Upon looking at my "Things to do List Before I Die" one thing I wanted to see was whirling dervishes dance. Some people want to swim with dolphins, I want to see Whirling Dervishes. Last Friday night I saw (and heard) the Ensemble Al-Kindi & Whirling Dervishes of Damascus, Richard Hagopian’s Kef Time Ensemble at Millenium Park. It was truly magical. There were two dancers. They did a total of four "sets". Every movement is a graceful symbol of their devotion. I noticed that one foot seems to pivot while the other moves about. Fascinating and beautiful.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Whirling Dervishes
Upon looking at my "Things to do List Before I Die" one thing I wanted to see was whirling dervishes dance. Some people want to swim with dolphins, I want to see Whirling Dervishes. Last Friday night I saw (and heard) the Ensemble Al-Kindi & Whirling Dervishes of Damascus, Richard Hagopian’s Kef Time Ensemble at Millenium Park. It was truly magical. There were two dancers. They did a total of four "sets". Every movement is a graceful symbol of their devotion. I noticed that one foot seems to pivot while the other moves about. Fascinating and beautiful.
Friday, September 5, 2008
My Art Opening at Effe Levin
My art opening was last night and despite the rain I had an amazing turnout. It literally went from summer to fall in one short day thanks to hurricane Gustav. I arrived at the opening with my shoes and pant legs dripping wet. I started to feel like I was getting a cold but after a few warm smiles and a glass of wine I managed to recover pretty quickly . When you take public trans everywhere there is no escaping getting wet on a day like that.
Effe Levin is a new gallery in River North, one of Chicago prime gallery districts. It's a beautiful space and I was proud to a part of this show celebrating Women Artists, also partnered with the Chicago Artists' Coalition. My work is very unusual so it always surprises me when people love my work. Anyway, here are some shots from my show.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Here’s My One-Woman-Probiotically-Enhanced-Frozen-Yogurt Review
I have dairy allergies although I can handle some dairy such as raw goat or sheep milk, fermented sheep feta and a small portion of these new frozen yogurts that are popping up everywhere. Even if you don’t have allergies these treats are pretty low in calories compared to the other colossal sundaes and "blasts". So here’s what I thought:
Starfruit
The nice people at Skirt PR sent me an invite for their opening night celebration. Let me go on record to say that Starfruit is the first of it’s kind to open a shop like this. I was treated to a free yogurt with any toppings that I wanted. Most of these yogurt places have a selection of various fresh or dried fruits, nuts, granola, candies or old-time favorite cereals. I tried some coconut flakes a
nd chocolate chips but I think I prefer topping-less—I like it smooth like the DQ whippee cone. Maybe it's some sort of sick form of penis envy but that whippee cone shape really gets me.
Starfruit
The nice people at Skirt PR sent me an invite for their opening night celebration. Let me go on record to say that Starfruit is the first of it’s kind to open a shop like this. I was treated to a free yogurt with any toppings that I wanted. Most of these yogurt places have a selection of various fresh or dried fruits, nuts, granola, candies or old-time favorite cereals. I tried some coconut flakes a
nd chocolate chips but I think I prefer topping-less—I like it smooth like the DQ whippee cone. Maybe it's some sort of sick form of penis envy but that whippee cone shape really gets me. Starfruit actually has real kefir not just frozen yogurt. Starfruit gets a big thumbs up. It’s a clean and beautiful store. They will let you try samples. The staff is friendly and helpful and yes, the product is delicious. I have been back a few times. The blueberry and peach are also really good. I have yet to try the smoothies, they were out of the cappuccino the last time I was there. I was a little bummed as the thought of coffee and frozen yogurt together is too good. Two vices in one! Starfruit is open till 11 pm which helps too.
Red Mango
Evanston has a small frozen yogurt shop from the Red Mango chain near the Davis sto
p. It’s a clean store but really small and gets packed fast. You are better off grabbing your yogurt and eating it outside across the street at the fountain on the corner. They have similar toppings like Starfruit (but not quite as many). One complaint is that I would love to see a shop with chocolate sauce or some sort of fruit sundae sauce. I’m not as into the dry ingredients. I have to say the green tea frozen yogurt is one of the best I have had. According to their Web site one serving is only 90 calories. You can you try samples. I’ve gone twice and the staff was helpful without being overly chatty, calm and helpful if you will.
