23.15 Holiday Dining

3700 N. Halsted St. #2-SChicago, IL 60613773.975.0264

Editorial: [email protected]: [email protected]

EDITORIALMike Macharello: PublisherRick Karlin: Editor

LAyOuT & DEsIgnTitanium graphics, Inc.

ADvERTIsIngFreddie: [email protected]: [email protected], Rivendell Media: [email protected]

PhOTOgRAPhERsEamonn sexton,Ken Brown, KAB Photography

COvERMitch Rider

EDITORIAL COnTRIBuTORs gregg shapiro, Parker Carrsue Deaunym, Anita Taylor, Michael Elder

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Quote of the week: Happy thoughts bring happy results

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GIFT GUIDELet's Take The B.S.Out of Christmas

By Anita Taylor

The image of holiday shopping while a light snow falls is one planted in our heads by Hollywood. The reality is quite different; the crowds are rude, salespeople are over-worked and under-trained, the snow is big wet and gloppy. Oh, and your fingers and ears are freezing and your nose is running because it’s cold and windy. Still want to go out and face the hordes who have bought into that same image? You just do that! Auntie Anita will sit her sipping her cocoa (liberally spiked with rum) and take care of everything from home or at my neighborhood merchants. I bet I won’t catch a cold from all those people (although the rum may have something to do with that.)

Eli’s Cheesecake Cookbook/Eli’s CheesecakeThe New Eli’s Cheesecake Cookbook is an intimate collection of recipes, stories, and archival and celebrity photographs which peeks inside the legendary kitchens of Eli’s The Place for Steak and the Eli’s Cheesecake Bakery. In addition to recipes from the Chicago food scene icon, you can make it a package deal and includes any Eli’s cheesecake Order from Eli’s website, http://shop.elicheesecake.com/cookbook

Leather 64Ten For more than 45 years Leather 64TEN has offered custom tailored

fashions and accessories. Whether you’re buying for someone fully into the leather scene, sticking their toe in for the first time or just want to butch someone up, you’ll find something for everyone and every budget at Leather

64TEN, such as the Tom of Finland “Motorcycle Duo” Tee ($25.95–$29.95) or a pair of leather pants ($395.95). Available on-line at www.leather64ten.com or at 6410 N. Clark, 773.508.0900. Stop by for the shop’s holiday party on Sunday Dec. 13 for shopping, hors’ douvres, cocktails freebies and a raffle.

Metropolitan Dinners Metropolitan Dinners markets gourmet marinades, dressings, sauces, dips, spreads and pasta made with clean, fresh ingredients that instill flavors that will please even the most discerning palette. Bring your host one of their spreads (cheddar-green onion, pimento, bacon-siracha and chocolate-pecan) or dips (raita, caramelized shallot, white bean- rosemary, smoked cheddar -beer dip, Asian black bean and blue cheese) and you’re sure to be a welcome guest. Best of all the dips and spreads are only $5.95 each. Available at Lakeview Kitchen & Market, 3109 N. Broadway, 872.802.4870. Online at www.metropolitandinners.com.

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CramCram Fashion is Lakeview’s destination boutique for menswear by offering designer brands such as Ben Sherman, G-Star Raw, Hudson Jeans, Original Penguin and many more. In addition to casual attire, its men’s underwear lounge offers a variety of athletic, swim and loungewear from Andrew Christian, Pistol Pete, LASC, PUMP and more. From formal to informal, Cram has what you need to upgrade your wardrobe, or help someone upgrade theirs. 3331 N. Broadway. 773.477.1737 or online at www.cramchicago.com.

Viking Ski ShopWhen he says all he needs is a new snowboard, head over to Viking, the full service Chicago ski and snowboard shop, 3422 W. Fullerton. Viking is committed to top-notch service and quality. For nearly 50 years they’ve been known for offering the best in ski and snowboard equipment, apparel and service. Call 773.276.1222 for more information.

Victoria’s SecretFor that special woman in your life – or the man that likes to dress as one. Something from Victoria’s Secret is always welcome. You can shop like Auntie Anita shops; sit and sip half-priced martinis and have a bite to eat, as Kit Kat hosts a Victoria's Secret fashion Show viewing party on Tuesday, Dec. 8. During commercial breaks, Kit Kat's divas will perform as pop stars and Hollywood icons. Ask for Auntie Anita’s favorite cocktail, the VS Angel, made with Pinnacle Citrus Vodka, Domain de Canton Ginger and agave nectar. While everyone can use a good push-up bra, VS offers more than that. How about snuggling up in a soft cotton knit hoodie with side pockets? Orig. $69.50 now on sale for $48 at www.victoriassecret.com.

