Events
If you live in a Chicago condo, there’s a large chance that you are also a Chicago Cubs fan (Sox fans, just skip to the next event!). Just a week or two before Spring Training begins, start getting into the Cubs’ spirit with an event at Rockit Bar & Grill in Wrigleyville! Local sports expert David Kaplan of WGN 720-AM, ChicagoNow.com, and the Chicago Tribune hosts Cubs-Aholics Anonymous, where you can connect with other fans and sports media. It happens every Thursday, and it sounds like a great way to start the weekend early to us!

If an artistic endeavor is more likely to interest you than an athletic one, stop by the Museum of Contemporary Art sometime this weekend. Friday is, of course, First Friday, where you can get museum admission, live entertainment, and complimentary Wolfgang Puck hors d’oeuvres for $16. Saturday, show up at 10 a.m. for Coffee and Art, an art history class like you never had in college. For $18 for nonmembers and $15 for MCA members, you can enjoy coffee and conversation led by an art expert. Also at the MCA on Saturday, join Chicago Public Radio for the Third Coast Festival– an audio festival celebrating storytelling, sound and the art of listening from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Ticket information here.

Restaurants
Take a look at a few pictures of the newly-opened Gilt Bar, courtesy of Metromix. And if you like what you see, give the new River North eatery a try. “No white tablecloths, no snooty staff and no dish topping $18–just simple comforts in the form of unfussy eats and classic cocktails.” Sounds like a perfectly relaxed evening!

Gilt Bar, a new restaurant in River North, is a great option for dinner or drinks this weekend.

See inside Gilt Bar and consider stepping out of your Chicago condo for a visit to the new eatery!

And for a pre-Oscar brunch, try a pancake joint new to the neighborhood- Elly’s Pancake House. On the border of Old Town and the Gold Coast, it’s a great brunch location for Near North Siders, Lincoln Park residents and downtown condo owners alike. You can eat your fill of pancakes and other classic greasy spoon grub, and you’ll definitely be back in the comfort of your own Chicago condo in time to see the celebs walk the Oscar red carpet!

Movies
And finally, what movies should you watch on Hollywood’s biggest weekend? Well, we’d recommend you check out some of the films nominated for Best Picture. Luckily, Chicago is one of the cities where you can watch all 10 nominated movies in a 24 hour marathon this Saturday! The Best Picture Showcase takes place at AMC River East, starts at midnight on Friday and runs until midnight on Saturday. What a way to spend a day!

However, if you’d like to check out just one or two of the honored movies from the comfort of your own Chicago condo, the nominees are:

• Avatar
• A Serious Man
• Up
• District 9
• Inglourious Basterds
• The Blind Side
• An Education
• Precious
• Up in the Air
• The Hurt Locker

No matter how you plan to celebrate the Oscars and this weekend, we hope you have a great time!

Events

Ever seen a rock opera? Well, this weekend you should check out the Apollo Theater and see Baby Wants Candy. The best part is that the script is partially based on audience suggestion, so you never know exactly what will happen during the show!  Tickets are $15, get the details here.

Bring the kids this weekend and have Snow Much Fun at the Children’s Museum at Navy Pier. Children can build fabric snowmen, have pom-pom snowball fights, and skate in your socks on a slippery linoleum rink.

Get in shape, learn the Tango, and have fun while doing it! Tango Chicago is offering 6 classes at various levels for $300.00. Each class is 3 hours and in each class you will learn rhythm, posture and partner communication. Sounds like fun!

Restaurants

Restaurant Week 2010 is not over yet! Save cooking at your luxury condo for another time and choose from more than 165 restaurants are offering three course lunches and dinner menus starting at just $22. Want to see if your favorite restaurant or one you have wanted to try made the list? Check here.

Rockin’ Taco just opened in Lakeview and not only is this restaurant fast but the cooks are using made-from-scratch marinades to prepare the steak and chipotle garlic chicken. Want something to do while you wait? Pick up an electric guitar, bongos or one of the other instruments hanging on the wall and rock out.

Movies

Are you feeling comedy or thriller this weekend? Well, we have both!

If you are looking for something funny, check out Cop Out, starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. With these two, it has to be a good laugh.

As for horror, The Crazies opens this weekend. Here’s the synopsis of the movie: “Unknown toxin turns the peaceful citizens of Ogden Marsh into bloodthirsty lunatics.” Need we say more?

Whatever you decide to do have a fabulous and fun weekend!

