Restaurant Week in Chicago runs February 20-27, and while this offers fantastic deals for diners, I can not stress the importance of not skimping on the tip. This also counts for the coupons that restaurants hand out during the “slow season” or discounts from fun sites like Restaurant.com and others.

As former server in the industry, I can attest to the fact that a pre fixe menu or any type of deal for customers means a lower tip percentage with more work involved. I encourage you to always take advantage of these amazing deals in the city, especially in a down economy, but make sure you recognize what service you are getting. These deals can often include additional food or drinks for you which can keep your server even more on their toes.

In these instances I recommend you base your tip on what the meal should have cost, not what the final bill says. Your server will still put in the full effort for your discounted meal. Obviously bad service is a different scenario, but if service was up to par then there is no reason to short your server on a tip.

If you are leery of presenting a coupon or mentioning a deal let me put you at ease. Most servers are thrilled to see a larger crowd, so they will not think any differently of you if you use a coupon. Make sure to let them know as soon as possible that you are planning to use it. Telling your server at the beginning of the meal that you plan to use a coupon may save quite a bit of hassle later on when it’s time for the bill.

No matter what your personal beliefs on tipping are percentage-wise, understand that even if you are offered a discount that does not mean servers are earning any different wages. I strongly believe tipping is a part of Karma, so make sure you are putting good vibes out there!

DJ Colette's hit "Feeling Hypnotized" has been featured in Motorola Commercials and has landed her on the "Devil Wears Prada" soundtrack. DJ Heather is also a local based DJ who will be joining DJ Colette for a night of great House music. I can't get enough of these two. Their soulful tracks and smooth beats will keep you dancing all night long. These women will also be participating at the Winter Music Conference to take place in March, a huge event that takes place in Miami that attracts DJs from all over the world including great DJs such as Tiesto and Fat Boy Slim just to name a few. It's a huge honor to participate in this event.

Tickets for Dj Colette and Dj Heather are $10 dollars before midnight and $15 after-for these two it is so worth it and practically a steal if you ask me. This is what I love about Metro Smartbar. Metro Smartbar is a place where local based musicians return and do great live shows at an unbeatable cost. It is not pretentious at all and no specific dress code necessary.

I am going to do my best to go to this show, hopefully my calendar will be clear enough that I will be able to make it. I went to see DJ Kaskade, another great local based DJ last February at Metro Smartbar and I had a great time. If you are in the area or happening to be traveling in Chicago that weekend, stop on over, should be a good time. Also,this is a great way to 1)support Chicago based artists and 2) support women in music,especially in the house music scene,which can be pretty competitive since it mainly consists of men.

Metro Smartbar is located at 3730 N. Clark St (two blocks North of Wrigley Field).
Show starts at 10PM.

Downtown Chicago

Gals' Guide Style

Hint: No drama. No attitude. No pretensions.

( This cool kit can be yours, scroll down for how!)

I didn't even bother to blow dry my hair this morning. I let it go au natural and you know what - I'm digging it.  I'm used to my new job, routine, schedule and as a result, have a terrific perk for you.

One of the clients our team works with is Boca Burger. Last week, I attended a fantastic spa night hosted by Boca and my co-workers. Bucktown's Spa Soak hosted us for a night of manis, pedis, massages, a hearty spread of Boca burgers and healthy sides.  If you haven't guessed it, the entire evening was about relaxing, while evaporating the stresses of the day away.

Thanks to my friend Lena for letting me know about this site-check out www.ioffer.com for some slashing prices of high-end designer duds. Here is where you can also buy,sell,or trade high-end items and get the most for your money. You can actually converse with the sellers and ask them questions regarding the items that they are trying to sell. You can give them a price you are willing to pay and the sellers can decide whether or not they want to go with your offer.

Happy shopping!

Then the Stupid Cupid event is just for you!

$35 for appetizers, drink specials and hanging with cool singles!

Enjoy!

February 4, 2009

Last week in my Media Studies 101 class we talked about a basic topic: how does the media, in particularly TV, affect its viewers. We got into a pretty heated discussion about how television shows and how they can affect people’s actions. They brought up shows like One Tree Hill (my absolute favorite!), Gossip Girl, Rock of Love, and A Double Shot of Love. It’s sad to say that I watch every single one of these shows probably along with a majority of young girls. What I started to think about was how these shows shape my perception of my own life. I try to relate so many aspects of my life to these shows. I see the way Nathan treats Haley or Dan treats Serena and I see myself in these characters. I try to act how they do in order to achieve the same outcome. Sadly enough, I’ve even quoted these characters when I’ve been in fights with my boyfriend! He even has to tell me that it’s not real, it’s a scripted show. Even with shows like Rock of Love, I started thinking about what purpose do they serve? Every person who watches this show says how dumb, trashy, and slutty the girls look. They say how fake it is and they’re just acting like that for camera time. So even though we know all of this, why do we continue to watch shows like this? 

I think we watch these shows in order to make us feel better about ourselves. I see these girls on TV acting like idiots and I know I would never do that and I feel good. I feel like I’m a better person than these people. What’s complicated is that we watch certain shows and base our lives off of their characters, but watch other shows, ironically enough “reality shows,” and understand that it isn’t real. What’s depressing is that most people, especially women, are deeply immersed in both.

I think one of the most popular leftover foods is Chinese food. Whether you get delivery or go out to eat, it’s easy to take leftovers home in cute white boxes. My favorite simple tip for reheating these leftovers is to place a damp napkin or paper towel over the open container in a microwave. This will re-hydrate your leftovers and really perk up the flavor as you heat it.