Category Archives: Chicago Food Trucks

Chicago’s Creative Design Harvest Festival 2012 in West Town

Chicago’s 2012 Design Harvest Festival is sponsored by the West Town Chamber of Commerce.

Design Harvest

WHEN: September 29-30, 2012, from 11am to 8pm

WHERE: Grand Avenue between Damen and Wood.

Come and check out the Food Trucks http://youtu.be/igyjbER5hqA.

There’s live music, food, wine and beer.

Here’s the entertainment schedule:

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH

6:30pm Golden Horse Ranch Band

4:40pm Chandelier Swingers

2:50pm Lawrence Peters Outfit

1pm Bucktown Aces

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH

6:30pm Sarah and The Tall Boys

4:40pm Weepin’ Willows

2:50pm Black Willoughbys

1pm Cpt. Captain

Harvest Design Festival 2011

Harvest Design Festival 2011

Design Harvest 2011 in Chicago on Grand at Damen

Design Harvest 2011 in Chicago on Grand at Damen

The new festival features Chicago’s best local home decorating stores and designers like Room Service and The Painted Lady.

Harvest Design Festival 2011

Harvest Design Festival 2011

Harvest Design Festival 2011

Quilt from Chicago’s Painted Lady on Grand Ave. in Chicago

Harvest Design Festival 2011

Chicago’s Harvest Design Festival 2011

Harvest Design Festival 2011

Interesting artwork fro Room Service in Chicago

There will be furniture and home accessories, vintage goods, antiques and  design retailers located in Chicago’s Design District on Grand Avenue.

Chicago Design District

Chicago Design District

Chicago Design District

Chicago Design District

Harvest Design Festival 2011

Harvest Design Festival 2011

Harvest Design Festival 2011

Harvest Design Festival 2011

Get your creative mojo working this weekend with great food and music from The Hideout. The Naked Grape Winery is offering wine tastings.

Live Music at Harvest Design Festival 2011

Live Music at Harvest Design Festival 2011

 Harvest Design Festival 2011

The Hideout at Harvest Design Festival 2011

Live Music provided by The Hideout at Harvest Design Festival 2011

The Naked Grape Winery at Havest Design Festival

The Naked Grape Winery at Havest Design Festival

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides @ www.vino-con-vista.com

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Chicago’s Food Trucks: A Moveable Feast

English: Looking west across 50th Street at pi...

English: Looking west across 50th Street at pizza truck, allegedly with pizza oven aboard, parked in front of high school. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Italian Pork Shoulder Sandwich from Kendall College-YUM!!!

Italian Pork Shoulder Sandwich from Kendall College-YUM!!!

Sweet Potato Chips

Sweet Potato Chips

Gourmet Food Trucks offer meals on wheels. Street food vendors are popping up on street corners and parking lots around Chicago.

Click Here for a short Chicago Food Truck Video

Foodies swarm to locations around my Windy City to capture a myriad of delicious flavors offered by local chefs. When I was a kid, we waited for the ice-cream man, but now we search for the food trucks on Twitter!

 

Chicago Food Trucks

Chicago Food Trucks

 

Meatball Sandwich

Meatball Sandwich

 

A food-truck operation can get off the ground for under $150,000, while many restaurants spend more than $1 million on real estate and equipment to open their doors. Whenever these gourmet food trucks come to a stop, foodies swarm by finding their location on Twitter. Instead of roaming the streets of Chicago looking for Food Trucks, look for events where multiple Food Trucks gather for special events.

Try a Whoppie Pie at Sweet Ride

Street Food at Homage Food Truck

 

Wine Bar @ 694 Milwaukee

Food Trucks meet @ 694 Milwaukee on Saturdays in Chicago

Food Trucks a Go-Go @ 694 Milwaukee in Chicago

 

Food Trucks a Go-Go @ 694 Milwaukee in Chicago

I can always enjoy a personal “Vino con Vista” and “Taste of Chicago” at a Food Truck event.  No tickets, no lines; just empanadas, tacos, cupcakes, meatballs, gourmet deli sandwiches and potato pancakes. Some trucks even offer treats for your favorite pets.

