Chicago Day Three: Cheese, Popcorn and a little bit of Jersey...

Saturday started early with breakfast. Then we caught the bus over to Lincoln Park to check out a farmer's market. When I was researching things to do, I looked for some indoor options, in case the weather was bad. I found the Green City Market and it sounded perfect for us! During the winter months, a local nature museum allows the market to use some space. This allows them to be a year-round market that supports local growers. It is also a non-profit that works very closely with the city of Chicago in developing programs and initiatives for "green" living. Chicago is one of Top Ten Greenest Cities in the US.

Part of their mission is also to connect "green" farmers, chefs and restaurants to the public. One of the ways they do this is through Chef Demonstrations. Just before our trip, I was able to RSVP in time for one of the demos that day. It featured a head chef for a local catering company that only cooks with seasonal and sustainable items. It was really interesting to hear her talk about their practices that make them green and have zero-waste!

The focus this month was everyone's favorite... cheese!!! So, she showed us three recipes involving cheese: Pimento Cheese spread, cheese popcorn and cheese crackers. It was a lot of fun and we got to try everything!

After the demo, we strolled around the market. We sampled everything that was available... cheese, bread, fruit, preserves... The fact that we had to fly home saved us from buying EVERYTHING in sight! It was all so yummy and fresh. I left with only a jar of Peach Vanilla Preserves and Mom took home some cheese.

Then we jumped on the bus and headed to the John Hancock Tower for lunch. We had been told that they offered a buffet that was worth checking out. I had already been on the tour of the observation deck and it didn't really interest Mom, so this was a good compromise. We got to see the view from the 95th floor and eat lunch for the same price as a tour!

After lunch, Mom and I split up for a while. She went to rest in our room and I was on a mission to find a Garrett's Popcorn. I can't explain how absolutely delectable this stuff is... it is not your average popcorn. It was worth the 1 hour round trip bus ride and 30 minutes in line at the store! Yes, 30 minutes. Every single location of Garrets that I have ever passed always has a line practically out the door. They aren't just tourists in that line either- lots of locals, which ought to tell you how good it is! They have what they call the "Garrett Mix" and as weird as it sounds... it is half cheddar and half caramel... oh my, it is SO good! If you are ever in Chicago, find you some! They have been around since 1949 and have even been included in "Oprah's Favorite Things" more than once!!

I got back on the bus with cheddar orange fingers and the sweet taste of caramel on my tongue. I also had a bag or two to bring home. My mission had been accomplished!

After some rest, Mom and I got dressed up for our final night on the town. We were heading to the Theater District for dinner and a musical!

As I was looking for shows playing while we were there, we didn't really find anything that just jumped out at us, but we wanted to go to something! The play we ultimately chose was Jersey Boys. This Tony Award winning musical is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The musical calls the Bank of America Theater home and it was a beautiful place. It was originally called "The Majestic" and opened in 1906 during the Vaudeville days. Harry Houdini performed there many times. It was closed during the Great Depression but reopened in 1945 and has been going strong ever since!

Neither one of were overly-jazzed about the premise of the show, however, we figured that any musical would be fun! Plus, some of their music would be from Mom's childhood. Well, let me just stand corrected... it was AWESOME!!! The play itself moved very quickly and was very entertaining. The casting was brilliant. For those of you that may know of Frankie Valli- he has a very distinct and high-pitched voice, which the actor portraying him NAILED. It was also fun because it was based on a true story so they left you with current updates on all of the members of the group.

The music included so many songs that I recognized and could sing along to!! They were those songs that you hear and say to yourself, "Oh yeah.... I know that one!!" They included "Sherry", "Walk Like A Man", "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Oh What A Night". I understand now why it won a Tony and would highly recommend it to anyone!!

After the show, we caught the bus back to our hotel. The whole way, we both hummed "She - e - e-e-e-e-ry baby. She - e - rry, can you come out tonight?"