Going with the flow

Two writers share how they would spend an obligation-free Saturday in Chicago

From the woman’s point of view

By Crissa Stephens

Ask anyone how it’s going Monday through Friday and you’ll likely get an “I’m OK.” This will be said with all the enthusiasm of the guy who just blew out a tire in a pothole the size of Rhode Island.

Will the weekend be the antidote? In the summer, Saturdays in Chicago feel like a trip to Disneyland. There are street fests, beach time, Cubs games and concerts. In March, Chicagoans know that the perfect Saturday doesn’t just happen; you have to make it. Here’s what mine looks like this week…

First stop, Bleeding Heart Bakery at Belmont and Damen. Wait, scratch that. First stop is bed, for as long as I want. A Saturday without sleeping in has no chance of greatness. When I finally get up, Bleeding Heart is stop No. 2 for a morning cup of Joe with girlfriends and some shameless rehashing of Friday night’s escapades. Dishing about trying to escape Mr. Awkward-Second Date while occasionally getting distracted by a case of cupcakes sets the Saturday mood.

After Bleeding Heart, I head downtown to pick up something to wear later. Normally I’d do my shopping at local boutiques like Bazar or Akira, but I am always meaning to get to the Art Institute, so maybe today it will happen. When I finish snagging some choice pieces for the night’s festivities, I wander past one of the Columbia College buildings where I see people cheering and hear a pulsing hip-hop beat.

I’m curious, so I go in to find the Young Chicago Authors’ annual “Louder than a Bomb” poetry slam. I know that once again my goal of making it to the Art Institute isn’t going to be realized and I stay awhile. Turns out this is an amazing find — the unexpected stuff that great, quirky Chicago Saturdays are made of. Groups of three or four teenagers from around the city perform slam poetry for the judges. They speak about issues important to them through poetry with a twist of smack.

Who knew? The program has a great website and magazine featuring teen authors whose talent and perspective will blow you away. Forget schedules, discovering events like this reinforces the fact that Saturdays are for going with the flow.

Speaking of the flow, it can officially be found at Bloom Yoga Studio in Lincoln Square. After the poetry slam, I change into my comfy clothes and drop by for a preview of spring. Bloom’s light colors and airy feel trick me into believing it’s the beginning of May. After class, I have energy to spare. A workout fit for the weekend, it’s one of the few where someone will remind you to do whatever you feel like doing, which is shaping up to be my own game plan for this Saturday.

Beating away the urge to hibernate until it’s at least 70 degrees out gives me an appetite. I decide to call a few friends to meet at Uncommon Ground for drinks and an early dinner. It’s my favorite place to gear up for some Saturday night adventure. Not to mention that the fireplace, cozy atmosphere and pumpkin ravioli allow me to make some peace with winter at last. The creative cocktail combinations and coffee drinks don’t hurt either.

I’m never at a loss for personal entertainment while eating out with this group of friends. Whether listening to them recount the time they experienced the unfortunate combination of a city bus and a puddle while trying to get to work or listening to their oh-so-insightful theories on the universe, i.e. the opposite sex, I’ll leave in the mood to go out and own the town. If it so happens that owning the town isn’t in store for me tonight, then at least I know we’ll be provided with fodder for the kind of Sunday brunch where our Saturday night war stories and victories will be served with a healthy side of sarcasm.

Wingmen and women in tow, it’s time to pay a visit to our old friend Matilda. This place is always a good time. I love its chill vibe, eclectic crowd and great bartenders. After choosing our drinks, we spend a good amount of time at the jukebox touting our musical knowledge and dreaming about concerts to come. Matilda is kind of like a favorite pair of jeans that can be worn just as easily with a ratty sweatshirt as a designer top. You can go all out and work the place or stay low key and hole up at a table with your friends, but either way, you’re going to be comfortable.

Since we’ve done enough relaxing for the evening, the time has come to kick it up a bit. Tonight, we decide Rumba is the place to do it. While our choice of venue may seem a little offbeat, we hope our dancing isn’t. After 10:30 or so on a Saturday night, the Latin restaurant turns in to a salsa dance free-for-all. Maybe it’s that we’re still jealous of Baby from “Dirty Dancing” (we hear nobody puts her in a corner), or maybe it’s just our desire to be beachside in Acapulco instead of cabbing it in our winter wear, but my friends and I are ready to shake it like the best of them when we get there.

Whether you know how to salsa or not, you will not spend a minute hanging by the wall at Rumba. Once you hit the dance floor, don’t even try heading for the bar. You will inevitably be stopped by someone trying to convince you that you must have one more dance. My expectation is to be spun around by 37 different men of all ages and heights before the night is through. I love Chicago’s corner bars and party spots as much as the next person, but it’s exhilarating to be off the beaten nighttime path trying something totally new.

