September 18, 2019 Best of the South Side

SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

BEST OF THE SOUTH SIDE

The South Side Weekly is an independent nonprofit newsprint magazine written for and about neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago. We publish in-depth coverage of the arts and issues of public interest alongside oral histories, poetry, fiction, interviews, and artwork from local photographers and illustrators. The South Side Weekly is dedicated to supporting cultural and civic engagement on the South Side and to providing educational opportunities for developing journalists, writers, and artists.

Volume 7, Issue 1 Editor-in-Chief Adam Przybyl Managing Editors Sam Joyce Sam Stecklow Deputy Editor Jasmine Mithani Senior Editors Julia Aizuss, Christian Belanger, Mari Cohen, Christopher Good, Rachel Kim, Emeline Posner, Olivia Stovicek Politics Editor Jim Daley Education Editor Ashvini Kartik-Narayan, Michelle Anderson Music Editor Atavia Reed Stage & Screen Editor Nicole Bond Visual Arts Editor Rod Sawyer Nature Editor Sam Joyce Food & Land Editor AV Benford Sarah Fineman Contributing Editors Mira Chauhan, Joshua Falk, Carly Graf, Ian Hodgson, Maple Joy, Robin Vaughan, Jocelyn Vega, Tammy Xu, Jade Yan Data Editor Jasmine Mithani Radio Exec. Producer Erisa Apantaku Social Media Editors Grace Asiegbu, Arabella Breck, Maya Holt Director of Fact Checking: Tammy Xu Fact Checkers: Abigail Bazin, Susan Chun, Sam Joyce, Elizabeth Winkler

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iana Ross was spot on in her 1979 tune “The Boss” when she said, “Love taught me who was the boss!” Even though she wasn’t singing about this BoSS—Best of the South Side— the sentiment still applies. It is our never-ending love of and for the South Side from which we take an issue each year to share what we feel are the Bests of our side of the town. This is in no way meant to throw shade on or malign any other section of our amazing city.

Our West Side has some not-to-miss Bests, as does our North Side. But we are the South Side Weekly, so we are representing our spot! It is with love and pride we share with you this year’s small sampling of things we have come to know and love as Bests. Some are new, others have been a thread in the fabric of the South Side for generations. For the most part we section our Bests by neighborhoods, yet even in that, there are some South Side Bests that transcend neighborhoods.

Take for instance our barbecue. The South Side has the Best on this one, hands down. So much so, there is no one South Side neighborhood that can rightly claim the BoSS title here. But trust us when we tell you the South Side has the Best BBQ—period. Uncle J’s on 47th Street in Grand Boulevard is the Best Tiny Hole in the Wall With an Aquarium Smoker and Lines Out of the Door. Lem’s on 75th Street in Chatham is a South Side institution that all neighborhoods have flocked to for their Best Secret Sauce since before our AARP editor was a little kid. The Slab, on 71st in South Shore, keeps their specially smoked wood stacked in the lobby and their customers happy with the Best Pink Smoke Ring on their Q every time. Alice’s BBQ on 43rd Street will keep you fed all night long with their Best Hours, open until 1am—and until 3am on Friday and Saturday!

See what we mean? There are just some things the South Side does, has, and is that are the absolute Best, and we wait a whole year, every year, to show off a little. Don’t hate—cue up the Diana Ross cut and appreciate.

archer heights / brighton park ashburn

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Visuals Editor Lizzie Smith Deputy Visuals Editors Siena Fite, Mell Montezuma, Sofie Lie Photo Editor Keeley Parenteau Staff Photographers: milo bosh, Jason Schumer Staff Illustrators: Siena Fite, Natalie Gonzalez, Katherine Hill

avalon park / calumet heights / chatham 10

Interim Layout Editor J. Michael Eugenio Deputy Layout Editors Haley Tweedell, Nick Lyon

bridgeport / mckinley park

Webmaster Managing Director

Pat Sier Jason Schumer

back of the yards beverly

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little italy / tri-taylor / university village 48 mount greenwood

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riverdale / west pullman

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south chicago

chinatown

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south loop

far southeast side

englewood gage park

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south shore

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washington park / woodlawn 34

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hyde park / kenwood

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Cover art and issue illustrations

by Andy Hood

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la villita

pilsen

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ARCHER HEIGHTS & BRIGHTON PARK Compiled by Adam Przybyl & Mell Montezuma

JASON SCHUMER

BEST READING LIST

Archer Heights Library Polish Book Club Where else can you come together once a month to read and discuss works by Polish philosophers, Jewish theologians, journalists, satirists, and even novelist Elena Ferrante? The Archer Heights Library Polish Book Club, that’s where.

Led by Elizabeth Ptasik, the branch librarian at Archer Heights, the book club has been meeting continuously since 2005, when Ptasik started working there, but she believes it had been meeting for many years before that as well. Now one of just five or six Polish book clubs left in Chicago, according to Ptasik, the Archer Heights location has members from Hyde Park, Berwyn, and at one point even Willow Springs. Every third Wednesday of the month, between two and eight people show up to discuss the latest book in a personal and intimate setting.

Ptasik explained the inclusive and collaborative process by which the book club members choose which books to read that year. At the beginning of the summer, members nominate which books they want to read. All the Polish book clubs then send their lists to someone at the Harold Washington Library Center in the South Loop, which contacts the owner of D&Z House

of Books, a Polish bookstore that has been in Belmont Cragin since 1994.

Based on availability and price, they then narrow the list down to twelve books for the year, and buy eight copies of each. The clubs then take turns reading each book and exchanging throughout the year. Ptasik says that there is usually a mix of older and contemporary, originally Polish and translated books.

In addition to the book club, Archer Heights library sports a number of other resources, including a Graphic Novel Book Club, Mad Science Mondays (for students), and as of recently, a ‘‘CyberNavigator’’ fluent in English, Spanish, and Polish, to help people set up email accounts, apply for jobs, and in general navigate the internet/tech space. (Adam Przybyl) Archer Heights Polish Book Club, Archer Heights Library, 5055 S. Archer Ave. Every third Wednesday of the month. Po polsku. (312) 747-9241. chipublib.org/locations/5 SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 5

ARCHER HEIGHTS & BRIGHTON PARK

BEST ATOLE

Western Orange Line Stop

Waking up early and running to catch a train shouldn’t mean having to skip a hearty breakfast. Luckily for commuters entering the Western Orange Line station, there’s a familiar, mouthwatering sight of a tamale stand right outside the entrance. On several occasions, this stand has saved even me from going into work hungry and grumpy. The stand sells red and green pork or chicken tamales, hot and ready to eat. And for a drink, my absolute favorite is featured: atole, an arroz con leche-like beverage made with masa harina, milk, chocolate, piloncillo (cane sugar), cinnamon, vanilla, and star anise. It all comes together in a thick, warm, comforting beverage that I’ve only ever known to best come from stands like this. Only available weekday mornings, students and workers can indulge in comforting flavors from roughly 6am until everything is sold out—so be quick to grab a bite before that inbound Orange Line train leaves the station! (Mell Montezuma) Western Orange Line Station, 4901 S. Western Ave. 6am weekdays until sold out.

Cash only.

BEST FISH-FILLED HALF-PINEAPPLE

Mariscos El Abuelo y Yo

The clapboard houses and spraypainted murals of 38th and Kedzie sit hundreds of miles away from any ocean. But for the fifteen years that it’s called that corner home, Mariscos El Abuelo y Yo has served up the catch of the day, every day.

Saltwater and seafood is the rule: oysters, ceviche, sopas, mariscadas, and so on, all complemented by the half-dozen hot sauce bottles at each table.

The menus and signs use the rusted-up hull of a fishing boat as a backdrop, and the walls are painted a blue-green that’s halfway between seawater and seaglass. Then there’s the steel counter by the open kitchen, where entire schools of fish are grilled each evening.

Like most Chicago success stories, El Abuelo y Yo has ventured beyond its home. Some years back, they opened a sister location in Milwaukee, while more recently, they’ve become an unlikely GrubHub mainstay. But UberEaters of the city are missing out. You have to be seated in person for the complimentary caldo, a delicious broth that features the beady eyes of a shrimp peeking out of your styrofoam cup. It’s a perfect sinus-clearer (or hangover cure, Yelp reviewers suggest).

My favorite dish, however, is the piña rellena: a hollowed-out half-pineapple filled with shrimp, octopus and snail, all covered with melted cheese.

In less capable hands (or skillets), it’d be rubbery—but Mariscos’s own take on surf-and-turf is tender, buttery, and unbelievably good. It’s a little nautical cornucopia for anyone with an open mind about pineapple on pizza.

Mariscos is clean, inexpensive, polished, and the best seafood I’ve had in the city. There’s nothing terribly sentimental about the Jarritos pendants or the inflatable Modelo tallboy hanging in one corner—you come for the food.

But good cooking is a family business, so it makes sense why Abuelo would be first. (Christopher Good) Mariscos El Abuelo y Yo. 3752 S. Kedzie Ave. Monday–Thursday, 10am–9pm; Friday–Sunday, 9am–10pm. (773) 247-9110. Cash only.

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BEST ROLLED ICE CREAM FLAVORS

Rolling Chicago Cafe

Although it’s only been around for about a month, Rolling Chicago Cafe has already made a name for itself as a place with great food, ice cream, and drinks.

The name comes from what many would consider the main attraction: rolled ice cream. Also called stir-fried ice cream, making it calls for pouring a liquid mixture (usually some combination of milk, sugar, and other flavors) onto a pan that is kept at around negative thirty degrees, stirring it to incorporate air, and then scraping the now-frozen mixture into ‘rolls.’ The result feels denser than regular ice cream, and is usually served with lots of toppings.

The giant, colorful chalkboard menu goes all out with flavors like Pink World (strawberry), Froot Loops (exactly what you think), Lechero (espresso, pretzels, and chocolate chips), and Nutella Love (Nutella-flavored ice cream with bananas, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce). The Cafe also serves a wide variety of crepes, paninis, freshly squeezed juices, and smoothies. A video on their Facebook page shows someone preparing a panini in slow motion, throwing and slicing vegetables as if in an action movie trailer.

But whether you’re here to watch your food get made or to relax and enjoy the flavors, there’s ample seating inside and outside. Make the most out of the last days of summer and head on over. (Adam Przybyl) Rolling Chicago Cafe, 3904 W. 47th St. Monday–Thursday, 7am–9pm; Friday– Sunday, 7am–11pm. $2.75–$9.25. (773) 940-2492.

ADAM PRZYBYL

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ASHBURN Compiled by Atavia Reed

MARIO CORDOBA

BEST PLACE TO GET A SUNDAE AND FEEL LIKE A KID AGAIN

Lindy’s Chili & Gertie’s Ice Cream Growing up in the streets of Ashburn, there was nothing I wanted more than to be just like my older sisters. I’d watch as they added bursts of color to their usual dark hair and pierced their belly buttons with glee. And I’d wallow in jealousy for not being able to join their teenage fun, and sit silently in anger for being born so far behind. “Sisters stick together no matter what,” my father used to say. And yet, they chose to have me ten years too late. Then we discovered Lindy’s Chili & Gertie’s Ice Cream.

Located on 76th and Pulaski, this spot, part of the local chain of Southwest Side and suburbs chili and ice cream joints, became a refuge for the old and young. There, I wasn’t the “little sister.” I was the companion, the “cool” sibling finally able to join in on the teenage fun. My sisters never really liked having to take me along on their journeys, but inside the walls of Gertie’s, I was welcomed. The inside was, and remains, a dream that transports its guests 8 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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back to a time that once was. The booths are made of red velvet and torn in remembrance of fond memories like a favorite T-shirt. Stuffed animals that may never find a home adorn the ceilings, staring down at guests in a way that is beckoning rather than terrifying. The food is affordable and greasy, the fries thin and crispy. And there’s nothing that brings back the days of childhood glee quite like one of their fresh sundaes. Made with flavors ranging from Vanilla to our favorite, Black Walnut, each is served in a cup and topped with a cherry and a wafer cookie for an extra burst of goodness. Stop here with less than ten dollars in your pocket and retreat to a time where life was at its simplest. I know I did, and it was worth the trip. (Atavia Reed) Lindy’s Chili & Gertie’s Ice Cream, 7600 S. Pulaski Ave. 11am–9:30pm, daily.

(773) 582-2510. lindyschili.com/lg-7600.htm

ASHBURN

BEST JERK CHICKEN

Caribbean Jerk Palace When guiding people to most places, you usually have to give a basic set of directions. “Turn right at the mailbox,” for example, or “if you’ve hit the tracks you’ve gone too far.” There’s no need to use these directions to lead someone to Caribbean Jerk Palace. They’ll smell it before they see it.

My parents have lived just a few blocks away from this restaurant since it first opened its doors, and what called us to its small location wasn’t the need to try a new place in the neighborhood—it was the smell of fresh food hitting the grill and wafting to our taste buds, strong enough to make us salivate. There are plenty of jerk chicken restaurants around this wonderful city, but not one that makes their food quite this fresh and quite this tasty, for a price worth the amount of food piled onto one plate.

Before you stop by, give them a call and place your order ahead of time.

If it’s Sunday, the line will trail out the door as grandmothers and children pile inside, dressed in their best church outfits. And if it’s Tuesday, the crowd is guaranteed to be outrageous—that’s when the best jerk wings in town are offered at fifty cents a pop.

When you finally place your order, take a tip from us and order the jerk chicken dinner plate with the macaroni and cheese on the side. Each plate comes with two sides, but perfectly placed under each wing is a sizeable order of red beans and rice flavored to ignite all taste buds. The service might seem slow, but when you open the container and view the food inside, odds are your mouth will water and you’ll thank us for showing you where South Siders really get down. (Atavia Reed)

“mild sauce?” It’s done. And with a four-piece meal starting just under seven dollars, you somehow still feel like you’re getting some bang for your buck.

This hidden gem is Ashburn’s secret treat. And one tip: if you’re truly looking for a meal you’ll never forget, add the Reese’s peanut butter pie to your order. (Atavia Reed) The Chicken Coop, 3300 W. 87th St. Sunday–Friday, 11am–midnight. (773) 582-2510. thechickencoopusa.com

BEST LATE-NIGHT TACO

El Taco Sabroso

Caribbean Jerk Palace, 3792 W. 79th St. 11am–10pm Monday–Saturday, noon– 7pm Sunday. (773) 498-9723. caribbeanjerkpalace.com

BEST PLACE TO GRAB FRIED CHICKEN IF HAROLD’S IS CLOSED

The Chicken Coop It goes without saying that Harold’s Chicken Shack is a Chicago mainstay.

I’ve had friends travel to the city and ask me, before visiting the Art Institute or Millennium Park, to take them to grab a four-piece chicken dinner (fried hard, extra lemon pepper, hold the slaw please). But if Harold’s is closed or, better yet, we’ve found our way to Ashburn, I can unabashedly take them to the next best spot: The Chicken Coop.

At first glance, you may miss this spot when traveling down 87th Street.

It’s shaped exactly like a chicken coop, small and quaint. There’s one sign boasting its name that shines at night, but otherwise, it lives in obscurity. It’s a restaurant glanced at and forgotten in the blink of an eye...at least until you bite into a fresh wing.

What the Chicken Coop understands is that all great chicken begins with a perfect level of crunchiness and ends with a tasty, savory sauce. They’ll fry your food however you like it. Extra lemon pepper? Got it. Salt and pepper? Got it. Fries practically drowning in what we South Siders like to call

MARIO CORDOBA

El Taco Sabroso is the corner joint you stumble upon by accident after a latenight craving and never forget. It’s the restaurant you cruise by for years and, after finally making a visit, wonder how you ever lived without a taco from this spot in the first place.

When you enter, you’ll notice that there’s barely any room to stand, let alone sit. And if it’s a Friday or Saturday night, you’ll probably have to wait outside near the parking lot to hear your order called. Cooks work diligently behind the counter, slicking, seasoning, flavoring, and creating. On the day I visited, one woman managed the crowd and the counter like there was nothing easier in this world to do.

