So, before my Chi-town cred completely runs out, I shall reveal my not-secrets to how I managed to not run out of things to do in the awesome city that is Chicago. (An admittedly not-so-difficult-task, given the magnitude of Chicago’s awesomeness.)

1)  Transportation:  The CTA is really the way to get around town.  Yes, the trains are slow and dirty, but gas is pricey, as is parking, and you really should be doing more reading anyways, right?  Just accept the extra 1-2 hrs of round trip commute time as the sacrifice you’re making to have fun and reduce your carbon footprint.  Learning the bus lines will extend your range dramatically, and always, always, always wash your hands before you eat.  I will confess, cars are pretty handy for getting to places not on your subway line, and parking is rarely that hard to find (unless you are trying to find a place in the Loop or River North,) but why not just take the train?  Biking around the city is fairly easy as well.  Just remember to wear a helmet, have some lights, and watch out for car doors.  (Oh, and obey the traffic laws.)

2)  Finding stuff to do:  Chicago’s free alterna-weeklies are your friends:  Chicago Reader, NewCity, TheOnion.  CSMag (monthly) is good if you’re into fashion and the lifestyles of the rich and not-so-famous.  If you’re willing to shell out some cash, a very valuable subscription to ChicagoMag can be had for around $15, and if you can afford a bit more, The Chicago Tribune has a WRFSu subscription that is chock full of adventurey goodness within and without the city.  Metromix, the freebie version of the Trib is also quite handy, though less useful for long-term planning.

3)  Summers:  Productivity plummets during the summer, when there is finally a)  good weather and b) a plethora of street festivals, art fairs, and music festivals.  Use the resources mentioned above to find out what is going on and make sure to subscribe to Millennium Park‘s email list to stay up to date with the free concerts downtown. Pro-tip: Don’t go to Taste of Chicago, just…don’t.

4)  Getting around 2:  Know your grid:  Chicago is super easy to navigate because a) the streets are almost all oriented along the cardinal directions, and b) 0,0 is at Madison and State, and the street numbers just increase as you get further away.  It is also helpful to be able to associate major streets with their numbers, so that if you ever hear about a cool bar/restaurant/show, you can have a general sense of where it is.

5)  Food:  Chicago is home to a wide variety of fantastic food.  Grant Achatz, Rick Bayless, Charlie Trotter, and Graham Elliot are the big names that I know of, but you’ll most likely be eating the hundreds (thousands?) of high quality local eateries.  I have a terrible habit of not revisiting restaurants, but here are some places I would have no problems going back to:  Xoco (Mexican), Hot Doug’s (Sausages), Sticky Rice (Thai), Bop’nGrill (Korean/Diner Fusion), Lao Sze Chuan (one of the few good Chinese places), Tank (Vietnamese), Spring (New American/Seafood), Art of Pizza, Nuevo Leon (Mexican), Smoque(BBQ), Prairie Grass (Localvore), Khan BBQ (Indian), Uncommon Ground (Localvore), 90 Miles (Cuban), Maxwell St. Market (Mexican), Over Easy (Brunch), Las Tablas (Columbian)…and…I’m gonna stop now before I start drooling all over my keyboard.  Deep dish pizza is best consumed in moderation.  (ie, once every 6 months, max)  Also, call me a heretic, but Italian Beef and Chicago Hot Dogs aren’t really my thing.  Give me a cheesesteak any day.

6)  Museums:  Everyone knows the big 4:  The Shedd, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Field, the Art Institute.  Make sure to check out the smaller ones too though (Columbia College, National Museum of Mexican Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Surgical Sciences, National Veterans Art Museum, the Stained Glass Museum, SMART, Robie House, etc. (I, sadly, have not been to all of these)).   Everyone raves about the AIC’s Modern Wing, but if haven’t done it yet, why not take advantage of the outdoor museum that is Chicago and go on the Chicago Architecture Foundation River (Boat) Tour (unless it’s freezing/raining outside)?

7)  Explore your neighborhoods:  Each neighborhood has its own flavor and own assortment of shops/restaurants/activities.  Print a Chicago Neighborhood Map and buy a Walking Tour Deck.  Get off at a random CTA stop and wander around.  Be Safe.  If grid numbers aren’t your thing, associating points of interest with the various neighborhoods is the way to go.

