Friday 3/19/2010
MY TIME IN TEXAS!
Every vacation I have ever taken has been to see the sights. Whether a road trip to find some weird and unusual places, a foreign journey to Italy to see ruins, or a trip to Central America, all my travels have been filled with something that I HAVE to do. What I enjoyed so much about Texas was that I made the trip to see a friend. If I happened to see some sights, great! But at the end of the day, the trip was simply about spending quality time with my friend Matt Seagle.
I arrived in San Antonio Texas last Sunday. The whether was rainy, but it was warmer than here so I was thrilled. We went to a restaurant called Rudy’s for lunch, one of Matt’s favorites. Wax paper and paper cartons were our plates, but the food was great; especially the cream corn. Later I was able to see the show Matt performed in for 6 years and meet most of the cast. Then, on the first night, we went to “Cha Chos” for dinner and amazing margaritas.
Later on in the week the weather cleared up very nicely and we were able to do some of the touristy things we’ve been talking about. We saw The Alamo, which was much smaller in person I must say. We then went and had lunch on the river walk, which made for a perfect afternoon. If you ever have a chance to have a “Prickly Pear Margarita” I definitely recommend it, they are incredible. We then took a boat tour of the river walk, all the usual stuff one must do while down there and oh yes, we had more margaritas.
Tuesday night we had an AMAZING dinner at Biga On The Banks. If you are ever in San Antonio I definitely recommend you dine there. I’ve eaten at the Best of The Best in Chicago from Gibson’s to Table 52 and I assure you, Biga On The Banks gives them all a run for their money. The setting could not have been more perfect (a table at the window with a view of the river), the waiter could not have been more attentive, and the food could not have been more delicious. It was an amazing dinner and night that I definitely wouldn’t mind repeating.
Later in the week we went to a bar called Hills and Dales, which was somewhat self-service. You walk up to a refrigerator case, similar to that of the frozen section in a grocery store and you pick out your beer, go to the counter and pay for it. You then take your seat either inside on a picnic bench or outside on a picnic bench. It was definitely interesting, but a very relaxing place that makes you feel at home, no matter how far away from home you may be (ok, a cheesy line I know).
So finally, what you want to know about, BOYSTOWN IN TEXAS! Yes, San Antonio does have a small strip on Main street with a nice handful of bars. The first bar we went to was HEAT . I would compare it to…a mix between Spin and Sidetrack. It was definitely smaller than Sidetrack, but it had a video bar feel, had a nice outdoor section, and was very clean. However, it did have a large dance floor section reminiscent of Spin. The newest gay bar to open up in San Antonio is Sparky’s Pub which is similar to a large Roscoes. I really liked Sparky’s and found it to be very relaxing. The manager, David Sobczak took great care of us the entire night. He actually lived in Milwaukee for a while and remembers coming down to Chicago to visit the bars, especially Sidetrack. If you are ever in San Antonio, definitely check out the gay scene. I highly recommend seeing as many bars as possible, but would say that if you are looking to relax and simply enjoy the evening, Sparky’s Pub is where you want to be.
Another great bar we visited was Thirsty Horse. It is the typical country western bar, with two-step and cowboy hats. They even have two types of music, Country and Western! I even had my ass slapped by a girl, twice! Ahhh, Thirsty Horse, how I miss you ha ha.
Overall I had an amazing time while visiting Matt. His friends were extremely friendly and made me feel right at home. They are the type of people that after talking with them for a few minutes you feel like you’ve known them for years. His parents were very welcoming and definitely know how to cook a great dinner.
Now I am back in Chicago and back to work. While I did enjoy San Antonio, what I enjoyed most was not the town itself, but my time with Matt. It was great to sleep in and wake up with just one question “hmmm, what should I do today?”
Matt is leaving very soon for a job (lead singer) with Carnival Cruises, a job he has dreamed about for years. While I will be sad, not being able to talk to him everyday, I’m very excited he finally has gotten what he has always wanted, his own ship. I know he’ll do a great job on the ship and will love every minute of it. Congratulations Matt, you definitely deserve what you’ve worked so hard for and so much more!
Lastly – SPRING IS ALMOST HERE! It is exciting to see warm whether finally getting here (although it will snow some this weekend). Keep checking ChicagoPride.Com for all the events going on in and around Boystown Chicago as the city slowly starts to heat up!
I arrived in San Antonio Texas last Sunday. The whether was rainy, but it was warmer than here so I was thrilled. We went to a restaurant called Rudy’s for lunch, one of Matt’s favorites. Wax paper and paper cartons were our plates, but the food was great; especially the cream corn. Later I was able to see the show Matt performed in for 6 years and meet most of the cast. Then, on the first night, we went to “Cha Chos” for dinner and amazing margaritas.
