Pinnacle Morning Reader: Smitten

DESTINATION:

“I’m impressed with the people from Chicago. Hollywood is hype, New York is talk, Chicago is work.” –Michael Douglas

Chicago: A Trip Back In Time to the 1980s

The third largest state in the country, Illinois, offers you the foodie experience of a lifetime from Japanese to American (deep dish pizza and Portillo’s was invented here). Everything to quench the palette and tease the taste buds. Its terrain varies across the state from urban to rural. Offering residents and tourists a myriad of fun activities. Amazing shopping outlets, beautiful architecture, and that’s just Chicago. But like a true chameleon, it has gone through countless changes throughout the decade.

A Brief Overview: Chicago was founded in the 1700s by Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable. It was settled because it was the most convenient route that connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. A perfect trading post.

The truth is the Chicago of yesteryear barely resembles the Chicago we know now. Not to mention the tons of stores, attractions and all around community that has changed since the 1980s. This article will focus on the businesses in Old Town that you can visit now that lived through the 80s. So we’re going to take a look at Chicago and specifically the neighborhood that SMITTEN resides.

Chicago is not the capital of Illinois, but it is the primary setting for SMITTEN. As well as the neighborhood, Old Town. Among the old neighborhood, haunts is one restaurant, The Fudge Pot, where River got Cecilia some ice cream cones. Also in the historic Old Town is Zanies Comedy Club.

Old Town is also home to many of Chicago’s older, Victorian-era buildings. Important Old Town Architectural sites to visit are St. Michael’s Church, Henry Gerber House, and Schmidt Metgerri.

A Red Orchid Theatre, offers plays, from the brainchild of a bold, scrappy troupe known for there intense often dark works by resident playwrights Brett Neveu and Craig Wright and others of the same quality.

Twin Anchors Restaurant & Tavern, one of the oldest restaurants in Chicago, boasts barbeque ribs, burgers, wings, and steak. But to prove that this place is always evolving, you can also find Gluten Free Items.

The closest beach is North Avenue Beach. Kayaks, jet-skis, stand up paddle boards, bicycles and lounge chairs are available to rent, and there are daily beach yoga classes.

And no one can mention Old Town without first mentioning Second City. The place where some very legendary Hollywood comediennes originated.

All of these places have withstood the test of time, and all are places that Cecilia and Jay would have been familiar with.

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FOOD & DRINK:

Recipe Credit – EATING ON A DIME

“The best food is in Chicago. There are great restaurants everywhere, from fancy places to burger joints.” –Steve Carell

Easy Quick Chili

It’s true that the restaurants here are to die for. But Jay and Cecilia didn’t have money for such luxuries. So Jay often cooked dinner at home. This chili recipe is so easy to make it should be called the Amazing Chili recipe. With the greatly added caveat that it can be made with or without beans.

In SMITTEN, Jay cooks dinner for Cecilia which she skips for rehearsals, and he ends up having dinner with her sister Contilda and his nephew in law where he serves this meal.

Ingredients

2 LBS Ground Beef or Turkey
2 Cans Kidney Beans
1/2 Small Onion
2 Cans Tomatoes
2 Can Tomato Sauce
4 Tablespoon Chili Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
Garnish With Sour Cream

Instructions

In a large stockpot, brown your ground beef or ground turkey. How much one should use should be indicative of the crowd size.

Add in the 1/2 onion and continue until they are soft. Stir in the chili seasoning, tomatoes, water, and beans. Bring to a boil.

Then turn to low, add the lid and let simmer (stirring occasionally). Simmer for 30 minutes up to an hour to let all the flavors combine.

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Conversation Starters:

In the opening chapters of SMITTEN, Jay introduces the reader to his best friend Stone and how they met.

(He was generally thought to be a quiet man, but loyal; after all Stone had literally saved him from a mugging when he first moved into town.)

In real life, Martin Luther Kings assassination had a drastic effect on Old Town. Where racial division literally split it into two, North Old Town and South Old Town.

So a new guy who just moved into North Old Town, not familiar with the area, might get lost and end up in South Old Town. Where he could have gotten robbed or worse. In this case, Stone coming to his rescue is a pretty big deal. And the bond they forge from it is pretty awesome.

What other types of strife would they have faced as friends?
Do you think they would have stayed friends after the mugging if they weren’t working together?

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