Sometimes it takes the Midwest a little time to catch up with the coasts on certain trends like, say, tart frozen yogurt-like substances. While we still don’t have a Pinkberry to speak of, I’m pleased to say that over the past year or so Chicago has welcomed literally dozens of shops specializing in similarly tangy treats.
We compared two such franchises this weekend: Yogen Fruz, an established favorite, and Starfruit, the newer kid on the block. To ensure a fair competition, I ordered my standby at each: plain soft serve with fruity pebbles! Results are below.
YOGEN FRUZ:
The Place: Per usual, we visited the branch at 333 South State Street. This store tends to stay open later than many Loop shops and eateries, which makes it a good place to end the evening. It’s a little sterile inside, especially as compared to the super fun
The Frozen Stuff: Yogen Fruz offers low fat frozen yogurt. The franchise advertises its yogurt as being made fresh, high in fiber, full of vitamins, probiotics and/or antixoidents. Original probiotic soft serve has 25 calories per ounce, with a small serving (pictured above) containing about 5 ounces
Yogen Fruz offers several different serving options including Top It (yogurt with toppings), Mix It (swirled with fresh fruit flavors), Nu Mixes (Mix it with more decadent flavors), smoothies, and some seriously delicious looking milkshakes. Available toppings include fresh fruit, candy, and several different cereals.
The Texture: It’s thinner than traditional soft serve frozen yogurt, but thicker than regular yogurt. My issue with regular yogurt (you know, the truly healthy kind) has always been a texture thing, so I’m glad Yogen Fruz eliminates this problem for me. I find this yogurt goes perfectly with a crunchy topping like Fruity Pebbles.
The Taste: Delicious! Yogen Fruz original frozen yogurt provides a fabulous combination of tangy and sweet that is downright addicting. I love the way it smells, too.
The Price: Expect to pay at least $5.00 for anything beyond the smallest, barest scoop of yogurt available. However, I recently bought a bunch of coupons on Groupon that will allow me to get a bunch of $6.00 treats for $3.00 each.
STARFRUIT:
The Place: We visited the Starfruit branch located at the new Block 36 complex, an in-progress indoor mall and entertainment facility located on State Street. The mall is still eerily quiet, but Starfruit itself is bright and fun, with a “kid in a candy store” type of vibe.
The Frozen Stuff: Starfruit serves kefir, a fermented dairy product similar to yogurt. The franchise claims that Starfruit is distinguished from frozen yogurt because it contains a whopping 10 “probiotic cultures” aka “good bacteria”. Starfruit claims these cultures aid digestion, boost immunity, promote weight loss, and so on and so forth. Both original and flavored Kefir weighs in at 22 calories per ounce.
The menu at Starfruit includes soft serve kefir in flavors like peach, green tea, chocolate, and raspberry. Topping options are similar to those at Yogen Fruz except Starfruit seems to have more types of candy and cereal. Patrons can use the same toppings to make a smoothie drink or granola parfait.
The Texture: Starfruit’s soft serve looks very similar to Yogen Fruz’s except it is a slightly brighter white and appears just a little bit grainier. Its appearance isn’t deceiving, because it tastes almost icy compared to the smooth, creamy, yogurt-like substance to which I am accustomed. The icy texture made my Fruity Pebbles seem like a less than ideal topping choice, so I’d probably go for some fresh fruit instead next time.
The Taste: May take some getting used to. My original soft serve had none of the tang and tartness I’ve come to associate with this type of treat. What little flavor there was can best be described as “watery,” like a the way a snow cone tastes after you’ve sucked most of the syrup out.
The Price: A little cheaper than Yogen Fruz. Also, they were handing out dollar off coupons the day we visited, making it possible to get a good solid treat for about $3.00.
FINAL VERDICT: While I appreciate Starfruit’s aesthetically pleasing storefront and slightly lower prices, I must prefer the actual product at Yogen Fruz. Yogen Fruz wins!