But you can warm up and enjoy some time outside of your condo with a comforting meal, especially if you live downtown! What could be better on a cold winter day than gathering with a buddy or two, sitting around a table for a long lunch or dinner and filling yourself with hot, hearty grub? Chicago has a blossoming, cutting edge culinary scene, but that scene was built on what Chicago does best– comfort food. After all, isn’t the Midwest known for good ol’ meat and potatoes?

Here are our favorite places to pick up warm comfort food near downtown Chicago condos:

Heaven on 7: Are you a displaced Southerner, or simply someone who appreciates soul food, sweet tea and “yes ma’ams”? Either way, you should give Heaven on 7 a try on a cold winter day. The southern style fare, heavily influenced by the Cajun cuisine of Louisiana, features gumbo, red beans and rice and jambalaya. The jalapeno corn muffin will warm you up with its spicy flavor, and the variety of Southern-fried dishes will leave any Chicagoan fully satiated.

With a location in the Loop and the Near North Side, there’s plenty of access to warm food and good service for owners of downtown Chicago condos. Heaven on 7 will leave you thinking about rocking chairs on the front porch and a warm Southern breeze… not the wind chill factor!

Pastoral: For the francophile in us all, this European-style deli right off of Michigan Avenue at Lake Street has the very best of gourmet cheese, bread, wine and charcuterie. You can eat in or carry out a fresh sandwich or salad with the best ingredients. The Bocadillo De La Mancha, with serrano ham, manchego cheese and quince, is a delicious play on savory and sweet for any sandwich lover.

Or pick out a variety of your favorite cheese, bread, tapenade, olives and charcuterie (all of which you can sample in the store!), select a bottle of wine or champagne (the staff will help you with pairings!), and take it all back to your Chicago condo. Camp out on the floor in front of your favorite movie and enjoy an indoor picnic. It can take you away to a less snowy zone for a few of your weekend afternoon hours!

The Publican: This award winning West Loop restaurant is particularly geared toward comfort food and creating an inclusive dining experience for its patrons. It has been described as a place where you “just sit back and let the food come to you,” and here, comfort food and drink are king. The menu features “beer cuisine” consisting of oysters, seafood, and pork. The seasonal, American menu is highlighted by the 12 draughts and 75 bottles offered.

This is the kind of restaurant where you won’t be hurried out– so take a few hours, eat casually, drink slowly, and enjoy meeting the people around you in the family-style seating. The Sunday brunches and Sunday dinners are a special event every week and will fill you with a warm, welcoming feeling on the coldest of days.

Perry’s Deli – Perry’s Deli on Franklin Street in the Loop is “the home of delicious sandwiches as big as your head.” Every day of the week has its own special sammy, and each one will leave you feeling as full as Thanksgiving dinner. With a dedicated 3 person staff, there will always be a friendly face serving you, and the signature decor and menu have been the same for over a decade! You always know what you are going to get at Perry’s (a great sandwich!) and you can get it in your most casual attire. So throw on some sweats and walk over to Perry’s from your downtown Chicago condo. Consistency and comfort is the name of the game!

Russian Tea Time – Right across from the Art Institute, slip under the red awning of Russian Tea Time for an old country delight. You can escape winter chills in their large and richly appointed dining room during their afternoon tea service, a traditional high tea with pots of fine tea, scones and sweet and savory small dishes.

Russian Tea Time in Downtown Chicago

Or go for a long lunch or dinner, and order from the menu of hearty and comforting “Russian, Slavic and Jewish classics complemented by upscale dishes of Imperial Russian Courts.” The potato latkes with sour cream and applesauce are a great place to start!

But what will really cure you of the winter chills? Drams of Russian Tea Time’s house-infused vodkas. They’ll teach you how to drink it the Russian way, and even if you aren’t a vodka enthusiast, you’ll have fun learning the Russian tradition that is specifically meant to warm you up but not get you drunk. Their explicit advice: “Repeat the round in 15-20 minutes; slow down when you feel fuzzy, warm, comfortable and your attention span is not at 100%.” Leave it to the Russians to know how to relax on cold day!

So if just thinking about heading outside of your Chicago condo gives you a shiver, use this surefire way to warm up: EAT. Good company, good food and good drink will fill you with warmth during the winter. And you might discover a part of downtown Chicago that you’ve never experienced before!

Events
If you aren’t into football, maybe art is more your thing! This Friday, for one night only, you can attend Now You See It, Now You Don’t at the Flat Iron Arts Building in Wicker Park, where 40 local artists will “unveil murals throughout the building’s hallways and then, at 10 p.m., destroy the work by painting over it.” Or for something more traditional, head to the MCA for the First Friday after-work mixer!