El Taco Sabroso is a hut from heaven, a place where you can grab a delicious and fulfilling meal like three tostadas or a steak torta with sides, even if you have less than ten dollars in your pocket. Nothing, however, compares to their huaraches. Whether you’ve had one too many or if a craving for authentic Mexican food rattled your bones, their steak huarache topped with the works is bound to change your life for the better. It’s huge. Larger than my head (and that’s impressive) huge, and each bite is better than the last. If you’re in the area, make this your go-to stop without a doubt. Thank us later.

We’ll wait patiently. (Atavia Reed) El Taco Sabroso, 8346 S. Pulaski Rd. 8am–midnight Monday–Friday, 8am–2am Saturday & Sunday. (773) 735-4900.

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AVALON PARK, CALUMET HEIGHTS, & CHATHAM

Compiled By Adam Przybyl & Kimberly Jones

AV BENFORD

BEST VINTAGE NEON SIGN

BEST NEW CATALYST FOR THE ARTS

It’s bright, angular, orange, and green with dozens of round golden-white light bulbs. It’s futuristic in a late-sixties kind of way and has served as a beacon on East 75th Street for decades, illuminating the way to the Lemons brothers’ celebrated smoked ribs, tips, and links bathed in their famous and beloved original secret sauce of magical spices. No matter which direction you travel from, there is a synchronized moment when you see the gleaming sign at the exact same time that you smell the smoky aroma. Joy swells inside your entire being. Then you see the long line, rain or shine, of people waiting, as if Oprah is giving away cars, and you get a little sad knowing you are about to be standing at the very end of it. But you wait, patiently sometimes, impatiently at other times, gazing up at the familiar neon sign, while deciding what saucy-smoky goodness you will order this time. No doubt the BarB-Q is fire— everybody knows that—but the sign, OMG, it’s pretty fly too!

(Nicole Bond)

Art studio Nine 3 is an oasis in this industrial part of the South Side that has faced decline since the closure of the South Works steel mill. In what was formerly a garage next to a post office, Nine 3 offers space for a variety of art mediums, including painting and sculpture. Founded by artist Roman Villarreal this year, it is a studio that he says belongs to the community and to Chicago. Villarreal, who also runs the Under the Bridge art studio in East Side, told Block Club in June he hopes to catalyze the artistic community in this part of the city, and predicted there’d be a “huge art community” in five years. Swing by and unleash your inner artist in this studio working to promote the arts amongst residents of the Southeast Side. (Maria Maynez)

Lem’s Bar-B-Q

Lem’s Bar-B-Q, 311 E. 75th St. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, 1pm– 1am; Friday–Saturday, 1pm–3am; closed Tuesday. (773) 994-2428. lemsque.com

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Nine 3 Studio

Nine 3 studio, 9300 S Chicago Ave. Open this upcoming Friday, September 20, for a three-day event beginning at noon. facebook.com/villarrealartstudio

AVALON PARK, CALUMET HEIGHTS &CHATHAM

BEST UNDERGROUND AFRICENTRIC BOOKSTORE

The Underground Bookstore “Destiny, I guess you could call it,” said Mr. Yoel as he recalled the path that led him to where he was now (it’s “mister” for anyone under the age of fortyfive, he said). Yoel had always wanted to run a business and went to school for business administration. But almost three decades ago, he fell on hard times and was sleeping out in the back of the bookstore, whose owner at the time let him stay there, and he would sometimes go out and sell books for him.

Then one Wednesday, the owner told him that he’d be out by Friday—and he was.

That meant Yoel had two options: find another place to stay, or try to take over the store. The problem was that the previous owner hadn’t paid rent in a few months, and the landlord said he could stay on the condition he found a way to pay it back. But Yoel had just two boxes of books to work with. “I had to spread them out across the store, you could stretch your arms out from one to the next,” he said. But people came in and asked for books that he would find and bring back that evening or the following morning. “I knew where to get books,” he added.

Over the years, he built out his bookstore business, adding and removing stores. He’s had five total, three at one time, including Frontline Books in Hyde Park and one downtown, though he downsized to just the one here in 2004. Now he’s trying to get enough capital together to buy the building.

Much like the sign on the storefront suggests, Yoel mainly stocks books about and by Black people, with a mix of African and Diaspora authors. The genres range from mystery, esoteric New World Order conspiracy stuff, history, fiction, health, and a sizable children’s section. Here you can find recent books about the Black P. Stone Nation, several volumes of Frederick Douglass’s autobiography, and histories of African civilizations. The store has more than books—there’s incense, and Egyptian Ankhs and Eyes of Horus. In the back is a large poster of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.

And it’s about more than just selling books for Yoel, clearly. While I was there, a Black girl and her mom came in, and when checking out, Yoel had the girl recite some words about the importance of being a Black child, and the universe waiting to see what she would do. Yoel, in turn, has learned from his customers too. When he started out, he didn’t know much about books.

But the more people came to him with suggestions and requests, he started reading too. “Now my dinner table is just…books.” (Adam Przybyl) The Underground Bookstore, 1727 E. 87th St. Monday–Saturday, 11am–7pm.

(773) 768-8869 AV BENFORD

AV BENFORD

BEST CUSTOMIZED IBUPROFEN

200 Pharmacy 200 Pharmacy makes medicine for you. Y-o-u, you, and only you. One of only a handful of compounding, customizing pharmacies on the South Side, 200 is an oasis in a world overrun with complicated, inflexible, depersonalized medicine. When you’re sick, the generic experience of picking up a prescription can often bring fresh stress of its own: the names of packaged medications are overloaded with consonants, their functions are one-sizefits-all but still never exactly right. At 92nd and Stony Island, there lies an escape from it all: one-of-a-kind, directed compassion in a world increasingly stacked with fluorescently anonymous corporate pharmaceutical services.

200 Pharmacy’s compounded medicines are the best possible form of modern-day potions: healing power carefully translated into creams, analgesics, and capsules. All day long, lab technicians devise medicinal compounds, repackaging pharmaceutical ingredients into ingestible forms designed for each particular patient. Empathy suffuses the process from start to finish.

Patients come through the front doors with a doctor’s prescription and a particular set of needs (“I can’t swallow pills!”; “This cream isn’t helping where it hurts!”), and then Sherman White and his team put their heads together.

They mill hard-to-swallow pills into smooth topical creams, spin active and inactive ingredients together into the ideal blend, always matching the medicine to the individual patient’s situation.

At 200 Pharmacy, the medicine is more specialized than what you’ll encounter elsewhere, but the business of it all embodies a lovely simplicity. White is in the business of helping through healing. From a young age, he dreamed of entrepreneurship, and founded 200 Pharmacy with his older brother Jeffrey Veal in 1980, only two years after graduating from Howard University’s esteemed School of Pharmacy. Veal is now retired, but it’s stayed a family operation all these decades later: White’s wife Vicky holds down the business’s medical supplies arm and their daughter works in the office.

Patients, customers, delivery drivers, and friends flow in and out of the store.

They ask Sherman’s advice, they chat, they consult staff about their ailments, they peruse the orthopedic shoes on offer. It’s a small world, and one that feels wonderfully complete, full of warmth, sympathy, and, yes, plenty of ibuprofen. (Sarah Fineman) 200 Pharmacy, 9133 S. Stony Island Ave. Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm; Saturday, 9am–3pm. (773) 374-4550. 200pharmacy.com SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 11

AVALON PARK, CALUMET HEIGHTS &CHATHAM

BEST PARK FAMILY

Avalon Park

“I would not be the man that I am today were it not for the people here,” Quante Curry told me as we looked out across the basketball courts in the park. It was the kind of thing you might expect to hear about a church group, or someone’s family or friends. But Curry was talking about the supervisors and regular attendees of Avalon Park, where he’d been going since moving to the area in 2005. “I used to come in there with issues. They helped me through a lot. I didn’t even like going outside until I started coming here,” he added.

I got the sense that Avalon Park was a friendly place when I first walked in to use the bathroom. Curry, along with three other people, was sitting and chatting inside the main entrance. “You look important,” he said. “I’m really not,” I replied, and everyone laughed. When I asked for a tour, Reggie showed me around the fieldhouse, fitness room, game room, and meeting rooms. In a few hours, dozens of kids would come from school to hang out, do homework, and play basketball, floor hockey, and do gymnastics. Reggie explained that the park also hosted square and line dancing, and invited me to the “Night Club at Noon” on November 20, when the space would be turned into a giant nightclub for people to dance in.

That’s when Curry took over to give me the “proper tour,” as he called it.

“This was the liveliest, loudest place in the city,” he said as he showed me the basketball courts. For some reason having to do with safety, the Park District removed the rims in the last few years. “We’d be playing here until two or three in the morning. Everyone would come here, the guys would play, the

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girls would be watching the guys,” he said.

The park is still lively, despite the loss of rims. There’s a running track that was seeing some use while I was there, baseball fields, tennis courts, a pool, a playground, and ample space to walk around. There’s a lengthy, winding path that takes you through peaceful areas shaded by trees and surrounded by green everywhere you look.

The park’s staff play a big role in making the place feel like home. Speaking about Patricia McMillan, the park superintendent, Curry said, “Ms. McMillan is the mother of every person here. She’d tell people to stay in school and keep their heads up.” Then there was Tommy, “who was kind of like the uncle,” he added. “Everybody respected these two.” One time, Curry told me, people from a gang were looking for someone at the park who was inside the building. Tommy took them inside and made them talk things out.

“They weren’t happy about it, but that’s Tommy, protecting people,” he said.

According to Curry, Reggie and Yasmine, who used to take part in the park programs for kids and now work there, have hosted fundraisers to buy things for the kids, and often end up taking money out of their own paychecks to do so. What else would you need to know that Avalon Park had your back?

(Adam Przybyl) Avalon Park, 1215 E. 83rd St. Park open 6am–9pm, daily; fieldhouse Monday– Friday, 8am–9pm; Saturday, 8am–5pm; closed Sundays. (312) 747-6015. chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/avalon-park

BACK OF THE YARDS Compiled by Guadalupe Ceja

JASON SCHUMER

BEST NEW POP-UP

BEST ARCHIVE OF ART

La Selva Shop

Murals from the Yards

Initially established by Rolando Santoyo in the fall of 2016 as an online shop, La Selva just got its first pop-up shop in Back of the Yards. Pop-ups, a way for brands or retailers to market themselves and gauge feedback from consumers, are almost everywhere—and just a few weeks ago, La Selva’s first pop-up shop opened in our community. Thanks to Santoyo, we now have a little shop on the corner of 48th Street across from St. Joseph Church. Santoyo is an artist, graphics designer, and active member of the community who has contributed some of the murals we’ve seen in our neighborhood through the years. Santoyo’s mission behind La Selva is to help create a positive narrative about our community.

Inside La Selva, you’ll find Santoyo’s product line dedicated to bringing glory to our community. You will also find lovely art that represents Back of the Yards painted along the walls of La Selva Shop. If you haven’t already, be sure to stop by the shop, spark up a conversation with Santoyo, and pick up some Back of the Yards merchandise. (Guadalupe Ceja)

Visual art is a form of communication with no barriers. Years ago, Back of the Yards was primarily made up of immigrants who didn’t have access to the same educational resources the average citizen does today. Many individuals did not know how to read or write—including my mother when she first arrived in the US from Mexico. Something that kept my mother’s spirits up was the art that decorated the neighborhood. The murals that lined the bridges, representing Latinx culture, made her feel embraced by our community. Today, more and more art continues to be spread throughout our South Side neighborhood by creatives birthed here. Back of the Yards. Murals from the Yards is an Instagram and Facebook page that was started to sustain the paintings in a digital archive.

Murals from the Yards also has a mission to “create programming so the youth can create more murals in Back of the Yards.” Hopefully, something we can soon add to the neighborhood is a dedicated art center to accommodate the creatives in our community. (Guadalupe Ceja)

La Selva Shop, 1724 W. 48th St. Tuesday and Thursday, 6pm–8pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am–3pm; closed Monday and Friday. laselvashop.com

Murals from the Yards. instagram.com/muralsfromtheyards

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 13

BACK OF THE YARDS

BEST COLOMBIAN BREW

Sputnik Coffee

Sputnik Coffee Company is relatively new to the neighborhood, but gives off the vibe that it’s been around for years. Sputnik is a coffeehouse that roasts, brews, and serves its Colombian blend on-site, making it unique for a neighborhood coffee shop. When you first step through the doors, you are immediately greeted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee, sweet pastries, and a gracious welcome from one of its employees. Sputnik has an approachable and personable environment that focuses on creating connections between patrons over a cup of coffee. It thrives off its simplicity and by making its medium-roast blend easily accessible, not just in Back of the Yards, but throughout the city and beyond. At their location, you can purchase a cup of coffee starting at only a dollar, and can make it a meal by adding a spinach and feta croissant for $3.50. In 2018, you could find Sputnik’s packaged coffee beans in farmers markets on the Southwest Side. Now, you can find their packaged coffee beans in grocery stores throughout the city. “Delicious coffee can be affordable,” the package reads, their slogan then translated into eight different languages to include Chicago’s diverse population. (Guadalupe Ceja) Sputnik Coffee, 2057 W. 51st St. Monday–Friday, 6am–1pm; Saturday, 7am–4pm.

(847) 668-8075. sputnikcoffeecompany.com

JASON SCHUMER

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¬ SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

BEVERLY Compiled by Jim Daley

JIM DALEY

BEST SHAVED ICE

BEST VEGAN FAST FOOD

Ohana Ice and Treats

Nicky’s Grill & Yogurt Oasis

Shave ice is similar to snow cones, but the ice is shaved rather than crushed, giving this Hawaiian treat a delicate quality that is extra-refreshing on a hot summer (or early fall) day. As with snow cones, shave ice is topped with flavored syrup. At Ohana Ice and Treats, which husband-and-wife team Keynn and Kenneth Cain opened last year, shave ice servings come with tropical syrup flavors such as guava, peach, coconut, and mango, as well as cola, root beer, and other favorites. Customers can choose up to three syrup flavors. The softball-size shave ice servings are large enough to handle multiple syrups, opening the possibility of interesting combinations. Lilo and Stitch fans will know “ohana” means “family” in Hawaiian; Keynn, who is a teacher, had her students vote on the name. A mix of tropical and ice-creamthemed decorations adorn the shop, along with paintings by local artists.

For the less tropically-inclined, delicious ice cream and milkshakes are also available. ( Jim Daley)

Hamburger-craving vegans flock to this fast food joint, with their omnivorous friends in tow. Owned and operated by the Kostopanagiotou family since 1997, Nicky’s proclaims a commitment to service and freshness.

We experienced both during our meal, with fresh veggies complemented by vegan hamburgers and brats, all served quickly. Made by Beyond Meat, these vegan choices are not like the traditional vegan fare of black bean burgers.

Instead, they pleasantly reminded me of non-vegan fast food choices in both taste and texture. The meal’s meatiness—paired with the shop’s red neon lighting, wall art, and variety of frozen yogurt and ice cream flavors— dished up nostalgia. Offering a vast vegan menu, gluten-free buns, and draft kombucha for two dollars, Nicky’s is ready to serve 2019’s crowds. (Laurel Bornman)

Ohana Ice and Treats, 1800 W. 103rd St. Tuesday–Sunday, noon–8pm; closed Monday. (773) 253-8533. facebook.com/OhanaIceChicago

Nicky’s Grill & Yogurt Oasis, 10255 S. Western Ave. Monday–Friday, 10am10pm; Saturday, 10am–9pm; Sunday, 11am–9pm. (773) 233-3072. nickysgrillandyogurt.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 15

BEVERLY

BEST PUNNY STORYTELLING NIGHT

BEST NONAGENARIAN ICE CREAM SHOP

“South Specific”

The Original Rainbow Cone

The quarterly storytelling night hosted by the Beverly Area Planning Association (BAPA) is a riot. I haven’t been able to stop raving about it since I attended in August. Called “South Specific” (a pun on the musical South Pacific), the series is co-hosted by Beverly residents Madeline O’Malley and David Boyle. Each night features five stories: one from each of the hosts, and three more by guest storytellers who also live on the South Side.

