Spendthrift Shoestring

Chicago: Room Service, Andersonville, Grub

Weekend before last Matt and I went to Chicago for a brief visit. I always return from Chicago fantasizing just a little bit about moving to the City of the Big Shoulders. It's such an appealing place—affordable, solid, American, and full of surprises. Highlights of this visit included a pastry pit-stop at Julius Meinl, breakfast at M. Henry, good sushi at Sushi Luxe, and a strong cortado at the Coffee Studio.

As always, Andersonville impresses. Mike lead us to Room Service, a vintage furnishings shop on North Clark with an ambitious selection of mid-century items and a smattering of new home accessories. An enormous industrial lamp caught my eye. Comparisons to the nearby Scout are inevitable. Both shops do a stunning job of curating their respective selections, obviously, but Room Service feels more seamlessly edited to me. On this visit, Scout's selection seemed a little bit rawer, more akin to a workshop. It goes without saying that both are top-notch shops, the likes of which are all too rare in most US cities.

Quick Trip: Chicago

What is JetBlue minus functioning DirecTV on board? And, for that matter, what is JetBlue with inoperative Wi-Fi at the airline's terminal at JFK? Just another airline, that's what. Also, while I'm addressing the airline that remains, barely, my favorite domestic carrier, I have to comment on the screechiness of JetBlue's public address system at JFK. I really wish they'd fix it and maybe train announcers to modulate their voices a touch.

The point of this post, however, is not to complain about JetBlue or offer further evidence of my slide into curmudgeondom. It's to write a bit about Chicago. I spent Sunday and yesterday there visiting my friend Mike. We had a great time. He recently moved to Andersonville, a very likeable hood. It has an interesting retail base, which includes one of the best home furnishings stores I've ever come across, the absolutely beautiful Scout, as well as a more recent high-quality addition, Haus. There's also a fab newish coffeehouse in Andersonville called The Coffee Studio. Wow. Great coffee, educated baristas, clean concept, beautiful space. If I lived in Andersonville I would move in.

Also lovely was the all-too-brief time we spent with Sarah at Bar on Buena, a place with an impressive beer menu. I loved the beer selection and I loved our friendly beer-smart waiter, too.