In this issue:
- This Saturday, February 21 – Romantic Italian Dinner Party at *Filippo’s Ristorante* in Lincoln Park
- Next Saturday, February 28 – Chinese New Year Feast at *Dragon Inn North* in Glenview
- “When a Desire to ‘Be With’ Somebody Is Not What You Think It Is”
                                                       
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Romantic & Charming – Are We Talking About a Restaurant or Some New Singles? Actually Both
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This weekend, we host a a cocktail party (cash bar) and romantic Italian dinner party at Filippo’s Ristorante in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. For any of you not familiar with Filippo’s, it is a charming restaurant that has anchored the opposite corner from the Webster Place Theater on Clybourn in Lincoln Park for a number of years. With strong ratings from critics and neighborhood loyalty, it has thrived in circumstances which have taken dozens of other restaurants in that time frame.
 
Filippo’s is an authentic Italian restaurant with imaginative cuisine, not a red-sauce Italian joint. What a great place to meet new single friends in a sophisticated and romantic setting. Join us for an evening of unique regional Italian cuisine, conversation and camaraderie in this charmer. Choose from seven imaginative entrees, like Seafood or Ham Risotto, Salmon Black Ravioli, Veal Porcini or Tilapia with Cherry Tomatoes. You also get salad or soup and coffee or tea. 
 
Your entire evening is $43 for members and $45 for non-members and guests with advance reservations or $45 at the door for walk-ins (space permitting). This party is open to all singles (age approx. 34-60), regardless of past participation.
 
Register for this unique dinner party right away by going to:
www.chicagosinglesdining.com/singlepage.html or calling me with your charge card information at 773-929-6534.
 
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Next weekend, the party express moves northward to Glenview for a lively Saturday night party in celebration of “Chinese New Year.” We’ll be at the popular and highly regarded Dragon Inn North on Waukegan Road.
 
I would describe this a dinner party, but that would be an under-selling this 12-dish family feast that we will be partaking of together. This includes sizzling rice soup, four appetizers, five entrees, fried Mandarin rice and fortune cookies and tea.
 
Register for this unique dinner party right away by going to:
www.gourmetconnections.com/singlepage.html or calling me with your charge card information at 773-929-6534.
     
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*Other Upcoming Parties*
 
Saturday, March 7 — Party in Western or NW Suburbs (Location to Be Determined)
 
Friday, March 13 – St. Patrick’s Celebration   (Location to Be Determined)
 
Sunday, March 15 – Giant California Wine Adventure Tasting at Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace
   
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Details for This Saturday’s Italian Dinner at Filippo’s and Next Saturday’s Chinese New Year Feast
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When? – This Saturday, February 21, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
 
What? – Romantic Dinner Party Featuring Delicious Italian Cuisine at the Charming
 
Where? - 

Filippo’s Ristorante

2211 N. Clybourn Avenue (at Webster) in Chicago’s Lincoln Park
 
Mingle and socialize with other singles while enjoying the culinary pleasures of the venerable Filippo’s Ristorante. This charming Italian restaurant is located across from the popular Webster Place Theater. This charmer features of cuisine of Chef Filippo del Prete, who hails from Naples, but prepares dishes from all regions of Italy. It has garnered impressive kudos from both area diners and critics. Filippo’s delicious cuisine is served in a warm, inviting, and very appealing atmosphere.
 
Your evening begins with an hour-long cocktail party in the lounge area. This is followed by a seated dinner in the restaurant’s intimate dining room. Your choice of unique dinner entrées includes:
- Rigatoni con Bracioline – Thinly Sliced Prime Beef stuffed with Raisins, Garlic, Parmesan and Fontina Cheeses over Rigatoni in a Light Tomato Sauce
- Sautéed Tilapia with Cherry Tomatoes, Capers in White Wine and Lemon Sauce, served with Mashed Potatoes
- Seafood Risotto – Italian Rice with Mussels, Scampi and Scallops in a Cherry Tomato Base
- Chicken Valdostana – Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast, sautéed in Garlic White Wine Sauce topped with Prosciutto and Smoked Mozzarella
- Salmon Ravioli Neri – Black Ravioli stuffed with Salmon and Ricotta Cheese served in a Light Tomato Cream Sauce
- Veal Porcini – Veal Scaloppini with Porcini and Oyster Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce
- Ham Risotto Fratta – Italian Rice with Ham, Peas, Asparagus and Goat Cheese with Tomato
 
Also included are a Fresh Green Salad or Soup and appropriate sides, plus after-dinner coffee. Your evening is $43 for members and $45 for non-members and guests for dinner, taxes and tips for advance registrations. Walk-ups will also be accepted at the door for $45 (space permitting). Dressy casual attire. Park on the street or in the pay garage across from the restaurant (or behind it).
 
To register go to www.ChicagoSinglesDining.com/singlepage.html or call me with your charge card information at 773-929-6534.
 
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When? – Next Saturday, February 28, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
 
What? – Celebrate the Chinese New Year with a Marvelous Traditional Feast and a Cocktail Party at the Highly Regarded
 
Where? -

Dragon Inn North

 1650 Waukegan Road (2 Blocks North of E. Lake St.) in Glenview
 
Gourmet Connections hosts a cocktail party (cash bar) and family-style “Chinese New Year Feast” at Dragon Inn North. This charming restaurant is housed in a converted home setting. It always appears among the top-rated Chinese restaurants in the area.
 
