Cover it Up

With swimsuits as cute as these ones and temps soaring into the high 90's, you may feel a bit reluctant to cover up in these summer months. When the time does come for a little public decency, Delve has got you covered. Take a look at our picks for beach/poolside frocks that will keep you both feeling and looking cool. We like some of these so much that we might incorporate them into our weekday wardrobes.

From left to right Mara Hoffman ($330), Free People ($78), Joie ($98) Tory Burch ($177)

Bonjour, Giselle

Last time we stepped foot in the Harris Theater, we left with dropped-jaws from the sexy, scandalous performance of Carmen by the Luna Negra Dance Theater. And now, more stories of love and deceit. Let’s just say we can’t get enough. 

For the first time ever in Chicago (and the first time in the U.S. in 15 years), the world’s oldest and most distinguished ballet is debuting at Harris Theater, starting tomorrow. The Paris Opéra Ballet will open its U.S. tour of Giselle and Epic French Masterpieces right here in the Windy City running through July 1st, before jetting off to the JFK Center for Performing Arts in D.C. and finishing up at the Lincoln Center in NYC.

The tour opens with Giselle, created in 1841 and described as a story of love and forgiveness where Giselle, a peasant girl, is seduced by a great lord. Giselle learns she has been tricked by the lord and dies of a broken heart – but her love is said to extend beyond the grave. A girl still in love with a guy even after he breaks her heart? Looks like some things never change.  

After three nights of Giselle, the stage switches to Epic French Masterpieces, from June 29 to July 1 – this one described as a sexy, contemporary showcase of three ballets including Roland Petit’s L’Arlesienne, Serge Lifar’s Suite en blanc, and Maurice Béjart’s Boléro. 

Not ready to sacrifice even an ounce of this incredible weather? Millennium Park is hosting a live simulcast of Wednesday’s performance of Giselle in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at 7:30 p.m. on June 27. A little French ballet + a little French rosé in the park? Oui, s'il vous plaît.

More info and tickets are available at www.HarrisTheaterChicago.org.

Cusp Coming to a Neiman Marcus Near You

Whether in the 'burbs or downtown's Water Tower, us Chicagoans have been fortunate enough to have Cusp as a go-to store for that perfect party dress. A subsidiary of Neiman Marcus, to-date, Cusp only had six stores nationwide, two within the Windy City.

Love it or hate it, our exclusive access to the store is soon about to change. Starting now (and wrapping up in 2014), NM is re-branding all of their contemporary departments to be essentially a large Cusp shop-in-shop. The re-branded concept will expand the store's contemporary department by 20-25%, stocking more lines you love and a fresher aesthetic for the sometimes stuffy department store.

So how does this affect the already free-standing Cusp stores? So far, it doesn't. Which will eventually mean that Michigan Avenue will soon boast two Cusps within two blocks. More DVF, Joie and Phillip Lim? You don't hear us complaining.

Father's Day Guide

Mid-June means it's that time again: time to celebrate that guy in your life that, no matter what, always has your back. So instead of opting for a new golf glove or six pack, Delve is offering up a few gifts for any type of dad:

• For the outdoorsy dad: Hit the water with dad via kayak at Kayak Chicago ($65)
• For the man of style: Assorted vintage cufflinks from Dannijo ($165)
• For the wine-o: Opt dad in to a monthly wine club via sites like MyWineDeal ($75)
• For the tech geek: Up dad’s grilling skills with the iGrill – an iPhone app that lets you monitor the meat temp from up to 200 feet away. ($80)
• For the over-worked: Send him off to the Four Seasons for a Bourbon Massage (55 minutes $160, 80 minutes $210)

Just looking to spend a little QT with your old man? See below for Delve’s top recos on Father’s Day brunching:

• Hub 51: For just $30 per person from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. enjoy items like short ribs benedict, thick-cut brioche french toast and buttermilk pancakes.
• Paris Club: Feeling a little over-indulgent? Head to Paris Club for offerings including the Alaskan king crab omelette, housemade ham and gruyere omelet, smoked salmon and asparagus benedict, or brioche french toast with Michigan blueberries.
• Old Town Pour House: Two words: bison + beer.
• Zed451: Zed is offering up $3 craft brews including: Goose Island Matilda, Fat Tire, Dark Horse Amber Ale, Left Hand Milk Stout, 5 Rabbit Golden Ale and Three Floyds seasonals. Oh, and $5 burgers. 

Mouth-Watering Openings: Summer/Fall 2012

We’re still playing catch-up on the restaurants already new to the scene in 2012, but Eater Chicago just unveiled a pretty tempting list of the most anticipated openings for this Summer/Fall. We don’t even know where to begin with this list. Kidding. We’re obviously beginning with the fact that Belly Q just announced they will have a karaoke room. Thank you Mr. Kim (pictured).

