Given the lingering heartbreak imposed by the city’s two major-league baseball teams, I recall something Bill Veeck said: “There are only two seasons — winter and baseball.” Just as there are those who will be able to replace sorrow with buoyant “It is next year!” expectations come next season, so are there some, given the golfers above, who are able to ignore the pains imposed by winter and just go about life as usual.
It is to these people, and those who would like to be like these people, that this special issue of the Magazine is aimed. On the following pages you will find advice on making winter easier by using others to do your chores; getting tips on shopping, drinking, giving unto others and giving unto yourself; and delighting in nearby festivals and retreats. Of course, the Tribune’s critics chime in with recommendations of such fare as caroling at the Bean and the Joffrey Ballet’s production of “Rites of Spring.” e All of this is meant to give you a more satisfying and active few months than those had by the baseball great Rogers Hornsby, who did a short stint with the Cubs and once said, “People ask me what I do in winters when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” — Rick Kogan
1. Team Building
WORK IT ALL OUT WITH A WINTER WORKOUT
— Climb ‘n’ slide
If you really trust your spouse/friend/co-worker, bring ’em to YMCA Camp MacLean, where a climbing tower challenges muscles and wills with zip lines, a scaling wall and rope ladders dangling three stories off the ground. It closes at the end of November, just in time for the opening of Camp MacLean’s toboggan slide, which looms atop a hill and rockets riders out into the crisp white field below. It’s open on Sundays, January through February. For less than five bucks (kids are cheaper or free) you get a rented toboggan, unlimited rides and hot chocolate. Sweet. Cool. And only 90 minutes from the Loop. 31401 Durand Ave. Burlington, Wis., 262-763-7742. campmaclean.com
— Health clubs
Treadmills are always ready and waiting, but local health clubs continuously offer unique programs to keep workouts fresh. They range from the hardcore — Six Pack Attack (xsportfitness.com) — to the delicate — Ballet Body (equinox.com). But none as odd as the Second Wind Rides at Crunch Gym (939 W. North Ave., 312-337-1244, crunch.com), in which cyclists suck on cans of oxygen while they pump the pedals.
— Canoeing
“We have a treasure in our back yard and people don’t realize it,” says Ralph Frese, founder of the Chicagoland Canoe Base, which for the past 21 years has hosted a New Year’s Day float down the Chicago River. Canoes start launching around 8 a.m. — to heck with frigid temps and hangovers — and finish the 6.5-mile paddle in about two hours. Between the start (Willow Road Dam at the Skokie Lagoons) and the finish (Dempster Street Canoe Launch), the river never gets more than waist-deep. And the surrounding woods are usually empty, save for a few deer who puzzle at the hearty souls celebrating the start of the new calendar in this brisk, beautiful fashion. 4019 N. Narragansett Ave., 773-777-1489. chicagolandcanoebase.com
— Indoor sports
When beaches, parks and streets freeze over for five months, active Chicagoans must find indoor alternatives. And while basketball leagues run every night of the week at gyms around the city and suburbs, there are scores of less traditional programs. Chicago Sport and Social Club (chicagosportandsocialclub.com) hosts ping-pong leagues, boxing fitness classes and dance tutorials. Chicago Sports Monster (sportsmonster.net) offers broomball, kickball and hockey. Lawn Lanes (6750 S. Pulaski Rd. 773-582-2525) is one of the local alleys that hosts bowling leagues throughout the winter, including leagues for sight-impaired strikers. If you fall out of shape, don’t blame us. — Chris McNamara
2. Outward Bound
MIDWEST FESTIVALS THAT CELEBRATE THE SEASON
Dutch Winterfest, Holland, Mich.: Western Michigan’s home-away-from-Holland comes alive for three weeks to celebrate the holiday season. European traditions — like the parade of Sinterklaas on his white horse (Dec. 5) and the open-air Kerstmarkt — meld with Western Christmas standards. Nov. 22-Dec. 13. 800-506-1299. holland.org
