everything looks better in sepia

I FINALLY got a group of friends together to try out Sepia which had opened to amazing reviews last year. I failed to make the reservation enough in advance so we ended up with a 9:30 reservation. The hostess suggested that if we came in an hour early, they'd try to seat us as soon as another table turned around. So at 8:30 on the dot I met my friend Jamie at the bar and we asked the mixologist for recommendations. I wanted something strong, dry and not too sweet. I ended up with the Sepia Mule and Jamie with the French 75. Both were handled with care and came out a beautiful color. Every sip of our luscious cocktails made us feel as if we were drinking our way through a portal taking us back in time to another era. The bar furnishing are really lavish and make you feel like you're sitting by the fire with family. We struck up a conversation with the couple next to us who were celebrating their 1st year anniversary at their new favorite spot and I decided that this too was my favorite.

By 8:50 the other two in our party had arrived and we didn't even have to tell the hostess that the whole party arrived - she met us at the bar and was ready to seat us. What a good eye!

The ambiance in the main dining room right behind the walls of the hostess stand is in one word: lush. The chairs - large and comfy. The lighting - dim and mysterious. The servers - on their feet and at our service. Our server explained the menu from top to bottom and started us off with a great French burgandy and two orders of flatbreads - the smoked apple bacon and jonah crab. The flatbreads were excellent and left us thinking we could survive the whole meal on just those. But the night went on and so did our stomachs. Megan and I had the bank cod with saffron noodles. The cod filet was cooked to perfection and the slightly sweet and spicy saffron noodles offered a nice contrast to the salty marinade on the fish. Katie had the amish chicken - the best she's ever had. She said the chicken was so moist and soft that she could just cut through it with her fork. Jamie had the skate wing - another winner. We were perfectly satisfied but not overly stuffed so we ordered three desserts (We had the apple turnover, a chocolate dessert and the peach cobbler) and another french red.

Come 12:15, the restaurant was empty and we were just finishing up! We hadn't even noticed that we were the last ones there. The server never rushed us and the other wait staff just finished their business quietly as they allowed us to top off our night out at our own glacial pace. What a night! Three courses, a cheese platter, two bottles of wine, a cocktail each, tax and tip set us over $80 a person. Well worth EVERY penny.

party on the cheap

We did it again. FABULOUS party at my place co-hosted with my friend Katie.

Boxed Wine and Processed Cheese.

Comment most heard through the night: "Oh my god, did you try the hamburger helper? It is SO good."

Pictures to come...

a reading and talk by pico iyer

I was first introduced to Pico Iyer in a travel writing course that I took my sophomore year at W. Since then, I've followed his career writings and recently was more than overjoyed to find out that he'd be at the Harold Washington library on State Street. He was in town to read from and talk about his latest book, The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. With the current state of affairs between China and Tibet, his timing couldn't have been more perfect. The auditorium was filled with scholars, writers, Tibetan and Chinese students.

When he walked onto stage I was surprised to see how tall and lanky he was. He's got a special sort of intellectual charisma and charm. Iyer started out with a few anecdotes about Chicago and his love for pizza. He's quite funny. Despite being a world traveler, he has a penchant for pizza. He's married to a Japanese woman and together they live in Japan, but he says you can find him at a convenient store eating a slice of pizza instead of at a fancy restaurant dining on sashimi platters. He's a confident and animated speaker and reader which made every minute in the auditorium a pure pleasure.

His book stems from 30 years of personal observation and interaction with the Dalai Lama. Iyer's father is a philosopher and close friend of the D.L. - how many people can say that? Iyer's father took him to meet the D.L.for the first time when he was 17. Since then, he's made many trips to visit the D.L. in Tibet or other locations when he was exiled. The interesting thing about Iyer is that he hasn't written off pop culture and actually uses today's pop cultural references to make various points about the D.L. in his book. The one thing I took away from this lecture was the idea that this is the age of the exile - there are 33 million exiled or displaced people living around the world today. This idea of a homeland or country is becoming more of a dreamland than a reality.

At the end of his reading and lecture he opened up the floor for questions. Everyone had specific questions about what the Dalai Lama thought about the war, China vs. Tibet, globalization, etc...When he finally called on me to ask my question, I apologized to everyone for not having a more specific question on the subject at hand. Instead I asked him for the one key advice you'd give to any aspiring writer. His answer:

"Using your own background, training and interests find something that you have that can unlock a new view of a subject that is unique to every other viewpoint. Write something engaging or in the moment, not passive. Write about what you know."

chicago style birthday bash

Last night we celebrated a friend's birthday in true Chicago style. Deep dish pizza at Pizzeria Due and Karaoke at the Blue Frog after. I've actually never been to Pizzeria Due before and I have to say, it wasn't so bad! It's not Lou Malnati's but it's bearable. There were 8 of us and we ordered 3 pies. HUGE mistake. We had a whole pie left over so we took it to the Blue Frog and gave it to the bartenders to eat.

