Stoutpup

Talk about dog friendly towns… My beautiful talented friend Julie moved to Chicago earlier this year and recently I went to visit her. I just got back and am still reeling from the doggieness of it all. It seems every person that lives in Chicago has a dog! There were so many salons and specialty stores for dogs I did not know where to turn. My coup de etat dog purchase was a bumper sticker that says “My Bulldog is smarter than your honor student”. Ha Ha. Take that!

My coup de etat de fashion purchase was a sky blue corduroy coat donning flower appliqués. We did a lot of exploring, visiting cafes and restaurants in Roscoe Village and beyond. I missed Lucy — but luckily Harley (the beagle) was on hand to warm my bed at night, burrowing under the covers and snuggling close.

Of course in Roscoe Village there are many old timey bakeries, but one that caught our eye was “The Bulldog Bakery”. It was a modest Bakery, but we found just what we were looking for — Bulldog statues and pictures along with tasty pastries we ate for breakfast - no actual Bulldogs but that’s probably against code. Also in that neighborhood was a great clothing shop named “My Closet” and a famous bakery called “Dinkles.” And of course “WISHBONE”. A must go, with great breakfasts!!!! We discovered a great wine bar (named VOLO) in the neighborhood and some great local artist art galleries and boutiques. That was just a small slice of what we saw in Chicago, but Roscoe Village will always hold a special place for me. Armitage was where I bought my coat.

We did some of the major sight seeing like the Shedd Aquarium (very cool!) and shopping on State Street. Shedd Aqaurium is the largest indoor aquarium in the WORLD, and should not be missed by anyone who loves penguins, Beluga whales or aquatic life in general. There was a Komodo Dragon exhibit while I was there. The whole aquarium was truly an awesome and humbling experience.

And last but not least, we ate at a wonderful Latin Restaurant called Carnivale. It was beautifully designed and the food was fantastic, not to mention the awesome Mojitos. Check it out next time you’re in Chicago!