February 25, 2013 · 12:05 am

Joffrey ballet/auditorium theatre; mercat/the Blackstone Hotel–Chicago

I splurged on tickets to see The Joffrey Ballet and It was worth every shekel
as expected. The dancing was superb, as always, and the program varied, from Twyla Tharp’s choreography to nine Sinatra songs to a perky piece by Jerome Robbins, an avant garde piece by John Adams and an intimate piece danced by a spectacular couple, choreographed by Gerald Scarpino, the joffrey’s co founder.

It is also always a treat to attend a performance at the elegant old Auditorium theatre at Roosevelt University, an 1889 beauty by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler with its murals, gold leaf adorned ceiling, mosaics. much as I enjoy the spare design of the new theatre by Millenium park, it can’t compare to the old world charm of the auditorium. (“the greatest room for music and opera in the world bar none” according to Frank Lloyd Wright.)

We ate a very interesting light lunch at Mercat a la Planxa, a catalan-inspired restaurant (think barcelona) in The Blackstone Hotel, another elegant old turn of the century Chicago place known for its smoke filled rooms where local pols made their deals. My sister and I had a delicious thick soup arroz a la cazuela, with rice,bits of chicken, chorizo and shrimp; an interesting mixed greens salad with asparagus, avocado, green beans, shaved mahon cheese; and a one of a kind dessert – croquetas de xocolata, deep fried balls filled with hot liquid chocolate, each plopped in a little pool of carmel and banana marshmallow fluff.

Leave a comment

Filed under Chicago, DINING

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

February 22, 2013 · 11:49 pm

Andy’s Thai Kitchen …excellent find in Chicago

On a sloshy February day, we were cheered up by a superb lunch at Andy’s Thai Kitchen, a brand new cheerful little storefront beside the Wellington Street Brown Line El stop in Lincoln Park. I went with some tough customers from the foodie hotspot of Brooklyn ( soon to be from the foodie outpost of Los Angeles) and even they were impressed. Everything we ate was delicious – and often unique. My favorite entree was basil crispy pork, which was a mound of rice with thick crunchy bits of salty pork in a slightly sweet sauce, with withered basil, sliced mushrooms, garlic and chili. We also enjoyed the pork neck (sounds icky but isn’t), slices of marinated grilled pork that is served with a brown lime dipping sauce. Other good picks, Thai spring rolls, panang curry, pad Thai, pad see ew with perfectly cooked tofu, crispy on outside and moist inside. Good service and cheerful unassuming ambiance. The restaurant is near several others at Wellington and Sheffield, including Fish Bar and DMK Burgers.

Leave a comment

Filed under Chicago, DINING

Tagged as ,

February 22, 2013 · 5:25 am

Windy city: cafe zinc, studio gang show at art institute

Blustery day in Chicago, with the winds especially fierce along Michigan avenue so after a pleasant lunch at cafe zinc ( cream of mushroom soup, egg salad sandwich) I got a bus pass and some ear muffs at Walgreens and hopped onto the 151 bus to the art institute where I caught what I believe is one of the last days of an exhibit about studio gang, the architecture firm of Jeanne Gang, which designed the fabulous Aqua building in downtown Chicago and lots of other buildings as I learned from the exhibit. Well worth a visit. I also popped to see the small collection of folk art at the institute. I didn’t have enough time or energy to go to the Picasso in Chicago show that just opened.

20130221-232530.jpg this is a cool building in Iowa, near grinnell.

Leave a comment

Filed under architecture, Chicago, DINING

Tagged as , , ,

February 18, 2013 · 6:14 pm

Cool art show alert in Grinnell – art from the grocery aisles

Jonathan Seliger, Seasonal, 2010

September 20, 2013 – December 15, 2013 |

I like contemporary art that rifs off of contemporary life (isn’t that what it should do?) so I’m intrigued by an upcoming show at Grinnell College’s excellent Faulconer Gallery  “Stocked Contemporary Art from the Grocery Aisles” that features art inspired by “shopping carts, candy wrappers, grocery lists, paper bags, milk bottles and cereal boxes – ordinary often overlooked items” that emerge as “objects for artistic investigation. The show runs from Sept. 20 to Dec. 15, 2013 and will give me another excuse to dine at the excellent Prairie Canary restaurant on Main Street. The show also has connections to Wichita, where I lived long ago. It was organized by Wichita State University’s Ulrich Museum.

Leave a comment

Filed under DINING, Iowa, THE ARTS, Wichita

Tagged as , , ,

February 17, 2013 · 5:09 pm

Clever ways to lure people to view art at Grinnell College’s gallery

polidori_lo_res.jpg

 Luring people to art galleries and museums can be challenging but Grinnell College has some cool ideas for coaxing people to see the compelling Robert Polidori photography exhibit (photo above) in its Faulconer Gallery including:

– Yoga in the Gallery on Mondays and Thursdays through March 14.

– A “Let Them Eat Cake” event this Saturday (Feb. 16) that presumably was inspired by Polidori’s dramatic Versailles photos currently on exhibit. You can make and wear a wig while eating your cake and touring the gallery. There’s another Versailles event on Feb. 26 – a presentation by several Grinnell College professors about the art, opera, and baroque music that Versailles gave birth to.

– The founders of “Team Rubicon” – military vets who provide disaster relief after catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina – will speak on Feb. 25 in the gallery, which also features Polidori’s photos of post-Katrina New Orleans. The founders, Jacob Wood and William McNulty, will also talk about their recent work helping people on the east coast after Hurricane Sandy. And they’ll pick up their 2012 Grinnell Prize metals.

– A lecture by a Grinnell Professor on March 12 on the political impact of Chernobyl – the exhibit also features photos, you guessed it, of the post-Chernobyl Ukrainian countryside.

2 Comments

Filed under Iowa, THE ARTS

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

February 16, 2013 · 6:30 pm

Power dining in Des Moines – really? If Time – Lifers insist…..

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-02-15/where-to-power-lunch-in-des-moines#r=hpt-ls

I have friends who work at Time Life publications in NYC who are no doubt very excited at the prospect of moving to Des Moines if there is some sort of merger with Des Moines-based Meredith Corp. NOT. But should it come to that – and it’s not clear that it will – Business week has an amusing story about where to power dine in Des Moines. Frankly I think that’s an oxymoron. People don’t power dine here – that I’m aware of – which is one of the city’s many charms. I could add a few other places to their list…if people just want a good lunch rather than face time.

For what it’s worth – here’s the story below. I disagree on a few points: (although I don’t power dine, especially at lunch. I have been to most of these places, most often for dinner. And I’m not a power broker…)

– Zombie Burger is a fun Hipster burger joint – and almost anti-power dining. Unless you consider pink-haired tattooed boys and girls to be power brokers.

– Alba’s waitstaff is not surly – in my limited experience. Try the guiness shortribs (at dinner at least).

– The Centro and Embassy Club write-ups are the most dead-on

–  For power brokers, I’d add 801 Grand Steakhouse – has that stuffy clubby old white guys with cigars feel, not exactly the hip magazine crowd.

New York’s publishing industry has dined out on lavish expense accounts across Midtown Manhattan for decades. But for the legions of workers at Time Inc., the largest magazine publisher in America, the institution of the “power lunch” may soon experience a stark change of scenery, should Meredith Corp. (MDP) purchase most of Time Inc.’s magazines from Time Warner (TWX) and relocate the operations to Meredith’s headquarters in Des Moines.

For those new to Des Moines’s dining scene, here’s a handy guide.

1. Centro

Helping New Yorkers Feel at Home: Three dishes with “New York” in the name

Funky Decor: A former Masonic Temple

Liquid Lunch: $2 up-charge for hard liquor served “neat.” Where have we heard this before?

Sample Menu Item: Buttermilk Fried Chicken Salad, $15.50

Diner Online Review: “The waiter dude definitely showed some professionalism.”

