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/260419
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF SCHEAR (CARNIVALE, ELI'S); ANJALI PINTO (JOE'S) ABOVE: I've never had cake like I did from Eli's Cheesecake on my 50th birthday! Thanks Maureen and Marc Schulman. BELOW: Checking out the new men's floor at Saks Fifth Avenue with Vice President and General Manager Doug Moss. Celebrating with my wife, Sharon, and good friends Mike and Kristina McGrath at Carnivale. Gathering at the Joe's Stone Crab DC opening with Billy Marovitz, Senator Dick Durbin, Jay Stieber, Kevin Brown, David Uslan, and Jerrod, Rich, and R.J. Melman. I have an unabashed love for March 4. It's not a holiday, nor does it hold any historical significance. Rather, my affection is rooted in the date's elementary wordplay: Exclaiming "March forth!" is an easy way to rededicate ourselves to the oncoming year—a well-timed verbal boost for when the varnish has dulled on still-promising New Year's resolutions while winter insists on lingering. Nevertheless, March 4 faces stiff competition as spring's most-coveted day later this month, when we'll fête Spring cover star Cecily Strong with a celebration at Chicago's newest hotel, The Godfrey. Helmed by general manager George Jordan, a longtime friend of mine, The Godfrey's nimble aesthetic is an exciting addition to my home neighborhood of River North. I'm already anticipating spending many summer evenings with my wife, Sharon, at its chic outdoor lounge, I|O Urban Roofscape. Undoubtedly, The Godfrey will honor the Windy City's commitment to hospitality excellence. Equally anticipated is the return of Mario Tricoci's "Mario, Make Me a Model" competition, where hopeful models vie to develop their budding talents into a professional reality. Semifinalists are announced on Thursday, March 13, and the eventual finalists will undergo an extensive Mario Tricoci training program and makeover to prep for the final runway show (the winner will appear in a future issue of Michigan Avenue, among other benefits). What better way to toast Mario Tricoci's 35th anniversary than to see the brand's transformative powers take the catwalk? Visit tricoci.com for competition progress and updates. And for true runway looks, search no further than Porsche Design, whose Chicago debut we toast on Thursday, February 27 at The Shops at North Bridge. Proprietor Justin Pauly has stocked the store with the line's signature pieces: Think smart silhouettes, urbane timepieces, cool gadgets, and more. It's a collection that tempers sophistication with functional- ity—in other words, the perfect wardrobe in which to march forth. DAN USLAN Follow me on Twitter @danuslan and on Facebook at facebook.com/danieluslan. 30 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM FROM THE PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER 030_MA_FOB_PubLetter_Spring_14.indd 30 2/11/14 5:47 PM