8)  Theaters/Music/Dance/Culture:  The Harris Theater and the Auditorium Theater consistently bring in amazing out of town shows/performances.  I’ve seen good shows at the Lookingglass Theatre, Chicago Shakespheare Theater, Collaboraction, and the Steppenwolf.   The Universities often have great speakers and performances (likely for cheaper).  The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is great, as is the Lyric Opera (though I’m not sure it’s my cup of tea.)  Millennium Park has tons of free music and occasionally dance/theater performances.  The Chicago Cultural Center often has free things going on as well.  Ravinia is the other big outdoor concert venue up in the North Burbs.  I don’t know the Music Scene very well, but I hear about the Hideout, Double Door, Empty Bottle, Schubas, the Metro, the Subterranean, SPACE(Evanston), the Green Mill (Jazz), Kingston Mines (Blues), BLUES (Blues) and Buddy Guy’s Legends (Blues) all the time.  If you have the chance, go listen to Buddy Guy while you still have the chance.  He is freaking amazing.  Your best chance is to brave the cold and head down during his annual January residency.  The Gene Siskel Film Center always has something interesting playing.  Finally, when it comes to comedy, Second City is deservedly famous, but The Improvised Shakespheare Company at iO is infinitely funnier.  Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind at the Neo-Futurarium is quirky and will gain you +2 “Chicago cred” points.

9)  Bars/Clubs:  Um yeah.  Not exactly my area of expertise, but I’ll give it a shot.  Chicago is definitely more of a Bar town than a Club town, but does have its fair share of lounges/party rooms.  Hopleaf has good Belgians, and allegedly good food.  Map Room is also supposed to be good for beers, but beyond that, I’m at a loss for good bar recommendations.  I think there are a few tequila bars and wine bars and…yeah.  There’s a pretty wide assortment of “mixologist/fancy drinks” places, the grand daddy of which is The Violet Hour and the new starlet of which is Grant Achatz’s The Aviary (both of which I would love to go to.)  I’ve been to the Drawing Room and drank something tasty with one very large and fancy ice cube.  During the summer, the SummerDance festival throws the city’s most diverse and chill dance parties with free lessons and live bands 4 nights a week.  As for clubs, I usually spent my time swing dancing at Fizz or blues dancing at Bluetopia (or both at CodeBLUE), but two places that have a killer “I’m just here to party” vibe are EvilOlive and SmartBar (as opposed to the “meat-market/grope-fest” that pervades most places.  Not to say those things weren’t going on.  It just wasn’t forced upon you.)

10. Groupon/LivingSocial/Bloomspot/etc. – Groupon started here, so it’s got a huge reach in terms of restaurants, stores, activities. Don’t go too wild with the spavings (spending+savings), but getting the chance to try out a new place at a 50% discount is never a bad thing if you’ve got the cash.

11.  One last tip for students.  Most of the theaters/cultural institutions in Chicago have student tickets ($10-$25).  Sign up on their mailing lists to keep up to date.  Yes, you are poor at the moment, but this is seriously the one chance you will have to experience  world class dance/music/theater on the cheap.  (Unless you go for another degree in say…New York)  You may also be able to volunteer as an usher and get in for free. (Links:  Lyric Opera, CSO, Millennium Park, Auditorium, Harris (No student tickets, but there are often discounts))

Ok, that’s it.  I’m done.  All out.  Go.  Shoo.  Stop reading and DO SOMETHING FUN. (In the cold…)

Midland Sunset
Nikon d40, 55mm, f/5.6, 1/60s, ISO1600, as shot
(don’t ask me why I was shooting in 1600. I don’t know.)

I also tried my hand at some astrophotography off my balcony last night (something that is nigh-impossible to do in Chicago). Fun diversion for a night, but I don’t think it’ll become a full-time hobby without a real tripod and a field. Plus I don’t need yet-another-excuse to deprive myself of sleep. Nikon d40, 35mm/f1.8, 10-30s exposures, Lightroom adjusted (enhanced blacks)

The Big Dipper (outlined)

The wee-bitty Dipper (outlined)

Cygnus the Swan (outlined)
(or at least the Great Northern Cross part of her)

The Milky Way (outlined)
(sort of.  It’s hard to pick up on the photo.)

Midland: Not nearly as exciting as Chicago, but there’s something to be said about clear-ish skies (there’s still a decent amount of light pollution here) and good farmer’s markets. Speaking of which, anyone have a good recipe for fresh shelled sweet peas?

Arlington National Cemetery. One of two national cemeteries administered by the Army. 6,700 funerals a year. 300,000 bodies of service(wo)men and their spouses and their families. Row after row after row after row of tombstones. These are the remains of those who gave their lives to establish and protect our country, our freedoms, our way of life. (And yes, I understand that many died in wars that were fought for reasons far less idealistic.) In a way far more visceral than the grandeur of the World War II memorial, the haunting visages of the Korean, and the understated sea of names etched upon the Vietnam, these tombstones proclaimed, “Here lies sacrifice. Live life. Honor it.”

I’m not sure why, but within 15 seconds, my mind whirred to the Cross. It too marks a death. A death that saved me from a fate far worse than “taxation without representation.” How much greater is the sacrifice? How much more should my life be changed?

