devil's Chocolate Cupcake. Each cupcake costs USD3.50

Red Velvet Cupcake with it's own special whipped cream cheese icing.
Topped with a blueberry - in celebration of summer! :)

Magnolia's Famous Banana Pudding - USD 4.75 for 12 oz

Scenes from the city. Chicago Theatre.

Verdict? I found the Devil's Chocolate Cupcake satisfactory. The cake bit was good - it's made with dutch cocoa, making the chocolate richer and darker. The chocolate icing however was diabolically sweet. As for the Red Velvet Cupcake, again, the cake bit was excellent - it was by far the reddest cupcake I'd ever seen - but the frosting was still a bit too sweet for my liking. (Steph loves it though:P) Overall, I'll give the cupcakes 3/5 for appearance and 3/5 for taste.

An aside - the banana pudding here is a definite must-try. The taste and texture is absolutely heavenly. A refreshingly, delightful treat for summer and a memorable dessert for any occasion. If you're thinking of packing one home (or back to your hotel), make sure it doesn't remain unrefrigerated for more than 45 minutes!

*Cupcake Trail - Cheesecake Factory@Barnes&Nobles (Starbucks) Cafe*

I've actually tried the Chocolate Blackout Cupcake here twice. It's really delicious and honestly a dark horse, which no one would expect to make it on a cupcake crawl list - simply because it's found at the "Macdonald's" of coffee - a Starbucks Cafe. Ok. To be politically correct, it's a Barnes & Nobles Cafe which serves Starbucks coffee and Cheesecake Factory Cupcakes. 

According to Steph, however, this is by far the best cupcake he's ever eaten. Even better than Molly's. (We may be treading dangerous ground here as some chicagoans would regard this as cupcake heresy.) And for once, I'd have to agree.

A Blackout Cupcake is a dark chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate cream cheese icing. I love it because the icing is not too sweet and the cake bit is absolutely moist and delicious. You just can't stop after one bite! Unlike it's competitors, it is not fancifully dressed, but modestly covered in a generous amount of chocolate cream cheese icing. For the understated dessert that it is, I'd say it warrants a 5/5 for appearance and 4.5/5 for taste ;)

*Time for a haircut!*

After being here for a month I so, I decided to lop off parts of my hair as it was getting too flat. Steph needed a haircut too so we decided to try out HeadQuarters at Chinatown. My hairdresser was a Hongkonger who boldly cut off layers of my hair so that it would appear much "thicker". At some point, I did brace myself for the irreversible, but it turned out surprisingly better than I had expected ;) It did cost me USD32 (excluding tips) which according to Cheng is the average salon price here.

*Farmer's Market*

One of the highlights of summer are the Farmers' Markets. You can get really cheap, good and fresh produce from the markets. For instance, there's one every Saturday just round the corner from the apartment, at the carpark of Lincoln Park High School. I love buying peaches and berries from here! ;) You can check out the locations of various Farmers' Markets from this link.

*Steph's performance... in prep for San Francisco! *

Speaking of which, did I mention? We'll be leaving for San Francisco this Thursday for the International San Francisco Bachata Festival 2012. Steph's studio, Latin Rhythms Dance Studio, will be putting up three performances during the congress itself, which will take place from Friday to Sunday. There will be loads of bachata workshops and other latin dance workshops over the course of the three days, with performances, socials and dance parties going on at night, so I can't wait! :) 

To prepare the performers (especially the Student Team) for the congress, the studio had a special showcase on a Sunday, just for family and friends, and a second showcase at the studio party the following Saturday. Steph had worked really hard for the performance both on stage and off stage so I was really excited to see it! Below are some pictures from Sunday's showcase and videos from the studio party:

The dance studio transformed into a performance hall.
Friends and family gathered eagerly to watch the various performances.

The student team gearing up for their dance routine. (Steph's the one on the far left)

The second video is of the Latin Rhythms Bachata Legacy (LRBL) Dance Company, which is their professional team. Both pieces performed by the student and pro teams were choreographed by Reynaldo Sanchez, ex-student turned instructor and artistic director of LRBL. Their performance is really amazing and it really inspires me to improve on my bachata. The student team did a fantastic job too! Not to be bias, but I thought Steph looked really hot with his body isolations ;)

Note: You can see Rey in the second video, second couple from the right. The couple on the far right is pretty impressive too!

 *Elly's Re-visited*

 *32nd Annual Taste of Chicago*

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Sausage Pizza 

Sabor Latino - Pork Filled Banana Dumpling & Steak Mini Jibarito 

Iyanze - Jerk Chicken (taste portion)

Iyanze - Oxtails with Jollof

Eli's Cheesecake Company - Turtle Cheesecake Smoosh with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce

Original Plain Cheesecake (taste portion)

Chicago: Day 43 - 44

I met Steph for lunch on Friday. He picked me up from the Starbucks at a suburban mall near his workplace. We were heading to Six Flags that day, to Hurricane Harbour, the water theme park. Hence, I had followed him on his ride to work that morning so that we could cut down on travelling time. 

