Burgus Plus world tour

[aho]

Just wondering...everyone involved in the tour please PM me your shirt size!

[ah_long]

hey aho, what do you have in mind?

for shirt sizes? T-shirt sizes? any brand for reference? e.g. American Apparel?

[chambo2008]

i wear m in uniqlo

[ah_long]

i wear m in uniqlo

Uniqlo Japan(Asia) Size or Uniqlo American size?

I almost screwed up last time when I was buying a t-shirt from Uniqlo in NYC last time..

Uniqlo Sizing: US Size S = Japan(Asia) Size M

[ranonranonarat]

I'm a S in uniqlo asia size..

[aho]

Day 12

Today was an interesting day...had to do the usual work but was able to drop by a few places...

Another beautiful day! Low 70's and sunny, my favorite type of weather...

Went to bike to Belmont Army, an army surplus store that also has "vintage" clothing, a skate shop, extensive shoe collection (only Red Wing's are of note though really) and more! They also have every issue of the My Freedamn! collection including the Heller's Cafe book for the locals who are keen to check it out...

I went straight to the top floor to photograph some "vintage" denim for you all, although it is nothing mindblowing...Just solid fades on 1970's etc. Levi's...I haven't been able to find anything there pre-70's as of yet but they do have a pretty solid Denim jacket collection hanging up from the ceiling...I didn't take pictures of the actual store itself for obvious reasons but was able to sneak into the fitting room with a camera to take these...+rep for those who can guess the correct years along with the telling details! The pictures are all mixed in btw

Some of the last selvage that the 501 line saw for a while...

[aho]

Day 12 contd

More "vintage" shots...The button on this one is a dead giveaway

Pretty solid fading for 505's...

Oil stains...would be interested to hear the stories that these jeans might tell...

Details details details...

And even more gratuitous shots

[aho]

Day 12 contd

Before I knew it it was already time for dinner so we cooked up some Mapotofu, veggies and mandoo

The trick is to buy soft silky tofu but firm enough that it won't break up easily...

I also prefer the Cook Do brand...

Ground turkey and a few peas and you're all set!

The secret ingredient? A little bit of Sriracha!

Natto!

[aho]

Day 12 contd

The full meal included a salad, stirfried lettuce and brown rice on the side...

Afterwards, I had to work a terrible shift, afternoon till close...Wore a variation on my routine outfit

Jcrew shirt, tie, rugby vest as always and tour jeans!:

And after work I met up with some friends for good times at Lincoln karaoke and while I didn't take any pictures there, I saw even more Police on 4 wheelers!

Good night from Chicago!

[chambo2008]

Uniqlo Japan(Asia) Size or Uniqlo American size?

I almost screwed up last time when I was buying a t-shirt from Uniqlo in NYC last time..

Uniqlo Sizing: US Size S = Japan(Asia) Size M

haha uk M, 38 to 41 chest, but in shirts i wear a small :s

[aho]

Day 13

Today was yet another beautiful day....Woke up and saw these boats on the water

Decided to cook up some fried rice with my leftover brown rice but completely forgot the onions! oops...

After lazying around for a few hours I headed downtown with the girlfriend to hit up the Michigan Ave shopping...

Seems like I'm always in this same area

I decided to hit up the Water Tower that has been previously mentioned in my former posts. Built in 1869, the Water Tower is one of the few buildings of old Chicago to have survived the 1871 fire. It also supposedly influenced the design of White Castles around the nation...One side serves as a tourist information building, the other houses art work...

Being a scrub and wearing the same outfit as yesterday...The vest keeps me warm! (It's a bit chilly over here the past two days)

[aho]

Day 13 contd

Across the street in the shop of 900, a new store by the name of Space 519 (coming to you from the former owners of "Jake") was having their big blowout opening party. On the way there...

The store itself is a neat little place that, while featuring mostly womens accessories, clothing etc., also carries a variety of furniture, decor, reading, and more. They don't really have much in yet but plan to carry a few interesting denim brands in the future (Dope & Drakkar, Baldwin, etc. if thats your thing...)....Chicago needs more stores like this where the owners cater completely to the atmosphere and clientele relations...

There were about 100 who RSVP'd apparently, and they had a nail bar, free food and drinks, product demos, and book signings...

And of course, you know I hit up the party for the free food and alcohol...lol...Pizza was from Frankie's, also in the 900 shops building where Mickey Drexler and the his "crew" always eat when they visit the store...

What exactly is the 900 shops building? Nothing too crazy really...

Random chicago skies...

