Chicago tips

A Fine New Boutique In The Loop. It's Florodora!

shopping, architecture

Florodora is such a cool shop!  It's remarkably located because Michael Blossom, its' far sighted owner figured that there's nothing like it in the Loop, an area hardly known (until now) for small intimate shops that can yield a great fashion look. 

It's on the ground floor, tucked inside the majestic Monadnock Building  bounded by Dearborn, Federal, Jackson and Van Buren Streets and listed on The National Register of Historic Places.

The main focus is contemporary fashion, much with a feminine look, a la the Florodora Girls who starred in the very successful Broadway musical ca 1900.  Besides, Michael's grandmother Florence had worked in the Monadnock building years ago.  The building was built at about the same time; 1889-93.

Make a special trip downtown to discover it for yourself and do it soon.  Fall merchandise is in so it's a great time to choose from the wide selection.  I saw loose, wrinkled effect belted tweed trousers, a marvelous 3/4 length semi opaque black sweater with handmade looking crochet details and what may very well be the most handsome leather handbag in town (see photo).  The "rock candy" bag has three huge compartments and at $325 is a steal compared to its' overly festooned sisters that are looking a bit old these days.

The separates pictured, a turquoise top with co-ordinating turquoise and brown skirt, sheer at the bottom are from Sofada, a Florodora exclusive in Chicago.

Additionally, there are small carefully chosen gifts and unusual jewelry from Chicago designers.  Check out the "spring" ring for a handsome, yet whimsical piece.

Florodora is at 330 South Dearborn.  Hours are 10-7 Monday-Friday and 11-4 Saturday.  312.212.8860.

We Took A Wiggly Baby To The Beach

nepotism

My daughter-in-law Valeria, originally from Argentina is a truly dedicated beach person.  She and our son Dan and their 6 month old daughter Simona visited us this past week in "Harbor Country" (Mich.).  I could hardly believe their plan to take Simona to that  super sandy beach but Valeria's an architect so she devised a dug out seat  for S to sit in where she could see all the action.

The weather there as here was pretty awful punctuated by rain almost every day but our visiting trio pulled off two enjoyable days this way.  Since Simona doesn't walk yet, she was perfectly content to snooze under her beach umbrella (spf 30) and drink milk.  One day they stayed for hours in great comfort, Dan able to swim vast distances with the women happily ensconced in their makeshift refuge.

Here's Valeria with her contoured creation and the family just messing around.

I Finally Forced My Husband To Take Me To Brasserie Jo

food and drink

He shuns anything trendy or noisy.  I prefer pre-trendy or hardly known and I do agree with the latter, but ever since I read that the NYTimes' senior writer and globe trotting gourmand, the late R.W. Apple thought it was Chicago's best restaurant, I've been desperate to get there.

It was a perfect night.  We'd just avoided a rain deluge at the Pritzker Pavilion in Milenium Park and Jo's was blissfully quiet but not empty.  The decor is upscale casual yet pretty cool.  My husband was on the prowl for something to complain about.  I smiled at him sweetly.

I began with mussels, meaty and fresh even in a non "R" month and the excellent bread, yummy for soaking up the sauce.  Then I had a crepe of mushrooms, ham, swiss chard and cheese, good but not to die for.

The boss had the plat du jour, Moroccan style couscous with many good additions.  It was unlike the impromptu dinner consisting of just the plain grain sans anything else we'd enjoyed finger style many years ago in a (no kidding) Moroccan herdsman's home.

The menu is, of course pretty simple but still nothing I'd want to whip up myself at a moment's notice.  There are lots of choices.  The staff is savvy and the other diners pleasant looking.  It's romantic at Jo's somehow without overt signs of romance.  The bar looks even more dramatic than this photo.

If you've never tried onion soup gratinee, here's your chance.  Next time I'll try the "famous shrimp bag".  Ask your server for help with selections.  Say, "I'm an adventurous eater" or "I want something really wonderful" or whatever.

I'm guessing there may be a crowd scene here fairly often so I'd advise calling ahead to guarantee the pleasant experience we had.  Valet parking is $10 and worth it in this busy neighborhood.  Brasserie Jo is at 59 W. Hubbard.  312.595.0800.

 

Monkey Model A Hot Property

architecture, photography, services

I'd be a bit embarrassed if I'd used this theoretically riveting model to discover that others got there first. 

Can't resist pointing out that the September issue of Chicago magazine and the hot off the press CB2 catalog appear to have used the same off-beat primate on their new covers.

