Beaches, Bars, Socials, Events and More!
Best Gay Brunch at La Grand Vie Sunday, February 24th
Join us for a special GAY BRUNCH AT La Grand Vie, Sunday. Feb 24th. 1-3pm.
new chic hotspot at 215 E. Chestnut is offering up delicious brunch
choices $10-$12.
$15 more
Taverna 750 is Mixing up Love Potions For Valentines Day
Taverna 750
for something more than just your standard flute of champagne this
Valentine’s Day?
where Benjamin Newby has created a Love Potion sure to sweep your
Valentine off their feet.
d’Amore, is full of natural aphrodisiacs like pomegranate and vanilla,
and is guaranteed to light a spark on the 14th.
Newby’s own “love syrup” and a bit of Chandon sparkling wine, this
cocktail will certainly do the trick for those looking for love this
Valentine’s Day.
Razon! Fabulous Dining in Uptown on Marine Drive
RAZON! The reason.
What a great discovery we just found, and it’s in Uptown, just blocks from our house! A hidden gem! This restaurant is the best kept secret! But not for long.
Located at 4250 N. Marine Dr, RAZON is located on the Northside of the Imperial Towers high-rises. Razon opened last May and when I looked at reviews online, nearly everybody loves this place!
(photo above -shows part of the dining room—filled with Italian marble and Ferrari-red finishes—the bar itself came from Italy).
So I talked with Nash the general manager and we made plans to come check it out. They actually have a cafe area and a restaurant area. “What we are trying to do here is follow biorhythm of this wonderful neighborhood,” explained Nash. “We open our cafe at 7am to 10 pm each day. With great artisan coffee & morning pastries selection, Razón cafe is your one stop morning destination. Once morning craziness is over, lunch is served & delivered through Lakeview & Uptown.”
He continues, “Finally, at 5pm we open the door of our restaurant. People have voted and gave us 4 and 5 stars – critics and press were wonderful too. With our great team and chefs we’ve been working for many years back develop charming menu with delicious options, all with an Italian influence and eclectic approach. Simple Italian architecture, with Miami lounge type music in the background and Midwestern hospitality. Razon means “the reason”. The reason to get together, the reason to dine, the reason to rejoice and be grateful!”
We arrived at 6:00pm thirsty! The handsome Russian bartender, Alex suggested perhaps a specialty craft
drink. $9! How can you go wrong? We each decided on a martini named
after nearby streets. Mine was the “Montrose,’ made with Grey Goose
l’orange. fresh cut ginger, some cranberry juice and house sour mix. It
was amazing. Looked and tasted like a $15 cocktail I have had at other
places.
Derrick had the “Razon.” Grey Goose Citron with fresh basil, house sour
and soda. Perfection. They were honestly a couple of the best drinks we
have ever had. And we like to drink!
Homemade gourmet food from local ingredients, made for what the owner calls a “casual-to-upscale” dining room, and a coffee shop with grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, and bistro boxes for the Lake Shore Drive foot traffic.
For dinner, the staff suggested many great things and we tasted lots. The menu is big, filled with salads, lots of small plates, several burgers as well as steaks, lots of pastas which you can also have made with their amazing creamy polenta, at least half a dozen pizzas and some large plates. So there is something for everyone.
Nash explained he gets deliveries daily. “Fresh, fresh, fresh!” he explains, “As a family and as a company in the food business for over 30 years, we have developed many relationships with suppliers who take of us, with the finest selections of seafood and meats. We are constantly getting deliveries and picking things up, so that we can deliver the freshest quality to our customers. We print new menus about every two days because little things are always changing based on what is coming and going, what is fresh and what is seasonal.”
And he does not lie. The calamari was melt in your mouth, served with a nice, not too hot, smoked jalapeno aioli. The brisket sandwich was huge and also tasted great. “Our brisket is slow cooked in its own natural juices. No BBQ sauce added. It is not rushed. We do it old school-slow!”
We sampled a cheese platter with 3 different cheeses, some bread and berries. It was a beautiful presentation and only $15. “This is another great example of how we buy. We try to support as many local businesses as we can. Most of the cheeses come from Pastoral. We source as many local ingredients as we can.”