What about some magic? Join necromancer Neil Tobin in Chicago’s most haunted building for a comedic and interactive trip through the city’s paranormal history in the show Supernatural Chicago. Complete with demonstrations!

The Randolph Street Market introduces its first ever Valentine’s Day Market this Saturday and Sunday. Browse vintage antiques, collectibles and indie designer goods from the 1800s to the 1980s with your Valentine, and find something special for your sweetheart!

Restaurants
Wicker Park coffee shop, Filter, just opened in a new, green location. The couches are comfy, and the appliances are energy-saving (even the coffee brewing system!). Stop by for breakfast or brunch!

Karyn’s on Green is now open in Greektown. The Green Street spin off of Karyn’s Cooked and Karyn’s Raw is slightly more upscale, with vegan interpretations of dishes like crab cakes and shepherd’s pie.

Movies
From Paris With Love is out this Friday. See John Travolta reinvent himself again, this time as wildcard U.S. intelligence agent, in this high octane action flick.

Crazy Heart tells the story of a rundown country music star, trying to find his song again. Jeff Bridges has already won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Bad Blake, and T-Bone Burnett created the soundtrack for the film. With soundtracks under his belt like Walk The Line, Cold Mountain, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the movie’s music is already garnering awards, too. Good acting and good music … a killer combo!

We’ll see you out and about in downtown Chicago this weekend, except for during the big game of course! We’ll be glued to the TVs in our Chicago condos for the Super Bowl and it’s hilarious commercials. No matter who wins, we hope you have a great weekend!

Events
Spend the evening enjoying Dueling Pianos featuring Steve Kouba and Dave Roberts who will be playing all your requests starting at 9pm at LuxLounge.

Belushi Birthday Blowout Weekend, Friday and Saturday at Faith and Whiskey, includes $5 Jack Daniels shots and cocktails and live music from The Bluz Brothers Friday at 9pm!

Le Passage is hosting a Haitian benefit on Friday, January 22^nd and January 29^th from 7 – 10pm. All tips given to bartenders within those hours will be donated to the Red Cross, so tip generously.

Restaurants
Be the first to check out Longman & Eagle in Logan Square this weekend! This restaurant (which will also feature hotel rooms in March) was created to be reminiscent of a traditional Chicago Inn, where you can get your coffee in the mornings and grab a pint of beer after a long day.

Longman & Eagle opens this weekend in Chicago.

A new sushi spot, Macku on Clybourn in Lincoln Park, features traditional sushi along with their signature sashimi and nigiri topped with seasonal toppings.

Movies
Brendan Fraser is back on big screen next to Harrison Ford in Extraordinary Measures, a passionate drama about a man fighting for the life of his children diagnosed with a fatal disease.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Ashley Judd star in a family comedy about a man sentenced to serve time as the real Tooth Fairy.

Events

Chicago Blues Tour pub crawl goes to eight different blues lounges this Saturday starting at 8:30pm. $45 tickets include live music at each lounge and transportation.

Prefer a brewery tour to a pub crawl?Head to the Goose Island Brewery for their famous tour. You’ll see the entire process, sample six types of beer, and take home a Goose Island glass. The tour is only $5, and you might want to make reservations.

In honor of National Pizza Week, learn how to make stretch artisan dough at La Madia while enjoy wine pairings and receiving a pizza making kit. Impress your friends next time you entertain at your Chicago condo. RSVP to the class here.

Restaurants

Osteria Via Stato in River North is celebrating National Pizza Week with half-price of select pizzas. They will be offering pizza deals through Jan 29^th every day from 2:30 to 4:30pm.

Mmm, it's Pizza Week in Chicago!

Since it is National Pizza Week, why not celebrate even more by enjoying some delicious pizza at State Street Pizza Company? The new restaurant opened its doors this week and is located at State and Kenzie.

Movies

The Book of Eli, starring the amazing Denzel Washington, tells the story of a man hoping to bring the human race redemption, 30 years after a war made the world to a ruined wasteland. If you like post-apocalyptic thrillers, check it out!

Independent film Broken Embraces starring Penélope Cruz takes you on a journey of a woman in love, but in a difficult marriage, in the 50’s.

Well folks, if Pizza Week deals, pub crawls, and blockbusters aren’t enough to get you out of your Chicago condos this weekend, we don’t know what is! But we hope to seeing you out and about in our beautiful city before the snow returns!

Events
This weekend get into the Christmas spirit and come see the tallest tree at the Hancock Center’s Winter Wonderland. Bring the kids because on the weekends, and they can enjoy organized kid’s activities such as face painting, cookie making, and even visits from Santa. Tickets are $15 for adults and kids get in free in December.

