Chicago.com
VIVA! Las Lakeview – A Casino Night at the Harbor to Benefit FIVE Lakeview Charities
April 20, 2010- Chicago, IL –Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the Inaugural event for their 501c3 arm Lakeview East Community Partnerships – VIVA! Las Lakeview, an evening, of high style gaming with master of ceremonies ” COUSIN VINNIE” from Chicago.com.
Thursday April 29th from 6:30PM to 10PM
Chicago Yacht Club: Belmont Station 300 W Belmont, Lakeview
A total of over $50,000 in prizes are available for guests to try their luck for ranging from fine art to hotel stays to dining certificates to spa packages.
A donation of $40 provides a buffet, and entertainment by Joe Ferrar and Friends of the Chicago Jazz Ensemble.
Guests will enjoy an evening of “Vegas-style” entertainment: Blackjack, Craps, Spin to Win, Roulette and Texas Hold’ em Poker.
All attendees will start the evening with $20 in chips, and can purchase more as needed. All proceeds benefit Lakeview area Not for Profit Organizations.
Beneficiaries of this event include:
o Student Veteran and Military Association of Illinois
o The Nettelhorst School
o The Chicago Canine Rescue Foundation
o The Chicago Yacht Club Foundation – Sailing Scholarship Program
o Nature Explore
Winners can also turn their chips in to purchase special raffle tickets for a trip for two to Las Vegas. Raffle tickets can also be pre-purchased through lakevieweast.com
This event would not be possible without the support countless Community Merchants who donated their services and talents as prizes for game winners.
Sponsors include: Fifth Third Bank, Chicago Jet Group, Horseshoe Casino Hammond, Diageo and Vanberg & Dewulf, Chicago.com
Guests Can order tickets by phone at 773 – 348 – 8608 or online at:
http://www.lakevieweast.com/viva-las-lakeview.htm
Adler after Dark sounded to me like a sci-fi geek’s dream. But after attending last week I was pleasantly surprised. There were no Trekkies in sight! Ok, all joking aside, Adler after Dark is is a 21 and over event that is offered by the Adler Planetarium that takes place once a month.
We got there around 6pm, and the views of the city and the Chicago skyline were spectacular. Most people seemed to be on dates or with friends, but even if you’re flying solo this is still a cool place to hang out. Great music was provided by DJ D-Rek. He was awesome! He spun everything from Jay Z to Michael Jackson. I’d love for him to DJ a Chicago.com event. Wine, beer, and cocktails were offered and prices weren’t too bad. ($6 for wine, $4 for domestics, $5 imports) Thank goodness you can take them throughout most of the Planetarium. They also served hummus and fresh veggies and crackers as a complimentary snack. If you are in the mood for something a little more savory, the cafe stays open too. The Night Sky Live was an excellent exhibit that I remember well from field trips in middle school. It is a must see educational journey, even in my old age, that points out objects that make up our universe (behave yourselves in the dark guys). Be sure to check it out before June because the Planetarium is updating the entire exhibit with a state of the art digital system and theatre that will be taking its place by the fall of this year. Later in the evening once it got dark, we checked out the Doane tele-scope which is the most powerful scope of its kind in the Midwest. They were aiming it at Mars, but don’t tell them, it looked like an orange dot in the sky to me. One of their guides pointed out the International Space Station flying 300 miles over head. This was impressive to say the least.
I was a little disappointed that I didn’t see any Klingon costumes or Wookies walking around. This crowd was more hip, better looking, and certainly more sophisticated than I anticipated. It’s great for tourists and locals so bring your friends and check out this Adler event. I know I will be back again, so see you there….
Like you, I am a workaholic. I can’t help myself. I find the Internet and travel industries oddly addictive. However, after spending five days cooped up in the office, I need a break from the corporate world just as much as you do. Weekends in Chicago are for letting loose and — believe me — there is never a shortage of things to do.
Although St. Patrick’s Day is over, that is no reason to stop having fun. Sure, you can’t find green beer for another year, and those crazy bar specials are now a thing of the past, but I have still managed to find the hottest spots in Chicago this weekend. Here are my top picks for March 19-21.
After spending all of that cash out on the town on Friday, I need a nice way to spend Saturday that won’t put another dent in the wallet. The Garfield Park Conservatory at 300 N Central Ave is the perfect place for that. Each year the conservatory hosts this free event where you can see flowers long before they are blooming outside. And with Spring almost here, there’s no better time to get a preview of what Chicago will look like soon than enjoying an afternoon in this historic conservatory.
On Saturday evening, I am headed to Faith & Whiskey at 1365 W. Fullerton Ave for their Whiskey Week celebration. This five day festival has already started, but I’m choosing to go on Saturday when they will be featuring rare whiskey. You can get Jack and Soco any day at any bar, but this evening will be filled with the finer brands, followed by DJ Clayton De La Chapelle leading the party until 3am.
After a long weekend of fun and partying, I’ve discovered the best way to recuperate on Sunday is to head over to Hub 51 at 51 West Hubbard St and enjoy half priced sushi from 3pm-6pm. I’m partial to their creative Rainbow Rolls, which just so happen to be the biggest bang for your buck during this special, but explore the rest of their menu and find something that suits you.
There was a little drizzle and a lot of fun at the St Patrick’s Day Parade 2010 in Chicago. We started out the “jolly green day” by watching the Chicago River being dyed green,which has been a yearly tradition since 1961. The river went from green to really green at 10:45a.m. We watched it all go down from the upper level bridges at Michigan Avenue, but the view from Columbus Drive is beautiful too. Once we wiped off the green mist from our faces the Chicago.com crew, Vujadin, Wanda, Jarred, Pasqual and I, went to our float and waited for the festivities to begin . The parade began promptly at noon and started at Balbo and Columbus.