*No Yogen Fruz near you? Make your own like I do! Just combine a 32 ounce tub of Greek yogurt (many foodies swear by Fage, but I use the cheaper Greek Gods) with 2/3 cup sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stick it in an ice cream maker for 30 minutes and freeze for another half hour. This will make at least 4 servings. Top with fruity pebbles and enjoy! The texture is obviously different from the soft serve treats described above, but the flavor is practically identical. Delicious!
Looking for something fun and FREE to do in Chicago? Rain or shine, the Garfield Park Conservatory east of downtown is a great pick. We popped into this indoor garden on a rainy March morning and immediately felt happier, thanks to being surrounded by flowers.
The Garfield Park Conservatory is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Wednesday, when it remains open until 8:00 p.m. Parking at the conservatory is no problem, with plenty of street-side spots available. Upon our arrival at around 10:00 a.m. we saw quite a few large busses, so I was a bit worried about crowds. Fortunately, these groups seemed to be on site for special events and we rarely saw them during our tour.
This facility is rather sprawling, with one room leading willy-nilly into the next. Visitors must choose between 1) touring each room in its entirety before backtracking to move onto the next; and 2) heading down the left (or right) side of each room until reaching the end of the road and heading back down the opposite side. We picked the latter method of touring but in retrospect I think the former would probably have been easier.
When we visited the conservatory, the Spring Flower Show was in bloom, making for a nice contrast to the dreary day. This space smelled fabulous and had plenty of benches from which to sit and contemplate the foliage. The floral displays themselves were not as elaborate as those in the show garden of Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park Domes, about an hour north, but the overall effect was still quite pleasant. This show ended in mid-May, but you can see the Summer Tropical Flower Show beginning May 29, 2010.
We also spent some time in the desert garden, which was chock-full of cacti large and small. That cactus to the far left apparently lives for 100 years, then shoots up a single blossom, then dies. Way to go out in a blaze of glory, I suppose!
There are also several “green” rooms at the Garfield Park Conservatory. The Moss Room, to the left, was my favorite. It was wet, humid, and tranquil, with moss clinging to virtually every available service. The Koi Pond pictured at center was also awesome because it had tons of fish and a Dale Chihuly sculpture! Finally, the Palm House at the right was pretty standard, but of course every greenhouse has to have some tropical plants and flowers.
The Garfield Park Conservatory’s outdoor gardens weren’t really up and running when we visited. We’d definitely consider returning to see these and to attend one of the facility’s many events, which include everything from an evening Walking Club to a gardening class for kids. This conservatory is truly a hidden gem and I love it that it doesn’t cost a penny to enjoy.
I’m a little surprised that I haven’t yet blogged about the Chicago area institution that is Giordano’s. After all, it’s been around for decades and my family has been dinning there at least a few times a year since I was probably fifteen or so.
There are Giordano’s locations scattered all over the city and its suburbs. We nearly always visit the Prudential Plaza branch (directly off Michigan) but have also stopped in for a pie at the Randolph Street location and, most recently, the Oak Brook location. All the branches have a similar feel and equally delicious food, although the Oak Brook site did seem a little newer and less “authentic” than the downtown ones.
Here’s an interior shot. Giordano’s has pretty traditional “pizza joint” decor, with red and white checkered table cloths and a mixture of tables and booths.
We usually start our meal with an appetizer, which we sometimes regret by the time the pizza comes! These are the mozzarella sticks, which have an excellent texture. For a larger group we tend to order the combo platter which comes with fried mushrooms, zucchini, and mozzarella sticks. A slightly healthier alternative is the antipasto salad which comes with a variety of meats, cheeses, onions, and olives. Most appetizer items cost $7-$10 and all are very sharable.
Now, for the main event – PIZZA! There are several types available, but you want the stuffed variety. Although we often play around with toppings at other pizza places, here we usually get extra cheese and that’s it. After all, you can’t improve upon perfection. Expect to pay about $15-$30 per pie, depending on size and toppings.
