Chicago tips

A Flea Market At Fields On State

shopping

While it lasts, there is interesting shopping at Marshall Field's flea market, located in the Randolph and Wabash area.  That's because once Macy's takes over this too will be kaput.

By now you know that I'm a dedicated scavenger.  Today during my second visit I found plastic (bakelite?) bangle bracelets from Argentina, ca 1960's at $6 and $10.  They weren't there two weeks ago so it appears that merchandise keeps changing.  It's comprised of new finds by the buyers which include some vintage items (my favorites usually), some manufacturers' closeouts and some Marshall Fields surplus merchandise.  In latter category I found some heavy glass cylinder votive holders (in colors or clear) from Mexico at $3.70, formerly $10.  They make handsome drinking glasses.

Other examples of unusual goods include retro French flyswatters for $6 or $8 (I forget which), vintage striped wool blankets for $133, vintage Louis Vuitton luggage for a small fortune, some great looking wastebaskets covered with foreign language newspaper calligraphy at $32, a set of 6 original French enamel plates from the 1930's for $490, and a grouping of Mexican "Day of the Dead" merchandise including a pink skull festooned with a crown of smaller white skulls for $20.  Largeish papier mache devils too.  There are even elaborate chandeliers and a collection of Venetian carnival masks.  Vintage garden tools are $38 and old pharmacy bottles with great typeface are available but pricey.  Pillows galore from unusual places.

It's definitely worth a visit or two.  Not your usual department store or interior design merchandise.  Staff tries to be helpful but is generally not savvy so you're on your own.  I'm a spelling fanatic and couldn't help but savor a tag that read "French guilt plates..."  I was too taken by the guilt to remember the price.

Gasoline Price Update

services, current calendar

Try gasbuddy.com for the most recent price updates during this out of control price hike.  True to my report a while back, Gas For Less at the corners of Damen, Clybourn and Diversey is the least expensive place for some miles around.  When I checked today at this website it was $3.04 for regular and the only place that beat it was the Marathon Station at 6260 N. Clark (at Rosemont) where it was $2.99.  Gas For Less is definitely not a slick looking station but I'd call it an adventure at the pump in the city.

Biking In The Park And City

parks and other cycling destinations

A few beautiful days bring everyone out.  My husband and I like to bike, although if travelling through the park I try to choose times when traffic is less heavy and I'm not barraged with "on  your left"  announcements by racing bikers.  I like to look at everything possible along the way so speed is hardly my object.

I must add that we don't limit ourselves to the parks.  We have a bike rack that we place on the back of our Honda CRV and drive to a jumping off point.  We've been to the area around Sox Park and IIT recently;  the latter is especially fascinating with architecture by Mies van der Rohe and Rem Koolhaas.  A pleasant student even showed us her Helmut Jahn designed dorm room. 

The industrial areas west on Hubbard and Fulton make for great cycling since traffic is nil, especially on weekends.  We also like South Lake Shore Drive where the traffic is pretty light.  Old Irving Park is another destination;  we especially like the older neighborhoods where we can still enjoy development free viewing.

Proceeding north last weekend from Fullerton along the bike paths we noted a number of older people, presumably freed at last from the confines of their apartments.  There were quite a few salmon fisherman around Montrose Harbor but I wouldn't call it a crowd.

On the way back my husband stopped suddenly at an ice cream cart mounted on a bicycle.  The vendor, Raoul, specialized in paletas, Latin American fruit bars available in all kinds of exotic flavors.  So far we have found mango, guava, coco (coconut), pina (pineapple) and pecan nut, chocolate, and fresa (strawberry). There are definitely more flavors shown on his signboard and the usual Good Humor offerings too. The many flavor phenomenon I suspect began in Michocan, a state in Mexico known for wonderful ice cream tastes, even chili!

Raoul says he plies the area between Belmont and Montrose on pleasant days.  The bars are $1 each so you don't have to fish for change or worry about littering since he keeps a plastic bag right on the cart for basura (garbage).

A Tour of Mural Art Via Subway

culture

On a recent weekend I joined a small group of people on a subway tour organized by the MCA and ably led by Barbara Cooper, herself a Chicago artist.    It was dubbed "Art on the Go".  Although I knew the city had an impressive quantity of public art on view I've just begun to explore the offerings.

(There is a large catalog available free of charge at the Cultural Center depicting the city's public art.  It is not on view so you must ask for a copy.)

The 54th/Cermak branch of the CTA blue line has 9 newly renovated stations so including public art was a natural.  The 9 art pieces were selected by a panel consisting of representatives from the individual communities served, the CTA and the City as well as a group of art professionals.

All this makes for a fun a do-it-yourself tour. A color catalog may be obtained at the Chicago Cultural Center entitled "blue line art project" that will broaden your experience.  You might want to take along a picnic lunch or explore for a local eatery enroute.

Murals comprise most of the work and it's amazing to see the numerous ways tile can be utilized to achieve the wide variety of effects encountered.