At the end of the night, the promise of tomorrow’s Sunday brunch with friends sounds better than ever. My feet hurt, and I’m happily exhausted from such a full day. I’ve accomplished my mission. Mittens and all, I’ve made a Saturday in March that rivals any that June can offer.

 

From the man’s point of view

By Jeremy Schnitker

A truly great Saturday should always come after an awesome Friday night, so the day should start with you sleeping off the hangover from the previous night’s debauchery. An essential part of enjoying a great weekend day is not being in the slightest hurry to get out of bed. Which leads into one of my life mantras: Never trust anybody who gets up before 11 a.m. on a Saturday who doesn’t have to.

You don’t want to sleep in too much though, especially in the winter, as you’re wasting valuable daylight.

The benchmark of any solid Saturday is a great brunch. Nothing says “Screw you, hangover” like a greasy omelette, hashbrowns and perhaps even a little hair of the dog (i.e., a bloody mary). If there’s one true thing about Chicago and its neighborhoods, it’s that just about every one of them in town has a sweet brunch spot, if not a half dozen. So no matter where you live, you’ve likely got options. Only problem with brunch is that you’re not the only person who thought it was a good idea. The major downside of brunch is that every place is packed, and you often have to wait ridiculous amounts of time to get a table at a good spot — and there’s nothing worse than standing in line outside a restaurant with an empty belly and a banging headache. So pick your spot wisely, or you’ll waste half your day there. (My fave is the Earwax Cafe in Wicker Park. Great food. Hardly ever a wait.)

After brunch, you’re sort of faced with two decisions: Go back home to bed and sleep the rest of the day away or walk around the city and burn some of those calories off. If this is going to prove to be an exceptional Saturday, you don’t want to spend it horizontally on your couch (that’s for Sundays).

From here, your possibilities are endless in a place like Chicago. You could go downtown, walk around in the Gold Coast, Grant Park or along the lakefront. You could head up Clark Street (if there’s a game) to watch the madness that is Wrigleyville on game day. My favorite Saturday thing to do is find a new neighborhood I’ve never been to before and just walk around it aimlessly for a couple hours: out of the way places like Oak Park, Hyde Park or Uptown. It’s great exercise, and after awhile, you can really start to learn a lot about the city.

No matter what neighborhood you decide on, there’s likely some great window shopping to be done. Thrift stores, bookstores, record stores, etc. It’s fun when you’ve got the time to peruse second-hand stores for some cool vintage clothing, try to find a couple rare albums you can’t get on iTunes, or maybe pick up a random history book or biography for a buck or two.

If you’re anything like me, right about now you start to get the itch for a couple cocktails (especially if it’s nice outside and you keep walking past beer gardens already filled with jolly patrons). I don’t care what the surgeon general says, there’s nothing wrong with a little day drinking. In fact, I highly recommend it. Bars are so much more relaxing during the day. There are fewer people, less tension and not everybody’s trying to get laid. Many bars in this city are much more tolerable during the day than they are at night. But you don’t want to go overboard, though. Just a couple innocent drinks is all you want. Shots of tequila at 3:30 usually mean sleepy time by 10, and honestly, you’re kind of a loser if you’re in bed before “Saturday Night Live” comes on.

Now is about a good time to do something semi-constructive. Hit a comedy show, go to a sporting event, concert or maybe a play. Chicago’s a legendary comedy town; somebody big is here just about every weekend. No matter what time of year it is, there’s usually a game, be it the Cubs, Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks or one of the college teams. There’s typically about a half dozen good concerts per Saturday night in this town, and shows here start so early it’s not unreasonable to be able to go to one and still have plenty time to hit the bars afterwards. And one of the most under-attended forms of entertainment in this city (at least for average guys like me) is theater. There are tons of great plays in this town, many of which are perfect entertainment for a Saturday night (i.e., not overly dramatic yawners).

It’s usually a good idea to rally a partying posse to meet up at a friend’s place for drinks either before you go to your event or hit the bars. This usually involves playing some good tunes, putting a guy movie on in the background (“Swingers,” “High Fidelity,” “Animal House” or “The Big Lebowski” will do). Or, if you’re lucky and you’ve got a friend with an 8-bit Nintendo that still functions, you could fire that baby up. Nothing says Saturday night with the guys like a Super Tecmo Bowl tournament.

Well, from there it’s pretty predictable; you all go to the bar and act irresponsibly. Party like you’re still in college. Preferably at a place that has an awesome juke box, where you can actually hear one another talk and don’t have to spend an entire week’s pay (you’ve likely already dropped some hefty coin throughout the day).

Then, if you play your cards right, you may end up with somebody from the opposite sex. Honestly, there isn’t a better way to end a great day.

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