Giordano’s pizzas take at least 30-40 minutes, but the end result is well worth it – ooey, gooey cheese, firm yet flaky crust, and flavorful tomato sauce topping it all off. A single piece may fill you up, but I usually try for two. DELICIOUS!!! No wonder Giardano’s is a Chicago institution!
If these pictures have somehow failed to sell you on Giordano’s, you can read my in-depth rave about the restaurant here.
Yes, I know Christmas is long past, but consider this tardy post an early entry for next year’s holiday season! Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry is well-known for its annual holiday celebration – Christmas Around the World. We visited for the first time this year to check out the decorated trees as well as the museum’s newest exhibit, “You! the experience.” The final verdict? I would definitely return for the Christmas display, if not for You!
The Museum of Science and Industry is located about ten minutes from downtown Chicago. We often ride the Southshore Railroad and exit at the museum stop. The museum is also accessible via Metra from downtown. If you drive, there is a nice attached parking garage available. Current museum hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. every day except Sunday, when the facility opens at 11:00 a.m.
Standard adult museum admission costs $15.00, which is a substantial increase from a few years ago. Kids are $10.00. The Christmas Around the World display is included with standard admission, but there are always several extra cost experiences. During our recent visit these were The White House: A Look Inside ($5.00), U-505 Submarine optional on-board tour ($8.00), and Omnimax movies Wired to Win, The Human Body, and Mysteries of the Great Lakes. Because of the museum’s large size, we rarely do the extra charge exhibits. I will say that I saw Wired to Win in Louisville and it was fabulous.
The Christmas Around the World display is dominated by a central giant tree flanked by dozens of trees dedicated to countries around the world. We explored the trees in a counter-clockwise pattern. It took about forty-five minutes to see them all, and we didn’t even read every word of the plaques detailing holiday customs in various countries.
Here are a few of the trees. My absolute favorites were Greece (far left) and Japan (far right). I’m not sure how “authentic” any of the trees are in terms of being what would actually be on display at the holidays in the listed countries. They seem more like symbolic representations with iconography specific to these places. In any event, they’re very pretty.
We had a very difficult time finding the tree for Poland, where my people are from. Finally we reached it – it just happened to be the last one we came to! Near the display, there is a little gift store set up where visitors can buy ornaments representative of their heritage.
After we finished admiring the trees, we headed over to check out You! the experience. This newish exhibit is an “interactive” look at the human mind, body, and spirit. Quite frankly, it seems a little redundant to me in that some of these themes are already touched on in the museum’s Genetics display.
The You! gallery, while offering some interesting exhibits, suffers from many of the same problems as most displays of its type – long lines and frequent malfunctions of the interactive experiences. We very much wanted to try a game where visitors can move a ball back and forth with their brain waves, but after waiting fifteen minutes behind a mother and son who had camped out there we gave up and moved on. We attempted to play with a touch screen maze but found the table to be non-responsive to our touching. I did like the simple display pictured to the bottom right which allowed guests to lift the weight gain associated with eating the pictured snacks each day for a year. Not that it had much effect, in that I’m drinking a soda while writing this entry and will probably enjoy a candy bar shortly!
After fighting our way through the crowds at You! we stopped in to experience two of my favorite things at the Museum of Science and Industry – the Brain Food Court and Mold-A-Rama! The museum’s food court is one of the best I’ve seen at this type of facility, offering a wide variety of tasty healthy and not-so-healthy foods. My mom opted for the taco salad, while I had a tasty pretzel bread sandwich. Christmas cookies were also available during our visit.
As for Mold-A-Rama, The Museum of Science and Industry offers several different types. This visit, I made myself a lovely grey wax U-505 submarine to add to my collection.
We had a great day at the Museum of Science and Industry. Although we don’t visit here as often as the Field Museum or Shedd Aquarium, we are going to make an effort to make the trip more frequently. Perhaps we’ll go in March to see Science Storms, the soon-to-be-opened addition to the museum’s collection.