Shown here at left is a mural by Hyde Park artist John Himmelfarb.  I was particularly impressed by some stainless steel fabricated gates designed by Beatrice Coron, a traditionally trained paper cutting artist born in France but now living in New York.  Other artists are mostly from the Chicago area and include Nicole Gordon, Ivan Watkins, Adam Brooks, Olive Gude, Christopher Tavares Silva, Hector Duarte and Juan Angel Chavez.

In addition, at the Central Park Station there is a massive mural on the side of a church.  It uses a variety of materials and our group thought it very impressive (right photo).

You may enter the blue line at Jackson and Michigan or State and Washington to access the 54th/Cermak branch.

 

I Met A Muralist The Other Day

culture

Recently I was poking around the hispanic neighborhood near the Mexican Fine Arts Museum and was amazed by a kind of wraparound mural on the building shown in the photo at right, depicting man as a kind prisoner, tied down by cords, and presumably by other less tangible restraints.  I looked around a bit more and discovered this handsome painting (below left) on a neighboring garage door together with a discreet phone number.  The painter of the door, Rahmaan Statik (left photo) is a tenant of the landlord who owns the building.  The latter has painted the wraparound mural.

You can see these murals by heading to the museum which is at 1852 W. 19th.  Continue west a bit to Wolcott, turn south and you can't miss the "wraparound" house on the northwest corner of Cullerton and Wolcott.  The garage door by Statik is just a few doors further south on Wolcott.

Statik has been painting murals for a while now and is involved in the Chicago Public Art Group.  He has taught high school students in a number of local schools the fundamentals of drawing and mural painting and his murals can be seen in a variety of ethnic neighborhoods.  He enjoys the translation of local themes into murals.

If you are lucky enough to have space for a mural and want to contact Rahmaan Statik you can reach him at 773.454.0233.

Chicago enjoys a rich treasury of murals.  If you are interested in viewing and hunting down some of the murals in Chicago's rich treasury,  A Guide to Chicago's Murals by Mary Lackritz Gray is a marvelously researched book available in paperback. 

Eleven City Diner Is More Than A Deli

food and drink

Bradley Rubin, the owner of the brand new Eleven City Diner in the South Loop strikes me as an ambitious, hard-working fellow.  He's brought back some traditional deli food and combined that with some old restaurant favorites. And he's provided a stylish vintage-looking backdrop in which one can savor his offerings:  handsome white "subway" tiles adorn the walls and the flooring incorporates those tiny, at one time ubiquitous hexagonal tiles.

When I visited just for a peek late last week Bradley was right on the job, (left photo) providing me and my husband with small samples.  (It's a bit too soon for takeout, he explained, since he doesn't want to offer a service until he can do it right.)  We tried pastrami and sweet and sour cabbage soup.  The former was a fine compomise between lean and fat and the latter was just verging on too sweet but not quite.  I think he's got it down.  His enthusiasm generates excitement and that's got to be necessary these days with new restaurants opening in town practically by the minute.  He also works very hard in a kind of marathon style...as the owner, he's the one who really cares and it shows.  He even lives "above the shop", a kind of loft-like looking space, presumably enabling him to be on call constantly.

After having been involved in 23 restaurants all across the country, Bradley decided that Eleven City should be his own baby.  It is already a gathering place for families, the booths and counter adding to the "nothing ever changes" atmosphere.

Breakfast is served here 24 hours a day.  There are various lox selections, pancakes, waffles and french toast and eggs any way you want them.  The virtuous will find large salads, also  pasta and roast chicken ("Delicious," said my sister-in-law, Myrna) and some daily specials.  Sandwiches, too, of course as well as a variety of other choices.  If you've never tried a genuine Brooklyn egg cream, you can find that Chicago rarity right here.

The greeters, when Bradley is racing around perfecting the details, are real down home types, a wonderfully authentic but anachronistic touch.  He says that he particularly sought out employees with years of experience who were nostalgic for the old days.  Bradley speaks a decent Spanish, a real boon with staff these days.

There's street parking and a pay-it-yourself coin operated lot directly south.  Don't make the mistake of ignoring those machines because the towers are watching.  Or, you can take the subway!  The 12th Street (Roosevelt) stop is moments away.  Walking in this revitalized and bustling area is perfectly safe.  Exciting things are happening here!

Thanks to my friend Eve Noonan, a Diner neighbor, for scouting this out via a March 29 story in Chicago Journal.

Eleven City Diner is at 1112 S. Wabash.  312.212.1112.

A Fantastic Field Of Flowers

current calendar, parks

Do yourself an early spring favor and race right over to Fullerton and Stockton Drive to see this very dense and large planting of light yellow daffodils.  This photo gives you a rough idea but the reality simply can't be captured except by a personal viewing.  They are not quite at their peak today (Tuesday) but on Sunday they were hardly in bloom at all.  I'd guess you may have only a week or so to take in this marvelous spectacle.