The polenta was whipped and fluffy! The salmon was fresh and cooked perfectly. We wanted a pizza, but we had no room! Next time! The 2 guys next to us had the Prosciutto di Parma pizza, with prosciutto, 5 cheeses and arugula. They said it was delicious–the prosciutto especially! And they come here all the time.
We did try a few desserts however. The cafe has a wonderful selection of gelatos. We tried a couple of those and their Tiramisu, which Nash says is one of the best in Chicago! And I have to agree, it was pretty great.
It’s very easy for 2 diners to have a couple drinks, share 2-3 small plates, split a large plate, and get out for under $75. With tip. Another diner told us, “If you’re looking for an upscale date night in Uptown, this is the place to go. It’s downtown chic at much more reasonable prices. Tip included, we pay about $80 for an appetizer, two drinks and two large entrées — we even usually have some to take home.” And during the weeknights, they offer various specials.
Another diner we talked to said, “This restaurant is the best kept secret! I live right around the corner from the restaurant, and walked by it everyday. I finally decided to come in about 4 months ago, and boy am I glad. They have an excellent menu , and great food. They have everything you need in this restaurant from a great place to have dinner with friends at night, to a little cafe to get your work done during the day, and gelato!!!! The customer service is easily the best service I have received in years. They go above and beyond. I haven’t come across a place like this in a while. I just love it!”
You will find the staff her very passionate about the restaurant and the food! Items are thoroughly explained, right down to where the meat, chicken and fish are from.
It’s one of those places that makes you feel cool from knowing it, and even more hip when you can recommend it to your friends. I just don’t want EVERYONE to know about it. Is that selfish of me??
RAZON…giving people more than they expect!
4250 N. Marine Dr 773-880-9115
Best Gay Survey – Best Gay Chicago and Beyond
ARE YOU A FAN OF
Pie Hole Joint Pizza Opens Second Location in Uptown
Great news for Uptown/Andersonville!
Winston’s closed, it was remodeled and rehabbed. Rumors had it that Chipotle would be going in, but that didn’t happen, and Uptown Update posted back in November that Pie Hole was a possible new tenant.
Pie Hole Pizza will be opening its SECOND delicious location and have chosen Uptown, at 5001 N Clark Street, at Argyle. Projected opening date is sometime in April. Possibly April 1, April Fools Day. “We’re shooting for April 1,” Brandt said in another post. “If we miss, we can always claim ‘April Fools!'” says Brandt.
The Uptown expansion is a dream come true for the local small
business owner, who said when he saw the vacant storefront last year he
envisioned “bright neon signs” in his mind that told him it would be a
great spot for his second location.
Brandt said Pie Hole, which offers an an eclectic variety of custom
pizzas with crazy combinations such as marshmallow and sausage, has
always had an “underground, anti-establishment and irreverent vibe.”
“The fact that it is not in the most commercial location is actually a plus for us,” he said.
The new address is in a residential area, but it sits on bustling
North Clark Street at West Argyle Avenue, at “the end of the
Andersonville retail strip that is progressively growing a little
farther and farther south,” Brandt said.
“So, it has a lot of potential in the future.” – And this is interesting….Brandt initially had trouble finding a funding stream to tap that
potential — before $30,000 in loans raised via crowd-funding program LendSquare solved his problem in December. LendSquare asks members of the community for two-year loans that are paid back with interest. What a cool idea!
We are very excited about Pie Hole coming to Uptown/Andersonville and can’t wait to
dig into our first custom slice.
Fashion Show and Dance Party for Men of Color Feb 16
The Q-List: Love, Sex & Fashion Takes Place
Chicago Takes Off for TPAN March 2nd
SKIN IS THE NEW BLACK!
Is a burlesque “style” show that features professional dancers in
energetic, choreographed performances engaging audiences in a
celebration of life—all in support of TPAN’s HIV/AIDS programs
and services which benefit more than 25,000 individuals through our
prevention, outreach, and direct care services and programs.
World Gym DEEP DISCOUNTS Feb 14th
How is that New Years resolution going?
New Business on Halsted Street to be HUGE
THERE IS A NEW BUSINESS COMING TO HALSTED STREET…AND IT’S NOT THE ABBEY!
THIS IS BIG!!!I can not say much, just yet. But I was in on a meeting last week and saw the blueprints. It’s going to be such a cool addition to Halsted and really change the face of Halsted and Boystown.