These are some of my favorite Chicago Food Trucks:

1. I have to say, I loved the little flaky, buttery pockets of love served by the “Empanada Truck”  named 5411 Empanadas. I convinced others to try the  traditional Argentine pastry pockets filled with beef and/or BBQ chicken  that were the best $1.99 that I have ever spent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32nfVwWKGys

Empanada Food Trucks

2. I love the red-velvet cupcakes and the concept of the socially-responsible bakery run by Sweet Miss Giving’s.  The bakery has expanded its reach beyond its stand at the French Market. Specialty items include German chocolate brownies, oatmeal cookies and red velvet cupcakes. In line with the bakery’s social mission, the bakery employs between 10 and 20 formerly homeless people as interns as part of a transitional job-training program. More than half of the profits benerated benefit the Chicago House, a non-profit organization that helps formerly homeless men, women and children who are impacted by HIV/AIDS. Follow @SMGFoodTruck on Twitter for updates on the truck’s location and hours.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Sweet Miss Giving’s Food Truck

3. I am a big fan of tamales so I love the sleek Tamale Spaceship in the silver van that offers traditional Mexican fare with a side of avant-garde art. Five different flavors of tamales served daily are named after Mexico’s “stridentist” futuristic art movement. Start off with The Space Guacamole and make your way into the “Rajas Con Queso Tamale” (with poblanos and cheese and tomato sauce) or “No One’s Tamale De Pollo” in a green peanut mole sauce. For those who want something to sip streetside, order a bottle of Coke or Mexican coffee.

The Tamale Space Ship

4. Taquero Fusion has a Chicago skyline-decorated food truck that offers four types of tacos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDVWNkf2Cj8. The soft tacos come in a  homemade tortilla filled with steak, chicken marinated in Puerto Rican-style seasoning, tilapia or vegetables. Choose a pineapple cucumber, chiptole or other salsa with your order. Yellow rice, jalapeno-infused rice and a chorizo-pinto bean mix are also offered. Season your taco with a variety of hot sauces and for dessert order a brownie and a bottle of Mexican Coke, made with real cane sugar.

Taquero Fusion Food Truck in Chicago

5. The Meatyballs Truck served outstanding pulled pork meatballs. Who doesn’t love a mini roll of meat lovingly caressed in a flavorful bun? I’m Italian, so I have a genetic pre-disposition to these meaty treats! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIWER1jvjL0

Meaty Balls Food Truck in Chicago

Meaty Balls Food Truck in Chicago

6. Bergstein’s NY Deli Truck had some tasty BBQ beef and Chicken salad sliders, as well as tasty potato pancakes.

Deli Food Truck in Chicago

7. The Forever Yogurt Truck lets you choose up to three incredible toppings with their tasty frozen yogurt options.

Forever Yogurt Food Truck in Chicago

Forever Yogurt Food Truck

 

Chef Takashi Yagihaski

Macy’s Food Truck in Chicago

Pork Sandwich

Pork Sandwich

What is your favorite Food Truck in Chicago?

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides @ www.vino-con-vista.com. Become a Fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for #foodie #wine and #travel blog updates.

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Chicago’s Windy City Wine Festival 2012

Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago’s 8th annual Windy City Wine Festival 2012 is coming to Grant Park!
Buckingham Fountain at night. Kelvin Kay, user...

Buckingham Fountain at night. Kelvin Kay, user:kkmd (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WHEN: Friday, September 7, 2012  from 4-10 PM
Saturday, September 8, 2012 from  3-9 PM
WHERE: Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park

English: Buckingham Fountain

English: Buckingham Fountain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Adult Wine Tasting Ticket
$28 in advance or $35 at the door.
“This ticket includes a souvenir wine glass, ten tastings, Festival Program, Food & Wine seminars, cooking demonstrations, musical entertainment and the opportunity to purchase wine at a discount.”Designated Driver Ticket
$10 in advance or at the door.
This ticket includes two non-alcoholic drinks, Festival Program, Food & Wine seminars, cooking demonstrations, musical entertainment, souvenir wine glass upon departure. Under 21 admitted free when accompanied by paid adult.

Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain At Night

Gaze at Chicago’s incredible horizontal evening cityscape and watch the light-show at Buckingham Fountain for an incredible “Vino con Vista” experience.

Watch this YouTube video of the Windy City Wine Festival http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qiWMpieX8M

What could possibly be better than going to Grant Park in September at dusk and sipping wine from all over the world while listening to live music?

Chicago Skyline at night from Grant Park

Chicago’s 8th Annual Windy City Wine Festival is the place to be. The Windy City Wine Festival is held at Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park in Chicago.

Chicago WIndy City Wine Festival 2011

Buckingham Fountain in Chicago

Chicago Restaurants

Taste some of the delightful wines including the Cabernet Reserva from Cass Winery and the Spanish Rioja.

Some of the other wineries include: Chicago based Cooper’s Hawk and  Lynfred Winery, Wollersheim Winery, Reggae Wines and Fess Parker.

Here’s a link to the full list of wineries for 2012:

http://www.windycitywinefestival.com/windycity_wine.html

Lynfred Winery at the Windy City Wine Festival

 

Reggae Wines at the Chicago Wine Festival 2011

Chicago Windy City Wine Festival 2011

French Wines at the Windy CIty Wine Festival in Chicago 2011

Try the Fess Parker Winery Pinot Noir. The festival features more than 270 wines from around the world with wine tasting seminars.

Foodies can flock to the food booths where local restaurants will offer their signature dishes. Last year I liked the Markethouse Restaurant’s very tasty pulled pork sandwich and cornbread. I also liked the steak sandwich at Sullivan’s Steakhouse and The Melting Pot’s fondue.

Sullivan’s Steak Sandwich on a Pretzel Roll-YUM!

Sullivan’s Steakhouse at the Windy CIty Wine Festival in Chicago 2011

Kendall College at the WIndy City WIne Festival in Chicago 2011

Here’s the food line-up from the website:

Caoba Mexican   Grill and Bar 1619 N. Damen Avenue Chicago, IL   60647 773-342-2622 www.caobachicago.com Fire it Up A premier mobile catering service, brings the restaurant to you! 630-984-5240           http://fireituptruck.com/
Markethouse   Restaurant 300 E. Ohio Street Chicago, IL   60611-3308 312-224-2200 www.markethousechicago.com Sullivan’s   Steakhouse 415 N. Dearborn Street Chicago, IL   60654 312-527-3510 www.sullivansteakhouse.com
The Melting   Pot 609 N. Dearborn Street Chicago, IL   60654 312-573-0011 www.meltingpot.com Weber Grill Restaurant 539 N. State Street Chicago, IL   60654 312-467-9696 www.webergrillrestaurant.com

Last year, Kendall College sent some of their future chefs to the event. There will be cooking demonstrations by top chefs and samples from gourmet food companies. Take time to stroll through the lovely gardens at Grant Park. Our city planners attempted to make Grant Park a “Paris on the Prarie”. This is a great “Vino con Vista” Venue!

Grant Park Garden in Chicago

Fountains in Grant Park in Chicago

Live Entertainment at Chicago’s Windy City WIne Festival 2011

Here’s the Entertainment Schedule:

Friday, September 7       4:00-10:00 pm

6:15-6:45 pm Eric Swanson,      Tenzing Sake Specialist

6:55-7:25 pm            Michelle Gerber, Banfi Vintners

7:45-9:45 pm LLOYD DOBLER EFFECT

Saturday, September 8th

3:00-9:00 pm

4:00-5:00 pm LLOYD DOBLER EFFECT

5:15-5:50 pm “Barefoot  Sweet Wine Sangria Competition – Who Can Cool Down the Fall with the Best  Sangria?” JAMES BEGLEY, E & J GALLO
6:00-6:30 pm Eric Swanson, Tenzing Sake Specialist

6:45-8:45  pm LLOYD DOBLER EFFECT

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides and Apps @ www.vino.con.vista.com

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Chicago’s North Side Summerfest 2012 on Lincoln Avenue at Irving

OK, I admit it, I am a Festival Junkie. One of summer’s greatest pleasures is dragging my lawn chair with the cup holder around to different historic neighborhoods in Chicago for street food and live music. I have lost count of how many times I have heard 16 Candles perform at a street festival.

