Sean Henderson Dot Com

Love Actually – Christmas

Dec 25th, 2007 by seanh420

Love Actually (2003)

"…let me say, without hope or agenda, just because it’s Christmas (and at Christmas you tell the truth) to me, you are perfect. and my wasted heart will love you, until you look like this…"

Posted in Moments In Cinema | No Comments »

Looking for a smash on South Wabash? Look no further than Tommy Gun’s Garage in Chicago. You must have a reservation and a secret password to gain access to the backdoor of the garage. The inside is a well done replica of a roaring 20′s gangster speakeasy in true pristine form complete with old pictures, a full service bar of "hooch", a 1929 Model A Ford, a stage, and a whole crew of gangsters & flappers. The ceiling is lit by what appears to be hanging Tiffany lamps. The event begins with dinner, starting with a salad or Al Capone Minestrone soup, followed by an entree (Lasagna, Chicken, Prime Rib, Pork Chops), and finished with a scoop of rainbow sherbet. Shortly after, a hilarious comedy musical show begins during which time you may order as many drinks as you like. Be careful though, this is prohibition. If you get caught, the cops will raid the place with sirens, flashing blue lights, and drag you on stage for a sobriety test. Also, cell phones and digital cameras are not invented yet, so be careful or you will be shot if caught using them! Rat! Tat! Tat! I couldn’t tell you about the music because I wasn’t born yet, but the brochure says that "da mugs and da dolls dance and sing da Charleston and udder musical selections from Cole Porter, Fats Waller, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, and many more… played by Chicago’s own sinfully orchestra."

The Bar

A full service bar that you can’t sit at. The flapper waitress will take your order.

The Salad

(I missed a picture of the soup… oops)

The Bread

Very soft and tasty bread with spices

Big Jim Colosimo

Baked Lasagna with beans, mixed veggies, a beet, and a sausage. Anna Marie, who is Italian, says the sausage is "excellent" and she’d rather they gave her three pieces than the lasagna. I don’t eat sausage but somehow I believe her judging by her facial expression when she said that.

"Frankie’s Feast"

Prime Rib with beans, mixed veggies, a beet, and a potato

Don’t Call Me Chicken

Boneless Breast Of Chicken With Marsala Wine Sauce, veggies, a beet, and a potato

Da Show

I almost got shot sneaking this picture of our very own Groucho Marx dressed in Bill Cosby’s sweater wearing glasses with a nose.

Foxy Roxy

Devon Davis and I with Foxy Roxy

Overall I enjoyed both the food and the show at this venue. We went with a large group Christmas party on Wednesday. For everyone else, they are open Thursday (6:30pm), Friday (7:30pm), Saturday (6:30pm), Sunday (6:00pm). Then dinner lasts for about a half hour followed by two hours of hilarious entertainment. I also recommend this to anyone looking for an entertaining Friday night dinner with a date or a group.

Tommy Gun’s Garage is an audience interactive "Speakeasy" which offers a musical comedy revue wit da gangsters, da flappers, and you!

Tommy Gun’s Garage
2114 S. Wabash
Chicago, IL 60616
(773) RAT-A-TAT
Google Map

Posted in Dining | 1 Comment »

The Shoe Opener

Nov 30th, 2007 by seanh420

One bright Thursday morning, a young business man fixes his suit and tie as he enters an upscale office building in New York City, the kind of building where minimum wage is 10K per week (in pre-911 dollars). He fails to notice however, due to one too many glasses of Macallan Fine & Rare the night before at his penthouse suite that he put on the wrong set of shoes. Upon entering the office, a certain scent catches his nose Ratatouille style. As if in a trance, he proceeds to steal some catered food from a venue he was not invited to. There a classy woman approaches him in executive attire. She is what club trash junkyard dogs might label a "nine point five."

Miss 9.5 : One too many drinks last night huh?

Jon : Ex-squeeze me? Baking Powder?

Miss 9.5 : Why are you wearing two different shoes? (laughs)

Jon : What the… (looks down)

They talk for a short while before Jon scurries to his office to figure out what to do about this embarrassing situation. He later realizes that this mishap is a form of peacocking which caused the woman to open him. Though it is fashionably stupid, it is in fact humorous. The Shoe Opener is born. Don’t try this in public!

