The Ex Files
Can’t agree on how to celebrate V Day? Split the difference between a romantic dinner and ignoring the holiday altogether with Letters/X 6, Groundup Theatre’s guffaw-worthy annual roundup of Dear John letters recast as monologues, sketches, and songs performed by both people and puppets (yes, puppets). Cheap-date warning: The performance is free, although donations are accepted. The show runs 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and…
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Everything at Zella Brown (besides special orders and consignments) will be 30 percent off on Saturday.
—Gina Bazer
January 25, 2009 — After 1,500 performances and 3 1/2 years, WICKED flew out of Chicago. Over 300 cast & crew members celebrated at Vertigo Sky Lounge at the Dana Hotel & Spa.
List Price: $2.5 million
The Property: Elaborate carvings on its rough sandstone façade and an elegant renovation of its interior make this 19th-century Gold Coast house very appealing. But Tricia Fox, the listing agent for its seller, Joseph Aldeguer, noticed one drawback…
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Seems like every pitch I get these days has claims to be green and low-cost. But here’s one that made me stop and look: MirrorMate Frames, a way to easily frame those big, flat bathroom mirrors found in so much new construction. So instead of throwing away the mirror, you attach a frame around it. You don’t even need to remove the mirror from the wall—just clip and glue the frame on. The company says it’s cheaper than buying a frame or a new mirror. Talk about your quick fix.
—Jan Parr
Sell the Sizzle
“I think I found a way to survive here,” says Alan Shikami, who has transformed Shikago (190 S. LaSalle St.; 312-781-7300) into the kind of “fun Japanese/Asian restaurant” he always wanted. In his new chef, James Okuno—Shikago’s former sous-chef and son of Kiyoshi Okuno from New York’s esteemed Sushi Yasuda—he’s finally found someone on the same page. Together, they’ve gone back to basics. “There was a place in Bangkok called the…
I went over to Alessi’s Tree Studios branch to see if the annual sale is worth checking out (it is and you should—there’s a nice selection of shiny happy silly on sale for up to 75% off through February). I also got a kick out of these (not reduced) miniature versions of iconic Alessi tableware designs, sort of along the lines of the mini Vitra chairs that show up in museum shops and high-end home boutiques. All the 1980s superstars are represented in the collection, including the Michael Graves shrieking bird teapot (this version about 3” in stature, $45), Philippe Starck’s Juicy citrus squeezer ($45) and that Anna G. chrome-plated corkscrew (4” tall, $32)—just the ticket if you’re trying to cut back on your drinking.
On Monday, February 9th, Duane Ehresman received a Chicago Neighborhood Development Award for his work preserving 153 low-cost apartments in five buildings in North Lawndale. It’s the latest project in Ehresman’s 28-year career of creating and managing affordable rental housing in Chicago; in that time, he has had a hand in the renovation of almost 1,500 housing units for low-income people…
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Check out these delicately spun crystal vases and bowls that were hand-blown on the Venetian island of Muran……PSYCH!—they’re rubber! A sparkling window display at the MCA lured my eye, so I took the bait and trolled in to investigate. The vessels are produced at architect and designer Gaetano Pesce’s Fish studio in Milan, and the flexible resin pieces jiggle like Jell-O when you touch them. Just the resilient accent piece if you have small kids, frisky dogs, or want to fool your guests by hip-checking one off a side table (they’ll fall for it hook, line, and sinker). Some remind me of striped ribbon hard candy, other anthropomorphic whimsies have the hint of feet or arms. The MCA has stocked quite a nice selection, and all are unique, numbered, and stamped with the Fish logo and G.P.’s moniker.
—BRADLEY LINCOLN
Laced Up, Ready to Go
A new addition to the suburbs, Romantika Boutique (711 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling; 847-520-7277, romantika-lingerie.com) may be the perfect destination for Valentine’s Day gifts this year. Romantika carries gifts and accessories, including chocolate shower bars ($8), books on seduction and romance ($5.95 and up), a variety of scented candles ($32), and massage oils…
