Chicago tips

Green City Market Is Back!

food and drink, parks, shopping

The brain child of food writer and author Abby Mandel, Green City Market is far and away my personal favorite.  There I can find, among other marvels, super fresh eggs from a farm south of Chicago that taste so much better than the store-bought kind.  Producers travel hundreds of miles in some cases to bring us special cheeses from the far reaches of Indiana and all kinds of fresh foods from Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin.  It's the only sustainable market in the city and although I do enjoy the farmers' markets, this one is indeed in a class by itself.  Prices are not high but quality surely is.

Last summer, for example, I was looking for a vegetable for dinner and found a delicious Italian green I'd never heard of or tried previously.  Growers are always knowledgeable about preparation methods and happy to share their expertise.

A bit later when lettuces await harvest, just compare those newly pre-bagged greens from the supermarket with these.  You'll be stunned at the difference.

Today was my first visit of the season.  I found morel mushrooms, "the last of the season" which were delicious and gorgeous hydroponically grown heirloom tomatoes (see photo), among other special treats.  There was super fresh asparagus from Michigan, oddly shaped "breakfast radishes" and herbs galore.  I also bought some Gibassier, aromatic brioche that are a regional specialty from Provence made with butter and olive oil and flavored with orange flower water,  diced vannini orange peel and cracked fennel.  I left feeling ecstatic that this market is back in place once again. 

You MUST try Chicago's Green City Market which is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from May through October from 7AM-1:30PM at the south end of Lincoln Park, 1750 N. Clark St. at Menominee.  For more info call 847.835.2240 or try the website, www.chicagogreencitymarket.org

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 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.

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.

Gourmet Picnic In Lincoln Parkfood and drink; parks

You can shop for high quality sustainable produce, meat, bread, plants, flowers, etc at Chicago's Green City Market and enjoy a sumptuous picnic at the same time.  Go to Lincoln Park along Clark Street and stop opposite the Ramada Inn which is just south of the intersection where Lincoln Av begins.  Market days are Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7AM to 1:30PM.

Vella Cafe offers terrific panini (those squished down hot and yummy Italian sandwiches) made in its own special press which is brought along to the park by owners Sara Voden and Melissa Yen. The menu changes weekly. Recent choices included purple asparagus, carmelized onion spread and herbed goat cheese or thyme roasted cremini mushrooms with Rothkase gruyere and mustard mayo both on organic bread from Red Hen Bread.  (You simply must try this bread if you haven't already!) Market producers are used by Vella whenever possible, guaranteeing freshness and fine flavor.  I watched as Sara performed a mind reading act on a polite young man of about 6 who  with obvious relief accepted her offer of an off the menu plain grilled cheese.  Frittatas and crepes are also available so you can choose to breakfast or lunch at the well-situated Green City Market tables that give you a choice of sun or shade.

(Vella is the name of Sara's cat, Greek for Sail.)  Catering is also available.  vellacafe.com or 773.732.3045.

If you're in the mood for pizza, try those made by Lisa and Michael Farrell of Hansel and Gretel's Catering.  Their wood-fired oven makes it all possible.

Other snacks available too.  Just look around.

If you're lucky you may run into Judith Schad (woman at right in adjoining photo) of Capriole, Inc.,maker of prize winning goat cheeses. She and her husband Larry moved from Louisville KY to an 80 acre farm in the rolling hills of southern Indiana in 1978, discovering to their astonishment that the same land had belonged to Larry's great-great grandfather in 1870.  They began making cheeses in 1982 and today, after years of very hard work have a herd of 400 dairy goats, enabling them to produce 500-700 pounds of fresh, ripened and aged cheeses every week!  The cheese is sold at many gourmet locations around the country including a limited selection at Whole Foods in Chicago but it's fun to meet Judith herself, a raconteur extraordinaire.  She'll explain the special qualities of each cheese (they make 8 or 10 different varieties), provide tastes, recipes, storage tips, etc.  Access www.capriolegoatcheese.com and click on "order" to buy direct. The cheeses are very special!

Another midsummer purveyor is Traders Point Creamery from Zionsville Indiana.  They just won the American Cheese Institute's first prize as the best yogurt producer in the whole country!  Their delicious whole milk yogurt is also available locally at Whole Foods, Fox and Obel, Goddess and Grocer in Wicker Park and at Stanley's.  You can access their website at www.tpforganics.com

If you can't park on Clark St. (the turnover is pretty rapid), discount parking for $3.00 is available in the lot at the south end of Lincoln Park.

Birding At Montrose Harborparks; birding

Beginning about the first week in May or a bit later, many species of migrating birds that you wouldn’t ordinarily see in Chicago pass through the city. Montrose Harbor is a favorite stop enroute to the final northerly destination. You should go early in the morning or at least by 10 before it gets too warm. Take a good pair of binoculars and hike around the aptly named “Magic Hedge” which consists of a large number of trees and shrubs that provide a refuge and refueling center for the aviary travelers. That’s where most of the birds will be found. You’ll see a sign. The birds (and we) consider it a perfect place to enjoy nature with the city’s great skyline as a backdrop. There are always plenty of other birders there happy to share their knowledge even with a beginner. My birding friend Ann has already spotted a European warbler and a black-billed cuckoo, both rare.

Birders are a friendly, off-beat lot, excited about their discoveries. You can easily spend a couple of hours there. If you’re driving, exit the Outer Drive at Montrose and go east; Turn right at the small house with the bait shop sign, proceed on a bit and park. May is birding migration month par excellence, since it is breeding time and colors are more vivid. Another less colorful migration takes place in the fall.

You can access the Chicago Ornothological Society at www.chicagobirder.org. Then click on "IBET-IL Birding ListServ" on the yellow line and again on "recent IBET postings".  That way you can see what other birders have found that same day; migratory birds stay in the area for a few days to a week so the chances are pretty good for you to see the same bird if you rush over in the next day or so. A great idea for spreading the bird word!