A most unexpected find was the Women’s Memorial, which should actually be renamed to the Women’s Memorial Museum. On one interior wall is a series of exhibits documenting the history of women in the armed forces (both officially and unofficially). On the other wall…oh man, on the other wall, is a series of (decently) matched photographs and personal stories of present-day service members / veterans. The stories provide a glimpse into their lives. Their eyes, a glimpse into their souls.

(Left to Right)
Sgt. First Class Kim Dionne, US Army Reserve
Col. Jenny Holbert, US Marine Corp, Retired
Sgt. Mikeishia Kennedy, Virginia Army National Guard

Usually I see the pomp and ceremony of a “changing of the guards” reserved for a country’s royalty or high officials. Instead, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, this honor is bestowed (fittingly) upon those who died: unknown, unidentified, but unforgotten.

Huge props to tcain, ctribout, maustero, jscott, wyu, dlee, tguo, and puzamere for all the good times!

Things I did in D.C.
(Things you should do too in Red)

1. Congressional Visit Day
2. Talk to a Representative
3. Talk to a Senator
4. Talk to a staffer
5. Sit in on a committee meeting
6. Fall asleep Rest my eyes in a committee meeting
7. Watch the House debate whether Puerto Rico should have a vote to have a vote on statehood
8. Listen to the beginning of the Senate FinReg debate
9. Walk through 50 bazillion metal detectors
10. Blow $40 on the Metro
11. Snap 500 photos (including metering test shots)
12. Walk many many miles
13. Develop a light farmer’s tan
14. Wander through the Presidential Portrait Gallery in the National Portrait Gallery
15. Shop Alexandria
16. Sleep…not enough.
17. Smell like a girl after borrowing Cherry Blossom, Peach, and White Jasmine lotion
18. Eat at both of Alexandria’s dueling ice cream shoppes (I highly recommend the orange chocolate chocolate chip at The
    Scoop)
19. Eat at Eamonn’s A Dublin Chipper
20. Listen to period-dress tour guides
21. Visit the US Supreme Court Building
22. See the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights in the National Archives
23. Eat at Ray’s The Classics (well made, but not particularly flavorful)
24. Eat at Ray’s Hellburger (amazing)
25. Eat at Bob’s Noodle (good, but if this is the best Chinese food DC has to offer….*shakes head*)
26. Climb the Old Post Office Tower (great view)
27. Eat 6 flavors of Fro-Zen-Yo
28. Eat frozen yogurt…somewhere…
29. Eat mango-pineapple gelati at Carmen’s
30. Grab a bite at Ben’s Chili Bowl (half-smokes are amazing and amazingly bad for you.)
31. Eat at Market Lunch (good and cheap, but arrive before 9:30 since the wait isn’t worth it)
32. Gawk at Newseum (Pricey at $20, but an awesome museum)
33. Rest at the WWII Memorial
34. Ponder at the Vietnam War Memorial
35. Shutterbug at the Korean War Memorial
36. Reflect at Arlington National Cemetery
37. Read of the lives of female soldiers at the Women’s Memorial
    
38. Watch the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
39. Take a conference call while sitting outside Arlington National Cemetery
40. Take literature from “Impeach Obama” protestors
41. Read Politico, The Hill, and Roll Call
42. Sprint through the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
43. Ride a couple hundred yards worth of escalator
44. Get drinks and browse at Kramerbooks
45. Analyze research data

And…for sitting through all of that, here’s my apropos pic of the trip.

The Constitution
Newseum, Washington, DC.
Nikon d40, 35mm, f/1.8, 1/25 sec, ISO800
Lightroom corrected

Generally not the sort of place I dine at, but my good friend wyu was in town and I had a Groupon to burn. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to do do grown up things every once in a while, yah?

I’ll apologize for the generally poor quality of photos and food descriptions in advance. My taste memories are a bit clouded, and I’ve never shot in candlelight before, and I couldn’t get the white balance to behave. Photos have had their levels adjusted, a crop here and there (really just there), but that’s about it.

Spring's Dining Room

Spring is surprisingly low-key. It was cozy, in a trendy/zen sort of way, which makes sense, given its location in Wicker Park, Chicago’s once-bohemian / now-gentrifying(-ied?) neighborhood. I figured that I would’ve needed to wear at least a blazer or something, but I didn’t, and still managed to not feel out of place, which as a grad student, feels like it should be some sort of an accomplishment.

The Menu

The menu is “New American”, with lots of seafood and Asian influences. Lots of different fantastic sounding flavors and only 2 stomachs! Whatever a dilemma! With the help of our very helpful (and very perky) waitress, we eventually settled on 3 appetizers and 1 entree. Unfortunately, we let her take away both our menus, so it was a little hard to identify everything on our plates.