(Jon, why the fuck does your office have green floors???!)

Posted in Rambling | No Comments »

High Fidelity : Sex Is A Basic Human Right

Nov 13th, 2007 by seanh420

High Fidelity (2000)

Marie DeSalle
I think it’s okay if you feel horny and fucked up at the same time. Why should we be denied our basic human rights just ’cause we messed up our relationships?

Rob Gordon
You think sex is a basic human right?

Marie DeSalle
Hell yeah!… Yeah. [Laughs] I’m not gonna let that asshole come between me and a fuck.

Posted in Moments In Cinema | No Comments »

Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush Chicago

Oct 18th, 2007 by seanh420

Last Tuesday, Chris Ohara and I visited the upscale steakhouse, 437 Rush in Chicago. We arrived at 8:00pm sharp, but despite having a reservation, were not seated until 8:20pm. This leads me to believe the place is extremely popular due to the volume of customers. I used the extra time to observe the venue. Most of the patrons appeared to be older accomplished business men and women. We were but a pair of kids amongst a high class refuge of big spenders, (perhaps media and advertising moguls); both the bartender and our waiter carded us. We sat down at the bar for a moment, and this was funny:

Chris: "You have to see our ID’s just to sit at the bar?"
Lady bartender walks off with our ID’s for a moment, and returns.
Bartender: "That’s how old I’m getting. I don’t have a clue anymore."
She returns our ID’s.

The first thing I noticed was the full bar. It is packed with bottles from A to Z like spelling bees surrounded by a curvy mahogany bar which wrapped around the wall. At the corner of the bar stands an interesting tower light in the shape of octagons whose diameter increase with height. The mural above the bar suggests a classy, jazzy, old-school setting. The floor made of large black and white tiles was dimly lit by yellowish ambient ceiling lights in the shape of a slice of the bottom half of a sphere. I suggest checking out the virtual tour of the bar on their website. After a brief delay, we were seated. Our waiter, Miguel Munoz deserves a commendation for five-star service in my opinion. He was very attentive and explained everything in great detail. Most notably, he brought out a plate of some of the finest cuts of meat in Chicago and explained each piece. He cleaned crumbs off our table as we ate. The portions, though intricately decorated, are rather small in size. I’m most impressed by the steak and the dessert. Both desserts had a hunk of thin orange caramelized twigs amalgamated together. The salmon crumbles like 15 year old aged cheddar. The filet is better than most, charred and crunchy on the outside and extremely tender on the inside.

The Bar

Bar Corner

The part where the bar wraps around the corner

Complimentary Bread

Rush Street

Grey Goose Vodka, Limoncello, Peachtree Schnapps, Cointreau, and White Cranberry Juice served in a martini glass garnished with a lemon wedge; sweet and strong well defined hint of the Goose

437 Rush Cocktail

Ketel One, Campari, grapefruit, pineapple and cranberry juices served in a martini glass garnished with an orange wedge; a bit tart, but sweet

Dining Area

Dimly lit ambient lighting

Bruschetta al Pomodoro (Appetizer)

Toasted Italian bread topped with oven roasted cherry tomatoes and capers

Tomato and Mozzarella (Appetizer)

Three thick tomato slices wedged together with mozzarella globs and splattered with a light pesto sauce

Meat Selection

a carefully wrought display of some of the finest prime steaks and chops on a bed of lettuce

Wine Rack

fine Italian wines everywhere.

White and Red Wine

Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay, Russian River white wine (left) to go with the salmon and Folie A Deux Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley red wine (right) to go with the filet

Roasted Red King Salmon

Roasted Red King Salmon in a Yukon potato crust, served with a potato puree, caramelized shallots, toasted bacon and a 10-year aged balsamic vinegar reduction

Filet Mignon

Charred on the outside, severely tender on the inside; best steak ever!

