Weekender NORTHERN
ILLINOIS
YOUR GUIDE TO ARTS & LEISURE IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS
SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2021 • ShawLocal.com
DELI DESTINATIONS Sub shops draw sandwich lovers / 3
HISTORIC PARALLELS Elmhurst History Museum hosts new exhibit on the Great Depression / 5
CREATIVE CORNER
Artisans share their wares twice a month at Art and Market Aurora / 4
UNCORKED
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An expert taster shares favorite finds to consider adding to your own wine racks.
Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, March 27, 2021
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By JAMES NOKES
Innovation driving success in Chianti wines
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oberto Stucchi has pushed Badia a Coltibuono to new heights. It’s part of a rising tide, as wines from Chianti have never been better. Progressive farming practices and Mother Nature’s recent trends have led to delicious sangiovese from the Italian region. “Climate change is a major issue and it’s a paradox,” Stucchi said in a Zoom tasting. “There are more random bursts of heat or cold that can cause storm damage. But it has also helped the ripening of sangiovese over the last decade. In the 1980s and ’90s, we planted denser rows with better clones and better winemaking. For 10 years now, we’ve also had the expansion of organic practices, which has led to healthier soil and less erosion.” In addition to his winemaker post at Badia a Coltibuono, Stucchi also is the president of the Biodistretto del Chianti, and has championed organic and environmentally friendly practices in an attempt to make fine wines, to preserve the land for future generations, and to capture the vineyards’ message. “The way I see it is Badia has a strong voice if we are willing to listen to it,” Stucchi said. “There are a lot of old Tuscan places where people don’t listen to what it says. It’s an inspiration – I’ve always been curious how agriculture was in the old days. At the same time, Chianti is perceived as a palace of great history, but it’s been reborn so many times. What is here today has more to do with innovation than with history.” It wasn’t until World War II that vineyards specialized for wine grapes. Prior to that, vines were planted alongside other crops. In the 1950s and 1960s, there was an exodus of local farmers, which ushered in a new crew of vintners and a different style of winemaking. In the 1980s, there was high-density planting and what Stucchi said is most important, the turn toward environmentally responsible practices. Early adopters of organic practices, Badia eliminated herbicides and pesticides in 1985. A full embrace of organics occurred in the 1990s. “Chianti left the Middle Ages in the 1960s,” Stucchi said. “We have a history, but we’ve been reborn many times.” Part of the rebirth was a challenge. Stucchi studied at the University of California-Davis. He loved the sundrenched wines made on the West
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Badia a Coltibuono is a winery nestled in the Chianti region of Italy. Coast, but knew colleagues back home who attempted to copy that style were in trouble. Sangiovese is more delicate and shows best without massive amounts of extraction or oak influence. He knew it was hard to get sangiovese “just right,” and wanted to make wines that represented Chianti. The Badia a Coltibuo-
no Chianti Classico 2018 ($22) is one of two wines
tasted that does just that: offers a precise picture of what is best about Chianti. Even though he said the 2018 was “a peculiar vintage,” due to its wet August and early September, a hot and dry week arrived just in time. By mid-September, alcohol levels had jumped and concentration increased. The wine is very bright-colored red in the glass and has cherry, tobacco, leather, spice and dried violet flavors. “It’s the most important wine for me because it’s the one we make the
most of,” Stucchi said. “As much as I love the Riserva and to enjoy it with a steak, I’ve grown to love the everyday wines. I’ve got a very soft spot for wines that are a little more approachable. They are different wines. It’s very important the young Classico expresses the place best. Even more than the Riserva. There’s more to it, but it’s different.” Because the Badia a
Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva 2016 ($36)
has two extra years of bottle age, the aromas and flavors are more evolved. There are strawberry and cherry flavors to go along with an iron-like minerality and pine needle note. It was excellent when opened, and the leftovers further softened and evolved the next day. “There are deeper aromas; it’s even a little woodsy,” Stucchi said. “We take a respectful approach to winemaking and embrace the characteris-
tics of the vintage.” While much of the culture prior to World War II was lost or evolved under stewardship of new farmers, Stucchi has made a return to the past with vineyard practices. Just this month, fruit trees and shrubs were planted every few vineyard rows to help “break up the monoculture.” Insects that deter pests can thrive in this environment, the trees also can shade vines and further aid the leafy canopy in a steadier fruit ripening. In what he said is “a long-term battle,” he’d also like to see classification sub-zones for their vineyards in Gaiole. As he moves into the future and all the benefits of organic farming and classification zones, he’s also got an eye on the past. The paradox is thus continued. “In vineyards in the south of France, rows of trees shade the vines, there are pine trees widely spaced,” Stucchi said. “Sometimes, you’ve got to slow down and delay innovation.”
