How to Funk Up Your St. Paddy's Day

St. Patrick's Day weekend in Chicago. You'd think it would be hard to find an Irish meal anywhere, but we did, quite unexpectedly. I had the lead on this date night, and I was prepared! I had tickets for the Chicago Flower Show and to see the New Orleans funk band extraordinaire, DUMPSTAFUNK, at Martyrs. But I didn't have dinner locked in on purpose really. It all depended on how the evening would unfold.

We headed to Navy Pier about 6pm to see the flower show. I admit to having a perfect picture in my head of what this would be. Endless vistas of color! A feast for the eyes and nose! Fantastic, imaginative displays of horticultural art! If you went to the Flower Show yourself, you would know I came away disappointed. It was my first show of this kind, so I obviously had a different concept of what a flower show is meant to be. What I found was an enormous space barely occupied by earnest but not very inspiring ideas for average Illinois gardens filled with dull, colorless Illinois rock. Peter, too, appreciated the adventure but came away without many new ideas for his garden. So, I rate it a snooze with a nod to the efforts of those who participated. I guess I'd better fulfill that dream of mine to be in Holland during tulip season.


Onward to the dinner portion of our evening. We decided to head to the Martyrs neighborhood and take our chances there. Dodging drunken 30 somethings in the street, we managed a decent parking space and started our search. Moments later we found ourselves on the waiting list at Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro! We sat at the enormous bar amidst the revelry, and within ten minutes we took an elevator to the dining area. A surprisingly well appointed place. We loved the food! It was delicious! Peter got the corned beef and cabbage and said it was the best he had ever tasted. I got Shepard's Pie, and it was lovely. Instead of ground beef, my dish had tender chunks of meat. We topped it off with Banoffee pie to see what exactly that was. (Coffee and banana, duh). Neither one of us is a fan, turns out, but not because of the restaurant's version. Just not our thing.


Several doors down, Martyrs. We watched the beginning act which I am embarrassed to say I have forgotten because I am writing this two weeks after the fact. They were a young band of what looked like college kids who did (Tula! That's it!) a great job getting the funk going. But the real prize of the night came in the form of Ivan Neville's Dumstafunk. They were on that night! Just a swirling, tight emanation of funk from a group of fantastic, versatile performers. We've seen them in New Orleans. They did themselves proud that Saturday in Chicago. The capacity audience got it, too.

A full date night, some hits, some misses, and some surprises, the way I like 'em.

Catch Up

The weekend of March 7th came and went and a Date Night did happen. So here it is in brief: Never in my wildest dreams would I think that Peter, on his date night, would choose to go all the way out to Woodfield Mall, a mall period, on a rainy night to shop for clothing. But I'm here to tell you that it did happen. I witnessed it and participated in it. Sometimes a man needs his Lucky Brand jeans. What can I say. So we started at Woodfield, got the jeans, and after a half-hearted attempt to get something more out of the mall experience, Peter decided he was done. We moved on. On the way home we stopped at what we remembered as an Italian restaurant in Forest Park. Once we looked at the menu, we realized things had changed to...what else...a blend of Italian and New Orleans style cooking! Same chef, almost same decor, but new name and menu. Something like La Bella Bistecka? Oh dear. I'll find the right name and correct this entry. Since the place was packed from the Forest Park St. Paddy's day celebration, they gave us an out of the way table on a kind of floating platform above the restaurant. There were only three tables for two up there, and those were surrounded by cases and cases of wine. We liked it. My food was ok. I have better memories from the former menu, but we had a great time talking and eating a dozen oysters each to start. Overall, a very pleasant and fun evening without any need for extra trappings. Thanks, Peter!

Big Jones

It has been such a long time since the last post here on Date Night Diaries. That doesn't mean the Date Nights haven't happened. They have. In the midst of one of the most horrid winters in Chicago, we somehow managed to get out and go places. Many times dinner and a movie. But we kept forgetting the camera, and we kept forgetting to post!

This past Saturday, we remembered the camera, although Peter turned off the flash and claims the photos are better. You be the judge, Reader. Maybe my husband is trying to tell me something.

My Date Night adventure was minimalist, dinner at Big Jones restaurant in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago. Needless to say, it was a cold, dark night. It took us FOREVER to get there. The journey seemed endless. The restaurant is small but nice. I chose it because the chef serves Louisiana and Low Country offerings with organic ingredients. Despite a rather awkward table in the back, we had a pleasant experience. We liked our waitress, especially when she admitted to having interviewed to teach down in New Orleans. She confessed to needing a shot of courage to actually take the step and go do it! We gave her encouragement. New Orleans must still give off scary vibes even three years after the hurricane.

Peter and I completely finished off our entrees. No food left behind. I had pork shank with the most wonderful beans and a vegetable slaw on top. Peter had the tenderest of duck slices. The only thing I didn't care for were the beets I had as an appetizer. They were sweet which surprised me. I love beets, too. And for dessert, I had a very huge slice of delicious Red Velvet cake which was by contrast not very sweet. I liked it that way. Also, the redness came from beet juice (beets again) and raspberries instead of food coloring.

