a cleaner experience

Turning a simple chore into something much more was Vijen Patel’s vision when he began building his business, Pressbox, from the ground up.

“Taxis and brooms worked well for hundreds of years respectively,” said Patel, 27. “Then, Uber and Swiffer came along and transformed these chores into an experience.”

Patel wanted to do the same with dry cleaning. 

The lockers inside of Pressbox

After living in New York, San Francisco and London – Patel used the global knowledge he gained to help him build this concept back in his hometown of Chicago.

Then, with the help of supporters, Pressbox was born.

Pressbox, a tech-based laundry pickup and delivery service, wants to revolutionize the way we clean our clothes.

The process is simple: Drop off your dirty clothes in an available locker at a Pressbox location, lock it and send a text message alerting Pressbox that your clothes are there. Then, get notified by a text when your laundry is ready for pickup.

With locations all around Chicago and being open 24/7, the multiple Pressbox stops allow us keep up with our busy lifestyles.

“I love to ask myself everyday how I can make the world better,” said Patel, who says he has received much support from other Chicago small businesses. “With Pressbox, I’m able to do this.”

courageous cole

Born without his two front legs, a pit bull named Cole, was almost euthanized because Chicago Animal Care and Control didn’t think any one would want to adopt him.

Rescue Warriors Corporation, a no kill animal rescue association, highly disagreed.

They found Cole at the highkill shelter and took him into their own hands.

It was then when Kimberly Boshold, of Palatine, and her boyfriend, Kevin, saw a picture of the pup on Rescue Warrior’s Facebook page and were drawn to him immediately. 

Kimberly and Kevin with Cole and Keke

“When we picked Cole up from Rescue Warriors to foster him, we knew almost immediately that we were going to adopt him – he was the most perfect dog,” said Boshold, 24. 

Not having any prior experience raising a differently abled dog, Boshold did everything she could to prepare for his unique upbringing.

“Since the day Cole came into our lives, I hit the ground running,” said Boshold, a professional hairstylist and colorist. “I Googled day and night to gather as much information on anything that could help Cole and his needs. ”

Boshold knew she and Kevin would encounter some difficulties with Cole, including that the couple lives in a second floor apartment.

“Cole obviously can’t get down the stairs by himself, so we have to carry him down,” said Boshold. “Cole loves being outside, so Kevin and I work together to make sure he gets out as much as possible.”

The recent winter weather nor his disability has not stopped Cole from enjoying his favorite activities like playing with his sister, a German Sheppard mix, Keke.

“Cole and Keke are best friends. They sleep on each other, play constantly and give each other kisses,” said Boshold, who credits Cole for inspiring her to never give up and to focus on the things in life that truly matter. “It’s amazing to see the bond that Cole and Keke have formed in such a short amount of time.” 

Cole and his sister, Keke

Aside from getting along perfectly with his sister, Cole has also easily adapted to his own life.

“Having no front legs is all Cole knows. He can do everything a ‘normal dog’ can do just in a different way,” said Boshold, who enrolled Cole in a therapy program to help build his strength.

Currently Cole is in an eight-week hydrotherapy program that varies from massages, chiropractic work, exercise therapy and an underwater treadmill.

“Therapy helps to strengthen Cole’s back legs and to ease his spine. The goal is to get Cole’s core strong, so he can better support himself and possibly walk upright one day.” said Boshold, who found Integrative Pet Care and Natural Healing Whole Dog Wellness through a recommendation from another Chicagoan pit bull owner. 

Cole and his set of custom wheels

Along with going to therapy to make life easier for Cole, he also has his own custom wheelchair, allowing him to get around better.

“Cole really likes his cart because it keeps his back straight and it’s custom fit for him, so it is comfortable,” said Boshold, who ordered it from Eddie’s Wheels, a mom and pop shop helping handicapped dogs nationwide. “Cole is in his cart for about one or two hours a day. When he is outside or around other dogs, Cole really excels in his cart.” 

In his cart, or jumping around, Cole is a very happy puppy. Just take a look at his popular Instagram account and Facebook page.

“For those who are thinking about adopting a dog with a disability, open your heart and do it. It can be expensive at times, but it’s so rewarding.,” said Boshold. “Cole makes everyday better.”

restaurant week

Not ordering an appetizer, when eating out, is a sin. 