This company had looked at several properties and lots up and down Halsted and have made their decision and signed the papers. Now after some city red tape, I can tell you all hopefully in April or May.
Stay tuned for more details soon!
Chicago Pride Fest Expands as well as Gay Pride Week 2013
For years now , Australia and Toronto has had a week long gay pride celebration. And visitors come from all over the world to those cities.
New Lounge Restaurant Downtown LA GRAND VIE
Just steps from Michigan Avenue, nestled inside The Chatelaine building at 215 E. Chestnut, is downtown’s newest hidden gem, La Grand Vie. A sleek new lounge/restaurant with signature craft cocktails and a menu to suit
(between Seneca St & Dewitt Pl)
(312) 643-1111
Will Illinois Gay Couples Get a BIG VALENTINES DAY Present
Will Illinois Gay and Lesbian Couple get a BIG VALENTINES PRESENT?
Senate President John Cullerton
(D-Chicago) wants Feb. 14 to be the day his legislative chamber votes to
legalize gay marriages in Illinois.
“I’d like to pass it out of committee
next week and pass it on Valentine’s Day,” Cullerton told the Chicago
Sun-Times in a meeting Thursday with
the newspaper’s Editorial Board.
Cullerton
said he believes the legislation, Senate Bill 10, has the necessary 30
votes to pass and move to the House, clearing a major hurdle in making
Illinois the 10th state to legalize same-sex marriages.
Chicago House is Chosen as the 2013 beneficiary for OUT IN THE PARK
September 14th, 2013!
“Out
in the Park” at Six Flags Great America returns in 2013 with a BANG!
A private LGBT event featuring unlimited riding of ALL Six
Flags Great America’s amazing rides (X-Flight, Superman, Batman, etc.) , live
music by an internationally sought after DJ who calls Chicago home, Matthew
Harvat, delivering a total party-celebration dance area everyone can enjoy,
complete with a laser light show! Plus some surprise celebrity guests and niche
entertainment venues, for those who don’t like to ride, or just want to take a break and enjoy
some live music!
“This year we looked at 6
potential organizations to be the beneficiary, and we chose Chicago House,
” say Michael Snell, from Best Gay
Chicago.com. “Chicago House is so incredibly proud to be included in Out
At The Park. Last year’s event drew thousands of enthusiastic
attendees, and we’re excited to be able to partner with the event organizers
this year both to fund the vital work Chicago House is doing in the care and
prevention of HIV, while promoting the diverse services we provide to over
1,500 men, women, and children in Chicago’s LGBT communities.” said Jeremy
Hilborn, Director of Individual Giving & Special Events.
BestGayChicago.com and Chicago House
are excited to return with an all new LGBT Celebratory event and fundraiser at
Six Flags Great America. “We are very excited to be asked to return this
year to Six Flags Great America and their excitement in allowing us this unique
opportunity to produce such an awesome private event for our community at their
park,” said Derrick Sorles, owner of BestGayChicago.com. “We are proud to
have another charity this year benefiting from the event.”
This private event will be September
14th, 9pm-1am. The price is $38 and a portion of all tickets sold will benefit
Chicago House. Last year, nearly $12,000
was raised for TPAN. This year’s goal is to raise even more money! What
is great about the event this year is ticket holders will have the whole park
to themselves and the lines for rides will basically be non-existent. So you
can ride as much and as often as you want, plus still have time left over for
dancing or to enjoy one of the mini-concerts!
Sorles said it will be 3 days of fun! With parties planned for Friday night, Saturday night late, and Sunday Brunch and afternoon fun! Details soon! Tickets on sale May 1st.
EQIL Justice for all Gala Feb 9
Tomorrow marks the start of February
— a month that brings the 2013 Justice for All Gala, Valentine’s Day,
and continued discussion over the freedom to marry in Illinois. It’s all
about love and there is no better way to celebrate that love than at
the Gala on Saturday, February 9th at the Hilton Chicago.
The Gala offers a great opportunity to celebrate and
encourage the love and commitment of thousand of same-sex couples across
Illinois. If you are in a relationship, you can enjoy a lovely evening
together as a pre-Valentine’s Day night out. Or at the silent auction,
you can find trips to everywhere from Australia to South Beach or
tickets to Lady Gaga (third row!) or Disney World.
If you have no Valentine, you have no reason to feel left out. As the Midwest’s largest black-tie LGBT event, there will be more than a thousand guests in attendance.