Old-Fashioned Christmas Celebration, Dowagiac, Mich.: The Victorian town waxes nostalgic with jolly Old-World St. Nick, horse-drawn carriage rides, Yuletide carols and shopkeepers opening their doors to usher in passersby. Nov. 22-23, 269-782-8212. dowagiacchamber.com
Night of Luminaria, Galena: Historic downtown Galena becomes even more picturesque during this special holiday event. The magic happens at dusk, when 5,000 luminarias lining the Galena River are set aglow. Dec. 20. 815-777-9050. galenachamber.com
Winterfest & National Snow Sculpting Competition, Lake Geneva, Wis.: Folks from all over the Midwest gather here on this chilly weekend to watch snow-sculpting teams from as far as Alaska compete for bragging rights and to enjoy such wintry activities as ice skating on Geneva Lake. Feb. 4-8. 800-345-1020. lakegenevawi.com. — Lauren Viera
3. Reach out
PRICELESS GIFTS: TIME AND COMPASSION
— Help save lives
The American Red Cross responds to three to five fires a day where residents are displaced. During the winter, that statistic rises. So does the need for Team Firestopper volunteers, who proactively help to reduce these incidents. Working in teams, they go into apartments and homes to make sure that smoke detectors are installed and working and that fire extinguishers are available. Contact Melissa Cooper, 312-729-6222. chicagoredcross.org
— Cuddle babies
Babies’ thinking and reasoning skills are strengthened when they are held, cuddled and talked to. The Early Childhood Care and Education Program of Children’s Home + Aid cares every day for children from low-income families, and is looking for volunteers to hold, rock and read to the infants. Volunteers must be at least 18, submit to a screening process and be able to commit to regular visits for at least three months at one of four locations: Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, Palatine, Schaumburg or Carpentersville. No feeding, diapering or teaching is required. Contact Sara Norwick, 773-862-5999. snorwick@childrenshomeandaid.org; childrenshomeandaid.org
— Give women and kids a hand
Women in Need Growing Stronger, or WINGS, helps homeless and abused women and children by offering integrated services that meet their needs for shelter, education, guidance and support. WINGS is funded in part by monies raised in their resale shops in Niles, Palatine and Schaumburg. Volunteers are needed, for a few hours or regularly, to help make displays, sort clothing, books and household items, and do administrative work in the retail shop. Contact Beth Renee Lye, 847-577-4668 ext. 2. blye@wingsprogram.com; wingsprogram.com
— Picture this
In the Full Life Program at Glenkirk in Northbrook, people with developmental disabilities learn to participate in all areas of community life through various activities. One of the 17 activities available is a photography class, which meets Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers are needed to help teach disabled adults everything from how to operate a camera to how to properly crop and frame images. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and have some background in photography, either as a hobby or professionally. Contact Erin Collier, 847-291-7495. ecollier@glenkirk.org; glenkirk.org. — Christine Badowski
4. Take some down time
GET AWAY, FOR AN HOUR OR A WEEKEND
— Book nooks
Now don’t tell the world, but the ultimate retreat on a snowy Chicago afternoon, where the hours can be tick-tocked away in reflection, where cushions are plush and the heat is always pumping — actually, a few spots come to mind. The back rooms of 57th Street Books in Hyde Park — way in the back, past the cookbooks and the literary criticism (1301 E. 57th St., 773-684-1300); and the catacomb-ish warrens of its 47-year-old papa, the Seminary Co-op Bookstore. Admittedly, when the grandiose map room of the Newberry Library (60 W. Walton St., 312-255-3520) is available — a place where sound simply does not exist — it might seem odd to suggest a hideaway where the goal is that you spend some cash. But there is reward in the random commerce of Seminary. “We’ve never arranged much in a linear fashion,” said longtime general manager Jack Cella. It’s in the basement of the Chicago Theological Seminary, at 5757 S. University Ave., 773-752-4381.
