I had a fun day in Chicago’s South Loop yesterday. I started with a sneak peek at the Chicago Auto Show, watched a DePaul women’s basketball win and dined for the first time at Stix n Brix.

With the Chicago Auto Show running Feb. 12–21, I got a rare look at the setup in progress. Not only was it fun seeing the beautiful cars, it was interesting watching the logistics and organization unfold. I couldn’t take pictures, but I will be at the show next week and will have a full report with plenty of pictures.

As I walked to nearby Wintrust Arena, I passed one of the Chicago K9s for Cops sculptures. Debuting in 2017, the German Shepard dog statues memorialize the Chicago Police Department’s fallen officers and support the families of officers killed or injured on duty.

Next, I saw the DePaul Blue Demons defeat the Providence Friars. Kendall Holmes celebrated her birthday in front of family and friends by scoring 14 off the bench. With only a handful of games left, DePaul is 19–6 and gearing for the tournaments.

Lexi Held and Kendall Holmes photo courtesy of DePaul Athletics.

I ended my day a bit south at Stix n Brix, known for wood-fired pizzas. Somehow this was my first time there, and I looked forward to seeing how it fared. I chose the margherita pizza. The mozzarella and basil tasted so fresh, and the crust was perfectly done. For the trip home, I got a Yellow Line Smoothie. One of seven smoothies named after Chicago’s elevated trains, the Yellow Line had pineapples, mangoes, bananas, coconut water, milk and flax seeds. It was the perfect refreshing nightcap.

— John Wroblewski, online writer