We're back to the Windy City in this episode of Most Missed. A breezy front swept over Chicago this week, so pull on your sweaters and head out to one of these places to find someone to warm you up:
Roti Mediterranean Grill -- Pull on your "casual" purple jacket and get a date with your pita or sandwich. 10 S. Riverside Dr.
Gaslight -- Mr. Seeks Mr. at this dressed-up bar which also features an American-classics menu and an extensive beer menu. 2426 N Racine Ave.
Cru Wine Bar -- Not a grape specialist? No sweat. Try a flight of wine in this cafe and become savvier than Paul Giamatti in "Sideways." 25 E. Delaware Place
Back in April 2006, the Chicago City Council banned restaurants from serving the delicacy foie gras in their restaurants because of concern over the way ducks and geese are force-fed to be fattened up.
However, since the ban has gone in effect, Chicago restaurants are letting the people know they don't give a flying quack about the ban. Here are some of the examples of Chicago's flourishing "duckeasies":
Several restaurants are so brazen, they list foie gras on their online menus....Some owners have tiptoed around the ban by serving the dish under alternate or code names ("I'll have the special lobster" will supposedly score foie gras at one restaurant)....At first...restaurant owners worried their access to foie gras would be limited, and they crafted plots to keep their supply flowing--like getting it mailed to a suburban address for weekly covert pickups.
While the restaurants risk a ticket up to $250 to $500 for serving foie gras, the enforcement protocol for this ban is pretty lax considering that the city has bigger issues to worry about like HIV/AIDS, crime and that upcoming freezing weather.
So if you are visiting Chi-town in the near future--two things, pack your heaviest clothing and pick your restaurant based on your team, either Chefs or Ducks.
Virgin Atlantic just announced that it will start service between Heathrow and Chicago-O'Hare this April. Virgin will fly an Airbus 340-300 on the route, departing from Chicago at 6 p.m. and arriving in Heathrow at 8 a.m. In the reverse direction, flights will depart at 11:15 a.m. and arrive at 2:10 p.m. It's actually a re-start of service; Virgin nixed its Chicago-London route after September 11, according to the Chicago Tribune..
From June on, the 340-300 assigned to the route will include Virgin's new and improved Premium Economy, as well as the usual Upper Class and Economy cabins. The new Premium Economy product provides wider seats (but no extra legroom), a bit more recline, and enhanced AVOD. It's a favorable option between Chicago and Heathrow, given that the competition consists of American, United, Air India and BA. British Airways has a premium economy-type product of its own, but Virgin's made a point of noting that its new Premium Economy seats are wider than BA's World Traveller Plus seats.
The lobby at the Peninsula Chicago offers an absolutely obscene chocolate selection Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Consider it the Trick or Treat version for adults. But the price is steep-- $26 per person for all you can eat. You may balk at that but seriously, until you've sipped hot chocolate through a white chocolate straw, you don't know chocolate decadence.
If you're a guest at the hotel, here's a little tip on saving money for your chocolate party. Plan your trip to the lobby for approximately 11:45 PM. Order a drink and ask your waiter about the chocolate buffet, eyes wide and shining and innocent. He will regret to inform you that there are only 15 minutes left in the buffet.
However, it IS possible that you could luck out and receive either a free trip to the buffet before the chocolates get thrown out for the night (such a waste), or that the waiter will offer you a cut-price chocolate tasting sampler.
This has worked twice for one of our spies in Chicago. However, it is advised not to outright ask for a deal--better to plan on a relaxing nightcap and see if it's possible to score chocolate at a slashed price. Still, you didn't hear about this unofficial method from us so don't come crying if it doesn't work.
Our spy in Chicago almost regrets even sharing this information with anyone so that she can keep this secret to herself. But it's too sweet not to share.
When it's Halloween season in Chicago, only tourists and little kids want to deal with the schlock and crowds at Navy Pier and Great America. The more discriminating ghost-hunters should check out the Chicago Architecture Foundation's tours of Graceland Cemetery, running all October long. The lengthy walking guides include visits to all your favorite characters from Devil in the White City, including Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan, plus stops at the most noteworthy and spookiest tombs, like Lorado Taft's "Eternal Silence."
We all like to think that somebody has a secret crush on us. And sometimes the loneliest/most egotistical of us cruise Craigslist Missed Connections to see if maybe, possibly, somebody spotted us and thought we were so good-looking they just had to stick it up on the Internet.
If you're hoping to see your own description up on the MC boards, there are a few locales in Chicago (other than the gym or the El) from which several missed connections seem to pop up. Stake your claim at one of these spots. Maybe if you wait long enough, somebody too shy to approach will fall for you:
Filter
1585 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Hipster missed connection heaven. Sip coffee, watch the foot traffic and utilize the free WiFi to watch the Craigslit postings come in in real time.
McGee's Tavern & Grille
950 W. Webster Ave.
Great for sports lovers who enjoy hanging out in Lincoln Park but don't necessarily need to drop a lot of cash or drink fancy booze to attract a potential mate.
Caribou Coffee
3500 N. Halsted St.
3025 N. Clark St.
Boystown has no shortage of gay bars, yet, hands-down, the most m4m postings in the area originate at these two neighboring postings of the cozy coffee chain.
The Slavs are marching! Venerable cataloguer and tracker of all things Slavic in the city, Slavs of New York! is planning to, uh, expand the franchise by covering Slavic events in other cities. First on the list are Pittsburgh and Atlantic City. We think those are good steps, though we'll be the first to admit we have no idea about Slavic goings on in Atlantic City.
Still, we're surprised their not doing Chicago first. Is it too Polish oriented? We know that people jokingly refer to it as the second largest Polish city after Warsaw, so it certainly makes sense to us. Covering the sausage alone would take ages, but we're biased towards pork products and/or byproduct ourselves. We're curious to see what develops.
Run by the husband-wife team of Luis Perea and Laura Cid-Perea, Chicago's BomBon dishes up first-rate Mexican bakery items.
While unmistakably a Mexican bakery, BomBon flirts with flourishes of European style and influences. The result is a phenomenally tasty hybrid. We sampled an individual $3.50 Tres Leches cake that made us swoon. Served in a foil cup, it was reasonably sized and not too sweet.
According to this online account, the goal of the bakery is to deliver high quality Mexican pastries versus Mexican-American pastries. This means, among other things, a fuller engagement with European influences.
There are currently two BomBon locations, both in the largely Latino neighborhood of Pilsen: at 1508 W.18th Street and 38 S. Ashland Avenue.
Though people swarm to BomBon from all over Chicago, the business clearly remains rooted in Pilsen life. An employee we spoke to told us that BomBon has an active policy of hiring from within the neighborhood.
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by egw
When it's Halloween season in Chicago, only tourists and little kids want to deal with the schlock and crowds at Navy Pier and Great America. The more discriminating ghost-hunters should check out the Chicago Architecture Foundation's 