[aho]

Day 13 contd

John Hancock as usual

After the 519 party we hit up the Apple store for internet relief...Here is the iphone that I can't afford

And for dinner we checked out a place by recommendation of my girlfriends sister, who admittedly may or may not have the same tastes as my girlfriend and I...

What do you know....more Thai food!

Food was alright, if not a bit salty...Ordered the Singapore noodles which was actually really good...The texture of the noodles had me at hello

On the way back we also walked by another Chicago institute, Garret's Popcorn which is, to be honest, not worth the long lines and definitely doesn't taste as good as it smells!

And as I update this post for you now, I wait for my laundry to finish...The jeans weren't a part of this load btw!

Good night!

[ranonranonarat]

its pretty funny because everywhere i go i keep seeing asian food places that serve something called "singapore noodles" but right here in singapore, i have NEVER tried nor seen anywhere that sells this. hahaha.

[aho]

^interesting anecdote ran...been meaning to make it out to singapore eventually....greatest food place in the world from what I've seen!

[Maynard Friedman]

its pretty funny because everywhere i go i keep seeing asian food places that serve something called "singapore noodles" but right here in singapore, i have NEVER tried nor seen anywhere that sells this. hahaha.

Surely in Singapore, they're just called "noodles"!

[aho]

Day 14

Today was yet another beautiful day here in Chicago...Not sure how many more days we'll have like this but low 70's with a cool lake effect breeze equal perfection in my book!

Worked all day but got out "early" around 6...Surprisingly, the bus was empty!

Got home to a surprise from my girlfriend...an iPad?!

For dinner we tried our luck at okonomiyaki but lacked some of the main ingredients (depending on regional flair that is) like shrimp, pork, etc. Regardless, it was a good meal (also had a hearty vegetable soup and a chicken/broccoli mix but didn't upload photos)

After eating, we decided to take advantage of the amazing weather...Off on a bike ride we go!

I live right across the street from Belmont Harbor where many yachts are kept. They also have sailing classes regularly in this area so it's always fun to see the view

Our biking course was straight down south along the Lakeshore...Every day you'll see countless people running, biking, and heading to the beach to play volleyball, bask in the sun, and check people out.

Not at the beach yet!

[aho]

Day 14 contd

Scrub wear for biking

I couldn't stop taking pictures of the view...I need a better camera!

For those who didn't know, Chicago does actually have real beaches! Although it is fresh water so you'll have to take your chances with bacteria etc. that you usually wouldn't get in salt water...

When I bike the jeans ride a bit lower on the hips than usual...

Desert boots in the sand?! Who would've thought...

The view speaks for itself really

[aho]

Day 14 contd

Sat along the water for a bit to take in the view...

The birds around here can get kind of confrontational!

Tried to get in Navy Pier (far left), John Hancock and Trump Tower as well as Willis (Formerly Sears) Tower all in the picture but couldn't...The city looks smaller when looking down south as in this picture but expands alot farther out...

Lone runner in the night

Heading back up north to (what we thought) Borders

We ended up getting of the Lakeshore path a bit earlier than Belmont to intersect Diversey road but ended up at the

which has become famously publicized in reports like this:

I've never actually been there when things heat up, but they do serve up some intensely delicious Chicago style hot dogs which I believe to this day to be the best hot dogs on earth. Yeah, I said it! lol

The Weiner's Circle specifically, are well known for their Char Dog's which have the most amazing texture when you bite into the dog...A little crisp from the char grilled lines and then that juicy beef is released...Topped with celery salt, relish, tomatoes, peppers and pickles, the Chicago style hot dog is the king of dogs!

[aho]

Day 14 contd

Weiner's Circle has become somewhat of a Chicago institution because of its negative publicity, and if you didn't watch the video above, basically a bunch of drunk people get away with yelling profanities at the workers who in turn yell profanities back. The tip jar up front says "Bitches need tips too"....But who really cares about all that with dogs this good!

Borders (bookstore) was closed so we decided to rid our disappointment in a few spoonfulls of Gelato from Paciugo! Bike ride on the way there:

Paciugo gets more and more popular everyday...I say with pleasure that we've been loyal since day one and haven't looked back since!

Longgggg line that only got longer

Flavors galore!

I ended up ordering Apple Pie, Caramel Apple, and Bacon flavors...Perfect way to end the night!

And that was my day....Looking forward to the holiday weekend, and I have a few guests coming in so should have lots to do!

Good night from Chicago

[ranonranonarat]

nice little update aho and wow that queue at the gelato has really gotten a lot longer compared to the last time!