The Blue Frog was packed like sardines as usual, but it was a fabulous time! There were several other parties there that night which made it more festive. The highlight of the evening, when my friend and her boyfriend sang "Me So Horny." Oh yes.

starfruit sneak peak

I went to check out the Startfruit sneak peak this evening with a friend who is a loyal Pinkberry fan. After checking in with the Skirt PR ladies, we walked into the sleek white space and was confronted by the first first stop of the counter. I don't know how I feel about the layout, I wish the counter was pushed back a little more to give the customer a chance to take everything in before being asked what they'd like to have. It was jarring having a smiling girl behind the counter asking me what I wanted. I can see how this might be a ploy to force the line of people to start outside instead of having a crowd waiting inside the small shop with limited seating. I like the long curved bar that stretches to the back of the store which allows for 4 bar stool seats. The store's interior has a galactic feel which is the theme they seem to be going for on their website also.

Starfruit is housed under the same Lifeway umbrella that is the leading producer of kefir (kee-fir) products. So unlike other frozen yogurt shops like Red Mango, Pinkberry and Berry Chill, Starfruit frozen yogurts, parfaits and smoothies boast 10 live and active pro-biotic cultures that boost the immune system, fights fatique, and helps the digestive system (I can vouch for the digestive part because I drink a cup of kefir everyday). My friend and I started off with the parfaits. Basically, all this was was a half cup of flavored kefir (straight from the bottle) with all the toppings you want. I chose the pomegranate kefir with yogurt chips, rice crispy's and blueberries. Mixed together, it was tasty. But honestly, did I have to come all the way out to the Ukranian Village to have this? I could've bought a bottle of kefir at Dominick's and a few toppings and made 5 of these parfaits at home. My friend wasn't so impressed either.

So I went back for some frozen yogurt. I got the original flavor which is slightly sweetened according to one of the Lifeway reps. She said their taste testers didn't like the sour taste of the actual original kefir so they sweetened it, whatever that means. Honestly, the sweeteners are the last of their problems. I got strawberry, kiwi and corn flakes as toppings and my friend took one bite and set his spoon down. He then went off on how he wanted to fly to L.A. at that very moment and order 20 Pinkberries with various toppings, place them in an ice box and back to this store. The yogurt was so bland! There was no taste whatsoever. With all other competitors you get this sweet/sour/tart taste. With Starfruit, all you taste is frozen water and toppings. Another problem, the consistency of the yogurt was not smooth and soft like competitors. Sure the color of the product was white, but the consistancy was more like that of a melting snow cone.

The highlight I suppose is the slice of starfruit at the bottom of the cup - but those who have tried the fruit know that there's nothing especially tasty about those either. It's a shame, they have a great patio in the back with tons of seating. Location is key though, and they did pick a great spot. Weekend shoppers will probably pop in for an afternoon treat, but will they come because they actually like it or to just take part in all the fro-yo hype? Hmm...



Prices:

Frozen kefir: S $3, M $4, L $5
Parfaits and Smoothies: S $4, M $5, L $7

First topping $1
Each additional topping $.50

Check it out for the actual opening on Tuesday April 15th. It'll be free all day.

art gallery round-up

Friday night was a great night to learn about and experience works by the latest up and coming artists (and to score free wine/cocktails). I started out at Kasia Kay for the opening reception for Kim Curtis's Disruption in the main gallery. I really enjoyed her pieces. You can tell how the natural environment around her influences the work on her panels. One of my favorites was Long Fall III which quite literally is long because the triptych runs 11.5' x 9". It's like a view of a very empty and expansive landscape with a few bursts of colors, very representative of the season. Her pieces emulate natural landscape almost in the abstract - but still with order and sense. She had about 14 works on view, and I took my precious time trying to figure each one out while taking sips of my white wine. In the project room, Andrea Loefke's installation Folding an Orange Fish out of Newspaper was on view. I have to admit, I didn't really understand it. What I took for the center focal piece was a bright orange umbrella with colorful pillows on the ground underneath it. There were bowls of candy (that I was very tempted to just grab and eat) placed around the floor and on the wall were post its with notes written on them. I felt like I was in a scene from a Dr.Seuss book.

A few doors down, I hit up Function + Art. Artist Jill Henry's Surroundings is on view. Her works are the complete opposite of Curtis's but I liked the change. Every inch of Henry's canvases are covered in color. Each work is the artist's "virtual, imagined surrounding" that like natural spaces, "evoke sublime virtual experiences." The variation of color scheme on each canvas really seems to capture the emotion of that scene. For example in Lagoon, Henry uses the deepest of blues to the lightest with the smallest specks of algae green. My favorite was Twilight. For some reason, it reminded me of Van gogh's The Starry Night. As if she captured the image of one star, blew it up, and this is what she came up with. Very nice. Next door at sister gallery Prism, beautiful glass works were on display for Singular Forms: Trans-minimalist Sculpture. In the middle of the gallery sat a large arched piece by Brian Usher. My favorite was Alex Fekete's Smoke. It's amazing how these artists can form such beautiful sculptures with glass.

