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  • BrokenBoards
    Senior Member
    • Jan 2014
    • 132

    #31
    Originally posted by dji View Post
    No doubt of that E.

    Did consider GT but they're not taking Open Table reservations so I suspect they may be closed for the holiday. Would even consider vegan but it doesn't seem to be the done thing around here.
    Vegan in Chicago is even fairly 'faux' meat heavy from what I remember.

    Green Zebra, Mana Food Bar, and any of the three Karyn's (On Green, Raw, and Cooked) restaurants are on the lighter side of things with more emphasis on creating interesting vegetable dishes as opposed to imitating normal fare a la Chicago Diner.
    "I would use lard if it came in a pretty bottle."

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    • dji
      Senior Member
      • Feb 2008
      • 3020

      #32
      thanks for the recommendations guys. ran out of time last night and wound up having dinner at O'Hare, luckily Tortas Frontera lived up to its reputation of been surprisingly passable for airport fare.

      other places we tried were:

      Rickshaw Republic -could use some tweaking, but it was tasty Indonesian food in a country starved of it

      Blackbird - everything was enjoyable (with the exception of the pork short ribs that tasted like they'd mistakenly salted it an extra few times, first time I've ever sent anything back at a restaurant..) although the choice of under-seasoned fillers was questionable. desserts were awesome though, the roasted apricot sorbet in particular was perfection

      Avec - favourite restaurant of the trip, the breakfast paella was fantastic

      Girl & the Goat - a real mixed bag from the dishes we selected, decent but not worthy of the hype

      Slurping Turtle - nice, surprisingly light (at least compared to everything else in Chicago) ramen. the An Mitsu was a really nice dessert for anyone who likes a bit of savory with their sweets

      all in all we really enjoyed Chicago. good food, great architecture, fun vibe (at least in the summer). the world class (and free!) zoo was a boon too haha.

      Gallery Aesthete was a really cool little space and their buy is great. the department stores were definitely skippable but we ended up wandering in to Nordstrom, etc. anyway after buying some chocolates from Vosges. Chicago SA's like to swoon over Rick Owens footwear it seems..

      on a semi related note the hipster's choice Uber is pretty damn good, would definitely use it again in the future now that it's unbanned in this backwards state..

      Comment

      • rider
        eyes of the world
        • Jun 2009
        • 1560

        #33
        We just got back from Chicago. We had a ball.
        Blake for Dries was such a wonderful treat for me (I actually went twice ). Along with the obvious runway pieces they chose gems that were pretty much hidden under layers on the runway. You can tell Dries takes a personal interest in Blake, his eye is evident. Thank god Farmhouse pub was next door so my husband was easy to pacify while I shopped, a big plus! He was impressed by their beers, they know their brews.

        We stayed at the Intercontinental and got upgraded to a large corner room in the historic tower. 3 windows to see the skyline from the 26th floor, it was Fabulous . I woke up every morning just to see the sunrise.

        Experienced Cloudgate and Millennium Park. There are new installations by Jaume Plensa that are very striking and serene. We then went to the Art Institute and spent the entire day meandering through the Modern Wing where there was a Magritte exhibit.

        We checked out Skyledge which blew my mind and scared the shit out of me at the same time. It was neat because we had the 103-story view downward for reference and then took the river cruise and looked up to Skyledge, a cool thing to do for perspective sake. The River cruise was very impressive and the perfect thing to do on a sunny, cool day. It filled us in on a well rounded history of all the architectural styles that create the skyline. But God, do I detest Trump for bastardizing the skyline with his name. There was a woman architect (I forgot her name) that designed a very ergonomic wavy deck building, I never saw such an obviously feminine building before, it was breathtaking.

        Slurping Turtle was yummy, went all out with Sake, Tappas and Ramen. Purple Pig was convenient and delicious, great cheeses and superb desserts. We found a good Thai place the last day, but I forgot the name because we were so tired from walking all day, every day. Went to Binnys for wine and beer and crashed.
        Never took the cab ride to Avec, so we have to go back...

        oh, Ikram was very weird. The staff is as dated as the red and gold lacquer on the walls. They had an oddball selection of Yohji, Issey, and even Limi (I never saw these pieces before) which intrigued me, but the racks were so crammed together I didnt have the patience to sort it out. Well, I might have if my husband wasnt sitting on a plush pillow couch looking very uncomfortable. I assume its the kind of place where you call and they pull anyway.

        Chicago is very cool, thanks again for the travel guides, they helped immensely.
        Attached Files

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        • Faust
          kitsch killer
          • Sep 2006
          • 37852

          #34
          Ikram is the kind of a place where socialites go to be told what to buy, like sheep. That's why it's merchandised like Century21. But you had to go once.
          Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

          StyleZeitgeist Magazine

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          • rider
            eyes of the world
            • Jun 2009
            • 1560

            #35
            I think she actually chose the Japanese designers really well, tug on your heartstrings stuff, and lots of it. The sale rack upstairs was loaded but my eyes hurt to much to go any further...

