Florence + The Machine: An Ethereal Journey from Bonnaroo to Chicago

I love it when you make arrangements four months prior to the actual event. The event 'sneak' is an added bonus.

So was the case with the Florence + The Machine concert. We had an eclectic crew in tow too, and a nice pre-dinner at Agami. I'll leave it to @phepbu to address that element.

Florence in case you haven't noticed, has been making hay in the music world as of late. She's been at Bonnaroo- the June 10 kick off to her US tour. This lithe and lovely performer, fresh from the rolling fields of TN was truly a pleasure to behold. While she is certainly her own performer- and distinct at that- I'd best describe her as a six corner intersection of Kate Bush, Bjork and Tori Amos. The audience demos reflect that too- suitably alternative yet everyone appeared to have bathed recently. A melange of gays, lesbians who looked like Joan Jet, modish straight girls, contemporary looking more mature women. People watching is one of the added bonuses of live music I think.

I was joined by some of my besties RGO (thanks for organizing!), SG, PH (check out his blog above), CP, and Pauline.  I think they were all as psyched as I, and the show didn't disappoint. It was visual as well as auditory candy. Being held at the Aragon Ballroom- a mish-mash in its own right only enhanced the experience. If you see Florence, you won't soon forget. It is no exaggeration to call her lithe, and the sprite-ish attire (long flowing garment with lots of leg) radiated vertical presence. The cycle of celestial themed scenery bespoke an other-wordly experience. Was this a transformative experience?

Finally, not to turn this into an anti-Ticketmaster screed, but was it necessary for this venue to use them? Ticketmaster is heavy handed with concert goers in the way Stalin was with peasants. Why do they nee to charge to print tickets at home? Really? Because they didn't do that five or so years ago. I mean what does that cost them? Ticketmaster, along with airlines and conspiracy theorists persist in spite of themselves. Ostensibly they shouldn't exist, as common sense would dictate otherwise. But then again, who is worse? Because we all paid to print our tickets at home. Note to Flo- you are talented enough to not need Ticketmaster!

Bottom line, see Flo. If you can feasibly avoid Ticketmaster- bonus for you.

Mercat on Tuesday

It was a very cold evening, this past Tuesday. So it seemed opportune to stay inside an enjoy a grand meal. Mercat a la Planxa is the Chicago outpost of the noted Philadelphia chef, Jose Garces. The tapas of the Catalonia region is on display here.

My good friend, SP, and I arrived a few minutes early so we started with a De La Boqueria cocktail. This is Bombay Gin, Pomegranate Liqueur, Sour and Mint. A nice presentation:

From December 2009

Full disclosure, I'd eaten here once previously and we'd arranged for the chef's sampler. Since the others were on their maiden voyage (SP, CP and PH), that seemed the route to go this time too.

From December 2009

So we started with a sort of Catalonian Bruschetta coupled with a Spanish Omlette:

From December 2009

And quickly moved into more robust fare such as bacon wrapped dates:

From December 2009

Shrimp- which went entirely to the vegetarian in the party, SP. I was just happy to see him eat something with protein. Granted this did have a head, so I guess that technically makes it not vegetarian. But I can't imagine why anyone would willingly become a vegetarian, so I'll leave it at that. But it does make for a nice photograph:

From December 2009

We completed the meal with a selection of Spanish cheeses. I love cheese as a desert course. Not much of one for sweets, I enjoy the savoury side of life and these cheeses were a nice touch:

From December 2009

So thinking about our January outing....

Paris is Burning?

I really need to get more aggressive in blog posting. How will I ever develop a following?

Last Thursday I went to Shanghai Terrace with Smelts mates PH and CP. They are what we commonly call 'foodies', and as that label implies have refined palates, and dine well frequently. When PH revealed that he hadn't been to Shanghai, I leapt at the chance to docent.

So following a little swim at HIC we partook of a clear night on terrace:

From September 2009

We stared with a round of cocktails, and quickly settled into our starter course of Wagyu Beef, Kung Pao Scallops and Pike. All solid choices with complementary flavours:

From September 2009

Then on to main courses which we shared. I distinctly enjoyed the Pork Belly and Lake Perch- again all complementary flavours which we paired with a German white of some sort:

From September 2009

Following dinner we were all feeling the effects of the pleasant evening and had the urge to roam over to Nomi in the Park Hyatt. Nomi offers another exceptional experience and features an award winning menu. I am sure PC if he is reading this provide detail. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects of Nomi is the view looking East down Chicago Avenue. With the light fixtures reflecting the buildings have a formidable, muscular yet uniform appearance. Very Chicago:

From September 2009

I am looking forward to making this a monthly outing with P and C, so you'll have to check this space frequently for updates.