— Carefree cottages
Sans Souci Euro Inn & Cottages: Our only reservation about this calendar-perfect winter kingdom — itself within the extremely winter-ish kingdom of rural southwest Michigan — is that ever-so-slight possibility you may never be able to leave again. It is 70 miles from Chicago — or nine hours in a blizzard, what with plows blessedly spotty in that part of the world. What is perhaps better known as a tony summer-fall resort, on 50 rolling acres of nature preserve and placid lake, is arguably even more endearing in the dead of winter. It boasts two cottages, two homes and a couple of suites, and each accommodation comes with a wood-burning fireplace. In autumn, foliage hangs low and falls thick; in winter, those same trails become ideal for cross-country skiing. Lake Sans Souci — French for “carefree,” incidentally — doubles as quite the natural skating rink. And there’s always ice fishing. One drawback: You’ll want to write poetry. Rooms start at $165. 19265 S. Lakeside Rd., New Buffalo, Mich. 269-756-3141. sans-souci.com. — Chris Borrelli
5 POT-BOILERS FOR A COLD WINTER’S NIGHT
* Dr. Zhivago, by Boris Pasternak. Love, war, epic sweep. Pour yourself a big mug of hot chocolate and lose yourself in another time and place.
* Queen Lucia, by E.F. Benson. Small-town Edwardian society revolves around Lucia, who rules her subjects with an iron fist.
* The Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. Second in the Oz series and better than the first.
* The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros. Growing up Latina in Chicago. Try the audio version read by the author.
* Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro. Draws you into a re-imagined modern society where science has created something very wrong. — Lilah Lohr
Coffee break
TEQUILA AND ESPRESSO MAKE FOR QUITE A COUPLE OF HOT SHOTS
GINGER HEAT
‘Bar chef’ Adam R. Seger, Nacional 27, Chicago
For each drink:
1 ounce Gran Centenario Anejo Tequila
1 ounce espresso
3/4 ounce ginger syrup (recipe below)
1 ounce lightly whipped cream
1 sprig mint, for garnish
1 slice candied ginger, for garnish
Build this drink in order in a champagne flute [or 4- or 5-ounce highball glass], pouring first the tequila, then the espresso, then the ginger syrup, then topping with the whipped cream. Garnish with a sprig of mint on top of the whipped cream and a slice of candied ginger on the side.
GINGER SYRUP: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water and 1/8 cup sliced fresh ginger in a saucepan. Bring almost to a boil, remove from heat, cool and strain out the ginger. Makes enough for eight drinks.
5. Get into Outsourcing
DELEGATE DUTIES; INCREASE JOY
— Hire a decorator
Teresa Frith and Ann Van Damme, owners of A World Class Concierge Service, Inc., typically earn their money running errands for busy people — everything from dry-cleaning pickup to pet-sitting. But this time of year, they’ll also be stringing clients’ outdoor lights, and buying and decorating their Christmas trees. Clients can specify it all, from the type and height of a Christmas tree to the type of decorations to be used. The service costs $35 an hour plus travel expenses. 773-275-1006. aworldclassconciergeservice.com
— Hire your own chef
Stephanie Podell, owner of Let’s Eat Home!, says her cooking appeals not only to the palate, but also the nostalgia and joy of feeling well taken care of. Podell prepares and delivers a week’s worth of meals to her clients, who can eat them that week or freeze them. Her menu ranges from spa cuisine to hearty stews. Fees range from $180 to $300. 773-882-0752. ezchef.net/letseathome
Classically trained chef Diedra Johnson-Miller, owner of 350 Degrees Chef Services, has cooked for a variety of clients, including celebrities. While her menu is varied, clients aren’t restricted to it. “If they give me a recipe, something their grandmother used to make and they love but just don’t have time to cook anymore, I’ll make it.” Catering is available upon request as are smaller, more intimate dinners. 773-955-0147. 350degrees.net — Christine Badowski
— Hire a restaurant
Takeout tips from Tribune restaurant critic Phil Vettel: You’d be surprised at how many high-end restaurants are into carryout in a big way. Restaurants such as Opera (1301 S. Wabash Ave., 312-461-0161) are happy to provide carryout versions of even complicated dishes such as its Peking Duck presentation ($32), complete with mushu pancakes and duck chow fun noodles.