Appetizers rule the city of Chicago.

Which, is why desserts get so easily overlooked.

After a smorgasbord of appetizers and a decadent main dish, the last thought through our mind is, “sure, feed me some more cals.” 

Cals, being short for calories, of course. …Don’t we all think in shortened words? 

However, the lack of actually needing to order dessert, doesn’t make us want dessert any less. 

We just need a reason to order it… 

Ta da! Restaurant Week. 

trio of oatmeal cookies: plain / garam masala-ginger / chocolate-marcona almond

The most glorified, most talked about, foodie obsession in all of Chicago. Allowing Chicagoans and visitors alike to eat at the most desired places in Chicago. 

dulce de leche / coconut / espresso / mandarin

The Restaurant Week prix-fixe menus, that are served at all participating restaurants, subtly force restaurant-goers to try a dessert.

No complaining here. 

After devouring the oatmeal sandwich trio from Table Fifty-two, tears were brought to my eyes as I finished the last bite of the chocolate and almond flavored oatmeal cookie filled with rich butter cream icing. 

And the housemade truffles from Aria exposed me to how a truffle should truly taste. 

Until next year, dessert, when we meet again during Restaurant Week.

awkward together

Turning uncomfortable situations into humorous stories is what Elaine Short, of Logan Square, has been doing for all twenty-four years of her life. 

The Pittsburgh born, L.A. grown and now permanent Chicagoan has used her awkward sense of humor and witty writing to grow her career.

“I started drawing comics three years ago when I was bored out of my mind with no job and living in my uncle's house,” said Short, who says she just took to the art after seeing her uncle’s sketches.

Once Short discovered that she could draw, it didn’t take long before she dubbed her character’s name, “Funny Girl.”

Short, who lacked confidence as a teenager, now embraces her moniker because it forces her to defy it.

“After a certain point in college, I realized no one cared who I was or what I did,” said Short. “So, why not just do what I want? Why not say what I want? My friends think I'm funny. Maybe others will, too.”

With that in mind, Short decided she was going to write a book – no easy feat considering the high cost of printing.

Thankfully, she has experience with fundraising.

Short previously worked for the wildly popular game, Cards Against Humanity, which was initially funded via Kickstarter. 

“We started doing an introductory workshop with some folks from Kickstarter,” said Short, who now works full-time as an associate editor for a custom publisher in the Loop. “It was interesting, very fun and I learned a good bit about how to use Kickstarter myself.”

During Short’s last month of working for Cards Against Humanity, her boss instructed her to focus on drawing her cartoon and that he would help her create a Kickstarter to get her book off the ground.

With the help of her boss and some contributions from her friends, Max Temkin, co-creator of Cards Against Humanity and Luke Crane, games specialist at Kickstarter, her book started to become a reality.

Shortly after, the title of Short’s book was created.

“Max has a great knack for short titles, and Let’s be Awkward Together seemed to just pop from his mouth immediately,” said Short. “And it stuck.”

Temkin and Crane also suggested that Short ask for contributor’s awkward stories and that it would empower readers to donate money.

They were right. 

“There's nothing like seeing yourself crudely drawn into a 4-panel black and white comic,” said Short, who says she could not resist the alluring idea of having a written book you can hold in your hand, which was her motivation for publishing her book.

After gaining 202 backers and raising $5,551 within 30 days on Kickstarter, Short’s book, Let’s be Awkward Together earned enough money to be printed.

You can pick up a copy of Let’s be Awkward Together from Uncharted Books in Logan Square and experience the true humor of “Funny Girl” for yourself.

a trendy bygone

30 Rock is arguably one of the best television shows, ever. And Jack Donaghy is arguably one of the best television characters, ever.

Something about his lovable arrogance and his flashy old-fashioned style make him one of a kind. 

The vault door inside The Bedford

That’s why when I went to The Bedford in Wicker Park the first thing I thought was, “Jack Donaghy would eat here.” 

Not only is the swanky restaurant in a mid-century modern style basement, but the restaurant itself is inside of an old bank vault.