This weather predicts this weekend will be a cold one, so why not sled at Soldier Field? Well, not in the stadium but on the southeast side is Soldier Field’s official sledding hill. Even if there is no real snow, if it’s cold enough, the Park District staff ensures good sledding by creating artificial snow when needed.

Skip the crowds on Michigan Avenue and head to Division Street Wicker Park for some boutique Christmas Shopping. Click here to see what shops are participating.

Restaurants/Bars
Most of you probably have that ugly Christmas sweater that you swore you wouldn’t wear again. But for those of you brave enough to put it on just one more time, join some friends in Lakeview this Saturday at 1pm for the Ugly Sweater Pub Crawl.

Friends and family: that’s what is important during the holidays (and all year round, of course), right? Well, inspired by that thought, a new spot in Lincoln Park is called just that, Kith and Kin. The French eatery features “traditions of the season”… doesn’t that sounds warm and cozy?

Movies
Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire all star in Brothers . Looks like a stay-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of movie!

Inspired by a true story, this weekend go see Invictus starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. It’s getting great reviews, and plus Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman are always fantastic.

And of course, enjoy your weekend!

This magnificent building offers an array of amenities for anyone looking to live in eco-friendly luxury. Complete with ten foot ceilings, maple hardwood floors and stone bathrooms, it is a veritable palace for anyone looking for comfort and ease. But, unlike so many Chicago condos, it is also the eco-friendly. Here are some photos of 340 on the Park.

The voting was done by users, online, and the winners were announced and presented their awards at Smartrooms: A Spaces and Views Showroom.

The award is an honor, as 340 on the Park is the first residential building in Chicago that meets the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification. It’s green engineering is new, exciting and could possibly help change the future of condo development.

The team at Magellan Realty thanks the readers of Chicago Agent for supporting our vision, and we hope green engineering becomes a future for Chicago real estate in all sectors.

Events

Pinot Day Chicago Grand Festival is this Saturday from 1 to 5pm. For $50 you and your fellow wine aficionados can choose from over 300 pinot noirs from California, Oregon, Michigan, New Zealand and France complete with specialty food pairings.

Just moved and need to decorate? All this weekend the Merchandise Mart is having a sample sale with up to 75% off furniture, housewares, and more, and a weekend pass is only $10. Get some great ideas for your luxury Chicago condos and townhomes.

Get into the spirit of cooking for the holiday’s with Chef Jonathan Fox as he demonstrates classic and modern Italian cooking techniques. The class is only $35 but you must RSVP.

Restaurants

Do you love a good cupcake? In Uptown The Cupcake Gallery is home to over 30 cupcake creations and specialty drinks such as cream soda, delish coffees, root beer float, Arnold Palmers and raspberry lemonade. Yum!

A new sushi restaurant just opened in River North – Sushi Taiyo. Their sushi menu features spicy stir-fried lobster and roasted rack of lamb with pine nut miso.

Movies

Jim Carrey is the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge in the Disney remake of A Christmas Carol. With the holidays right around the corner it is the perfect choice for the whole family.

Precious, based on the novel Push, is currently playing and it has been getting some nice Oscar buzz.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Events

Love jewelry, gems, and diamonds? The Field Museum has newly renovated the Grainger Hall of Gems featuring more than 700 sparkling objects. Then head over to their new exhibit The Nature of Diamonds and see dazzling diamonds from Cartier, Boucheron, Tiffany & Co. and other big names in the jewelry world.

From November 6^th to December 23^rd See More Shopping presents a pop up market  in the Illinois Center. Merchandise from local vendors will be featured, including Juliet Jewelry, Chic Gems etc., Brynn Capella Handbags, Objets d’ Envy, Phizza’z Designs and Susanne Segal Designs.

Having family visit you at your Chicago condo this holiday season, and want to knock their socks off with your culinary prowess? Invite Chef Kristine Subido to demonstrate a four course meal – you will learn how to stuff and roast a turkey and much much more. It’s $60 per person, $110 per couple, and includes wine pairings.

Restaurants

New spot in Streeterville The Atrium Wine Bar, come for an evening and enjoy cheese, bread, and select wines.

Leave your Chicago condo for the evening and head to Bucktown for Lokal,  a new restaurant and lounge that features European style with a menu best for sharing “bites”.

Movies

The Fourth Kind opens this Friday – it is a sci-fi thriller based on alien abduction, and could be one of the scariest alien movie to come out in years.

Calling all MJ fans – if you haven’t seen it yet this weekend might be your last chance to see Michael Jackson’s This Is It.

Have an amazing weekend!