Carlucci (1801 Butterfield Rd., Downers Grove, 630-512-0990) is an accomplished west suburban Italian restaurant that runs an efficient carryout service. Pasta dishes (such as orrechiette with fennel sausage) cost between $12.95 to 16.95 and easily feed two; flesh out your order with a salad and a couple of side vegetables and you’ve got a feast for three or four at a bargain price.
My favorite carryout place is Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab (60 E. Grand Ave., 312-379-5637) for several reasons. One, I have a wife who adores stone crabs and has a November birthday (when crab claws are in season and plentiful); two, you can leave your car with Joe’s valet, free, while dashing in to pick up your order; and three, Joe’s packs up your order in high-quality containers and doesn’t stint on the lemons or other goodies.
6. Networking
HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE
— Have them over: Our critics’ party-tunes picks
Jazz critic Howard Reich:
Above all, a great party soundtrack requires the sound of the human voice, buoyant one moment, reflective the next. Here are a few sure-fire hits for this chilly time of year.
1. “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” from the CD “Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas.” What could be more uplifting than hearing Ella Fitzgerald swinging freely on Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne’s wintertime classic?
2. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” from the CD “A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra.” The Voice never sounded better, Sinatra’s velvety baritone crooning warmly for the occasion.
3. “Keep Your Hand on the Plow,” from “Mahalia Jackson: Live at Newport, 1958.” The greatest set of pipes in gospel cries out to the heavens before segueing into “The Lord’s Prayer.” Profound.
4. “Jelly Jelly,” from “Count Basie/Billy Eckstine Incorporated.” Every gathering worthy of the name requires at least a taste of the blues, and the velvet-voiced Eckstine provides it, with Basie’s band whinnying in the background.
5. “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” from “Jazz.” One of Tony Bennett’s most galvanic recordings overflows with indelible moments, none more exuberant or hedonistic than this.
Rock critic Greg Kot:
In the dead of winter, my thoughts turn to great vacations I took with my wife and a few good friends to the Pacific Coast of Mexico. I put on the following homemade party mix, and I’m back on the beach.
1. “History Repeating,” Propellerheads: Shirley Bassey vocals sound good even without James Bond.
2. “Dreaming of You,” the Coral: Lift-a-Negra Modelo singalong.
3. “Dy-na-mit-tee,” Ms. Dynamite: Girrrl power, U.K. style.
4. “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby,” Dinah Washington remix by Rae and Christian: Brassy R&B meets house.
5. “Brimful of Asha,” Cornershop: Asian sitars sound good in the midday sun.
6. “Cornman,” Kinky: Mexican rockers make the accordion cool again.
7. “Good Times,” Chic: One of the great bass lines of all time.
8. “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life,” In Deep: Same bass line, different song.
9. “Last Good Day of the Year,” Costeau: The ’90s version of “The Girl from Ipanema.”
10. “Deep Red Bells,” Neko Case: A voice that’s the perfect soundtrack for a Pacific Ocean sunset.
