Monthly Archives: June 2008
Gay Chicago Pride Weekend June 28-29
Chicago Gay Pride gets bigger and bigger every year! This year on Saturday June 28th, from 11am – 9pm, the streets are closed on Halsted and Waveland for a day long of entertainment.
Hosted by (and benefiting) the Northalsted Area Merchants Association — the same group behind the wildly popular Northalsted Market Days (set for the weekend of August 9-10) — this equally crowd-pleasing gay and lesbian celebration of community pride will be back bigger than ever in its 6th year!
Pride Fest showcases an eclectic lineup of arts & crafts, food and other vendors. It also features entertainment on two stages including one dedicated to some of Chicago’s fine performers in the gay community.
At the Main Stage…..
1:00 PM kicks off with a Pet parade (register at noon)
Big name performers this year include ;
2:30 PM – Kimberly Locke 3:30 PM – Frenchie Davis
5:30 PM – Inaya Day 6:45 PM – Martha Wash 7:30 PM – Tiffany
FOR A COMPLETE LINEUP OF EVERYTHING, VIEW INFORMATION AT THEIR MAIN SITE!
Then get some rest, because Sunday June 29th, the 39th annual Pride Parade steps off at noon.
The parade is usually a couple hours and attendance is close to 500,000. If crowds are too much for you, some of the bigger bars broadcast the parade into their establishments via camera’s on the streets, so you can remain a little cooler and sip on beverages.
If you want a front row seat, get there early.
I have seen some people claiming their spots 6-8 hours in advance!
Parking is LIMITED!
Plan on walking, cabbing, use the CTA, biking….whatever.
Complete parade lineup is available online.
The Best of Gay Chicago and the New Gay Travel Guide
Best Italian Food and Tiramisu Uptown Chicago
Just a few blocks from Boystown and Andersonville, is Anna Marie Pasteria– a little hidden gem with great Italian food and consistently voted best tiramisu in the city of Chicago! Service is always great and the food is always great in this quaint little spot ran by 2 sisters.
A mix of modern and traditional Italian cuisine, the cozy ristorante has long been a local favorite. Sisters Anna and Maria, originally from the Basilicata region of southern Italy, first opened the doors of Anna Maria Pasteria in 1989.
Beginning at age seven, Anna fell in love with cooking, creating her first plate of Pasta e Fagioli, a simple peasant dish which is now an Italian specialty. Enamored with cuisine and hospitality, Maria followed the family tradition and put her heart into making the best and most heavenly Tiramisu.
After nearly two decades, Anna and Maria continue to dedicate themselves to the finest home-made Italian cuisine and service. Each entree is prepared to order with only the finest and freshest ingredients.
I have sampled many of their dishes from Chicken with Artichokes (Pollo Carciofo), traditional Veal Picatta, to special pasta dishes made with creamy pesto sauces!
Everything has a delicious taste! And the Ceasar salad dressing was excellent. – And you must save room for the Chicago famous Tiramisu! Voted the best in the city! Perfectlt proportioned amounts of expresso, lady fingers and marscapone cheese.
Entres $10- $19
Salads $5 – $74400 N. Clark St. @ Montrose,
Chicago Tel: (773) 506-2662
The Best of Gay Chicago and the New Gay Travel Guide
Miss Foozie – Fun and Foozie-licious
If you’re coming to Chicago for a visit, no visit would be complete without meeting Miss Foozie! The unofficial First Lady of Boystown! She can be seen all over town making personal appearances each week at various night spots. Currently, the best way to catch her are Saturday nights at CIRCUIT and Sunday afternoons at ROSCOES. – If you live in Chicago, chances are you have already been kissed the glittery, friendly, effervescent Foozie.
It’s impossible to imagine the Windy City without Miss Foozie brightening up the social scene with a glitter-festooned face, big smile, warm hugs, adored clarion call—”Hello Pineapple!”—and a loving heart bigger than her hair.
“It started as a joke,” Miss Foozie says of her first appearance during her 1997 birthday party at Chicago’s Circuit Nightclub. – What started as a joke catapulted Foozie into the spotlight within a few years. Miss Foozie became a gay household name as the number one Chicago entertainer, nightlife hostess and general purveyor of feeling good featured in every regional establishment and during every special event.
Her local popularity parlayed into national appeal, with Miss Foozie making waves in Hawaii, Florida, New York, D.C., California, Las Vegas and Wisconsin. Her one-of-a-kind charm caught the attention of RuPaul, Kelly Osbourne, Bruce Vilanch, Lady Bunny, as well as film and television producers .
Miss Foozie is not a “drag queen”; Miss Foozie is a “personality.” She is funny! She’ll make you laugh. She will make you feel good. She will also love you because Miss Foozie loves people. She always does.
The Best of Gay Chicago and The New Gay Travel Guide