All in all, a fine meal. We will be going back again, I think. Maybe next time we will meet the chef. But we had to rush home afterwards because we had 20 teenagers at our house who whether they thought so or not needed adult supervision. Next week it's Peter's turn again, and I've already got my next Date Night adventure planned. Stay tuned.

Where Have Peter and Renee Gone?

The Date Night Diaries has been shut down for a while. It's not that we haven't been having date nights, although we've been waylaid by travel, illness and work. Plus, the camera is not always available these days being the most popular camera in the house. In the past months we've seen a few movies and had a few dinners.


In June both of us planned date nights around art fairs in the city. I chose the one in Hyde Park on the UofC campus. I remember the sky threatened rain the whole time, but it didn't come down until we were in a restaurant. Peter had never been to that part of town. We found the art interesting and fun to look at, but there really wasn't anything we had to take home with us.

The following weekend Peter chose the Wells Street art fair. This one felt much more like a street party for the hot and beautiful of Chicago. Very crowded. The art was not at the same level as the other one. We noticed that the photography booths were very similar giving rise to suspicion of inauthenticity. Kind of takes the magic out of an art fair. I mean, you expect everything to be original. But we had a good meal at an Italian restaurant along the street and some much needed conversation.

Last weekend, after 3 weeks of no date night, I took Peter downtown to Navy Pier to see a free spectacle in the night put on by a French performance art company. The group suspended themselves in the air and played bells and drums. it was magical. We also walked from Peter's work building all the way to Navy Pier along the river for the first time and made all sorts of new discoveries. The evening was perfect weather wise, perfect.

So we are kind of caught up. Emma has the camera with her in California for two weeks, but I do have one photo we took after one of the art fairs. When we got home, I had us take this picture trying to get Peter's beloved garden in the background....

So Glad I Can Still Surprise You!

The challenge of being married and in love with a clairvoyant!

Really fun night...there's more below from another blogger that gives even more detail on the concert. Flat out hilarious.

Felt a bit odd being back at Navy Pier, especially without the kids or out-of-town visitors. Good reminder that the views and experience can still be wonderful.

The truth is that it doesn't matter where we do our date nights. Every one of them is a wonderful opportunity to slow down time and reconnect. An oasis at the end of turbulent weeks!

Written by a Wash Post blogger…



D.C. Entertainment Dispatches | About This Blog

U2 3D: Even Better Than the Real Thing

I am a major U2 fan and an unabashed admirer of Bono. But I will try to bring a measure of restraint to my assessment of "U2 3D," which opened yesterday at the Samuel C. Johnson Imax Theater at the Natural History Museum.

"U2 3D" IS THE MOST AWESOME THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE EVER!!

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. But there is no question that it is technically amazing and unlike any concert film you have ever seen. Desson Thomson already filed a review in yesterday's Post, so today I bring you, in no particular order, a rundown of the thoughts I had while viewing "U2 3D."

"These 3D glasses do not look like Bono's Fly specs. This is disappointing. On the plus side, they are less goofy than the lime-green ones I got at 'Chicken Little 3D.'"

"The movie is starting. Holy crap, the opening titles are in super-3D! Is it possible to get poked in the eye by a font? Because I think it just happened."

"This screen is 66-feet-tall. I can still tell that Bono is short."

"Woah!! Bono is, like, in my face. And I don't just mean metaphorically in my face because he's always yapping about social issues. The man appears to be inches from the end of my nose, singing about a place called 'Vertigo.'"

"Okay, this movie is officially 800 times better than 'Chicken Little 3D.'"

"I have decided to refer to the in-my-face Bono as Hologram Bono. I expect that at some point during the movie he will say: 'Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.'"

"This 3D thing is unbelievable and I am in the mid- to lower- section of the theater. If I were in the front row, I could see through time."

"I can clearly read the pensive expression on Edge's face. Wonder what he's thinking about ... oh, no need to wonder. Thanks to the 3D, I can see through his skull cap and into his brain. Just as I suspected: 'Man, how come Bono never invites me to go to Africa?'"

"That dude four people back from the edge of the stage? I think he has the same cell phone I do."

"The sound quality is excellent. But I wouldn't mind if they cranked it a teeny bit louder. 'Cloverfield' must have permanently damaged my hearing."

"They're doing 'Sunday Bloody Sunday.' And Hologram Bono is not only in my face, he is looking right into my eyes. 'Wipe your tears away.' He is reaching toward my cheek. 'Wipe your tears away,' he sings again. My eyes are notably dry. I feel I have let down Hologram Bono."

"I always wondered what Larry Mullen Jr. keeps next to his drum kit. Now I know: A box of Kleenex and what appears to be a glass of Orangeade."

"Now that I can so clearly see Edge's chord changes, I am going to study what he does so that I can get better at 'Guitar Hero III' ... ah, who am I kidding? I still won't be able to make it through the most basic version of 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot.'"

