This year's event, taking place in Millennium Park Saturday and Sunday, already seems to be shaping up to rival some of the country's top food and wine weekends, including Aspen's Food & Wine Classic and the South Beach Food & Wine Festival. With nearly every major Chicago chef represented, it seems like it's going to be a culinary orgy.
Continue reading "Chicago Gourmet Chefs Dish on Tastings to Preview Event" »
Just got news that Bloc Party is headlining the first night of the annual Hideout Block Party in Chicago. Andrew Bird is headlining Saturday night. I have no other news...
After two great years, Chicago's Intonation Music Festival won't return to the city that has become a haven for great summer music fests. With the glut of music coming to the city, it seemed that Intonation, with its extremely diverse lineups and accessible ticket prices, just couldn't compete with the larger festivals like Lollapalooza and Pitchfork. It saddens me to learn that Intonation won't be happening because the people behind it are truly dedicated and, from what I've seen, wonderful guys who honestly love music. With a simple note on the festival's website, "the underground is overcrowded," organizers have bowed out, but from what I hear are working on pulling together some intimate events around Chicago. Stay tuned...
This weekend, Puma opened a Black Station store in Tokyo, the third store of its kind. Black Station is a Puma-supported cutting-edge collaboration between multiple designers, including Alexander McQueen, 96HOURS (Neil Barrett's line), Mihara Yasuhiro and others. The forward-thinking line gives Puma lovers an edge over other consumers not only in what they wear but also where and how they shop. This space, with its clean lines and minimalist interior, looks like it will bode well with the Japanese consumer.
[via Hypebeast]
March 22 is World Water Day. Hundreds of restaurants in New York have teamed with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to honor the Tap Project by asking patrons to donate $1 for the normally free tap water they enjoy while dining. The goal is to raise funds for UNICEF to bring improved water systems to more than 90 developing countries and the more than 21 percent of children (about one billion kids) living without clean water. Another goal: to bring to attention the fact that we, as Americans with some of the cleanest tap water, take advantage of our free-flowing water all the time. Millions of people around the globe don't have the luxury of clean, fresh tap water and face water-borne disease daily. So if you live in New York, which uses 1.3 billion gallons of water daily, or are visiting the city tomorrow, please consider donating one extra dollar so people around the world can enjoy the luxury we exploit everyday. The project, while Manhattan-based, will expand to include other cities in the future. If you aren't in New York and want to participate, you can make a donation. If you aren't sure that $1 will help, consider these facts:
With $1, UNICEF can provide 40 liters of safe drinking water, which is enough to give one child safe drinking water for 40 days or 40 children safe drinking water for one day.
With $1, UNICEF can provide 100 water purification tablets to provide clean water for children in crisis situations.
For other water-related projects, also check out Charity: Water.
So I decided to take a snowboard lesson this morning and after about an hour, I fell backward (after trying to not hit other people in my group) and partially dislocated my shoulder. While laying in the snow, feeling like I'm going to hurl, my shoulder popped back into place but I spent the rest of the day off the slopes with ice on it in my condo. Nice way to start the vacay, no? Tomorrow I'm going back to what I know best: skiing. I may have not been on skis in about 10 years, but I guarantee I'll feel a lot more in control. For anyone who's ever had a shoulder pop out of place you know the pain. Anyone else, it's one of the worst feelings I've ever experienced in my life. I don't wish it on anybody.
anyone else have bad snowboarding stories?
It's been 10 long years but I'm heading back to Telluride for a week-long ski excursion. I haven't been on the slopes since my last trip so things should be interesting. I am planning on taking both ski and snowboard lessons -- so watch out!
Hopefully I'll be able to post while out there, but it might be sporadic.
A few years ago, my friends lived on Bank Street between 4th and Waverly in Greenwich Village. I loved visiting because they had a great apartment in a perfect location and I had my own room and bathroom, which is generally unheard of when staying with friends in Manhattan. Upon my first visit to this spot back in late 2002, my friends took me to a quaint little place, Ye Waverly Inn, one-half block up on the corner of Bank and Waverly. This spot, which we called Ye Olde Waverly Inn (the addition of the "Olde" just seemed appropriate), was rustic, charming, genuine and hearkened back to the Village's more Colonial era (ok, maybe more Civil War, but it definitely has a historic feeling). The building itself is a brownstone from 1844 and the restaurant/inn dates back to the 1920s.
About 1.5 years ago, Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter bought the property with some others and it has caused quite a stir among the glitterati of New York. The space has unofficially been open for a couple of months, but to get in you either have to know the chef's cell phone or get through to Sir Carter at his office - not necessarily an easy task unless you're well connected. A fair number of locals have cozied up to the staff and therefore get in as well. Last week, while in New York, I had to kill time between an appointment and meeting friends for dinner in Chelsea at Trestle (which was amazing, btw) and started wandering downtown. As I walked down 7th Ave and turned on to Greenwich, I realized where I was and said, "ah, I'll check out the Waverly."
Continue reading "The Waverly Inn & Garden" »
For more than 100 years, Fort Baker has sat in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge. The former Army fort, which was built to protect the Bay Area, especially the bridge, sits at the south end of pristine Sausalito, just at the bottom of the winding, meandering hill that descends from the north entrance to the bridge (anyone who has ever ridden a bike down the sloping hill has careened by this swath of land). It has sat unused for years and now Fort Baker, with its sweeping views of the Bay and Pacific Ocean, Alcatraz and Angel Islands and the north end of the City, is being transformed into Cavallo Point -- The Lodge at Golden Gate. The $117.9 million-dollar, first-class, upscale renovation is set to open to the public in April 2008 and will include a spa, world-class dining, the Healing Arts Center, herb atrium, historic bowling alley, wine and olive oil center -- and access to 75,000 acres of hiking trails and beaches, woods and other natural wonders only found in SF. The property will include a 15,000 sq ft main lodge, currently undergoing a massive refurb, and 142 lodging units, half of which are being restored to their original splendor, with the other half new, eco-friendly green housing. This will no doubt be one of the most sought after destinations in the Bay Area, close enough to the city with easy access to offerings in Napa, Sonoma and Marin counties.