• James Nokes has been tasting, touring and collecting in the wine world for several years. Email him at jamesnokes25@yahoo.com.
STARVED ROCK COUNTRY
3 SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, March 27, 2021
Dedicated to growing the awareness of everything the Starved Rock area has to offer
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Launched in 2003, Obee’s Sub Shoppe has been producing specialty sandwiches with artisan flair.
Three great sub stops attract sandwich lovers By RYAN SEARL
rsearl@shawmedia.com
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ore than 600 sandwich savants cast their votes for the best sub shops and delis in Starved Rock Country. Here’s where they think you should head for a quick bite to eat next time you’re in the area.
The Cheese Shop ‘n’ Deli 1219 Fulton St., Ottawa 815-433-0478 www.thecheeseshop.biz For more than 30 years, The Cheese Shop ‘n’ Deli has been providing residents and visitors in the know with delicious, fresh foods in an unusual setting: a former cheese factory. The building served as a storefront and manufacturing facility for the Ottawa Milk Products Company from 19421986, but now houses a full-fledged deli and restaurant, serving some of the best sub sandwiches in the region. Tucked away off the banks of the I&M Canal, The Cheese Shop ‘n’ Deli offers a wide variety of paninis,
subs and carver sandwiches, in addition to some great soup and sandwich combos and daily specials. The restaurant is keeping true to its roots, using a curated selection of specialty cheeses, fresh breads and tasty meats. Locals love their revolving selection of soups, like vegetable, ravs in broth, French onion, white bean ‘n’ tomato, and jalapeño cheese.
Grant Street Grocery 402 W. Grant St., Streator 815-672-2167 www.facebook.com/GrantStGrocery On the west side of Streator, just a few blocks away from the downtown, you’ll find Grant Street Grocery. This hidden gem has been serving up scrumptious scratch-made meals and deli options for several decades. You’ll find tables and chairs set up between small aisles of groceries, making for a truly memorable experience. While the atmosphere is reason enough to visit, the sandwiches are what will keep you coming back. Grant Street’s sandwiches are all made to order deli style, using breads baked fresh daily. Thursdays bring their famous stuffed bread specials,
where they pack freshly sliced salami, ham and mozzarella into a pocket of bread dough, and bake it on the spot. These legendary sandwiches draw big crowds, so be prepared to wait for one of the munchable masterpieces.
Obee’s Sub Shoppe 113 Wright St., La Salle 815-220-5120 www.obeessub.com/Home_Page.php Since 2003, Obee’s Sub Shoppe has been giving locals and travelers an artisan alternative to the chain sub sandwich shops. With its signature breads, fresh vegetables, thinly-sliced deli meats and optional toasting, this is a must-stop shop after a busy day of hiking at nearby Starved Rock State Park. Obee’s offers tons of sandwich customization as well as delicious specialty subs, such as the Buffalo Bill (featuring sliced Buffalo chicken, pepper Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, Buffalo sauce and ranch) and Mountain Mike Club (ham, roast beef, bacon, guacamole, lettuce, tomato and ranch). Customers also rave about the homemade desserts, including pillowy cookies and generously sized brownies.
Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, March 27, 2021
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FROM THE TOP:
Art and Market Aurora will showcase an array of vendors two Saturdays each month until May 22. Shannon Maraffa (left), owner/ designer of Sugar Grove-based Crystal Ship Jewelry, greets a visitor at the first indoor Art and Market Aurora at Society 57 near the public library. Chris Lang (right), of Lang’s Cookies in Oswego, packs cookies for a patron at the first indoor Art and Market Aurora at Society 57. Photos provided
Art and Market Aurora showcases talented artisans
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rtisan foods, jewelry and visual arts provide the lively mix twice a month at Art and Market Aurora, happening Saturday, March 27. The indoor market debuted this winter, and has COVID-19 precautions in place. A dozen vendors will be on hand from 8 a.m. to noon every second and fourth Saturday through May at the spacious Society 57, 100 S. River St. in downtown Aurora, across the street from the public library. Aurora Downtown, a nonprofit organization of business and property owners, hosts the market, which features candles, cookies, jewelry, baked goods, specialty meat, and other wares. A guest nonprofit is showcased at each event. Visiting vendors include Biscocho’s, Dick’s Mini Donuts, BillyDoe Meats, Tin Shed Farm, Ursula Naturals, Bhoomi Chai Co., Lang’s Cookies, Eats and Treats by AG, and a handful of rotating local artisans. Society 57 will feature Modest Coffee, Katic Breads, and Society 57 bottled cocktails to-go inside the coffee shop. Admission and parking, either on the street or at Santori Aurora Public Library, 101 S. River St., are free. The remaining market dates after March 27 are April 10 and 24, and May 8 and 22. To find out more, visit auroradowntown.org, call 630-2563167 or email info@auroradowntown.org.