Later on in the week the weather cleared up very nicely and we were able to do some of the touristy things we’ve been talking about. We saw The Alamo, which was much smaller in person I must say. We then went and had lunch on the river walk, which made for a perfect afternoon. If you ever have a chance to have a “Prickly Pear Margarita” I definitely recommend it, they are incredible. We then took a boat tour of the river walk, all the usual stuff one must do while down there and oh yes, we had more margaritas.
Tuesday night we had an AMAZING dinner at Biga On The Banks. If you are ever in San Antonio I definitely recommend you dine there. I’ve eaten at the Best of The Best in Chicago from Gibson’s to Table 52 and I assure you, Biga On The Banks gives them all a run for their money. The setting could not have been more perfect (a table at the window with a view of the river), the waiter could not have been more attentive, and the food could not have been more delicious. It was an amazing dinner and night that I definitely wouldn’t mind repeating.
Later in the week we went to a bar called Hills and Dales, which was somewhat self-service. You walk up to a refrigerator case, similar to that of the frozen section in a grocery store and you pick out your beer, go to the counter and pay for it. You then take your seat either inside on a picnic bench or outside on a picnic bench. It was definitely interesting, but a very relaxing place that makes you feel at home, no matter how far away from home you may be (ok, a cheesy line I know).
So finally, what you want to know about, BOYSTOWN IN TEXAS! Yes, San Antonio does have a small strip on Main street with a nice handful of bars. The first bar we went to was HEAT . I would compare it to…a mix between Spin and Sidetrack. It was definitely smaller than Sidetrack, but it had a video bar feel, had a nice outdoor section, and was very clean. However, it did have a large dance floor section reminiscent of Spin. The newest gay bar to open up in San Antonio is Sparky’s Pub which is similar to a large Roscoes. I really liked Sparky’s and found it to be very relaxing. The manager, David Sobczak took great care of us the entire night. He actually lived in Milwaukee for a while and remembers coming down to Chicago to visit the bars, especially Sidetrack. If you are ever in San Antonio, definitely check out the gay scene. I highly recommend seeing as many bars as possible, but would say that if you are looking to relax and simply enjoy the evening, Sparky’s Pub is where you want to be.
Another great bar we visited was Thirsty Horse. It is the typical country western bar, with two-step and cowboy hats. They even have two types of music, Country and Western! I even had my ass slapped by a girl, twice! Ahhh, Thirsty Horse, how I miss you ha ha.
Overall I had an amazing time while visiting Matt. His friends were extremely friendly and made me feel right at home. They are the type of people that after talking with them for a few minutes you feel like you’ve known them for years. His parents were very welcoming and definitely know how to cook a great dinner.
Now I am back in Chicago and back to work. While I did enjoy San Antonio, what I enjoyed most was not the town itself, but my time with Matt. It was great to sleep in and wake up with just one question “hmmm, what should I do today?”
Matt is leaving very soon for a job (lead singer) with Carnival Cruises, a job he has dreamed about for years. While I will be sad, not being able to talk to him everyday, I’m very excited he finally has gotten what he has always wanted, his own ship. I know he’ll do a great job on the ship and will love every minute of it. Congratulations Matt, you definitely deserve what you’ve worked so hard for and so much more!
Lastly – SPRING IS ALMOST HERE! It is exciting to see warm whether finally getting here (although it will snow some this weekend). Keep checking ChicagoPride.Com for all the events going on in and around Boystown Chicago as the city slowly starts to heat up!
Tuesday 3/16/2010
ON THE WAY TO TEXAS
Ok - So I am already back from Texas but typed this at the Airport right before leaving. I had little to no internet access while I was in the Lone Star state, so I am just posting now. Tonight I will have a blog up all about my Texas experience!
Finally it appears that spring is right around the corner! The streets were buzzing with people, many not even wearing coats this past weekend. It was a great sight to see.
Right now I am patiently waiting at Midway airport to board my flight to San Antonio. I’m flying Southwest Airlines for the first time…this should be an interesting experience. The best part of Southwest is that they are typically on-time and worry free, so hopefully this holds true for this flight.
This past week was relatively busy for me with the weather starting to break and people finally starting to look at property again. Wednesday evening I found myself at English with Bill Pritchard for a Vital Bridges event. Both floors of English were packed and it was a great turn out. I was able to meet some new people that night, but mostly was just happy to have an excuse NOT to have late appointments.
