Archive for June, 2009

90 Miles Cuban Cafe

06/25/09

90 Miles Cuban Cafe (which refers to the distance between Florida and the island of Cuba) first opened their doors in September 2008 on Clybourn Ave in the Hamlin Park neighborhood.  In less than a year, owners Alberto and Christine Gonzalez have opened a second location in Logan Square at the corner of Armitage and Rockwell.  Pre-Castro newspapers form a collage on the walls and 100 year old barn wood captures the “rustic feel of Cuba” that is reminiscent of Alberto’s childhood. The menu offers traditional Cuban sandwiches, dinner plates and pastries that are delectable and memorable.  Having the day off I seized the opportunity to visit the new location.  I enjoyed a flavorful Pollo Sandwich with Mariquitas (plantain chips) and a Platano tropical shake to drink which has forever raised the bar in the shake smoothie realm.  To top it off, I was served a complimentary shot of espresso unlike any that I have had before that cleansed the palette and completed the meal.  The latin music in the background combined with their warm hospitality made my visit nothing short of an authentic dining experience.  You should definitely check this place out and, as their sign reads, “Taste the Forbidden”.
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- Phillip

Millennium Park Edible Audio Picnics

06/16/09

Millennium Park offers a great alternative for lunch time every Monday (from 12:00pm - 1:30pm) with their their Edible Audio Picnics program that runs on Mondays from June 15 through August 24, 2009 . This series brings cutting edge rock bands, sound artists, audio documentaries, DJ’s, and electronic musicians to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion’s state-of-the-art sound system to produce quality performances while you eat. So pack a lunch and break that pattern of mundane Mondays with music.

Some notable acts to catch are:

Black Moth Super Rainbow June 29, 2009

Black Moth Super Rainbow notoriously delivers live performances filled with sticky, off-kilter melodies and eccentric visuals. Their latest album produced with assistance from Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, MGMT, Weezer) features dense layers of complex orchestration, intense rhythmic drumming, thick, undulating bass tones and vocoder vocals that are anything but robotic.
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Reggae Dub Sound Clash w/ DJ Papa G July 20, 2009

Chicago DJ Papa G spins the best of roots reggae, dub and dancehall at Millennium Park. Founder of the Archangel Soundsystem, Papa G is host and DJ of the weekly reggae club night “Uprising” and has supported many top ranking reggae artists over the years.
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Chicago Hip-Hop And It Don’t Stop… July 27, 2009

Celebrating the 7th annual Chicago Hip-Hop Heritage Month, Chicago’s hip-hop community unites with music, dance, lyricism and poetry in a multi-generational production featuring local groups such as: All Natural, Primeridian, Ang 13, Urbanized Music, Pugs Atomz, FM Supreme, AquaMoon, Kuumba Lynx, The Opus, GQ Tha Teacha, DJ Man-O-Wax and Stick & Move Dance Crew.

- Phillip

Pocket Retro Game Emulator

06/09/09

Some of the best video games ever come from the “Classic” era of gaming, but pulling out those cumbersome gaming consoles and going through the motions of tricks and trades simply to get the game to work is too much. Well worry no more as the good people over at thinkgeek.com have developed a pocket gaming emulator for $99 that allow you to play your favorite ROMS from Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis and NEO-GEO! So the next time you are sitting at the office wishing you could play Mike Tyson’s Punch Out on your lunch break, it won’t be so far fetched of an idea!

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Pocket Game Emulator

- Phillip

Jay Stay Paid (J$P)

06/05/09

Before passing away in 2006 due to complications from Lupus, renowned hip hop producer J Dilla (James Yancey) had already produced a set of unreleased tracks. Jay Stay Paid features those tracks that were extracted from Dilla’s old floppy disks and DATs that were laid down during his time spent in the hospital. More than three years after his passing Dilla’s mother Maureen Yancey (Ma Dukes) and legendary producer Pete Rock have compiled these bits and pieces into one cohesive LP. The album follows the format of a radio program with Pete Rock as the DJ and although primarily instrumental, J$P features guest vocals by Black Thought, DOOM, M.O.P., and Illa J (J Dilla’s brother). This album does not disappoint, so if you are looking to add to your catalog of music be sure to pick up J Dilla’s final posthumous release.

Credit Card 4GB Flash Drive

06/01/09

Having easy access to your files and documents these days is an absolute must.  The thumb drive was an excellent invention, but it has the one flaw that anyone who owns one has experienced. It goes into your pocket and disappears like a pack of gum or chapstick. Well that problem has been solved with the Slim Data USB Card, an innovative designed flash drive that has the exact dimensions of your basic credit card, making it possible to slip right into your wallet to have on standby for immediate use. There is even an option to customize the cards with your company logo to use them as intelligent business cards for business clients. Check them out because there’s no reason to lose another one, plus they look cool!

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- Phillip