‘Go global’ by sampling foreign cultures within the Chicago city limits

The seasonal and casual Cyrano's Café and Wine Bar on the Riverwalk lets guests pretend they're dining along the Seine River in Paris, as I did during a visit in September.

Anyone who knows me well--or who's paying attention within 10 minutes of meeting me--is well aware of my love of all things international: cuisine, languages, men, you name it. Friends and colleagues constantly quiz me: "So where's your next foreign trip? I know you're on your way somewhere." For the first time in a long time, I'm staying put--mostly because I'm out of vacation time and am forcing myself to stick to a budget. But that doesn't mean I'm willing to give up globetrotting. Instead, I'm doing it right here in Chicago--no passport, visas or trips to O'Hare required.

Even if you don't have the cash or the time to travel abroad this fall, the fabulous thing about world-class Chicago is that you can truly span the globe without crossing the city limits. We in the Windy City are marvelously blessed with incredible ethnic diversity, most of it reachable by public transportation. Next time you're feeling in need of a foreign experience, consider adding some of the following to your free time:

Investigate international cuisine. An avowed Francophile, I love trying different French dining spots around town. When I'm craving the authentic tastes of France, I'll go solo or join visiting family and local friends at the always incredible Kiki's Bistro. Lately, I've become a fan of both Cyrano's Bistrot on North Wells Street and its seasonal sister Cyrano's Café and Wine Bar on the Riverwalk, both delectable creations of Chef Didier Durand. Dining outside this East Wacker Drive spot last month, watching the tour boats glide by and sipping glasses of vin blanc, transported me from the Chicago River to the Seine in Paris. But in a city that's got great cuisine from Argentine to Ethiopian, from Korean to Serbian--and in about as many neighborhoods as you can imagine--why not take your taste buds on an imaginative trip someplace they've never been? It's how one holiday I ended up at Noon O Kabab, a friendly Persian place in culturally diverse Albany Park.
Check out world chow in ethnic markets. Because Chicago's not only a city of immigrants (about 18 percent of the metro area's population) but also of wide-ranging diversity, that means the city's home to great authentic food markets. So if you're more inclined to cook at home rather than paying someone to do it for you, take a field trip to pan-Asian Viet Hoa Oriental Grocery Store, just off the Red Line's Argyle stop, and pick up interesting veggies you've never before seen. Try out Ghanaian staples at Makola African Supermarket--everything from dried and smoked fish to plantain fufu flour--in the heart of Uptown. Or travel to the South Side and check out Polish specialties at Gilmart Food & Liquors on South Archer. You may hear little English spoken, but that'll certainly make the trip feel more authentic, yes?
Take a foray into foreign-themed film. So you can't make it to Southeast Asia, Europe or South America this year. Who says you can't visit via the magic of cinematography? Check out the Chicago International Film Festival, happening this month from Oct. 8-21. Moviegoers can feast on films from Argentina to Kazakhstan to Uruguay. For the same reason, I love the Landmark Century Centre Cinemas near Clark and Diversey because you'll often find foreign films on the lineup. When I go to see a French-themed film like 2007's "Broken English," I make sure to stop in at across-the-street La Creperie, a cozy bistro-like hideaway--complete with a charming outdoor patio--owned for nearly 40 years by a French-American couple. And after catching an early-evening showing of the French food fête that was "Julie & Julia," I made my way from the River East 21 theaters to Fox & Obel, where I slowly strolled the aisles, sampled imported fromage as Madame Child might have done, and made sure to bag a baguette before leaving.
Cultivate some foreign culture. Chicago's got an embarrassment of riches when it comes to museums--world-renowned ones including the Art Institute of Chicago and smaller but no less interesting ones such as the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture on South Pulaski and the always fascinating National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen. Our city's also home to cultural institutes sponsored by European governments, which not only offer language classes but a year-round buffet of lectures, exhibits and musical events. There's the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago and Instituto Cervantes of Chicago, for starters. I belong to the Alliance Française de Chicago, which feeds my wannabe Parisian tendencies with language studies and cultural activities 12 months a year.
Sample some international sounds. Sure, Chicago's home of the blues and gospel, but you can frequently catch diverse global performances and classes at the Old Town School of Folk Music, especially on "World Music Wednesdays." Then of course there's reggae, Jamaican-style dancehall and more at The Wild Hare in Wrigleyville, Greek and other international sounds at the eclectic Katerina's on Irving Park near Damen, and a global smorgasbord of sounds at Uncommon Ground, especially its 1401 W. Devon location. And put the annual World Music Festival on your calendar for next September, as last month's lineup featured 57 artists from 32 countries. Talk about an aural feast!