The duo started the event after O’Malley took one of Boyle’s storytelling workshop classes. Boyle had previously hosted a storytelling night as the culminating event of his classes. (Now on hiatus, Boyle intends to restart the workshop at some point. Interested parties should check out his Facebook page for updates.) O’Malley saw potential in restarting a regular storytelling night. “I just kind of floated the idea with David. Maybe last spring [I said] let's start doing the show regularly again,” she said.

She was right. O’Malley’s background in stand-up comedy had the audience rolling in the aisles. On the night I saw them perform, O’Malley regaled the audience with a story of how a bad date turned into the most dedicated Instagram troll, ever. Boyle, channeling David Sedaris, recounted teaching his nephew to ride a bike on a booze-and-food fueled day of indulgence at his sister’s pool.

The pair has a knack for making the evening feel personal—you aren’t sitting in the audience, you’re at a house party with the most gregarious, entertaining guests. In that kind of atmosphere, it’s practically impossible not to have a good time. (Clare McCloskey)

The Original Rainbow Cone is a South Side institution. The shop has been serving residents its signature ice cream cone—a stack of chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House, pistachio, and orange sherbet—out of its pink Western Avenue storefront since 1926. Customers continue to return year after year, waiting in lines that frequently wrap around the block, each generation introducing the next to the delicious treat at the end of that wait.

(The Weekly is no different; Rainbow Cone also appeared in the 2013 Best of the South Side issue.)

I am one of those kids. Even though I grew up on the North Side, my South Side family passed on the summertime tradition to me and my sisters.

Every time we went, it was special.

Recently, I asked my aunt Jean what made Rainbow Cone special for her as a kid. “On a summer night, my dad would sometimes just say to the kids on the block, you know, ‘pile in the car, we're going to Rainbow,’” she said. “It was always like a great big deal.”

In addition to ice cream cones, the shop also offers ice cream cakes and rolls. Cakes, which serve ten to twelve people, consist of the traditional five ice cream flavors on top of a layer of cake, finished with frosting. Rolls are a layer of chocolate cake wrapped around the five signature flavors and come in six and twelve-inch sizes.

Generations of loyal customers have helped Rainbow Cone expand to a second location on Navy Pier, which opened in 2017, and extend their season long past summer, according to general manager Bryan Feltman: “We are open all the way to the end of December so that people can still get all their stuff with their holidays and all that and then we open up [again] right around mid-February.” (Clare McCloskey)

“South Specific” Quarterly Storytelling Night, BAPA, 1987 W. 111th St. The next night will be held on November 22, 2019. $10 suggested donation. bapa.org

Rainbow Cone, 9233 S. Western Ave. September hours: Sunday–Thursday, noon– 9pm; Friday–Saturday, noon–9:30pm. Closing times change seasonally. Closed from December to February. (773) 238-7075. rainbowcone.com

SILVESTRO D E S I G N OPERATIONS an on

architecture the south

firm side

Architectural installation on display at the former Overton Elementary School. September 21st.

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BEVERLY

BEST (NEW) NEW & USED BOOKSTORE

BEST CAFÉ IN A TRAIN STATION

Bookie's New & Used Books

Two Mile Coffee Bar

This past July, Bookie’s celebrated their second anniversary in the store’s new location on Western Avenue, around the corner from the small storefront it occupied on 103rd Street for more than two decades (featured in the 2015 Best of the South Side issue). Keith Lewis is the third owner of this neighborhood establishment, which Larry Kroff opened in 1989 and sold to longtime clerk Allison Platt in 2006. Platt sold the store to Lewis, a former CPS English teacher, in 2015. Since then, Lewis has developed Bookie’s into a reader’s paradise. Moving away from Bookie’s past as a used book exchange, Keith and his staff have worked hard to become a full-service independent bookstore. Now, with the ability to pre-order unreleased titles and obtain special orders from indie and trade publishers, they can get every genre except textbooks. They are also an authorized CPS and Catholic school vendor, which means they can help teachers get books that they need.

Moving into the new storefront, twice as large, allowed for a strategic divide of the space. The first room includes a section where customers can shop for new editions and book-related gifts or confer with the knowledgeable staff, a huge young adult section where teens can discuss the titles without restraint, and an extensive children’s section—complete with rocking chair, play rug, and giant teddy bear.

The second room contains classics, cookbooks, fiction, inspiration, mystery, memoir, politics, poetry, self-help, and miscellany. Adults tend to congregate in this area. Keith has placed a readers’ space of comfy chairs and small tables across the front windows., which can be expanded for signings, readings and other events. Working with other local organizations, they have participated in the Beverly Art Alliance Art Walk, the Beverly Area Planning Association’s Cookie Crawl, and the For Love of Writing (FLOW) reading series. Bookie’s also co-sponsors the Second Sunday Book Club with the Beverly Art Center and Open Outcry Brewery.

But best of all, when you have gently finished your book, you can bring it back in for store credit against future purchases—which you are sure to make! (L.D. Barnes)

In some ways, Beverly is a commuter town that happens to exist within the city limits, and for many of its denizens the Rock Island Metra line is their morning commute. The line was built in 1870, when Beverly was still a streetcar suburb, and the train contributed to the area’s growth during the nineteenth century. Several of the train stations that dot the two-mile stretch have a historic air. The station at 95th Street is one of them: built in 1945, it’s a charming building that was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1945. For decades, it combined beautiful architecture with an admittedly somewhat lonely interior. This past April, as the Weekly reported in this year’s Food Issue, Nathaniel Hollister and his wife Sonia, along with Nathaniel’s sister Gretta Dertinger and her husband Patrick, teamed up to open a coffee bar inside the train station, which they named for the length of the Beverly branch of the Rock Island line.

In doing so, they transformed a typically silent waiting place into a vibrant space: on a recent Saturday morning, despite the absence of a workday commute, the station was bustling. Sonia poured espresso drinks while Gretta greeted a constant stream of customers. Two Mile offers Intelligentsia coffee, an assortment of pastries, and a variety of seasonal specialty drinks.

The summer’s specials included the popular “Bungalow Block Party,” an iced peach tea flavored with cloves and rosemary, and “The Ridge,” a chai latte infused with cardamom, rose, and crystallized ginger. Last week the specials menu changed over to its fall offerings, which include a chai and apple cider blend, a latte inspired by a hot buttered rum cocktail (“basically like a liquid cookie,” according to Gretta), and a pumpkin spice latte made from scratch with fresh ingredients. ( Jim Daley) Two Mile Coffee Bar, 1766 W. 95th St. Monday–Friday, 6am–11am; Saturday, 8am–1pm; closed Sunday. (773) 614-8115. twomilecoffee.com

Bookie’s New & Used Books, 10324 S. Western Ave. Open daily, 10am–7pm.

(773) 239-1110. bookiesbookstores.com

JIM DALEY

BRADLEY MOSS

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 17

Compiled by Mari Cohen & Joshua Falk

BRIDGEPORT & MCKINLEY PARK JASON SCHUMER

January Overton is a lifelong Bridgeport resident and the owner of Jackalope Coffee & Tea House, which has been in business for seven years, and The Bitten Hand, a gift shop that opened in July in the space adjacent to Jackalope.

I

grew up here. It’s definitely changed since I grew up, of course. My mom's family's originally from Poland. And they had migrated here. So I’m fifth generation in Bridgeport. Even at [St. Mary’s] church, I was fourth generation to be married at that church. It's kind of funny since I grew up in this neighborhood, but then I would go to the North Side a lot with my friends and stuff. So I got the mix of the north and the south. But even when we first opened up Jackalope, some old school Bridgeporters were like, "Fuckin’ yuppies opening up their coffee shops,” and I had to come on the [neighborhood social media] pages and be like, "I went to third grade with you. This is January.” But even if it wasn't me, why are you mad that there's somebody opening a business in our neighborhood? There's still some of that mentality.

This guy came in here today and said he was at Dunkin’ Donuts the other day and [some customers] were talking and he said to one of them, “Oh, you should go to this good coffee shop, there's one called Jackalope.” And one of the customers is like, “No, that's the Satan-worshipping coffee shop.” And I guess one of the workers is like, “Yeah, I've heard that too.” He came and he's like, “Are you aware people think that you guys are, like, Satan-worshipping?”

I'm like, “Okay.” It's so funny how old-school people are set in their ways.

The west side [of Halsted] is more known as artists, or the hipsters moving in over there. And then this side [east of Halsted] people think it’s more like the families who've been settled for generations and might be a little more affluent. There's this perception almost like there's two Bridgeports.

And then over by Duck Inn, people call that The Island, because that's beyond the viaduct, and there's water.

My sister's in Michigan, now my mom's in Florida. I have some family here, like my aunt lives on 30th and Parnell, she’s lived there for seventy years, and my cousin lives over there. But some of my family has moved on. And I stayed, which is kind of funny. But I feel at home here. I moved out when 18 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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I was seventeen, and I got my first apartment. It was at 26th and Emerald, right above the fortune cookie factory. A girl came in today and said she moved to 32nd and May. And I knew like three people on that block. People will post pictures on Bridgeport [Facebook pages] and be like, “Oh, here’s me and my buddy hanging out.” And I can literally look at the picture most of time and be like, “That's Union [Street].” I've just been here for so long. But I'll be honest, before I bought this place, I considered moving up to Portage.

I went up there and, I don't know, it just felt so wrong. I think people think of me as like the Bridgeport ambassador.

I feel like we're a secret pocket in the city. But you can get on 94, you've got the Red Line, you’ve got the Orange Line, you've got 55. We’re a central hub to get anywhere in the city. I mean, if you look out this window, that's how close we are to downtown. See the Sears Tower? It's nice that some people can come here and they can find cheaper rent, but they can still get downtown, you can still go to school. If you can find roommates, you can get a nicer place. And you can go to the UIC or IIT and you can actually thrive.

Up in Logan Square, they’re bragging about $1,500 for a studio. Down here you can get like a two bedroom for like $1000 and still be able to work a job and go to school. You can go to Pilsen, you can go downtown. There's a lot of things to do nearby.

I love the changes that happen in the neighborhood. I think there was an article recently that said we’re the seventh-most-diverse neighborhood now in the city. And I was like, fuck yeah, that's awesome. Jackalope is known as one of the most diverse places in the neighborhood, and I love that. Our staff becomes friends with customers really quickly. And it's like you know these people and then you'll go Bernice's [Tavern] and you’re like, “Wait, you work at Jackalope,” and then you go to Maria's and you're like, “Wait.” You start figuring it out. It gets like a cruise ship in Bridgeport. You get on a boat, you're like, “Oh my god, there's so many people on the boat.” And obviously, you see the same people over again. You're like, “Oh, it's actually a lot smaller than I think it is.” (As told to Mari Cohen)

BRIDGEPORT & MCKINLEY PARK

BEST NEW BRUNCH

Pochos

Although Pochos has only been open for a few weeks, the newest restaurant in McKinley Park is already drawing large crowds. I passed by on a Sunday morning and saw the space packed with smiling patrons. When I returned around noon to try the restaurant’s offerings myself, the place was still full.

After putting my name in and getting seated, I decided on the breakfast pambazo without chorizo and a naranjada (fresh squeezed orange juice and Topo Chico mineral water). The pambazo came on a light and flaky croissant from nearby Butterdough Bakery (also featured in this issue). The sauces were delicious and expertly combined. The potatoes and eggs were beautifully cooked. The dish, which also included a small side of beans, was filling without being overly heavy.

Pochos serves a wide range of dishes, including a mixed-berry french toast, shakshuka, and a chorizo and poblano benedict. The restaurant also offers several fresh juices (orange, grapefruit, and pineapple), which are refreshing in their own right and can also serve as great mixers for drinks that guests bring to the BYOB establishment.

As of now, Pochos is only open weekends and Mondays. However, the restaurant’s owners hope to expand to seven days a week in the near future.

Keep your eyes open for more from this great addition to McKinley Park’s food scene. ( Joshua Falk)

BEST POST-SHOPPING TAMALES

Tamale Stand Outside Cermak Fresh Market

Get your grocery shopping out of the way and then reward yourself with one of the most affordable indulgences out there: a $1.25 homemade tamale from the cart right outside Cermak. The tamale options are chicken with green salsa, pork with red salsa, or vegetarian-friendly cheese with peppers. The corn dough is soft and flavorful, while the filling is just right, not too sweet or too spicy. They’re compact but filling: one makes a good snack, while two or three can be a meal. You can also try Oaxacan tamales—larger ones wrapped in a banana leaf—or champurrado, a warm chocolate drink made from corn flour. (Mari Cohen) Right outside the door to Cermak Fresh Market, 3300 S. Halsted St. Typically open Monday–Sunday from 9am–5pm or so. $1.25 per tamale. Cash only.

Pochos. 2025 W. 35th St. Saturday–Monday, 9am–3pm. $10–$15. (773) 4757829. pochoschicago.com

BEST CORNER DOORS Two years ago, when I first started looking for an apartment among the twoand three-flats clustered together on Bridgeport’s mostly quiet side streets, I was especially charmed by the neighborhood’s corners. Apartment buildings at the end of the block often have “chamfered” corners, which, in architecturespeak, means that its exterior walls don’t meet at a simple right angle on the corner of the street; instead, the building has a diagonal pane that acts as a “transition” between its two faces. In Bridgeport, these chamfered building corners often host one of the building’s entrances. Sometimes, these diagonal corner doors are accompanied by a triangular corner stoop, often held up by a pole or column. With all the angles and corners and poles, opportunities for pretty designs are endless. The chamfered corners are often a sign that the building was once a retail store, back when small businesses peppered the neighborhood’s residential blocks.

One of the reasons I love living on my block of Union, near 33rd, is that the corners here are especially good: on my side of the street, there’s a large-for-Bridgeport red brick apartment building with the entrance for one unit on the corner: the triangular three-step corner stoop is held up by three grand black poles and the bright green door is set back from the street.

(Landlord, if you’re listening, paint the poles and the building’s trim green again! It looked better that way!) Across the street, the corner door has no stoop and instead juts right up against the sidewalk, where you can admire the flowery design in its glass panes. Wander the neighborhood awhile and you’re bound to find some favorite corner doors of your own. (Mari Cohen)

BEST TOOL LIBRARY

GEOFF STELLFOX

The Chicago Tool Library

The Chicago Sustainable Manufacturing Center on 37th Street hosts many businesses that embody a maker ethic, but for those who want to bring the buzz of the contemporary maker to their own home, the newest tenant will surely intrigue. The Chicago Tool Library, which had its soft opening in midAugust, is an initiative that allows you to check-out tools the same way you would books at the Chicago Public Library. It’s a product of the shared effort of many, but the brainchild of co-founder Tessa Vierk.

From the beginning, Vierk believed the idea of a tool library would be to provide access to resources and to cultivate an atmosphere of collective authorship. Back when the library was just a seedling, Tessa released an Internet survey to gauge interest from around the city. One survey flashing in the inbox was Tessa’s eventual collaborator and co-founder, Jim Benton, who was eager to devote more time to making a tool library happen in Chicago.

Together the two were able to unfasten a tool box for the public.

As you enter the library through a garage door, you’ll gape over the rows of hammers, jigsaws, and kitchen appliances and cock your head just a little SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 19

BRIDGEPORT & MCKINLEY PARK

when you discover none of the tools need to be purchased. The donations for this lending library keep flowing as vanloads pass through filled up high, since people see the library as a rewarding way to pass on collections of stuff they no longer use. During my visit I considered what I too could bequeath, but found my thoughts were interrupted as I noticed the newest acquisition, a table saw, being dropped off and carried over to the growing queue of items to be inventoried.