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            • Faust
              kitsch killer
              • Sep 2006
              • 37852

              #36
              I'm not saying she doesn't buy rad stuff, just commenting on how it's displayed. She is notorious for buying brands/garments she will never sell just to keep monopoly in Chicago.
              Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

              StyleZeitgeist Magazine

              Comment

              • rider
                eyes of the world
                • Jun 2009
                • 1560

                #37
                It's worth going back for the sale. There was this buckle strap Limi dress...and Yohji top with a pouch ;-)

                I forgot to mention, my timing was off by a month because I found out Damien Rice is going to be in Chicago in October...

                Comment

                • jogu
                  Senior Member
                  • Jun 2009
                  • 1601

                  #38
                  f ck ikram that crazy lady , shes does get a nice buy , good runway pieces but i didnt like any of my experiences there with their pushy ass staff . i had enough of their shit and took the coat off and told her ok thats enough please .
                  i never been to blake but i have a good friend that goes there alot . i hear they always get a good dries buy and i keep meaning to check them out . when u say u can tell he takes an interest in the store like how so ?

                  u missed out on avec tho !

                  Comment

                  • Defender
                    Banned
                    • Jan 2015
                    • 187

                    #39
                    The Chicgo Museum of Contemporary Art has a great Bowie exhibit right now that highlights some of his fashion choices. They always have good exhibits.

                    My wife and I always hit Barney's, Gallery Aesthete, and either Chicago Diner or Gaylord's Indian before going to the MCA to see the newest exhibits.

                    Barney's has an increasingly good collection of quality labels-the selections for women are always better.

                    Comment

                    • fredokin
                      Senior Member
                      • Apr 2014
                      • 146

                      #40
                      So Robin Richman opened a men's store yesterday, which I think will be a great alternative to GA. I stopped by earlier today and so far they have a assortment of Rick and drkshdw, Masnada pants, a hooded sweater and shirts, a forme new wool/mohair shirt, ED pants, a Leon Emanuel Blanck green/grey mohair sweater, some L&F, 3 Isaac Sellam leather jackets, WVB knits and shirts, and Guidi boots and bags.

                      According to Robin more is arriving soon, specifically a larger selection of ED. Hopefully more forme and LEB comes in but overall it was worth the trek.
                      Originally posted by gregor
                      it's terribly lit

                      Comment

                      • Faust
                        kitsch killer
                        • Sep 2006
                        • 37852

                        #41
                        Ha, interesting.
                        Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

                        StyleZeitgeist Magazine

                        Comment

                        • nomemorial
                          Member
                          • Jan 2013
                          • 32

                          #42
                          I know I'm bumping a pretty old thread, but didn't see the benefit of starting a new one because this one is full of good info.

                          I'm a new Chicago resident, moved up here with my wife back in the summer, but most of my time has just been work and "adjusting."
                          I live out in the suburbs (Oak Park-area) and I'm trying to find more opportunities to explore the city itself.

                          We've had fun exploring different neighborhoods, but now I'm looking for some slightly more specific recommendations.

                          - Any high end thrift/consignment shops worth checking out? I lived in a place entirely devoid of fashion before moving here, so I'd love checking something like this out.

                          - Best cup of coffee? I'm a total coffee geek and have made my rounds based on convenience while I'm out (I typically brew at home), so I'd like to make a devoted trip based on recommendation.

                          - Best Indian food? My wife and I have yet to track down a place that matches our old favorite spot back home.

                          All that in mind, it'd be cool to meet some like-minded folks and chat clothes, music, gaming, etc. Thanks!

                          Comment

                          • Faust
                            kitsch killer
                            • Sep 2006
                            • 37852

                            #43
                            Strangely enough, I think the flagship Intelligentsia coffee shop is the worst hipster coffee I've had in my life. I guess I am not helping much...
                            Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

                            StyleZeitgeist Magazine

                            Comment

                            • nomemorial
                              Member
                              • Jan 2013
                              • 32

                              #44
                              Originally posted by Faust View Post
                              Strangely enough, I think the flagship Intelligentsia coffee shop is the worst hipster coffee I've had in my life. I guess I am not helping much...
                              I actually quite agree. I found it okay at best in my experiences with it, even buying a few bags to see if I could make a better cup at home, and it pales in comparison to some of the other "craft coffees" I usually go for (Counter Culture, Blue Bottle, etc.)

                              Comment

                              • t3hg0suazn
                                Senior Member
                                • Jan 2013
                                • 199

                                #45
                                I like the vibe of Ipsento. Their ipsento latte (coconut milk, cayenne) is quite unique. Espressos are house roasted, on the bright/sour side.

                                For pourovers, I'd say Metric Coffee is my favorite (but I don't really like any pourovers): available at a bunch of places but Caffe Streets is the main flagship. Their quantum espresso is also very good, though probably best as macchiato or cortado.

                                I end up going to Bow Truss the most due to convenience, and they have a different alternate espresso everyday. Usually less crowded and better coffee than Intelligentsia.
                                And if you happen to be in Hyde Park, Plein Air Cafe has Metric Coffee and the overall atmosphere/coffee/food combo is my favorite out of all the cafes.

                                I don't know of any consignment shops, but I haven't really looked.

                                Cumin and Tandoor Char House have pretty good Indian food, but I don't know about "best".

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