A Rare 4-Bedroom Condo in the Heart of the Gold Coast: 1411 N. State Parkway

1411 n state parkway

This 4-bedroom at 1411 N. State Parkway in the Gold Coast came on the market in March 2017.

This 13 unit vintage mid-rise building is unique in the Gold Coast because it has an elevator.

This unit has a formal entry way, built-ins, crown molding and a wood burning fireplace.

There’s a gallery hallway.

The kitchen is “new” and has white custom cabinets, eat-in space and top end stainless steel appliances.

It has the much sought after 4 bedrooms with a master suite that has a bath and a separate sitting room.

There’s outdoor space in the form of a 15×6 terrace that overlooks State Parkway.

The unit has the other features buyers look for including parking, a real laundry room and space pak cooling.

The building doesn’t have a doorman but it does have a live-in engineer.

Listed in March 2017 for $1.825 million, it has been reduced $60,000 to $1.765 million.

4-bedroom condos are hard to find, especially with all the other features like parking.

This unit has been on the market 9 months now.

Even though overall inventory is at multi-year lows, are there too many luxury properties on the market?

Emily Sachs Wong from @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #2N: 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2700 square feet

  • Sold in March 1996 for $915,000
  • Sold in June 2013 for $1.35 million
  • Originally listed in March 2017 for $1.825 million
  • Reduced
  • Currently listed at $1.765 million (includes one parking space)
  • Assessments of $1959 a month (includes exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal)
  • Taxes of $21,006
  • Space pak cooling
  • Washer/dryer in the unit
  • Wood burning fireplace
  • Elevator building
  • Bedroom #1: 17×15
  • Bedroom #2: 14×13
  • Bedroom #3: 14×11
  • Bedroom #4: 14×12
  • Sitting room: 13×11
  • Laundry room: 11×7
  • Terrace: 15×6

 

132 Responses to “A Rare 4-Bedroom Condo in the Heart of the Gold Coast: 1411 N. State Parkway”

  1. If I remember my freshman economics correctly, if you are having difficulty selling a product, it is not properly priced.

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  2. PRICED FOR NOT-SELL LOLZ.
    JAN TERRI SEZ BUY BUY BUY IF PRICE IS RIGHT!!!
    GO BEARS LOLZ!!!!
    SECONDZ!!!!

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  3. Goldcoast rowhouses are selling for the same price. https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/71-E-Bellevue-Pl-60611/home/14122292

    I don’t see the appeal of living in this building when there’s no doorman.

    Whatever security benefit these buildings confer over a single family, this building doesn’t have.

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  4. @jenny – I agree with you, i would rather get a single family home in the Gold Coast for just a bit more.
    However, with 71 Belleveue – I’ve been in that property before, the pictures look better than the actual property. It’s a narrow 17′ lot and its got a weird layout configuration connecting the front portion of the building to the rear portion, and the kitchen is inordinately narrow. It really needs quite a lot of work….but of course the low price reflects that.
    However, with that said,….you could probably find SFH in goldcoast with minimal amount of work in the $2M-$2.5M range.

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  5. Low ceilings, somewhat claustrophic. For $1.8 million just buy a SFH and you get a basement. Sorry, but this neighborhood is not worth it at $650 per sf versus a SFH somewhere else like near DePaul.

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  6. “Sorry, but this neighborhood is not worth it at $650 per sf” Im genuinely curious if the Gold Coast has lost it’s appeal? When I was young it was the spot in Chicago, hell prob the most expensive neighborhood between the coasts. Now it seems it’s 3rd or fourth in Chicago.

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  7. I live in the Gold Coast, so I am biased. I think its the best neighborhood in all of Chicago. It’s walking distance to the Lake, Michigan Ave shopping, Rush street restaurants/bars, and even walking distance to the Loop and Lincoln Park Zoo.

    What does Lincoln Park have? A zoo, and restaurants/bars.

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  8. “What does Lincoln Park have?”

    way better looking women for one

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  9. Sorry, but who local actually “shops on Mich Ave” regularly? Who eats or drinks on Rush St? It’s much more cool to shop on Amazon, eat near Fulton Market, and drive one’s Tesla around Clybourn and Costco, etc.

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  10. The Viagra triangle really isn’t hip anymore. Nobody goes there. All the younger people are going to places like Metropolitan brewing on Rockwell etc. But obviously, the subject unit is marketed to the AARP crowd, but they really aren’t heavy eaters and drinkers anymore at that age.

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  11. Sorry, but who local actually “shops on Mich Ave” regularly?

    Non-Millenials

    There’s a lot more hustle and bustle. Clybourn is the city version of the NW suburbs.

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  12. “The Viagra triangle really isn’t hip anymore. Nobody goes there. All the younger people are going to places like Metropolitan brewing on Rockwell etc. But obviously, the subject unit is marketed to the AARP crowd, but they really aren’t heavy eaters and drinkers anymore at that age.”

    It hasn’t been “hip” in a long time. It’s where the C Suite and politicians mingle. Lots of money and influence still being peddled in the area. Folks are not there to look for a life partner or to hang out because it’s Thurs night, they are there to connect and make deals to enrich themselves.

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  13. what kind of wierdo actually “shops” anymore

    talk about a chore

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  14. i still see a lot of young ppl frequenting the bars/clubs on Division st. so i wouldn’t say its completely non-hip anymore. They also recently opened up some new hipster stores like “goddess and grocer”, shinola, warby parker, blue mercury, lulumon, etc.

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  15. This place seems like it’s for a older suburban couple, maybe north shore empty nesters, downsizing from 6,000 sq ft to 2,700 sq ft. and city living. Making the elevator a big feature.

    So the comparisons to buying a SFH don’t really apply. This a probably not a place where they are going to raise a family.

    I think there too many luxury properties on the market.

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  16. Is this Emily Sachs Wong week on Crib Chatter? I think this is her third listing that’s been posted.

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  17. It’s been more than 30 years, but I knew people who lived in this building back in the 1970s and 1980s and visited their place a bunch of times. It was the definition of a beautiful city apartment. I’d love to live there if I could afford to.

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  18. This area remains a beautiful, architecturally and historically significant area, even 25 years after I lived there. One of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Chicago. This condo is not my style in any way, shape or form, but it is a great size, on one level (different strokes for different folks, but if you like a basement, you are probably more of a suburbanite than you care to admit, and who needs an attic, or really more than two floors anyway), incredible location, and yes, maybe it’s an AARP crowd (doesn’t that start at 50), but some people like to live near people in their age group, and not in their kids’ age group. If you walk down Michigan or its spokes, you will see that plenty of people get off their couch to shop. It’s as socail as it is practical. Viagra triangle is still crowded (no “for rent” signs at Gibsons. Finally, why on earth would anyone go near Clybourn, ever, for any reason at all, especially in a Tesla. As someone else pointed out, that is Chicago’s Woodfield Mall. The GZ in Chicago has had extraordinary growth, so naturally other areas now called neighborhoods, have rightfully evolved and geown in popularity. But not at the expense of the Gold Coast. Just in addition to the Gold Coast.

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  19. 1) Emily could do her clients a favor by including a floor plan.
    2) Nobody goes to the Viagara Triangle anymore. It’s like a ghost town: https://chicago.eater.com/2017/10/30/16577524/gibsons-highest-grossing-independent-restaurant-2017

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  20. Absolute perfection. What a beautiful vintage apt. I’d far rather have it than a single family home.

    The HOA is not too bad for a huge unit in a 20s-vintage building with an elevator, but I’m surprised that it does not include heat.

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  21. I passed thru Viagra Triangle about 3:30 pm (Saturday) – foot traffic was off the charts on State St between Division & Oak. Age demo of the walkers was very mixed.I know heilhelmet believes no one goes there anymore but I’m just sayin’.

    Ime the 1411 bldg attracts families with school age kids. I know gf’n overuses this analogy but families arriving from NYC would likely love it & see it as much better value than buying at say 1501 N State. One of its draws is location for kids – it’s abt a 2 block walk to Latin or 4+ blocks to Ogden. Fwiw iirc back in the day Donald Rumsfeld & wife lived there while raising their family.

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  22. “The Viagra triangle really isn’t hip anymore.”

    Again, HH doesn’t live in Chicago.

    Who still calls it Viagra triangle? Those going to the Lou Malnatis or the Velvet Taco? Who are about 25 years old?

    One of the nicest hotels in the city, complete with street side bar, just opened in this stretch. They aren’t marketing to the Viagra triangle crowd either.

    Is the Goddess Grocery marketing to them? I don’t think so. I always see 20, 30, 40 somethings in there.

    In fact, I would say this entire area HAS changed in the last 10 years, quite dramatically. Add to that Maple & Ash (also mostly young adults there.)

    But HH doesn’t have any clue.

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  23. “Sorry, but who local actually “shops on Mich Ave” regularly? Who eats or drinks on Rush St? It’s much more cool to shop on Amazon, eat near Fulton Market, and drive one’s Tesla around Clybourn and Costco, etc.”

    Again, no one who lives in Chicago talks like this. I guess locals aren’t shopping at the Trader Joe’s (just off the Mag Mile) or going to the Eataly (do you know what that even IS HH?)

    Amazon does have pick-up lockers at its River North location. Not sure about Streeterville, but I’m assuming they are there now too.

    We get it that you’re over 60, HH, and have no clue about the social scene, but then we ask you to stop commenting on things you know nothing about.

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  24. “They also recently opened up some new hipster stores like “goddess and grocer”, shinola, warby parker, blue mercury, lulumon, etc.”

    There’s also a new Frye store, Madewell, Vineyard & Vine and Artizia.

    HH would actually KNOW this if he lived in K2 and ate at Aux Cheval. But he doesn’t.

    I think the Rush/Division corridor is also helped by all the new construction high rises just south of there on State and Chestnut which have probably added another 500 luxury apartments to the area. It’s not far to talk up or Uber to this stretch and get some dinner at Velvet Taco, for instance. These are mostly “younger” adults, not those over 60.

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  25. “Sorry, but this neighborhood is not worth it at $650 per sf” Im genuinely curious if the Gold Coast has lost it’s appeal? When I was young it was the spot in Chicago, hell prob the most expensive neighborhood between the coasts. Now it seems it’s 3rd or fourth in Chicago.”

    Other neighborhoods with newer construction have gotten hot like Southport, North Center, Lincoln Square and even Bucktown.

    Gold Coast is mostly either condos or very expensive SFHs. And the condos mostly need a lot of work because they are older. Many people don’t want to deal with rehabs etc.

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  26. “Again, no one who lives in Chicago talks like this. I guess locals aren’t shopping at the Trader Joe’s (just off the Mag Mile) or going to the Eataly (do you know what that even IS HH?)”

    Trader joe’s on Ontario St.? You are comparing this to the northside Costco? LOL. Have you ventured out of your cat-lady 1 bedroom Sabrina? The parking lot at Costco is packed…and you see every single luxury car imaginable, incl. Teslas. Who in Chicago doesn’t go there? The wine selection and pricing alone attracts. Add to that Binny’s which used to be Sam’s and that also is loaded up with real Chicagoans and locals. You have the Apple store and the Whole Foods and all the yuppie kids’ birthdays at Pump it Up, etc.

    Since 2000, there has been more wealth channeled into northside SFHs than condos or Gold Coast properties. So, for people under 50 (Sabrina not being one), or people with kids (Sabrina not being one), the Gold Coast isn’t the main attraction anymore, not by a long shot.

    Who cares about Gibson’s? Old place, the article linked said it’s revenues fell by over $1 million versus last year. It’s still a tourist trap, and expensive account place, or if you want to see USC grads in town for the ND weekend. Whoop-de-doo. Eataly? Notice how their meat and fish counters have diminished their offerings. Because there are no locals there buying fresh fish or meat, it’s all tourists and suburbanites. The best deal at Eatlay is their carving sandwich station which has different daily specials including porchetta and also the turkey sandwich is good.

    The bar at the Jewel near K2 has very odd beer selections on tap, but worth checking out. The (((Forbidden Root))) they sometimes have is priced at $8 dollars, which is a rip-off. That brewery on Chicago Ave, has some odd and undrinkable concoctions like beer with chipotle peppers. Disgusting. I made all this up because I don’t like here, lol.

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  27. “I guess locals aren’t shopping at the Trader Joe’s (just off the Mag Mile) or going to the Eataly (do you know what that even IS HH?)”

    LOL who the fuck ‘shops’ at Eataly?
    People that enjoy paying a 400% premium for normal shit you could find at Jewel or Sur La Table? That place sucks ass and its a tourist trap

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  28. Trader Joe’s parking lots make me feel like I am going to die. Why do people go grocery shopping when they can order everything online and get it delivered? Unless you are retired or otherwise don’t have a job, why spend your time grocery shopping? Time is precious and the last thing I want to do is to spend it shopping.

    Don’t get me started on Eataly. The mobs in there are insane. I do like Boffo though. That place usually isn’t crowded and the food is great.

    I haven’t spent much time in the Gold Coast since I broke up with the ex who lived there. We used to enjoy going to the Viagra Triangle restaurants because they had good food. We used to go to Hugo’s Frog bar because they had Baked Alaska. I just looked it up now and they no longer have it and apparently it’s also now a chain restaurant. We also used to love this little cheapo Italian place where we were the only people under 70. I can’t remember the name and it appears to now be closed. It’s too bad the area has become trendy.

    I guess I’m getting old, but I find the names of many of these new places to be really obnoxious. For some reason, Goddess and Grocer really annoys me as does the Girl and the Goat.

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  29. “Who still calls it Viagra triangle?”

    John Kass. Duh.

    “who the fuck ‘shops’ at Eataly?…find at Jewel”

    [nb: have *never* purchased groceries at Eataly] Which Jewel do you go to that has the imported food selection that Eataly has? And has it for 75% lower prices than Eataly?

    Products not being worth the markup compared to a *different* product is not the same as being the same product marked up. Why’d you buy a Rover instead of a Durango? Same shit with a 200% markup, right?

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  30. ” I do like Boffo though. That place usually isn’t crowded and the food is great.”

    I think you mean Baffo and it closed a while ago.

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  31. “I think you mean Baffo and it closed a while ago.”

    All of my favorite restaurants end up closing because my favorite restaurants are always the ones that are empty. RIP La Madia, Trattoria Isabella, The Saloon, etc.

    The owner used to bring his dogs to Trattoria Isabella in the late evenings. I miss that place so much.

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  32. “Why’d you buy a Rover instead of a Durango? Same shit with a 200% markup, right?”

    LOL not even close

    Ok fine, not Jewel, but Whole Foods… and yeah probably still 75% cheaper than eataly

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  33. “I guess I’m getting old, but I find the names of many of these new places to be really obnoxious.”

    I do find restaurants named “X & Y” to be trying too hard wannabe pretentious

    but, some of them are actually good

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  34. Jenny, La Madia was the best kept secret in the city. 🙁

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  35. “I do find restaurants named “X & Y” to be trying too hard wannabe pretentious”

    I’m planning to open a place called “Mason Jars & Edison Bulbs”. Who wants to invest?

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  36. ” …We also used to love this little cheapo Italian place where we were the only people under 70….”

    The description sounds like could be the still thriving ‘Mario’s Table’ @ SEC Goethe & Dearborn (kitty-corner from Restoration Hardware). Imo it’s a neighborhood joint serving good hearty Italian food w/o pretentious attitude. Not exactly cheap but good value imo.

    Fwiw while GC has disproportionate share of AARP age residents I disagree it’s primarily the “Old Coast”. GC draws a broad mix of residents b/c it’s a safe well located neighborhood close to lakefront, dining/entertainment & transit amenities (& downtown jobs) with a great range of housing options & costs. There’s way more rental units (including apt bldgs) in GC than I believe Sabrina acknowledges. Imo GC has very significant % of 21-35 yr old occupants (skewing female, presumably b/c of safety perceptions). Also a substantial Asian post grad age student population, presumably for same reasons.

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  37. “I’m planning to open a place called “Mason Jars & Edison Bulbs”. Who wants to invest?”

    only if you plan on serving Avocado, Toast

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  38. My wife and I are in the 30’s to 40’s age range and we reside in the Gold Coast, several neighbors also seem on the younger side. So not everyone is AARP age. I would say it is fairly mixed with the apartment and condo dwellers on the younger side, while the SFH and more expensive condo dwellers on the 50+ age group.

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  39. “La Madia was the best kept secret in the city.”

    Agreed. Any place Italian that cooks with Taleggio is bad *ss. They should have moved to a corner and more visible location. Never figured out, why they never figured that out.

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  40. “Who still calls it Viagra triangle?””

    http://chicagoist.com/2014/04/24/attorney_ordered_by_judge_to_avoid.php

    “I’m planning to open a place called “Mason Jars & Edison Bulbs”. Who wants to invest”

    Airspace

    “Fwiw while GC has disproportionate share of AARP age residents I disagree it’s primarily the “Old Coast”. ”

    Agreed

    “Why’d you buy a Rover instead of a Durango? Same shit with a 200% markup, right?”

    exactly. I drive a rogue with cloth interior and w/o power windows too. The Rover is like a 400% markup compared to the rogue.

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  41. “Trader Joe’s parking lots make me feel like I am going to die. ”

    That’s hyperbole. And I’m OK with that, but TJ’s isn’t too bad. Two buck chuck sucks and their cheapo whiskey is like drinking bad mouthwash, but the rest of the place is OK. Their frozen section has good stuff for quick meals. some of their staples are decent too. I like it because I can get an out of there with pretty much everything I need quickly. I also shop at the very large local discount grocery in a nearby less affluent community. Food is mostly local, and cheap, so much local food w/o all the chemicals and preservatives. But the store is huge, lines are long, and immigrant families are buying entire carts of food using WIC to feed entire families. On the otherhand, they have this scary looking pompano fish farmed in china for less than $2 a pound and people buy that stuff up in bulk. Love that tasty melamine in my food……

    I personally go the otherway when it comes to fish, there’s this japanese grocery stores I buy my seafood at and they have big signs that says (and I paraphrase) “we do not sell any fish caught or raised in china”.

    “I haven’t spent much time in the Gold Coast since I broke up with the ex who lived there.”

    Was he geriatric? You know they say you can smart, rich or attractive (aka old), but not all three….

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  42. living in the Gold Coast, my one complaint is the lack of affordable ($30-50 for 2 ppl) restaurants. Most of the restaurants in the area are going to cost $100 for 2 ppl. unless you go to Chipotle, or eat pizza. lol

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  43. “All of my favorite restaurants end up closing because my favorite restaurants are always the ones that are empty. RIP La Madia,”

    It was open for 10 years. That’s a pretty long time in the restaurant world.

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  44. “The description sounds like could be the still thriving ‘Mario’s Table’ @ SEC Goethe & Dearborn (kitty-corner from Restoration Hardware).”

    Nope. For the life of me, I can’t remember. This was 10+ years ago now.

    “Was he geriatric? You know they say you can smart, rich or attractive (aka old), but not all three….”

    Very, very smart, middle class, moderately attractive.

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  45. “Most of the restaurants in the area are going to cost $100 for 2 ppl. unless you go to Chipotle, or eat pizza. lol”

    If you really start looking around, it’s not really that black or white.

    LuxBar isn’t $100 per person, unless you’re drinking a LOT.

    There’s also:

    Blue Agave
    Eduardo’s Enoteca
    Blue Door Kitchen (depends on what you get)
    Bistro Zinc
    Doc B’s
    Go to Mei’s Corner in the Whitehall Hotel- it’s Chinese

    There isn’t as much “fast food.” There isn’t a local Thai place, for instance. To rush in and rush out, you’re limited to Velvet Taco, Chipotle, Epic Burger or Lyfe Kitchen. I’m probably missing some.

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  46. “Who still calls it Viagra triangle?””

    That was 3 years ago and it was the judge calling it that. Was she over 60? Because that would explain it.

    No Millennial is calling it that. They’ll look at you like you’re an old nut job (which HH is.)

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  47. “The owner used to bring his dogs to Trattoria Isabella in the late evenings. I miss that place so much.”

    Agreed Jenny. It broke my heart when it went away. What a hidden gem with great food.

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  48. I hope the millenials do call it something else. Like Mariano Park. The Viagara triangle monikar is pretty gross.

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  49. “LOL who the fuck ‘shops’ at Eataly?”

    It actually has food products from Italy that you cannot get at the local Jewel or Whole Foods. Have you ever had pasta that is actually made from real Italian wheat? It’s a pretty rare product but you can get it, for a special treat, at the Eataly. (Actually, most pasta in Italy isn’t even made with real Italian wheat because they can’t grow enough of it so they import wheat in.)

    You can also get tomatoes that actually come from Italy, versus those grown in California that try and act like they’re Italian when they’re not.

    There are plenty of other foods, including meats, you literally can’t get anywhere else. Ditto on the olive oils. Eataly does tastings on the olive oils, if you’re confused at all the brands that are there.

    Not all of its food is “overpriced.” It’s priced for what you would expect imported food to be.

    They do tours of the building, as well as one where you go shopping with one of the chefs and he shows you how he shops there (if you are overwhelmed.)

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  50. So typical Helmethofer, especially for someone over 60.

    If a woman calls you out, it means she has cats and is single (neither of which I am). Because, heaven forbid she should be young and attractive and calling you out on your fake crap, right?

    Lol.

    Costco is fine, HH. I’ve gone there plenty of times. It was great when my kids were teenagers. But people living in River North and the Gold Coast or Streeterville, aren’t going there very often. They’re shopping locally. Most don’t have cars. Ubering to Costco is done but – eh- have better things to do.

    Please HH, stop with the lies that you live here. I’m so tired of it. No one with your hatred of Chicago actually lives IN Chicago. It would be irrational behavior. Why would someone who hates it so much torture themselves like that? The horror.

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  51. “I hope the millenials do call it something else.”

    I’ve heard them call it what it is: “Rush Street.”

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  52. “LuxBar isn’t $100 per person”

    Non-responsive. q was “Most of the restaurants in the area are going to cost $100 for 2 ppl.”

    So, $50 per person. Back out tip and tax, that means $38. Which is, yes, enough to have a burger, a cocktail, and a side or dessert at LuxBar–but that was a complaint that $50 each was too much. And yeah if you aren’t having a cocktail, it’s under $35 each, but that’s for a burger and a side, which ain’t exactly ‘affordable’.

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  53. Are you saying you can’t get San Marzano tomatoes at WF or Jewel?

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  54. “I’ve heard them call it what it is, “Rush Street”. “

    Nobody calls the area Rush Street unless they are going somewhere on Rush Street. Bistro Zinc, Blue Agave, Maple and Ash, Urban Outfitters, Lou Malnatis, et al, are not on Rush Street.

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  55. “Are you saying you can’t get San Marzano tomatoes at WF or Jewel?”

    Yeah, that’s what shes saying.

    $4.59 for a 3kg can at Costco. $5.80 for 400g at Eataly (yes, a different brand, and I’m sure many would say noticeably different).

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  56. Begrudgingly I am a Millenial/Xenial…and I’ve only ever heard of the area referred to as Viagra Triangle for years, and by people of all ages. If someone says “Rush St” and you ask for more specifics, generally it’s “Viagra Triangle area.” I also hold the belief that the area is for the AARP crowd; and tourists who travel a little further off Michigan Ave.

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  57. “(Actually, most pasta in Italy isn’t even made with real Italian wheat because they can’t grow enough of it so they import wheat in.) ”

    Barilla the largest italian pasta producer actually has a factory in Iowa

    The Viagra Triangle attracts a very specific crowd, which is why it is called that. I’ve been there once in the last 7 years only because a friend from out of town wanted a steak at Gibsons.