Sauteed Mushrooms (Side)

typical sauteed shrooms; nothing special here

Pineapple Carpaccio

Super thin pineapple slivers marinated in pink grapefruit juice and fresh ginger, served with mango sorbet covered by a carmelized sugar artpiece, garnished with Vanilla seeds and powdered sugar dots

437 Tiramisu

Lady Fingers soaked in espresso coffee, Mascarpone creme cheese custard within, flavored with brandy, Sambuca, Kahlua…

Cheers!

Cheers to another ad-sponsored dinner done right!

The Bill

$187.55 with tip

I liked the Tuscany when I visited there in the past. I knew that if I liked that, then I knew I would like 437 Rush. Janelle Dole initially recommended this place to me as a spot for a special Italian-style dinner date, so I tested it out. 437 Rush exceeds my expectations in quality of food and top notch service for an upscale place (with the exception of our not being seated on time). The steaks seem flawless. The portions are a tad small, but then again, I guess that’s one way to bait a customer: Give them a little tiny taste of the best, and they will come begging for more. Overall I am satisfied with the experience.

Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush
437 N. Rush St.
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 222-0101
Google Map

Posted in Fine Dining | 3 Comments »

Matthew Aaron Garza Obituary

Oct 3rd, 2007 by seanh420

Matthew Aaron "M.P." Garza

Garza, Matthew Aaron "M.P." age 24. Passed away suddenly Saturday morning, September 29th. A member of Chicago District Council of Carpenters Local 1307, he was employed by American National Insulation. Attended Manteno HS before graduating from Heritage Christian Living HS. Beloved son of Patricia "Patsy" (nee Passwello) and Joel M. Garza, loving brother of Lisa (Mark) Lopez, Dawn (Mark) Cook, Joel A. Garza and Albert Garza, devoted grandson to his "Tutti" Elyse (nee Bertolone) and the late Albert Passwello, Manuel Garza and the late Maria (nee Esmerado) Garza, Uncle "Mattie" to Alicia, Marcus, Andrea, Michaela and Anthony Lopez, Jacob and Cora Cook, Elena, Breanna, and Albert Thomas Garza, loving nephew, cousin, and friend of many. Resting at Panozzo Bros. Funeral Home, 530 W. 14th St. (US Rte. 30, 3 Blks E. of Western Ave.), Chicago Heights, on Tuesday October 2, from 2:00 to 9:00 p.m. Funeral services Wednesday, 9:15 a.m., to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 402
Longwood Drive, Chicago Heights. Services 10:00 a.m. Burial Assumption Cemetery, Glenwood. 708-481-9230.

Published in the Chicago Sun-Times on 10/1/2007.

Big Banks called me at 6:33am last Saturday morning, but I was asleep with my girl. He must have knew immediately after it happened. Banks called me later in the morning to tell me that Matty Garza passed away in an automobile wreck. I was shocked. I have a lot of respect for Matt, having attended high school and many parties together. A lot of people were calling me asking me for information and I was surprised I couldn’t locate much on Google. So I created this page for Matty Pie. I welcome anyone to contribute anything they want in the form of comments or see the link above on the Sun Times site. Matthew Aaron Garza, you will be missed.

Rest in Peace
Matthew Aaron Garza
4/16/1983-9/29/2007

Added 11/12/2007:

" When i was leaving the wake on tuesday i looked up and seen a rainbow beginning to end and know it was mattie. Here are the pictures. I put them on my computer and it doesn’t look like it did that day. I like it though. " – Jenny Tejada

Posted in Rambling | 18 Comments »

Download Music With Limewire And Burn With Nero

Aug 31st, 2007 by seanh420

Question: How do I download and burn music?
by Nicole Gaskin

Answer:
by Sean Henderson

There exist many ways to do this. The one I’m going to show you, which is rather easy, involves downloading mp3 files with Limewire, then burning them with Nero Burning Rom, well actually I’ll use smart start, you can use Burning Rom when you get more experienced with this. In this quick example, I’m using LimeWire version 4.14.8 Pro (http://www.limewire.com) and Nero Burning Rom version 7.9.6.0 (http://www.nero.com). You will also need a CD burner that is not stone age.

Step 1: Install Nero and Limewire. If Limewire says something about installing Java, install that too.

Step 2: Run Limewire. (Start button > All Programs > LimeWire > LimeWire PRO 4.14.8)

Step 3: In Limewire, under Select Search Type, click Audio.