The purpose of the library, as stated on its website, is “to combat inequitable and wasteful consumerism and build community and opportunities for growth.” Observing the glowing cheer of the space, it becomes clear their intention is to produce a reward shared by all who join in. Membership at CTL is based on a self-decided sliding scale—for Vierk, if someone is unable to afford membership at the Tool Library then it is no longer accessible, defeating the purpose entirely. Membership is annual, and the suggested one dollar for every $1,000 of annual income feels consistent with their statement of purpose. The Chicago Tool Library is a conduit for possibilities. When you visit, you’ll not only marvel at the ease in which this project has seemingly come together but also, infected by cooperative joy, you’ll likely sign your name on the dotted line. (Leo Williams) Chicago Tool Library, 1048 W 37th Street, suite 102. Saturday & Sunday, 10am–3pm. chicagotoollibrary.org

ZACHARY JESSE

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BEST WINDOW INTO BAKING

Butterdough

Walking into the newest bakery in McKinley Park, on Western Avenue, you realize this spot is close to almost everything you need: parks, schools, the “L,” gyms, and major bus stops. The shop itself is inviting and enchantingly bright, with a windowed front and thoughtful décor: small cacti, little wooden tables and stools, and an entire chalkboard wall covered with whimsical art and quotes. You enter the space and find yourself directly in front of the counter, which offers a clear view of the raw dough waiting to be cooked, as well as all the baking equipment.

As I stood at the metal counter, Butterdough’s bakers—brothers and McKinley Park residents Lalo and Uva Leon—kindly answered my questions and walked me through their daily processes. I was fortunate to only have cash to limit my impulsive purchases after considering almost all of the options, which included blueberry crumble Danish, conchas, and vegan horchata.

I didn’t have the opportunity to eat any of their tempting sandwiches, but I bought three pastries and a latte to take home to mi mama, who was recovering from illness. Local pastries, unavailable anywhere in my neighborhood, seemed like the treat to sweeten her difficult week. These goodies were packaged in a light cardboard box, stamped with Butterdough’s logo of a small deer (a doe) and a fading moon, to make sure the pastries didn’t collapse on my walk back home.

Once I arrived home, I opened up the box with a plain croissant, an almond croissant, and a strawberry Danish waiting for us to dig in.

The strawberry Danish immediately caught our eyes. Dozens of layers were held together with the strawberry jam, and a soft crumble of brown sugar danced off to its edges when we sliced it. Mi mama commented in Spanish: “This [Danish] is a fine bread that I would eat again. No fake sweetness. Tons of sugar makes me not eat bread, but this one is good.” For me, every bite made me slow down and sip the latte to clear my taste buds for another bite.

The almond croissant was next. We cut down the middle through many layers to find a pocket of “almond joy,” as my mom described it. Mi mama said she’d “never had a bread made from almond like this before.” This was a croissant that landed the balance between flakiness and creamy texture in every bite—until you realize you’ve run out. Mi mama and I laughed when the almond croissant was gone before our almond cravings finished.

The original croissant remained in our box and marked a perfect ending for a journey through sweetness at Butterdough. We discussed possibilities to transform it into various types of savory and sweet recipes. This pastry became a medium for endless directions of flavors for planned breakfast sandwiches.

These homemade goods also brought a moment of respect for the past lives in our memories. Mi mama looked at me and told me that su papa (her dad) was sharing these pastries with us in his spirit. “I thought about him within the bites. He would sing for these pastries.” We smiled and shared eye contact to honor him.

I never knew this about mi tito (my grandfather) until now. I will return to purchase these breads for my ofrenda (shrine for offerings) for Día de Los Muertos. ( Jocelyn Vega) Butterdough. 3452 S. Western Ave. Tuesday–Friday, 5am–3pm; Saturday and Sunday, 7am–4pm. (773) 475-6452.

BRIDGEPORT & MCKINLEY PARK

GEOFF STELLFOX

BEST PLACE TO LEARN CHINESE DANCE

Yin He Dance

Yin He translates to “silver river,” which is the Chinese name for the Milky Way and the namesake of Yin He Dance, a nonprofit whose mission it is to bring Chinese dance to a wider audience in Chicago. Founded in 2015, the organization consists of a dance studio offering classes across a range of dance styles as well as a professional dance company that performs across Chicago.

Its studio is located on 31st Street, with a sparsely furnished storefront and an interior dance area with floor to ceiling mirrors running the length of the room. The space is used for dance classes, which are held mostly on weekends at the rate of $120 for a ten-week adult class, and doubles as a practice

space for the professional troupe. “Our goal is to make Chinese dance more accessible for everybody, and create a sort of community within Chinatown for dance,” said Angela Tam, founder and artistic directory for Yin He. In addition to a more traditional style of Chinese dance, classes are offered for K-pop, hip hop, and ballet styles. The group puts on a few annual shows, including performances for the Moon Festival and Chinese New Year.

The group’s name evokes the kind of ethereal dance style often associated with what is called Chinese traditional dance, whose range of styles extends well beyond the more widely known dragon and lion dances. Last weekend at their latest show, Visions, the group showcased a collection of traditional and contemporary Chinese dances, some of which were choreographed by Yin He members, followed by a Q&A session that delved deeply into the history of Chinese dance and the meaning behind many of the night’s dances.

The performance was bookended by two ensemble pieces: the first a pensive six-dancer interpretation of the path to attaining Buddhahood, and the last a fun and spirited dance with colorful fans and a team of twelve dancers. In between there were many memorable pieces, including a solo exploring Chinese decorative knots and one titled “Two-Headed Buddha”, a lovely and resourceful two-person twist on the famous “Buddha with a Thousand Hands” dance. But best of all was a contemporary set choreographed by dancer Irene Hsiao. The longest dance by far, it evoked the feelings of grief accompanied by loss, making powerful use of lighting to signal the passing of time and setting it all to the song of a single cello dragging its bow heavily across its body. The dance was in turns sad, creepy, and beautiful—an exciting glimpse of the new possibilities that exist within this traditional dance style.

(Tammy Xu) Yin He Dance, 547 W. 31st St. (312) 869-2572. yinhedance.org

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 21

BRONZEVILLE Compiled by Grace Asiegbu

AV BENFORD

Grace Asiegbu is a master’s student at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrated Marketing Communications. She specializes in social justice and investigative reporting. In her spare time, she loves to sing, ask questions, and stan Beyoncé. Her twitter is @_uzunma.

O

ne of the most historically significant neighborhoods in Chicago, Bronzeville sits at the intersection of the faith that the dark past taught us and the hope that the present has brought us. Due to the Great Migration, Bronzeville’s population grew dramatically between 1890 and 1950, with new arrivals establishing a community where Black residents could explore new frontiers in music, art, literature, business, and political life.

Bronzeville, also known as the Black Belt, flourished as a site of collaboration and innovation, boasting of thriving businesses and a distinct culture—still very much present today.

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As a former (and soon to be returning) resident of this neighborhood, the vitality of Bronzeville was not lost on me, even as a child. Riding down 47th and King Drive, I somehow understood— more so I felt—the spirit of determination. The ambition and dreams of those who came before me manifested in these beautiful brownstones, the powerful activists, the galleries, and the community centers. Bronzeville represents the tenacity and fortitude that fueled the Great Migrators on their hundred-mile journeys away from all that they knew in search of this so-called “American Dream”—in this pursuit of safety, security, hope, and, ultimately, happiness. From the socioeconomic boom to the infamous Robert Taylor Homes, she stands at the forefront as Chicago’s most seminal neighborhood.

Filled with history, courage, bravery, and resilience, Bronzeville is indeed a true testament to the spirit of the Great Migrators and their descendants.

BRONZEVILLE

BEST BRONZEVILLE GOSPEL

Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church Throughout its 117-year history, the historic Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church at 45th and Vincennes had only ten pastors. The third, Rev. James Howard Lorenzo Smith, is credited with changing the sound of the church’s music, a change that would reverberate through the world of Black sacred music. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Smith joined the staff of the church in March of 1931. By the end of that year, he spoke to his congregation about the vision he had for the music of the church. Drawing on the spirits and sounds of Black Americans in the South, Smith created Chicago’s first gospel chorus.

The music of the Black sacred tradition is rooted in spirituals, anthems, work songs, chants, calls and responses, and, of course, gospels. These genres serve as the basis for most (if not all) contemporary secular music, including jazz, blues, hip-hop, R&B, rock, and even country. After a month of rehearsals, the Ebenezer Gospel Chorus made its debut in church filled to the brim with congregants who joined them in making joyful noise.

By 1935, Ebenezer had a large music program comprising several choirs.

Music was at the forefront of the church’s ministry over the next eighty-eight years, shaping the sound of gospel heard not just in the Midwest, but across the nation. Chicago gospel has its own unique sound and style, a fusion of the traditional southern sound and some progressive and new elements that characterize northern gospel. We can thank Rev. James Howard Lorenzo Smith and the Ebenezer Baptist choirs for their influence and contributions to the sound of gospel—yet another testament to the creativity and influence found in Bronzeville. (Grace Asiegbu) Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, 4501 S. Vincennes Ave. Tuesday–Thursday, 9am–3pm; Wednesday, 6:30pm–8:30pm; Sunday, 9am–2pm. (773) 373-6144. ebenezerbronzeville.org.

BEST AFROCENTRIC COFFEE SHOP

Sip & Savor Need some coffee with local culture? Sip & Savor on 43rd blends right into Bronzeville’s cultural scene. From the outside, the coffee shop is hard to spot at first, but the inside gives a warm welcome. As I walked in, I was instantly captivated by the art on display throughout the space. This spot may serve as a hidden gem for art collectors: when I visited, the walls featured an array of exquisite portraits of Black women, a vibrant Prince painting, and other works by local artists.

The gentleman who served me was supportive and mellow, tolerating my indecision while I attempted to choose from their incredible menu. After darting my eyes through the choices of smoothies, sip mochas, blended drinks, pastries, sip lattes, and traditional coffee, I decided on the Coco Berry Breeze drink. Next, you have an equally large variety of seating choices, in-

cluding a plush fudge couch and two vintage sand chairs with metal bead trim, complete with a coffee table to feel at home. What caught my gaze, however, were the diner booths right below an electrifying glass wall work that gave the place a retro vibe. This wall work, combined with the Afrocentric art and R&B on the speakers, created the Sip & Savor aesthetic. The most charming feature of the shop, however, wasn’t the artwork—it was the “Community Speaks” board, which featured a multitude of community events, initiatives, and local programs.

There were decorative surprises in every corner, but as a college student a more delightful surprise was the free WiFi. The moment of truth came once I received what I ordered. The Coco Berry Breeze was served in a chic cup made from “recyclable material”, as expected for a shop that uses fair-trade coffee. The drink’s mix had such a vibrant cotton-pink color that I couldn’t believe it was made with real fruits right in front of me. On that unseasonably warm ninety-degree day, this ICEE twin of a drink left me satisfied.

The vibe of Sip & Savor gives you the option of going there for a date, a casual meeting, computer work, homework, a group hangout, or simply as a place to wind down. They also offer reservation space for larger events, and have a rewards program to keep you coming back. The founder and CEO, Trez V. Pugh III, has definitely developed a scene where, as their mantra says, “coffee & community meet.” (Asha Edwards) Sip & Savor, 528 E. 43rd St. Monday–Friday, 7am–6pm; Saturday–Sunday, 8am–5pm. (773) 855-2125. sipandsavorchicago.com

BRONZEVILLE

BEST HISTORICAL MONUMENT

BEST SMOOTHIE + MUSIC COMBO

Monument to the Great Northern Migration

Some Like It Black Creative Arts

Artist Alison Saar constructed her 1994 work “Monument to the Great Northern Migration,” in remembrance of the northbound exodus of six million Black Americans from the southern United States between 1915 and 1970 in search of the opportunities and liberty they were denied in the South.

The statue is bronze, perhaps to symbolize (like the name “Bronzeville”) the brown skin of Black Americans, and depicts a man dressed in the clothing of that time with a suitcase in his hand.

His clothes, and the mound he is standing on, appear to be created from the soles of worn shoes, symbolizing the long and difficult journey the migrants endured. He is facing north, in the direction of the migration. The man is waving, greeting his new home, but also making a gesture which can be read today as a hello to guests and visitors to this historic neighborhood.

Like many of the neighborhood’s buildings, monuments, and other cultural hubs, this statue is a reminder of the powerful history that continues to shape Bronzeville. (Grace Asiegbu) Monument to the Great Northern Migration, 345 E. Eastgate Pl.

Located just off the corner of 43rd Street and Cottage Grove, Some Like It Black Creative Arts Bar is a combination cocktail bar, smoothie bar, and music venue.

Some Like It Black hosts a seemingly endless stream of music events.

Flip back through previous issues of the Weekly and you’ll find the space appearing again and again in our music and arts calendars. At Some Like It Black, I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Christian JaLon, Kopano, Brittney Carter, and Henri Mayhem, among others. Beautifully painted portraits line the walls of the stage area, and the small space and colorful lighting always make for an intimate experience.

You don’t have to go thirsty while you enjoy music and art at Some Like It Black. In addition to a range of alcoholic cocktails, the venue offers seven different smoothies in a variety of colors. My personal favorite is the Almond Joy, which mixes banana, almond butter, cacao, coconut flakes, and coconut milk. If none of the premade combinations quite satisfy your palate, you can build your own smoothie with three fruits of your choosing (and just seventy-five cents for each additional fruit after that). If you’re feeling hungry you can also order paninis or tacos, each of which have vegetarian options.

Watch our calendars for upcoming events, or go straight to their website for a full list, and plan a night of smoothies, tunes, and community at Some Like It Black Creative Arts Bar. ( Joshua Falk) Some Like It Black Creative Arts Bar, 810 E. 43rd St. Tuesday–Thursday, 3pm– 11pm; Friday, noon–4pm and 6pm–midnight; closed Saturday (except for special events). (773) 891-4866. somelikeitblack.com

AV BENFORD

AV BENFORD

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CHINATOWN

Compiled by Tammy Xu MILO BOSH

Monica Chia-Chien Chen is the owner of World Journal Bookstore and was a local reporter for the Chinese-language World Journal newspaper for sixteen years.

T

his bookstore is over thirty years old, and used to be downstairs—actually very big one, actually have more space. And the business was very good. Every Monday restaurants were closed, so the restaurant employees will come to the bookstore to buy DVDs, buy books. There’s no cell phone at the time, no internet at that time. So if they want to have some entertainment, they would like to listen to Chinese songs, or watch a Chinese movie or television series. So they’ll come to the World Journal bookstore to buy those things. The business was very good. Right now because of the internet people can go online to buy lots of things, they use WeChat or watch things online, so this is not so good [for business]. And the rent is higher. It’s cheaper upstairs, so we moved upstairs.

The bookstore used to belong to the newspaper [World Journal]. And this building belongs to the newspaper as well. But right now since the business is not so good they just give the ownership to a friend of mine. But she wanted to retire, so that’s why I took it over two and a half years ago. Because this is a bookstore with tradition, you know? If you are an overseas Chinese, or you have studied here around the Midwest area, you know this bookstore.

Right now we have more people come to my store to buy Chinese learning books [written in English] than the number of people who come to my store to buy Chinese books. So it means more people are learning Chinese.

And the [Chinese calligraphy] brushes and ink sells very well now, because there is the Pine Tree Center, every Wednesday they have a calligraphy class 26 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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for seniors.

So Chinatown—Chicago Chinatown—as I was told, I think it’s the only Chinatown right now that’s still booming. It’s the only one you can take the water taxi to. Do you know, have you taken the water taxi? It’s the only one.