Take a look at the full line-up here including a few rooftops to add to your scene-ster list, a few wine bars to spice up your date spot regimen and a couple of eateries to be reserved for girls’ night (aka “eat as much as you want” night).

Black Bull Opens on W. Division

Now open in Wicker Park: Black Bull – a tapas bar and tavern on W. Division from the guys behind Hubbard Inn, Barn & Company and English. While we’re already hearing great things about their lineup of traditional Spanish pintxos, we may or may not be most excited about two things: pitchers of sangria (served in gorgeous hand-blown pitchers) + a fab patio.





We’re heading there next week, and already have our list of must-try items lined up:

• albóndigas de cordero en salsa (lamb meatballs, roasted red pepper, tomato sauce)
• pimientos del piquillo rellenos de bacalao (piquillo peppers stuffed with cod)
• huevos rotos con patatas y chorizo (fried eggs, thick cut fries, chorizo)
• montaditos de ensaladilla rusa (potato, tuna, peas, aioli, crostini)

Check out the full menu here.

*Photo via Black Bull

900 N. Michigan Summer Essentials Giveaway

Free Clothes...do we have your attention?

One of our favorite Chicago shopping destinations tipped us off to an amaze giveaway running from now until June 30th. The shops at 900 N. Michigan (home to J. Crew, Space 519, DNA2050 - among many others) recently launched their "Summer Essentials Giveaway." They are giving away four complete looks (perfect for a variety of quintessential Chicago summer activities) styled by four fellow Chicago style experts. From dressing to impress for "a day at the beach" to rocking a "carefree concert goddess" vibe, they are letting you vote on your favorite ensemble (worth over $1000 EACH) for a chance to win the complete look.

Entering is as easy as submitting your name and email via the following link: http://www.shop900.com/summergiveaway/

Let's just say our fingers are crossed for the "night out" look. Good luck!

New Speakeasy-Style Bar Hits a Gold Coast Rooftop

Benjamin Newby has been Delve’s go-to for cocktail trends from pretty much day one of our blog life. And now, the mixologist extraordinaire is taking on a new venture – as the ringleader of the opening-Friday Drumbar.

The Delve crew headed over to the rooftop of the Raffaello Hotel (201 E. Delaware) to check things out, and needless to say based on the photos below, liked what we saw. We were sold when we heard the word rooftop, but this place has so much more to offer than just the (fabulous) outside terrace. 

First things first - the decor: 
We could go on for hours about the architecture of the space – with modern accents perfectly complementing the historic vibe – but we’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

Now on to the cocktails: 
Promising a modern take on classic cocktails, Newby has conjured up a menu that focuses on whiskys, bourbons and scotches. For the non-dark liquor drinkers, fear not, there’s options for all. As your humble taste-testers, we tried (and loved) all of the below: 

• Rose: Nolet’s gin, lemon juice, aperol, simple syrup and rose lemonade
• Ruby: Old Forester Bourbon, Bitter Truth apricot liqueur, lime juice, simple syrup and raspberries
• Honey: 42 Below Honey Vodka, peach liqueur, vanilla chai syrup, lemon juice, egg white, grapefruit bitters and mint (pictured above)
  

Summer hours of operation will be: Thursday and Friday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. to 3 a.m.; and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. 

Photos courtesy of kcbasso 

Discount Wine, Straight to Your Door

Attention current and wannabe wine-os:

Allow us to formerly introduce you to MyWineDeal.com, your new go-to for bottles and bottles (and bottles…) of wines delivered straight to your door, without breaking the bank.

Here’s the gist:
MyWineDeal.com is a free, membership-only flash sales wine website – offering two wines each week at a discount for a limited time or until they sell out. Think Groupon, but solely focused on wine. Currently, shipping is available to Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. 



Why we love them: 

• They remove the guesswork. If you’re like us, you pretend you’re in-the-know on all things wine. But frankly, you’re not. The team at MyWineDeal gives you all the deets you need in order to have an informed convo while sipping. We’re talking everything from which aromas you should be experiencing (fake it ‘til ya make it, right?) to foods to pair with each varietal. Have more questions than what’s provided? Join the winery owner/winemaker in a Google+ Hangout that MyWineDeal will host each week. You’ll be sommelier-status in no time. 
• We love a good deal. Maybe you’re more into wine for the over-indulgence factor (hey, no judgment here) than the history of the wine. With the prices they’re offering, you can double up while still sipping quality wines. Adios Carlo. 
• They’re Chicagoans! You all know that we love to spread our Windy City arms as far as humanly possible – and what better way to get advice than from your friendly neighborhood wine-enthusiasts. Brother/Sister duo Joe and Stephanie Pellar own and operate out of Chicago – traveling anywhere and everywhere to taste test the best of the best wines.

Insider tip: they’re running a Facebook contest for 3 months of free shipping. More info here.