— Take them out
SushiSamba Rio: Every winter Wednesday at 9 p.m., nearly naked Brazilian musicians and dancers will help you forget about frost during Ginza Tropicalia at SushiSamba Rio. Rum will help you forget, too. The show features a raucous live band with samba, tango and merengue dancers. The crowd is welcome to take part. Rum will help you dance, too. And it’s a lot cheaper than airfare to Rio — Ginza Tropicalia is free. 504 N. Wells St., 312-595-2300. sushisamba.com
York Tavern: Celebrate the frozen season with a hike through snow-blanketed Fullersburg Woods (3609 Spring Rd., Oak Brook, dupageforest.com), capped off with a cocktail at the York Tavern (3702 York Rd., Oak Brook, 630-323-5090). A seat by the window affords you a sylvan view of Salt Creek and the historic Graue Mill. — Chris McNamara
7. Marketing
FOR UNIQUE GIFTS, TRY SOME MALL-TERNATIVES
— One-of-a-kind hipster craft markets
What we love about that designation — “One-of-a-kind hipster craft markets” — is the promise of the unique. That said, if you have actually ever been to one, you know we’re talking about a distinct ecosystem, with a fairly predictable mix of charm and quirk. We find this comforting, and ridiculously helpful when organizing our gift-giving lists. For instance, don’t miss the DIY Trunk Show in Wicker Park (of course) on Nov. 22, now in its sixth year. The organizers are the Chicago Craft Mafia — a camaraderie of eight local crafters — and they’re hosting around 100 local crafters selling everything from cups made from molded baby doll heads to coasters made from sliced rocks. “There are cliches at these things, for sure,” acknowledges co-organizer Cinnamon Cooper — anything silk-screened with a bird print, or bearing an ironic ’50s advertising graphic. But then you get the woman who sells dog toys with Dick Cheney’s face on them. More mainstream is the Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale, now in its third year — and organized by Renegade Handmade, a hipster consignment shop in Wicker Park. It boasts 150 vendors. If you doubt the gift-giving possibilities there, consider this: Buyers from Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters routinely use it as an annual (albeit, hush-hush) talent contest. Both take place at the Pulaski Park Auditorium, 1419 W. Blackhawk. DIY Trunk Show, Nov. 22, diytrunkshow.com; Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale, Dec. 6-7. renegadecraft.com
— Gallery gift shops
For 15 years the Woman Made Gallery on Milwaukee Avenue held a winter craft show. Then this year, they stopped. Thankfully, their inspired gift shop remains open, and it’s packed with acts of holiday-gift-friendly individuality. Better yet, it’s affordable (and accessible). Want to buy your Nana one of those adorable coffee mugs with the ceramic frog at the bottom? Why not spring for a local variation, by Stephanie Marder? They also carry slender vases by Oak Park’s Kristi Sloniger and oh, the most artful wooden pen holder you never thought you wanted. Down the street is the terrific gift shop at Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, with bike-tube bracelets, caps covered in feathers and — for something more practical — outsider biographies and CDs by Daniel Johnston. Woman Made, 685 N. Milwaukee Ave., 312-738-0400; Intuit, 756 N. Milwaukee Ave., 312-243-9088. — Chris Borrelli
— And for something more traditional
The Julmarknad Holiday Festival is a Swedish Christmas market at the Swedish American Museum Center. (Dec. 6-7; $2 museum fee. 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago. 773-728-8111.) And don’t forget the 13th Annual Christkindlmarket Chicago, an open-air, German-style market with handmade ornaments and gifts and plenty of German food and drink. (Runs daily from Nov. 27 through Dec. 24 (the dates as published has been corrected in this text); Free. Daley Plaza, Chicago.)
8. Acquisitions
HOW TO SHOP HAPPY
— Do the Magnificent Mile in style
One of the joys of winter in Chicago is a horse-drawn ride, where the carriage bells compete with the sounds of the big city. It’s the perfect way to chill — in more ways than one — after a day of shopping on the Mag Mile.
Noble Horse Carriages are stationed at the corner of Michigan and Chicago Avenues. And prices start at a frugal $35 for 30 minutes. If you want to make a big impression on your special someone, you can pay extra for pickup at your hotel, home or restaurant. (312-266-7878; noblehorsechicago.com)
To maximize the fun and stay warm, a thermos of something hot and tasty is recommended. One of my favorites is the sublimely simple Ruby Blazer:
*Heat cranberry juice to just before boiling.
*Add kirschwasser (clear cherry brandy) to taste (beware, this stuff packs a wallop).
*Garnish with thinly sliced oranges.
The key to making this a really special outing is dressing for the cold so you’re not miserable. Target (target.com) is my go-to place for well-priced cashmere for that touch of luxe. For warmth, you can’t beat a down coat (Eddie Bauer, eddiebauer.com). And for a fashion statement that won’t break the bank, a cheery pair of bright mittens or fur-lined gloves (Marshalls, Rush and Ontario Streets, 312-280-7506).