[aho]

Day 15

How long can this beautiful weather last? Yet another clear sunny day here in Chicago...Even the blimps were a buzzing outside my window

Woke up around 11 to pick up some guests from Union Station...Driving downtown provided these views

I'll most likely have better shots and info about all these sites at later updates as these are just quick pictures taken from the car...Apologies for the dirty window!

[aho]

Day 15 contd

Happy Independence Day to all my fellow American's!

Chicago has a system of underground "highways" (that are mostly under construction right now for some reason) that they filmed in the Batman movie...This is almost part of it, but a bit further down...

Our guests begged for us to take them to Hot Doug's, my favorite hot dog joint in the city, and I believe Chicago style to be the hands down best! And for me personally, it doesn't get much better than Hot Doug's...

Going to Hot Doug's, however, can be an event in itself taking up around 2 to 3 hours of your day depending on your luck. The wait is worth it though!

Got bored waiting in line...

Along the street parks an Ice Cream truck, at probably one of the most convenient hot spots in town. Save you cash for the real food though! Hot Doug's only accepts cash...

Almost there!

The glorious menu

[aho]

Day 15 contd

All in all it was a fast wait considering the line...1 and a half hours for this glorious meal!

Steamed Original Dog with everything...Chicago style FTW

2 Char Grilled Originals with everything

And let's not forget the Duck Fat Fries!

Save the Foie Gras Duck dog for the tourists! I'm fine with just the basics...

On the way home we saw a grotesque pair of ladies who felt the need to air out their bodies...

After a few hours of rest, it was time for yet another meal! We decided to hit up Viet Town for Pho Xe Tang, our personal favorite Vietnamese Restaurant.

Sorry folks, additional charge for that extra penis...

Mango smoothie to seal the deal

[aho]

Day 15 contd

The broth wasn't as good as normal today but still better than average...

Add that lime, sprouts and basil and you're all set! Sriracha and Hoisin on the side please...

At night we decided to check out the rooftop for drinks at Zed 451...

Rooftop

The view actually kind of sucks since it's only two floors

[aho]

Day 15 contd

They close the roof at 12 so afterwards we decided to take our guests to the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor at the John Hancock building to take in even more views...The drinks aren't that great but it's worth it to go up to the Signature Lounge as you get to drink and you'd pay about the same to visit the Willis Tower or the top floor of the John Hancock for the same view but with no alcohol...

I also like the view better at the John Hancock as you get to see the Trump Tower and Willis Tower facing south which is more dramatic...

It's a long way down folks!

A glimpse of Navy Pier

The actual bar

We called it an early night as tomorrow will be a long day of even more food and shopping...

Good night!

[aho]

Day 16

Wow, over half way through my tour entries today...And a good day it surely was!

Decided to head out to Andersonville today to take the guests to the standard blow your mind breakfast meal at M.Henry's...

A chicago parking meter

Some of you may recognize this place and the amazingly photogenic food as I always drop by for world Tour's...

Since we had a few guests I was able to take a bit more pictures of variety and also try different foods...Surprisingly, we got seated right away! I love that the tourists only visit the major tourist zones (taste fest, etc.)...On a usual day it would take up to an hour + wait...Check out this omelette (I think my favorite omellette in Chicago is at Lou Mitchell's, a touristy type place but famously known as the starting point of Route 66...Fluffiest omellettes you'll ever have!)

A salad

I forgot to take a picture of the bacon as I just dug in right away...So crispy and light, somehow after the initial crunchiness it melts away in your mouth! Applewood bacon...

It doesn't get any better than this....Combination of the French Toast, Pecans, banana and syrup will blow your mind....

Went for a walk afterwards

[aho]

Day 16 contd

More Andersonville walking

Just down the street from M.Henry is one of the best Japanese places in town...Sunshine Cafe...Home cooked Japanese food (by real Japanese owners/chefs! lol)

Ended up at a Brown Elephant (one of many locations)...This particular one makes use of an old abandoned theater

A few interesting things but unfortunately no denim or shoes...

A pretty large space

The details are pretty interesting

Dirty mirrors

Music for the cowboy in all of us!

[_Kai_]

nice breakfast looks amazing!

[aho]

Day 16 contd

More Brown Elephant finds

Afterwards the girls wanted to hit up Wicker Park for Marc by Marc Jacobs and more shopping...Apartment No.9 is just down the street but kind of boring to be honest...

Flat Iron building

After shopping, with the heat burning us all, we had to visit iCream for some crazy good ice cream that is made on the spot to your order specifications

For my order, I mixed vanilla and cinnamon flavor ice cream topped off with cookie dough

It was hot as hail...wish all places had mist like this