Step 4: Now you will see a thing that has Title, Artist, Album and so forth. Type in what you are looking for and click Search. Soon, over on the right side a bunch of results will appear.

Step 5: Double Click a song from the results that you’re interested in. Try to locate one that has Bitrate 192 or higher and speed better than dialup. Beware that downloading music you don’t already own a license for is illegal and the RIAA will sue the shit out of you. You’ve been warned!

When Limewire finishes a song, it pops up a little confirmation window in the lower right corner. You can close it.

Step 6: After you’ve downloaded a few songs, you’re probably wondering where they are at. In Limewire, go to Tools Menu > Options. In the Options dialog, click Saving from the left, and observe the Save folder on the right. You can change this location if you like, or just jot it down for later. It might say something such as C:Documents and SettingsAdministratorShared, where "Administrator" is whatever you’re profile username is.

Step 7: Run Nero Express. (Start Button > All Programs > Nero 7 > Nero Express)

Step 8: Click Music on the left side, then Click Audio CD on the right.

Step 9: Click the Add Button to bring up the Add files and folders dialog box.

Step 10: In the Add files and folders dialog, browse to the location mentioned in Step 6, select a music file that you downloaded and Click Add. Do this many times until you’ve added all the songs that you want to add. Note the little bar at the bottom which shows how much space you have left on your compilation. If you see red, that means you’ve added too many songs. When you are finished adding, click Close.

Step 11: Click Next to get to the Final Burn Settings Dialog.

Step 12: Make sure the Current recorder is set to the right CD burner. Insert a blank CD-R. Click Burn.

Done. Easy.

Posted in Computer Stuff | 1 Comment »

I Think I Love My Wife : Lose Money Chasing Women

Aug 15th, 2007 by seanh420

I Think I Love My Wife (2007)

" You can lose a lot of money chasing women,
but you’ll never lose women chasing money. "

Posted in Moments In Cinema | 5 Comments »

The Grill on the Alley Chicago

Aug 8th, 2007 by seanh420

Ever since I first learned about The Grill on the Alley at the Taste of Chicago, I have been eager to visit the real deal on the Magnificent Mile. The hook? For me it was the Prime Rib Quesadilla. So last Friday, Kristen Mckiernan and I had dinner here. 10best.com lists The Grill as one of the ten best lunch locations in Chicago. We arrived a tad bit late for lunch and perhaps a bit early for dinner because the dining area was completely empty at 5:00 pm. The interior has an old fashioned retro look and feel dimly lit by cylindrical disk shaped lights with silhouettes of roaring twenties style dancing people reminiscent of a time when men with top hats and flappers were the in thing. An old clock hovering above the main entrance reminds me of the 1885 clock tower in the Back to the Future movies. A myriad of pictures frames with a variety of artwork cover nearly every inch of every wall. A full bar is strategically located at the front of the venue near the entrance. As you make your way to the dining area (public or private) you pass a checkered floor with an elegant display of an upright puppy dog lamp surrounded by upscale drinks including favorites such as Dom Perignon Rose, Veuve Clicquot, Chopin Vodka, and more. The main dining area is very dim and romantic; I had to use a slow shutter on the camera just to snap a usable picture. Wine glasses on all the tables suggest a drink or two. I however declined due to the fact that I drove a car to this location. The table was provided with a complimentary sliced hunk of bread.

Front Entrance

Note the ancient clock in the center.

Full Bar

Bottle Display

Public Dining Area

Slow shutter speed shot typically reserved for night shots brings out the true glow of this dim room.

Prime Rib Quesadilla

Piles of Prime Rib Quesadillas complete with guacamole, sour cream, hot peppers, spices, cheese, lettuce, an olive… Five Stars!

Mashed Potato Side

A rather large side of mashed potatoes; more than I expected.

Charbroiled Chicken Caesar Salad

Complimentary Bread

Crust was hard as eating tree bark, but the center was soft.

Kristen & Me at The Grill

Esmerelda Hamwich of Buckleberry Fern loves the food also.

