“Picasso & Chicago” opens at the Art Institute

Pablo Picasso and the city of Chicago have a very interesting relationship – especially considering that the prolific artist not only never entered the city, he never even came to the United States. Yet Picasso is a big part of city life for many of us who live and work here, who visit this city on vacation or business, who enjoy the vibrancy of our contemporary urban landscape.

We also take his influence on Chicago for granted. We pass the Chicago Picasso in Daley Plaza and think very little of it. We enjoy a lot of public art in this city, and may not realize how important Picasso was to making all those installations possible. We don’t always consider how much the spirit of Picasso – and modern art in general – informs and influences our architecture, our outdoor spaces and our urban existence.

Chicago Auto Show begins tomorrow!

 

I happen to be one of those people who knows nothing about cars except how to drive one and follow road rules. I’m pretty sure the last time I went to Jiffy Lube they cheated me because they realized how clueless I was. But despite my utter lack of knowledge about anything on four wheels, I rather enjoy the Chicago Auto Show – if only because everything there is so beautiful and shiny, and it makes you think your life could be that way too.

In any case, the Chicago Auto Show is lots of fun for families, so here’s a selection of photos from today’s media preview. Just be thankful I didn’t include ALL the VW Beetle pictures I took.

Hofbräuhaus offering lively German atmosphere and microbrews in Rosemont

Recently I toured the latest addition to MB Financial Park at Rosemont, the Hofbräuhaus. This large-scale restaurant is part of a development that now includes Kings Lanes, Lounge & Sports; Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill; Five Roses Pub; Adobe Gila’s Margarita Fajita Cantina; and (at the moment, anyway) a skating rink that you can see as you travel by on I-294.

But the Hofbräuhaus is a bit special, if only because it’s one of just four official locations of the brand. Yes, THAT brand. The Hofbräuhaus you know from Munich, Germany and Oktoberfest – a beer hall tradition that’s older than this entire country. (The other U.S.-based restaurants are located in Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, and Newport in Kentucky near Cincinnati.) The original Hofbräuhaus is a state-owned entity created in 1589 to brew a new beer for Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria.