I wont usually write about “chains” here but for me personally this is a biggie.

Starbucks has introduced StarbucksGold.

http://www.starbucksgold.com

I have always been a Starbucks fan and have even made a few bucks (no punn intended) trading sbux stock over the years. I would love nothing more than to have breakfast at Starbucks every morning and a relaxing cappo in the evening. However, I have to always be around a computer but I dont want to lug a laptop or even a netbook around so I use an itouch as my internet access at places with wifi.

I am also “cheap”. So it has always rubbed me the wrong way to have to pay for wifi when places like Panera bread and many others have free wifi. Long story, short, for a while I was able to tap a wifi from another business close to my favorite sbux until they prolly noticed alot of peeps doing this and they shut it down.

Well the Starbucks gold fixes this.

Here’s what you get: for $25 for the 1 year membership you get a free drink the day of sign up, a free drink on your birthday, 10% off everything all year (big) AND 2 hours of at&t wifi each day (VERY BIG!).

KUDOS to Starbucks for this great move.

sorry to bore some of you with this but getting free net on the move is a biggie for me…

I’d love to hear your ideas on your favorite restaurants for the Christmas season and New Year…The Walnut room (http://www.visitmacyschicago.com/visitors/dining.cfm)  at “Marshall Fields” Macy’s comes to mind…

What are your traditions?

I usually take a walk through water tower place and stop at The Ritz for lunch. The Greenhouse area at the Ritz is one of my favorite places of all time to relax in Chicago. I’ve taken a few dates there too in the days before getting married

leave a comment here with your favs…

A big congrats to Barack Obama on the election win for President!

So I was thinking today what his favorite restaurants may be…after some detective work here’s a tidbit.

Chicagoans know Topolobampo as the quieter, slightly classier sister restaurant of Frontera Grill, both owned by award-winning chef Rick Bayless. Word has it it’s one of Baracks favs.

For a simpler bite, the Obamas turn to RJ Grunts, a  Lincoln Park emporium of burgers, ribs and Tex-Mex.

Sorry to you readers my posting has been sparce…later this fall when I reveal all I’ve been up to you will understand.

My wife and I went lately to one of my favorite Chicago restaurants which is Dick’s Last Resort…and we also checked out the lounge at Trump Tower http://www.trumpchicago.com/Services_Amenities/dining_banquet.asp.

 I’ll add pictures later.

I love the catfish at Dick’s! It melts in your mouth. You get a twofer on the visit if you go upstairs and shop at Fox and Obels…always an adventure.

I’ll write more later about Trumps but for now I’ll just say the view from the lounge was great but I expected MUCH MUCH more from the decor. I expected world class everything but to me, for example, the pictures on the walls looked like the stuff I bought at Target when I was sprucing up the bathroom walls last year.

Oh well, more later.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-bernie-mac,0,1521239.story

Chicago takes a loss today as we loose Bernie Mac, a great talent.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Charles-Barkley-tips-well-pays-busboy-s-tuition?urn=nba,95780

Charles Barkley has tipped a busboy a college education…I thought this was a very cool article.

Last week I attended the Geo Expo for web site owners at the Weston hotel at city center Chicago.

 I rubbed elbows with owners from Chicago.com, Atlanta.com and many other city .com owners…whatta great time!

I was very impressed with the whole place. Even thought I didn’t eat in the restaurant proper, the food served to us in the meeting rooms for breakfast lunch and dinner was among Chicago’s best!

The “living room” was very cool. Thats what they call the main lounge and it really does have the feel of a large modern living room.

The $15 mojito was a bit over priced…I expected fruit hanging off the side of the glass or a large sized glass for 15 bucks…but none of the above was the case.

The breakfasts were buffet stlye and packed with fresh “ripe” fruit and plenty of pastries and bacon.

The dinner was the best part…melt in your mouth steak with cheese on top (not sure what cheese) with just enough au jus on the plate. Great mashed potatoes and a few sprigs of tender asparagus.

I was too busy doing business to take pics but rest assured this is one of Chicago’s best hotels and restaurants.

We are going to the Taste on Wednesday…Has anyone been yet?

 I’ll write a post and some pics when we get back but I’m curious what people have found so far.

 Any great food we should look for?  Were any of Chicago’s best restaurants present?

I saw on a few newscasts that Trump hotel and towers Chicago is open. I’m curious if anyone has been to the restaurant yet. My wife and I plan to hit downtown very soon and we will stop in and check it out and report back here.

May 17 -20 are the dates for this years Chicago show of the National Restaurant Association.

http://www.restaurant.org/show/index.cfm

This is THE event to attend for Chicago (or any) Restaurant owners/managers…this is not open to the public.

 Here’s a piece form their site:

“Today’s Economy is Uncertain and Costs are Rising

Are you prepared to overcome these hurdles? By attending NRA Show 2008, you will efficiently and cost-effectively find the new products, ideas, information and contacts you need to solve today’s restaurant and foodservice industry challenges.

As the world’s largest foodservice and hospitality event, NRA Show 2008 delivers results. Discover the products and information you need to improve employee recruitment and retention, learn how to manage increased operating costs, address food safety, develop new menu successes, improve efficiency through technology, learn about going green, comparison shop, test new equipment, and take advantage of exhibitor, show-only special buying opportunities.

Shop the Show as a Team
Get more done and be ready to take action when you get home.

• Network with senior executives and forge stronger relationships
• Evaluate new products ¤¤ Investigate new cost saving technologies
• Comparison shop
• Attend education sessions
• Connect with the entire supply chain
• Close deals “

I’m going to try to attend but This is a busy month for me and I just dont know yet…I’d love to hear from anyone attending.