A Trip to the Second City

This week, Samantha Brown spends a weekend in the Windy City, Chicago!

We start with Sam biking on Friday. Sam comments about how she is going to get letters about her not wearing a helmet. True, Sam, true. She goes to see some of Chicago’s art, including a sculpture dubbed “The Beam.” She goes to a fountain complete with giant faces watching you frolic. Sam meets up with other cyclists, just talking in one of Chicago’s plazas. They also go biking on a route, which only a few people know. Sam meets him and the bikers are off!

Sam goes to replace the calories she just burned off and gets to use a fire torch on meat at Moto. The kitchen looks like a science lab but everything is used to save energy. They are being eco-friendly and delicious! Sam is surprised to see roadkill on the menu and moves quickly to desert. Which is a purple pancake. Sam makes a grapefruit sorbet over frozen nitrogen. It looks like the frozen balls the people at the Liberty Science Center like to break during their frozen nitrogen demonstrations. Sam finishes her meal, gets a plate instructing her to eat her cigar.

We come back to Saturday morning. Sam goes to visit Second City, that comedy club where many comedians got their start. Despite not having her hand up, Sam volunteers to be part of the improv. Sam and partner Patrick get a scene in a graveyard, on a first date. Sam is pretty good at this improv stuff, the audience loves the duo. Now, on to Sam’s ongoing love affair with alcohol, she goes to have a beer. They challenge her to name the country of origin. She challenges the owner, who impresses her. The bartender says the locals are the rowdiest of the bar’s international clientele.

At sundown on Saturday, Sam goes to a steakhouse. She gets to visit the meat locker. She learns that they let the meat age, like a fine wine. Personally, that makes me a bit sick. I think I’d rather have fresh meat…wait, I don’t eat beef when I go out. Don’t age the chicken and I’m fine. Sam gets a feast to relish. She continues her night with a visit to Buddy Guy’s Blues Club. The performer tells Sam about the difference in Chicago blues, saying the weather helps—particularly how cold the city gets.

Sunday morning dawns over Chicago as Sam makes her way to Wrigley Field. Actually, she’s across the way from Wrigley Field, on a rooftop decked out as extra stadium seats. The fans don’t know who the Cubs are playing nor that at this point, they were in first place. But, as someone else says, not for long. The Chicago Cubs are the new Boston Red Sox since 2004. Sam goes to get a hot dog. I don’t blame her. I may not eat beef when I go out, but when I went to see the Staten Island Yankees, I got a hot dog. What’s a baseball game without one? And she’s probably finding out where that other woman got her white wine. As the weekend ends, Sam still defends New York.

Quote of the Episode:
“It’s like a wine tasting and we all know how much I like my wine.”—Sam. Yes, Sam, we do.

Next week: Boston! Hey, I’ve been there! Looks like we're just getting one show per week now.