Cosmetics Settlement = Free Stuff

Head out to Neiman's, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks and more starting Tuesday, January 20th to get free handouts courtesy of a giant settlement with the Cosmetics Industry. Apparently as part of a class action suit, $175 million worth of free cosmetics products will be distributed one per person under January 27th or supplies last. All you have to do is sign your name - definitely worth waiting a while in line!

New Bar - Bar Crawl

I owe this idea to my wonderful roomies! Last Saturday night we had no plans and decided to go out and explore some new spots in our wonderful neighborhood Bucktown. First stop People, a Spanish tapas restaurant on Milwaukee. The interior is decorated in a modern Spanish style, and the entire front of the restaurant has long wooden lunchroom-type tables. They had an interesting selection of beers, wonderful Sangria, and the menu left us salivating. Will definitely be going back for food sometime soon.

The next stop was just a little walk South on Milwaukee: The Crocodile Lounge. Despite the fact they ran a little too far with the theme (all green interior, crocodile print lights, etc.), we really enjoyed the crowd and the vibe. STEAL ALERT: You get a free small pizza (that is actually very good) with any drink order over $5! There is more of a club-y club in the basement, but the ground floor is a really cool bar. Not to mention I had a rare CELEB SIGHTING! Anyone that isn't into Top Chef won't appreciate this, but Steph Izard, the winner of Season 4, was sitting at the bar with a friend. To top it off, when I yelled at my roommate Steph to close my tab, Top Chef Steph turned around and looked at me like I was a crazy person. So some might consider us friends now... moving on...

Last stop was Rodan. I know it's been around for a while, but this was my first (and definitely not last) time there. For a Saturday night, it wasn't too crowded but there was still a pretty good dance party going on in the back. Fun music and good drinks - Lychee & Champagne. Enough said.

Not your average chinese food!

My secret anniversary dinner wound up at China Grill, a spot I've been dying to try. And we were so glad we did - the food was amazing. China Grill is located in the Hard Rock Hotel, but don't worry, there isn't tacky Hollywood memorabilia anywhere to be found. The menu is served family style, and after blankly at the menu for a while, Rob and I decided to do the tasting menu so we could try some of everything.

Every course was phenomenal, and the majority of our favorites were dishes we never would've ordered! It's nice to see a tasting menu that takes some risks, and this one definitely did. The salads presented three ways were my favorite, but the lobster pancakes, crispy spinach and the garlic shrimp with tuna flakes (sounds crazy and it is... the heat from the food makes the flakes move and float around!) were the surprising highlights. Definitely a splurge spot (two tasting menus at $67 and a bottle of wine adds up) but you will not be disappointed!

One for the guys...

John's Place in Lincoln Park is known for its great food and reasonable prices, but today the specials got even better. Friday nights now offer your choice of steak for only $10. Where else can you find a great steak for $10 in this city? They didn't forget the ladies either - Friday's also have half-priced Svedka cocktails. Also- have to give note to my favorite night of the week at John's Place... half price martinis on Wednesdays!

Second City for $15!

Love going to Second City or need a cheap date idea? Every Monday night, Second City hosts a "The Best of The Second City" show for only $15! (You can also go see a Saturday matinee of the show for $20) Just as expensive as a movie and guaranteed great entertainment.

total necessity

A absolute life saver for the holidays, and a must for any online shopping experience: Retailmenot.com. For anyone that knows me, I love to save even a penny if I can. I search and search on the internet for the best price for everything and this site is my savior. It drives me nuts when I buy something online and don't have a discount or promo code to plug in and Retailmenot has more codes and is easier to navigate than any other site I've found. It's amazing. I'm hooked.

thanksgiving halibut?

Quick interruption from the Chicago front to highlight a very Chicagoesqe restaurant spotted in... dare I say it... Des Moines, Iowa. I had a wonderful trip back home for Thanksgiving, and as usual, my family does not celebrate any holiday traditionally. We did the whole turkey thing so we weren't total outcasts, but the best meal of the weekend by far was at East Village's Lucca. Now I realize I'm probably the last Des Moines resident to go here, but if you haven't gone, you're in for a treat. Dinner is a prix fixe two course menu and there are a dozen combinations. The food was amazing, and it perfectly matched the interior. Even though it would've been even more beautiful inside if it was done by Shiffler Associates Architects, the premier modern architects in Des Moines... shameless plug... the simplistic white furniture against the wood floors and brick walls was a delightful change of pace for what I'm used to seeing around Des Moines. Huge bonus points for creative bathrooms. All white boxed-in bathrooms with plexiglas ceilings so you can see into the restaurant from the top.