Rib Smacking Good

Twin Anchors is one of the oldest restaurants in the city of Chicago. They are famous for the delicious baby back ribs. I love ribs, so even when we had to wait for an hour, it wasn't a big deal. Their bar area is large enough for people to have a drink or 2 while waiting. The decor is sailor-like with images of Yachts on the wall along with Batman: The Dark Knight posters--there was a scene in the movie that was shot here. Back to the food. The ribs were so tender and fell off the bone. The barbeque sauce was sweet and spicy. Don't be shy and ask for more sauce if needed. The baked beans were also good, but the ribs are the true highlight. I can't wait to go back during the summer since they have outdoor seating on the sidewalk.

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Restaurants • Lincoln Park

Greasy Goodness

When you're sick of deep dish La Madia Great has great thin crust pizza with exquisite ingredients. The restaurant has a very modern environment setting, but you won't feel intimidated at all. It's a nice litttle getaway from work. I highly recommend their Triple Pepperoni with white truffle oil and basil. My friends and I had a little discussion about the greasiness of this pizza. We weren't sure if the oil comes from the pepperoni or the truffles. But we didn't care, because it was delicious. Although it looks very oily, once you take a bite, the fragrant spread in your mouth is totally different from the greasiness from typical delivery. I've tried all of their pizza, and the pepperoni is definitely my favorite! Oh, they have a great wine, coffee, and dessert selection too.

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Pizza • Near North / River North

A Savory Decision

Who can really resists a good crepes? To be honest, I never tried any other crepes beside sweet crepes. So when I finally was blunt enough to order a savory one, I was really happy with my decision. I ordered the Chicago crepe, which has avocados, muenster cheese, sundried tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, sunflower seeds, fresh cilantro, scallions, and organic mixed greens. It is indeed savory--I cleaned the plate with no doubt. They also have great coffee. It was a perfect match. The restaurant is cozy and easy to get to. Plus, the ambiance is vibrant yet soothing all at the same time.

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Coffee , Restaurants • Edgewater / Andersonville

Punch Drunk Love

We headed to Kirkwood for a going-away party for one of my sister's former co-workers. We sat out in the beer garden, which I remember from the past gets very crowded. If you find a table and it is a little further back, there is only one way to get out to go to the bathroom--a long and winding road filled with "excuse me, pardon me" followed be some gentle pushing. And even though the temperature that night was a bit cooler, there were super hot warming lamps on full blast. We all crunched to one side of our table to avoid the heat. Although they have decent bar food, this night was just for drinking. My sister's friend spotted the fish bowls and talked us into ordering one. We got the Red Fish Bowl, supposedly their most famous drink. It was like sipping on a giant bowl of spiked Hawaiian Punch. Just what we needed to cool down from the heat lamps.

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Nightlife • Wrigleyville / East Lakeview

Still Reckless

After a couple of decades near Belmont, Reckless Records packed up and moved across the street and a block south. The new digs are bigger and more open, which allows for a much better music browsing experience. And browse here you must. You never know what sort of music you'll find. Along with CD's, Reckless has a good-sized vinyl department with a pretty large punk selection. You can also find a few cassettes and, believe it or not, 8-tracks. A good portion of the store is devoted to DVD's and VHS movies, and you'll even find a small selection of music books, as well as a 'zine rack. Although you can find new releases, most of their products are used, so if you're looking to make a few bucks, bring in your old stuff. They'll look through their databases, and if they can add it to their inventory, they'll give you cash or store credit in return.

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Shopping • East Lakeview