Amuse Bouche

What’s this? I was prepared for small portions, but this is ridiculous! Ah, what did you say? It’s an amuse bouche, compliments of the chef? Why thank you very much! I don’t remember exactly what it was. I want to say that it was a small salad of seaweed, homemade noodles, and soy/sesame oil. Quite tasty. They also provided some sesame crackers with white bean puree dip. Not quite as tasty, but I was pretty hungry and they kept on refilling the basket, so down they went.

Sashimi of Pacific Hamachi / Crispy Rice Noodle, Mustard Green Salad

Unfortunately, I can’t make out the the last set of ingredients on my menu-photo, and this dish isn’t online either. It was sushi. It was slimy. It was tasty. It was room temperature (which was odd to me. Not unpleasant, just odd.) A little heavy on the soy, but the salad provided a nice contrast with the sushi. I’d never had hamachi before, and unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll see it on a menu again either.

Left: Grilled Octopus / fresh egg pasta, parsley, confit lemon, marrow || Right: Foie Gras Gyoza / charred tataki of prime New York strip, smoked apple

Appetizers Two and Three, ie, the hot appetizers. The grilled octopus was fantastic. It was sweet and smoky and managed to be chewy yet tender. The inch-long egg pasta was also great. Really QQ, if you happen to know what I mean. There was definitely enough to share between three people.

I was a little wary of the foie gras gyoza, but wyu was pretty interested in them, so order them we did. I had never had foie gras before, so I wasn’t so much worried about the taste as the the texture. I tend to prefer that my dumplings have a bit of substance when I bite into them, and pate is sort of the antithesis of substance. So, what can I say? Taste-wise it was great. Foie gras is some pretty tasty stuff. The dumplings were fried well. I have no idea what Tataki is, and I don’t think I took note of the apple, since I forgot that it was supposed to be in there. Texture-wise? Eh…it was what I had expected…

I think the busboy is under orders to not let anyone’s water glass be less than 3/4′s full. I contemplate challenging him, but think the better of it.

Atlantic Skatewing / lobster & parsley root ravioli, shaved Brussel sprouts, basil, citrus

Ah, the main course. We were deciding between the skatewing and the sea scallops, one of the signature dishes. As neither wyu or I had had skatewing before, we went for something new. Highlight of the dish: The not-skatewing. The lobster was super-sweet and once again, the hand-made ravioli was fantastic. Guess I’m just a sucker for QQ pasta. Lowlight? The skatewing was lightly fried and salted, and really, just didn’t have too much going on. On the other hand, wyu really enjoyed the dish. She was also eating the skatewing and the ravioli together, whereas I was left with a half-chunk of skatewing at the end. How was I supposed to know? Why wasn’t someone there to tell me how I’m supposed to eat the dish like on Iron Chef!?

Not feeling quite sated, we succumbed to the temptation of dessert. I actually didn’t read the menu close enough (I blame the darkness), so I was expecting to have a poached pear tart with fig ice cream and blue cheese, which sounded like an intriguing flavor combination. Much to my surprise, it was fig _and_ blue cheese ice cream. It was still an intriguing flavor combination, to say the least. Not bad, but it took a bit of getting used to. On a whole though, it was quite good.

Drinking chocolate and thyme

We capped off the meal with yet _another_ item sent complements of the chef: a small shot glass of drinking chocolate brewed with thyme. (Aside: actually, does anyone ever _not_ get sent these items “complements of the chef”? Does s/he ever send them begrudgingly? What would it take to not be sent something? Or is it more a “how busy is it?” question?) But, back to the drink. It sounds like a weird flavor combination, but it’s absolutely fantastic. Perfect way to finish the meal.

Total (inc. tip and tax) for 2: $105 – $35 groupon = $70

Totally worth the $70. I haven’t eaten out at enough high end restaurants to know if its worth the $105. I suspect it is.

Major props to: wyu for the excellent company and for schlepping in from the suburbs; groupon for giving me the opportunity to impulse buy gift certificates to places that I would never otherwise eat; and the nameless waitress and staff and chefs of Spring!

However, on my last trip there, I stumbled across a new must-visit attraction: The City Museum.

Unfortunately, the pictures don’t do it justice (limitations of point-and-shoots), but the place is crazy. Think Gaudi meets Found Art meets Maze. It’s a giant playground, perfect for rediscovering your inner child: explore, wonder, marvel.

Pro-tip: wear comfortable shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting a little gritty (or snagged on something.) While the people watching is great and there is plenty of artwork to admire from the safety of the ground floor, it’s infinitely more fun if you jump into the rabbit hole.