Fullerton is 2400 North and Stockton is the first street through the park on your right.  The plantings begin at the very corner you turn on so you can't miss them.  They are directly across the street from the new Ralph Johnson designed Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, on the northwest corner of Fullerton and Stockton.

Bring your own camera and Rush! Rush! Rush!  It's living proof that spring is really here!  I'll be amazed if you don't return every spring now that you know this marvel is here.

Rush Right Over to May Street Market!

food and drink

I had a scrumptious impromptu lunch here today with my two friends Mary and Ann.  This is a brand new restaurant space just eight weeks old.  It's a handsome place designed with admirable restraint.  A subtle series of seagull photographs adorns the dining room but that's about all.  The bar area is welcoming and tastefully designed The atmosphere at lunchtime was quiet and civilized but you should get there quickly to enjoy the same.  Dinner is more crowded but adjustments to the evening noise level are in process.

We sampled things like lemon grass and carrot soup with black mussels  (see photo, right) and blue fin crab cakes with kohlrabi and arugula salad and fresh mango chutney.  Everything we had was delicious and very fresh.  Produce is provided by local farmers.  I should add that we also indulged in a marvelous chocolate dome with poached dark cherries and mocha cream, testimony to the owner's expertise as a European trained pastry chef in addition to his other talents.

Executive chef/owner Alexander Cheswick (shown at left holding chocolate dome) has fine credentials and amazingly, no visible ego in a business rife with same.  He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and trained further at Le Francais and Tru in Chicago and at the 3 star Michelin restaurant, The Residence of Heinz Winkler in the Bavarian section of Germany near the Austrian border.

Because he is a Chicago native, Mr. Cheswick wanted to return here when he was ready to open his own restaurant.  His aim is to offer casual fine dining with exquisite food at reasonable prices.  He particularly wants people to feel comfortable during their visit. 

The dinner menu offers some intriguing selections, among them, crispy sauteed artic char on veal cheek ravioli with celery puree and red wine butter sauce and roasted venison medallions with chive spatzle, carrot puree and lingonberry sauce.  There is a vegetarian selection as well.

I would describe the selections as inventive without being flashy.  Prices are reasonable and portions quite generous. 

Parking in this area is tough but at lunch one can park legally in the loading zone which accommodates 5 cars, or try Hubbard Street, a block south.  In the evening there is valet parking for $7.

May Street Market is at 1132 W. Grand. Av.  (Currently you should approach the area from Chicago Av., due to construction further east on Grand.)  For reservations, call 312.421.5547

 

Tempted To Try A Segway?

services, parks

You've probably noticed those strange battery powered two wheelers. 100 are being used by Chicago's finest and others by ordinary citizens.

Since it's spring it's time to venture into the park and it may also be a good time to try a Segway tour. Yes, those vehicles are called Segways and of course they're for sale, but even better, they're for rent. 

You can arrange for a Segway tour by stopping by their office in the loop at 224 S. Michigan (entrance on Jackson Blvd) where Katherine Lake (in photo) or another helper will tell you all you need to know.  You may want to call ahead for info...312.663.0600. 

Tours are offered daily  at 10AM, 1PM and 4PM and are $70 a person for a two hour tour.  They're mostly centered around areas adjacent to Grant Park but one can wander off to Museum Campus and other major spots. 

In case you're actually thinking of buying a Segway, there are four different models available;  just go to the same office for a viewing and info.  Segway(ing) doesn't come cheap but it's much less than a car and a good deal more friendly to the environment.   Speed is 10 to 12.5 mph and well, you should really visit to get all the technical details.

The company has showrooms in just three American cities and Chicago is one.  (Also in Phoenix/Scottsdale and Kansas City.) 

You can also try the web at www.segwayexperience.com

Segway is at 224 S. Michigan.  The entrance is around the corner on Jackson Blvd.  312.663.0600.

Two Fine Secret Concerts

current calendar, culture

If you haven't yet heard Eteri Andjaparidze play the Steinway, you're in for a treat.

Unbelievably, these two upcoming concerts are free because they're under the auspices of the DePaul School of Music, where Eteri (left photo) heads the piano department, called AmerKlavier (tm).  She and Roger Goodman will offer Johann Sebastian Bach's complete concerti for two pianos and strings, an unusual opportunity.

AmerKlavier and Baroque Ensemble students will join their mentors this Thursday, April 6 at 8PM in the DePaul Concert Hall at  800 W. Belden about a half block west of Halsted that resembles a chapel).

Then on Saturday, April 29 you can hear Widmung, lieder by Robert and Clara Schumann.
Susanne Mentzer, well known at the Metropolitan Opera and Chicago's Lyric, to name just two, is the mezzo-soprano (photo at right) and Eteri the pianist.  They will be accompanied by students from the DePaul voice department and AmerKlavier (tm).  This concert is also at the Concert Hall at  800 W. Belden at 8PM.

Don't miss these concerts, complete with top notch artists. DePaul will soon close for summer  break and your opportunity will be lost.