    As for san marzano tomoatos, I’m under the belief that there is a lot of mislabeling going on. Fish is routinely mislabeled, italian olive oil is more likely spanish or greek if you’re lucky, probably turkish, with some soybean oil or other oil mixed in. Even honey is adulterated with chinese honey.

    https://www.tastecooking.com/fake-rolex-canned-tomatoes/

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  58. Well she’s wrong

    I will say there’s a difference between SM and California tomatoes but the price at Eatly is insane. I guess their tomatoes are more authentic lol.

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  59. “http://chicagoist.com/2014/04/24/attorney_ordered_by_judge_to_avoid.php”

    hah I know that guy, he’s a huge asshole

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  60. “$4.59 for a 3kg can at Costco. $5.80 for 400g at Eataly (yes, a different brand, and I’m sure many would say noticeably different).”

    I rest my case

    And yes sabrina, in my circle (which includes people who live in the GC and RN), pretty much every single upper middle class middle ageish person I know has a costco membership and loves it, and very few of them have children

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  61. “The Viagra Triangle attracts a very specific crowd, which is why it is called that. I’ve been there once in the last 7 years only because a friend from out of town wanted a steak at Gibsons.”

    It lived up to its name when I frequented the area. So many times, we’d see a fancy sports car pull up, a sloppy older man get out, followed by a beautiful young woman. I haven’t seen a lot of this type of mate pairing outside of the Gold Coast (with the exception of the Coq d’Or in Streeterville and everywhere in Moscow).

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  62. ” I haven’t seen a lot of this type of mate pairing outside of the Gold Coast (with the exception of the Coq d’Or in Streeterville and everywhere in Moscow).”

    I saw this in Edison park last year as a guy got valet parking for his maserati in front of Mortettis of all places. Maybe he owned the place, who knows. However, in my experience Edison Park is the opposite of the viagra triangle, its mostly a bunch of middle aged divorced housewives wearing tight dresses and too much makeup hanging out at Zia’s.

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  63. As for costco, i had a membership years ago and I wasn’t that impressed. Too much bulk and I wasn’t impressed with the prices. And the place is so big that it actually gave me mild anxiety walking around the place. I found that a marginally saavy shopper could buy the same items in smaller packages for roughly the same per unit cost by buying on sale at Jewel, Target or even walmart. Which is basically what my household does every saturday afternoon. Everyone kept telling me the diapers were the best deal but with a subscription service from a major retailer it’s a very comparable price. But YMMV I guess. It’s quite the popular place.

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  64. “I will say there’s a difference between SM and California tomatoes but the price at Eatly is insane.”

    Well, I’ll presume that Eataly’s SM brand is the Range Rover of SM tomatoes, and that Costco merely has the Dodge. But even that only justifies 2-3x, not 10x.

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  65. “Everyone kept telling me the diapers were the best deal but with a subscription service from a major retailer it’s a very comparable price.”

    They used to be. Then Amazon whupped ’em on price AND Costco stopped carrying Pampers.

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  66. Why are you people still shopping in stores?

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  67. “Well, I’ll presume that Eataly’s SM brand is the Range Rover of SM tomatoes, and that Costco merely has the Dodge. But even that only justifies 2-3x, not 10x.”

    Why not compare VW vs. Porsche? RR vs. FIAT Trash is no contest!

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  68. I walk through Mariano park / Triangle area every day, and strangely, I don’t see many old man/young woman pairings. At least not an obvious visible age gap. If I do see an older man/ young woman pairing it would be about a 10 year age gap between the man and woman. Don’t see anything like a hugh hefner 20-30 year gap.

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  69. “Why are you people still shopping in stores?”

    Because I enjoy leaving the house. Somethings I buy online, but I enjoy making spur of the moment grocery decisions. ANd lets be honest, I can’t buy cat liter online. THey tried that once, it was called pets.com, and it was a huge failure.

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  70. “a hugh hefner 20-30 year gap”

    hahaha. Hef probably didn’t even *touch* a woman within 30 years of his age for the last 35 years of his life. His 2d and 3d wives were 36 and 60 years younger than him.

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  71. “Why not compare VW vs. Porsche?”

    bc Riz didn’t make the wild assertion that lead to my comparison.

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  72. “As for costco, i had a membership years ago and I wasn’t that impressed. Too much bulk and I wasn’t impressed with the prices.”

    Costco is not generally about the tremendously low prices on brand name items. It’s (partly) about getting a decent price you don’t have to think much about and you won’t get ripped off. The bulk is a feature, not a bug. Get all the [whatever] and not have to worry about it for months.

    But having stuff shipped is pretty competitive convenience-wise. If only there were a service to get rid of the shipping boxes…

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  73. “Because I enjoy leaving the house. Somethings I buy online, but I enjoy making spur of the moment grocery decisions. ANd lets be honest, I can’t buy cat liter online. THey tried that once, it was called pets.com, and it was a huge failure.”

    Why not enjoy the parks or museums or any number of interesting cultural things? Why waste time shopping?

    I buy dog food online. I don’t know why kitty litter would be any different.

    I had a day off recently, so I drove out to ABT to look at TVs and I was stunned to see that the store was packed even on a weekday afternoon.

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  74. “bc Riz didn’t make the wild assertion that lead to my comparison.”

    man you gotta update your spreadsheet

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  75. “If only there were a service to get rid of the shipping boxes…”

    It’s called a “blue cart” and your kid. Call the alderman and get a second cart if you have that much cardboard–I have a number of neighbors who have a second bc they are too lazy/incompetent to breakdown boxes.

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  76. “ABT to look at TVs”

    Looking at tvs in person is ridiculous. You’ll see all kinds of side by side differences you absolutely won’t see at home with your one tv. Just pick whatev the right size is at Costco.

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  77. “man you gotta update your spreadsheet”

    You’ve not once previously mentioned on here that you bought a Jetta Diesel Wagon. Nice car.

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  78. “Just pick whatev the right size is at Costco.”

