Steampunk Chicago » Drinks

Taking Tea in Chicago

Joe Mason — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:02:36 +0000

Tea is confusing. A high tea is also a meat tea, but a high tea can also be an afternoon tea. A meat tea is not an afternoon tea. And tea parties just open up a can of worms.

Fortunately, Chicago has several options for those who simply want tea, pastries and little sandwiches.

Some of the teas are served in notable hotels. The Drake at 140 E Walton Place is along the northernmost stretch of the Magnificent Mile. The afternoon tea is served from 1 to 5 pm in their Tea Lobby. Seatings last an hour and a half, and feature live harp performances. The tea runs $36 and reservations are recommended.

The Lockwood Restaurant in the Palmer House at 17 E Monroe Street serves tea from 2 to 4 pm daily. They offer a selection of rare tea cellar teas. The sitting is $35 and reservations are recommended. Despite being burned down in the Great Chicago Fire only 13 days after opening, the Palmer House was rebuilt and reopened in 1873. It remains the United States’ oldest continually operating hotel.

The Peninsula Hotel at 108 E Superior offers an afternoon tea in The Lobby. They offer a vegan and gluten-free menu for those of delicate natures. Weekday teas are from 3 to 5 pm, Saturdays 2:30 to 4:30 pm and Sundays 4 to 6pm. They also feature Fashion Friday Afternoon Teas with an informal fashion show on selected weeks. You could expect to pay around $39.

Russian Tea Time at 77 E Adams provides an afternoon tea service from 2:30 to 4:30 daily. They specialize in a combination of Eastern European and Central Asian flavors. The Tashkent carrot salad was a delight, and I don’t particularly care for carrots. Their full tea service starts at $27.95 and also features an array of a la carte treats.

Tipsycake at 1944 N Damen serves a Traditional Afternoon Tea from 2 to 5 pm. As a bakery, they specialize in custom designed wedding cakes. The window displays are colorful and jaw-dropping. Their scones are buttery as opposed to sweet, and are served with clotted cream and gourmet jam. Tea runs $22.

Perhaps after sampling these, you will invite us over for your own tea party. Please do not think us too forward.

Teslacon II and the RLGEMS Swim into Madison this Weekend!

The Reverend Captain Samuel Flint — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:31:05 +0000

Teslacon II continues to explore the fantastic world of Lord Bobbins versus Dr. Proctocus this weekend in Madison, Wisconsin. We, the RLGEMS and hundreds of other steampunks will be travelling 20,000 leagues under the aether in the fantastic submarine/airship the HMS Trident! Exotic ports of call, mummie unwrappings, murder, mystery and magic are sure to please the senses. The RLGEMS had the fortune of being actors in the inaugural con last November. This year, extended members from Chicago will be presenting several panels, events and more! Some of our friends from Michigan and Ohio will be joining us for discussions and merriment.

PLEASE NOTE our new event listing and calendar! Our panels and events for this weekend have been listed.

FRIDAY NIGHT we will be hosting a Midnight Gala, sampling the finest in fashion, drinks, and music. Please note this event is limited to those of age, so please leave the children with the auto-sitter. Join us at 9:30 in the Leviathan room, 21+.

SILENT FILM with Mr. Perkins, a distant relative of RLGEMS founder Captain Flint will be showing. Join Mr. Perkins in the silent pirate film starring Thee Bluebeard at 8:30 Friday night in the Nemo room. Please view the preview below!

The adventures this weekend have broken the bounds of time and scene, as the AV Club Madison ran a fantastic interview with sci-fi scholar Austin Sirkin and our friend the “Steampunk Chef”, Aaron Egan. Teslacon has posted the entire schedule!

We’ll be bringing our newest fashions, devices, gadgets and music. Please leave us a note below if we will see you there!

Chicago Steampunk Event this Saturday!

The Reverend Captain Samuel Flint — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 20:00:58 +0000

Come one, come all to Chicago, for this Saturday June 4, we have an extra-ordinary event! Presenting, the Polyphonic Panorama! A night filled with steampunk and vaudeville music, steampunk fashion, pirate humor, fantastic Steampunk art, jewelry and more!

The Abbey Pub! 8pm!

Come hear the fantastic sounds of Frenchy and the Punk, Helblinki Sextet, Curtis Eller, Eliza Rickman and Duenow!

See the pirate madness what is Thee Bluebeard!

If you were at the World Steam Expo, consider this an encore performance and a kickstart to a Chicago summer of Steampunk!

Read more about the Polyphonic Panorama and see our entire Calendar of events at our events listing!

See you there!