Thursday I was planning to go to Scarlet but instead had dinner at Halsted’s with Michael and met Advisor Edward at “ Sidetrack. Sidetrack wasn’t too crowded that night which was nice. We had seats right by the window so we could talk and people watch.
On Friday my friend Will came into the city with a new friend, Kevin. We started our night at Minibar then moved to Scarlet where it was Alice in Wonderland Night to promote the opening of the movie. The bartenders were really cute in their costumes, check out the photo above of William French and Michael Kosko. Afterwards I grabbed a piece of pizza at Piehole. I always love their pizza but made the mistake of ordering a piece of pizza that celebrated St. Patrick’s day. I’m not sure what was on the pizza and quite frankly I don’t want to know. I’m sticking with my usual pepperoni and sausage next time.
Saturday night I couldn’t drink too much because I had to be where I am now (it is right around 7am). After dinner Michael and I met Bill Pritchard, Michael Kosko, and Advisor Edward at Wang’s for drinks. I left just after midnight (yes I was a good boy) and only had 3 martinis for the night. If you know me, you know this is quite good…yes I’m growing up yay!
So now I wait to board my flight to Texas! I can’t wait to get there, I’m hoping the weather is good. My flight should touch down at or by 10:55am and I will start video blogging (or just regular blogging) my events from Texas. Hopefully the gay scene there is interesting!!!
Finally it appears that spring is right around the corner! The streets were buzzing with people, many not even wearing coats this past weekend. It was a great sight to see.
Right now I am patiently waiting at Midway airport to board my flight to San Antonio. I’m flying Southwest Airlines for the first time…this should be an interesting experience. The best part of Southwest is that they are typically on-time and worry free, so hopefully this holds true for this flight.
This past week was relatively busy for me with the weather starting to break and people finally starting to look at property again. Wednesday evening I found myself at English with Bill Pritchard for a Vital Bridges event. Both floors of English were packed and it was a great turn out. I was able to meet some new people that night, but mostly was just happy to have an excuse NOT to have late appointments.
Thursday I was planning to go to Scarlet but instead had dinner at Halsted’s with Michael and met Advisor Edward at “ Sidetrack. Sidetrack wasn’t too crowded that night which was nice. We had seats right by the window so we could talk and people watch.
On Friday my friend Will came into the city with a new friend, Kevin. We started our night at Minibar then moved to Scarlet where it was Alice in Wonderland Night to promote the opening of the movie. The bartenders were really cute in their costumes, check out the photo above of William French and Michael Kosko. Afterwards I grabbed a piece of pizza at Piehole. I always love their pizza but made the mistake of ordering a piece of pizza that celebrated St. Patrick’s day. I’m not sure what was on the pizza and quite frankly I don’t want to know. I’m sticking with my usual pepperoni and sausage next time.
Saturday night I couldn’t drink too much because I had to be where I am now (it is right around 7am). After dinner Michael and I met Bill Pritchard, Michael Kosko, and Advisor Edward at Wang’s for drinks. I left just after midnight (yes I was a good boy) and only had 3 martinis for the night. If you know me, you know this is quite good…yes I’m growing up yay!
So now I wait to board my flight to Texas! I can’t wait to get there, I’m hoping the weather is good. My flight should touch down at or by 10:55am and I will start video blogging (or just regular blogging) my events from Texas. Hopefully the gay scene there is interesting!!!
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Sunday 2/28/2010
I'm getting older!
So I guess I’m getting old, I just turned 23. Ha Ha, as much as I kid around, I realize that I’m still a “youngin.” My actual birthday was on Friday, however, I didn’t do much. Work kept me rather busy; I bowled in my Friday night league and then just went to sleep.
On Saturday evening I had a small party with friends at my place. I enjoyed having some of my best friends, gay and straight in the same room. I was thrilled that my friend David, who is getting married in June (congrats Dave!) was able to make it in. It has been a while since I have seen him. Overall everyone had a great time and I’m grateful for all those who showed up and very thankful for everyone who brought something. We actually ended up with more liquor after the party than we started with! I also wanted to thank Bill Pritchard for the wonderful toast he gave me, plus the great Birthday gift ;-)
The problem with Birthdays is that they are many times depressing. Not necessarily because we are getting older, but because it is another time stamp that reminds us that time is finite. I’ve always thought I would have accomplished more by this age…but I guess I can simply learn, move on, and hopefully by next year can have had many more accomplishments when February 26th rolls around.