Great Depression exhibit draws pandemic parallels By LAUREN WONG
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For Shaw Media
he Elmhurst History Museum’s new exhibit on the Great Depression was planned before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once the pandemic began, organizers considered changing direction and bringing in a more uplifting topic, but ultimately saw the exhibit’s value at a time when society is struggling with a health crisis that presents challenges similar to those faced during the Great Depression. “The potential was for it to be really depressing in the midst of really depressing times,” said Dan Bartlett, the museum’s curator of exhibits. “We’re hoping that people will understand how our community came together to help each other during the Great Depression, and then, by extension, think about some of the economic dislocations that are happening now during the COVID pandemic that might not be apparent to some people … to just inspire people to think about what they can do to help their community today.” Bartlett referenced a quote attributed to Mark Twain: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes” to explain the exhibit’s connection to society today. “What he means by that is that there are sometimes parallels that you can see in history to contemporary events that may help you understand ways that you can react to whatever the contemporary problem or event is,” Bartlett said. “Together We Cannot Fail: Overcoming the Great Depression,” which is inspired by the words from one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s radio addresses in 1933, delves into the Great Depression’s impact on the western suburbs, particularly Elmhurst. Staff members in charge of creating exhibits sorted through almost a decade of newspaper articles from microfilmed copies of the Elmhurst Press. “I remember hearing once that people that lived through the Depression didn’t like to talk about it because it was just something they had to endure,” Bartlett said. “We took what we could find from the secondary publications and put it together and then just
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“Together We Cannot Fail: Overcoming the Great Depression” offers insights into how our current health crisis presents similar challenges. started looking through [it].” The research led to information on events designed to support the community. “This particular club is going to have a basketball fundraiser, or this band concert is going to happen, and all the money is going to go for relief in Elmhurst,” Bartlett said. “And that’s really how the community in the earliest months of the Depression handled itself.” The exhibit walks viewers through some of the key causes of the Great Depression and offers a timely story from start to finish. The exhibit features a number of significant artifacts including photographs of Camp Elmhurst and video footage of the 1936 centennial celebration of Elmhurst’s settlement. Elmhurst resident Carl Bucholz donated his uniform, ID card and coin changer from when he worked at a ticket booth during the 1933-34 Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago. A turn-of-thelast-century stock ticker and a Works
Progress Administration architectural rendering of the McKee House in Lombard also are on display. It’s not necessary to be from Elmhurst to appreciate the exhibit. Anyone can recognize the national perspective of the event brought down to the local level through the newspaper-styled design. Visitors can look at the creative ways in which people made ends meet and relied on affordable entertainment including radio, music and movies to get through the period. Bartlett has a lot of passion for the work he does as he enters his third year at the museum. “I’ve always gone to communities, big and small, and looked around and thought, ‘How did this place end up here, what makes this place unique, what makes it the same, what were the forces at work, what were people doing?’” Bartlett said. “I find that kind of detective work to be really, really interesting.” Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the lectures associated with
the exhibit have been moved online. There are a handful of exhibit-related options online that individuals can sign up for at the Elmhurst History Museum’s website, www.elmhursthistory.org, in the Programs section, or by calling 630-833-1457. Programs include “Tasting History of the 1930s,” in which food historian Ellie Carlson will prepare a menu of Great Depression-era staples from 2 to 4 p.m. May 1; a concert, “Songs of the Depression”; and adult lectures, including “The Great Depression’s Impact on Chicagoland,” among the topics. The museum will collect canned goods during the exhibit’s run. They will be donated to the Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry. The exhibit continues through May 2. Visit www.elmhursthistory.org to make an online reservation to view it. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, there is a limit of 15 people allowed per hour time slot. The museum is at 120 E. Park Ave. For more information, call 630-833-1457.
SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, March 27, 2021
‘Together We Cannot Fail’
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Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, March 27, 2021
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6 STREAMING THIS WEEKEND
‘Tina,’ ‘Runaway Bunny,’ ‘City on a Hill’ all new
81-year-old “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” along with previously unseen footage, audiotapes and personal photos. Here’s a collection curated by The Another Oscar nominee achieved a Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming rare distinction. The piercing Romaservices and music platforms this week. nian documentary “Collective” was nominated for both best documentary Movies and best international film – something Most of last week’s Oscar nominees only one previous film (“Honeyland,” already are streaming or available in 2020) has ever managed to do. on-demand. Florian Zeller’s “The FaAlexander Nanau’s film, on Hulu, was ther,” though, is among the most recent one of the very best of 2020. It trails the arrivals; it is available on premium unlikely investigative journalists who on-demand. (It’s also playing in thedoggedly reported on the fallout of a aters.) Based on Zeller’s own much-travhorrifying and deadly fire in a Buchaeled play, “The Father” largely takes rest nightclub. The film also is availthe perspective of its main character, able on-demand and for digital rental. 80-year-old Anthony (Anthony Hop– Film Writer Jake Coyle kins), who’s in the grip of dementia. Zeller’s directorial debut was nominatMusic Carrie Underwood’s upcoming album ed for best picture, best actor (Hopkins) and best supporting actress (Olivia Col- features gospel hymns important to the “American Idol” winner. The 13man, who plays Anthony’s daughter), song “My Savior” includes “Great Is as well as nods for production design, Thy Faithfulness” with CeCe Winans, editing and adapted screenplay. and “Nothing But The Blood of Jesus” In Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin’s with Bear Rinehart. “The songs on revealing documentary “Tina,” Tina this album are literally songs that I’ve Turner surveys her tumultuous and extraordinary life. The film, which de- heard from birth,” Underwood shared in a trailer for the album. Also on the buts Saturday on HBO and HBO Max, includes intimate interviews with the album are harmonica legend Buddy
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Greene, guitarist Mac McAnally, piano virtuoso Gordon Mote and frequent Underwood collaborator Brett James. Evanescence is gearing up to release the band’s first full-length album of original music in a decade, “The Bitter Truth.” It contains the band’s signature stew of metal-inspired sounds and strong rock elements, especially in the fiery, independence-minded new single “Better Without You.” On “Far From Heaven,” singer Amy Lee sings about questioning her faith after suffering so much personal loss. The band worked on the album during the pandemic, with the U.S.-based members traveling via tour bus to Nashville to record alongside Lee. – Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy
Television
“The Runaway Bunny” gets star treatment in an animated special based on Margaret Wise Brown‘s classic book about a bunny eager to leave home. Besides Tracee Ellis Ross’ performance of an original lullaby by Brown, the HBO Max show incorporates songs by Mariah Carey (a remake of “Always Be My Baby”), Roseanne Cash (“You Are My Sunshine”) and Ziggy Marley (“What a Wonderful World”), among
others artists. From producer-director Amy Schatz (the “Classical Baby” series), the special uses hand-drawn animation to evoke Clement Hurd’s illustrations for the 1942 book. Emilio Estevez returns as youth hockey coach Gordon Bombay in “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers,” a Disney+ series followup to the 1990s movie franchise. Gordon has a new challenge: help 12-year-old Evan (Brady Morrow) and his mom, played by Lauren Graham (“Gilmore Girls,” “Parenthood”), create a new team after Evan gets dropped by the Ducks, who have morphed into a team of winners who lack boundaries. A drug violence-riddled federal housing project in Boston is at the center of season two of Showtime’s “City on a Hill,” debuting at 9 p.m. Sunday. Kevin Bacon’s FBI agent Jackie Rohr is trying to salvage his career by trading on the city’s flawed criminal justice system, with Aldis Hodge’s Assistant D.A. Decourcy Ward his formidable opponent. Their hostility is destined to ensnare the office of federal and county prosecutors in what’s described as “all-out war.” – Television Writer Lynn Elber
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By PAM OTTO
Taking interesting dives into the natural world around us, Pam Otto opens new avenues of exploration.