The Bill

Free dessert if you take a survey

I noticed that there is free desert if you take a survey over the phone. I did not notice this until two days after I had taken the picture. I called the number and took the survey. They asked various questions on a scale of 1 to 5 to rate the experience, and the degree at which the waiters adhered to policy and decorum. At the end, I was given a gift code, but I don’t have the receipt. I wonder if I could get dessert with this picture? The quality of the food and atmosphere is enough to lure me back for more in the future. Perhaps next time, if I get some desert, I’ll append some more pictures to this post. Overall, I think we were served a good amount of high quality food at a bargain price. The Prime Rib Quesadilla is my favorite; they sure don’t make food like this at Taco Bell.

The Grill on the Alley
909 N Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 255-9009
Google Map

Posted in Dining | 2 Comments »

Taste of Chicago 2007

Jul 6th, 2007 by seanh420

By Sean Henderson

I attended the Taste of Chicago this year twice; once on opening day (06/29/2007) and once on the third of July. There is a lot of great food here for newcomers. However for returning patrons, this year is a taste of Ground Hog Day. The event is somewhat predictable in that most of the same venders have the same products and are located in the same places as last year. I’d say $35-$42 is a fair price to pay to eat as much as you can and be full. That’s not bad considering the variety that you get here as opposed to a traditional sit-down restaurant at that price. The picture perfect weather coupled with a cool breeze from the lake reduced my tension of having to deal with a relentless sweaty crowd. At times I felt as if I were crammed in a fence with a myriad of raging bulls fighting for grub. Was it worth it? Hell yeah. Eat up.

Bacino’s Pizzeria/Trattoria
2204 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL

Bacino’s "Taste of" Stuffed Spinach Pizza

This was probably the best bargain I can remember. The pizza slice had a well defined crust that wasn’t too hard or too soft. And the spinach? mmmmm-yum.

Guey Lon
3968 N. Elston Ave.
Chicago, IL

Billy Goat Tavern & Grill
1535 W. Madison
Chicago, IL

Billy Goat’s "Taste of" 1/2 Cheeseburger

Chicago Joe’s
2256 W. Irving Park Rd.
Chicago, IL

Chicago Joe’s "Taste of" Chili

Ricobene’s
252 W. 26th St.
Chicago, IL
http://www.ricobenesfamoussteaks.com

Ricobene’s "Taste of" Italian Breaded Steak

La Justicia
3901 W. 26th St.
Chicago, IL

La Justicia’s "Taste of" Enchilada

Parscove Persian Cuisine & Topas
435 W. Diversey
Chicago, IL

Bolat
3346 N. Clark
Chicago, IL

Beer

Ratatouille Promotion

Ratatouille is the best animated feature I’ve seen this year and I highly recommend it. It has already made its way into the imdb’s Top250 and the numbers speak for themselves. I won’t go into details as a movie review is outside the scope of this review.

Robinson’s No. 1 Ribs
225 S. Canal St.
Chicago, IL

Eli’s Cheesecake Chicago
6701 W. Forest Preserve Dr.
Chicago, IL

Eli’s Original Plain Cheesecake with Strawberries

Abbey Pub & Restaurant
3420 W. Grace
Chicago, IL

Vee-Vee’s African Restaurant
6232 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL

Vermilion
10 W. Hubbard
Chicago, IL

Vermilion’s Mango-cumin dusted fries with tamarind chutney

Cest Si Bou!
5225 South Harper
Chicago, IL

Grazie!
1050 E. Oakton Ave.
Chicago, IL

Grazie’s "Taste of" BBQ Buffalo Burger

Blu 47 restaurant & lounge
4655 S. King Drive
Chicago, IL

Suparossa
4256 N. Central Ave.
Chicago, IL

Polka Sausage & Deli
8753 Commercial Ave.
Chicago, IL

BB’s
22 E. Hubbard
Chicago, IL

The Grill
On The Alley
909 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL

The Grill’s Prime Rib Quesadilla

This is my favorite at the taste. So good, I ate three of them.

