25 E Washington St Chicago, (312) 722-6780, moichicago.com
8/8/2025 – Enter the wonderful world of illusions where you can truly experience the impossible. Illusions challenge us to see things differently and they reveal a lot about how our brain interprets reality. We invite you to visit us at the Museum of Illusions Chicago where nothing is quite as it seems!
Grandson & Daughter went & had an awesome time on the last day of a visit with Grandma & Grandpa.
and Bozo Buckets, Shushi Go & a swim in the Lake.
5812 N Broadway Chicago, (773) 275-8797, aliceandfriendsvegankitchen.com BYOB
8/8/2025 – 100% vegan house-made desserts: carrot cake, strawberry shortcake, zucchini bread, mocha cake, raw tiramisu, peanut butter chocolate mousse bar. Authentic vegan dishes: miso ramen, kung pao, chow mien, steamed dumplings, bao, house-made burger, dol sot bibim bap, teriyaki, soups and salads.
After playing “Bozo Buckets” & “Shushi GO” card game” & a swim in the Lake, a “good bye” dinner at Alice & Friends with Daughter & Grandson who are going back home after a wonderful visit.
Grandson & Daughter really liked this restaurant. Grandma & Grandpa’s enjoyed our dinner.
Drinks: Kombucha- Lavender mint & one Batty Sangria. Grandparents had: Chi Forest sparking water & shared the Wonton Soup.
Entrees: Mac & Cheese, Mushroom Wonderland, Rice Noodles, Crispy Spring Roll, Dumplings.
No room at the inn this time for dessert.
Last visit – Desserts: Cheesecakes – Green Tea, Key Lime, & GP’s share the Mixed Berry Cheesecakes.
CHICAGO RIVERWALK – 400 E Lower Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL, www.cityofchicago.org
Grandson, Daughter & Q tips enjoyed our day at the Riverwalk & Water Taxi to China Town.
Q-tips say: Mrs. Q says: The Riverwalk is open. The downtown area & Magnificent Mile is wonderful. We enjoyed our beautiful day. Many people out walking & the restaurants were busy. Boat rides are running with many people enjoying the rides.
Go and do the Riverwalk. Walk and enjoy the many aspects and outdoor dining or have a drink. Or also take a “water taxi” or “river boat” or “architectural boat rides” and learn about Chicago.
Many restaurants nearby should you decide you need a drink or munchies. Restaurants have signs saying: We do not accept cash, only credit & debit cards.
Chicago Riverwalk
Evening view of Marina Towers from the Riverwalk.
6219 N Sheridan Rd., Open Noon to 9pm | Seven days a week! Closed during inclement weather.
8/6/2025 – Waterfront Café is a hidden sanctuary in the heart of Berger Park and diagonally adjacent to the Berger Park Cultural Center. We offer a variety of summer salads, sausages and seafood rolls, along with beer, wine, and tropical beverages. Enjoy the cool summer breezes on our lakefront garden patio, surrounded by stunning lake and city skyline views.
In the evenings, twinkling lights overhead cast a magical glow while a rotating cast of local musicians provide nightly music of jazz, blues and classical guitar, keeping guests entertained but not overwhelmed.
Q-tips say: YES, Go and enjoy! Grandson, Daughter enjoyed the evening at Waterfront Cafe especially the beautiful water scenes & the music by: Luciano Jazz Guitarist
Grandson had: Shrimp Ceviche – in citrus juice w/ tortilla chips & Dole Pineapple Whip.
Daughter had: Sweet Tofu Salad – non-GMO soybean tofu, sriracha, sweet chili, garlic, ginger, poppy & sesame seeds, gluten-free soy sauce & side of chips. TOPO CHICO SABORES Mineral Water
Q-tips had: Queso – nacho cheese, crunchy jalapeño & El Milagro tortilla chips & Maxwell Street Polish Sausage with peppers & onions & chips. Both had: Blue Moon Light Beer.
7/29/25 – An expansive portrait of the life and music of Billy Joel, exploring the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting; intimately exploring the life and work of Joel, whose music has endured across generations. on HBO Max
Q-tips say: YES, WATCH IT!
BRILLIANT. It is one of the greatest musical documentaries we have seen. Excellent production with cameos from Paul M from the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, etc. What truly elevates this documentary is how it thoughtfully weaves in the origin stories of some of Joel’s most legendary hits Piano Man, New York State of Mind, Just the Way You Are, Vienna, and Goodnight Saigon. These behind-the-scenes moments add an irresistible layer for fans, showing how his childhood struggles, romantic turmoil, and New York roots shaped songs that would become timeless anthems. It’s in these intimate glimpses of his songwriting process that the film finds its emotional core.