Red Mango
Evanston has a small frozen yogurt shop from the Red Mango chain near the Davis sto
p. It’s a clean store but really small and gets packed fast. You are better off grabbing your yogurt and eating it outside across the street at the fountain on the corner. They have similar toppings like Starfruit (but not quite as many). One complaint is that I would love to see a shop with chocolate sauce or some sort of fruit sundae sauce. I’m not as into the dry ingredients. I have to say the green tea frozen yogurt is one of the best I have had. According to their Web site one serving is only 90 calories. You can you try samples. I’ve gone twice and the staff was helpful without being overly chatty, calm and helpful if you will. Stone Cold Creamery
They now have a probiotically enhanced low-calorie frozen yogurt to compete with the rest. I avoided this store in my neighborhood because I’m more down with the local ethnic Mom and Pops than I am the chains but it was hot and I had just worked out so I thought I’d give it a shot. I had it plain and simple, no toppings or sauces and it was good but not the best. Plus there is something odd and seemingly unsanitary about the whole Stone Cold experience of how they take the ice cream plop it on a counter and mix it up. It’s just weird to me. Out of all the frozen yogurt places they are the unfriendliest. They will let you try samples if you ask, but you get a side of attitude if you ask any questions. I probably could get the yogurt with the sundae toppings but they were so unfriendly I hate to ask yet another question . . . hence the name “Stone Cold”. Their yogurt is probably the most expensive too. The “love it” medium size was nearly $5.00.
Berry Chill
I had read about this locally owned shop and was curious to give it a try. It’s usually crowded so I went on a weeknight right after work. The space is clean and funky although smallish. The staff is super helpful and don’t mind questions or giving out samples. I had the pistachio/ori
ginal combo swirl and it was delish. Out of all the places I’ve reviewed they have the most toppings even including some local shops like Sarah’s Candies and pie crust parts from PIE. They have even more kooky cereal toppings than the rest of the competition—how about Lucky Charms with that tart yogurt? I sat outside before it got too crowded. This shop is open until 4 am on Friday and Saturday nights. I give it an enthusiastic thumbs up. Berry Chill has new flavors each month, I kinda wish I didn’t know this since I was hoping to give up frozen yogurt by September. Now I will want to try all these new flavors.
UFoodGrill
Although not really a “yogurt” place they do have really yummy frozen yogurt. You can get the tart original. “Tart” is their word not mine for the "plain" flavor or raspberry, you can get a mix of both. I had the original, which was very good although I had bit of tummy bloat from it. UFoodGrill is a new healthy lunch spot and all I can say is “finally”. The other food is really good there and it is very crowded. The staff does not have time to chat about frozen yogurt but I wouldn’t call them all out “rude”.
A few honorable mentions:
Annette’s Italian Ice
Annette’s doesn’t have frozen kefir but the Italian Ice is non-dairy and they do have some really creamy flavors like chocolate hazelnut. Speaking of flavors I have never seen an Italian Ice shop with so many different flavors. I like anything with coconut too. Their staff is near the Armitage brown line and on hot days they have lines outside their window. Again, friendly peeps and they will let you try a few flavors.
Dunkin Donuts
I have to give DD an honorable mention here. While I doubt it has a lot of probiotic gusto their non-sugar frozen yogurt is really good and you can get it in sundae format if you chose. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother my tummy.
So overall I would say:
Best Tasting goes to Red Mango and Starfruit a very very close second
Best Atmosphere goes to Starfruit
Most Helpful Staff ties Berry Chill and Starfruit
Best Toppings goes to Berry Chill
Easiest to Digest goes to Starfruit, I think their product is the real deal and probably the most fermented out of all the others. Now enjoy the food porn, ohh ahh.