Chicago’s North Side Summerfest 2012 on Lincoln Avenue at Irving is one of my favorites! If you like hot dogs, this is the fest for you! There will be great bands, arts and crafts and a mouth-watering array of  HOT DOGS.

English: Chicago-style hot dog at Portillo's

English: Chicago-style hot dog at Portillo’s (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Profile Picture

Grilled hot dogs

Grilled hot dogs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WHERE: 4000 N. Lincoln Avenue at Irving Park in Chicago

WHEN: August 17-19, 2012

Fri: 5-10 PM, Sat: 12-10 PM, Sun: 12-9 PM

Here’s a short video of the North Side Summerfest 2011 in Chicago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhc6tRXoCyk

Many of Chicago’s charming neighborhoods have interesting landmark properties with incredible architectural detail. Many of the neighborhoods that host the festivals have been gentrified.  An active Chamber of Commerce and involved residents are willing to go the extra mile to make the event a success.

All around Chicago there are weekend summer festivals with plenty of Vino con Vista opportunities.

I love the  live music and the artsy atmosphere. Last year, The Gap had a food truck with great steak tacos!

There were vendors selling lots of unique art and merchandise.

They will have a Chicago-Style Hot Dog Contest.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides and Apps @ www.vino-con-vista.com

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Chicago’s Green Tie Ball 2012: A Night with Alice in Wonderland

English: Screenshot of Alice from the trailer ...

English: Screenshot of Alice from the trailer for the film Alice in Wonderland (1951). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This year’s GREEN TIE BALL XXI theme is Alice in Wonderland. Be prepared smile like a Cheshire Cat when you join Alice and the characters of Wonderland. The White Rabbit will probably be present at the Mad Tea Party.Gaze through the looking glass at the Finkl Foundry!

Alice in Wonderland, John Tenniel, 1865 Deutsc...

Alice in Wonderland, John Tenniel, 1865 Deutsch: Von John Tenniel stammende Illustration aus Lewis Carrolls Alice im Wunderland. Polski: Alicja z powieści pt. Alicja w Krainie Czarów autorstwa Lewisa Carrolla (ilustrator: John Tenniel). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Cheshire Cat from Carroll's Alice in Wonde...

The Cheshire Cat from Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is a figure Beckjord has used for illustrating his ideas regarding Bigfoot. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WHEN: Saturday, September 15th, 2012 6:30 pm-1:00 am

WHERE: The Finkl Foundry at 2011 N. Southport in Chicago

Deutsch: Alice in Wonderland - Mad Tea Party (...

Deutsch: Alice in Wonderland – Mad Tea Party (bekannte, lange schon freie Illustration von Sir John Tenniel aus der Erstausgabe) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last year I stepped into my Ruby Slippers and joined Dorothy, the Tin Man and her little dog Toto in the Emerald City.

Cropped screenshot of Judy Garland from the tr...

Cropped screenshot of Judy Garland from the trailer for the film The Wizard of Oz. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There’s no place like home when my beautiful Vino con Vista Chicago hosts the 21st annual Green Tie Ball at the Finkl Foundry on Southport!

Proceeds beautify the City of Chicago’s public spaces including the expressway.

I entered the Land of Oz and danced to the live music in my Ruby Slippers.

Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers, 1938 Sixteen-year-old...

Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers, 1938 Sixteen-year-old Judy Garland wore these sequined shoes as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I enjoyed the cuisine in the Land of Oz prepared by more than 50 of

Chicago’s top Chefs.