Power Table: “Undoubtedly table 49,” says Centro co-founder and partner Paul Rottenberg. The corner four-top banquette “provides equal parts privacy and an ideal vantage point to scan the main dining room.” The table’s prime location makes it “enviable for any mover and shaker.”Courtesy Centro

2. Des Moines Embassy Club

Helping New Yorkers Feel at Home: Must be a member to dine here

Funky Decor: 101-year-old chandeliers

Liquid Lunch: Martinis made with fresh ingredients from herb gardens surrounding the restaurant

Sample Menu Item: Lobster Spaghetti, $17

Diner Online Review: The first rule of Embassy Club is that nobody talks (online) about Embassy Club

Power Table: Three “Say Yes” tables, which according to culinary director Michael LaValle are usually occupied by “the president of the bank downstairs, the lead counsel at a local law firm, and the retired head of an insurance company.”

3. Alba Restaurant

Helping New Yorkers Feel at Home: Notoriously slow and surly waitstaff

Funky Decor: Doors suspended from the ceiling

Sample Menu Item: Duck Terrine & Fried Egg sandwich, $7.50

Diner Online Review: “Salt is not a flavor like everywhere else we ate.”

Power Table: “Um … I guess you could sit near the window,” says owner Jason Simon. “You can see the Capitol Building. That’s kinda cool.”

4. Django Restaurant

Helping New Yorkers Feel at Home: iPad drink menu

Funky Decor: Midwestern French

Liquid Lunch: Absinthe cocktail

Sample Menu Item: “Le Cheeseburger,” $9.99

Diner Online Review: “OMG bacon syrup … you MUST try.”

Power Table: The “Wine Alcove” is a prominent spot, says general manager Mike Crownover. “You’ve got the wine shelving area on one side of your table, and windows on the other. It’s windows and wine. It’s very popular for business lunches.”

5. Zombie Burger

Helping New Yorkers Feel at Home: “Dead Moines” burger a punny reminder that you now live in the middle of nowhere.

Funky Decor: Zombie wall murals

Liquid Lunch: Milkshake spiked with booze

Sample Menu Item: “We’re Coming to Get You Barbara” grilled cheese, $11.79

Diner Online Review: “The staff is pretty hot” (not that it matters or anything).

Power Table: Chef and co-owner George Formaro recommends one of only two communal tables in the center of the dining room. “Their prominent location and bar height makes them the most visible and hard-to-get seats in the restaurant,” he says.

Leave a comment

Filed under Des Moines, DINING

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

February 15, 2013 · 3:27 pm

Direct flights Des Moines-NYC coming back. Thank you Delta!!

File:Delta plane and Atlanta skyline.jpg

It’s been tried before – and it’s being tried again: Direct flights between Des Moines and New York City. This is excellent news for those of us who travel to New York frequently – now we just have to wait and see if the flights will be affordable. Delta will start offering daily nonstop service to LaGuardia on June 10.

The times are okay – flights will leave Des Moines at 7 a.m. (at least it’s not 6 a.m.) and landing at 10:45 a.m.; The return is a little less okay – flights leaving NYC at 8:59 p.m. and getting to Des Moines at 11:16 p.m.  This gives people another full day in NYC but sometimes evening flights are vulnerable to delays or cancellation, in my experience. And 11:16 p.m. DSM time is 12:16 a.m. NYC time – so that will be a long day. Oh well. It’s a start!

Leave a comment

Filed under airfare, Des Moines, New York City

Tagged as , ,

February 14, 2013 · 4:55 pm

Will the American U.S. Air Merger be good for us little folks?

I’m not sure what to make of the proposed American Airlines – U.S.Air merger – from what I gather it will further consolidate the airlines, leaving fewer options for travelers and the potential for higher prices. Then again, perhaps this is what both airlines needed in order to stay in business and I guess we consumers want that. Despite all the concerns about American of late, I’ve flown them recently and had no problems. (We’re flying American again next month from Des Moines to Phoenix.) I do have a bunch of free miles on American so will be looking to see if/how those are affected by the merger. And I do remember some initial operational glitches when United merged with Continental.

File:Aa.b777-200er.n781an.arp.jpg

Leave a comment

Filed under airfare, airline fees

Tagged as , ,

February 13, 2013 · 2:52 pm

Talented team to feed masses at DSM’s Riverwalk soon. walking tours too.

Good to hear that the talented Lisa and Michael LaValle will team up with talented George Formaro to run the food stand at the Hub Spot along Des Moines’ Principal Riverwalk , off Court Avenue west of the river, starting this April. The food sounds equally promising – with locally-sourced items like LaQuercia prosciutto, Maytag Cheese and Zanzibar coffee to be sold, not to mention a “Zombie Burger” cart – a spin off of Formaro’s popular East Village restaurant. Lisa has been the longtime chef at the Des Moines Art Center and is an all round nice person. (Our kids went to school together.) Here’s more info from the Des Moines Register! And here’s hoping the Riverwalk becomes as popular as Gray’s Lake with outdoor enthusiasts. We regularly ride our bikes on a trail through both – now we’ll have a new place to get a snack downtown.

The Hub Spot at the Principal Riverwalk, which is nearing completion, is on the west side of the river, near the Polk County office building.

The Hub Spot at the Principal Riverwalk, on the west side of the river, near the Polk County office building.

And what’s this about Carl Voss, another person we’ve known for decade, offering walking tours of downtown Des Moines in the spring? And kayaking on the Raccoon River?

The Des Moines Art Center

 

 

Leave a comment

Filed under bike trails, Des Moines, DINING

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

February 12, 2013 · 2:03 am

What’s with the tree sweaters in Grinnell and Iowa City? Yarn bombing?

Some extra hands to help

During a recent visit to Grinnell, we were struck by the tree branches sporting colorfully hand-knitted sweaters on the campus’s “Peace Grove.”

A tree branch with sweater (or sock?) on the Grinnell College campusOn a cold winter day, the trees  looked bundled up and warm.

 

It took me a few minutes to remember where I’d last seen – and been intrigued by – trees wearing sweaters. It was in nearby Iowa City, of course. According to a recent story in Patch, the Iowa City sweaters are a public art project dating back to Nov. 2012 – the handiwork of dozens of volunteer knitters who hand knit “tree-huggers.”

Stitching a long sweater
Apparently this started downtown and spread to other parts of Iowa City – and maybe an hour west to Grinnell? Apparently it’s part of a new “yarn bombing” trend where people knit sweaters to decorate trees in public areas. (Seems like the wrong term for such a peaceful activity.) Here’s more from wikipedia: Yarn bombing, yarnbombing, yarnstorming, guerrilla knitting, urban knitting or graffiti knitting is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colorful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fibre rather than paint or chalk.

History (from wikipedia)

Yarn bombing examples have been recorded as early as May 2004 in Den Helder, Netherlands. In the U.S., in 2005 Texas knitters used their leftover and unfinished knitting projects, but it has since spread worldwide with custom pieces being created by artists.[1][3][2]

The start of this movement has been attributed to Magda Sayeg, 37, from Houston, who says she first got the idea in 2005 when she covered the door handle of her boutique with a custom made cozy.[4] Though artist Shanon Schollian was knitting stump cozies in 2002 for clear cuts in Oregon[5]. The Knit Knot Tree by the Jafagirls in Yellow Springs, Ohio gained international attention in 2008.

Yarn bombing’s popularity has spread throughout the world. In Oklahoma City the Collected Thread store yarn bombed the Plaza District of the city on September 9, 2011 to celebrate their three-year anniversary as a functioning shop.[10] and in Australia a group called the Twilight Taggers refer to themselves as ‘fibre artists’.[11] Joann Matvichuk of Lethbridge, Alberta founded International Yarnbombing Day, which was first observed on June 11, 2011.[12]

Leave a comment

Filed under Iowa, Iowa City

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,