Very special. There’s a highway nearby, 55, right? So you can take the redline, you can take the 62 bus. And of course you can ride a bike. I mean, it’s very convenient for all kinds of ways of transportation. So this is making Chinatown very unique. And I like it because right now I live in the suburbs, so my husband takes me to the Metra station, and when I arrive at the Metra station I’ll take the water taxi or just walk to take the bus. Before the water taxi would stop in November because it’s too cold. But this year, I think they told me even in the winter they will have the water taxi. So this is very, very special.

So actually when I lived here, how I enjoyed Chinatown was I could just have my folding chair and take the bus to go to Millennium Park to enjoy the beautiful music and the atmosphere. And you can have good food here.

Like, when my son was little he could ride his bike to Chinatown downtown restaurants to eat. You know, this is amazing, isn’t it?

So actually here is pretty good. But I think still we can make it even cleaner. One thing is there’s no recycle bin.

Do you know there’s three phases of construction right now? Did you see they are straightening Wentworth [Ave]? Did you know, there’s the district 78? If they have the district 78, I mean, this will have a lot of influence on Chinatown. So we’ll see. (As told to Tammy Xu)

CHINATOWN

BEST VEGETARIAN MAPO TOFU ON THE CHEAP

Shu Tin Xia BEST FIELD HOUSE

Leonard M. Louie Field House The Leonard M. Louie fieldhouse, in Ping Tom Memorial Park, is bounded on the east and west by Wentworth Avenue and the Chicago river. Just north lie the sixty-two acres of undeveloped land that the mega-development project known as the “78” will be built on, with the skyline of downtown stretching above it, still visible to anyone strolling along in Ping Tom Park. South of the fieldhouse is Chinatown, whose residents and community leaders dreamed up the park and without whom it would never have been built.

These days the fieldhouse is packed to the brim with activity. On weekday evenings cars line the parking lot and spill out onto the surrounding streets. There’s a baseball diamond on the lawn just south of the building where youth teams hold games. Inside, the fieldhouse has a gymnasium with a basketball court that hosts many of its programs, such as gymnastics, badminton, floor hockey, and table tennis. There’s a fitness room, outfitted with treadmills, bikes, and free and machine weights. The fieldhouse also has a bright and airy aquatics room, featuring a six-lane pool outfitted with an accessible ramp and ranging from a kid-friendly depth of four feet at one end to nine feet at the other. Classes are offered for all age groups, from low-impact aquatic exercise classes for seniors all the way down to “tiny tot swim” classes for kids as young as eighteen months. People looking for more of a solo workout can buy a lap swim pass for twenty-five dollars a month, and open swim hours are free.

The fieldhouse opened in 2013, but its origins can be traced back to the construction of the Dan Ryan and Stevenson Expressways in the 1960s that demolished Chinatown’s two existing parks. For the next few decades, community members worked steadily toward getting more green spaces in the neighborhood, which finally arrived in 1999 with Ping Tom Park and the fieldhouse fourteen years later. The fieldhouse’s namesake, Leonard Louie, a longtime Chinatown resident and a leading advocate for the parks, was present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the fieldhouse but succumbed to his fight against cancer a month later. On the side of the red and white building are the traditional Chinese characters shequ—community—a reminder of both who the fieldhouse is for and what was necessary to get it there.

(Tammy Xu) Leonard M. Louie Fieldhouse, 1700 S. Wentworth Ave. Monday–Friday, 8am– 9pm; Saturday, 9am–5pm; Sunday, 9am–3pm. (312) 225-3121.

The mystery of Shu Tin Xia, a Szechuan restaurant humming along for almost a year under the canopy of the 55/90/94 interchange, is how each dish manages to be deliciously spicy in its own way. The classic wontons in chili sauce ($7.95) is solidly executed, stuffed with a tender pork filling and bathed in sauce that has a touch of sweetness. The Szechuan-style jelly with chili sauce ($6.95), a cold dish of thick-cut clear noodles shining with the brilliant promise of spiciness, is deceptively simple and highly addictive. The smooth, cool texture of the noodles, the delicate heat of the sauce, and even the way the noodles try to wiggle away from your chopsticks are all part of the fun, and before you know it the entire bowl will be polished off. But best of all is the mapo tofu, on the menu for the mouth-numbingly low price of $3.95. When the check arrived, I flagged down a waiter because I thought they must have gotten the price wrong. Served in a respectably large ceramic tub with pretty blue and white trim, the dish includes soft tofu, a thick sauce, and a full, rich flavor, despite being vegetarian (it’s usually made with pork).

Sure, Shu Tin Xia’s menu may list many other items, including hotpot and the obligatory General Tso’s chicken, but if you can get first-rate mapo tofu for four dollars, is there really a need for anything else? (Tammy Xu) Shu Tin Xia, 2428 S. Wallace St. Sunday–Thursday, 11am–10pm; Friday–Saturday, 11am–11pm. (312) 888-2170. shutinxia.com

BEST WAY TO COMMUTE TO WORK IN LUXURY

Water Taxi Are you tired of cramming yourself into the bus during rush hour? Bored by the monotony of the “L” lines? Is biking to work too much exercise? We humbly put forward the Chicago River Taxi as the best way to jazz up your commute.

With routes bookended by Ping Tom Park, Ogilvie Station, and River North, the Chicago River Taxi covers all the popular workplace destinations in the Loop. Check the schedule, buy a ticket online—or, if this is more of an on-the-whim decision, pay in credit once you’re onboard—and then climb into the bright yellow vessel. The novelty of being on a boat vastly outweighs the smell of the river (at least in our opinion). There’s no need to fear unsavory splashes, as the boats keep you safely above the water.

The taxi’s path takes you through downtown, with excellent views of the Lyric Opera and the newest skyscraper construction. You’ll inevitably be sitting next to someone who has been on the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour, who will excitedly share all of their knowledge for free. We recommend grabbing a ten-ticket pass for twenty dollars and going on an adventure with a group of friends, if you’re not yet ready to take the plunge into aquatic commuting. ( Jasmine Mithani) Chicago River Taxi, Ping Tom Memorial Park. One-way $6, ten ride pass $20.

(312) 337-1446. chicagowatertaxi.com SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 27

CHINATOWN

BEST MOSTLY DUMPLINGS

Qing Xiang Yuan If you’re in Chinatown with a hankering for dumplings, you ought to give Qing Xiang Yuan a try. I must warn you that stumbling into their brick and mortar without a reservation will almost surely mean joining the queue leading out the door. Don’t let the line intimidate you, though—service is quick and snappy, and before you can check your timekeeping device you’ll be seated. Specializing in handmade jiaozi, also known as Chinese dumplings, QXY offers the opportunity to become acquainted with a wide variety of Chinese dumplings.

Instead of a paper menu, you’ll be handed an iPad—a gesture toward eco-friendliness. The FAQ explains the history of this dish, invented during the Han dynasty by physician Zhang Zhongjian, who attempted to remedy the frostbite around his neighbor’s ears by boiling dough filled with medicine, meat, and vegetables.

How do you take your dumplings? Boiled, pan-fried, and steamed are all options for any jiaozi you decide to order at QXY. Maybe you’ll inquire if the house can serve your order half-steamed and half-boiled (how else will you know which option is superior?). While you wait there is a window display where you can watch your chef prepare your meal.

As a sometimes-pescatarian, sometimes-vegetarian, it can often feel underwhelming scanning menus for interesting choices. We can often feel like an afterthought, while friends gawk at the catalog of meat options on their side of the menu. Here you’ll feel a little different—the light from your table’s iPad menus will be a beacon guiding you to several compelling vegetarian and pescatarian-friendly items, including tofu, cabbage, vermicelli, and wood ear mushroom, green pepper and egg, or shrimp, cucumber, and egg (to name just a few). Try the zucchini, vermicelli, and wood ear mushroom dumplings, and see the vermicelli noodles ooze out a tangle of tentacles amidst frayed edges of pan-fried dough. You will also find fillings on the menu to satisfy your inner lavish eater, from truffle to scallop and lotus root.

The rave reviews on Google persuaded me to break my pescetarianism with the lamb and coriander dumpling, listed on the menu as a chef ’s recommendation. Inside is an earthy lamb and bright coriander that makes one wonder how so much tang can come from something so small. For those in search of salt, fat, acid, and heat, give the sea whelk, egg, and leek a try. The dough itself is supple, while the egg is fluffy and action-packed, tasting as though it has been soaking in broth for the past two hours, all three flavors in harmony. Drown all your dumplings in vinegar and chili oil and let those juices leak right onto your plate.

You may find the prices just a little steep, with all dumpling orders being ten dollars and up, but (as kindly explained by your iPad) each dumpling is organic and handmade from scratch—definitely worth the price for health and taste. (Leo Williams) Qing Xiang Yuan, 2002 S. Wentworth Ave. Sunday–Thursday, 11:30am–9pm; Friday–Saturday, 11:30am–10pm. (312) 799-1118. qxydumplings.com

MILO BOSH

BEST HAIRCUT IN A SUBTERRANEAN FOOD COURT

Shanya Salon Shanya Salon isn’t an easy place to find. It doesn’t show up on Google Maps, and if you happen to be wandering around Chinatown Square, browsing the dining options and tea shops—boba, milk, and otherwise—lining the main thoroughfare, you could be forgiven for being tempted to stop at one of the many gleaming salons along the way.

But if you find yourself heading down to the basement of the Richland Center, past the clunky automatic doors and the barber pole stuck mid-twirl at the top of the stairs, you’ll find a small but bustling salon tucked among the other eclectic tenants of the food court, where you can eat a heaping bowl of la mian, get a new outfit, and pick up a kitchen fume hood all at one location.

Despite its small size, Shanya seems to have no trouble finding a steady stream of mostly local customers. On a recent Saturday morning, two clients sat patiently waiting their turn on a bench by the wall, unperturbed by the whirl of combs and scissors just a few feet in front of them as hairdressers snipped and primped. The space is comfortable and welcoming, with a magnificent mounted mirror facing each of the parlor’s three salon chairs and Chinese pop music wafting pleasantly from a portable speaker somewhere in the room.

The marble floor is swept often but that, as in any self-respecting salon, is no match for the steady accumulation of locks of hair that soon blanket it.

The owner of Shanya said the salon has been at this location since 2015.

He started the business after moving to the U.S. that year from the Chinese city of Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, and continued the hair-cutting business he had previously done in China. “We get a lot of repeat customers,” he said.

“When we started it wasn’t a lot of people, slowly it built up. Now business is not bad. A lot of regulars.” Shanya’s clientele consists almost entirely of people from the community, no doubt drawn in by the atmosphere and the low cost. Prices start at thirteen dollars, with options to wash and style hair, and more expensive options to curl and color. Though the selection of services has a decisively no-frills feel, the hairdressers don’t skimp out when it comes to attention to detail. I got a surprisingly thorough hair wash and immediately was whisked onto a salon chair, where the hairdresser proceeded to spend the next half hour carefully cutting, layering, and then styling my hair according to a blurry reference photo I’d shown him on my phone. As he worked, longtime customers around us chatted animatedly to their hairdressers in Mandarin about work, their kids’ schools, and other aspects of their lives. For a half-hour, it felt just like being in China. (Tammy Xu) Shanya Salon. 2002 S. Wentworth Ave, Apt B-21. Cash only. (312) 975-3420.

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CLEARING & GARFIELD RIDGE STATE BANK OF CLEARING

Compiled by Joshua Falk

LIZZIE SMITH

BEST MID-CENTURY MODERN BANK

BEST EYESORE

State Bank of Clearing

Garfield Ridge Trust & Savings Bank

Architect Harry Weese is perhaps best known for his iconic Washington Metro station designs, those masterpieces of brutalist architecture—but the Evanston-born architect also applied his skills to a wide variety of Chicago buildings. Among those works is the State Bank of Clearing, a mid-century modern bank located immediately south of Midway International Airport.

The now-defunct State Bank of Clearing was built in 1959. One innovation in its design was an integrated drive-through structure that enabled tellers to assist clients equally, whether the client was in a car or on foot.

The exterior of the bank features a symmetrical structure, with brick at the corners and the top of the building, and concrete and glass elsewhere. The interior has Weese’s characteristic simple but striking lines.

In 2013, Preservation Chicago listed the building as part of its “Chicago 7 Most Endangered Buildings,” citing concerns about its vacancy and deteriorating structures. Since then, the building appears to have received an exterior paint job, but no other substantial changes are apparent. The drivethrough structure still stands.

County records show that the last banking tenant, Fifth Third Bank, sold the building to a private individual at the end of 2007. That same individual transferred the property to a trust earlier this year via a quitclaim deed. The future of the building remains uncertain, but we hope this piece of architectural history will not be lost. ( Joshua Falk)

“Eyesore Bank to Be Bulldozed,” read the headline from the Southwest Chicago Post. But the picture accompanying the June 2018 article couldn’t possibly be the right one—who could mistake this baffling, sevennties-era, baby blue-shuttered building for an eyesore? The article begins by again declaring the building an eyesore, apparently one of Garfield Ridge’s “most notorious.” Upon learning of its impending demise, current city Department of Housing policy director (and then-contributor to the Weekly) Daniel Kay Hertz responded, “Baby blue mansard with giant cutouts is truly the galaxy brain of 20th century architecture, RIP.” Indeed.

The plan, according to the Post, was for a series of single-family homes to replace the former Garfield Ridge Trust & Savings Bank, which closed in 2004. “In the past several years, I’ve pitched anyone I can think of—Culver’s, Panda Express, Starbucks, anyone you can imagine,” 13th Ward Alderman Marty Quinn said last year, “and they all [had] problems with the configuration because any particular driveway would not lead back to Archer.” He promised that, on his watch, the site wouldn’t become a car wash, apartments, or office space. To wit, by that point, he had already downzoned the building to only allow single-family homes on the site.

No developer was officially named at the June 2018 meeting, however, and no demolition permits have been issued. A sale listing, recent as of last January, lists reuse as an option for buyers who want to plunk down $1.2 million for a building that, according to Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch president Al Cacciottolo, has extensive damage from twenty feet of water in the basement last year. However, it’s impossible to say, at least as of press time, where the plans stand—neither the listed attorney for the LLC that owns the building nor the realtors on the sale listing responded to requests for comment. Here’s hoping there’s some reuse opportunity for this galaxy brain of twentieth century architecture. (Sam Stecklow)

State Bank of Clearing, 5235 W. 63rd St.

The former Garfield Ridge Trust & Savings Bank building, 6353 W. 55th St. SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 29

CLEARING-GARFIELD RIDGE

BEST REBOOT

A Cup of Joe

After management of this small Garfield Ridge coffee shop changed hands last year, it began bringing things that are taken for granted in other parts of the city and yet are often ignored in this corner out by Midway International Airport—things like open mics, farmers stands, fresh Filipino-inspired baked goods, locally-brewed Metropolis coffee, and made-to-order café sandwiches. Clearly still in startup mode, with new efforts being announced on its Facebook page seemingly weekly, the self-branded “reboot” is worth keeping tabs on. (Sam Stecklow)

BABKA FROM RACINE BAKERY

A Cup of Joe, 6806 W. Archer Ave. Monday–Saturday, 6am–10pm; Sunday, 8am–6pm. (773) 306-0185. facebook.com/a.cup.of.joe.reboot

BEST $4 BABKA

BEST PUPUSERIA

Racine Bakery

Pupuseria Cafe

If you’re looking for pupusas on the South Side of Chicago, Clearing has you covered with Pupuseria Cafe. If you’re not looking for pupusas, you’ve either already found Pupuseria Cafe, or you don’t know what you’re missing. For those unfamiliar with the dish, pupusas are a Salvadoran stuffed flatbread made from cornmeal. They share a family resemblance to gorditas and arepas, but they are their own unique treat that everyone should experience.

Pupuseria Cafe serves up classic pupusa flavors like loroco (an edible flower bud) and chicharrón, newer options like Hawaiian ham with pineapple, and even offers a make-your-own pupusa option. At $2.90 a pupusa, you can try out a few different flavors with your meal. Each pupusa is freshly made by hand, so allow time for your order, but they are well worth the wait.