Auntie Anita suggests you shop local and head over to for “Late Night Andersonville” on Friday, Dec. 4, as the shops stay open later than usual. Or check out the New City area at Halsted and Clybourn. The area is simply awash with shops and restaurants and there’s plenty of parking.

GIFT GUIDE Continued.....

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Holiday DiningBy Rick Karlin

ChrISTMASFairmont Chicago starts the December holiday fever with its second annual “Cookies & Cheer” luxury cookie exchange on Thursday Dec. 3. Enjoy an array of gourmet cookies while sipping wine and mingling with Fairmont Chicago’s culinary staff, then choose three dozen to take with you. The staff will box them up for you to share (or if you’re on the naughty list, keep for yourself.) Tickets are $50 per person, reservations are required.

Michael Jordan’s Steak house, 505 N. Michigan Ave., which will be open on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve and will feature a special menu item; a smoked dry aged prime rib with raclette cheese, stuffed marrow bone and black truffle.

Geja’s Café presents its 36th annual Champagne festival, Dec. 1 through Feb. 29, featuring champagnes and sparkling wines from Roederer Estates. To kick off the three-month-long festival, on Sunday, Dec. 6 there will be a Champagne tasting for $30 per person. The following day Geja’s will feature a four-course dinner with each course paired appropriately with a Louis Roederer wine for $55 per person, which includes wine, dinner, tax, and gratuity.

NEw YEAr’SClub Lucky will hold its 25th annual New Year’s Eve Party this year and will decorate with five thousand helium-filled balloons & streamers. In addition to the regular menu, served throughout the evening, final seating reservations accepted between 9:30 – 10:30 p.m. will be provided with live music, one bottle of Champagne per couple, .hats, noisemakers and streamers for each guest. The final seating is subject to a $25 per person additional charge. Call 773.227.2300 for reservations.

Put a Latin spin on the celebration at El Tapeo, located on the 9th floor of Le Méridien in Oakbrook Center. The restaurant will offer two dinner seatings, each featuring a complimentary glass of sangria or sparkling champagne. Guests who book the second dinner seating will be granted complimentary access to a festive party from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m., featuring live entertainment, party favors, and a midnight toast. The first seating features the menu’s a la carte menu. The second seating will feature a prix-fixe, three-course meal for $85 per person. Geja’s Café will offer reserved at 5, 7:30 and 10 p.m. The meal will feature a four-course fondue dinner complete with cheese fondue appetizer, salad, lobster, shrimp and beef entrée, and flaming chocolate dessert fondue. The evening’s packages also include sparkling wine.

Minibar features a $99 ticketed package which includes premium drinks from 8 p.m.-midnight and a buffet.

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QMUSICBy Gregg Shapiro

Christmas Past and present(s)

There are few pop artists more closely associated with Christmas music than legendary gay crooner Johnny Mathis. Mathis’ 1958 Merry Christmas album,

with heralded arrangements by Percy Faith, is considered by many to be one of the enduring classics of the genre. Since the release of that album, Mathis has continued to record holiday-themed long-players as recently as 2013’s Sending You A Little Christmas, which mainly focused on duets. The musical winter wonder-land of the triple disc 71 track compilation The Complete Christmas Collection 1958-2010 is a gift that genuinely keeps on giving .

Actor and singer Jim Nabors, who came “officially” out in early 2013 when he married his longtime companion after same-sex marriage was legalized in Washington State. As an actor, Nabors was best known for his comedic portrayal of the goofy Gomer Pyle character. But Nabors had a serious side exhibited in his musical recordings and singing career. Nabors, in possession of an imposing baritone, was a serious singer, “with a voice as big as the sea.” Therefore it’s fitting that his rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear?” should be included on the 21-track disc The Complete Columbia Christmas Recordings. The songs are a combination of tunes from his 1967 and 1972 Christmas albums, as well as some selections from his other religious recordings.

The latest version of James Taylor At Christmas, first released in 2006, expands on the original with the addition of two tracks. The first is Taylor’s radiant take on The

Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun,” which features Yo-Yo Ma on cello. The combination of these two talented artists is indeed a gift. “Mon Beau Sapin,” essentially the French version of the traditional “O Tannenbaum” (aka “O Christmas Tree”), is a lovely addition to the collection. The album, which also features a number of songs

which previously appeared on Taylor’s 2004 A Christmas Album, pleasantly strikes a balance between seasonally serious songs

rod Stewart doesn’t mess around on the expanded deluxe edition CD reissue of his 2013 album Merry Christmas, Baby. Sung in the crooner style he has

adopted on most of his 21stcentury releases, Stewart teams up with some interesting duet partners. Modern-day crooning dude Michael Bublé holds his own against Stewart on “Winter Wonderland.” CeeLo Green inspires Stewart to dig deep and unleash his most soulful self on the title cut, while Mary J. Blige brings out Stewart’s more serious side on “We Three Kings.”