Carson Fox's Inflorescence was on view at the Linda Warren Gallery. The gallery was packed with a younger crowd compared to the other Fulton Street galleries. The wine and special punch was flowing and they even had a table with interesting snacks. In the main gallery, Fox's works covered large sections of the white walls. Individual colorful flowers constructed by cast resin stuck into the walls with pins were the objects he used to form a much larger abstract piece. I like Rothko For Mother which mimicks the block color scheme of one of Rothko's paintings. In a way, she's challenging the way that art on canvas can come to life by the use of flowers, or any other object for that matter. In the project room, Janet Bloch's Power Play was on view. Her painted canvases are very whimsical yet dark -- Murakami with a mix of Dali. A modern fantastical take on industrialisation juxtaposed against nature. Very thought provoking works. Ironically, I couldn't stay in the room long enough because I could smell the cigarette smoke creeping into the room through the back door that was propped open.

Next door I went to Morlen Sinoway, Atelier. I downed my latest glass of The shop had some beautiful furniture, housewares, jewelry, and other accessories by mostly European artists. It was a warm and inviting space with subdued lighting. I overheard a guy telling his friend that "this is like a very expensive Ikea." I couldn't help but laugh. Indeed, there's some similarity, but Sinoway's pieces are much more luxurious and are thoughtfully handcrafted. Think Design Within Reach meets personality and warmth.

Finally, my last stop was eco-friendly shop Pivot. Very hip, fashion conscious crowd (including men with narrow hips and murses). For some reason, when I hear about eco-friendly clothing I think hemp, rough fabric, and bland colors; but owner Jessa Brinkmeyer did a great job of selecting a broad range of eco-friendly clothing of all colors and materials. My favorite pieces were the black knit sweaters by Lara Miller. They're made of bamboo and feel very soft. The sweaters that come in two different styles start at $198. Another clothing line to watch is Frei Designs. The line is made of organic cotton and surplus materials. The designs, very delicate and sophisticated. Vera Wang's flow-y material meets Cynthia Steffe's cropped jackets and short lines. For premium denim fans like myself, Pivot carries organic, fair-trade denim by Sling + Stones that were marked down from $290 to $125 and adorable shoes by Beyond Skin. For the men out there, there's a rack of menswear that carries the basics. Organic cotton tees, button ups, khakis and jeans. Not as design forward as the women's wear, but still eco-friendly! Even the clothing racks are environmentally conscious. Each rack is a little different and were designed by Joshua Height of Brickermade. They're made with reclaimed steel and wood. The steel was recycled from pallets in a machinery gear factory in Aurora. Jessa has found away to make green very chic.

Walking back to my condo, there was a couple in front of me traveling the same direction. They were still drinking their wine from plastic cups and I couldn't help to smile. At the Lake Street intersection while waiting for some cars to pass, we looked at each other, said our hellos and made small talk about the galleries. This is what the West Loop is all about. Art, wine and community.

nothing in life is free

Last night my friends and I decided to check out Lumen to catch DJ Steve Aoki and Jeffrey Sebelia (winner of Project Runway 3) for a fashion show sponsored by Bonnie&Clyde's boutique. The e-flier I received about this event mentioned free entry with RSVP and open bar hosted by SnowQueen vodka until 10:30pm. We got to Lumen around 9:30 and waited in line for a quick ten minutes. When we got to the doorman, he said we weren't on the list, but that's okay, no cover until 10:30pm right? Wrong. Some guy came out and announced that they were filled to capacity so they would start charging $10 to everyone coming in, but it was only 9:40! We figured, the bar is open until 10:30 so we were okay with paying the cover. Much to our chagrin, the place was hardly packed at all! I felt like we were walking into an awkward homecoming dance with groups of people hovered in corners and near the punch bowl but definitely NOT filled to capacity. Annoyed.

We got our drinks, walked around to check out the scene, and went back up to the bar around 10:10 for our secound round. I asked the bartender for another vodka tonic and he shook his finger at me and said, "sorry honey, no more free shit tonight." First of all don't call me honey, and second of all, we still have another 20 minutes until the open bar is closed! He already made the drink and I didn't have any cash so I ordered a round for the friends and opened up a tab. I figured the night can't get any worse. Well, it did. Come 10:30 when the fashion show was to begin, someone announced that DJ Aoki was NOT in Chicago. In fact, he was stuck on a plane in Florida unable to fly out of the everglades....I'm sorry, but I've done my share of truth-stretching in life and that story couldn't be closer to lame. But not to fear, we have a great team of djs that I've never heard of before to play the background music to the fashion show. Shoot me now.

The fashion show was okay. Here's a peak:




The highlight of the evening:

How awesome is he? Red long johns and a Ronald McDonald scarf stylishly draped around the neck. PRICELESS. After the fashion show, the crowds dispersed and my annoyance turned into amusement. We went back for more drinks and decided to let loose and danced on the tables. At the end of the night when I went to close out my tab, the bartender that called me honey redeemed himself, he comped my first round. Rightly so! Lumen, get your act together! You can't change what you advertised on a whim. I don't plan on going back to Lumen any time soon.