Andrew W. Blumenfeld: Chicagoland

Thu, 27 Nov 2003 03:39:19 GMT

Check out Kevin Oswald's gallery. He's a 13 year old from Orland Park with quite a knack for painting. His gallery is ognanized by year so you and you can really see how his art has matured since he was 10. There's also a WLS TV article you can read...A teen artist you should know.

Sun, 09 Nov 2003 16:21:14 GMT

When you're feeling nostalgic, visit Lisa's Web World. Lisa grew up in Woodstock, Illinois, and has put together a very extensive web site. Some of her pages that I like include...

Ray Rayner

Garfield Goose

Bozo's Circus

Dispensa's Kiddie Kingdom (Oakbrook Terrace)

AdventureLand (Addison)

Old Chicago (Bolingbrook)

Thu, 06 Nov 2003 23:30:00 GMT

"I like mine with lettuce and tomato. Heinz Fifty-Seven and French-Fried potatoes."

I ate at a place called Cheeseburger In Paradise in Waikiki a few years back with my friend, Mike, while we were working in Hawaii. They had great food, but like most places in Waikiki, it was way too crowded. I had heard that this restaurant's owner, Cheesebuger, Inc., was not affliated in any way with nor endorsed by Jimmy Buffet.

Recently I noticed they were building a Cheeseburger in Paradise location in Downers Grove, and I got curious. I did some research and learned that this Cheeseburger In Paradise is not affliated with the restaurants of the same name in Hawaii or Cheeseburger, Inc. This location is part of a new chain owned by a partnership of Outback Steakhouse, Inc. and Margaritaville Holdings. Margaritaville Holdings is Jimmy's company.

Downers Grove is the chain's second location. Their first restaurant was opened in August, 2002 in a suburb of Indianapolis, IN. New Locations are now under construction in Madison, WI, Fredericksburg, VA, and Omaha, NE. Jimmy personally chose to enter the Omaha market after talking to Warren Buffet, his distant cousin who lives in Omaha. Jimmy reportedly said, "Warren Buffett told me if you put it here, he'll buy the first burger. Well, I'm no dummy."

Read more about the new restaurant in The Chicago Sun-Times article. I'll let you know how the burgers are when I get there.

Wed, 29 Oct 2003 23:23:19 GMT

Raining Birds In Chicago. Every night hundreds to thousands of migrating birds die in Chicago because they are blinded by the bright skyline. What is being done to prevent this?

(Link requires free one-time registration to the Chicago Tribune's website)

Sun, 26 Oct 2003 14:18:56 GMT

Why don't Wheaton College students have sex standing up?

A: It might be construed as dancing.

But times are changing at the 143 year old school. Wheaton College is now going to hold its first school dance!

(Link requires free registration to the Chicago Tribune's website)

Sun, 26 Oct 2003 00:39:12 GMT

I needed a photo of a Dupage County prairie for a pictorial essay I'm working on. A typical northern Illinois prairie has patches of trees called groves as seen in the background here. The prairie grasses are nearly five feet tall this time of year. I hope to get a photo showing a different view of this same prairie in the Spring.

Tue, 21 Oct 2003 01:45:29 GMT

When in Rome, eat hot dogs like a Roman, but when in Chicago, eat them the right way! The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council offers this guidance with the rules of hot dog etiquette...

Don't...
put hot dog toppings between the hot dog and the bun. Always "dress the dog," not the bun.

Condiments should be applied in the following order: wet condiments like mustard and chili are applied first, followed by chunky condiments like relish, onions and sauerkraut, followed by shredded cheese, followed by spices, like celery salt or pepper.

Do...
serve sesame seed, poppy seed and plain buns with hot dogs. Sun-dried tomato buns or basil buns are considered gauche with franks.

Don't...
use a cloth napkin to wipe your mouth when eating a hot dog. Paper is always preferable.

Do...
eat hot dogs on buns with your hands. Utensils should not touch hot dogs on buns.

Do...
use paper plates to serve hot dogs. Every day dishes are acceptable; china is a no-no.

Don't...
take more than five bites to finish a hot dog. For foot-long wiener, seven bites are acceptable.

Don't...
leave bits of bun on your plate. Eat it all.

Fresh herbs on the same plate with hot dogs are a major "Don't..." Mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili are acceptable.

Don't...
use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18.

Do...
Condiments remaining on the fingers after eating a hot dog should be licked away, not washed.

Do...
use multi-colored toothpicks to serve cocktail wieners. Cocktail forks are in poor taste.

Don't...
send a thank you note following a hot dog barbecue. It would not be in keeping with the unpretentious nature of hot dogs.

Don't...
bring wine to a hot dog barbecue. Beer, soda, lemonade and iced tea are preferable.

Don't...
ever think there is a wrong time to serve hot dogs.

Wed, 15 Oct 2003 03:16:16 GMT

Here's a view of the ivy at Wrigley in October that we don't get to see too often. See more pictures of the ivy.

Sat, 11 Oct 2003 01:05:54 GMT

Tom Skilling and Steve Dahl fans will enjoy two video clips about Tom's career from the Trib's Feed Room... A Look Back At Tom

Fri, 10 Oct 2003 06:21:29 GMT

My Chicago Picture of the week this week is actually a set of 15 pictures from the Chicago Tribune.