The Madhatter's Speakeasy

A few months ago, I was at a Volunteer Bar Night for an organization I volunteer with. Everyone was in a good mood and super friendly, especially after a few beers, and I ended up befriending a girl and letting her talk me into tickets to a ball that supports Lookingglass Theater. The next day, I was a little worried about what I had gotten myself into!

It turns out the Madhatter's Ball is actually lots of fun! I think I paid around $140 for two tickets, and it included an open bar and lots of appetizers and small bites from local restaurants. (It was enough that if you sampled all the bites, you'd be pretty full!) There was live music, a silent auction, and an "ActionBooth" area where guests posed for goofy pictures and got to keep a copy. But he best part is that it's a chance to don Prohibition Era costumes and, of course, funny hats!

Three black and white photos, keeping with the theme:

And our pictures from the ActionBooth:

This year, we didn't really know what to expect, so we conservatively went with the theme and the hats. Next year, if we go again, I'd like to go with a big group of friends and really go all out with the costumes! When else do you get the chance?

A Perfect Chicago Saturday Night: The Drake Hotel & Kingston Mines

I've discovered the perfect way to spend a Saturday night with friends in Chicago: Start the night with cocktails at the Drake Hotel, and end the night dancing and drinking Coronas at the famous blues' bar, Kingston Mines. Why? The Drake is splurge-y, while Kingston Mines is dive-y, but both bars offer a unique Chicago experience. It's like getting two great nights for the price of one night at a middle-of-the-road bar.

The Drake is a historic Chicago hotel located in the Gold Coast with an iconic sign visible from the highway. It opened on New Year's Eve 1920, and has since welcomed famous guests like Frank Sinatra, Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio (who supposedly carved their initials in one of the rooms!).  The bar, Coq d'Or, has a vintage speak-easy feel, with low lighting and live laid-back jazz music. It's the perfect atmosphere to relax and catch up with friends.

Instead of ordering a full meal at The Drake, which would be totally cost prohibitive, we opt for a round of classic cocktails and the Bookbinder Soup. It's a red snapper soup that is elegant and delicious and comes with a shot of sherry that you pour in yourself before eating. Yum!

Greg and I at the Drake

A Classic Manhattan

Next, we supplement our soup and cocktails with chicken fingers, greasy french fries and lots of Coronas at Kingston Mines. The bar features two different stages, and when a new performer comes on, people rush to the dance floor. It's definitely a dive, but the walls are covered in bright murals and funky neon lights, and the blues music is so catchy--you can't help but dance and play air guitar.

My favorite thing about Kingston Mines is the diverse group of people it attracts. There are students, older folks in wheel chairs, men in old-fashioned suits and dapper hats, and others in jeans and t-shirts. I even met a man who claimed to be a World War II veteran (although the veracity of that is questionable :) Everyone is welcome. It's the perfect place to dance like crazy and not worry about what anyone will think.

On the dance floor

Cheers!

So there you have it. Two different vibes for one great evening. Do you ever like to visit two different places in the same night? What are your favorite Chicago bars?

Sunday Morning Bike Ride

On Sunday we rode our bikes to the park, and enjoyed a picnic of sandwiches and a cinnamon muffin from Deli Boutique. 

We walked our bikes over the bridge to the Lake Shore bike path.

We also saw our 7th (!!) pug of the weekend. Andrew took a super sneaky paparazzi-esque picture while on his bicycle!

The weather has been absolutely perfect for these kind of days. We are trying to enjoy them before it gets too cold, as I know it will!

Apartment Tour: Living Room

Not to brag too much, but we probably have one of the nicest apartments two young twenty-somethings could have in the entire city, if not the US. It was built in the late 19th century, and our own-bedroom unit features gorgeous bay windows, high ceilings, a cozy fire place, stained glass windows, and a tiny balcony. We're so thrilled to get to call it home! Here is a little tour of our living room. Above is the view of the layout from the dining room.

Andrew and I both love large, framed wall hangings. We still have a pile of prints and paintings that we are trying to make room for! Above the mantle is a Hundertwasser from Andrew's grandparents' collection, a print of a Japanese painting I bought at the AIC gift store, and a nautical painting from Andrew's grandmother's house. Our collection of artwork is eclectic but classic, which is an aesthetic we love.

Keeping with the nautical theme, we have a burgee from the Beach Club Andrew sailed at as a kid and a ship's hull model. I am really fond of the burgee. The pillow Andrew actually made with two RRL handkerchiefs.

Coffee Table. Coasters are from Anthropologie.

 This isn't the best picture, but we have a beautiful desk, found at an estate sale, that gets lots of natural light from the windows.

I posted this before, but here again is our dresser bar complete with collegiate flag, duck decoys and a photo of Andrew's great grandfather who, trust me, looks super WASPy.

Some of my favorite details:

There's still so much art we need to hang up and some furniture upgrades that would be lovely, but I love this room so much.

Apartment Tour: Dining Room

So after some of this,

A few of these,

And three trips to Home Depot in 48 hours, we have a newly built, assembled and upholstered dining room set.

The dining room decor could use still some work, but I'm thrilled to have a real table and chairs! (We were previously using this awful set of Ikea chairs that I am pretty sure I called "the chairs of Satan" in a moment of desperation. Yeah, they were bad.)

Chicago Highlights

 View from Fullerton Beach

 Bikes on Chicago Ave., River North

 Picnickers at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion 

 The Jay Pritzker Pavilion at sundown

The Vertigo Sky Lounge

What Happens When You Don't Go Grocery Shopping

The "side dish" for your take-out gyro dinner is cereal in a measuring cup consumed with a serving spoon.

P.S. Mom and Dad, I swear this is a rare occasion and we really do go grocery shopping (see post about Whole Foods and how it has a bar), and we don't just eat burgers and pulled pork and greasy fries from the Athenian Room all the time.

Us Eating Yummy Food Again

This time at Lillie's Q in Wicker Park, an amazing BBQ joint that has like ten different BBQ sauces on the table so you can sample them all, sweet potato fries, AND they serve their beer out of mason jars so it feels like being in New Hampshire. Also, the buns are like eating pure butter. So good. Smith & Page give it two thumbs up.

Speaking of New Hampshire, I am in the Granite State itself until next Saturday, when Andrew flies east to meet me, and we spend time in our beloved Maine. Likely more pictures of the ocean and Barbour jackets to come.

Sheffield Garden Walk

We had a lot of fun exploring our neighborhood during the Sheffield Garden Walk this weekend. (Even though it's thanks to the Garden Walk that my car was towed. Womp, womp.) One of our neighbors is even growing grapes in his backyard! Who knew?

We love you, Lincoln Park!