A Chicago employe said (proudly, so I didn't have the heart to tell her of the coincidence) that it's a baby white faced Capuchin monkey obtained for the photo shoot from www.animal rentals.com.

It's definitely an uncool way to launch the important fall season in this large (but small) town.

However Chicago has a needed article on new architecturally notable Chicago buildings.  I'm especially fond of Ralph Johnson's The Contemporaine at 516 N. Wells.  It's worth going out of your way a bit to see this innovative apartment building.

Also terrific is the highly visible Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies addition at 618 South Michigan designed by Krueck & Sexton.  The glass facade manages complex simplicity masterfully.

CB2 which I greatly prefer to its' more stodgy Crate & Barrel parent will launch a New York City (Soho) store in September.  They've a swell new furniture shipping plan with reasonable flat rate charges.

"Tranquillity Woods" Is A Real Must At Steppenwolf Garage

theater, current calendar

Tranquillity Woods is the new play by one of my all time favorite playwrights, Chicagoan Joel Drake Johnson.  It is directed by Sandy Shinner.  If you've heard that Chicago can be home to some of the best original theater in the country, and I think that's the truth, here's a chance to experience something very special in its' workshop version.

The play is on the boards right now, for a very short time, in rotating repertory at Steppenwolf's Garage Theater and part of its' 3rd Annual First Look Repertory of New Work there. 

Personally I don't applaud all Steppenwolf plays since many are mainstream efforts geared to mainstream audiences and, let's not kid ourselves, that kind of thing keeps S afloat.

Johnson's work, however is definitely not mainstream.  The characters at first seem bizarre and off the wall but suddenly you realize they are meant to depict a world we all know but often fear facing.  So, I'd say this work is all about honesty, often jarringly so.  You can always count on comedy and tragedy in Johnson's work.  He has an uncanny ability to search out the hidden truth in life's dramatic and everyday moments.

Joel will have a new play premiering at Victory Gardens in the spring of 2008 also directed by Sandy Shinner and another play, The End Of The Tour will be presented by the Road Theater in Los Angeles in January.  He recently retired from Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire where he taught theater and playwriting classes.  As a farewell gift, his students presented him with a Shi-tzu named Adlai, a favorite gift.

After you've seen the play, send me your comments.  That way Joel can see them too.

I should add, there are two other plays in this festival of developing productions.  Tickets are $15 each.  For more info, access www.steppenwolf.org/boxoffice and click on Joel Johnson's photo, just like the one above, courtesy Steppenwolf.

A Rare Chance To View Contemporary Art From India

art

Betty Seid, an independent curator, formerly with The Art Institute, has assembled a body of work from contemporary Indian artists currently being shown at the Chicago Cultural Center.  All of the work shown has been produced in the 21st century.

Of course Indian culture is still quite traditional, but my over-abiding reaction to the work, bar none is that these people have the task, and a difficult one it is for them and for India itself, of  bridging the gap between East and West.  Western tools and techniques are available to them, yet the past and its tradition exerts a powerful and a necessary pull.  For this reason, the exhibit is especially fascinating.

About a decade ago my husband and I took the first of two trips to India.  The country was exotic and mesmerizing.  We never knew what surprise awaited just ahead.  We were well guided but yearned for contact with Indian counterparts.  Finally we introduced ourselves to a family having dinner at a table adjoining ours at our hotel.  It turned out that one of the gentlemen had attended our alma mater so that was a welcome entree.

Their daughter was proudly introduced as an artist by her mother.  It suddenly occurred to me to ask whether she was a traditional or contemporary artist.  The answer was the former and I must admit to immediate disappointment, particularly I suppose because she was in her early twenties.

Perhaps she changed her mind and is the company of her forward-looking countrymen and women in the exhibit.

Here's a preview:  the photo of the sculpture at top, courtesy the artist and Bose Pacia Gallery is "Three Cows" by Subodh Gupta.  The other by Anju Dodiya, bottom left is acrylic, painted on a mattress  and entitled, "Cloud Hunter," photo courtesy of the artist.

The exhibit will continue at the Cultural Center through September 23 in the Fourth  Floor Yates Gallery.  Ms. Seid  will present gallery talks on Thursday, August 16 at 12:15PM and Thursday, September 20, also at 12:15.  A number of other related programs are scheduled.  Check out  www.chicagoculturalcenter.org for additional info.