You will have an opportunity to meet, dance and party with tons of new
friends and maybe even meet that special, well-dressed someone.
Plan to celebrate love at this year’s Gala by purchasing your tickets today.
If you haven’t bought your ticket yet, the clock is ticking
as we have already sold out of our Platinum and Premier tickets and many
of the best Standard seats have sold as well. You can still get great
seats, but you should act quickly and reserve your tickets now.
In
addition, you can help spread the love and support our continuing hard
work on the freedom to marry in Illinois. With the General Assembly
reconvening and many supportive lawmakers attending the Gala, it’s a
great way to showcase the strength of our movement. Let’s make it a
night to remember! Purchase your tickets online today.
With VIP and Premier tables sold out, the remaining tickets are selling quickly, so purchase yours online today. Simply click below or call 773-477-7173.
2 Great Shows Coming to Chicago
I LOVE to see shows in small theatres. Most of our theaters downtown are WAY TOO BIG for stage shows. If you are not in the first 12 rows, you miss out on so much. The theatre at Moraine Valley Community College is the perfect size. No bad seats. And they bring in some awesome shows!
Thodos Dance Chicago
Saturday, Feb. 9, 7:30 p.m. in the Dorothy Menker Theater and only $20-$25!
Embracing Chicago’s rich history via contemporary
dance like never before, The White City: Chicago’s Columbian Exposition
of 1893 is an ambitious one-act piece complete with period costumes and
video projections by Chicago filmmaker Chris Olsen.
Legendary Tony Award-winning Broadway choreographer Ann Reinking and
Artistic Director Melissa Thodos set the piece to Bruce Wolosoff’s
Songs Without Words.
All 12 ensemble dancers will perform to tell the
story of the legendary 1893 World’s Fair through dance.
Characters range from Mayor Carter Harrison Sr.; Harrison’s assassin,
Patrick Prendergast; John Root, one of the key architects of the Chicago
World’s Fair; and Dr. H.H. Holmes, the cunning serial killer who used
the fair to lure his victims to their death in his elaborately
constructed Murder Castle.
The evening also includes several other thrilling pieces drawn from Thodos’ inventive and imaginative repertory.
“Best Dance Event in Chicago of 2011″
— Chicago Sun Times
GET TICKETS!
And this, is SO COOL!
A Lamb Chop Celebration featuring Mallory Lewis
Saturday, April 6, 2 p.m.
Tickets $10-$20
An entertaining hour of laughter and song. The beloved children’s icon Lamb Chop,
skillfully bought to life by Shari’s daughter, Mallory Lewis.
Fun for
all ages, kids will fall in love with Lamb Chop, teens and
20-somethings will remember
Lamb Chop from Lamb Chop’s Play Along,
and grown-ups will enjoy revisiting their youth as they laugh and sing along with Lamb Chop and Mally!
“Once you’ve seen one of Mallory’s shows,
you’ll walk away with a wonderful memory and also feeling like you have
just acquired a new best friend.”
— Tonya Cook, Iowa State Fair
GET TICKETS!
Chicagos Newest Parties – Freedom Revolution Feb 15-17
CircuitMOM Productions, Inc. is proud to announce a whole new weekend of REVOLUTION events in Chicago.
FREEDOM REVOLUTION: HONOR, WAR & PEACE debuts over the President’s Day holiday, February 15-17, 2013, bringing world class DJ’s and award winning productions to the Chicago, featuring the Chicago debuts of Remixer/Producer DJ Seth Cooper, International super DJ Aron Abikzer and Miami-based DJ Cincel Coss. DJ Phil DaBeatz and world-wide phenomenon DJ Tony Moran round out the lineup of amazing talents to finish off this amazing weekend of parties.
Following the success of the sold out 2012 REVOLUTION parties for IML, Market Days and Halloween, this February heats up with not one, but four events destined to become yearly tradition. Online ticket link here!
Friday, February 15, 2013 – Minibar hosts “HONOR” (9p-2a) FREE!
