My Weekend...

Friday

DJ Mick Boogie

This weekend marked the unofficial end of Summer and I was on a mission to have a wonderful time! Friday night I headed to see one of my favorite DJs, Mick Boogie, at the Griffin Lounge. My girlfriend and I managed to actually get there in time to enjoy the Skyy Vodka sponsored bar, along with free entry. Ummm... why aren't more people taking advantage of this!!! Free drinks + no cover = an instant good time. It's crazy that I slept on this for so long because discovering this at 27 is slightly bittersweet. Sweet  because it's an amazing perk for those who don't mind getting out earlier... bitter because the bulk of my club days are LONG behind me.

Anyways, the "Culture Couture" event was hosted by The Movemakers and while I appreciate organized events that cater to a young, urban professional crowd... I think some club promoters, or just club folks in general, are suffering from a serious case of "god" complex. You aren't giving VIP access to the pearly gates in the sky... You're creating a great atmosphere to allow your patrons to have a nice time and stimulate the economy, while throwing some money in your pockets. Reducing the size of your ego is never a bad thing.

Tip: Take advantage of the hosted bar and free entry by using their weekly "password." The catch? You must sign up for their emails... which can be slightly annoying on a Friday. They seriously send like 6+ emails lol... but again, focus on the free cover and drinks! 

To wrap up our night we headed to Bijan's (a longtime favorite of mine) and enjoyed some tasty late night eats before hitting the sack.

Tip: Bijan's is a more intimately sized eatery so there may be a wait, but where else can you eat perfectly cooked escargot at 3am!

Sunday

After spending my entire Saturday recovering from my Friday night festivities (... because I'm older now and need a full day to recover lol) I headed to Lincoln Park for the much talked about Sunday Brunch at Duffy's Tavern. My girlfriend warned me that we needed to get there by 1030a, but due to a warped weekend Metra schedule we didn't make it until about noon. Wowzers... this place was PACKED! I guess the brunch buffet and bottomless mimosas are enough to make anyone crawl out from their comfy abodes early Sunday morning. The 2 hr wait was a bit painful to say the very least,  but the moment we got our table, some grub, and the drinks flowing, it was an amazeballs time! We seriously danced and drank for HOURS and it felt like a nonstop party. I couldn't do this every weekend, but during the summer this is a must.

Tip: If you plan on checking this place out please do yourself a favor and get there by 1030 at the very latest. Yes, it seems early, but getting a good seat by the food and DJ booth will make it worth your while. Also note that your entire party must be present in order to get seated.

After stumbling out of Duffy's (and a failed attempt at finding Jade Dragon to get spontaneous tattoos and piercings lol), we realized that all the dancing had worked up an additional hunger. Cafe Ba Ba Reeba, another Lincoln Park gem, was our next stop (after a slight detour into Baskin Robbins). I can't even begin to put into words how delicious all of the tapas were that we ate! Yum... I definitely need to visit this place again.

Tip: If you check-in via FourSquare for the first time you get a free pintxos platter (a $9 value). This was delicious and FREE!


Weekend Haunts


Bijan's Bistro
663 N. State St.
Chicago, IL 60654
312-202-1904

Cafe Ba Ba Reeba
2024 Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60614
773-935-5000

Duffy's Tavern
420 1/2 W. Diversey Parkway
Chicago, IL 60614
773-549-9090

Griffin Lounge
324 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60654
312-280-9800