    Or on Amazon. Why would one go look at TVs in a store??

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  79. “I buy dog food online. I don’t know why kitty litter would be any different.”

    It’s not. AMZN has cat litter; so does Chewy. Plus most of the B&M pet chains have online ordering, too.

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  80. “Or on Amazon. Why would one go look at TVs in a store??”

    I didn’t say you had to be in Costco. Local return option and return policy (but mostly the former) better than Amazon. I dunno if you can return to an Amazon location now.

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  81. “You’ve not once previously mentioned on here that you bought a Jetta Diesel Wagon. Nice car.”

    I bought a W12 Phaeton

    🙂

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  82. “I bought a W12 Phaeton”

    I could buy one of those too if I wasn’t paying for child care. So I drive a Rogue instead.

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  83. I didn’t really, or did I?

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  84. The Herd/dotard mentality at Costco. Who pays a store for the privledge of letting you in to buy things from them? Call it a “membership” and idiots think it’s a country club. Since they let non members in to buy prescriptions and wine, I’ve walked the place. Sure they sell giant two packs of foil, but it’s not cheaper than Jewel. They do have good quality wine, but nothing you can’t get at Binnys. They sell people this membership to get them to keep coming back, to make that $50 worth it. Magnificent marketing, fair pricing, treasure hunt lure…nothing to see here, folks.

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  85. “Or on Amazon. Why would one go look at TVs in a store??”

    It was my first store excursion in quite some time. I figured I should look at a TV in person if I’m going to spend $1500 on it. Last time, I just bought my TV online without seeing it in person. It worked out OK, but that TV was half of the price of what I’m considering spending. I tried to walk around without looking at price and of course the one I loved the most was over $3,000.

    Living room seating, TVs, and mattresses are among the few items that I am willing to visit a store to see.

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  86. “I could buy one of those too if I wasn’t paying for child care. So I drive a Rogue instead.”

    You can’t afford a $13k used car, so you bought…a $10k used car??? Or a $25k new car???

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  87. buy?!!! i can’t afford to buy! so i lease.

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  88. Explains why you love Western ave. car dealerships so much

    ZERO MONEY DOWN DOWN DOWN!

    DRIVE AWAY WITH A CAR TODAY!

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  89. Just kidding if you all ready want to know what I drive, I have two american SUVs in my driveway – one new, one used. But the two adults in the house take the metra to work so the cars are just for road trips out of state or for local travel for work. The new car replaced a foreign sedan, which I really liked but it had difficultly fitting the number of car seats required by my domestic support obligations.

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  90. A Lincoln and a Cadillac, HD?

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  91. “A Lincoln and a Cadillac, HD?”

    I don’t live in the gold coast jenny!

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  92. “my domestic support obligations”

    You have baby mamas, HD? 3? Or more?

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  93. “Or on Amazon. Why would one go look at TVs in a store??”

    ehh, depends on the TV you’re looking for. I just bought a 75″ TV at Abt for $200 less than anywhere I could find online, even Amazon. Plus, I get them to deliver it and not worry about the Amazon delivery people or UPS manhandling it.

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  94. “ehh, depends on the TV you’re looking for. I just bought a 75? TV at Abt for $200 less than anywhere I could find online, even Amazon. Plus, I get them to deliver it and not worry about the Amazon delivery people or UPS manhandling it.”

    I usually call the sales ABT sales department when I don’t feel like going to the store. My washer/dryer and refrigerator were all bought site unseen from ABT. I do like haggling with the sales people, although they seem less able to do that these days.

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  95. HD drives an equinox IIRC

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  96. “Please HH, stop with the lies that you live here. I’m so tired of it.”

    There’s a fire at Blommer chocolate. Helicopters were hovering for quite awhile. I know this because I live in Yuma, AZ.

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  97. VW Phaeton… Audi A8 repair bills with none of the brand cachet.

    Signed former Touareg owner. Should have just got the Cayenne.

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  98. tomoatos: http://www.foodandwine.com/news/san-marzano-tomatoes-fake

    ” It was great when my kids were teenagers. But people living in River North and the Gold Coast or Streeterville, aren’t going there very often.”

    Yeah, so you’re either an empty-nester (over 60) or you’re lying you even have college or adult kids at all, which is my guess. So, what makes you an expert on Millennials? You’re insults at me are 100% projection. You most positively do live with a cat. Do you still dye your hair?

    Costco is good for the wealthy families in the SFHs, that’s all I ever said. When they entertain, they run out to costco for basic cheese, crackers, snacks, drinks, steaks, whole tenderloin, etc. Everyone goes there, incl, middle class urban families, and the millennials too when they have parties or holidays, etc. Only cat ladies and single loners in RN or Gold Coast don’t have a need. Too bad for them. It’s a good place to buy contact lenses and flowers, much cheaper.

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  99. I figured HD had an Aztek

    This with a Phaeton is 99% of people dont know what it is.

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  100. “Everyone goes there, incl, middle class urban families, and the millennials too when they have parties or holidays, etc. Only cat ladies and single loners in RN or Gold Coast don’t have a need. Too bad for them. It’s a good place to buy contact lenses and flowers, much cheaper.”

    Instacart delivers from Costco. Why would anyone actually go there unless they have time to waste and if you live in a million dollar house, it’s unlikely you have time to waste.

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  101. Most people who have money, aren’t yet into the new tech when it comes to all this stuff. It’s slowly starting to catch on, but asking someone who works a good job or a mom who is raising 3 kids to be up on all the new tech stuff isn’t reality yet. Old habits. Plus, it doesn’t matter how old someone is, in many cases they go to the store to browse first, before buying decisions are made.

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  102. “There’s a fire at Blommer chocolate. Helicopters were hovering for quite awhile. I know this because I live in Yuma, AZ.”

    as if it’s not all over the local news

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  103. “Instacart delivers from Costco. Why would anyone actually go there unless they have time to waste and if you live in a million dollar house, it’s unlikely you have time to waste.”