Enjoying success with his wildly popular remixes and mash-ups, sexy DJ/Producer Seth Cooper makes his debut appearance with Circuit MOM for a kick-off party like no other being hosted at Chicago’s swanky lounge, Minibar. Start your party weekend off right with a night of original beats, great drinks and a chance to win tickets to both WAR and PEACE. No cover charge and winners must be present to win. Facebook event page here—
Saturday, February 16, 2013 – House of Blues hosts “WAR” (10p-5a)
CircuitMOM Productions, Inc. is excited to bring Chicago the sizzling sounds of acclaimed Israeli producer/remixer DJ Aron Abikzer. Named by OUT Magazine as a “Top 10 DJ’s You Should Know” for 2012, his meteoric rise to DJ royalty has taken him around the globe and featured him at the White Party Miami this past November. Aron is headlining Alegria NYC this month and MasterBEAT LA later this spring. His remixes, podcasts and SoundCloud feeds are some of the best tribal, vocal and house beats on the planet. He is paired with another one of OUT Magazine’s “Top 10 DJ’s You Should Know”, Chicago’s very own tribal master, DJ Phil DaBeatz who’s packed dance floors thrive on every beat of his bass and drums style.
This will be a Saturday night like no other.
Facebook event page here-
Sunday, February 17, 2013 – Excalibur hosts “PEACE” (10p-4a)
The completely remodeled Excalibur will make its phenomenal debut to the gay community with “PEACE” featuring the iconic beats, vocals, remixes and dark sounds of legendary Grammy-nominated DJ Tony Moran. His long awaited return to Chicago is the perfect time to unveil the redesigned, state-of-the-art sound, lighting and space at Excalibur guaranteed to blow your mind.
In our continuing quest to introduce new talent to Chicago, we present another amazing debut for FREEDOM REVOLUTION in DJ Cindel Coss. Raised on house music in Chicago but also drawing on his Puerto Rican roots, this young, Miami-based DJ/producer is quickly becoming known as “The King Of Drums.” DJ Cindel can go from pool party to afterhours with his sets and is the perfect match for Tony Moran to bring Sunday nights’ event to a climactic end to the weekend.
Facebook event page here-
Just Added -Late Night Friday, February 15, 2013-Hydrate hosts “Big Brother” (until 4a)
The guys that bring you Chicago’s NVRLND parties offer up their own visually enticing and progressive fresh new DJ’s for a late night Friday party. Making his Chicago debut, the wildly popular DJ Isaac Escalante (Mexico City) will bring his dark, sexy beats to this voyeuristic, laser-tastic event .
Facebook page here
Please note- This is a separately ticketed party and NOT on our weekend pass. Please visit Brown Paper Tickets
Subject to Change Mx. QSA Pageant JAN 30
The Alliance is thrilled to be the beneficiary of Subject to Change’s inaugural Mx. Queer (U)SA pageant, which was selected as a Critics’ pick in this week’s Time Out Chicago!
of previous Subject to Change hosts, and feature guest sets from DJ Wife
Material (Britticisms).
aims to create a space of “no shame” when it comes to the music they
enjoy and the people they love and care about — family (both blood and
chosen) and our community via the events and publications they produce.
that energy to support the many organizations working to make this city a
better place for queer folks.
PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESSERT VIP Opening Night March 19
See below how to get your tickets for its debut night. This is a limited opportunity to join Equality Illinois and AIDS Legal
Council of Chicago for the Chicago premiere performance of Priscilla, on Tuesday, March 19, 2013,
all while supporting our work on marriage and equal LGBT rights for all
Illinoisans.
they will sell out; their Book of Mormon tickets were gone in a very
short period of time.
YOUR TICKETS: Tickets are now available for purchase to all Equality Illinois supporters. Please use
this linkto buy your tickets. This offer is open to tens of thousands of
Equality Illinois and AIDS Legal Council of Chicago supporters, so be
sure to get yours today to ensure you receive the best seats. The show
sells out very quickly internationally, and we expect its first night
in Chicago to sell out even quicker.
VIP RECEPTION: Your ticket includes access to a
special, post-show VIP reception. Location of the VIP reception will be
sent to ticket holders at least 3 weeks prior to the performance.
THE SHOW: This spectacular show tells the uplifting
story of a trio of friends on a road trip of a lifetime, who hop aboard a
battered old bus searching for love and friendship in the middle of the
Australian outback and end up finding more than they could ever have
dreamed.
tickets before the show. Purchases directly benefit Equality Illinois
Education Project and AIDS Legal Council of Chicago, 501(c)(3)
organizations, and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and
are not appropriate for re-sale.