Taylor and Stewart were at their creative peaks during the 1970s and made an effort to remain relevant through the 1980s. But as you can hear, the 1980s, represented on The Classic Christmas `80s Album, were something else entirely. New wave, hip-hop, ska, boy bands and divas were the order of the day. New wave acts such as The Waitresses (the `80s classic “Christmas Wrapping,” later covered by Spice Girls), The Bangles (Simon & Garfunkel’s “Hazy Shade of Winter”), The Hooters (“Silent Night”) and gay music legend George Michael’s launching pad Wham! (“Last Christmas”) stand under the new wave banner. The late Whitney Houston (“Do You Hear What I Hear?”) and seventies-survivors-turned-eighties-superstars The Pointer Sister (“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”) have diva territory covered.

Glen Campbell, whose struggle with Alzheimer’s was documented in the outstanding 2014 doc Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me, was one of the music

superstars of the 1960s who was fortunate enough to mount a couple of successful career comebacks, one in the 1970s and later in the early part of the 21st century. The 18-track Campbell compilation, Complete Capitol Christmas Recordings, including his 1968 That Christmas Feeling album, is a reminder of his once remarkable vocal abilities.

Part 1: ClassiCs

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Motor MouthBy Parker Carr

G i f t s f o r G e a r h e a d s

You couldn’t ask for a better pick in the secret Santa than a gearhead. No matter what the budget, you’re sure to find something they’ll like. Let’s go beyond the fuzzy dice and Christmas tree shaped pine air freshener for some creative gift giving.

Stanley Portable Battery Jump-StarterOn those cold winter mornings you sometimes need a jump start…and so does your car. This jump-starter includes a 120-volt AC charger that lets you recharge from a standard household extension cord. With 500 amps of continuous power (and up to 1000 amps of peak power), the Stanley J5C09 Jump Starter can get any car, truck or RV back in service. The 120-psi air compressor will even inflate tires. LED illuminates the entire area, making it easier to work in the early morning darkness. $80, available at numerous locations, including Menards and Home depot

Accutire Digital Pressure GaugeMaintaining the right tire

pressure lengthens tire life, saves fuel and enhances safety. This digital tire pressure gauge is as accurate as much higher-priced models and is easy to use. $30 at Sears.

Car Dial CufflinksWhen your gearhead literally wears their enthusiasm on their sleeve, give them a classy way to show it off with a set of cuff links depicting a gas gauge and a speedometer. Other options from this company include sets of license plates and gear-sticks. $50 at www.notonthehighstreet.com.

Brake Caliper CoastersYou wouldn’t want to throw real brake calipers on your table, but these coasters are beautiful enough that you won’t mind

at all. The industrial design of slotted brake rotors makes this gift as attractive as it is practical. $90 at www.autoartmodels.com/

Leather Driving GlovesTell your gearhead, “Get a grip Mary” and then hand them a beautiful set of leather driving gloves. You can go high end, like this pair from Barney’s for $155, or pick up something at auto supply store.

Auto assembly Plant ToursFor an extra-special treat take you car enthusiast on a tour of an assembly

plant. There are a couple just a few hour’s drive from Chicago; the Harley-Davidson plant in Menomonee Falls (just outside Milwaukee) offers a free tour, go to www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/home/events/factory-tours.html, for more information or call 877.883.1450.

Subaru of Indiana Automotive Lafayette offers a free one-mile walking tour on catwalk above the plant led by an SIA tour director with an in-depth knowledge about every facet of the company. To schedule a tour, go to www.subaru-sia.com or call 765.449.6250. While you’re in Indiana, the RV capital of the world, you can schedule a tour of a number of RV plants. For a complete list check out http://factorytoursusa.com.

For a longer trip check out the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The one mile walking tour allows you to see the chassis and body come together as brand new Corvettes roll off the assembly line. For reservations and information call 270.745.8000 or go to their website at www.corvetteassembly.com.

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Holiday Photos

With the holidays come those parties where everyone seems to be taking photos. If you dread the way you look in pictures, here are a few tips that the pros know to help you look better in those photos.