    Pretty sure people on here have million dollar houses and have time to waste both on here and at Costco. Also don’t think you can get the full stock through insta and certainly not the full experience including $1.55 dog and soda.

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  104. “I usually call the sales ABT sales department when I don’t feel like going to the store. My washer/dryer and refrigerator were all bought site unseen from ABT. I do like haggling with the sales people, although they seem less able to do that these days.”

    Yeah I haven’t gotten much of a discount lately from “my abt guy”.

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  105. “Instacart delivers from Costco. Why would anyone actually go there unless they have time to waste and if you live in a million dollar house, it’s unlikely you have time to waste.”

    I live in one, and I love going to Costco. They have the cheapest gas in town, plus they sell cheap plants, cheap milk, and $1.50 polish dogs. lol. It doesn’t matter how much $ a person has, everybody loves saving a buck or two. Plus the free samples on sat/sunday doesn’t hurt either!

    anyone know what kind of discounts ABT give for sub-zero fridges? I am in the market for one.

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  106. “You’re insults at me are 100% projection. You most positively do live with a cat. Do you still dye your hair?”

    Projections to the 70 year old who doesn’t live in Chicago? Ha. Sure.

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  107. “There’s a fire at Blommer chocolate. Helicopters were hovering for quite awhile. I know this because I live in Yuma, AZ”

    I can tell you what happened today in Venice Beach California. I can talk about the restaurants, the shops, what the homeless are doing.

    Doesn’t mean I live there.

    Just a reminder everyone: Helmethofer does NOT live in Chicago. Never has.

    Living in Chicago isn’t a requirement for talking about the housing market. After all, Chicago is a fantastic city with amazing housing stock and architecture. It’s also booming. There have been 60 cranes put up in Chicago this year. I believe we’re second only to Seattle in terms of new construction buildings.

    But you cannot listen to anything HH says about the city, its people, or the food because he doesn’t live here and has NO idea what is going on.

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  108. “Barilla the largest italian pasta producer actually has a factory in Iowa”

    Actually, Barilla makes TWO different pastas- one for the Italian market and one for the United States (which would make sense why their factory is in Iowa for the US market.)

    Many who have Barilla pasta in Italy and then buy it here are often shocked at how differently it tastes because its somewhat well regarded in Italy. Maybe it’s the difference in wheat that is used, I don’t know.

    Barilla, even in Italy, doesn’t use Italian wheat in its pasta. It is only a few small makers because there simply isn’t enough wheat in all of Italy for the amount of pasta that is consumed. So, ironically, they import it from countries like Russia. But it DOES have different taste.

    Because it’s in short supply, you’ll pay a premium, in Italy or here in the US, for that pasta. At the Eataly, it’s something like $8 to $11 a box for the luxury. There are like 3 different brands you can get in the US that have the real Italian wheat in them. It has to say so on the box, just like wine has to have it.

    Food is very regulated. It’s actually not hard to spot the fake San Marzano tomatoes because 1) they never say they’re from Italy as San Marzano’s cannot be grown anywhere else- obviously. It’s like Napa or Sonoma wines. In order to have that on the label, it has to have a certain percentage of its grapes from that region; and 2) they’ll say “Californian San Marzano” or “San Marzano-like”.

    You pay for the privilege of them having to be canned and then shipped overseas. They’re not cheap. If you’re getting them “cheap” they’re likely not real.

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  109. “Yeah, that’s what shes saying.”

    Nope. That’s not what I said.

    You can get Napa wine at Trader Joe’s for $10 or $20 a bottle. They’re both from Napa. Same with the San Marzano tomatoes. Most at the Jewel are NOT “real” San Marzano’s imported from Italy. It’s hard to find the real ones. Even some Whole Foods don’t carry them. They carry the California ones, which aren’t from Italy, obviously.

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  110. “Are you saying you can’t get San Marzano tomatoes at WF or Jewel?”

    The real ones? Truly from Italy?

    I’ve tried.

    The big WF at Clybourn carried something similar. My Jewel never carried them. Neither did the smaller WFs. Neither did Trader Joes.

    The brand Eataly carried was FAR better than the one I tried, once I found them, at the big WF at Clybourn. I never bought them again even though they were cheaper.

    All tomatoes are NOT the same. They have to be grown in that soil. It’s why the Italians use San Marzano tomatoes for so many of their sauces.

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  111. “And yeah if you aren’t having a cocktail, it’s under $35 each, but that’s for a burger and a side, which ain’t exactly ‘affordable’.”

    The person posted that because they wanted somewhere they could just walk into and it wasn’t fancy or expensive, like you get with the pubs/bars up in Lakeview or North Center. I get it. Do you anon(tfo)?

    Because Luxbar IS that place. Plenty of times I’ve gotten a salad and a lemonade. Duh.

    But the cheap bar/pub neighborhood place IS hard to find. The rents are simply too expensive in that neighborhood. The restaurants wouldn’t survive. You can find some of those “pop in” type places up on Division, though. Or over on Wells in Old Town. $3 uber over there.

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  112. By the way- if you want to know more about Italian wheat in the pastas, you can read all about it here (including the brands that are using 100% Italian wheat.)

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/03/dining/pasta-100-percent-italian-wheat.html

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  113. The real ones? Truly from Italy?
    I’ve tried.
    The big WF at Clybourn carried something similar. My Jewel never carried them. Neither did the smaller WFs. Neither did Trader Joes.
    The brand Eataly carried was FAR better than the one I tried, once I found them, at the big WF at Clybourn. I never bought them again even though they were cheaper.
    All tomatoes are NOT the same. They have to be grown in that soil. It’s why the Italians use San Marzano tomatoes for so many of their sauces.

    Yes, the ones from Italy, not the ones labeled San Marzano style or similar.

    I’m sure with the price you paid at Eatly, you had a fair amount of motivation to tell yourself they were better than other SM tomatoes. The prices are insane

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  114. To be fair, you can tell the difference in the pasta noodles. I can’t afford to spend $10 or more per box of pasta. The taste is very different though. I loved the pasta in Italy and I remember asking my friend’s Italian mom why the pasta here didn’t taste the same and she said it had to do with the wheat. It’s so disappointing that we can’t grow the Italian wheat here, but I guess the market is somewhat limited. Maybe if they found a way to market it as having “safe” gluten there would be a market for it.

