TORONTO GIRL CHRONICLES: Chicago

Chicago - What to Eat and Where To Party (Part 4)

Posted by Toronto Girl 1 comments

October 8, 2010

WHAT TO EAT IN CHICAGO

My bf coolly said "Don't worry, I read that in Chicago there are restaurants in every corner." Half an hour of walking around, finding nothing, hope was running low and I was getting cranky (not cute, trust me). Lucky for him, we found Heaven on Seven, a restaurant offering the best is cajun cuisine.

{Heaven on Seven is know for its extensive collection of hot sauces, which include:

Hot Bitch At The Beach and its much milder counterpart Hot Buns At The Beach}

I had the Jambalaya and everything was okay with the world again.

{Ingredients: chicken, different sausages, shrimp, basil}

After all that eating, we had to working it out, so we went dancing...

WHERE TO PARTY

Chicago is home of the Two Step, a style of dancing that consists of two steps (get it?) and a series of simple turn patterns. It's very flirtatious and smooth, and I was awestruck when I first witnessed it at Funky Buddha. But that's not all that impressed me. The DJ plays reggae, afro-beat, techno, old school hip hop, soul...and everyone grooves along! The music selection is so unpredictable that you can not get enough.

{The decor is very low key psychodelic meets oriental influences}

{The Place gets packed after 11pm and the crowd dances like no one is watching}

On the opposite end of the spectrum: Y Bar. An upscale martini bar that is, pardon the cliche, a place to see and be seen. Nonetheless, it is fun and glamours, because lets face it, there's nothing wrong with being treated like a VIP. I felt like I was at one of those parties featured in The Hills. They even had scantaly-clad go go dancers on mini stages.

{Can you imagine dancing in those heels all night long?}

{A Night in the life of Chicago's Beautiful and Fabulous}

At the end of the night, it doesn't matter whether you spent a small fortune or spent your night dancing as long as you try a little bit of everything this city has to offer. That is what makes travelling worth-while.

*Funky Buddha Lounge pictures are courtesy of Funky Buddha.

Chicago, Funky Buddha, Heaven of Seven, On The Road, Y Bar |

Chicago PART 2 - Getting Up Close and Personal

Posted by Toronto Girl 2 comments

October 4, 2010

{Chicago on a lovely sunny day -

the perfect weather }

I think it’s essential to get the feel of a city and where things are before you set out to really explore it. I can’t think of a better way of getting to know a city than by bicycle. Why bike? It’s faster than walking and more intimate than a Decker bus, and the tour guides will tell you funny stories along the way. For example, did you know what Chicago is know as the Windy City no because of the wind but because its politicians are full of "Hot Air". Ha ha ha.

That and the guides are always really good looking ...

{Bobby's bikes are state of the art hybrids and they even have a front pouch for your water bottle}

{I told you he was cute ;)}

We took the afternoon Front Lake Neighbourhood tour with Bobby's Bike Hike Tours. Mark, our hilarious tour guide started off the tour by taking our group to Streetsville, known for its "Viagra Triangle" (where older gentlemen take their much younger girlfriends out to lunch) and the original Playboy Mansion. Do you see a trend here?

{The Playboy mansion was later on sold to The Art Institute for $1, since Hugh Hefner considered himself an artist and wanted to benefit future artists as well. Years later, The Art Institute sold the mansion for millions to condo developers. Units start at 2.3 millions in case you're interested}

We continued our ride to the beautiful waterfront. On a regular day the waterfront buzzes with hundreds on Chicago peeps, reminiscent of Miami beach. This time around we just happened to catch a few people engaged in a friendly game of volleyball.