Hidden Gems

Movies in the park
The seventh annual Chicago Outdoor Film Festival is upon us, offering seven weeks of classic films every Tuesday evening starting July 18 and running through Aug. 29.

If you would love something free from the city after paying hundreds of dollars in parking tickets and property taxes, here’s your chance. In Grant Park at the corner of Lake Shore and Monroe, you can’t miss the massive (50 x 34) screen and even more massive crowds every Tuesday night.

Three pieces of advice: 1.) Take the El, and walk south a couple stops after the show is over to get a seat on a train for the trip home. 2.) Get there early to get a good angle at the screen (not behind any folding chairs or a sidewalk) and a spot close to a speaker. 3.) Bring food and drink and friends.

I was a little skeptical at my first visit, but despite the crowds and some people more interested in talking on their cell phones or walking around aimlessly, it is a very good time. There’s something to be said about watching a classic film with thousands of people as the sun sets over the city. Pretty cool.

July 18 — 8:55 p.m.
Rebel Without a Cause
James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo

July 25 — 8:49 p.m.
Bringing Up Baby
Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn

Aug. 1 — 8:41 p.m.
High Noon
Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Lloyd Bridges

Aug. 8 — 8:32 p.m.
American Graffiti
Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Cindy Williams

Aug. 15 — 8:22 p.m.
The Apartment
Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray

Aug. 22 — 8:11 p.m.
On the Waterfront
Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Rod Steiger, Eva Marie Saint

Aug. 29 — 7:59 p.m.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara

For more information, contact www.cityofchicago.org. And can I ask, what ever happened to Mia Sara, the girlfriend of Ferris Bueller?

— Trent Modglin

 

Date night in the River North Art District
Running out of ways (or money) to impress your summer fling? Does your one creative gene yearn for a bit of cultural enlightenment? Chicago’s booming River North art district is the way to go. Art galleries abound at the corner of Superior and Franklin, just a block away from the Chicago/Franklin Brown Line stop. Each gallery showcases various up-and-coming and established contemporary artists and their works. And best of all, the cost is free.

As a date location, the atmosphere of the River North gallery district can’t be beat. Plan on taking a few hours during the day to amble up and down Superior and Franklin, stopping in whatever places catch you or your date’s eye. My personal favorites are the Andrew Bae Gallery, focusing on the new generation of Asian contemporary artists from Korea and Japan; Catherine Edelman Gallery, specializing in contemporary photography and mixed media photo-based art; and Mary Bell Gallery, showcasing beautiful contemporary abstract and realistic paintings.

If you’re hungry afterward, the Brehon Pub on Wells and Superior has an outdoor seating area for a lovely afternoon alfresco dining experience. Or if it’s getting closer to dinnertime, Cafe Iberico, located at 739 N. LaSalle Street, boasts some of the best tapas and sangria in town.

Even better than an afternoon stroll in the gallery district is the fortuitous exhibition opening. I was lucky enough to stumble upon this fun event one night while waiting to meet up with friends. All up and down Superior, people move from one gallery to the next, sipping wine and meeting the artists whose new exhibits were premiering that night. Most of the openings occur on the same date, during which each gallery hosting a new exhibit opens its doors until 8 or 9 p.m and offers wine and light appetizers to all those who visit. The next spate of openings in the River North Art District occurs on Friday, July 14. Don’t miss it for an opportunity to take in some wonderful artwork and talk with the artists about their creative process.

Information on each of these galleries, including hours of operation, current exhibits and future opening dates, is available at the Chicago Gallery News website, http://www.chicagogallerynews.com.

You can do a little research on the galleries and featured artists before taking your honey there, and enlighten him or her with your knowledge of, say, a certain artist’s mastery of the difficult mezzotint printing process. Whatever — it sure sounds impressive! And I cannot emphasize enough that the best part about the River North Art District is that it costs virtually nothing to expose yourself (and possibly someone else) to some much-needed culture when you are in the mood.

— Kathryn Doi

 

House of Sushi and Noodles
If you like to eat more than a couple of rolls when out for sushi, there is no other place to over-indulge quite like the House of Sushi and Noodles on the corner of Lincoln, Belmont and Ashland.

They have an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet that comes with a miso soup and a tempura appetizer. You’re allowed to order two rolls at a time, per person, and that includes unlimited water refills that will get you home for $15 a head.

We have been going there for more than five years, and it seems to be getting more crowded all the time. You know you’re a regular when you can sit down in any section and still see one of the pictures taken of you during a previous feeding frenzy.

House of Sushi and Noodles
1610 W. Belmont Ave.
(773) 935-9110

— Jesse Alejos

Sangria at Waterhouse
So let’s say it’s a warm Saturday afternoon, and you’re not feeling like a beer. God forbid, I know, but let’s stay on task here. Suddenly, sangria comes to mind. Yes, you could sure go for a cold glass of sangria with a few chunks of fruit floating around. But you’ve been to a few spots in Chicago, and the sangria has generally been inconsistent. Some tastes too much like wine. Others are watered down. You’re tired of dealing with novices.

Well, I’m telling you, for the best blend in the city, try Waterhouse on the corner of Lincoln, Paulina and Roscoe.

Brewed right there at the bar, their red and white sangria is by far the best I’ve tried in Chicago. If you have a hard time picking which one you’d like, try them both, or mix ’em up.

I’m telling you, combining a few pitchers of sangria and sitting in the outside patio at Waterhouse is a good way to spend a few hours. Or a few days.

— Trent Modglin

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