Ontario Street Briefs

Ontario Street, which makes its home two blocks north of the Grand Red-line el stop, is another road filled with clubs, bars, and restaurants. However, this time, the street caters less to sophistication and more to a tourist taste for novelty.  In addition to the many clubs, Ontario St. has its gems.

I'm going to call the area on the corner of Ontario and Lasalle Street the "tourist triangle." Large neon signs act as beacons of familiarity for families visiting the fright, tumult, and turbulence that is night-time Chicago. The corner plays host to the  Rainforest Cafe, the Hard Rock Cafe, and a retro-style, two story McDonalds. Although they are chain restaurants, the gaud and elaborateness of their decor suggests a higher degree of city poise than their less accommodating counterparts.  After all, when was the last time you saw a limousine parked in front of a McDonalds?  Price Range: $. Large seating areas appropriate for all ages.

The Chicago Chop House, located at 60 W. Ontario, seems out of place, as it is located in a beautiful, vintage brownstone just down the street from the "tourist triangle." Its classy nature, white tablecloths, and excellent service are a welcome change from the rest of the street.  This restaurant, unlike the chain restaurants down the road, is purely Chicago -  They boast that they are "Where the city that works eats." As a steakhouse, the menu is a bevy of rich and robust meats, wines, and desserts.  However, seafood lovers are also in for a treat at the Chicago Chop House.  1400 historical photos tell the story of Chicago and the Chop House as the dream and legacy of founder Henry Norton.  The restaurant has received many rewards, recommendations, and news mention, including that from the Chicago Tribune.  Price Range: $$$.  Reservations suggested.

An experience in itself, Eggsperience brings a hip, affordable 24-hour breakfast enterprise to the center of the clubbing district in the River North neighborhood.  The place is packed from 2-4 a.m.  It's a clean, comfortable, and fun escape from the scary world that Chicago becomes when the nightlife wanes to its end.  The first time I ate here, I felt as though it had saved my life from not only the criminals running the streets, but from the pain caused by my sky-high, club appropriate heels.  The menu consists of old favorites and new twists and contains enough options to satisfy any taste at any time. Urbanspoon is explosive with positive reviews of the joint from people who eat there late at night, in the morning, or even a lazy weekend afternoon.  Eggsperience is located at 35 W. Ontario.  Price Range: $$.

It seems like everyone has heard of the Redhead Piano Bar.  If this bar were a person, he would be the mutual friend of Howl at the Moon and Hub 51.  The bar is suave and sophisticated, but quite masculine, serving scotch, cognac and premium liquor, including tequila, whiskey, and bourbon, as well as cigars.  Located at 16 W. Ontario, the bar is the definition of a hole-in-the-wall.  You'd walk right past it if it were not for the giant, blinking neon sign.  Price Range: $$$.

Hubbard Street Briefs

Hubbard Street, located just north of the Chicago River in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, perpendicular to Rush Street, is the perfect stroll for those seeking sophisticated dining and high-end nightlife.

Shaw's Crab House & Oyster Bar located at 21 E. Hubbard takes fresh seafood to a whole new level.  Its menu caters to a sophisticated palate and includes traditional seafood dishes, as well as new and experimental creations and festive, well-made cocktails.  Even those with a taste for steak will be impressed with Shaw's.  The ambiance and bow-tie clad waiters call visitors back to a different and more romantic era, in which food was a symphony for the mouth and soul, and restaurant service was still a noble profession. Price Range: $$$$. Reservation suggested.

If it weren't for the seemingly wealthy clientele, Howl at the Moon would be considered a dive bar - the most fun, highly energetic, comfortable, riotous dive bar on Earth, save perhaps the original New Orleans location.  The crown jewel of the corporation is the signature dueling pianos show which features expert musicians in an audience-participation-encouraged concert.   So how does it work?  Write your song of choice on a readily available mini-form and place it on the top of the piano - the band will pick it up and play it in order of receipt.  Be ready for a wild night, as many audience members are Landshark enthusiasts who bring the Jimmy Buffett island vibe and abandon to the big city.  Settle in with a drink or grab a bite and become part of the show. Cover Charge: $5-$10.  Price Range: $$.  Look out for weekly deals.  Located at 26 W. Hubbard.

If Hub 51 were a person, he would be tall, dark, and handsome with a spirit of mystery and an affinity for deep conversation.  He would be constantly surrounded by beautiful, enigmatic men and women with deep and overflowing pockets. Hub 51 is comfortable and ambient even after the bar crowd rolls in. The menu is filled with rich, satisfying, yet sophisticated comfort food.  Little golden lightbulbs hang over the tables, which themselves encourage exchange. If you are looking for fun, head over to the fully-stocked bar for drinks or make your way downstairs to the in house club, Sub 51. Price Range: $$$. Reservations available.  Located at 51 W. Hubbard.

Chicago puts its spin on everything. France is no exception.  Paris Club brings a European metropolis to the midwest, and it does it with style.  If Parisian flair is what you're looking for, this is the place for you.  The menu swells with traditional French cuisine spiced up with American panache.  The decor screams city in just the romantic way that a black and white photograph of Cloud Gate does.  Price Range: $$$. Reservations suggested.  Located at 59 W. Hubbard.

Little NOLA

I am an Army brat, sort-of. My dad was in the army for his duration, during which, I was born at Fort Rucker Army Hospital in Fort Rucker, Enterprise, Alabama.  It doesn't get much more southern that that.  My whole family is strung out through the southern United States, from Tennessee to Alabama to Florida to Texas, and sometimes, although I hate to admit it, we live up to the stereotype. My parents and I were the oddballs who decided to move to Colorado. However, we still make time to go back home to visit.  If there's one part of the Southern stereotype that I don't mind, it's the notion that the further south of the dixie-line you go, the better the cooking gets.  Yet, you can't get much further from the South, directionally, culturally and culinarily, than Chicago.  I don't get to visit my relatives as much as I would like.  I miss them, and I miss their cooking.