No pupusa would be complete without curtido, a Salvadoran pickled cabbage slaw, and Pupuseria Cafe’s version offers a mild kick from jalapeños.

If you bring along a friend and pupusas aren’t really their style, there’s no need for them to pooh-pooh your decision. The cafe also has an extensive menu of tortas, quesadillas, and—unexpectedly—crepes.

I had trouble writing this because just thinking about their pupusas left me with a craving, and I’m already planning my next visit. Whether you’ve enjoyed pupusas your whole life or want to try your first, Pupuseria Cafe is the place to go. ( Joshua Falk) Pupuseria Cafe, 6533 W. 63rd St. Tuesday–Sunday, 9am–9pm. (773) 498-3676. pupuseriachicago.com

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LIZZIE SMITH

Step into Racine Bakery and you will be greeted with an impressive collection of Lithuanian and Polish baked goods: pączki, poppy seed rolls, an endless assortment of cookies, and no less than five types of rye bread.

How to choose among all these options? The truth is, you really can’t go wrong. But in the leftmost display of the bakery, you’ll find my personal favorite: babka. And not just one type of babka. Babka in all shapes and flavors: Round babka. Square babka. Poppyseed babka. Chocolate babka. Cheese babka. All pleasantly sweet without being cloying.

You might complain that I’ve just made the problem of choosing even worse, but at $3.99 per babka, you don’t have to pick! Try a few, find your favorite, and share what’s left with your friends. And the babka isn’t unique; basically everything at Racine Bakery is remarkably affordable, without compromising on quality.

The bakery is accompanied by a deli on the left side of the store, so you can pick up savory goods and Eastern European groceries all in one trip.

Racine Bakery’s treats can be found in stores throughout the Chicagoland area, and you can also have its breads and cakes shipped anywhere in the country. But for the full experience of a plethora of options, you must stop by its bakery on Archer Avenue. Efficient, delicious, cheap—Racine Bakery should not be missed. ( Joshua Falk) Racine Bakery, 6216 S. Archer Ave. Monday–Friday, 6am–7pm; Saturday, 6am–6pm; Sunday, 7am–2pm. (773) 581-8500. racinebakery.com

ENGLEWOOD Compiled by Jeff Whitelow

TONIKA JOHNSON

Jeff Whitelow was raised on the East Coast, schooled on the West Coast, and spent the last six years in Detroit trying to piece together a broken system that found Black communities left out of the economic mix.

It became too taxing, so he moved to Chicago for fun, food, and better funding for his cause. He’s in a good place now.

E

nglewood residents see and know what is going on in their community, and it ain't all bad. The media just has a habit of highlighting the not so good. I met with the mayor of Racine Avenue between 63rd and Marquette. His name is Robert Ashley and he is sitting on his front porch with his three aldermen, Roy, Eric, and Nate. All four have been living in Englewood for decades, so they have seen the good and the bad. Now they are ready to see a change in their community and have taken matters into their own hands. “Englewood is too big to worry about the whole community. We have to worry about our block. I know everyone on my block,” Robert said. “We can’t wait for other people. Nonprofits only show up when they need community input, and our aldermen in the past only showed up when it was election time. We can’t wait for them to save us.” I see his point. I moved to Englewood four months ago as a neighborhood planner and I have yet to figure out how this historic community works. I love his block approach.

Most days the mayor and his aldermen sit on their porch and watch the kids go to and fro from school. They look after the houses and the cars on the block. They also keep the streets clean. The

porch that they sit on overlooks Ogden Park. “Look at that lady across the street throwing trash out of her car window. We can’t have that,” Roy cried. “We put shopping bags on our gates, so people can throw away their trash. She is not from here.”

They also monitor Ogden Park. If they see something going wrong at the park, they will march over to the park and solve the matter. “We welcome the police but we can take matters into our own hands,” said Eric. He’s a father of eight who is often at work, but he puts his hours in protecting his block. Robert countered, “Englewood is mostly Black and the police officers are mostly white. We know our kids.” Nate was the quiet one. He simply nodded his head. “Just this year, August, we had our first Fun Day at the park for the kids and their families. Everyone was invited, and we had a great time. We want to do it every year,” Robert said.

Even though the social and economic changes in Englewood are slow, the group acknowledged that strides have been made.

“In the nineties, you could not buy fresh fruits and veggies in the community. Now you can,” Roy said. “We like that.” Robert said, “The gang problem is still going on here, but it was a lot worse. I wish we didn’t start the gangs in the seventies. We should have pushed education.” Eric said, “It is a new day in Englewood. Taxis wouldn’t come here. Now we have Uber and Lyft. Now people can get around.” It seems that the mayor of Racine and his aldermen are happy with the positive changes on their block. And positive changes will continue with or without outside support.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 31

ENGLEWOOD

BEST MONDAY NIGHTS

Linda’s Place

J. MICHAEL EUGENIO

This blues club is technically located in Back of the Yards, but it is only four blocks from Englewood, and its owners consider it an Englewood establishment—so I hope caring is sharing because we definitely want a part of this bluesy goodness on 51st Street.

There is something about this place, which has been around since 1988, that is different from the bougie blues clubs in the Loop and on the North Side—could be because Chicago blues’ roots are on the South and West Sides. On Monday nights, this place serves up funky blues with maybe a side of collards and one of their (generally stiff ) mixed drinks. Linda’s Place is a family affair: L’Roy, the leader of house band L’Roy and the Bullet Proof Band, is the eponymous Linda’s partner, and Linda’s daughter is now taking over running the club. L’Roy and the band kick off Monday night music, and later in the evening other local musicians play. Anyone can sing at the open mic.

Linda’s Place is not touristy. If you are walking too fast, you might walk past it. If you are driving, Google that baby because you will miss it. But one thing that I will guarantee is that once you get inside and experience all of its goodness, you'll be like a lost lover: you will always find your way back. ( Jeff Whitelow and J. Michael Eugenio) Linda’s Place (or Linda’s Lounge), 1044 W. 51st St. Monday–Sunday, 11am– 2am. Live music, Mondays from 9pm on. (773) 373-2351.

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ENGLEWOOD

BEST PLACE TO KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Your Front Porch

In many cultures in America, sitting on the stoop on your block is a great way to see the comings and goings of the neighborhood, meet the residents, and protect the kids. Early morning to late afternoon on Racine Avenue, the block mayor and his aldermen keep a watchful eye on the neighborhood from their front porches. During that time there is always lively conversation about daily life. In this tight-knit block, word travels fast from one porch to another. For example, when one of the older residents recently died, the porch crews were figuring out how to honor him and help his family. That’s why this block is one of the tightest blocks in Englewood. ( Jeff Whitelow) Racine between 63rd and Marquette and other Englewood blocks. All day.

BEST EVENT AT OGDEN PARK

Fun Day

This year, during the second week of August, residents of Racine Avenue got together and celebrated the youth in the area with an event at Ogden Park. This was their first event and they had no outside funding, so resources were limited.

But the organizers put their money together and there was plenty of food and encouragement for the young people. The group that planned this event have high hopes for next year—they would like to have games, give out school supplies, and get a bounce house. ( Jeff Whitelow) Ogden Park, 6500 S. Racine Ave. Every summer. If you can help with next year’s event, get in touch with Robert Ashley, Mayor of Racine between 63rd and Marquette.

BEST USE OF SEVEN CENTS

Grocery Bags On Your Gate I have seen many ways to keep your block clean, but seeing grocery bags on residents’ gates being used as mini trash bags is a first. “We don’t have trash cans on our block, and we don't know when the next community clean-up is,” said Roy from Racine Ave. The bags are hung mostly at vacant homes, but residents on this block dispose of them when they fill up. The bags are not a cure-all when it comes to littering, but it sure helps to lessen the problem. ( Jeff Whitelow) Racine between 63rd and Marquette.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 33

FAR SOUTHEAST SIDE Compiled by Joseph S. Pete

JASON SCHUMER

LIZZIE SMITH

BEST LOCAL BLACK HISTORY

Jan and Aag je Ton Farm Underground Railroad Site

The Jan and Aagje Ton Farm was recently listed on the National Park Service’s “Network to Freedom” registry of Underground Railroad sites. At 134th Street and St. Lawrence Avenue along the north bank of the Calumet River, just south of where Altgeld Gardens now stands, the farm was a safe house for many freedom seekers headed to Canada after escaping slavery in the South.

The Little Calumet River Underground Railroad Project has been offering tours of the site. In the long term, they hope to install a memorial at the site and bring tour groups of school kids there, an opportunity for students to learn about the Underground Railroad in their own backyard.

Southeast Side community activist Tom Shepherd said the farm joins the Crete Congregational Church and adjoining cemetery as another Southland site officially recognized as an Underground Railroad site on the “Network to Freedom” registry. Professor Larry McClellan researched and submitted applications for both sites as part of the Little Calumet River Underground Railroad Project. The I&M Canal Headquarters in Lockport has also been recognized by the federal government for its role in helping former slaves make their way to freedom.

“We are very excited about this important designation, and are developing tours, educational programs, and events that will showcase these sites that are now part of the National Park Service system,” Shepherd said. ( Joseph S. Pete) Jan and Aagje Ton Farm, E. 134th St. & S. St. Lawrence Ave. Join the Little Calumet River Underground Railroad Project Facebook page at bit.ly/UndergroundRailroadSites

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FAR SOUTHEAST SIDE

BEST URBAN RUINS

U.S. Steel South Works Iron Ore Walls at Steelworkers Park LIZZIE SMITH

BEST LATE LABOR LEADER

Edward “Oil Can” Sadlowski The father of Alderwoman Susan Sadlowski Garza and the son of a member of the United Steelworkers “red local” 1010 in Gary, Edward “Oil Can” Sadlowski rose as a national labor leader during the Steelworkers Fightback movement in which the rank-and-file rose up against the leadership of the then-more hierarchical Pittsburgh-based union. The New York Times branded him as a “fiery steelworkers insurgent” when he died at the age of seventy-nine last summer.

Sadlowski started as a machine oiler at U.S. Steel’s South Works mill on the Southeast Side in 1956. He rose through the ranks to become, at the age of just twenty-six, the director of United Steelworkers Local 65, the largest USW district at the time, spanning steel mills from Chicago to Gary. In Nothin’ But Blue Skies: The Heyday, Hard Times, and Hopes of America’s Industrial Heartland, author Edward McClelland wrote that Sadlowski was a “steelworker without a mill, a sloganeering, hymn-singing, street-marching, banner-waving, bosshating labor captain without a union” and a “beer drinker, pool shooter...the kind of guy who needed a nickname for the loud greetings he heard whenever he walked into a tavern or a union hall.” In 1977, Sadlowski ran on a reform platform for the national presidency of the union that represented 1.4 million workers nationwide, and earned support from prominent liberal figures outside the union like Ralph Nader and Pete Seeger. He considered the labor movement akin to a “holy crusade” and attacked the union leadership for losing touch with workers, ceding the right to strike, and empowering union local presidents to ratify contracts. He sought to liberate workers from the endless grind, asking “how many Mozarts are working in steel mills?” The campaign was so hardfought that a volunteer was shot while handing out leaflets in Houston.

Sadlowski ended up losing the election by 79,000 votes, but his impact was lasting and far-reaching.

“Ed Sadlowski never retired even after he retired from steel,” retired labor educator Ruth Needleman wrote. “He continued union organizing and representation, working with AFSCME and other unions. Eddie always made himself available to anyone who wanted to talk, get advice, meet with him, or learn from him. ‘Oil Can Eddie’ had mythical stature. Eddie Sadlowski was one of the best unionists the labor movement ever had.”

Southeast Elementary School was even renamed in his honor as Edward E. Sadlowski Elementary in March.

“My father Edward E. Sadlowski was an icon in this community, a champion for working class people, and man who fought tooth and nail to bring democratic reform to labor unions in Chicago and across the nation,” Garza posted on Facebook upon the renaming. “My father’s legacy will live on forever.” ( Joseph S. Pete)

In the same way that the Colosseum and Roman aqueducts are remnants of the ancient world, the former U.S. Steel South Works iron ore walls are hulking vestiges of the city’s industrial past.

The manufacturing sector still employs a few hundred thousand people in the city, but heavy industry is no longer the job provider it once was when South Works, Republic Steel, and other mills forged metal for a burgeoning nation on the city’s Southeast Side.

Today, the steel mills are all gone—victims of cheap imports, automation, consolidation, and the callousness and naked self-interest of faraway shareholders who would gladly drown a kitten for a few more pennies.

Four half-mile-long ore walls run parallel on the shores of Lake Michigan where the long-gone mill used to receive raw materials from lake freighters at the mouth of the Calumet River. The thirty- to forty-foot-high walls once fed the world’s largest blast furnace but are now all that remains, like an industrial version of Ozymandias' pedestal.

Now open wide to the sky and 200 bird species at 87th Street and the lake, the towering ore walls stand as a testament to the Southeast Side’s past producing steel and raising high skyscrapers. More than 20,000 steelworkers once toiled at the largest integrated steel mill in the city of Chicago, which got its start as the North Chicago Rolling Mill Company in 1882. The factory began to suffer downsizing in the 1970s during a period of upheaval in the American steel industry, and closed for good in 1992.

For now, the colossal concrete ruins of the late nineteenth century can be observed at Steelworkers Park, where the Chicago Park District installed a climbing wall last year (read more about that in the South Chicago section of this issue). Development plans could jeopardize the serenity of what’s now one of the more isolated spots on the lakeshore. Solo Cup Co. wanted to build a plant there. There was long a sign promising a Mariano’s as part of a $4 billion McCaffery Interests mega-development project on what was billed as one of the largest available waterfront properties in any major city in the country. Then an international partnership between the Irish developer Emerald Living and Spain's Barcelona Housing Systems wanted to build 20,000 modular homes and commercial retail spaces there. Now the rapper Common, a native of nearby Calumet Heights, is involved in a mixed-used redevelopment that would include movie production studios with fifteen to twenty sound stages, as well as entertainment venues, retail, hotels, housing, a climbing wall, a skate park, and a golf practice facility affiliated with Greg “The Shark” Norman.

Whether any of it ever comes to fruition remains to be seen.

As they stand on the empty, forlorn field, the ore walls provide a quiet, contemplative, meditative space where one can imagine the hard backbreaking work of their forebears, or just reflect on the fleeting transience of all things. ( Joseph S. Pete) Steelworkers Park, 3100 E. 87th St. 6am–11pm daily. (312) 747-6651. chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/steelworkers-park SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 35

FAR SOUTHEAST SIDE

BEST ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS

Southeast Environmental Task Force

When clouds of petcoke choked the Southeast Side in 2013, one group stood up to Beemsterboer Slag, Koch Industries, and the other companies that stored the oil refinery byproduct on the banks of the Calumet River. The Southeast Environmental Task Force took the fight to the deep-pocketed companies and got them to stop stockpiling the powder, which physicians say can exacerbate respiratory conditions like asthma, out in the open.

Tom Shepherd, who has served on the SETF board for twenty years (and written for the Weekly), said the group was responsible for the city’s landfill moratorium and the eventual legislation banning such waste piles in Cook County. The Southeast Environmental Task Force saved thirty-three serene acres along the Calumet River by 134th and Torrence from being turned into a police firing range after nesting bald eagles were discovered there.

The SETF has organized to preserve hundreds of acres of marshes and wetland that are now protected in Chicago Park District preserves like the Hegewisch Marsh, Big Marsh, Marian R. Byrnes Park (previously known as Van Vlissingen Prairie), and Indian Ridge Marsh.

“We fought alongside Sierra Club for years in the ‘Beyond Coal Campaign’ to rid the Southeast Side of vast coal storage yards,” Shepherd said in an exchange with the Weekly. “We were partners with other environmental groups in closing coal-fired power plants in Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

In a major achievement, we got regulations enacted to force petcoke storage and distribution to invest millions of dollars to change their method of delivery, loading and distribution, forcing the companies and other bulk storage facilities on the Calumet River to cover their product so not to cause it blowing into the air and on people, houses, schools and playgrounds throughout the Southeast Side.”

