Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/175878
FROM THE PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Celebrating at TR Napa Valley with owner Andy Li and Walter E. Smithe's Tim Smithe. Good Godfrey! Taking a tour of Chicago's next great hotel with my old friend George Jordan. ABOVE: The Tortoise Club hosted Friends of Conservation for an amazing dinner. Joining me were Manuela Hung, Reute Butler, Diane Primo, and Megan Addington. LEFT: Getting ready for our five-year anniversary celebration at The Langham Chicago with hotel manager and hospitality veteran Joe Aguilera. Of the many tributes to our city, the most memorable might be Carl Sandburg's 1914 poem "Chicago." It raised eyebrows upon publication for its mixed assessment of Chicago as a rough town, but one rife with opportunity. The most enduring line? When Sandburg famously crowns Chicago as the "City of Big Shoulders," a tag that's still tossed around today. It evokes a can-do, by-the-bootstraps attitude inherent to entrepreneurial personalities. It suggests industrious individuals who relish a challenge, because for them, life is simply boring when their dreams aren't being realized. It's a common trait shared by our city's most talented restaurateurs and bar owners. Chief exemplars are forward-thinking Lucas Stoioff and David Rekhson of DineAmic Group, who continue to push the envelope of culinary sophistication; Brad Young, Billy Dec, and Arturo Gomez of Rockit Ranch Productions, who imbue the city with an unparalleled vision of cool; David Flom and Matt Moore of Chicago Cut Steakhouse, who've carved out their own niche among Chicago's steak titans; and Keene and Megan Addington, Follow me on Twitter who are revitalizing Marina City @danuslan and on Facebook at with their classic Tortoise Club. facebook.com/danieluslan. Equally admirable for his unwavering dedication to his craft is Mandy Patinkin, whose talent has brought him decades of acclaim in theater, television, and film. I can't wait to honor the Homeland star with an intimate celebration early this month. As an actor who champions artistic integrity over making headlines, Patinkin couldn't be a better celebrity with whom to raise a glass. And I wouldn't mind sharing a drink with one of the esteemed participants in this year's installment of Chicago Ideas Week, for which we proudly serve as a media sponsor. From October 14 to 20, Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Malcolm Gladwell, and other boldfaced names will take the stage and share their insights. Suffice to say, it's a crowd you'll want to rub shoulders with. DAN USLAN 26 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 026_MA_FOB_PubLetter_October13.indd 26 9/17/13 12:03 PM