No Chicago food education is complete until you’ve logged some man hours on Harlem Avenue.
Over the next 3 posts, I’m going to take you on an educational journey down Harlem Ave. We’ll start at Addison and Harlem, and head south from there.
Although the real Little Italy is down by UIC, this stretch of Harlem Avenue is a close runner-up. Everywhere you look, you see Italian people, Italian grocery stores, and bumper stickers proclaiming “FORZA AZZURRI!” But among all of the Italian restaurants in the neighborhood, Caponies Trattoria sets the bar.
Continue reading 'Harlem Avenue Italian 101: Caponies Trattoria'»
I love the North Park Village Maple Syrup Festival. It is the cure to the common Chicago March (which is typically cold, wet, and boring). You can usually tell how rough our winter was by how many people show up at the Maple Syrup Festival. If we had an especially bad winter, it will be crawling with people, anxious to finally spend some time outside.
The crowd wasn’t too bad this year. (What can I say – the older I get, the more tolerant I am of strollers.)
Continue reading 'Tap into Sap – the North Park Village Maple Syrup Festival'»
As you may know, my blog is a thinly veiled love letter to Chicago’s Northwest Side.
But this entry may sound more like a eulogy, as I paint you a picture of Elliott’s Dairy – a great little store, and the great little neighborhood it serves.
Continue reading 'Elliott’s Dairy – The End of an Era'»
My lunch usually (okay, always) consists of the following items:
- yogurt
- an apple
- a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Sometimes I’ll throw in some variables, like a granola bar, or string cheese.
Boring, right? I know. I can offer no excuse, except for the fact that I usually pack my lunch around 10:00PM. At 10:00, creativity is not a priority.
Since my New Year’s Resolution is to spend my time more wisely, I’m hoping that it will eventually trickle down to packing my lunches at a more reasonable hour. Maybe then, I’ll be more inclined to make healthier, more creative sandwiches.
Speaking of great sandwiches - About a month ago, Brian and I checked out Jerry’s, a sandwich shop in the West Loop – not too far from my beloved Whitney Young.
Continue reading 'It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time!'»
So, let’s say you love to bake cookies. And you have some vacation days to use up before the end of the year. And you miss the neighborhood you grew up in. What do you do? Enter the Resurrection Arts & Crafts Fair, of course!!
If you live on the Northwest Side, the Resurrection Arts & Crafts Fair was the place to see and be seen on Saturday. I’m not kidding! You think the bars in Lincoln Park are crowded? Check this out:
Continue reading 'The Resurrection Arts & Crafts Fair'»
Try to think of something - anything- that appeals to all of the following people:
- Senior Citizens
- Yuppie Parents
- Politicians
- Chefs
- Fans of Bluegrass music
Believe it or not, the answer is Apple Pie. Who knew it could reach across so many social boundaries? When I entered the Bucktown Apple Pie Contest, I figured it would be like a Star Wars Convention – heavily attended by a certain sub-culture, and overlooked by the rest of the world. But I was wrong. Over the course of my Sunday afternoon, I encountered every type of person listed above.
Continue reading 'Apple Pie Wishes and Caviar Dreams!'»
Ah, the holidays. Andy Williams will tell you it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
As much as I love this season, it’s easy to get cabin fever. So if you’re tired of visiting with your family, and you can’t watch another re-run of I Love the 80’s, check out The Daily V Holiday Calendar!
October:
Sunday 10/11: The 4th Annual Andersonville Dessert Crawl - The Andersonville Dessert Crawl takes you up and down Clark Street, into famous bakeries such as Ann Sather, Svea, and The Swedish Bakery.
Sunday 10/18 : The 5th Annual Bucktown Apple Pie Contest - Who cares if Chicago lost the Olympics bid? The Bucktown Apple Pie Contest is the Olympics of pie baking. Sample the winning pies, and check out the pumpkin painting too!
Saturday 10/24: Hallowed Haunts – presented by the Civic Orchestra of Chicago - The Hallowed Haunts concert at Symphony Center features some of the spookiest music ever composed, performed live by the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Halloween costumes are encouraged!
Friday 10/30: The Saint Pascal’s Haunted House - Why do Catholic churches always have the best haunted houses? St. Pascal’s Haunted House has been scaring Chicago’s Northwest Side since 1988. HauntedHouseChicago.com has rated it one of the Top 10 Haunted Houses in Chicago. For only $7, it’s a great deal!
Continue reading 'The Daily V Holiday Calendar'»
Would you ever think that the genius who created this:
and this:
would take an hour out of his Saturday morning to hang out with me?
While most people were still hunched over their morning cup of coffee, I was lucky enough to be in Mark Seaman’s sugar art studio in Ravenswood. I must admit, I had an ulterior motive – I needed his advice on how to improve my apple pie. (Details on that in October)
Continue reading 'The Daily V chats with Mark Seaman'»
I have a confession, which you might find a little strange: I have never eaten a hot dog outside of the Chicago metropolitan area.
In order to qualify as Chicago-style, a hot dog must include:
- A poppy seed bun
- Yellow mustard
- Chopped white onion
- Neon green relish
- Sport peppers
- Tomato wedges
- A dash of celery salt
So, in honor of the little bubble I grew up in, here it is – the best hot dog on Chicago’s Northwest Side:
Continue reading 'Where’s the Beef? Apparently, it’s on Nagle Ave.'»
Most people who live on the North side of Chicago are familiar with Stanley’s Fruit Market. And even if you’ve never been to Stanley’s, it’s likely that you’ve seen this as you drive down North Ave.
(As a child, I got a huge kick out of this sign: cartoon Stanley piloting a watermelon and smoking a pipe. It rivaled Superdawg for my favorite sign in Chicago.)
Continue reading 'Stanley’s vs. Jerry’s (or: Praying at the altar of cheap produce)'»
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