1. Put some fire in your belly
Board of Trade workers and downtown law-school students know Manhattan’s as a laid-back bar where you can grab a beer and get seven plays on the jukebox for a buck–not really the kind of snug where you’d expect to find flaming drinks. But co-owner Alex Marini says he started making the cocktails and shots, such as the Blue Lamborghini and Flaming Dr. Pepper, during his days as a bartender in South Florida, and he hasn’t stopped. So drop a single in the jukebox, dial up some tunes from the Strokes’ new CD, “Room on Fire,” and down a Flaming Giraffe shot ($4), a mix of Triple Sec, melon liqueur, vodka, 151-proof rum and, well, fire. 415 S. Dearborn St. 312-957-0460.
2. Schvitzed to be tied
Guys, do you want to get half-naked, hot and sweaty, and feel like a million bucks afterward? Get your mind out of the gutter–we’re talking about the men-only Russian and Turkish Bath, where all dirty thoughts are squelched when faced with a vision of hairy, perspiring old men. Nothing beats the winter blues like an old-fashioned schvitz: Sit in the steam room, jump in the cold pool, sit in the sauna, jump in the cold pool and repeat until limbs feel like pudding for just $22 (plus $3 to rent a locker). A massage is just $25 per half-hour. For now, women are left out in the cold: The former ladies-only European Spa and Turkish Bath next door closed down, but will soon be reopened under the ownership of the Russian and Turkish Bath. 1914 W. Division St. 773-384-9671.
3. Soup, not Sudafed
Feeling a little under the weather? Warm up your bod and unstuff your sinuses with a bowl of quinoa chicken stew at Rodan ($8). This South American interpretation of the classic chicken noodle soup is a giant bowl of rich and salty chicken broth overflowing with shredded chicken, tiny quinoa grains, thin glass noodles, diced tomatoes and slivered onions. A dice of chilies adds kick, and ground walnuts give the dish a bit more oomph. 1530 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-276-7036.
4. Tropical trip
If the brutal weather has you longing for warmer climes, but your bank account says “stay put,” you can still soak up the tropics at the Art Institute’s “Intimate Encounter: Paul Gauguin and the South Pacific.” Post-Impressionist painter Gauguin fled dreary 19th Century Paris to live on “ecstasy, calmness and art” in Tahiti. There, he painted now-iconic works depicting the South Pacific culture. This exhibition of 40 drawings and prints marks the 100-year anniversary of the artist’s death. You’ll see works created during his first trip to Tahiti, his interlude in Paris and his final years in Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands. 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday, Monday, Thursday. Open ’til 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Open ’til 8 p.m. Tuesday. $10 (general admission does not include special exhibitions). Through Sunday. 111 S. Michigan Ave. 312-443-3600.
5. Bend it, shape it, any way you want it
You want heat? How does 2,600 degrees sound? That’s how hot the furnace gets at Chicago Hot Glass, a near West Side glass-working studio space. Enroll in the glass-fusing class this weekend, and you’ll work up a sweat as you learn to cut pieces of glass and then fuse them together to create tiles, jewelry, photo frames and other objects. No previous experience is necessary. 1-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $180 (registration required). 1250 N. Central Park Ave. 773-394-3252.