Petterinos – 7/27/2025 – 150 N Dearborn St., Chicago, (312) 422-0150, petterinos.com
Q-tips say: YES! Go and enjoy. After a Theater Performance, Color Purple, we walked to Petterinos for dinner. They have Brunch, Lunch, and have Pre-fix menus. A favorite with the Pre/After Theater crowds so make sure you make a reservation.
Q-tips shared: A small Caesar salad & Pork Osso Bucco – Slow cooked pork shank, garlic whipped potatoes, shaved Brussel sprouts, natural braising liquid. All was good: Food/Drinks/Service.
A mystery-of-the-week series following Charlie Cale, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road in her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve. Guest stars are plentiful throughout, from Ellen Barkin and Adrien Brody to Luis Guzmán and Chloë Sevigny. An inverted detective series, also known as a “howcatchem” and popularized by “Columbo,” the crime and perpetrator are shown at the beginning of each episode, and follows Charlie as she tries to solve the mystery.
Q-tips say: “Poker Face” is almost an anti-binge show; it’s better as a mystery to watch once a week rather than all the episodes at once. Suggest the mystery-of-the-week format is starting to feel repetitive, despite the show’s commitment to its quirkiness.
North Shore Center for performing Arts – 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL 60077 – https://northshorecenter.org
Hilarious family and all the people in his life whose sole purpose is to drive him into therapy … and they succeeded! One part lasagna, one part kreplach, & two parts Prozac, you don’t have to be Italian or Jewish to love this show. All you need is to know what it feels like to leave a family dinner with heartburn & a headache!
Come meet Uncle Willie, Stuttering Cousin Bob, Demented Cousin Kenny, Steve’s new therapist Cousin Sal (and Sal’s parole officer) and a myriad of astounding characters we know, love and tolerate from our own families; each one brought to life on stage by Steve using his gift for creating voices dialects & wacky sound effects that only add to the hilarity of each story.
Variety says “Steve is Alan King, Billy Crystal, a smidgen of Don Rickles and George Carlin all thrown in,” while WOR Radio calls the show “an hour and a half of laughter, hysterically funny!” Having headlined throughout the United States and Europe for over twenty years, Steve’s stories relate to the wacky side of the human condition.
Literally hundreds of thousands of people have seen this award-winning show. This is a “don’t miss” evening of hilarious comedy at its very best. Spend an evening with Steve in his quest to defend himself against those people whose sole purpose in life is to add chaos to his.
Q-tips say: This was a one man show. We did enjoy it. Also enjoyed dinner at Gino’s N afterwards and one of our favorite bartenders, Joe, was tending bar that night.
To be fair, “Italian/Jewish/Therapy” has some funny stuff in it. It is filled with mild “G” rated potty, genital, and ethnic jokes presented in two acts as a ninety-minute-one-man show. For any actor, it must be tough to be exposed like this doing comedy with no support for that long.
While many find it a heartwarming and funny experience, others might find its humor outdated or even offensive.
132 rooms. 157 suspects. One dead body. One wildly eccentric detective. One disastrous State Dinner. The Residence is a screwball whodunnit set in the upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world’s most famous mansion.
Q-tips say: Mr. Q enjoyed this more than Mrs. Q.
This series was a suspenseful, complex, funny epic. Overall, The Residence isn’t for everyone, and if you don’t mind piecing things together on your own, it might be worth the watch. There’s also a lot of repetition—phrases and quirks that might land once, but get reused to the point of being tiring. Some scenes feel silly or unrealistic, like detectives dramatically rushing through a garden after finding a clue that ultimately leads nowhere. First of all, why would there be pressure to solve the cause of death before any autopsy or forensic analyses were conducted? No blood spatter, or, more likely, no pool of blood? What little blood evidence that was found was never examined, just noted, then cleaned up without any lab results revealed.
A Southern, Breakfast & Brunch Bar – Breakfast from 11:00 till 2:00. Indoor/outdoor dining.
5347 N Clark St Chicago, IL ., (773) 275-5725, bigjoneschicago.com – a few doors down from Calo’s. Big Jones offers: Wine/Beer/ Full Bar/Tea
Both Q’s had: their Happy Hour $5.00 light Beer – Dovetail Kolsch.
Shared the Cornbread.
Both Q’s had: I had the Fried Chicken (Dark Meat) – One thigh and one leg, gluten free and fried crisp in canola oil, served with red beans and rice, sweet potato puree, sweet chili sauce. Gluten free.
