Category Archives: Chicago

Comcast Drove Me Away, Right into RCN’s Open Arms

Last week, I was a Comcast Internet customer. This week, my Internet is provided by RCN. And that’s all because of Comcast’s terrible customer service and RCN’s great social media team.

I can’t say I know anyone who says they love their cable company, but over the last month, Comcast went out of their way to treat a loyal customer with disdain and made it very clear they didn’t want my business. When I took to twitter to try and resolve a problem with Comcast, RCN’s customer service team jumped in and made it crystal clear that they wanted me and took easy, but meaningful steps to win my business. Continue reading

Blue Angels

The 2014 Chicago Air and Water Show

Every year one of the highlights of my summer is the Chicago Air and Water Show. For a few days the sky is filled with the thunderous roar of jet engines and the high-pitched whine of acrobatic prop planes. And for that weekend, seemingly everyone in the city becomes a bit of an aviation geek.

You can view all my photos from the Air and Water show here.

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Flagship Detroit

Flying the Flagship Detroit

On Friday I had the pleasure of joining the crew of the Flagship Detroit on an hour-long flight around Chicago. We departed O’Hare Airport to the west and flew south and east before turning up the shore of Lake Michigan and joining the pattern for an approach and landing on O’Hare’s runway 28C. Continue reading

American Eagle Logotype

My Favorite Aviation Photos of 2013

Last week I went through my photos and pulled out my favorite non-aviation photos from 2013, but now it’s time for my favorite aviation photos of 2013. This year was a great aviation-photography year. I experienced the unveiling of the new American Airlines livery (and talked about it with one of the key people behind it), EAA Airventure in Oskosh, WI, planespotting with some consummate avgeeks, American Airlines’ new Embraer E175, and O’Hare Airport’s Run on the RunwayContinue reading

Chicago

A Winter Walk in Chicago

With a few extra vacation days to burn at the end of the year, I’ve found myself with a bit of time on my hands. So I’ve taken to going for a walk in the afternoon and taking photos. For the past couple of days my route has taken me from Millennium Park, up Michigan Avenue and the Magnificent Mile to Water Tower Place. Visitors always tell me they’re surprised that anyone leaves the house during Chicago winters, but there’s plenty to see and do. Continue reading

Pizza Apart

“Chicago-style” vs. Chicago Pizza

Last night, Jon Stewart took to the airwaves to lambaste “Chicago-style pizza.” Not surprisingly, this kicked off a torrent of pizza-centric vitriol between fans of New York and Chicago pizza lovers. As a Chicagoan I found everything Stewart said to be funny and true, but he made the mistake that so many outsiders make: he made Chicago-style, deep dish pizza sound like the only game in town.

Watch the Daily Show bit, then meet me at the next paragraph.

 

One must be very clear when discussing Chicago pizza. “Chicago-style pizza” and pizza in Chicago are not the same. “Chicago-style” pizza may be what the rest of the country associates with Chicago, but deep dish is something that is often reserved for tourists and treating out of town guests. People who actually live in Chicago don’t eat deep dish on a regular basis.

Chicago’s thin crust pizza, itself a vast culinary universe, is where the real action is. Places like Apart Pizza Company or Fornello’s are where Chicagoans get their pizza day in, day out. So, the next time you’re in Chicago and want some pizza, don’t go to a deep-dish-serving chain, head to a local pizza place and order some thin crust. You’ll thank me for it.

**Full disclosure: I love New York style pizza. Some of the best in the city can be found at Como Pizza, 4035 Broadway.

ChiMarathonColors

2013 Chicago Marathon—A Beautiful Day for a Race

 

About 40,000 runners took to the streets of Chicago yesterday for the Chicago Marathon, a 26.2 mile trek through Chicago’s near north, west, and south side neighborhoods. I headed down to the race to cheer on my friends who were running and take some pictures. It was a beautiful day fro a race. Continue reading

Marathon2011

2013 Chicago Marathon—Spectate Like a Champion

Every year a bunch of people I know take to the streets of Chicago to run 26.2 miles. And while this is an activity in which I would never wish to partake, I do my very best to support them. I cheer, I shout, I urge them along. And it’s a lot of fun. Continue reading

777Panorama

Recapping the O’Hare Run on the Runway

Yesterday I participated in the annual O’Hare Airport Run on the Runway to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, a great organization that supports wounded veterans returning from war. Along with thousands of other people I took to runway 10C-28C for the first (and probably only) chance to run on a runway not yet open to air traffic. O’Hare will commission 10C-28C on October 17, but they wanted us to try out the pavement first. Continue reading

TheStill

Touring the Koval Distillery

When a friend suggested that we go on a tour at Koval Distillery it didn’t take much for me to say yes. I love whiskey, so getting a chance to see how it’s made sounded like a good way to spend an afternoon (and $10). Koval is Chicago’s first (legal) distillery to open post-Prohibition. While the craft brewers began cutting through red tape about 15 years ago, craft distillation continued to be a bridge too far until 2008 when Robert and Sonat Birnecker opened Koval. Continue reading