Hearty Midwesterners can skip this final tip. But for winter wimps, the greatest pleasure is leaving the frozen hellscape and heading someplace warm. Southwest Airlines (southwest.com) has bargain fares to Florida and Arizona, or check orbitz.com and expedia.com to plan your escape. — Ellen Warren
— Get personal
“I will [shop] anywhere, based on the client and what’s best for them,” vows personal shopper Heather Kenny, whose clients vary from 20-somethings looking for wardrobes for their first job to international tourists who want clothing from local designers. Kenny’s goal is to help her clients get more out of their wardrobe and learn how to shop effectively.
“I am looking for the best deal and I tell clients that it is not always based on the price tag,” Kenny says. Typically, Kenny will first meet with the client for a consultation, which includes going through the client’s closet and creating a budget. Kenny then sets up a shopping trip and shops with the client. Her services begin at $350, plus a consultation fee of between $125 and $175. She also can shop alone, for $110 an hour. (773-898-3131; heatherkenny.com)
Personal shopper Julie Watson says her job is all about “teaching people how to create a wardrobe versus buying a bunch of stuff.” She likes to work one-on-one with clients, especially those who find shopping overwhelming and fashion intimidating. Before meeting with a client, she has them complete a profile: “It’s like a personalized focus group of one.”
Watson creates a shopping strategy and team-shops with the client in four-hour blocks. The cost for her services begins at $450. (312-890-9084; juliewatsonstyle.com) — Christine Badowski
9. DRESS CODE
ANSWERING THE CALL OF THE WILD ARE FUR, SHEARLING AND OVERSIZE KNITS THAT WILL KEEP ANY MOUNTAIN MAN OR CITY DUDE WARM THIS SEASON
Belstaff
D SQUARED 2
D & G
10. Health care benefits
AN INTENSE MASSAGE, A RESTORATIVE MEAL — JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
Here’s the equation: Holidays + Busy Schedules = Stress. Stress + Chunk o’ Money = Massage. Massage + Tasty Food = Rejuvenation. Now that you understand the math portion of this story, it’s time to check out a few pairings of spa and edible delights that should banish the winter blahs and replace them with the proper holiday spirit.
Thai Body Work + Siam’s House: For those with winter aches and pains, Thai massage could be your best antidote. The massage itself has been called “lazy man’s yoga” because it is done in loose, yoga-like clothes and is more a series of assisted stretches than a traditional massage. At Thai Body Work (537 Custer Ave., Suite 3, Evanston, 847-869-1861, thaibodywork.com), the massage is performed on a floor mat over 90 minutes, accompanied by soothing Eastern music. It costs $120. Those with tension and pain will want to add hot herbal Thai compresses — full of kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lemongrass and ginger — to the treatment. These steamed herbal balls packed into cotton are used to draw out pain and act as anti-inflammatories. Not only did I feel my minor back pain go away after my visit, but I fell into three rejuvenating naps that left me energized after it was over.
I was also hungry, though. If you’re like me, those Thai herbs will leave you hankering for some food with similar spices. A traditional Thai soup for colds (and just a tasty meal) is tom yum, using a citrusy, spicy broth full of all the same herbs as in the compress. We like it at Siam’s House (7742 N. Milwaukee Ave., Niles, 847-967-2390). There you should also try the catfish fritter salad, the incendiary pork laab, Northern-style sausage and the roast duck. Eat most of these with lettuce leaves and sticky rice using your hands and let the Thai herbs and spices work their magic on you.
The Four Seasons Hotel + chocolate martini: If money is no object and you want to feel good enough to eat, you might want to indulge in the Four Seasons Hotel’s Chocolate Decadence Package. For the holiday season (starting on Nov. 21), the hotel’s spa will offer the three-hour experience, which combines a chocolate-chip mint sugar scrub with a Swiss chocolate and caramel wrapping, then ends with a deep chocolate massage.
