Two places in Chicago that you should know about if you ever visit (or are lucky enough to live there).

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar, 301-305 S. Halsted, Chicago, IL 60661, tel: 312/454-0748
www.melicafe.com

Meli’s is located in the Greek district, a little off the beaten path, about a 5 minute cab ride from downtown. This place is small (quaint) with people packed on the inside and busy with people waiting on the outside. Worth the trip, worth the wait.I could have ordered anything on that menu and probably not have been disappointed. How good does this sound?

Brie Omelete, Ham, Asparagus & Mozzarella Frittatas, Stuffed Strawberry French Toast (held together by a layer of marscarpone), Banana & Cocoa-hazelnut Crepe

… this goes on, I’m just listing what I think sounds good.

Of course here’s a picture of what I ate - Feta Scrambler (made with Eggland’s Best organic eggs).

All their marmalade is freshly made from natural ingredients and for sale.

If you don’t order anything with marscarpone, ask for a sample of it. Not too sweet, creamy and mixed with honey.

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar is open daily from 6am to 4pm. Breakfast is served all day and lunch is served after 11am. Kitchen closes at 3pm.

Moving on.

Into the 2nd best bookstore I have ever been in. The first was an American bookstore in Prague, inside a coffee shop and through a narrow hallway back into a tiny room; it was like a hidden treasure of books only the locals knew about about.

Quimby’s had art magazines, books, comics (most of them drawn by hand, some were copied pages stapled together), political materials, poetry books. It’s all the stuff you don’t talk about on the pop-culture mix.

An opinion is not manufactured in a store like this. You’re free to roam.

I could have spent hours in there. Instead I had 20 minutes to browse art magazines and pick out the ones I could possibly use later. And by use, I mean be inspired by… maybe. We’ll see.

Quimby’s Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL 60622, tel. 773/342-0910
www.quimbys.com

My last trip to Chicago I went to The Art Institute of Chicago. What an amazing collection they had. By far one of the best galleries/museums I have been to in the states.

This is very exciting that the AIC has put them on loan to the Kimball.

Do not miss out on seeing Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte. It’s so beautiful when you are in front of it. I will never forget the feeling of seeing this painting for the first time.

Other impressionist artists include Vincent Van Gough, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne and Renoir. A total of 92 pieces will be on display at the Kimball.

This is not to be missed. What a great opportunity to see some of the greatest paintings; this does NOT happen often in North Texas.

“…thanks to an unprecedented and exclusive loan from the Art Institute of Chicago, the Kimbell plays host to 92 of the most celebrated works of the great Impressionist painters. The Art Institute’s Impressionist collection has never before left Chicago in such a large group, and it will be shown only at the Kimbell.

The Impressionists: Master Paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago will be a feast for the eyes more sumptuous than even the great Barnes Collection exhibition, seen at the Kimbell in 1994.”

Kimbell Art Museum
3333 Camp Bowie Boulevard
Fort Worth, Texas 76107-2792
tel: 817/332-8451

Hours:
Closed Mondays.
Tuesdays, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.*
*Open until 8 p.m. through November 2 in honor of “The Impressionists.”
Normal Tuesday hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Fridays, noon–8 p.m.
Saturdays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sundays, noon–5 p.m.

Prices:
Kimball Members: Free
Adults: $16
Seniors age 60 and over: $14
Students w/ ID: $14
Children 6-11: $12

Half-price exhibition admission all day Tuesday, and from 5pm-8pm on Friday.

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