The “Supreme Lobster Chef Challenge” featured the final round of the Chicago Summer Chef Challenge Series at the Green Tie Ball. Chicago’s Food Trucks offered plenty of goodies to the elegantly dressed guests at Finkl Foundry’s Emerald City on Southport.

The Emerald City’s bartenders were pouring super-premium Wizard of Oz cocktails.

The Green Tie Ball is also offered a silent auction, gaming and multiple stages of live entertainment.

Tickets are available  @ www.gatewaygreen.org.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides @ www.vino-con-vista.com

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Chicago Gourmet and “Dine Around” 2012 for Foodies and Wine-Lovers

Pelago Ristorante in Chicago

Pelago chef

This highly-anticipated interactive culinary event is  a weekend epicurean affair that showcases more than 100 of Chicago’s finest restaurants and chefs, as well as hundreds of renowned wineries, spirit makers and premium breweries. It also features dozens of live cooking demonstrations, gourmet tastings, wine seminars, and book signings by internationally renowned chefs, master sommeliers and winemakers.

Chicago Gourmet 2012 Dine Around Receipt Holder

Chicago Gourmet 2012 Dine Around Receipt Holder

 

 

WHEN: Chicago Gourmet 2012 will be hosted in Millennium Park, Sept 28-30, 2012

Tickets and More Information:  http://chicagogourmet.org/

Nomi chef

312 Chicago's Chef Luca Corazzina

312 Chicago’s Chef Luca Corazzina

Quartino Restaurant in Chicago

Quartino Restaurant’s Chef in Chicago

Chicago is an international culinary mecca for foodies. There are many rising stars like Jimmy Bannos Jr. , a third generation Chicago restaurant owner and Chef. Here’s a video of the 2011 Chicago Gourmet Festival http://youtu.be/LiB0O2Y_A_g

Chef Jimmy Bannos Jr. of The Purple Pig in Chicago

I love the Millennium Park venue that was dedicated by Mayor Richard Daley in July of 2004 as a gift to the people of Chicago. We take every opportunity to use this incredible facility!

Chicago Gourmet 2011

Chicago Gourmet 2011

The extraordinary event promotes Chicago’s impressive world-class food and wine community. Last year there was a Grand Cru Wine event at the Harris Theater Rooftop.

Chicago Gourmet 2011 Grand Cru Event

Chicago Gourmet 2011

Chicago Gourmet 2011

Forget about dieting during the weekend event or during the entire month of September. There will be 140 chefs participating in the three-day event with plenty of wine-tasting opportunities; as well as a “Dine Around” promotion.

 Some of the restaurants in my “Rush Street” video  participate in “Chicago Gourmet“.

Gibson's Steakhouse on Rush Street

Gibson’s Steakhouse on Rush Street (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here’s a short Video of some of my favorite restaurants on Rush Street

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT858R6N2gw.

Some of the participating movers and shakers include Chicago’s culinary gurus, Chicago chefs, master sommeliers and extraordinary wine makers.

Chicago Gourmet 2011

The Chicago Gourmet Event “aims to highlight the city as an international culinary destination via its unparalleled epicurean talent”.

Chicago Gourmet 2011

Chicago’s Michelin Chefs

Chicago Gourmet 2011

Dine around

The Bon Appétitand Chicago Gourmet Dine Around extends the event beyond Millennium Park into some of the city’s best restaurants. From Saturday, September 1, 2012 through Sunday, September 30, 2012, special prix-fixe menus will be available at participating Dine Around restaurants, offering guests a unique dining experience as well as a chance to earn a free ticket to the event.

Dine Around Receipt Holder for Chicago Gourmet 2012

Dine Around Receipt Holder for Chicago Gourmet 2012

Go get your special receipt folder and and start “Dining Around” today. Dine in 5 participating restaurants from the list below and save your receipts in the special folder. The folder has a list of all participating restaurants. Then redeem them for a complimentary one-day Chicago Gourmet Ticket at the “Dine Around Redemption” Registration Booth on the day of the event.