Join single friends old and new in intimate surroundings. Dragon Inn North is known for wonderful food that rates 4 or 5 stars from all the local dining ratings. It serves up favorite traditional cuisine from the Mandarin, Hunan and Szechuan regions of China.
 
Upon arriving, you’ll be greeted in the lounge area for cocktail hour. Later, we will be seated to enjoy a variety of flavorful dishes for traditional Chinese family-style dining. This dinner feast of superb cuisine makes a great backdrop for warm conversation and camaraderie.
 
Your dinner feast will include:
 - Traditional Sizzling Golden Rice Soup
 
Four popular appetizers -
 - Spring Rolls
 - Shrimp Toast
 - Kwoh Te (pot-stickers)
 - Onion Pancakes
 
And several entrées to share -
 - Shrimp Sauté Hunan
 - Sliced Chicken with Chinese Greens
 - Moo Shu Pork with Mandarin Pancake
 - Crispy Duck
 - Sliced Beef with Green Onion
 
Plus:
 - Mandarin Fried Rice with Pork, Chicken and Shrimp
 
And Tea and Fortune Cookies
 
These dishes balance a variety of taste sensations indicative of the regions represented. It will be a taste adventure. Your evening including dinner, taxes and tips is $37 for members or $39 for non-members and guests. Dressy casual attire. Park in the restaurant lot.
 
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Singles Notebook – “Get-Real” Thoughts and Opinions from Jim “Senny” Senhauser
 

“When a Desire to ‘Be With’ Somebody Is Not What You Think It Is”

 
Last week, the Sports Illustrated annual “Swimsuit Issue” came out and hit both the newsstands and the Internet sports site. This phenomenon will result in 70 million people “reading” the magazine issue and 250 million page views at the SI website. In addition, videos of the photo shoots and interviews with the models are available online and now on mywaves.com for your mobile phone.
 
The cover photo of the magazine has become the ticket to stardom, or at least fame and fortune career-wise for the featured model. This year, it is Israeli model Bar Refaeli, who incidentally is Leonardo di Caprio’s girlfriend of several years.
 
So what is all my talk about these models and this magazine leading to? Well, one of my buddies mentioned the issue the other day and asked me if I ever would be like to “be with” one of these women for a night. In this case, he was using the term “being with” in the one-night stand sense. Without hesitation, I said, “No, not really.”
 
Was my answer merely a calculation to evade admitting to a secret fantasy? Not at all. Do I think that I am alone in the way I feel and the source of my fantasies? Certainly not, for my buddy admitted that he felt the same way. Some women, as well as a few guys, may find this difficult to believe. Don’t we as a society hold out models as some sort of ideal?
 
Here’s the reality – fantasies, especially for any guys beyond the post-college phase of their lives, are not based on photos of models in a magazine. That does not mean that we don’t like to look at photos like these. But the guys I know are looking for and excited by a woman who offers more than a pretty face and an attractive figure.
 
I know some of you women reading this may think that I’m just talking this way because guys like my friends and me couldn’t ever hope to date models. Well, we may not be able to attract Sports Illustrated models, but many of us have, at some point in our lives, dated a model or two. Instead, the attractor factors most guys are looking for don’t rely solely on looks. Sure looks play one part, but attraction is also based on lots of other more subtle and highly subjective attributes. Depending on the particular guy, these can include:
- keen sense of humor and the ability to make us laugh
- intelligence and the ability to express it in interesting conversation
- good listening skills and acceptance with being judgmental
- being fun to be around, having a playful demeanor
- exhibiting a willingness to explore, experiment and try new things 
- self-reliance, not being clingy or overly dependent
- a caring attitude toward the guy and others
- being a woman a guy can talk to, feeling both comfortable and safe in doing so
- good character, truthful and trustworthy, that a guy can respect
- sharing some of the same interests, values and attitudes
- an upbeat, hopeful and positive life view
These are among the key qualities that have a strong emotional pull for a guy. 
 
If you ask a guy to look back at the women in his life that he was in love with, I would bet that most would not be “tens” in the looks department. Instead they would be those who had some of the attributes listed above that make a guy really want to be with them. You see, the key to a relationship is finding a woman (or a man) who you really want to be with, not just in the sexual attraction sense, but somebody you just really like to be around.
 
And why do you like to be around them? Because of the way they make you feel when you are with them. You know the feeling – you cannot wait to share your life with them and have them share their life with you.
 
So ladies, don’t worry about trying to compete with Sports Illustrated swimsuit models in looks or figure. And guys, don’t be concerned about trying to be Mister Macho or Phil Physique. The real competition is to be the kind of woman or man that people, especially potential dates, really want to BE WITH.
 
And, how do you accomplish that goal? By practicing being your best (and most authentic) self, building all kinds of relationships on a positive attitude and a desire to live each day to the fullest. For, in the end, being somebody that others want to BE WITH is the best way of finding that special one that you want BE WITH always.
  
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Have a wonderful week. I hope that you can join us this weekend or next to enjoy some delicious, unique dishes and meet and get to know some great new single friends. See you for cocktails, tasty Italian and fun.
  

 
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Successful Single! ©2009 – Success Singles Club, Ltd. (formerly the Gourmet Advocates, Ltd.)
 
Jim Senhauser’s “Singles Notebook” column (used with permission) is ©2009 IdeaTree,
Ltd., Chicago, IL 60613. “IdeaTree” is a registered trademark of IdeaTree, Ltd.