They now have a probiotically enhanced low-calorie frozen yogurt to compete with the rest. I avoided this store in my neighborhood because I’m more down with the local ethnic Mom and Pops than I am the chains but it was hot and I had just worked out so I thought I’d give it a shot. I had it plain and simple, no toppings or sauces and it was good but not the best. Plus there is something odd and seemingly unsanitary about the whole Stone Cold experience of how they take the ice cream plop it on a counter and mix it up. It’s just weird to me. Out of all the frozen yogurt places they are the unfriendliest. They will let you try samples if you ask, but you get a side of attitude if you ask any questions. I probably could get the yogurt with the sundae toppings but they were so unfriendly I hate to ask yet another question . . . hence the name “Stone Cold”. Their yogurt is probably the most expensive too. The “love it” medium size was nearly $5.00.
Berry Chill
I had read about this locally owned shop and was curious to give it a try. It’s usually crowded so I went on a weeknight right after work. The space is clean and funky although smallish. The staff is super helpful and don’t mind questions or giving out samples. I had the pistachio/ori
ginal combo swirl and it was delish. Out of all the places I’ve reviewed they have the most toppings even including some local shops like Sarah’s Candies and pie crust parts from PIE. They have even more kooky cereal toppings than the rest of the competition—how about Lucky Charms with that tart yogurt? I sat outside before it got too crowded. This shop is open until 4 am on Friday and Saturday nights. I give it an enthusiastic thumbs up. Berry Chill has new flavors each month, I kinda wish I didn’t know this since I was hoping to give up frozen yogurt by September. Now I will want to try all these new flavors.UFoodGrill
Although not really a “yogurt” place they do have really yummy frozen yogurt. You can get the tart original. “Tart” is their word not mine for the "plain" flavor or raspberry, you can get a mix of both. I had the original, which was very good although I had bit of tummy bloat from it. UFoodGrill is a new healthy lunch spot and all I can say is “finally”. The other food is really good there and it is very crowded. The staff does not have time to chat about frozen yogurt but I wouldn’t call them all out “rude”.
A few honorable mentions:
Annette’s Italian Ice
Annette’s doesn’t have frozen kefir but the Italian Ice is non-dairy and they do have some really creamy flavors like chocolate hazelnut. Speaking of flavors I have never seen an Italian Ice shop with so many different flavors. I like anything with coconut too. Their staff is near the Armitage brown line and on hot days they have lines outside their window. Again, friendly peeps and they will let you try a few flavors.
Dunkin Donuts
I have to give DD an honorable mention here. While I doubt it has a lot of probiotic gusto their non-sugar frozen yogurt is really good and you can get it in sundae format if you chose. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother my tummy.
So overall I would say:
Best Tasting goes to Red Mango and Starfruit a very very close second
Best Atmosphere goes to Starfruit
Most Helpful Staff ties Berry Chill and Starfruit
Best Toppings goes to Berry Chill
Easiest to Digest goes to Starfruit, I think their product is the real deal and probably the most fermented out of all the others. Now enjoy the food porn, ohh ahh.
Festivals-A-Go-G0
I have been a very very bad blogger. I just got really busy at work with a special project and trying to go to all my fave festivals. I managed to hit the Whole Foods Flavor Fest which is always worth the price of admission. Talk about scoring a bunch of freebies and lots of wheat free stuff too. I was hoping Temptations ice (soy) cream was there this year but no such luck. Although this summer I have eaten my weight in probiotically enhanced frozen yogurt. I’ll include a review in another blog.
The Glenwood Park Arts Fest didn’t disappoint. I really enjoy the relaxed vibe of the creative community in Rogers Park. Lake Side Café provided some yummy vegan corn dogs (my only one all summer) and I had some good beer from Morseland. I've actually been enjoying beer this summer. I used to hate it. I have to say moderation is key. It’s so great when I can just have one or two and be set. After have one major hangover this summer I definitely learned the hard way what I can/can’t handle. It’s ironic the healthier you get the less likely you are able to handle toxins, or perhaps your body is just more aware of the affects. Being hypoglycaemic too makes it hard for me to put it away in typical Chicago binge-drinking fashion. Drinking makes me want to eat crap. My pattern is usually something like this = have a drink, start craving crappy food. Have another drink then I need protein to balance out the “wobbly”, then I have to have coffee to sort of wake myself up again. Nourishing Traditions author Sally Fallon believes that cravings for alcohol are really about our body craving fermented drinks like Kombucha Tea. I buy it every now and then when I want the taste without the hassle.
