Dose Market 

Last week’s Dose Market at the River East Art Center, in the Near North Side neighborhood, was all about the home! My favorites included the vintage spread at the Dinner Party booth, where crystal, porcelain, and glass tableware pushed the urge to redecorate.

Swarms of people filled the art center, mingling, munching on bites, and checking out local designers, cafes, bakeries, and boutiques. Haberdash brought along their new Chicago Market Tote drawing a lot of inquiries from dosers, sipping on Metropolis coffee nearby.

What is Dose Market? Curated and created by a group of Chicago editors (Time Out Chicago and Daily Candy), Dose Market is a monthly local event at the REAC which features local business exhibiting their goods and giving Chicago residents a taste of fashion, baking, and making!

Get Dosed next time on May 13^th for Mother’s Day!

Uber

The word has finally gotten out! Uber has arrived in Chicago and is our new private chauffer! Forget flagging down taxi cabs in the Loop and River North. Uber.com is a fast and easy way to request a car at your convenience. Request a car from your Iphone or Android via text and a ride will be there within minutes.

How does this work? Sign up once on Uber.com and enter your credit card information. Download the application onto your phone, and never have to exchange money again. Set a location, send a text, confirm, and voilà! Uber will send you an ETA and a sleek black car with a professional driver will be at your service within minutes. Standard fare prices are posted on Uber’s website, and tip is already included! Check out Uber.com, Chicago’s newest professional driving service.

Masa Azul

Dreaming of an up-scale Mexican feast? Whisk away to the friendly streets of the Logan Square neighborhood and indulge in the homemade flavors at Masa Azul. With attentive service and fresh ingredients, Masa Azul has been a favorite of locals and residents around town.

Executive Chef Alvero Chavez and partners Jason & Valerie Lerner fuse their love of tequila and American Southwest cuisine with the “noble spirits of Mexico”. Known for a unique twist on traditional Latin fare, fused with a love of that agave, it is no wonder Masa Azul was named one of America’s top 25 tequila bars in 2011.

Reviewers rave about the restaurant’s hearty guacamole (made to order), as well as the sweet cornbread that accompanies most of the entrees.  For starters, indulge in the cornbread-stuffed quail and the duck tamales, and for your entrée order the Pepita-Goat Cheese Crusted Rack of Lamb.

Tequila cocktails are by far the best in town and live up to their namesakes, like the Hot Señorita. The restaurant also features dinner and tequila pairings, with tequila servings poured at a generous 2 ounces. The restaurant offers over 80 types of tequila as part of their “Agave Collection”, and truly features the essence of an authentic Mexican dining experience. Be aware: reservations are usually imperative, since locals fill up the restaurant on a daily basis. But if you happen to find yourself stepping off the Logan Square Blue Line stop this summer, the wait for Masa Azul’s fare is well worth it!

Masa Azul

2901 W. Diversey

Chicago, IL 60647

773/687.0300

www.masaazul.com

Veruca Chocolates

Aside from nationally renowned restaurants, rooftop bars, and swanky lounges, Chicago is also home to a number of innovative delicacy creators. Heather Johnston, a Chicago chocolatier, is one of these geniuses.

Founder of Veruca Chocolates, Johnston fuses her experience from Chicago’s French Pastry School with her passion for fine quality chocolate and brings these handmade delicacies to local residents. Utilizing organic and local ingredients, Johnston creates a collection of delightful flavors, such as saffron, sea salt caramel, lime & mints, and hazelnut-cinnamon, amongst others.

Johnston also offers catering for chocolate parties as well as carefully crafted creations for customized orders. Her chocolates can be found at the Goddess and the Grocer  (downtown) and can also be purchased online at the Veruca Chocolate website: -http://www.verucachocolates.com!

03/16/2012

Set to unveil in April 2012, the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Chicago is a full-service residential building for individuals looking to live the Ritz lifestyle on a daily basis. Located at 118 E. Erie Street, the Ritz Residences sit on the historic Magnificent Mile in a forty-story building with 89 units. The Residences offer full staffing on site for all residential needs, including a concierge, doorman, porter, housekeeper, engineer, and Club Chef, among others. Services also include arrangements like in-home housekeeping, cleaning, pet care, limo services, personal training sessions, and dog walking. Top-of-the-line building amenities include valet parking, private terraces, private storage facilities, and an in-building communication portal. At the Landmark Club Level, residents can enjoy screening and billiard rooms, Grand Salon and Dining Rooms, a fitness center, and spa treatment facilities.

Building amenities are only a taste of the true Ritz Residence lifestyle. The residential units themselves feature superior technological home systems, such as the InteliPlex Building Communication Portal, a touch screen network device that comes standard in every residence. This portal connects every resident to the main building communication unit, where they can request valet services, receive package notifications, and view management announcements.  Each unit is also pre-wired for custom home options such as a home theatre, a whole-home audio system, motorized window treatments, and complete lighting control, all features which are available for home integration. Apart from advanced technology, all units are designed with private terraces and balconies, high ceilings and expansive windows, solid-core 8-foot panel doors and custom-designed step ceilings. Kitchens come equipped with Sub-Zero refrigerators, Dual Fuel Wolf gas ranges, Miele dishwashers, and natural stone countertops. The master suites include spacious walk-in closets, double-basin vanities, and an enclosed water closets.

All of these luxury amenities, as well as the Ritz’s prime location on downtown Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, create the most exclusive residential experience, within a reputable destination, from a world-class hotel. Not only are the Chicago Residences an unbeatable venue for prime Chicago living, but they also represent the epitome of historic style and taste. Prudential Rubloff is proud to offer units in the Ritz-Carlton Residences. The company has recently received the Gibraltar Circle Award for the fifth consecutive year, and has a vast portfolio of high profile properties.

Call me for a private showing appointment at the Ritz!

——–

The Ritz-Carlton Residences Chicago

118 E. Erie Street,

Chicago, IL 60611