"Wow, this is an amazing view of Bono singing 'Miss Sarajevo' to the crowd. Does this guy have the best job in the world or what? He comes to work and sings about beauty queens while looking out at a sea of glowing cell phones, all of them twinkling like distant stars. I mean, it may not be as good as being a Going Out Guru. But it's up there."

"It's official: 'Where the Streets Have No Name' is the greatest live song of all time. Okay, 'Born to Run' is a close second. But nothing -- NOTHING -- is better than that slow build in the beginning, then watching the entire crowd bounce in 3D."

"Oh no, I think the movie is almost over. This can't be happening. If I slip Adam Clayton a $20, would they do 'I Will Follow'? How about $50 for 'A Sort of Homecoming'? I really could slip him something. His pocket is RIGHT THERE."

"People in the theater are leaving. Idiots. Even the closing credits are worth watching. Note to self: Come see this movie again. Immediately."

Date Night Diaries Goes 3D

Saturday night in Chicago in the winter. Not always an inviting prospect. But this past Saturday it worked. Peter was sure I knew exactly what we were going to do, but I didn't. So he totally surprised me when he turned off Lake Shore Drive and headed for Navy Pier.

We haven't been to Navy Pier in so long. Our kids are teens and tweens now. It used to be the great playground for them, but now that they are older and busy with school, those spontaneous trips to Navy Pier have ended.

But Saturday night, it was our turn.

Peter took me to Riva, the lovely restaurant at Navy Pier overlooking the lake. We had a good meal, and nice conversation, and our waiter had no sense of humor, always incentive for Peter to change that around. I did notice, though, that the waiter seemed to be enjoying the attention under the attitude.

After dinner, we had tickets to see the IMAX 3D U2 Concert! Very fun! We wore our oversized glasses. The place was packed to the ceiling, A 3D concert is the way to go. You get the experience of being at the concert -- in fact you are right onstage with the band! -- and you get the comfort of a seat. You also get to see Bono's big fat arse! I loved the medium. I would see a 3D concert any time.

So, good stuff. Thanks, Peter. See, you can and often do surprise me!

It's Not That She Didn't Rock My Casbah

This blog thing can be a deal to keep up with!

The title of this blog is a line from a Cowboy Mouth song called Joe Stummer, a song which ran through my head all night for obvious reasons you'll see below. "She had to go because she didn't know who Joe Strummer was."

TWO WEEKENDS AGO Peter and I ventured out on one of the first dark, cold nights of November. We searched for a restaurant not too far from Wrigleville called Rick's Cafe, yes, after the one in Casablanca. My good friends Ken and Natalia Jones recommended it. it's a small placed wedged between two other restaurants on Sheridan.

We had a time finding a parking place in this residential, permit only area, but once we did we were on our way with the bottle of wine Peter stuffed into his inner coat pocket. The place is byob.

We had a lovely time at Rick's. Getting there had seemed stressful, but within 10 minutes we settled into the cozy place. It's charming, about 10 tables, walls decorated with stills from the movie and a great mural of Bogie in his white dinner jacket. We liked the food, too. Very good. I had delicious mussels and salmon, and Peter had a wonderful, thick soup and then some ravioli for his main course. Our time at Rick's took the chill off the evening. I would definitely go back sometime. The only slight discomfort came from the overzealous waiter. His intentions were good though.


After dinner we drove over to one of the best places ever in Chicago, the Music Box movie theater on Southport. One of the top ten favorite things to do in Chicago for me is to see a film there. I love to be in that main theater with the Italianate murals and the pretend sky opening above me. We had come to see a documentary on Joe Strummer, the lead singer of the punk band The Clash. Peter felt I was skewing the evening toward his interests (which I was because I still can't plan a date night without thinking that way), but Stummer interests me. From bits of interviews I've seen with him, I find him very intriguing and somehow honest and attacking life. This documentary didn't disappoint. Even though it wasn't the best piece of filmmaking, to see Stummer shout to the audience from the stage to give him some anger because after all we are all living in this moment together gave me just what I was looking for in him. It's his connection with present time that captures my attention. I didn't know that he loved bonfires and the idea of people gathering around them and having an experience of being together in the moment. If you think about it, gathering around a bonfire would allow you to leave everything behind and concentrate on what's in front of you. Yes Strummer was odd, and as Peter says, he was probably an asshole, but he was trying to communicate something we all constantly miss, that life is happening right now in front of you.

So it was fun. We went home after that.

Now the following weekend we were in New Orleans with the kids for Thanksgiving. On Saturday night Peter and I went to the Rock and Bowl, one of my top favorite places to go in New Orleans and it should be yours, too, to see Tab Benoit play. The jury is still out as to whether or not it counts as an official date night because first, it wasn't intended as one, and second, it was Peter's weekend but my idea to see Tab (who is just wonderful!) . We'll see what happens this weekend. Meanwhile, Peter is busy as usual flying to opposite ends of the United States for Ketchum. He'll be back Thursday night, and from my viewpoint, he's got a date night to plan!