Time Out Chicago; Issue 217 : Apr 23–29, 2009

I wrote a few pieces for Time Out Chicago's recent "DIY issue," including an article about making your own deodorant (so cheap!) and another about teaching myself to sing that actually inspired me to start voice lessons at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

Time Out Chicago; Issue 209; Features; Polish drinking

....Also for the TOC Polish issue, I co-wrote an article on how to drink Polish. Nadrowie!

Time Out Chicago; Issue 209; Features; Polish-American essay

For Time Out Chicago's "Polish Issue," I wrote articles about growing up Polish-American in Chi-town and old-school versus new-school Polish Chicago.

Time Out Chicago; Issue 209; Features

I pitched a "Polish Issue" of Time Out Chicago that was published last week. In cahoots with that, I posted this at the Time Out Chicago blog: "TOC's Polish Roots are Showing"

Time Out Chicago; Issue 206; Feb 5, 2009

In Chicago, wintertime spa visits are crucial. For Time Out Chicago's Spas issue, I got to enjoy spa treatments and write about Lisette Paez, maestro nail-technician at the Four Seasons, plus spa-etiquette, and DIY spa treatments.

Time Out Chicago; Issue 206; Feb 5; Travel

In celebration of Abe Lincoln's 200th birthday, I spent a weekend in Springfield, Illinois, and wrote about it. Now, I never need to go back to Springfield, Illinois. Whew.

Time Out Chicago; Blog post; Jan 12, 2009, New Wave Coffee

I'm thrilled to have a new coffee shop in my 'hood, and posted about it on the TOC blog.

Time Out Chicago; Issue 201; Jan 1, 2009; Travel

Birmingham, Alabama: it's prettier and hipper than you thought. Here's my travel essay about what to do during a weekend trip to the Magic City.

Obama in Grant Park

I attended the historic Obama rally in Grant Park last week and wrote a TOC blog post about it the next morning. (Mine is the last-and longest-post).

Joe Pug at Hideout

A TOC blog post about a Joe Pug show at the Hideout.

Glossed and Found event

A TOC blog post about a beauty event I attended in the South Loop.

Time Out Chicago; Issue 178; July 24, Street Art

Features article about street artists: "Concrete canvas"
Features article; a street art tour: "Going, going, gone"
Features article; gang signs vs. street art: "Writing on the wall."

Literary lunch with Stuart Dybek

A TOC blog post about a lunchtime program hosted by Stuart Dybek at the Chicago Cultural Center.

Time Out Chicago; April 2008, Food and Drink

Two new restaurant reviews for Time Out Chicago, below.

Crepes Cafe
410 S Clark St
Loop/West Loop, Chicago | Map

312-341-1313

El: Blue, Brown, Orange, Pink, Purple (rush hrs) to LaSalle | Directions
Description
Those who crave the stuff of San Francisco crêpe stands can find a suitable substitute until their next Bay trip at this cheerful Loop café. The $7–$12 price point may seem stiff for a little French pancake, but savories (mushroom, beef Stroganoff) come with salads and desserts are a la mode. Plus, while the namesake crepes may be thicker than the lacy-edged ideal, they’re jam-packed with fillings, the best of which include a seafood-studded frutti di mare option. Hours--Lunch (Mon–Fri).

Papa Smiles
This charming south side ice cream parlor/candy shop is owned and managed by “Papa” Ron Kozak, whose mother ran a beauty shop in the building. The quaint decor—an old-fashioned soda fountain, jukebox, and walls plastered with historical photos of the 'hood—hearkens back to a simpler time. We recommend the generous portions of Homers & Hershey ice cream (especially pistachio), Papa’s greasily delicious chili- and corn-dogs and housemade taffy apples (peanut, pecan, walnut). Eat outside on benches or at antique tables loaded with games for the rugrats.
6955 W Archer Ave between Newland and Sayre Aves (773-788-0388). El: Orange to 62H Archer bus. Bus: 62H. Lunch, dinner: 12-9pm daily during late March through November (weather permitting). Average item: $3.