The SETF raised awareness about manganese being stored in the open air, causing illness across the Calumet River. The group is still working with the Environmental Protection Agency on measuring particulate matter in the air and removing manganese offenders.

“We participated in the planning and development of trails, paths, biking, et cetera, throughout the Southeast Side and near-south suburbs,” said Shepherd in messages with the Weekly. “We’re still working on identifying offensive odors and monitoring errant environmental polluters. We’re currently resisting expansion of locating giant scrapping operations of which we already have too many. We’re still involved of getting land at Lake Calumet that the Illinois International Port District property that’s open to the public for recreational use tracking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as it plans to dump dredgings into Lake Michigan. We’re tracking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which plans to dump dredging from the Calumet River near the neighborhoods and lakefront.” ( Joseph S. Pete) Southeast Environmental Task Force, 13300 S. Baltimore Ave. (773) 646-0436. setaskforce.org 36 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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LIZZIE SMITH

BEST TRIBUTE TO SLAIN STEELWORKERS

United Steelworkers union annual 1937 Memorial Day Massacre Commemoration The photo is iconic. Just last month, Splinter published a piece about labor strife that featured the black-and-white shot of Chicago police officers clubbing picketing workers on an open prairie on the city's Southeast Side.

That image of the 1937 Memorial Day Massacre has grown to be freighted with symbolism and significance. The slaughter of steelworkers outside the long bygone Republic Steel was a galvanizing moment in the American labor movement.

Ten striking steelworkers died on the prairie that day: Sam Popovich, Earl Handley, Lee Tisdale, Leo Francisco, Kenneth Reed, Otis Jones, Joseph Rothmund, Alfred Causey, Anthony Tagliori, and Hilding Anderson.

Every May, the United Steelworkers union commemorates their memory with an observance at the former USW Local 1033 Hall at 11731 S. Avenue O on the East Side. Steelworkers march toward the bygone gates of the Republic Steel mill that closed in the early 2000s, as their forebears did before them.

The police confrontation left ten dead and ninety injured during what was known as the Little Steel Strike. It was “one of the most violent in the history of U.S. labor organization,” according to the Encyclopedia of Chicago. The violence got grisly. John F. Hogan wrote in his book The 1937 Chi-

cago Steel Strike: Blood on the Prairie that one police officer pierced through a worker’s skull with a club that had a meat hook at the end.

The USW said the attack was completely unprovoked against a peaceful bid for union recognition, but a coroner’s jury eventually deemed it to be a “justifiable homicide.”

“It was a rallying cry. They were martyrs,” retired steelworker and labor historian Mike Olszanski said. “Old-timers would come in and tell the story. It was more like a picnic than a demonstration. People brought their kids. They were parading around the plant gates. Then for no reason the cops started beating people up and shot ten workers. It was filmed with newsreel cameras. You can see the clips of them beating people up, beating people over the head with billy clubs.”

A plaque by the union hall honors the fallen by name. Just before the holiday, dozens of steelworkers turn out from across the area to ensure they will not be forgotten. ( Joseph S. Pete) United Steelworkers union annual 1937 Memorial Day Massacre Commemoration, 11731 S. Avenue O. Every May at the Former USW Local 1033 Hall, now the United Auto Workers Local 3212 Hall.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 37

G A G E PA R K Compiled by Alejandro Ruizesparza

JASON SCHUMER

M

is padres have lived under the same roof in Gage Park ever since my birth in 1993. My folks were a freshly married immigrant couple from Mexico (reppin’ Aguascalientes and Queretaro, specifically), a story that’s quite common in our community. According to the 2013–2017 American Community Survey, 92.1 percent of the neighborhood reported a Hispanic ethnicity. Furthermore, 94.1 percent of those individuals that reported a Hispanic ethnicity also reported Mexican ancestry. While growing up, it always seemed to me that Gage Park was truly one of Chicago’s Mexican havens. But despite Gage Park’s strongly Mexican cultural central, I’ve constantly had to deal with a resounding “where’s that?” when I tell even other Chicagoans which neighborhood I’m from. If anything, I hope to let you readers in on the character of nuestra comunidad.

While I’ve had the privilege of calling Gage Park my home for the entirety of my life, I spent the previous six years studying away from Chicago for both undergrad and grad school. After returning to the nest permanently around last December, I felt something was different, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. At first glance, most things appeared strangely the same. I went out to eat with family at the same taquerias, and mi pa kept up his routine of ordering from a nearby pizza joint over the weekend. Many storefronts seemed to house the same businesses and Pete’s Market was bustling with grocery shoppers, as usual. Our potholes were seemingly still being neglected.

And, apart from our house needing a new coat of paint, the block I lived on had more or less the same families living in it.

And yet, there is an unmistakably new energy permeating the atmosphere of the neighborhood making what was once familiar seem less so. If I had to hazard a guess, it has something to do with the active and courageous youth dealing with the political turmoil of recent years. First+ Gen kids I grew up with are organizing as a result of neglectful political representatives and have the hopes of making our home a more inclusive space. While there’s still a long lucha ahead, Gage Park feels more like a place in which we belong rather than just reside.

I hope to highlight just a couple of key institutions in Gage Park today. Some are longstanding and have existed before I have, while others are newer. They are “Best” at providing spaces for Gage Park’s people, producing excellent goods and services, or even shaping the spirit of the community. Certainly, the unmistakable energy I first felt upon returning home will keep empowering the community and push our comunidad forever forward. But while we have plenty of “Bests” now, it’s exciting to know things are just going to keep getting better. (Alejandro Ruizesparza)

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GAGE PARK

BEST BANANA SPLIT Y NEVERIA

Betty’s Ice Cream

Mi pa, a guy with a real sweet tooth, has been taking the whole family to Betty’s since I was a kid. A literal hole-in-the-wall, the serving window at Betty’s would be easy to miss if not for its massive sign straight out of the past. The shop is run by Juan and Beatriz Gonzalez, an elderly couple who’re as sweet as their treats and have close to fifty-four years of experience in the ice cream business. Although it’s not their first ice cream shop, it’s certainly their longest-standing, with the cash-only neveria having served the Gage Park community for over thirty years. Juan said to me that he and his wife found the neighborhood to be “muy tranquilo,” a perspective embodied in their own kind and caring demeanor whenever I’ve dropped by.

In terms of the desserts, there’s certainly no shortage of options. Betty’s has everything from basic sundaes and milkshakes to dipped cones and floats.

However, the star of the show for most people is Betty’s banana split. Just like the one depicted on the large sign, the banana split is a decadent dessert served in a plastic rowboat-shaped bowl. It consists of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream, fruit, chocolate, and crushed nut toppings, a cleanly split banana, whipped cream, a wafer cookie, and a cherry on top. A mouthful of an ingredient list, surely, but also a mouthful of frosty bliss.

Juan, who is turning eighty later this year, mentioned that he and Beatriz may be retiring soon. But for now, business is booming as usual. It’s unsurprising to see a line of locals excited to get their hands on some helados over the weekend, or swarms of kids rushing in after class on the weekdays.

“Es un muy buen negocio,” Juan said as we chatted across the serving window.

“Es que la nieve esta buena,” he said with a smile. Thinking back to my own joyous memories of Betty’s ice cream, close to twenty-five years worth, I had to agree. (Alejandro Ruizesparza) Betty’s Ice Cream, 5858 S. Kedzie Ave. Sunday–Friday, 10am–10pm; Saturday, noon–10pm. (773) 737-7634.

JASON SCHUMER

BEST POLLO A LA PARILLA

Palenque

The alluring smell of Palenque’s pollos asados a la parrilla pulls you in from across the street. Walking into the restaurant you are instantly face-to-face with the staff in action: chefs carefully placing their home-seasoned chicken on sizzling industrial stoves, the front-cashier wrapping together pick-up and delivery orders, making sure all that comes with their grilled chicken stays with the chicken—anything from tortillas, frijoles de cazuela, soft arroz, or french fries. While it is a tight restaurant, there are raised tables accompanied with stools for those who would rather dig into their food right then and there.

Just be sure not to block Palenque’s entrance from other hungry customers; After looking at the menu enlarged on overhead television screens, walk immediately to the second cashier at the other end of the narrow restaurant to place your order. Once you have your receipt in hand, pull back to continue enjoying the savory smells and passionate hard work found in this establishment. (Maria Mendoza Cervantes) Palenque, 2756 W. 55th St. Monday–Thursday, 10:30am–9pm; Friday–Sunday, 10am–9pm. (773) 863-9000.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 39

GAGE PARK

JASON SCHUMER

BEST NEW ORGANIZACIÓN LATINX JASON SCHUMER

BEST EMPOWERING WORDS CON TU PAN DULCE

Grecia’s Bakery

Walking through the front door of Grecia’s Bakery, you are immediately greeted with encouraging messages of self-love—in both English and Spanish—but the uplifting work doesn’t end here. Grecia’s conchas and pasteles de guava are soft and flaky; their colorful cookies are firm yet crumble and melt like mazápan in your mouth. But if baked goods aren’t for you, move past the multihued self-empowerment signs in the front toward a series of colorful gelatin and custard desserts. The fluffiness and just-right sweetness within Grecia’s Bakery is not only limited to its pastries and desserts—the sweet sensations are experienced by every customer that walks in through their doors. (Maria Mendoza Cervantes) Grecia’s Bakery, 2644 W. 51st St. Monday–Saturday, 6am–9pm; Sunday, 7am– 9pm. (773) 776-0705.

Concilio Latinx de Gage Park— Gage Park Latinx Council “Gage Park is kind of forgotten,” Antonio Santos, director of the Gage Park Latinx Council (GPLXC), told me while we spoke over coffee. During our chat, we spoke at length about cultural representations in the physical spaces of Gage Park. “It doesn’t have the footprint of the people who live here,” remarked Santos. Despite being a neighborhood with Latinx individuals accounting for 92.1% of the population as of 2017, Santos and I struggled to see ourselves in the neighborhood, beyond the displays on storefronts written in Spanish. “I think that as a first generation American and as a person who grew up here my whole life, I feel that I’m past that ‘just be happy that we have a space’ [mentality], and I want to move toward empowering ourselves and our youth [toward] feeling ownership over our communities,” he said.

Established just two years ago, Gage Park Latinx Council (GPLXC) is a grassroots organization started by local residents to support and empower nuestra comunidad. Despite not yet having a permanent physical location, GPLXC runs youth art clubs and free family events at the Gage Park Public Library, community cleanup initiatives, a queer network for LGBTQIA+ individuals, and a “Know Your Rights” workshop put on with the collaboration of the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP). But GPLXC isn’t just a collection of programs and projects.

Santos and I spoke about a perceived lack of political support for youth and the seemingly invisible local politicians. “We can’t just reach out to officials....We tried that and the response we got was was very much like ‘Who are you?’ and then not [being] taken seriously because we’re a bunch of young people.” But the organizers of GPLXC have not become disheartened by a space not yet reflecting its people or a political machine seemingly uninterested in its population. Santos alongside co-founders Edith Dimas, Katia Martinez, and Samantha Martinez se han puesto sus pilas and are committed to making sure Gage Park does not remain forgotten. “And so it became like, let’s not dream of what we can change if we had all the support in the world and a million dollars. Let’s see what we can do as of right this second.”

In many ways, GPLXC represents a community coming together to empower itself and its youth. Rather than allowing us to feel like Gage Park is merely a space we occupy, GPLXC is actively fighting for us to have a neighborhood that is truly nuestra tierra and ushering in a future where residents will never doubt they have a home. (Alejandro Ruizesparza) Gage Park Latinx Council. (708) 872-8798. gplxc.org

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HY D E PA R K & K E NWO O D

Compiled by Nicole Bond and Sam Joyce

LIZZIE SMITH

Nicole Bond is the Weekly’s Stage & Screen editor.

H

yde Park/Kenwood has of late become an inthe-place-to-be, place to be. More and more each year, it’s all decked out with a shiny new vibe, including a Whole (paycheck) Foods, and it’s soon to have its own Trader Joe’s, the first one south of Roosevelt. It even birthed (not from the womb, but you know what we mean) a U.S. president.

Twenty years ago, if you told someone you lived in Hyde Park/Kenwood, they’d likely ask: “Where is that?”

But tell them now, and they will tell you that their friends Becky and Biff just bought a place down there…sigh.

But anyway, yes, Hyde Park/Kenwood has quietly been all of that for generations. It was once considered the first suburb of the city and held a longstanding reputation for having the highest concentration of wealth. HP/K is the place that the fortunes of the Rosenwalds of the Sears and Roebuck empire, the Swifts of the meatpacking empire, and the Ryersons of the steel empire called home. (And all those names can be found on University of Chicago buildings.) Now that reputation is not so quiet anymore, and HP/K has been doing some new things mixed in with the old things—and serving up a few unexpected bests.

BEST VIEW OF THE SOUTH SIDE

Medical Center Parking B

It may have taken me fifteen minutes to ascend the slopes of the parking lot, but by the time I was standing in the open air on the eighth level of Medical Campus Parking B, I knew how it must feel to conquer Mount Everest.

Stooped over, hands on my knees, I needed to catch my breath. The air was thick with haze and car exhaust, making it difficult to breathe. It also proved difficult to see. Here I was, tasked with seeing the best sight in all of the South Side, and yet I could barely see my sneakers. But then, emerging from the haze, I was greeted by streaks of pink and yellow, buoyant islands of deep purple, and a whole circus of red spots in a green blur. I was Adam taking his first breath in Eden—suddenly, I could see I was in a garden! Basil, chard, marigolds, jalapeños, aubergine, tomatoes, row after row, paradise encircling this concrete meadow. Peeking through the thicket, I saw canals of light down below sprinting out to the horizon, into the warm embrace of what I could make out of the skyline. Best. View. Ever. (David Books) Medical Center Parking B, 5656 S. Maryland Ave.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 41

Build a bagel!

All weekend.

Every weekend.

Mon-Fri: 8am-5:30pm Sat: 9am-5:30pm Sun: 9am-3pm buildcoffee.org 6100 S Blackstone Ave Chicago, IL 60637

BEST CHEAP EATS

Antoni 1

That it even exists feels like an accident, an oversight by some university administrator tasked with planning this stretch of 53rd Street. Many of Hyde Park’s recent restaurant openings—Virtue, Mesler, and the shortlived Bibliophile—are staffed by chefs with elite pedigrees, even landing on citywide “Best Of ” lists. Other recent arrivals, such as Capital One’s “bank café,” are merely Hyde Park outposts of national chains. Antoni 1, by contrast, lists the day’s specials on a Pepsi-branded menu board above the counter.

What Antoni 1 lacks in “sophistication,” it more than makes up for in food. The menu includes a wide selection of Greek specialties, including gyros, baklava, and three kinds of souvlaki. It also has the usual Chicago fast food fare: hot dogs, rib tips, and an excellent Italian beef. Straddling the divide is the Greek Freak burger, elevated by the addition of gyro meat and tzatziki sauce.

But there’s a fair number of good restaurants in Hyde Park—Salonica, for instance, even offers decent spanakopita. Few restaurants, however, offer good food, fast, at reasonable prices. (Some do excel at two out of the three— the Harold’s a minute’s walk away is certainly good and cheap, but no one can call the service fast.) Antoni 1 has some seating, including a patio, but it’s mostly a takeout place, and service is accordingly speedy. The prices for all of this are exceptionally reasonable: none of the sandwiches are over ten dollars, and the dinners are only a few bucks more. Served with soup and salad, the dinners might be the better value, and portions are consistently generous enough to provide for leftovers.