Posture Is EverythingMake certain that you are standing or sitting erect. Slouching in a chair will make you look fat, sleepy and dumpy. Stand up tall with your shoulders back for the most flattering photos.

work the AnglesTurn your body at a 45-degree angle to the camera, bend the knee that is closest to the camera very slightly and subtly dip your shoulder towards the camera. Move your arms slightly away from your body and bend your elbows. These techniques create a nice curve that slims the body for a photograph.

Dress for SuccessWear clothes that fit. This is good advice in general, but especially important when your are being photographed. Unless you have a BMI of less than 20,

clothes that are too tight make you look fat and will create the appearance of unsightly bulges that may not appear to the naked eye. Clothing that is too loose overwhelms slim people and looks sloppy on heavier people. Clothing should be close-fitting, but not snug.

Stick Your Chin OutThe mistake most people make is lifting their chin up to avoid a double chin. Doing that tips your face up and away from the camera, not the most flattering angel. Push your chin down slightly and jut it forward. This will give you a better jaw line. Always try to be photographed from slightly above, the shadows will also make your jaw more prominent and will slim your neck.

Don't Smile Too BigAside from being unnatural, smiling too big will make your eyes squint, emphasize wrinkles and make your upper lip look thin. Instead, try dropping your lower jaw down a bit. Miss Foozie has this one down to a science. That wide-open gape works for her over the top personality, keep your mouth only about half open.

Come to the LightTry to avoid facing a flash directly, if you can, use natural light. Soft lighting is much more flattering and removes risk of shine, harsh shadows and red eye. If you must subject yourself to a flash, look at a bright light just before your picture is taken, this will shrink your pupils and reduce the risk of red eye.

How to Look Good in

By Rick Karlin

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FIT TIPS By Michael Elder

CABLE CROSSOVER The LosT heRo of ChesT exeRCises

Michael Elder has been working as a fitness professional in Chicago for the last 15 years. He has a background in gymnastics and is certified as a personal trainer through the American Council on

Exercise (ACE). He can be contacted directly through his website, www.MichaelElder.com.

There are many different exercises that can effectively train the chest (bench press, incline press, dips, db fly, etc.) but there is one chest exercise in particular that I feel has been under-loved: the cable crossover. The name of this exercise speaks of its importance. It is the only chest exercise that involves a “crossing over” action. Let me explain:

• Start by standing between two cable pulleys. The handles should be adjusted to be right above your shoulders.

• Pull the handles in toward your chest.

• With your hands by your chest, step forward with one foot and press your arms straight out in front of you.

• Once in this extended position, turn your palms downward. This is your starting position.

• Inhale as you slowly bring your arms back to a press position (approximately a 90 degree angle in the elbow).

• Exhale as you press forward, straightening out your arms as you completely cross them over one another.

• Alternate left hand crossing over the right with right hand crossing over the left.

• Repeat.

This “crossing over” action is actually the full range of motion for the chest and you don’t really get that in most other pressing exercises. For that reason, it can be highly effective in increasing definition for the chest. I recommend doing a high number of repetitions for this exercise with a strong focus on “squeezing” the pec muscles during the crossing over phase. You should feel a strong burn.

An easier version of this exercise would involve pressing at a downward (decline) angle. This version can also help to define the lower line of the pec muscle. Try it- you’ll thank me! Be healthy!

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By Gregg Shapiro

GifT GUiDe

TV on DVDThe highs and lows (emphasis on highs) of the Emmy-winning Showtime series Nurse Jackie came to a devastating conclusion in the seventh and final season. In addition to lead

character Jackie (Edie Falco) falling hard off the wagon, we got to attend the gay wedding of nurse Thor (Chicagoan Steve Wallem), as All Saints Hospital was being pulled out from under the staff by greedy condo developers.

For a show about two straight women, 2 Broke Girls is one of the gayest shows on TV. That might have something to do with openly gay creator Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City). Seriously, just listen to some of the things that come out of the mouths of the titular “broke girls” Max (Kat Dennings) and Caroline(Beth Behrs), as well as supporting actress Jennifer Coolidge as the always inappropriate Sophie. DVD special features include unaired scenes and a gag reel.

Truly Transi Am the Queen, a doc produced and directed by Henrique Cirne Lima and Josué Pellot, is the story of Bianca, Julissa and Jolizza, in preparation for the Vida/Sida

Cacia Pageant within the Puerto Rican community of Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, under the direction of trans mentor Ginger Valdez. DVD special features include deleted scenes and a photo gallery.