Time Out Chicago; Issue 163 : Apr 10–16, 2008

Time Out Chicago / Issue 163 : Apr 10–16, 2008

The scene

Hillary Clinton at the Civic Center in Hammond, Indiana, March 28, 2:32pm By Gretchen Kalwinski

Borderline state Most of Indiana votes Republican, but Northwest Indiana (a rust-belt region that calls itself a Chicago ’burb) is populated with blue collars and union Democrats. Due to the state’s increasingly important May 6 primary, Hillary Clinton planned a Gary, Indiana, stop; but after Gary Mayor Rudy Clay endorsed Obama, she rerouted her Hoosier Economy Tour to Hammond, mere miles from Obama’s South Side base. Bobby Kennedy was the last presidential candidate to visit Hammond, so thousands turned out with signage: NWI IS CLINTON COUNTRY and 2 FOR 1: HILLARY AND BILL: KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE. Undeterred by Clinton’s posse being two hours late, the crowd ate concession-stand hot dogs and politely endured a high-school chorus’s Beatles/ Footloose medley during the wait. Clinton’s talk was crowd-appropriate: “It was from Northwest Indiana that so much of the steel came from that built this country;” “My campaign is about jobs, jobs, jobs.” She invoked Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, rumored to be her potential VP, and Bush-bashed—“Won’t you be happy to see him walking out of the White House?”—while the crowd cheered wildly. One sign-holding mom scolded her daughter when she slumped back in her chair, saying, “This is history: Stand up!”

Time Out Chicago; Features; Polish bars

Time Out Chicago / Issue 157 : Feb 28–Mar 5, 2008

Global drinking | Poland

Warsaw packed: Vodka abounds as do bottles of Zywiec and Okocim. Na zdrowie!

By Gretchen Kalwinski

POLE POSITION Martini Club’s cold vodka and hot bartenders may make you a little lightheaded.

PHOTO: MIREYA ACIERTO

The Polish party spot Martini Club (4933 N Milwaukee Ave, 773-202-9444) nestles in the blue collar ’hood of Jefferson Park, but it’s attempting to draw an upscale, clubby crowd. Exhibit A: swank decor like gilded mirrors, a translucent bar lit up underneath by red lights, a DJ area near the front window, glowing red candles, leather booths, exposed brick, disco balls and laser lights. In a city that abounds with Polish shot-and-beer joints, this bar reaches out to those whose names may not end in ski while still retaining its Polish roots.

As is the custom for any Polish bar, the place is stocked with impossibly good-looking female bartenders (who understand just enough English to chat with non-Poles). Before 9pm, the joint’s littered with men buying drinks and watching the bartenders and whatever game is on the TVs; the mood is mellow, and occasionally someone uses the free Wi-Fi to type on his laptop.

Poles are a naturally suspicious people—hey, their country has been invaded a lot —so non-Poles may receive a standoffish reception. But once a drink is ordered and cash is out on the bar, bartenders get chatty and smilingly suggest vodka drinks from their menu. “You been here before?” one minidress-wearing bartender asks a man sporting an outfit and a baseball cap in the Polish flag colors of white and red. “You want me to tell you best drinks on menu?” He does.

Beer drinkers go for bottles of light, crisp Zywiec (ZHIV-yetz), or Okocim (oh-KO-chim) on draft, which tastes “cleaner and sharper” than the bottled stuff, according to one friendly old man who downs the traditional vodka shot before taking a sip of his beer. Another shot option: the gold-colored Krupnik ($3), a honey-lemon vodka infused with herbs. This stuff burns as it travels down the pipes, but many Polish bartenders (and grandmothers) tout it as a cold remedy; “It’ll kill whatever germs you’ve got,” says Mark (Marek in Polish), a first-generation Pole in his fifties whose parents met in a post-WWII relocation camp. He speaks Polish, “but not as well as I used to,” he says.

After a few drinks, Marek loosens up enough to try some Polish on the bartender, so he says “thank you,” “Dziekuje” (jane-KOO-yeh), and clinks glasses with his friend while reciting the traditional Polish toast, “Na zdrowie” (nah STROH-vyeh), which means “to your health.”

Soon there are signs the boisterous birthday party in the back booths threatens to take over the bar—the place is suddenly full of balloons, the TVs change from sports to European music videos and laser lights flash around the bar. “I’m out of here,” Marek says, laughing, and though the bartenders try to press another drink on him, he leaves to make more room for the young Poles, who are toasting, “Sto lat!” (“100 years”), to the birthday girl.

--------------------

Slow burn

Pick up our two favorite Polish vodkas.