This offer is not applicable to the Hamburger Hop. We started our Dine Around Journey at Gibson’s on Rush and ordered the Salmon and Filet. We love dining outside at this popular Rush Street Restaurant.

Filet with Bernaise Sauce at Gibson's on Rush in Chicago

Filet with Bernaise Sauce at Gibson’s on Rush in Chicago

Salmon with mash potatoes and broccoli at Gibson's on Rush Street

Salmon with mash potatoes and broccoli at Gibson’s on Rush Street

We also went to Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush and ordered the incredible antipasto platter with some linguini with clam and an order of ravioli with pesto sauce. I had a margarita that was out of this world. Then we had a bottle of Frog’s Leap wine. I am never disappointed at this restaurant!

Linguini at Phil Stefani's 437 Rush

Antipasto at Phil Stefani's 437 Rush

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ravioli at Phil Stefani's 437 Rush

Ravioli at Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush

Fabulous Margarita at Phil Stefani's 437 Rush

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frog's Leap Cab at Phil Stefani's 437 Rush

Frog’s Leap Cab at Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush

Excellent WIne List at Phil Stefani's 437 Rush

2012 participating Dine Around restaurants:

 

Chicago Gourmet Map 2011

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides @ www.vino-con-vista.com. Buon Appetito!

English: From top left: Downtown Chicago, the ...

English: From top left: Downtown Chicago, the Willis Tower, the Chicago Theater, the Chicago “L”, Navy Pier, the Field Museum, and Millenium Park (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Chicago’s Magnificent Buckingham Fountain

Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, Illinois.
Image via Wikipedia

I am a Travel Junkie who loves to travel around the world. I can’t resist taking pictures of  beautiful fountains; I find them so intriguing.

One of the most magnificent fountains in Chicago is the Buckingham Fountain. The fountain was designated as a Chicago landmark on August 30, 2000.

Buckingham Fountain in Chicago

It is located at the intersection of Congress Parkway and Columbus Drive, just west of south Lake Shore Drive in Grant Park. Grant Park is a popular venue for Chicago Festivals like Jazz Fest and the Windy City Wine Festival.

 The park was an integral part of Daniel Burnham‘s 1909 city planning efforts that involved integrating a series of projects into Chicago’s  lakefront.  He envisioned Chicago as a “Paris on the Prairie” with French-inspired public works projects and beautiful fountains.

Burnham’s magical vision generated our horizontal kingdom with gorgeous skyscrapers. Chicago’s magnificent skyline, monuments and sculptures are a result of the convergence of vision and technology.

 

Grant Park's Sculptures

Daniel Burnham

Buckingham Fountain

Buckingham Fountain is one of the largest fountains in the world. Any time of the day or night, people converge upon the fountain to take pictures. It’s a favorite spot for newlyweds.

Chicago Wine Festival at Buckingham Fountain

The pink marble fountain was designed by beaux-arts architect and city planner Edward H. Bennett who was also involved in Burnham’s Plan of Chicago and the construction of Grant Park.

 Bennett’s office was located in the penthouse of the Santa Fe building (pictured below) with the large “Santa Fe” logo on the roof, at 80 E. Jackson in Chicago. From his eagle’s nest view, he could supervise the construction of Grant Park. The 17-story office building is located on the Historic Michigan Boulevard District. The Santa Fe building has distinctive round porthole  windows along the cornice.  The center of the building features a  lightwell that was covered with a skylight in the 1980s.

Buckingham Fountain and the Santa Fe Building

From Bennett’s penthouse office, he could also supervise the construction of   the Buckingham Fountain and the original ornamental Peristyle. A reproduction of the Peristyle majestically crowns  Millennium Park.

Peristyle in Chicago

 The Peristyle (pictured above), is a replica of the curving row of paired Greek columns that were originally on the corner of Grant Park near Michigan and Randolph from 1917 to 1953. The statues (pictured below), were created by the French sculptor Marcel F. Loyau. The whimsical sea-horses depict mid-western states.