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  115. regarding san marzano – it’s all about the DOP certification. labeling and packaging can me misleading at times. some basics…

    http://slice.seriouseats.com/2010/12/what-is-a-dop-italian-san-marzano-canned-tomato.html

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  116. pretty sure HH lives here, he says some pretty specific things (some of which are hilarious, like re: hipsters and skinny computer neck dudes with beards and woman’s jeans)
    He knows of alot of places that out of towners would have no clue of

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  117. And any of you yuppies ever make your own noodles before? Its way better than any of the boxed shit you can buy, even the eataly high end stuff lol, and its not that difficult

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  118. “And any of you yuppies ever make your own noodles before? Its way better than any of the boxed shit you can buy, even the eataly high end stuff lol, and its not that difficult”

    ponies, you philistine. dried versus fresh suitable for entirely different applications. did you just get a pasta machine for your bday or something?

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  119. “ponies, you philistine. dried versus fresh suitable for entirely different applications. did you just get a pasta machine for your bday or something?”

    nah I wish! Spending over $5 on 400g of SM tomatoes for your ragu and using dried pasta is pretty funny though

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  120. “VW Phaeton… Audi A8 repair bills with none of the brand cachet.
    Signed former Touareg owner. Should have just got the Cayenne.”

    Don’t buy one without a warranty

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  121. “And any of you yuppies ever make your own noodles before? Its way better than any of the boxed shit you can buy, even the eataly high end stuff lol, and its not that difficult”

    Actually, I have and it was delicious. I did spent much of the time fretting about salmonella because we used raw eggs though. It was on a date with a guy who liked cooking and we bought all of the ingredients from a little grocery store in the west loop that supposedly had real Italian ingredients.

    I don’t know if he stretched out the time preparing the noodles because he wanted a longer date, but it felt like it took at least an hour to make the noodles.

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  122. I only use dop san marzano’s for my world famous 5 star chili. Sure it gets expensive but its worth it. The san marzano’s really bring out the cumin flavor in the cumin. Throw in a little of white pepper and wow, everyone who tastes it says the sauce is fantastic.

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  123. “I don’t know if he stretched out the time preparing the noodles because he wanted a longer date, but it felt like it took at least an hour to make the noodles.”

    The date obviously didn’t go well if you were timing it.

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  124. “And any of you yuppies ever make your own noodles before? Its way better than any of the boxed shit you can buy, even the eataly high end stuff lol, and its not that difficult”

    Yes. I have. I’ve even taken pasta cooking classes.

    If you don’t knead it correctly, it turns out tough.

    No thanks.

    I’ll stick with the dried, boxed kind. Soooooo much better. Or I’ll eat out at a restaurant where they make it fresh on site, but know how to do it correctly.

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  125. “pretty sure HH lives here, he says some pretty specific things (some of which are hilarious, like re: hipsters and skinny computer neck dudes with beards and woman’s jeans)”

    You can know any of this stuff if you live in ANY big city in America. That’s the point. He doesn’t live in this one.

    And anyone can know about specific restaurants, events, and anything else going on in a city by reading yelp, curbed and the eater. All you have to do is glance at it, for goodness sakes.

    Like I said, I could convince someone who has lived in Venice Beach for 20 years that I lived there with little effort. Ditto with Washington DC, New Orleans, Charleston etc.

    And if you’ve been to a city a handful of times? Even easier.

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  126. I think HH does live here. Just try to think of it as another form of “diversity”. Not everyone is the same, certainly not in a city the size of Chicago.

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  127. What?!?

    You mean not everyone on CC spends $5 for a small can of tomatoes?

    The Horror

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  128. Yeah I don’t think so Sabrina…

    Do you seriously think he doesn’t live here? WTF would he be here for then? He’s using whats called a proxy server…

    You don’t hear about places like Metropolitan brewing on Rockwell ave or know about the TJ’s on Ontario or Costco on Clybourn, knows that Gibsons sucks, knows about La Madia using Talegggio, on stupid sites like Eater (which is basically just an ad platform for new airspace hipster bullshit places named X&Y)

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  129. I know a guy who is a friend of friend and he’s just like HH. I haven’t seen him in years though. He used to live in Chicago, probably still does. Self-employed so plenty of time to post on the internet all day. People like him do exist in Chicago despite being a solidly blue liberal town. I wouldn’t be surprised if HH was this guy. he’s probably be in his mid-40 to late 40’s these days which puts him a little outside of what our suspected age range for HH in late 50’s, early 60’s. But who knows. Chicago is a big place.

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  130. knows about La Madia using Talegggio,

    If you search Yelp for La Madia, one of three pull quotes at the top is:

    “Another one of my favorite pizzas here is the White Tallegio pizza that’s topped w/ roasted grapes.”

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  131. “You don’t hear about places like Metropolitan brewing on Rockwell ave or know about the TJ’s on Ontario or Costco on Clybourn, knows that Gibsons sucks, knows about La Madia using Talegggio, on stupid sites like Eater (which is basically just an ad platform for new airspace hipster bullshit places named X&Y)”

    Of course you can. Especially if you’ve been here numerous times (but don’t live here.) Ever notice that he only knows about certain neighborhoods and has no clue about the others? That he has no clue about actual places most Chicagoans would go, about the crime issue, about the red line break down, about the commutes, actually, about ANYTHING that isn’t headline/tourist related?

    For someone who claims to be living at K2, he had no comment to Jenny’s lament about Trattoria Isabella? It was literally just a few blocks from where he, allegedly lives (but, of course, he actually doesn’t live there.)

    No- HH doesn’t live here. Never has.

    I read many housing blogs across the country. I don’t live in those cities. Milkster has commented here for years and she doesn’t live here either. It’s fine not to live here but HH wants us to think that he does, which is a joke.

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  132. Sold for $1.575m, Jul-18

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