PHOTO: SHMURA CAMPBELL

Zubrowka (joov-BROOV-ka), pictured, is an herby-tasting vodka infused with bison grass grown in Poland’s Biaowie forest; there’s a blade of it in each bottle, which gives the stuff a pleasing greenish-yellow color. Poles like to drink it with apple juice or cider. Get it for $4 per glass at My Place on Milwaukee (3394 N Milwaukee Ave, 773-286-4482).

For straight-up great-tasting vodka, go for the sharp, clean, no-aftertaste Wyborowa (veh-bo-ROW-va). It holds its own against Belvedere and Ketel One—but costs substantially less. Grab a 750ml bottle for $12.99 at Foremost Liquors (2300 N Milwaukee Ave, 773-278-9420).

SIMILAR SPOTS

Zakopane (1734 W Division St, 773-486-1559). The same old men have been drinking Polish beer and mid-range vodkas here since time began. Only now there’s an actual bathroom door instead of a sheet, an improvement made sometime in the late ’90s.

Cavalier Inn (735 Gostlin St, Hammond, IN, 219-933-9314). If you’re hitting traffic on the way back from Michiana, exit I-90 for reliable Polish drinks—Zywiec (beer), Zubrowka (bison-grass vodka) and jezynowka (blackberry brandy). Order some pierogi to soak up the booze before heading home.

Karolinka Club (6102 S Central Ave, 773-735-0818). This polka joint serves Tyskie, a popular lager often sweetened with raspberry or strawberry syrup.

Accent Café (700 N River Rd, Mount Prospect, 847-298-2233). On weekends, young Poles here drink the Polish flag shot—cherry juice with vodka.

Time Out Chicago; Issue 154 : February 7, 2008, Dating

Worst Firsts
An overeager cowboy. A man with a broken penis. A guy who gleefully recounts tales of his cocaine arrests. Readers went on terrible first dates with these freak shows so you don’t have to. Illustration by David Opie

• 

  Lonesome cowboy
  I took a ballroom-dancing class in college (long before the Dancing with the Stars craze). The only cute guy in class was also the best dancer, and since I was the best of the ladies—no great compliment, since most of our classmates couldn’t hold a beat to save their lives—we shot each other relieved looks when we occasionally wound up as partners. We didn’t talk much between rumbas, cha-chas and waltzes, but his tall, broad-shouldered physique wasn’t lost on me, nor his chivalrous demeanor, nor his Wranglers and gray T-shirts that fit oh-so-well. And damn, that guy could move his hips. After a particularly invigorating tango in one of the last classes, Brett asked me to dinner. When he walked up to the house that night, my roommates and I were on our screened-in front porch drinking mint juleps. They spotted him first—and their jaws dropped. We were used to grunge guys, and Brett had forgotten to mention that he was an actual cowboy (grew up in Montana; spent summers on a ranch), so his idea of ‘dressing up’ was a tucked-in checked shirt, huge belt buckle, cowboy boots and tight jeans. In 2008 Chicago, that’d be hot, but in 1997 Indiana, it was super embarrassing to be seen with him. We dined at an Irish pub, where my fears were confirmed: He was extra-Christian (I was going through an atheist phase), familycentric (I hated kids) and very sweet (only a bad-boy cowboy would’ve done the trick for me). I never called him back, not even after he left daisies and a sweet card on my porch. But Brett and I will always have tango.—Gretchen, Logan Square

Time Out Chicago; Features; Spas Issue

Time Out Chicago / Issue 155 : February 14, 2008 - February 20, 2008

• The spa issue
• This sunless, freezing weather is giving me a case of the grumps
• 
  
• 

  Meditation bath at Kaya Day Spa
  I had high hopes for this treatment’s ability to boost the serotonin levels that seasonal affective disorder depletes. It promises to “ground the mind and body” and “soak away the cares of the world” with the scents of sandalwood, pine and lavender. I was led into a private room with a huge bathtub, and crawled into the (already drawn) bath with 48 massaging water jets and colored lightbulbs that can be set to coordinate to your preferred mood: blue for serenity, red for creativity, etc. I chose orange (for energy) and I dug the idea until I started thinking I could easily create a similar experience for a lot less money in my own tub by plugging in colored Christmas lights nearby. Also, the sides of the tub were very high and very vertical, which forced me to sit upright—not terribly comfy. But I did emerge from this aromatherapeutic treatment relaxed, if not a tiny bit giddy. 30 minutes for $45.
  — Gretchen Kalwinski