What should you eat afterward? That’s simple: The spa treatments finish up with a chocolate martini and chocolate truffles served in the spa’s tranquil Relaxation Lounge. It’s all yours for $300. The Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel, 8th and 9th floors, 120 E. Delaware Pl.; 312-649-2340.
Paradise Sauna + So Dong Gong Tofu restaurant: As Korean spas go, Paradise Sauna is kind of a blast from the past: One Korean diplomat tells me it reminds him of Seoul in the ’70s. But there’s something reassuring about the small neighborhood operation, where $18 still gets you all-day admission to steam, sit in the sauna and dip in and out of the hot and cold pools. If you want one of the jim jil bang ladies to scrub away your dead skin ($30 for 30 minutes), just make an appointment. (2910 W. Montrose Ave., 773-588-3304).
After hours of steaming, sauna-ing, scrubbing and soaking, I like to head over to So Dong Gong Tofu restaurant (3307 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.; 773-539-8377), where the house specialty is tofu soup in eight variations (among them miso, kimchi, pork and ginseng). The soup arrives still boiling in ceramic bowls. It’s so boiling, in fact, that every diner cracks a raw egg into it and lets it poach in the bowl — unless you want to stir it around. Take your time eating it between bites of little salads and rice and feel the rejuvenation begin. — Monica Eng
11. Great child care
ALL THE JOY, WITHOUT THE JOYSTICKS
McCook Athletic & Exposition Center: Who says summer sports for kids have to end when summer does? Not the folks at the McCook Athletic & Exposition Center, who host soccer leagues during snowstorms and batting practice during blizzards at their massive new indoor-sports complex. Join a league, rent a field or host a birthday party at the largest fieldhouse setup in the suburbs, complete with bleachers for parents and (artificial) grass and real-dirt pitching mounds for kids. 4750 S. Vernon Ave., McCook, 708-485-9900. max-mccook.com
Judy Istock Butterfly Haven: It’s a greenhouse, after all, so the temperature and humidity within this butterfly haven in the Peggy Notebaert
Nature Museum will warm the body. And the winged residents — blue morphos and banded tigers, chocolate pansies and white lady swallowtails — will warm the soul and remind visitors with each colorful lilt that winter won’t last forever. 2430 N. Cannon Drive, 773-755-5100. naturemuseum.org
The Morton Arboretum: Trees look beautiful in white coats. Bundle up your little ones in their coats and trek out to Lisle for the Morton Arboretum’s Winter Wonderland, a 4-month-long party amid the pines beginning this month. There’s a Holiday Railroad chugging along 500 feet of track, Cool Kids Nature Hikes through the Children’s Garden, gnome hunts and snowman seminars in addition to heated trolley rides through the pristine grounds. Interstate Highway 88 and Illinois Highway 53, Lisle, 630-968-0074. mortonarb.org
Holiday Sports Festival: There’s a game for every kid at the Holiday Sports Festival held at McCormick Place from Dec. 27 – 29. Children are invited indoors to bounce on trampolines, climb rock walls, fish ponds and learn kickboxing moves. Register ahead of time for volleyball, floor hockey and ping-pong tournaments at cityofchicago.org/specialevents. 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr., 312-791-7500. — Chris McNamara
12. Get a consultant
THROUGH SONG, STAGE AND SCREEN, OUR CRITICS OFFER WAYS TO CHASE THE WINTER BLUES
Lift your voices
MUSIC CRITIC: JOHN VON RHEIN
Nothing stirs me from my Scrooge-like state more quickly than listening to a hearty round of Christmas carols sung by a good choir. You can do just that every Friday evening throughout the holiday season when one of downtown Chicago’s happiest traditions, Caroling at Cloud Gate, returns to Millennium Park. There, with candlelight reflecting off the surface of the “Bean,” a different Chicago chorus each week will perform traditional seasonal fare. The best part? You get to flex your pipes right along with them. 6-7 p.m. Nov. 28 to Dec. 19. millenniumpark.org
A lakeside lunch
ARCHITECTURE CRITIC: BLAIR KAMIN
I suggest that you head out to the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, where the wind off Lake Michigan will chill your bones and knife into your face. Please don’t turn the page. The actual destination I have in mind is a greenhouse of sorts. Its marvelous views will warm your spirit. It’s the Planetarium’s eatery, Galileo’s Cafe, which nestles beneath the building’s handsome, angled roof of steel and glass. I love to sit there on a sunny winter day as steam rises off the frozen lake. The view is fabulous, whether you’re looking at skyscrapers or the vast expanse of the lake. The food’s good, but not expensive. Best of all, you don’t have to pay a museum admission fee to get in.
