EAT OUT: Big Star

Located in the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhoods at 1531 N. Damen in Chicago, Big Star may look like a really clean auto repair garage from the outside (with umbrella-ed tables and chairs in front), but it is an in demand hot spot in the Windy City. Serving a small but satifying and delicious Tex-Mex menu, coupled with a friendly service and reasonable prices, the only downside is the potential wait one might have to endure for a table.

Big Star makes four diverse and tasty tacos. At $2-3 each, it is easy to sample all during one visit. I recommend the Taco Al Pastor with marinated pork, pineapple, onion, and cilantro. For those wanting more of a kick, the Taco de Rajas de Poblano is at your service with a generous helping of roasted poblano peppers, a few spices, and queso de freir. (This is also a great vergetarian option.) If you are really hungry or have a large group, order the chips with guacamole and you will not be sorry. Also, if you are thinking of "ordering something light," don't order the Big Star Salad (Ensalada de Big Star); you'll be fed for a week's time!

The establishment also has an ample supply of tequila, whiskey, and beer to suit any pre-partying ideas you may have, also reasonably priced for the city by the lake. The bartenders have also created some tasty cocktails. You can never go wrong with the Big Star Margarita though!

Sergio del Limonar

BOOK: You Shall Know Our Velocity

I think a lot of people enjoy stand up comics because they have a way of expressing the humorous sides of every day situations in ways most people can't. Dave Eggers, author of the phenomenal novel, You Shall Know Our Velocity!, has a similar talent though his leans more toward the accessing of every day thoughts and ponderings.

The story follows two life-long friends, Will and Hand as they aim to travel once around the globe, distributing money (about $32,000 worth) along the way. Their journey begins in Chicago and then proceeds to Senegal, Morocco, Estonia, Latvia, and a few other brief stops along the way. The giving of the money is sometimes arbitrary and sometimes purposeful and judging, opening the characters to some humanizing debate about charity and what exactly they are doing.

Eggers has an almost supernatural way for descriptions. Often times I thought that, in any one else's hands these words would come off as trying too hard to be creative. One of my favorite descriptions came when the main characters were in Heathrow Airport in London. While talking to a booking agent, Eggers describes her "tired happy face" as that "of a third grade teacher in her last year."

I recommend this book to anyone who likes stories that explore the human nature, any guy approaching or recently having past his 10 year high school reunion, or anyone who has traveled outside of the United States. This book is identifiable on so many levels and makes for a fast, enjoyable, thought-provoking read.

Sergio del Limónar

MOVIE: Public Enemies

Growing up in the midwest and having relatives in both St. Paul, MN, and Chicago, I've been exposed to the history and lore of the gangsters from the 1930's. Capone, Dillinger, Nelson, the Barkers, etc. all came up from time to time either in school or around the cities on various tours and such. (My mother even bought a couch from a lady who lived in an apartment building that Dillinger had lived in for a time.)

For those reasons, I had been wanted to see the new Johnny Depp movie, Public Enemies, about the last years of John Dillinger's life, for some time. I was not disappointed. At one point in the film Dillinger asks the lead detective in charge of his capture, Melvin Purvis, played by Christian Bale, if he's ever watched anyone die and then goes on to say that its all in the eyes. The director, Michael Mann, seems to take his cues from that same mantra; using many facial close-ups and letting the eyes tell the story, Public Enemies is a histoy lesson and a work of art.

People who need to be reminded that Depp is one of the finest actors alive today and can indeed act without covering himself in make-up and over the top costumes, need to see this movie. Aside from Depp and Bale, Billy Cudrup is fantastic as FBI founder J. Edgar Hoover, and French actress and Oscar winner Marion Cotillard is astounding as Dillinger's girlfriend, Billie Frechette.

I'm glad I added this to my list of movies to see and even more glad I got around to doing it. Add it to your list!

Sergio del Limónar

EAT OUT: Coast Sushi

When you have an amazing dining experience because of the food, because the wild taste-gasm that occurs on your palette, two things happen. First is that you remember it for a long time. The second is, it is difficult to top.

The single best sushi roll I've ever eaten in my entire sushi-eating life was at Coast Sushi, a trendy little restaurant in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago. Open since 2003, the menu of available rolls and dishes is constantly changing, often-times offering special selections for one night only.

While all of the rolls we ordered were fantastic, the one that made everyone talk (and talk and talk) was the "Smoked Pumpkin" roll. It consisted of smoked salmon, pumpkin spread, some spicy mayo, and a little dollop of fish eggs. It doesn't sound like anything amazing (or, for some, edible) but the chef that created it deserves an award from the Taste Buds Council on Great Things to Eat. If no such council exists, it's time to form one.

Also, the place is BYOB, which is always good when you have to kill time in the waiting area for a table or spot at the sushi bar to open up. They do not take reservations but do have a carry-out option.

Sergio del Limonar