• Acu-energetic therapy at exhale
  Since I’m a SAD sufferer and get lethargic and cranky in winter, any treatment that claims to produce “a sense of wonderful expansiveness and a profound state of peace” has me at hello. When I entered exhale (freezing, pissed at public transit), the staff gave me a robe and chamomile tea while I waited in the quiet room for my acupuncturist. She asked about my food cravings and energy levels; since I complained of insomnia and stress, she told me that my adrenal gland—which helps to regulate stress-managing chemicals—was overtaxed. To fix this, she inserted 15 needles into my forehead, wrists and feet, then pressed vibrating tuning forks to those points to “align my chi.” Outside, a friend waited in a warm car to drive me home. Who cares if it was the tea, quiet room, acupuncture or ride? At the end of the session, I truly felt happier. 60 minutes for $150.
  — Gretchen Kalwinski

Dry skin

• Death Valley’s got nothing on my parched skin
• 
  
• 

  SCRUB A DUB DUB The herbal body wrap at Chicago Male starts with exfoliation—all the better to get moisture into your skin.

  PHOTO: PATRICK SABLAN

  Remineralizing and moisturizing marine algae wrap at Allyu
  Unless I moisturize fiendishly during winter, my legs turn crocodile-esque, so I hoped this wrap would make up for all those times I jumped out of the shower and skipped body lotion. In the treatment room, the aesthetician dry-brushed my body with a rough loofah; applied an alpha-hydroxy and seaweed mixture to “draw out toxins”; and wrapped me in foil while she zapped zits using a “Tesla current” wand (surely Nikola Tesla never imagined his invention would be used for pimple popping, but the painless procedure did result in a clearer complexion). I felt relaxed afterward, sure, but was unconvinced my skin’s moisture level had improved. True, my man noticed my smooth legs, but that was just because I shaved (another thing I don’t usually bother with during winter). 60 minutes for $100.
  — Gretchen Kalwinski

Reflexology massage at the spa at the Four Seasons Hotel
This treatment, basically a fancy foot massage, purports to “enhance circulation and help balance body and mind.” With my general malaise, sleepiness and cold feet this time of year, I’ll take all the balancing I can get. While working on my tootsies, my therapist told me reflexology stems from the idea that every body part has a corresponding point on the feet, and if you activate those pressure points, you’re “working from the inside out” to restore balance. Afterward, I was led to a relaxation room to recline on silk pillows and feast on Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. There’s no question I felt relaxed and had warmer feet; all I want to know is, when can I move in? 25 minutes for $65.
—Gretchen Kalwinski

Time Out Chicago / Issue 149 : Jan 3, 2008, Detox

Detox
The toxic avenger
A stressball attempts to pulverize her poisons with seven days of high-end healing.

By Gretchen Kalwinski

Yeah, yeah—everyone’s busy. But my insane schedule causes me bodily harm. There’s that persistent tension headache and cough. And the fainting episode on the El. And the trouble sleeping. When chest palpitations began, my doc said these symptoms were anxiety related, and suggested slowing down. Great, but who has time? To see if I could get a quick fix, I went hardcore, doing a detox treatment every day of the week. Bonus: These treatments require little effort on my part other than a cobra pose…and an occasional dash to the bathroom.

SUNDAY colon cleanse
After scaring myself silly reading online gut-cleansing forums and viewing photos of toothed intestinal parasites, my adventure begins with Ultimate Cleanse, a series of pills with ingredients such as dandelion that are taken to “release accumulated toxins in the body” and combat “low energy.” User forums say the first day is the most, um, urgent, so I stay home, close to a toilet, and boy am I glad—I visit the loo seven times today. I don’t see any fanged parasites, thank God, and I do feel lighter and more energized by day’s end. Whole Foods (locations citywide, wholefoods.com). $28.95.

MONDAY ear candling
Proponents of this folk-medicine treatment claim it clears gunk from sinuses, so during lunch I visit Elizabeth Adam Salon. While I lie on my side, an aesthetician inserts a conical candle in my ear, lights it and trims the end until the flame is 4 inches from my ear. At the end of the half-hour treatment, she shows me my earwax gob: disgusting. But my congestion doesn’t improve. Next! 845 N Michigan Ave, suite 908E (312-988-9611,elizabethadamsalon.com). $68.