Ire and brimstone
THEATER CRITIC: CHRIS JONES
A good Chicago winter puts you in mind of hell. Find the right God-forsaken street and sub-zero wind chill and you feel like the Devil himself has come up behind you and put his fingers around your throat. Sure, you could run to Florida. Or you can stare the Devil in the face at the Steppenwolf Theatre. I’m speaking of Conor McPherson’s Devil, the one who shows up late one Christmas Eve and starts playing poker in an Irish living room. McPherson’s “The Seafarer” isn’t some campy melodrama. On the contrary, it’s a darkly funny play with deathly serious themes that define hell not as the usual fire-and-brimstone grotto, but as the ultimate embodiment of loneliness and self-loathing. When I saw the play on Broadway last winter, I thought it was far and away the best work to date of a man I consider Ireland’s leading contemporary playwright. It is a stunning piece. And I can’t wait for the Steppenwolf ensemble to get its teeth around this one. Francis Guinan. Tom Irwin. Alan Wilder. And John Mahoney. Bring on the torment. Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago, 312-335-1650. steppenwolf.org
Warm and fleecy
CULTURAL CRITIC: JULIA KELLER
Don’t tell me about the winds. Tell me about the words. When winter descends, I make a quick grab for those catalogs of foul-weather gear that always pile up in the mailbox, from Woolrich to L.L. Bean to Lands’ End to Eddie Bauer to The Territory Ahead. And then I hunker down in a big chair and savor the vivid language. It’s not the products I adore. It’s the delectable descriptions of those products. Oh, the rapturous adjectives! Words such as “rugged” and “tough” and “insulating.” Phrases such as “moisture-wicking” and “sink-your-fingers-in soft.” That last phrase comes from the Duluth Trading Co. in Belleville, Wis., my absolute favorite. You can keep your trashy novels. Give me “thermal polyester” and “triple-stitched seams” any old day.
Think spring
ART CRITIC: ALAN G. ARTNER
“Le Sacre du Printemps” (“The Rite of Spring”) is one of the highest points in the history of primitivism and modern art. Its combination of music (Igor Stravinsky), choreography (Vaslav Nijinsky), sets and costumes (Nicholas Roerich) literally caused a riot at the premiere in Paris, giving Ballets Russes impresario Serge Diaghilev just the kind of scandal he said he wanted. The music, of course, became a classic. From Feb. 18 to March 12, 2009, the Joffrey Ballet will begin its centennial celebration of the founding of the Ballets Russes with the Millicent Hodson reconstruction of “Le Sacre” that brings us closer than any other version to the 1913 original, which is truly a landmark of all art in the 20th Century. joffrey.com
Believe in ‘Miracle’
FILM CRITIC: MICHAEL PHILLIPS
Along with the screen debut of the great Thelma Ritter, “Miracle on 34th Street”offered 1947 audiences the adorability duel fought, in the nicest way, by Edmund Gwenn as the midtown Manhattan Macy’s employee who claims to be the real Santa, and Natalie Wood as the disbelieving tot. Every year, the fine old Portage Theater in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood puts on a holiday bash built around a seasonal picture. This year’s is “Miracle.” There’ll be carolers in the lobby, Jay Warren at the organ leading a singalong, the DeMaira Dancers and a visit from Mr. Claus himself. Last year, says Portage managing director Dennis Wolkowicz, the show went on without Santa. “Shame on us!” he said. “This year he’ll be back, by popular demand.” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave.; $10 admission; 773-736-4050. portagetheater.org
