Snow: Chicago Style

"I'll send an SOS to the world..."

If you can identify that song lyric, then you know where I was Thursday night at Wrigley Field.

Yes, that was the Police concert.

Sitting on the field of the Friendly Confines. I can't tell you what a thrill that was. Sitting in left field at one of the best ballparks EVER for a concert. Wasn't sure how many songs I would know, but I recognized almost all.

That was Day 2 of the move to Chicago.

Day 1 consisted of eating at Milk & Honey, a tasty cafe on Division close to the Ukranian Village. Good food & tunes. In addition to a sandwich, I tried their ice tea which for my southern friends was unsweet.

On the evening of Day 3 I took the train up north to Ravinia which is an outdoor venue for concerts, events, and activities. The weekend's theme was classical composers, so vistors were guaranteed a pleasant evening; picnic baskets, wine, and small tables were everywhere. Kind of reminded me of football season in the Grove at Oxford, MS. I hope to go again this summer to see other concerts.

The rest of the weekend consisted of going to the following restaurants:
*Hot Chocolate (owner is a Kendall graduate & James Beard winner)
*Jerry's Sandwiches (opened 7 days ago & has 100 sandwich options--they need an eating contest similar to the Flying Saucer)
*Meritage (several pronunciations, but I think it rhymes with "heritage")
*People Lounge (tapas bar in Bucktown)

PS: this city will put me in the poor house if I continue to go out to eat.

Denver

Its always fun to go to the same city twice in seven days. While the flight to Denver is not short, its nice for a change of scenery.

Whats even better is going to the same restaurant twice & ordering a different item. At the recommendation of two Colorado-loving friends, Illegal Pete's (IP) made the cut for lunch. Totally non-chainy & local, it was a great choice for downtown Denver. Located on 16th street, IP plays great music, sells groovy t-shirts, and makes a nice taco plate. The cheese dip is a winner as well. And how can you not like a place that serves New Belgium products on tap.

The second recommendation is Vesta Dipping Grill. Kind of a funny name, but you get to choose your entree & mix & match sauces. I had the grilled venison, ginger ale mushrooms, and fries. Very delicious, but I really didn't care for the three accompanying sauces. The menu has a wide variety of meats, but not a lot for the veggie eater. Nice wine list too.

My only complaint about both trips is the Denver airport: the distance to the rental car facilities, the trams between terminals, and the security line for frequent fliers. Very time consuming.

Chicago Hotel

I am sharing my hotel room with a goldfish.

Maybe its supposed to remind me of home, but I don't have any pets, including things that swim. Or maybe its just a reward to returning guests.

I just wonder how long my roomate is going to stick around.