Shedd Aquarium has been hyping its “Reimagined” Oceanarium for years, since before the marine animals were even removed. They’re back now, and I visited Monday for the first time since the reopening to check out the renovated spaces and the new show, Fantasea. I also became a member for the year, something anyone within driving distance should seriously consider. A single membership costs just $80 and includes a guest for each visit. This means the membership pays for itself with the second visit.
Shedd’s exterior looks pretty much the same as always except for some banners and giant inflatable dolphins promoting the “reimagining.” This was my first and only weekday aquarium visit to date (hey, I have to work!) and I was shocked and thrilled by the lack of crowds both indoors and out. Instead of heading straight to the Oceanarium, we started our touring with the Shark Reef and Amazon Rising exhibits. It was incredibly relaxing through these spaces without being surrounded by thousands of our closest friends like we usually are. Weekend or weekday, I think we will follow this reversed touring pattern for all future visits because the Oceanarium is always going to be crowded no matter what.
First, it is worth nothing that the beluga area has doubled in size, or at least the beluga family has. There are now two separate pods of whales to be viewed and enjoyed. We found the pod to the right to be friendlier and more interactive, particularly the oh-so-pregnant Naya, pictured above. She is such a friendly girl, but she looks ready to POP!
We attended the 10:30 a.m. showing of Fantasea. The arena itself has not been changed substantially. It still offers rocky steps for guests to sit on and overlooks Lake Michigan. Once the show starts, though, a screen comes down and blocks all outdoor views. Images are then projected on the screen throughout the show.
Fantasea kicks off with a sea lion performing some antics and progresses into some business about magical sirens and a little girl making a wish to spend a day with sea creatures. My mom and I argued all day about whether or not the girl was a ringer (they try to pretend she is part of the audience). However, I just looked at press materials for the show and they depict the same little girl we saw, so I guess I win that debate.
After the little girl rides to the island in a boat, she gets visits from beluga whales, penguins, and a hawk. There are also human trainers dressed to match each of these creatures. As much as I love the Shedd’s belugas, I’m not sure they are cut out for show business. Whale natural behaviors are rather subtle, and without any jumping or splashing things get a little dull. The penguins, in turn, were absolutely out of control – one of them made a beeline for the crowd and ended up somebody’s lap. I bet it won’t be long before that portion of the show gets retooled to make things safer for both humans and birds. The hawk, at least, behaved himself.
After all the other animals have their turn, the Pacific white-sided dolphins get their turn. They splash and jump, often in unison. These guys are the real star of the show, and I would have enjoyed watching them for longer. The end!
Overall, Fantasea is certainly an improvement from Shedd’s prior dolphin show, at least in terms of theatrics. It actually reminded of some of the presentations I have seen at Sea World. Still, I think there are some kinks to be worked out and I worry that repeat visitors will be bored with a second or third viewing of such a highly choreographed show.
Finally, we ended our tour of the new facility by checking out the new Polar Play Zone on the Oceanarium’s lower level. Gone are the leaky ceilings and dreary water table displays. The space certainly looks much nicer, with clean, brightly painted walls and fresh carpeting.
As to the actual substance, meh. I am a little baffled as to why children need a playground at an aquarium. Isn’t the entire aquarium kid-friendly? The part where parents can dress their kids up as penguins with human heads is particularly odd. I was also disappointed to see that underwater viewing space for the whales and dolphins seemed to be decreased. We never spent much time on this level anyway, though, so I guess I’m just glad that it has been spruced up enough to be of interest to some visitors. There were definitely lots of kids playing when we were there.
Referred to as “Roadside Architecture at its Best,” this giant water tower and Route 66 landmark even has its own fan club! We drove about thirty minutes out of our way to see the bottle and I don’t even like catsup. Apparently the tower was erected in 1949 to advertise Brooks Catsup and restored by history buffs in 1995.
It was tough to find a good vantage point with all the trees and power lines surrounding the tower, but after a little driving around we managed to get a couple of good shots. Look for a filling station with a large parking lot for maximum views.
It looks tiny from here, but it’s 170 feet tall!