This week I will be swamped with work. Real Estate is finally picking up! However, I should make it out to Frat Night at Scarlet on Thursday. As for other events going on around Boystown Chicago, I strongly encourage you to consider attending the Chicago Takes Off event, benefiting TPAN which is a terrific organization. It takes place this upcoming Saturday March 6th. For more information visit www.ChicagoTakesOff.org
Some of my next blogs will be coming from the wonderful state of TEXAS! I’m very excited to visit my friend Matt in San Antonio and check out the Texas gay scene. I’ll definitely be sure to take tons of photos and have them up on the site while I’m down there. I’m leaving in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday March 7th and should be back in Chicago in the evening of Thursday, the 11th.
Last but not least HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTHONY MEADE! For those of you who do not know, Anthony Meade is one of ChicagoPride.Com’s photographers. If you happen to see him out and about be sure to buy him a birthday drink or shot! Vodka & Diet Coke I believe is his drink of choice – correct me if I’m wrong Anthony!
On Saturday evening I had a small party with friends at my place. I enjoyed having some of my best friends, gay and straight in the same room. I was thrilled that my friend David, who is getting married in June (congrats Dave!) was able to make it in. It has been a while since I have seen him. Overall everyone had a great time and I’m grateful for all those who showed up and very thankful for everyone who brought something. We actually ended up with more liquor after the party than we started with! I also wanted to thank Bill Pritchard for the wonderful toast he gave me, plus the great Birthday gift ;-)
The problem with Birthdays is that they are many times depressing. Not necessarily because we are getting older, but because it is another time stamp that reminds us that time is finite. I’ve always thought I would have accomplished more by this age…but I guess I can simply learn, move on, and hopefully by next year can have had many more accomplishments when February 26th rolls around.
This week I will be swamped with work. Real Estate is finally picking up! However, I should make it out to Frat Night at Scarlet on Thursday. As for other events going on around Boystown Chicago, I strongly encourage you to consider attending the Chicago Takes Off event, benefiting TPAN which is a terrific organization. It takes place this upcoming Saturday March 6th. For more information visit www.ChicagoTakesOff.org
Some of my next blogs will be coming from the wonderful state of TEXAS! I’m very excited to visit my friend Matt in San Antonio and check out the Texas gay scene. I’ll definitely be sure to take tons of photos and have them up on the site while I’m down there. I’m leaving in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday March 7th and should be back in Chicago in the evening of Thursday, the 11th.
Last but not least HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTHONY MEADE! For those of you who do not know, Anthony Meade is one of ChicagoPride.Com’s photographers. If you happen to see him out and about be sure to buy him a birthday drink or shot! Vodka & Diet Coke I believe is his drink of choice – correct me if I’m wrong Anthony!
Tuesday 2/23/2010
RESTAURANT WEEK IN CHICAGO!
For those of you who don’t know what Restaurant week is, it is a week in Chicago when meals can be had at 170 amazing Chicago restaurants for only $22 for lunch or $32 for dinner. Restaurants range from The Chicago Firehouse, Carmine’s to Blackbird and Avec.
You can go online to the CHOOSE CHICAGO website in order to view the list of restaurants that are participating. I checked the list, hoping to find a Boystown restaurant on it; however was saddened not to see a single one! I understand HB is crowded enough as it is and probably honestly does not need the publicity, however, I think it would have been great for the neighborhood.
One of the great things about restaurant week is that it attracts those who currently live in the city and those from the suburbs to try restaurants they may not normally try. I believe that if all Boystown restaurants would have participated; we could have attracted many to our community that are not familiar with it and would have no other reason to explore it. Many would be able to see a different side of Boystown Chicago and experience a side of it they may have never known existed.
So I encourage all restaurants in Boystown to take part in Restaurant Week next year and perhaps we can make our neighborhood that much better!
You can go online to the CHOOSE CHICAGO website in order to view the list of restaurants that are participating. I checked the list, hoping to find a Boystown restaurant on it; however was saddened not to see a single one! I understand HB is crowded enough as it is and probably honestly does not need the publicity, however, I think it would have been great for the neighborhood.
One of the great things about restaurant week is that it attracts those who currently live in the city and those from the suburbs to try restaurants they may not normally try. I believe that if all Boystown restaurants would have participated; we could have attracted many to our community that are not familiar with it and would have no other reason to explore it. Many would be able to see a different side of Boystown Chicago and experience a side of it they may have never known existed.
So I encourage all restaurants in Boystown to take part in Restaurant Week next year and perhaps we can make our neighborhood that much better!