Imagine my surprise last week when I turned on Food Network to a show featuring the delicacies of southern cuisine here in Chicago's River North neighborhood. Food Network's Heat Seekers with Aaron Sanchez (Pronounced Air-Own for those of us who are hispanic-linguistically challenged) and Roger Mooking showcases the meanest, spiciest foods in the country. On the aptly named episode "Chicago," the two visit three restaurants in the Windy City: Hot Doug's, Bricks Chicago, and my southern blog inspiration, Heaven on Seven.

I first saw this restaurant on a trip to the movie theater a few years ago.  It's located on the upper floor of the Loews Movie Theaters on Ohio and Rush.  It was the mysterious restaurant at the top of the escalator. With a name like Heaven on Seven, I couldn't help but be intrigued. I have not eaten there yet, but Food Network generally doesn't feature places unless they've done something right culinarily.
Boasting "the best Louisiana cookin' outside of New Orleans," Heaven on Seven was founded in 1985 by Jimmy Bannos and his wife. The namesake branches from the restaurant's original location on the seventh floor of the Garland Building. Before Bannos discovered his passion for Cajun and Creole cooking, he and his brother owned a coffee shop as an ode to their grandparent's affinity for restauranteering. Bannos has expanded his restaurant to a chain of three, and still interacts personally with customers as a chef and culinary teacher.
The calendar shows many of the fun upcoming events such as Sunday brunch and live music on weeknights.

Out of Place

Church.

What do you think of when you hear that word?

Two scenarios come to my mind. First, my small hometown. Everyone knows everyone, and God help you if you miss church on Sunday (literally). My church is simple, elegant, and packed full at all of its services. When I sit in those pews, I am trapped inside the fear and passion reminiscent of twelve years in Catholic school. I listen purely because its the only thing I've ever known to do in church, thanks to those frightening ladies in habits (terms of endearment, I assure you).

Since leaving the cocoon of Holy Family Catholic High School, two relevant events have occurred. One - I became less than a proper example of a practicing Catholic. Two - I had the wonderful opportunity to live in Rome.  This is the second scenario that comes to my mind when I hear the word "church." In Rome, there are churches everywhere you look. I believe they may outnumber coffeeshops, and that's saying something considering that we're talking about Italy. Every single one of them is a marvel.

I went to church often in Rome. I admit, shamefully, that my main motivation for sitting through mass was the opportunity to have an hour of uninterrupted time to take in the art. I was that awkward American blonde girl in Italian mass staring at the painted ceilings or wonderfully ornate columns instead of paying attention and following along. As a self-proclaimed student of art history, I couldn't get enough. The art lent itself to the kind of power that the Catholic church prides itself on. It humbled me completely. It made me feel so small, and I was surprisingly okay with it. There is nothing quite like it, or so I thought.

The cornerstone of Holy Name Cathedral

As I am covering the River North neighborhood this week, I thought it would be appropriate to cover a cathedral. After all, the cathedral district is an integral part of the neighborhood as a whole, and it ought not be left out. However, a cathedral in the middle of one of Chicago's wealthiest and most party-driven quarters seems like a contradiction. Even more of a shock came when I walked into Holy Name Cathedral.  The heavy doors swung closed behind me and created a cultural vacuum.  Suddenly, I was somewhere else.  The rush of State Street disappeared into my memory, and the romanesque style nave of the church rose up before me in grandeur.

It took me a moment to adjust. My mind hung somewhere between the fear of my hometown mass and my obsession with cathedral art. Reverence (and twelve years of training) took over and landed me in the back pew of the grand church.  There were several people sitting and kneeling deep in prayer.  Because I am not technically capable or aware of how to turn off the sound on my Nikon, I decided to wait.  Nothing ruins a good prayer like the sound of a shutter closing.

While I waited, my eyes were drawn upward. The wood arch of the nave sat silently, far above me.  Columns held up the side aisles, and chapels to the left and right of the altar disappeared from my view.  However, all of this pales in comparison to the jewel of the cathedral - the stained glass. Panels line the building from front to back, and two rose windows sit poised, reducing the souls of those in prayer to groping, twitching shadows of their beauty. Sometimes awe does not require faith, and even if you aren't Catholic, this cathedral is worth a visit.

The cathedral has a long and twisted history.  Its past is intertwined the the lively, devastating, and turbulent past of Chicago itself. Holy Name Cathedral is currently the seat of the Archdiocese of Chicago, but it hasn't always been that way. The parish was developed first as a chapel at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake. At the time, St. Mary's Cathedral on Madison and Wabash was the official cathedral of Chicago. In 1851, a large cathedral was built and dedicated to the Holy Name just south of the current location.  It functioned as the seat of the diocese until it was destroyed in the Chicago Fire. On November 21, 1875, the cornerstone for the new cathedral was set. Shortly after, the church was once again elevated to the seat of the diocese. Since then, the building has gone through several renovations, expansions, and modernizations to become the Holy Name Cathedral we know today, located on State between Chicago and Superior. The cathedral has become quite important in international eyes with several visits from Popes. The hats of the cardinals of the past hang as a testament above the altar.

The french-gothic style organ inside the cathedral

When you visit the cathedral, you can take a self-guided tour or go to mass. The Web site is a helpful tool for planning marriages, baptisms, or funerals, and contains and link and a wealth of information on the Archdiocese of Chicago.