When I first moved to Chicago from Milwaukee, I was fascinated about living in the downtown area. I met new friends and we walked around and went site seeing around the South Loop area. We were mainly on Michigan Ave and walked around for a good amount of time. We got a little hungry and discovered a restaurant that was right by the Navy Pier. “Dicks Last Resort”,http://www.dickslastresort.com/, was the name of this restaurant we went to eat in. We weren’t looking for a fancy restaurant; just something casual. We received a casual dinner and something even more.

When we first walked in, it was packed with people talking loud, napkins all over the floor, and people wearing hats that were in a shape of a penis. I thought I was in a freaky restaurant when I noticed all of these things going on. The waiter we had threw our menus at us, and talked very rude. He made us get our own drinks instead of him getting them for us, and made me a “penis hat” that said, “ I spread like mayo”.

Despite the growing yet trivial hipster backlash when it comes to the music scene, there are bands that are definitely worth seeing live and records that are worth buying at the record store. (I know, you haven't been to one of those in a long time). But at the very least, there are bands that simply shouldn't be dismissed just as quickly as they're discovered just because music trends are so sudden nowadays. It seems as if albums and artists that are new and fresh to the underground scene especially to those of whom who religiously check music blogs, lose popularity among these indie music fanatics just as soon as more and more people start to listen to them. It's a shame, though. Good bands are good bands, in my opinion.

Community Media Workshop,a non-profit organization working to bridge the gap between the community and journalists, threw one great party last week in order to honor three Chicago journalists with the prestigious Studs Terkel Award.

Dawn Turner Trice of the Chicago Tribune, Tom McNamee of the Sun-Times and the staff of Radio Arte (WRTE 95.5 FM) were the guests of honor.

Nearly 300 people attended. It was a great night to network and meet some of Chicago's finest writers and reporters. Many previous Terkel award winners were also present. There were plenty of drinks to go around and many people loosened up and just had a great time. Great food was also on hand to satisfy the hunger the busy socializers.

The highlight of the evening was of course was the awarding ceremony, but a close second was the entertainment. The Curtis Black Quartet played after the ceremony and throughout dinner until the end of the night. They were great. Check 'em out http://www.curtisblack.net/

    Just off Halsted there is a tiny fast food joint tucked away from the rest of Greek Town.  It goes by Taco Burrito King and is part of a local Chicago chain.  It is tasty, fattening, cheap, and quick.  In other words, its perfect for the poor college student on the run.  Plus, the Mexican food actually tastes like Mexican food, not taco bell.

    The inside of the restaurant is painted with a yellowish hue and the store's booths design look like a throwback to a earlier age.  The cashier is tucked into the corner of the small room and the grill is set back behind the counter to the right.  The place feels like a dive, and the food is simple in the best way possible.  

     All the proper veggies and meats are cooked right on the tortilla on the grill.  A bit of guacamole or cream cheese tops it of, and the result is a filling burrito devoid of the fast food taste.  The best part is walking out with cash left in your wallet,

       College kids like food, but even more then that they like cheap food that doesn’t taste like cardboard. The Thai Spoon offers an extensive menu at prices and large portions that won’t break your budget.

       The restaurant, located at 601 South Wabash, has a casual atmosphere with speedy service for both take out and eating in. Once you pass the goldfish tank and take in the large gold elephants that greet you at the door, the rest of the decor is pretty plain, but you can order a refreshing drink such as Boba Tea or lemonade.

This Italian restaurant served customers with a sense of traveling. Once entering the restaurant, the walls and tables reached out with elegant colors and vibrant decorations that brought Italy into the scene.
The Italian Village's waiting staff and the greeters treated customers like family. A warm appreciation for business was exchanged, as each person spoke with gratitude.
Prices were average priced, depending on the entrée of your choice. You were given bread, breadsticks, water, and salad with any item you ordered. Different drinks of soda were offered. My personal choice of lasagna was filled with meaty sauce and cheese that reached into my taste buds and pulled out a smile with every bite.
Deserts looked rich and appealing to your eye, only if there was enough room in your belly to endure another delicious, mouth-watering bite.

http://www.italianvillage-chicago.com/

South Coast Sushi, located at 1700 S. Michigan Ave., is often missed by passer-bys. But the interior design soothes while complimenting the luxurious menu, leaving for an enjoyable meal.

The numerous condominium buildings surrounding the neighborhood tend to make the area look not consumer-friendly. But the up and coming sushi bar has a large menu, that's decently priced, and also delivers.

To quench your thirst, the establishment is BYOB. But make sure you plan your trip, because the residential buildings all around you make it hard to find a liqour store.

Italian or not. Carb-lover or not. Wine- drinker or not. Biaggi's Italiano Ristorante is the place for you. Biaggi's takes the whole idea of "Italian Dining" to a whole new level by serving a variety of traditional and modernized Italian dishes, appealing to all guests.

As soon as you arrive, you are greeted by engaging hosts eager to seat you at your table, to being your dining experience. Biaggi's is a friendly atmosphere to go whether it's for a meal, dessert and coffee, or just to enjoy a glass of wine. The hospitality, the service, and the cuisine are all perfect ingredients to a fantastic dining experience.

For more information about the menu, prices, and locations  go to www.Biaggi's.com Reserverations are taken and needed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, however, walk-ins are equally acceptable.

After a night class of my first semester at Columbia, my taste buds were craving for a slice of pizza. I was so tired of eating at the ordinary Pizza Hut that's right in front of Columbia, so I asked a friend, Jeff, if he knew of any great pizza places. He recommended Pizza-Ria on 719 S State St (between Balbo Ave & Polk St) http://www.pizza-ria.com/. The place was very small but the employees were cracking jokes and seemed very friendly. When I glanced at the menu I saw a BBQ Chicken Pizza and was surprised because, I never thought to put chicken on pizza let alone barbeque sauce!

            I was hesitant to try it, but was also curious to know what a BBQ chicken pizza would taste like. Jeff was getting it and told me in his opinion it is the best one they have, so I gave in and thought it's always good to try new things. Another great thing I learned about Pizza-Ria was that it isn't expensive at all. They give two HUGE slices for under five bucks.

             Located in the south loop of Chicago on 614 S. Wabash Ave. near Harrison is Tamarind. Tamarind specializes in curries, noodle dishes, teriyaki and sushi.

Tamarind is a very calm restaurant that has Bamboo music playing softly as you dine. As you sit down to enjoy your meal a hot towel is brought to you on a plate to cleanse your hands with. The water that they serve you has cucumber, lemon and lime in the pitcher to give off tangy taste. A famous dish is there delicious spicy orange chicken served with oranges. The dishes are not very expensive they range from 3 to ten dollars. Tamarind is very affordable. Tamarind serves different food from Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Indian cultures.