Juncos among wintering birds bidding adieu
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ell, it’s here. Can you feel it? Spring snuck in at 4:37 a.m. Saturday, March 20, and with it came a host of spring arrivals. The crocuses that battled gamely against last week’s snow now once again are showing their colorful blooms. Daffodils are blossoming, tulips are forming buds, and, glory be, the other day I heard a robin sing! These common and familiar signs of spring join a host of other happenings that herald the progression of the seasons. Skunk cabbage, our earliest blooming wildflower, is nearly done and soon will be sending out leaves; the maple sap, too, has pretty much completed its run and now is fueling the opening leaf buds. Male red-winged blackbirds, staunch in their territory defense, are slowly but surely being joined by their multiple mates. The chipping sparrows have returned and are trilling their mechanical-sounding songs, and our quiet waterways have welcomed back the wood ducks. I could go on and on. Woodland wildflowers like bloodroot and hepatica are waking up and greening up. Sandhill cranes, killdeer, eastern phoebes and grackles are back. (Oh, I know, a lot of people think those big mobs of grackles are obnoxious – especially when they overtake a bird feeder. Take a minute, though, for a closer look at those large flocks. You’ll see immature male and female redwings, brown-headed cowbirds, European starlings and maybe, if you’re lucky, the uncommon rusty blackbird. But you know what? All these spring arrivals are accompanied by a pretty impressive list of spring departures, too. We don’t tend to acknowledge them as much. In fact, with the exception of melting snow, which I think we can all agree was plentiful enough this winter and doesn’t need to stick around any more, many telltale winter signs slip away with nary a nod. Except for this year. Thanks to COVID, many of us have turned (or returned) to the outdoors, where it’s easy and even instinctive to physically distance from others. Our observation skills are honed. What better time to look for what’s missing? If you’re a birder of country roads and open fields, you’ll soon notice that the snow buntings, horned larks and Lapland longspurs are starting their journey back north. Ditto for rough-
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Our area is the winter home for the slate-colored form of the dark-eyed junco. Present from October through April, members of this species often are referred to as snowbirds. legged hawks, which breed waaay up in the Arctic. (Fun fact: These hawks get their name from the way their feathers cover their legs all the way down to the toes, like a pair of long, fluffy pants.) If you fancy waterfowl, get ready to say goodbye to the common mergansers, goldeneyes, buffleheads and scaups, the ring-necked ducks and tundra swans. If you really pay attention, you’ll also observe a change in the numbers and behavior of our numerous Canada geese. The resident birds stick around and pair off while the migratory species take off for points north. If watching the birds at your feeder is your thing, it’s time to start noticing subtle shifts in species visiting the buffet. White-crowned, fox and American tree sparrows breed in northern Canada, so they’ll be taking off soon to begin that journey. White-throated sparrows have a shorter distance to cover, as their breeding range stretches from central Wisconsin to southern
Canada, so they might stick around a little longer. Then we’ve got what I consider the poster bird of springtime departures, the dark-eyed junco. Already birders anxious for True Spring (which on some days might feel like Early Summer) are watching for this species – often referred to as snowbirds – to disappear from their feeding stations. It’s hard to tell by their name, but juncos are members of the Passerellidae, or New World sparrow family. (If you follow bird taxonomy – well, first, hats off to you. I struggle to stay on top of the changes resulting from genetic analysis. But second, Passerellidae is a relatively new family name, having been split off from Emberizidae a few years back.) Their scientific name, Junco hyemalis, also gives a clue to their behavior in our region; it translates from Latin to “junco of the winter.” Like their sparrow cousins, they feed heavily on seeds year-round, although they do supplement their
diet with insects during the breeding season. This penchant for seeds – especially sunflower and millet – combined with their stable population numbers, might even qualify them for the No. 1 bird at bird feeders in the area. Well, it would if there were such an award. Alas, as the days get longer and the temperatures continue to warm, our days with the juncos – and assorted songbirds, waterfowl and raptors from the north – are limited. As they take their leave for the next several months, we bid them adieu and turn our eyes toward the fireflies, bullfrogs and other signs of summer. Which, in case you’re wondering, will arrive at 10:32 p.m. Sunday, June 20. We’ll see more than 15 hours of sunlight that day and likely experience temperatures around our historic average of 80 degrees. I can almost feel it!
• Pam Otto is the outreach ambassador for the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.
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GOOD NATURED
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