TUESDAY Ionic Foot Bath with Detox Pedicure
At Silken Tent, I put my feet in a tub of water with a noisy black Aquavida “array,” a contraption designed to stimulate glands in the feet, drawing out toxins like aluminum, lead and mercury (which can cause headaches, insomnia and poor mental concentration, respectively). My water turns orange, (other common shades are black and green), but no one in the salon can explain why, and the Aquavida website says the water changes even without your feet due to “chemical interactions.” Hmm, sounds fishy. However, an amazingly detailed pedicure and reflexology treatment follows. I’m so mellow afterward that friends at dinner note my tranquil state. 2300 Chestnut Ave, Glenview (877-774-5536, thesilkentent.com). $105.

WEDNESDAY hot yoga
I’ve done this type of yoga before and know to expect an intense, 105-degree session at Bikram Yoga Chicago. During the sweaty poses, I relish in knowing that hot yoga not only improves strength and flexibility, it also opens pores, energizes the body and releases toxins through sweat. Postworkout, I’m a wet noodle and sleep like a baby. 1344 N Milwaukee Ave, third floor (773-395-9150, bycic.com). $15.

THURSDAY Enercupping therapy with acupuncture
My headache is no longer raging, but I’m still having palpitations. When I say that to my acupuncturist at Ruby Room, she focuses on acupuncture, since she says cupping is more for increasing circulation and “promoting the free flow of qi [vital energy],” while needles “calm the shen [spirit] and unblock stagnation” that causes tension issues like headaches and chest-tightness. She presses warm cups on my back, then painlessly pokes my arms, legs and forehead with needles. Afterward, the palpitations have lessened and the headache is gone. Good thing, since I’ve got a wine party to attend. If only acupuncture could hurl a preemptive strike against my inevitable hangover. 1743–45 W Division St (773-235-2323, rubyroom.com). $150.

FRIDAY ESPA detox body envelopment
Today’s after-work treatment at the luxurious Peninsula Spa is supposed to stimulate the lymphatic system and help purge whatever environmental toxins you carry around (bus exhaust, heavy metals, etc.) First I’m scrubbed with a dry brush, then lathered with a mix of seaweed, clay and ginger. A layer of plastic and hot towels comes next to get me sweating, which helps draw out those toxins. My therapist has magic hands—only problem is the oils she uses to give me an (amazing) scalp massage render my locks greasy, and she says I shouldn’t shampoo till tomorrow to allow the oil to moisturize my scalp. Since I’m now a greaseball, I bail on a gallery opening and opt for bed. I feel so pampered that for once I couldn’t care less about my social obligations—a liberating thought. 108 E Superior St (312-573-6860, chicago.peninsula.com/pch/spa.html). $155.

SATURDAY mind detox
I’m loving my spa lifestyle, but I’m sick of being touched by people I don’t know, and am relieved that today’s treatment involves only me, my apartment and my boyfriend. This detox is a mind-cleanse (prescribed by our Chill Out editor who knows about these things). The idea is: no phones, stereos, TVs or computers, so we proceed with brunch making and newspaper reading, free from white noise. We’re so into kicking it Amish-style that instead of turning lights on at dusk, we light candles, which allows for few activities except taking a walk and smooching by candlelight. We’re so relaxed by bedtime that we vow to repeat this monthly.

POST DETOX, my tension headaches are gone, my chest palpitations have quieted and I’m two pounds lighter. It’s hard to tell which treatment did the most good, but my instincts say the mind detox and acupuncture were the most effective, so I’ll continue with those on occasion. But now I know that my doc was right: Sometimes “balance” can be less about chichi spa treatments and more about simple downtime—and in the end that’s way more satisfying than being manhandled by strangers.

Time Out Chicago; Michael Anthony Salon & Day Spa

Michael Anthony Salon Spa Wicker Park

• Venue: Michael Anthony Salon Spa Wicker Park
• Times: Daily.
• Address: 2038 W Division Damen and Hoyne Sts Bucktown/Wicker Park, Chicago
• Phone: 773-772-0707
• Travel: El: Blue to Division, Red to Division. Bus: 70 Division, 50 Damen.
• Website: michaelanthonyspa.com
• The newest Michael Anthony outpost is luxuriously calm despite its strip-mall location. Downstairs from the hair salon is the tranquil spa (offering massages, facials, hand/foot care), where our bod was treated to a Body Polish, leaving us buffed and baby-smooth, before the Hot Stone Massage got us dozing. (True, our room was somewhat frigid and the masseuse pulled our hair but we’ll chalk that up to newness.) Best of all was the shower-room, complete with jetstreams and fragrant Aveda products galore.