Wednesday 2/17/2010
TEXAS BOY IN CHICAGO
I had an event filled few days last week when one of my good friends, Matt from Texas, came to Chicago to visit. He was scheduled to fly in Wednesday morning, which concerned me because of the bad whether we had on Tuesday. Fortunately everything worked out great and he made it into O’Hare early.
We had a great lunch at the Signature room on Wednesday and then had an amazing dinner at HB (Home Bistro) with Michael and Bill Pritchard. We then made our way over to Sidetrack for some slushy drinks. Our Thursday was filled with typical tourist things; we had lunch at Park Grill, enjoyed some time at the Art Institute, particularly the modern wing, and then walked down Michigan Avenue. Dinner Thursday night was at a place called Honky Tonk BBQ, that’s right, you read correctly, Honky Tonk BBQ located in Pilsen. I never heard of the place myself but my Texan friend Matt insisted on visiting since he heard they have the best BBQ in the country. It actually was great BBQ and I was glad we went. Definitely check it out if you happen to be in the area, they are just west of Racine on 18th street. Later on we went to Minibar until close and then Matt and I headed over to Hyddrate where we saw Anthony Meade of ChicagoPride.Com who kept taking photo after photo after photo. By the way Anthony I am still waiting for those! We ended up closing Hydrate down that night.
Friday was spent introducing Matt to Chicago Style Hot Dogs (keep the jokes aside please) visiting Navy Pier and seeing the new Lightening Thief movie. This type of film is usually not my thing but I really did enjoy it. We had Deep Dish pizza for dinner and then made our way over to Advisor Edwards house for Ben Hartman’s going away party. He will be conducting in the traveling production of Jersey Boy’s and left this past Sunday. Good Luck Ben & Congratulations; you definitely have worked hard and deserve what you’ve achieved! Our night ended at Hyddrate again as usual :). In Boystown that night was Matt's friend Sam. For the Amazing Race Fans out there Sam and his brother Dan just missed taking home $1 million dollars when they finished an impressive SECOND Place last season! I hope you had a great time in Chicago Sam - though it probably wasn't adventurous as your trip around world.
Matt left Saturday afternoon for Texas. It was sad dropping him off at the airport but I’m glad he had a great time and enjoyed Chicago and what Boystown Chicago had to offer. I will be making my way down to visit him in Texas in the coming weeks and look forward to seeing him and exploring the Texas gay scene. That should make for a very interesting blog! I will have my cowboy hat ready!
We had a great lunch at the Signature room on Wednesday and then had an amazing dinner at HB (Home Bistro) with Michael and Bill Pritchard. We then made our way over to Sidetrack for some slushy drinks. Our Thursday was filled with typical tourist things; we had lunch at Park Grill, enjoyed some time at the Art Institute, particularly the modern wing, and then walked down Michigan Avenue. Dinner Thursday night was at a place called Honky Tonk BBQ, that’s right, you read correctly, Honky Tonk BBQ located in Pilsen. I never heard of the place myself but my Texan friend Matt insisted on visiting since he heard they have the best BBQ in the country. It actually was great BBQ and I was glad we went. Definitely check it out if you happen to be in the area, they are just west of Racine on 18th street. Later on we went to Minibar until close and then Matt and I headed over to Hyddrate where we saw Anthony Meade of ChicagoPride.Com who kept taking photo after photo after photo. By the way Anthony I am still waiting for those! We ended up closing Hydrate down that night.
Friday was spent introducing Matt to Chicago Style Hot Dogs (keep the jokes aside please) visiting Navy Pier and seeing the new Lightening Thief movie. This type of film is usually not my thing but I really did enjoy it. We had Deep Dish pizza for dinner and then made our way over to Advisor Edwards house for Ben Hartman’s going away party. He will be conducting in the traveling production of Jersey Boy’s and left this past Sunday. Good Luck Ben & Congratulations; you definitely have worked hard and deserve what you’ve achieved! Our night ended at Hyddrate again as usual :). In Boystown that night was Matt's friend Sam. For the Amazing Race Fans out there Sam and his brother Dan just missed taking home $1 million dollars when they finished an impressive SECOND Place last season! I hope you had a great time in Chicago Sam - though it probably wasn't adventurous as your trip around world.
Matt left Saturday afternoon for Texas. It was sad dropping him off at the airport but I’m glad he had a great time and enjoyed Chicago and what Boystown Chicago had to offer. I will be making my way down to visit him in Texas in the coming weeks and look forward to seeing him and exploring the Texas gay scene. That should make for a very interesting blog! I will have my cowboy hat ready!
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