Buckingham Fountain Sea-horse Statues

The fountain was dedicated on August 26, 1927 and was constructed at a cost of $750,000.  Water streams through the fountain’s 193 jets. The design looks like a wedding cake and it was inspired by the Latona Fountain at the Palace of Versailles. The central structure allegorically represents Lake Michigan and it is surrounded by four sea-horses. Each sea-horse represents the states that surround Lake Michigan: Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.

The fountain is operational from April to October with interesting water shows  every hour on-the-hour that last for 20 minutes. During the show, water spews from the central jet. The center jet shoots up vertically up to 150 feet.  There are lovely evening light shows.  After dusk, these shows are choreographed with lights and music. The last show begins at 10:00 p.m. During the winter, the fountain is decorated with holiday lights.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides @ www.vino-con-vista.com

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Medinah Temple’s Moorish Revival Architecture in Chicago

front, Medinah Temple (1912), 600 North Wabash...

Image by lumierefl via Flickr

Chicago is endowed with an incredible lakefront, beautiful sandy beaches and a magnificent skyline filled with legendary architecture.

Oak Street Beach on Lake Michigan in Chicago

Brilliant architects like Louis Sullivan created an atmosphere for world-class design. Sullivan’s influential designs inspired the Chicago School of architects like Frank Lloyd Wright who have come to be known as the Prairie School.

Although Chicago is loaded with magnificent architecture, one building that stands out for it’s innovative design is the Medinah Temple at 600 N. Wabash.

The Medinah Temple in Chicago

 The building is located in the upscale North Bridge neighborhood of Chicago on the Near North Side where Wabash intersects Ohio Street.

This area is a tourist mecca; loaded with plenty of interesting hotels and stores. There are outstanding restaurants like Joe’s, Benny’s and Flemings in the neighborhood.

The area also is home to some landmark Chicago deep-dish pizza establishments like Pizzeria Uno and Due in this River North neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The first Uno’s was established in 1943 by former University of Texas football star Ike Sewell and his friend Rick Ricardo.  The original recipe was created by chef Rudy Malnati, the father of Lou Malnati‘s pizzeria, another one of my favorites. Pizzeria Uno claims to have created the original Chicago deep-dish pizza.

 

But one of my all-time  favorite buildings in this area is the Medinah Temple. The Medinah Temple was the venue for the annual Shrine Circus that was affiliated with theAncient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners). The organization is best-known for administering the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The members wear red fezzes (hats) and the fellowship is based upon the “Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief, and truth”.

Shriner's Fezz Hat

I grew up near the Shriners Hospital in Chicago. When I was a young girl, I remember going to their circus in the Medinah Temple and being awestruck by the massive auditorium and the gorgeous Austin Organ Company pipe organ.

 In 2000, the building’s exterior was lovingly restored and the inside of the ornate auditorium was converted into a Bloomingdale’s Home and Furniture Store. The store is loaded with artistic displays that highlight the architectural beauty of the building.

Bloomingdale's colorful display of art-glass in Chicago

The building designated as a Chicago Landmark on June 27, 2001.

I love the intricate detail on the exterior of the building.

Facade of the Medinah Temple in Chicago

The colorful Islamic Moorish Revival architecture of the Medinah Temple was built in 1912. It was built by the Shriners architects Huehl and Schmidt. The colorful domes, ornate ceiling  and arched stained-glass windows resemble the Alcazar in Segovia Spain.

Ceiling of the Medinah Temple in Chicago

Moorish Revival Architecture in Chicago

Ceiling medallian in the Medinah Temple in Chicago

Stained glass windows in the Medinah Temple in Chicago

Originally, the building served as an ornate auditorium with  U-shape seating  for about 4,200 people on three levels. The building is also famous for the acoustics of the auditorium. The fine acoustics of the Medinah Temple’s auditorium made it a favorite site for recording. Many of the Chicago Symphony‘s most famous recordings conducted by Sir Georg Solti were created in this building.

Dr. EveAnn Lovero writes Travel Guides @ www.vino-con-vista.com. Follow us on Twitter for Blog Updates.

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