I also went to Greek Fest for the first time which was lovely. I went during the day for lunch. I think night time would probably be even more fun with the rousing music. I had a glass of Rodity’s wine. I usually don’t like Roses but this hit the spot with my Greek platter. I’ve been craving a Gyros for the least two weeks. I usually eat really clean but summer is hard for me to be completely 100%. Once fall hits I will probably do another cleanse of some sort. I enjoy the ethnic fests more than I do the A-typical fests with the same lemon shake-ups, bands and the inflatable fringed figures waving in the air.
Over the weekend I went to Jazz Fest and the summer night was perfect. I have to make one summer trip to the Buckingham Fountain. The night light show is lovely. Sunday I went to Polish Fest, another first time for me. Elevation was playing so I thought—why not? Elevation is a U2 Cover band and they are awesome. The have a way of gathering a nice crowd of people. I was watching this hilarious (“wobbly”) older man dancing with as many girls as he could by the front of the stage. Good beer here too. I tend to like the foreign beers. I’m kind of all over the place. I like the light Stella Artois as well as some of the new dark chocolate brews. I ate way too much . . . I had a stuffed cabbage plate with kraut, then I had a frozen cappuccino and beer. The music helped me dance off some of the bloat. Reminder to self: your stomach is only the size of your fist.
This is the first summer that I have been sad to see fall come. Although there are more festivals this September. Next weekend is Oktoberfest, then the Celtic Fest and I think that’s it. Next year, I will try to hit only the ones I missed or really really like. When your fun starts to feel like “a to do” list it’s no longer fun. Fall will bring a cleanse and some time to go “within” and work on my art and re-build my insides for next summer.
The Glenwood Park Arts Fest didn’t disappoint. I really enjoy the relaxed vibe of the creative community in Rogers Park. Lake Side Café provided some yummy vegan corn dogs (my only one all summer) and I had some good beer from Morseland. I've actually been enjoying beer this summer. I used to hate it. I have to say moderation is key. It’s so great when I can just have one or two and be set. After have one major hangover this summer I definitely learned the hard way what I can/can’t handle. It’s ironic the healthier you get the less likely you are able to handle toxins, or perhaps your body is just more aware of the affects. Being hypoglycaemic too makes it hard for me to put it away in typical Chicago binge-drinking fashion. Drinking makes me want to eat crap. My pattern is usually something like this = have a drink, start craving crappy food. Have another drink then I need protein to balance out the “wobbly”, then I have to have coffee to sort of wake myself up again. Nourishing Traditions author Sally Fallon believes that cravings for alcohol are really about our body craving fermented drinks like Kombucha Tea. I buy it every now and then when I want the taste without the hassle.
I also went to Greek Fest for the first time which was lovely. I went during the day for lunch. I think night time would probably be even more fun with the rousing music. I had a glass of Rodity’s wine. I usually don’t like Roses but this hit the spot with my Greek platter. I’ve been craving a Gyros for the least two weeks. I usually eat really clean but summer is hard for me to be completely 100%. Once fall hits I will probably do another cleanse of some sort. I enjoy the ethnic fests more than I do the A-typical fests with the same lemon shake-ups, bands and the inflatable fringed figures waving in the air.
Over the weekend I went to Jazz Fest and the summer night was perfect. I have to make one summer trip to the Buckingham Fountain. The night light show is lovely. Sunday I went to Polish Fest, another first time for me. Elevation was playing so I thought—why not? Elevation is a U2 Cover band and they are awesome. The have a way of gathering a nice crowd of people. I was watching this hilarious (“wobbly”) older man dancing with as many girls as he could by the front of the stage. Good beer here too. I tend to like the foreign beers. I’m kind of all over the place. I like the light Stella Artois as well as some of the new dark chocolate brews. I ate way too much . . . I had a stuffed cabbage plate with kraut, then I had a frozen cappuccino and beer. The music helped me dance off some of the bloat. Reminder to self: your stomach is only the size of your fist.
This is the first summer that I have been sad to see fall come. Although there are more festivals this September. Next weekend is Oktoberfest, then the Celtic Fest and I think that’s it. Next year, I will try to hit only the ones I missed or really really like. When your fun starts to feel like “a to do” list it’s no longer fun. Fall will bring a cleanse and some time to go “within” and work on my art and re-build my insides for next summer.
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