Chicago.com was riding the float with the Sons of Sligo hockey team and my buddy Vince LiFonti- insurance agent/Matador dancer for the Chicago Bulls tagged along to join in on the fun. “The sons of Sligo” have been a staple of the parade for 28 years. The donations from our float go to great charities like ICE program and the Special Olympics. The ICE program is a non for profit organization that helps low income students who excel academically who participate in youth and high school hockey. In between Vince kissing strangers, wearing “Kiss me I’m Irish” shirts, and the hockey team shooting balls at Ned Colleran, goalie and Sons of Sligo family member, we had a great time at the parade.
Once the parade was over, we kept the celebration going and headed to the after party at Gingers Ale House, on Ashland and Grace. It’s not just cozy Celtic decor or live Irish music that make this place a favorite of mine. Add corned beef sandwiches, the best fried pickles in town, a perfectly poured pint of Guinness from my man and owner Tony, that makes this joint a truly great “pub”. A true Irish pub has heart. Stop by Gingers Ale House you’ll understand what I mean by heart when you’re there. It’ll become a favorite of yours too. They have a great menu from corned beef sandwiches served on marbled rye to authentic fish and chips and awesome Irish sausage wraps (great flaky crust!). After some heavy drinking and great music I worked up a second wind appetite. So my beautiful girlfriend and I ordered Sheppard’s pie. All in all, it was a great end to a great night.
Stay tuned for clips of the Parade highlights and great times with great friends coming soon to Chicago.com/videos.
We filmed our most recent Chicago.com neighborhood tour in the heart of Wicker Park/Bucktown. If you’re not familiar with this part of Chicago then check out our video soon to hit the website and take the trip “Chicago.com style.”
One of the highlights of shooting the first webisode of 2010 was getting the chance to work with Lacey from www.poorlittlerichgirls.com. Lacey, myself, and the rest of the Chicago.com crew got to stomp around town, ending our evening at a brilliant show at Double Door. That’s when the fun really started.
A huge event was being hosted at Double Door by Thrillist, a web-based company that specializes in what’s hot in your town. On Thursday, Thrillist paid homage to New Orleans (Go Saints!) and Mardi Gras. Sheffield’s catered some truly authentic spicy Cajun grub. Jugglers, stilt walkers and other Mardi Gras themed tomfoolery like beads, masks, and face painters mixed among the crowd of unsuspecting bar-hoppers. Thrillist sure knows how to throw a party. For more of Thrillist’s events visit www.thrillists.com.
Double door is a hot joint located at 1572 N Milwaukee, right in the heart of Wickerpark/Bucktown. Everyone behind the bar was cool and attentive and made sure our drinks were strong. The layout of the place is perfect for an intimate date, or a crazy concert like the one we were at. There are two different rooms with the main stage area upstairs and a downstairs lounge that is a super chill spot perfect for getting away for that one on one conversation. Upstairs and down, the artwork and décor can only be described as “Vinnie approved” That is if you like paintings of big naked ladies, which I do.
Phil Kosch, the talent buyer for Double Door was awesome enough to give us a pre-event tour of the 16 year old venue and briefed us on former bands that played there like The Stones, The Killers, Kid rock, and Local H. The list goes on and on. Sure this place has big names but they also have the best showcase of local talent I have ever seen. Brian Huebner, the manager of this killer establishment showed the whole crew at Chicago.com and www.poorlittlerichgirls.com a kick ass time and thanks to him, we were able to get some back stage interviews with that night’s lineup: Papadosio, Fifth World, Mojo, and the Bayou Gypsies. If you are looking for a complete listing of the events and upcoming shows go to www.Doubledoor.com or give them a call at (773) 489-3160.
Fifth World - “The Sensei of Soul” kicked in their set with some sounds that psychedelically challenge your brain with a funked out chill. They combine electronic instruments and computers that deliver a unique sound and distinct flavor. Asif Wilson was a treat on the ears during his solo on the keyboard. Keep your eyes and ears out for this up and coming bright minded group. I am sure we will be hearing a lot more from these cats. Check out their site “Before the Fifth World” at www.fifthworldmusic.com.
Papadosio is original, timeless, and extremely weird! Their music is a cross between rock hop, enya, and jazz. They are a cool group of dudes that performed some super relaxing music. Their song “The Lack of Everything” showed me what euphoria must be like…very enjoyable to say the least. Check out upcoming shows and tour dates for Papadosio at www.papadosio.com.
Mojo and the Bayou Gypsies – Let me start out by saying Mojo is one talented guy. They had my “hands -a- clapan” and my “feet-a-tappin.” The amount of fun and energy they produced was spectacular. We were lucky to get a couple moments to interview Mojo and the Gypsies and find out some band tour dates and what lies ahead for this bunch of Bayou’s. What a group of characters. I’d go out for a beer with these guys any day. Greg from ‘Fiddler,” you rock that violin. Simply awesome. You can see them at www.redhotmojo.com
Also co-hosting the event was Imerman Angels. They are a great not-for-profit organization providing one-on-one cancer victim support, connecting cancer fighters, survivors and caregivers. If you or anyone you love has been or is currently being affected by cancer, please check out their website. One of their main goals is to partner people fighting cancer with other cancer survivors. One-on-one relationships create the opportunity to ask personal questions and get support from someone who is uniquely familiar with their experience. The service is absolutely free and helps anyone touched by any type of cancer, at any cancer stage level, at any age, living anywhere in the world. Please check out this site and consider making a donation to this awesome organization www.imermanangels.org.
Stay posted to Chicago.com/videos for more behind the stage footage and in depth band interviews coming soon!