Yes, the giant gold plated vault door still stands, but now serves as a walkway into a private room. And the still intact depository boxes on the wall act as inimitable artwork.

It’s like a fabulous low-lit cigar lounge.

Without the cigars or smoke, of course.

And if the décor isn’t enough to “woo” you, the posh food will. 

Grandma Ann's Deviled Eggs

The house made crab dip – the cold, fresh, crab combined with the homemade crackers was flawless. 

And, the decadent deviled eggs had a wonderful smoky taste making me crave my favorite Easter dish all 365 days of the year. 


Overall Rating: 3.7 / 5 

zero percent

When Rajesh Karmani, 31, moved to America eight years ago, he thought he would never have to see impoverishment again.

“I come from a remote desert area in Pakistan, so I have seen poverty and hunger,” said Karmani. “When I came to America, I thought I had left it behind.”

Unfortunately, he was wrong. 

But, Karmani, who received his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Illinois, was ready to do something about it.

"Zero Percent began as a project to solve a problem,” said Karmani, who founded the start-up after being inspired by the book, American Wasteland. “I thought to myself, ‘How the heck could we waste $22 billion worth of good food in America, when 1-in-6 people face hunger each year?’”  

Zero Percent is on online food donation marketplace that helps businesses move surplus, edible food to nearby soup kitchens and shelters. Their goal is to reduce both hunger and waste. 

Or, as Caleb Phillips, Zero Percent’s Chief Technology Officer puts it, “We rescue beautiful food, deliver it to folks who really need it, and in doing so, prevent it from going to a landfill instead.”

Phillips, 29, who also has his PhD in Computer Science, met Karmani, Zero Percent’s Founder & CEO, over email.

After a year of emails and phone calls, Phillips and Karmani decided to work together using their complex problem solving skills to create a scalable solution to Chicago’s food waste problem. 

Photo Credit: Zero Percent Facebook

Their hard work did not go unnoticed. 

Impact Engine, an accelerator program that supports businesses that have a societal and environmental impact, wanted to join forces with Zero Percent.

“We had the offer to join Impact Engine and I was like, ‘holy shit,’” said Karmani, who has been couch surfing at friends or staying at hostels since the company relocated to Chicago in September 2013.

Now, working out of Merchandise Mart in River North, Zero Percent has already made a name for itself in Chicago.

Well-known players like: Hannah’s Bretzel, The Goddess and Grocer and Dimo’s Pizza are some of the restaurants who have already teamed up with Zero Percent to arrange food donations.

“We work with non-profit shelters, soup kitchens and pantries – they’re the ones who receive these food donations,” said Phillips, who reaches out to organizations and companies the old fashioned way, by making cold calls or by walk-ins.

After seeing much success within their first four months of being in Chicago, Phillips, has high hopes for Zero Percent.

“In the short term, maybe we'll just save all the food in Chicago,” said Phillips. “After that, maybe the rest of the world too.”

money, money

Yesterday, at The Executives' Club of Chicago's Annual Economic Outlook, a panel of top economic forecasters (3 of the 4 are Chicagoans) shared their tips on how to stay ahead of the curve in 2014. For the past 30 years their financial predictions have never been wrong.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

- Invest in marijuana distribution. Jon Najarian noted that he bought the Medbox stock on Wednesday (1/8/14) for $35 and Thursday (1/9/14) it was up to $90. He expects there to be great opportunities in this space. However, you should patiently wait and observe the trend before diving all in.

- Job growth in 2014. All three panelists agreed that there will be more job opportunities this year. Diane Swonk expects between 2.5 million and 3 million more jobs will be created this year due to companies beginning to rebuild supply chains.

- Bitcoin is risky. When asked about the new digital "currency" Douglas Holtz-Eakin said that it is very dangerous thing and doesn't know why the treasury has not come out against it. He advises to stay clear for the time being.

Thanks to the talented finance gurus who shared their wisdom:

Photo Credit: Emily Cikanek for Joe Gallo Photography

Jon Najarian, Co-Founder, optionMONSTER
Diane Swonk, Chief Economist, Mesirow Financial
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Economist and Former Congressional Budget Office Director 
Terry Savage, Financial Author and Nationally Syndicated Columnist.