Clockwork Vaudeville: Chicago Defines Midwestern Steampunk Dance Party

Lord Baron Joseph C.R. Vourteque IV — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:08:20 +0000

It was the Saturday before St. Patrick’s day – it was raining outside – it was cold – there were a whole lot of things going on – what was a Steampunker to do?

Go to Clockwork Vaudeville of course! And THANK YOU to all who did – it was a nuit phénoménale – complete with AMAZING outfits, fantastic gadgets, top notch music (“I never thought I could play this stuff and people would dance” said Mr. Auto-Technical) and top notch crowd. Who knew that Chicago had such the scene.

Thanks also to all those who came from other parts Midwest – the Airship Archon members Cpt. Anthony LaGrange and the lovely Salena Van Eycke from Columbus, the phenomenal Lisa Marie’s friends from Indianapolis, the charming group of ladies from St. Louis, the Lady KL Kenzie’s good friends from northern Indiana, The Variable Dr. N and company from none other than Knoxville, TN and many, many more.

There was also quite a bit of photography at the event – always a good sign. If you’d like to see the Time Out Chicago photo-spread just go HERE.

And, of course, what follows are the photographs (including the one above) taken by our charming resident photo-luminist, Lisa Marie Ogle.

We’ll be doing it again in April – so keep your goggles on and your steam-powered hearing gadgets tuned for the next CLOCKWORK VAUDEVILLE!

Clockwork Vaudeville! Mind controlled music, fantastic gadgets and Neo-Victorian fashion!

Lord Baron Joseph C.R. Vourteque IV — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:02:38 +0000

Clockwork Vaudeville

Chicago’s First Steampunk Dance Party

Saturday March 13th
Exit Nightclub 1315 W. North Ave.
Chicago
9pm – 5am

*STARRING*
THE VARIABLE DR. N presenting the premiere of his new mind controlled, reality bending live show…

“ANACHROCOUSTICA ”

*DJs*
Adam Killing (Kill Memory Crash)
Mr. Automatic (Front 312)
Joe Vor-Tech (Resident DJ)
DJ Wyser (Custom Vibes)

Will play: Steampunk, Neo-Vaudeville, Dark Cabaret, PunkRock Blues, EBM, Industrial, Dark-Synth & More!

*Come in your best!*

$50 for Best Outfit from Bonnie & Clydes!
$50 for Best Invention from American Science & Surplus!

$3 Bombay Saffire & Kilo Kai beverages
No Cover
21+

UPDATE 03/10/10:

We are featured in Time Out Chicago this week! The lovely Lisa Marie’s photograph accompanies the text in the printed version.

In case you have not heard, someone has actually granted the Royal Ladies’ & Gentle-mens’ Experimental Madness Society a space to do an event this Saturday, March 13th (Exit Nightclub being that one someone). For more information on that, though do RSVP on the Facebook .

The show will feature DJs, an outfit contest with a $50 gift certificate to Bonnie & Clydes and an invention contest with a $50 gift certificate to American Science & Surplus! Expect congruent birthday festivities for our friends the lovely Lady KL Kenzie, Mr. Wesley & Mr. Auto-Technical.

The highlight of this show shall be:

The Variable Dr. N and his DIY madness known as “Anachrocoustica”!

I, the Lord Baron, traveled to the obscure outpost of Knoxville, Tennessee to spend a weekend with the good Doctor drinking bourbon, watching motion pictures, engaging in nightlife culture with interesting people, hiking in the Smokey Mountains (do go if you ever get the chance) and of course, documenting his insane musical inventions.

To put it quite succinctly, you must see it in person to believe it. Regardless, here are some pictures of his studio/wunderkammer and the inventions that reside therein.

Here you see the studio. In front is an antique typewriter that has been converted into a MIDI controller. Behind and center is the Mind Control Clock & Music Box plus an array of other things I can never hope to understand.

Yes, this gentleman works by candle light on occasion.

This is what he uses as his monitor. Madness. Do pardon his kitchen, though you can see the bottles of bourbon we were polishing off.

Here is the good Doctor with his prepared cello. Through the use of a contact microphone, a single note from this single instrument can become a veritable symphony.

This is another music box. The two knobs control it, an out-going plug allows this instrument to makes sounds you would not believe!

What was once a typewriter is now a MIDI keyboard…

Here we have the Mind Controlled Music Box. To get a better understanding, please do see this INFORMATIVE video!

Dr. N

So with that DO join us at Exit for Clockwork Vaudeville on March 13th. Again, if you missed the RSVP link it’s Here on the Facebook!

And for your listening enjoyment – do enjoy this piece by the good Variable Dr. N – 100% created via the “Prepared Cello”.

The Variable Dr. N – Piece for Prepared Cello

Best!

-The Lord Baron