Restaurant Card: Cafe des Architectes

Search Words: Cafe des Architectes, 20 E Chestnut St, Chicago, in the Sofiten Chicago Water Tower, Chef Gilles Arzur, French, Mediterranean and Latin American Cuisine, Best Brunch under $24, 2007 Best Conversational Bar, Best Restaurant for Business

Restaurant Card: MK

Search Words: MK The Restaurant, 868 N Franklin St, Chicago, Chef Eric Simmons, Chef-Partner: Michael Kormick, Best Chef Midwest Nomination, Best Special occasion Dining 2007

Restaurant Card Intro

Did you have birthday traditions when you were growing up? Maybe your dad took you fishing or mom made your favorite waffles on the morning of your big day. Not totally out of the norm, my family went out to dinner at the restaurant of the older-and-wiser one's choosing. Until approximately age 10, Chuck E. Cheese was my personal dining preference. The puppets were admittedly a little ominous and freaky, but I killed at skee ball. As my taste buds became more refined, I advanced to Beni Hana. This was my b-day destination spot for probably a few more years than I'd like to admit; the "Beni Hana bersday" song still resonates in my mind, and I maintain a bizarre penchant for little Buddha statues.

Eventually, my grasp of the fine dining experience did evolve. I started to select restaurants in the city instead of those in local strip malls; the menus no longer contained the word hibachi; the ambiance was not defined by the shrill cries of Ritalin-deprived adolescents; and my expectation for the service within went beyond the chef being able to flip a shrimp tail into his hat on command (I love you, Beni Hana). With a family of five, five birthdays a year allowed us to sample a myriad of chic San Fran hot spots and famous eateries riddled with Bay Area history. Here, my affinity for fine fare began.

So when my mother recently moved to Chicago, it was no wonder that she wanted to immediately familiarize herself with the local gastronomy. She searched through magazines and web sites but found she was unable to keep track of all the restaurants she liked, disliked, or had yet to visit. Fear not - a solution I did create! See, I regurgitated all the information, research, and reviews I could find about a particular restaurant onto a 4x6 index card and compiled a vast number of cards into a cheap Walgreen’s photo album. In essence, I created an assignment book of restaurant cards for my mother on which she could directly document her dish, experience, and thoughts about the eatery! The effort put toward this on-going gift to her did indeed prove to work in my favor, too; every time she wanted to sample a new spot, guess who she called on as her dinner date!

I discredited my mother’s suggestion to make these cards public because, well, she’s my mother - - she used to frame my pre-school finger paintings - - of course she’d be proud of my latest creative output. But when some friends started asking for copies of the restaurant cards as well, I figured this might be a nice offering to the extensive food-loving population in Chicago. So here you go... look for all my posts with the blog label "Restaurant Card" and keep checking back for new additions!

**PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS: Click on the Restaurant Card. Feed a 4x6 index card into your printer then go into your Print Properties and switch the Orientation to “Landscape” and the Paper Size to “Photo”. Please let me know if you experience any difficulties printing!**

Referrals Around Town

Ever wish you had a stellar list of professionals around the city for your every need? A hardwood floor company? A masseuse? A porch builder, periodontist, or pooch sitter? A colorist, contractor, or cabinet guru? Golly, I was recently looking for a pedicure place that still uses that razor tool on your calluses (don't judge me; it's glorious)... through a referral, though, I found one!

Being in a business that is based on referrals and word of mouth, nothing gives me greater pleasure (save for a pint of Häagen-Dazs perhaps) than returning the favor! What is the point of networking if you can't make connections?

So if you have the name of a note-worthy professional in or around Chicago, please add to the list of connections! Go ahead - rave about that dentist or optometrist or decorator. They deserve your kudos!


Colorist: Olga @ Charles Ifergan Salon on Oak Street 312.642.4484
She gets it right every time! Mention my name when you make an appointment!

Tattoo Artist: Tim Hanan @ Atmosphere Tattoo on Fullerton 773.276.8282
Creative, imaginative, beautiful artistry, very professional... then he went out to buy jumper cables to jump my car battery afterward!

Home Inspector: Jeff Roth @ Chicago Metropolitan Inspection 312.613.6723

Mortgage Banker, Web/Graphic Designer, Executive Recruiter, Personal Trainer, Financial Planner, Event Planner, IT Professional, Organizational Consultant, Real Estate Attorney, Office Supplies, Tax Accountant, and more! The Chicago Business Exchange is more than a networking group - it's a professional referral group. Find what you're looking for at www.ChicagoBusinessExchange.org

Listen up!

My accountant, Chris Wesolowski of West Tax Service, will be coming through your air waves tomorrow (Saturday 4/18/09) from 11am - 12pm on 890WLS. He will be speaking about tax and accounting issues relavant to today's economy!

Article: 2009 Federal First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit

Q: What is the amount of the new tax credit?
A: $8,000

Q: Who is eligible for the $8,000 tax credit?
A: First-time homebuyers who closed (or will close) on homes between January 1, 2009 and November 30, 2009.

Q: What are the details of the new tax credit?
A: The new tax credit is an $8,000 refundable tax credit (or up to 10% of the purchase price). This means that if your total tax liability in the given year is less than $8,000, the IRS will send a refund for the balance.

Q: What if I purchased a home between April 8, 2008 and January 1, 2009?
A: Purchasers who bought between 4/8/08 and 1/1/09 are subject to the terms of the $7,500 repayable credit.

Q: Do I have to pay back the credit?
A: If you occupy your home for three years, you will not have to pay back the credit.

Q: Who qualifies for the credit?
A: 1) First-time homebuyers (taxpayers who owned a main home at any time during the three years prior to the date of purchase are not eligible). 2) Purchasers of a “main home,” i.e. principal residence. The home must be a home located in the United States and is generally considered to be the home where you spend 50% or more of your time. It can be a condo, single family detached, co-op, townhouse or something similar. Vacation homes and rental properties are not eligible. For new construction, the “purchase date” is the date you occupy the home.

Q: Who do I contact if I have more questions about this credit?
A: Contact your REALTOR® or your tax preparer, or call the IRS toll-free at (800) 829-1040 for more information on the tax credit. This information is accurate based on the information available as of February 19, 2009. As with any tax law change, check with a tax advisor if there are any questions regarding using this provision.

Q: Who cannot take the credit?
A: Purchasers with any of the below circumstances cannot take the credit:
-Your income exceeds the phase-out range. This means joint filers with Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) of $170,000 and above and other taxpayers with MAGI of $95,000 and above.
-You buy your house from a close relative. This includes your spouse, parent, grandparent, child or grandchild.
-You stop using your home as your main home.
-You sell your home before the end of three years.
-You are a nonresident alien.

Q: What are the income limits?
A: The credit is reduced or eliminated for higher-income taxpayers. Joint filers with a MAGI of $170,000 and above and single filers with a MAGI of $95,000 and above are ineligible for the credit. Singles making between $75,000 and $95,000 and joint filers with a MAGI of between $150,000 and $170,000 are in the “phase-out” range, meaning you will only receive a fraction for the $8,000 tax credit.

Q: When/How can I claim the credit?
A: It can be claimed on your 2008 tax return (to be filed by April 15, 2009), an amended 2008 Tax Return, or your 2009 Tax Return.

March 2009 Newsletter

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