Craig F.

Hyatt-Park Chicago

Stayed here for Valentine's day. You can describe this place as world class without be hyperbolic. I think foreign leaders stay here some times. Obviously, I got one of the cheapest rooms available, but not before securing a gorgeous view of water tower and the lake. Besides the numerous amenities, the real beauty of the place was the sliding door next to the hot tub that allowed you to watch TV while soaking in a hot bath. The prices are surely prohibitive, but if you're looking for real luxury and some romance, look no further

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Debonair Social Club

This place will be the death of Wicker Park. Went here once with friends during some "free-colt45s-before-midnight" promotion. We ended up getting yelled at, no physically threatened, by some goon who thought himself to be quite important because he swore we stole the assortment of Colt cans we had collected. Long story short, despite our best efforts we hardly had fun at this considerably douchey establishment.

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Reckless Records

This is the Wicker Park version of the well-known Chicago record store. I really hope this place will not become extinct along with the entire record industry, because it brings charm and uniqueness to the area. My fear is that soon it will be pushed out of the neighborhood by Gap or something ridiculous, but for now this place is a haven for people looking for rare cd's and records that you could never imagine finding at retail places like Best Buy or Target. Go in and just listen to CD's for hours.

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Kerryman Bar & Restaurant

There's no real reason to ever step foot in the Kerryman. It is strictly standard stuff in this place, including the posturing men, the superficial women, and the exorbitant prices. If you are looking for something special, make sure to avoid.

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Islas Canarias Restaurant

Anyone living in west miami knows damn well what Islas Canarias has to offer, so this review is more for out-of-towners who may be looking for authentic Cuban cuisine. Cheap stuff, really good stuff at this place for sure. Wasn't aware they have a location at the beach. Hopefully it isn't some sanitized, trendy, touristy garbage. I'm used to the one on Coral Way and 137th. Find it if you can. You won't be disappointed.

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Fritanga Cocina Dona Angela

The stuff at Fritanga is pretty much homemade and as far as I've been told quite authentic. It's a perfect place to grab some cafeteria style Nica food on your lunch break. There are several locations throughout Miami, so if you're visiting to a google search. It's something you're not going to find anywhere else, except maybe Managua.

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Mariachi Los Rancheros

This place offers authentic Nicaraguan food. You're doing something really dumb if you don't order steak. Pacifically, the one called "El Presidente." Not only is it delicious, but it's enormous too. Los Rancheros is mostly worth the trouble of having to smell Sweetwater for a couple of hours.

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O J Liquors

This is the place me and all my friends went to in high school to get booze. We didn't even have fakes. We just went in. No matter how nervous we may have gotten before each arrival to OJ's we never once left disappointed. A beauty.

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Tivoli South Liquors

This place is one of the more amazing phenomena of the Sweetwater neighborhood in Miami, the first being the fact that a bunch of Nicaraguans can operate a business without running it into the ground.

How do they do it? An anecdotal example illustrates the point. I can't remember the name of it, but during the summer of '04 there was a hurricane coming not too far off the Atlantic coast. It was almost a foregone conclusion that it would be just barely missing us to the north. This did not mean we were completely out of the woods--we still got tons of rain and a lot of wind. No one left their homes that night.

Except me and my friend, Pipo. We were on our way to South Beach, but we wanted to drink and there was nothing open. Even all the gas stations were closed. We thought, "hmm, maybe Tivoli?"

We took a left from 8th street onto 107th, and sure enough drenched in big bright lights were dozens of Nicaraguans eating at some Sweetwater cafeteria and WAITING IN LINE for Tivoli.

This was excellent news, and we have always been grateful. As much as we all hate them, I suppose they are good for something, right?

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Marzanos Miami Bowl Lounge & Grill

This place may or may not still be open, may or may not have been abandoned, may or may not now be a squatter's home full of rats and drug addicts. I, for one, hope it's still open.

The cheapest shoes, lane rental, and chicken wings you could ask for. And good chicken wings.

Yes, the neighborhood might be sketchy for some yuppy a-holes, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun at Miami Bowl. If nothing else, the place has character.

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