Keeping Calm and Carrying OnThe triple disc Blu-ray + DVD combo pack 50th anniversary edition of My fair Lady, the Oscar-winning movie adaptation of the beloved Lerner and Loewe musical

starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, is every show tune lover’s dream come true. The wealth of special features include three theatrical featurettes, Cecil Beaton costume sketches and “More

Loverly Than Ever: The Making of My Fair Lady Then & Now.”

Music to Their EarsThe visual companion to the Kristin Chenoweth concert CD of the same name, Coming home , the DVD contains all 15 songs on the album, including a pair of tunes from Wicked (“Popular” and “For Good”), as well as the diminutive diva’s renditions of show and pop tunes. The Mekons, “the most revolutionary group in the history of rock’n’roll” according to Lester Bangs, is the subject of Joe Angio’s documentary Revenge of the Mekons . Following the band from its 1977 birth in the British punk rock scene to the present day, the doc includes interviews Fred Armisen, Jonathan Franzen and Mary Harron, as well as band members

Docs for Days“The Story of How A Kinky Rebellious Street Festival Captured The Heart of San Francisco,” folsom forever is director Mike Skiff’s tribute to the “scrappy little” San Francisco neighborhood in the “heart of the gay male leather scene” began its 1984 transformation during the AIDS crisis and encroaching gentrification to become what it is today.

In case you (or anyone on your holiday gift list) didn’t get your Lego fill with the 2014 animated Lego Movie, Daniel Junge and Kief Davidson’s A Lego Brickumentary should help with any unanswered questions about the Lego brand.

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In The knowChicago's

By Sue Deaunym

...ON THE GO!

Dashing Through The SnowOn Saturday, Dec. 5 the annual “Santa Speedo run” takes over Boystown. The benefit for Center on Halsted kicks off with a party at Sidetrack. After the run everyone heads back to the bar for a bit of holiday cheer. They may need someone to warm their chestnuts, so you can be both naughty and nice…Kit Kat has announced that it will hold a “Britney Spears brunch soiree” on Sunday, Nov. 29. How do I politely point out that soiree means it occurs in the evening? Guess I just did….Touché gives new meaning to the term “Black Friday” as it hosts an Onyx Club night on the day after Thanksgiving. That will set the stage for its “ripe” party the following night… Egoist Underwear is hosting an evening of fashion and fun on Thursday, Dec. 3. Stop by and meet underwear mogul Timoteo Ocampo (the designer behind the hottest brands: Timoteo and Cellblock13) while you check out the hot models and enjoy cocktails and door prizes!

holiday happeningsAmy and Freddy bring their annual holiday show, “how the Diva Stole Xmas” to hydrate, with special guest Leslie Jordan, Dec. 11-13… David Sedaris’ “Santaland Diaries” comes to life at Stage 773 through Dec. 27… “Christmas Dearest”, Hell in a Handbag Productions' Joan Crawford-infused parody of “A Christmas Carol” runs through Dec. 29 at Mary's Attic… Chicago Gay Men's Chorus’ holiday show, “Miracle on Thirty Funk Street” features holiday favorites with a funky twist on Sunday, Nov. 29 at the

Beverly Arts Center and Friday, Dec. 4 at the harris Theater… On Friday, Nov. 27 the Music Box kicks off two consecutive week-ends of sing-along “Sound of Music” with a pre-show costume contest for kids and adults accompanied by the Music Box Theatre organ (that’s the musical instrument)… Touché features all-inclusive holiday parties with “Night of 1000 Santas”, a Toys for Tots drive with the Great Lakes Bears on Saturday, Dec. 5. Bring an un-wrapped toy (for kids, not a sex-toy, save that for another event, “Toys for Tarts”). That’s followed by a Hanukah party on Monday, Dec. 7, with $2 Manschewitz wine, and a human tree decorating party on Friday, Dec. 11. Everyone knows which branch of the tree will be most popular. Let’s see how many ornaments it can support. Spread the cheer even farther by bringing a donation for Groceryland.

Stage BusinessAbout Face Theatre will hold a benefit reading of Philip Dawkins’ “The homosexuals” on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015 at the Chicago history Museum. Following the performance, guests may participate in a talkback with the playwright, director and cast and enjoy food and refreshments sponsored by Apart Pizza…. Black Ensemble Theater offers another in its jukebox musicals. This time it’s, “Dynamite Divas, A Tribute to women of Soul”, produced and written by BET’s resident diva Jackie Taylor. The show runs Dec. 12 through Jan. 24… Light Opera works opens “Guys and Dolls” the day after Christmas, running through Jan. 3 at Cahn Auditorium in Evanston.

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