Zam Zam
2500 W. Devon Ave.
Chicago, IL

Aunt Diana’s Candy Makers
29 E. Burlington Road
Riverside, IL

Aunt Diane’s Chocolate-Dipped Frozen Banana

Celebration
286 Golf Mill Center
Niles, IL

Celebration’s One Scoop of Ice Cream in a Waffle Cone

Mega Millions

"The devil is alive I feel him breathing. Claiming money is the key, so keep on dreaming. And put them lottery tickets just to tease us." -Kanye West

Gold Coast Dogs
2501 N. Damen
Chicago, IL

Mazzone’s Frozen Desserts

Mazzone’s "Taste of" Blue Raspberry Italian Ice

Tutto Italiano
501 S. Wells
Chicago, IL

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
958 W. Wrightwood
Chicago, IL

Harold’s Chicken
#71 – 2109 S. Wabash
Chicago, IL

Polo Cafe Catering
3322 South Morgan St.
Chicago, IL

BJ’s Market & Bakery
8734 S. Stony Island Ave.
Chicago, IL

Los Dos Laredos
3120 W. 26th St.
Chicago, IL

Los Dos Laredos "Taste of" Steak Taco

Reggio’s
1339 S. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL

Reggio’s Cherry Italian Ice

I liked this one better than the blue Italian Ice

…a moment later…

Tuscany
1014 W. Taylor
Chicago, IL

Tuscany’s Toasted Ravioli

Dominick’s

Connie’s Pizza
2373 S. Archer Ave.
Chicago, IL

Oak Street Beach Cafe
5700 S. Cicero Ave.
Chicago, IL

Oak Street Beach’s Grilled Lobster Tail with Garlic Potatoes

That is some creepy shit.

Costa’s Greek Mediterranean Dining
340 S. Halsted
Chicago, IL

Volare Ristorante
201 E. Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL

JR
2841 W. Howard St.
Chicago, IL

JR’s Key Lime Pie

Need some Key Lime Pie Martini’s to go with this

Kasia’s
2101 W. Chicago
Chicago, IL

Lagniappe
1525 W. 79th St.
Chicago, IL

Dock’s
112 W. 87th St.
Chicago, IL

A Natural Harvest
7122 S. Jeffery Blvd.
Chicago, IL

Taqueria
3141 W. 26th St.
Chicago, IL

Deleece
4004 N. Southport
Chicago, IL

Potbelly
2264 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL

Chicago Chocolate Company
4010 S. Morgan St.
Chicago, IL

Arya Bhavan
2508 W. Devon Ave.
Chicago, IL

Sabor Latino Restaurant
3810 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL

Southern Comfort Slushies

They didn’t card me which was suprising.

Southern Comfort Super Weakness

This drink was weaker than some wanna-be Aldi’s style cool aid. I couldn’t even taste the hint of alcohol. Stay away from this drink. Super weak.

Kasia’s Deli
2101 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL

Fireplace Inn
1448 N. Wells St.
Chicago, IL

Riva
700 E. Grand
Chicago, IL

Taste of Chicago International Pavilion

Father & Son Restaurant
645 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL

O’Brien’s Restaurant & Bar
1528 N. Wells St.
Chicago, IL

Franco’s Ristorante
300 W. 31st St.
Chicago, IL

Home Run Inn
4254 W. 31st St.
Chicago, IL

Home Run Inn "Taste of" Mozzarella Stuffed Breadstick

Returned to the Taste of Chicago a second time on July 3rd with a few friends.

Howard, "the W3rd" & Crown Royal

Slick Nick & Blueberry Stoli’s

Blueberry Stoli’s!!!!!!!!

Taste the Blueberry!

Sean & Captain Morgan

Chuck "Deez Nutz"

Pleya

Clara

Jim

Bella Luna Cafe
731 N. Dearborn St.
Chicago, IL

Bella Luna Cafe "Taste of" Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

This tasted like something you’d buy frozen at a store and microwave.

Buona
6801 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Berwyn, IL

Star of Siam
11 E. Illinois St.
Chicago, IL

Helen’s Restaurant
1732 E. 79th St.
Chicago, IL

Helen’s Restraunt BBQ Turkey Leg

Hot and huge. I think my tongue suffered third degree burns after eating this monster. It’s also severely messy. Bring plenty of napkins and ice.