We had lunch at Pita Inn first, a simple mediterranean eatery that was surprisingly good, cheap and zagat-rated. It was one of Steph's favourite lunch places and he was eager to let me try it. 

Typical lunch crowd. 

The Business Lunch Set. The meat and sauces were really good :)

Thereafter, we headed straight for Six Flags. The weather was the hottest all week and the park was packed with people. We sat on almost all the rides, beginning with the milder ones and building up to the more thrilling ones. I found them all pretty enjoyable! :) Steph liked the Dive-Bomber and Mega Wedgie best though. It was the only one that really gave him a kick as it played with our minds - we had to stand in an enclosed single-person chamber and wait for the floor beneath us to give way and drop us on a long, looping gigantic water slide (for the former) or a near vertical five storey plunge (for the latter). It was one hell of a ride! And the most exciting of them all.  

We were famished after having gone on most of the attractions. Since we were in the suburbs, Steph suggested going to Bob Chinns Crab House. for dinner. He had gone there for lunch with his boss and colleagues once - and, according to him, the seafood there was just awesome! So we took a drive down. 

To my surprise, the establishment was not only huge but crowded with people! Both Asians and Caucasians alike. I was amazed at just how good it must be to have drawn such a vast and diverse crowd.

Bob met us at the end of our queue. He handed us our menus and directed us to a line to wait for our turn to be seated. He also recommended the lobsters and their signature mai tai. I was amazed to see him there in person. You would think with such a successful name, the boss would be shaking his leg elusively somewhere. Apparently not Bob.

Their display of fresh seafood offerings for that day.

Bob Chinns signature Mai Tai cocktail in a souvenir tikki cup! :) A must try. 

After a 15 - 20 minute wait (which is the average waiting time everywhere else as well), we were seated and quickly attended to. We decided to share 2 appetizers and an entree. We also got ourselves each a Mai Tai. According to Steph, the oysters here are fantastic. He has an amazing tastebud for fresh seafood, so I trust him when he says that the oysters here are fresh, especially coming from someone who doesn't like eating shellfish all that much. We got ourselves 1/2 a dozen - and my-oh-my! Were they really shell-suckingly good. 

We also got a plate of calamari. Now, most of the time, calamari is a really safe choice of appetizer - and overly common. Almost every menu in town has it. So you wouldn't really expect anything extraordinary about it. Here however, the calamari was definitely something worth raving about! It was surprisingly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The consistency was just so darn good that I could not help but muse on how Bob had successfully managed and trained his staff to cook such excellent seafood. The man was truly a leader and a forerunner in the field. (Did I mention? He's in his late eighties.) 

Our entree was pretty good too. We had a grouper cooked in one of 7 ways of our choice. We decided to have it stir fried with portobello mushroom, onions and asparagus, with a side dish of fried rice. The portion was generous and fresh but we managed finish it all up (for once!). Here are the pics:

Fried Garlic Bread. Done Bob Chinn's style. 

Oysters, Oysters and Oysters galore...

Sucking the juicy goodness (and entrails) from one.  

Gigantic glass bottles of Tabasco sauce.

Smiling Steph (Mai-Tai induced)

Spicy Calamari with Jalapeno peppers.

Grouper stir-fried with portobello mushrooms, aspargus and onions. 

A piece of our stir-fried grouper with asparagus. Best eaten with rice.

Smiling after a satisfied meal here:)

A word of caution on the Mai Tai. It's as potent as a glass of good Long Island Tea. Sweet and seemingly-harmless upon first sip. However, it hits you suddenly once you've had a few gulps too soon. So go slow on these exceptionally good but potent things. 

The next day was Saturday. We had breakfast at Elly's Pancake House, another place on my hit list. It definitely perked up my morning:) I had a Grasshopper shake - Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream with chocolate sauce and whip cream - and some Apple Cinnamon Pancakes, while Steph ordered the breakfast special of Stuffed French Toast with apples. I must admit - the shake took up most of my stomach space. I coud barely finish my stack of four pancakes!

Steph eyeing my delicious milkshake. It was irresistible. 

I love the deco of brightly coloured plates on the wall!

Lovely, bright open space with bulbs dangling from the ceiling. 

Steph's Stuffed French Toast,
 filled with homemade cottage cheese and ricotta. Topped with apples.

My stack of apple cinnamon pancake. As recommended by the waitress.

Elly's Pancake House, open 24-hours.

Steph found the pancakes here better than IHOP's. He also liked how the cheese complemented the french toast. I, on the hand, was a little disappointed with the pancakes. The top pancake was really sweet, fluffy and crisp at the edge, but the following pancakes were disappointing as they had a bitter aftertaste. That being said, I'm still tempted to come back here again to try their Egg Skillets next!


Steph had rehearsal after that, so he dropped me off at home. Thereafter, we headed to the Lincoln Park Conservatory, followed by dinner at home and then social at the dance studio. It felt like a really long weekend, although it wasn't even Sunday yet! 

Here are some pictures from the Conservatory: