Joshua Rubin

Up next in our series of weekend plans from notable, in-the-know locals—a.k.a. people we like: Joshua Rubin, the program director and founding clarinetist of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). Rubin and seven other ICE members will play pieces by the composers Franz Schubert and George Lewis at the Cultural Center on 1/6 at 3 p.m.

“Friday I'll be kicking off the first weekend of the 20-teens at Taxim in Wicker Park. Every vegetable there is amazing, but the eggplant is particularly good. Each time I'm there it's an immersive slice of the Mediterranean.

“Saturday will be a practice day for me, in the proverbial woodshed with my clarinet and a metronome. I’ll eventually tire and head out for a spicy dinner at El Barco Mariscos. Their plate of shellfish is unbeatable. I might need a michelada too.

“Sunday I'll head to the Chicago Cultural Center where seven of my ICE colleagues and I will be playing Franz Schubert's Octet, a piece with bigger-than-symphonic emotions, in a pocket-sized eight-player package. We’re inserting pieces by jazz and computer music pioneer (and Chicago native) George Lewis between the different octet movements. This concert will be a fun and unique listening experience and I'm excited to play it. Then, Sunday night will be party time. Beginning at 7 ICE is hosting a bowling party for our 10th anniversary season at Fireside Bowl. I'm a terrible bowler, but I have insanely good beginner's luck, so don't challenge me in the first game.” —As told to Elly Fishman