Was the catsup tower worth the drive? Arguably not, but sometimes its fun to get off the beaten path even when it costs you a little time. If you love Route 66 trivia or kitschy Americana, be sure to swing by Collinsville the next time you’re traveling through southern Illinois.
I am very into Route 66 at the moment, as I love the idea of visiting independently owned roadside attractions and restaurants with a rich history. Accordingly, we drove a bit out of our way to pop into southern Illinois’ Cozy Dog Drive-In en route to St. Louis. Billed as the “birthplace of the corn dog”, this plucky little restaurant has been serving up battered yumminess since 1949.
As you can see, the coziness starts on the sign outside, which emphasizes Cozy Dog’s historic roots.
Although the restaurant is called a “drive-in”, patrons must get out of their cars to order and eat. Inside, Cozy Dog is predictably zany and offbeat, with a large collection of corn dog and Route 66 memorabilia on display in a haphazard manner.
I think this gem to the left is my favorite piece. So funny! I’m not sure I buy into the whole “birthplace of the corn dog” thing but whatever. To the right, you can see the cozy dogs just waiting for visitors to stop by and pose for a photo.
Finally, here’s the main event – the food! All this plus two soft drinks cost less than $10.00. The corn dogs were great, with a perfect melt-in-your mouth coating over a thick hot dog. We probably liked the onion rings better than the fries, but it was nice to have some of each.
Overall, if you’re within thirty miles or so of the Springfield area and are interested in Route 66 and its history, Cozy Dog is an absolute must-do!
This company offers two different walking food tours of Chicago – “Near North” and “Bucktown/Wicker Park.” Each stops for nibbles at seven or so different Chicago foodie destinations. My full review of our fabulous Mother’s Day Near North tour is here and I hope to do the Bucktown route sometime in the near future.
We opted for an 11:30 a.m. tour but I recommend doing the earliest available time so you will start getting full around normal lunchtime. To check the schedule for your visit go to http://www.chicagofoodplanet.com/. The cost is around $40.00 per person, which is really fairly reasonable for three hours of guided touring and snacks.
Our group of fifteen met at Ashkenaz Jewish Deli near Rush Street’s “Viagra Triangle”, so named because rich older men come here to pick up hot younger women. We started our eating with yummy potato pancakes, sour cream, and applesauce. I would definitely go back to this charming deli for a corned beef sandwich and some more potato pancakes.
Ashkenaz – 12 East Cedar Street
Our second destination was Tea Gschwender en route to Old Town. I was a little disappointed with this stop because the shops are part of a large international chain. Still, we learned a thing or two about tea, so it wasn’t a complete bust. We each received a full-sized cup of oolong tea.
Tea Gschwender – 1160 North State Street
We headed next to the Spice House in Old Town where we got to sniff and lick various spices, salty and sweet. They have some very nice regionally-themed gift sets which are also available online at http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices-by-category/chicago-themed-gifts.
The Spice House: 1512 North Wells Street
Just two doors down from the Spice House is Old Town Oils. This store sells nothing but olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and combinations of the two! As you can see in the picture, visitors literally drink the oils out of tiny ketchup cups. While the products certainly seemed to be good quality, I could have gone for a piece of bread to dip instead of taking shots of vinegar.
Old Town Oil – 1520 North Wells Street
Just two more doors down we stopped at The Fudge Pot and had some killer chocolate toffee, as pictured. There was enough for everyone to have seconds and thirds which was fortunate because we were pretty starving by this time.
The Fudge Pot – 1532 North Wells Street
Next we visited Catering <> Chocolate. We were told to read the title as a list, not an adjective-noun combo. This itty-bitty little shop caters meals for small and large gatherings. Extra food is made each day and served to walk-ins. We had homemade hummus and pita and some sort of white cheese for our samples.
Catering <> Chocolate – 1712 North Wells Street
The tour wraps up at Bacino’s, home of the (apparently) famous “heart-healthy” stuffed pizza. We each received a sizeable slice of spinach and the hubby managed to get his paws on the single extra piece.
Bacino’s – 2204 North Lincoln Avenue