Antoni 1 used to excel in another category, as one of the few restaurants in Hyde Park to stay open past 9pm. Sometimes you just need an Italian beef at 12:30am, and, for a while, Antoni 1 met that need. They have since scaled back their hours, closing at 10pm all week. Despite this change, Antoni 1 is still unusual for Hyde Park. While glitzy restaurant after glitzy restaurant opens in the neighborhood, Antoni 1 resists the tide, serving good, unpretentious food at a price families and college kids can afford. (Sam Joyce) Antoni 1, 1310 E. 53rd St. Monday–Sunday, 11am–10pm. Currently closed for remodeling. (872) 465-3701. antoni1.com

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HYDE PARK

BEST STRETCH OF 43RD STREET If Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, East 43rd Street from Cottage Grove to Ellis is the most happening spot in Kenwood, where eats, entertainment, and upscale retail fashion therapy can be found all in a threeblock stretch. Starting on Cottage Grove just off 43rd is newcomer Cleo’s Southern Cuisine, which offers a weekly changing menu featuring dishes like pan-seared salmon, southern fried chicken and waffles, and country collard greens, inspired by executive chef Kristen Ashley’s grandmother, the late Cleodell Harper.

Just steps away, Some Like It Black Creative Arts Bar is a swanky gathering space where artistry and healthy food meet. Grab light bites, smoothies, and signature cocktails while surrounded by a laid-back low-lit vibe for enjoying live music, poetry, and more. (For more about Some Like It Black, see the Bronzeville section.)

Continue east to Norman’s Bistro, which for years has been serving up Cajun Creole fare daily and live jazz every Sunday night at 9pm with no cover charge.

For those who “Dare to be Different,” the absolute best of this best stretch is Fort Smith Boutique, at 43rd and Ellis—take it from me, a loyal customer of Smith’s for the past thirty years. What started from a bag of wholesale beads and broken jewelry used as inspiration back in 1986 has become a haven for sophisticated movers and shakers throughout the city and beyond who believe in fashion. Smith’s culturally forward, one-of-a-kind designs have filled his current 43rd Street location for nearly twelve years.

Here you can have your pick of sparkly evening bags, gorgeously functional tote bags, handcrafted jewelry made of natural gemstones and semi-precious metals, expertly tailored garments constructed from rich, flowing fabrics, and even some home décor. Smith’s designs have sold at local retailers like Marshall Field’s and Spiegel and are regularly used by style directors for upscale salons and fashion shows. One of the things Smith enjoys most about this location, he told me, is being able to have a wonderful store in a wonderful community so Kenwood residents don’t have to leave their neighborhood to shop. Once across the threshold you instantly feel welcomed and cared for by either Smith himself or Tyrone Marshall, his business partner of nearly forty years and a fellow artist and jewelry maker.

It's hard to imagine now that when Smith first started out as a self-taught artist, another local designer scolded the samples he’d made from that bag of odds and ends. After that, Smith showed few of his pieces for sale, until one woman bought what he had on display and asked if he had anything else similar. He pulled out the rest of his collection, and she purchased everything he had, giving him the confidence to continue his work. The rest is, as they say, history—and you can stop by 43rd Street to be a part of it. (Nicole Bond)

LIZZIE SMITH

Norman’s Bistro, 1001 E. 43rd St. Wednesday–Thursday, 11am–10pm; Friday, 11am–midnight; Saturday, 10am–midnight; Sunday, 9am–10pm. (773) 9665821. normansbistro.com

Cleo’s Southern Cuisine, 4248 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Wednesday–Thursday, 2pm–8pm; Friday, 2pm–9pm; Saturday–Sunday, 2pm–7pm. (773) 633-2757. cleossoutherncuisine.com Some Like It Black Creative Arts Bar, 810 E. 43rd Street. Tuesdays–Thursday, 3pm–11pm; Friday, noon–4pm and 6pm–midnight. Closed on Saturdays, unless for special events. (773) 891-4866. somelikeitblack.com Fort Smith Boutique, 1007 E. 43rd St. Tuesday–Friday, 11am–7pm; Saturday, 11am–6pm; Sunday, 2pm–5pm. (773) 268-8200. facebook.com/FortSmithBoutique

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 43

LA VILLITA

Compiled by J. Michael Eugenio

Juchari Sirankua, an indigenous group of Michoacan musicians and dancers from West Chicago, performing at the Festival Del Pueblo in the placita that Little Village Solidarity Network and other organizers defended from privatization.

Jackie Serrato is an independent journalist and lifelong Little Village resident.

She started the “La Villita, Chicago” group on Facebook, which now has more than 140,000 members.

T

he Little Village neighborhood was the primary destination for the wave of immigrants that arrived in Chicago from Mexico in the 1980s. Since the gradual loss of Pilsen—a former port of entry—to gentrification, Little Village has become the stronghold of the city’s Mexican community. The area is characterized by a culture of walking, encouraged by two miles of local commerce, accessible public transportation, summer block parties and open hydrants, street vendors year-round, murals, and a tradition of talking to your neighbors. As new generations of Little Village residents attempt to build economic and political power, they face the challenge of determining how to improve their community in a way that does not invite invasive outside interests that threaten their way of life.

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J. MICHAEL EUGENIO

LA VILLITA

BEST COMMUNITY NETWORKERS

Little Village Solidarity Network and Blood Fruit Library When I first asked Pura, an organizer with Red de Solidaridad de La Villita, or the Little Village Solidarity Network (LVSN)—a group organizing against gentrification, evictions, foreclosures, stolen wages, deportation, and migrant child detention—about their work in Little Village, she wanted to clarify: “Little Village is what outsiders call what people inside the neighborhood call La Villita. That’s really important, because it also sets a line on who’s looking in and who’s looking out. So the perspective is very important. Some of the people that we organize with are not from La Villita, but total allies, and some of the people who currently live in La Villita are newer transplants.

We need to understand the difference between a gentrifier and a person that comes into the community and wants to live within the community. So it’s not about isolating anyone or about a class system—it’s about who really has the interest of the community at hand.”

LVSN came out of a struggle to prevent the privatization of a public plazita at the corner of Marshall Boulevard and Cermak Road. With support from 12th Ward Alderman George Cardenas, Sip22, a white-owned coffee shop, sought to claim the public space for a private patio. (Sip22 recently closed and is now under local ownership under the name La Frida.) In preparation for a patio conversion, the public benches from the corner were removed. Their fight began with the construction of new benches that still stand sturdy in their sherbert glory, hand-painted with nature murals and messages like “de barrio, para el barrio” (by the neighborhood, for the neighborhood). As part of their efforts to reclaim the space, they had a free store and offered free food and arts and martial arts classes.

While that corner has been successfully saved for now, there are new concerns about a larger beautification project along Marshall Boulevard, organized by the OPEN Center for the Arts with support from the Lincoln Park Zoo, that may aid in the gentrification of Little Village.

While LVSN traces its genesis to the struggle on Marshall and Cermak, it is also influenced by its members’ previous decades of organizing with groups like Moratorium on Deportations, Semillas Autónomas, and the disability rights activist group ADAPT—all of whom use many of the confrontational tactics of occupation and community-building now seen in LVSN—and is modeled in part after the Seattle Solidarity Network.

LVSN describes itself as a non-hierarchical organization that “organize[s] first and foremost horizontally.” Much of their work is in supporting workers who need help recovering stolen deposits or unpaid wages and tenants who face the immediate threats of foreclosure and eviction. As far as their tactics, they begin by gathering a group of at least fifteen from across their network (from organizations like the Greater Chicago I.W.W., Tenants United, Haymaker Gym, and the Chicago punk community) and reading a letter of demands to the offending boss or landlord. If the offender refuses to act, they escalate to pickets and boycotts until the issue is resolved.

They will fight in solidarity for anyone who comes to them in need.

“Community is not just the people that live in your neighborhood. If someone in Hyde Park needs assistance, if someone from the North Side needs assistance, we have been available,” said Pura. They also recently published their principles of affiliation in the most recent issue of the zine Sick Muse, describing “the ways we are committing to struggling alongside other groups.”

Most recently, they’ve been organizing against the nonprofit child migrant detention centers recently exposed by ProPublica Illinois. Here in Chicago, the detention centers hold over four hundred migrant youth in Bronzeville, Rogers Park, Englewood, Beverly, and suburban Des Plaines.

These centers are run by the Heartland Alliance and the Catholic Archdiocese (some of the latter are run through the social service agency Maryville).

The organizers have found that many people don’t even realize that they’ve lived next to detention centers for years. Some Rogers Park residents were so horrified that they even started a similar organization, the Rogers Park Solidarity Network. Additionally, Chicago DSA and other local organizations have supported this work as part of a #FreeHeartlandKids campaign. So far, public pressure from organizations like the LVSN have gotten Heartland Alliance to close down four of their centers, though Heartland Alliance claims that the closures were a result of their leases ending. LVSN and its allies have also called for boycotts of those who collaborate with ICE and DHS. A recent action disrupted business at an Amazon distribution center in Little Village, as Amazon Web Services hosts almost all of ICE and DHS’s data.

Over its nearly two-year existence, LVSN’s home base has been the Blood Fruit Library, a radical library and event space. This partnership reflects LVSN’s core mission: empowering community members through shared knowledge and space. “We’re always trying to assist in helping people find their knowledge and their strength and telling them...we’re going to stand alongside you,” says Pura. “We are first and foremost educating people and showing them that you too can assemble, you too can show your power and demonstrate.” Beyond organizing their own efforts, LVSN has been offering children’s programming at Blood Fruit, as well as planning work with communities across borders—“borders that are not put in place by the people,” Pura clarifies.

Blood Fruit, whose library was seeded in part by the now-defunct Biblioteca Popular, has plans to become a “fully operational community space for Chicago’s West Side neighborhoods.” Their dream, as expressed in a recent update, “is to establish a land trust to help prevent gentrification in these neighborhoods, and build a radical social history archive in addition to expanding our printing and publishing operations.”

At the heart of their intersectional organizing is indigenous sovereignty and autonomy. In their words, they’re “trying to build ties with people that are organizing with their hometown, or their ancestral lands, and that support indigenous sovereignty. We really need to understand that in order to fix any mistake, we need to start with respecting and assisting in indigenous sovereignty, because that is how we can come full circle. [...] Are you an ally?

Because that’s the bottom line—Are you with us? Because if you’re not with us, then, sadly, you’re against us.” ( J. Michael Eugenio) Red de Solidaridad de La Villita or the Little Village Solidary Network, Blood Fruit Library. (475) 330–8481. Lavillitasolidaridad@gmail.com. facebook.com/lavillitasolidaridad Blood Fruit Library. To collectivize your books or reserve Blood Fruit for an event: bloodfruit_library@riseup.net. facebook.com/BloodFruitLib

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LA VILLITA

J. MICHAEL EUGENIO

BEST DRAG AND TRANS INSTITUTION

La Cueva La Cueva, often called the oldest Latino drag bar in the country, has been a haven for trans women performers and vaqueros for decades. It opened in 1972 and started having drag performances in the early ’80s, as covered in a 2006 Reader feature on Ketty Teanga, La Cueva’s original mistress of ceremonies (that honor now belongs to Vanessa Dorantes). Once nondescript from the outside, with only a lonely lit beer sign signalling its entrance, it now proudly features a stylized rainbow LA CUEVA sign across its exterior windows. Inside, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night you’ll find glowing renditions of Mexican and Puerto Rican staples alongside spunky Selena routines (and the rare Gaga performance).

Even in a post-Drag Race world, where lipsyncs, death drops, and contouring tutorials are a part of mainstream culture, it’s often difficult to feel welcome at North Side drag staples like Roscoe’s if you aren’t a white gay cis man. There’s something special about the space that La Cueva holds: It’s rare to find such an inclusive and fluid mix of gender and sexuality—in between sets, as some performers serve tables and mingle with guests, older couples dance to cumbia alongside friends and lovers, queer, straight, and in between, on the moodily lit stage-turned-dance floor.

Despite efforts in 2011 to shut down the club, in part led by then-aldermanic candidate Raul Montes Jr., La Cueva survives. You can still find Gabrielito resplendently impersonating Mexican icon Juan Gabriel (in front of video of Juan Gabriel live performances so you can see just how much Gabrielito has mastered his regal half smiles and elegant strides), decades after his debut on La Cueva’s stage in the early ’90s.

For especially spirited performances or favored performers (the drag kings in particular draw some adoring embraces), patrons leave behind their buckets of modelo and fire-truck-red seasoned michelada rims to tuck dollar bills in sequined gowns and lacy leotards in exchange for a few swaying clutches or a pair of kisses. ( J. Michael Eugenio) La Cueva Night Club, 4153 W. 26th St. Thursday, Friday, and Sunday 8pm– 4am; Saturday 8pm–5am. Thursday: Open Mic Karaoke; Friday and Sunday shows at 11:45pm and 2:15pm; Saturday show 1:15am–3:15am.

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J. MICHAEL EUGENIO

BEST HUEVOS DIVORCIADOS WITH A SIDE OF HOMEMADE TORTILLAS

Los Candiles Despite Chicago’s abundance of taquerias and Mexican restaurants, it’s still relatively rare to find fresh handmade flour tortillas. It’s also rare for a restaurant to have nearly a hundred black and white portraits from the golden age of Mexican cinema adorn its walls. More, each table at Los Candiles is draped with custom tablecloth collages, each highlighting a different actor or actress.

Run by the sibling pair of María Lola, the manager, and José Luis López, head chef, Los Candiles marries cuisines from San Luis Potosí and Nuevo León. It serves some of the best Mexican breakfast in the city, with fantastic treats like atole de teja (a traditional sunflower seed drink from San Luis Potosí) and enchiladas huastecas or potosinas (the latter made with plenty of guajillo chiles)—but they are especially renowned for their huevos divorciados, the food equivalent of the Mexican flag: fried eggs covered in salsa verde and salsa rojo are separated by a bed of chilaquiles topped with cheese (fresh or melted, your choice!). ( J. Michael Eugenio) Los Candiles, 2624 S. Central Park Ave. Monday–Friday, 7am–3pm; Saturday– Sunday, 7am–5pm. (773) 522-8544

LA VILLITA

BEST PRAYERS OVER MEXICAN BREAKFAST

BEST TACOS THE SIZE OF YOUR FACE

La Catedral Cafe and Restaurant

Los Olivos

For this experience I need to thank People’s Gas—not something you hear people saying every day. Tearing up my street and towing anyone still parked after 7am was annoying at first, but it forced me to get up earlier than usual and get out of the house. On the recommendation of a friend, I decided to check out La Catedral, which was only a few blocks away and opened at 7am.

The building itself looks like a tiny cathedral from the outside, with large stones and a tower on the corner of the building. I was one of the first customers that day and sat next to the windows, early morning light streaming in and adding an orange glow to the beautiful interior, complementing the bright yellow of the walls.

Whoever decorated La Catedral kept the name firmly in mind as they put up dozens of crosses on the lower level, and the several statues of the Virgin Mary. According to their website, many of these decorations were given to them by guests. The ceiling is painted as if it were the inside of a Catholic cathedral, with familiar (to those of Catholic heritage) images of angel cherubs and heavenly clouds. There is an entire second floor, presumably reserved for the holiest of customers allowed to be that much closer to God. I ordered cafe de olla and the regular chilaquiles. The cafe de olla was just the right combination of sweetness, spice, and dark coffee. The eggs came out nicely runny and the red sauce was spicy and savory, smothering the tortilla chips with flavor. It being a “café,” I felt comfortable working on my laptop for a bit before heading out. By the time I left two hours later, the cafe was filling up with customers that seemed like they knew the place or had likewise heard about it from a trusted friend. The staff was friendly and made me feel at home. (Adam Przybyl)

Over its thirty-three years, Los Olivos and its abundant breakfasts and lunches have cultivated a devoted following. Enter its minimal white facade on a lonely strip of 31st Street, a few blocks from the Cook County Jail, and you’re bound to find someone reminiscing about the first time they came a decade ago, sharing laughs with the staff, and extolling the superiority of their tacos. (I’m not exaggerating—this has happened both times I’ve been!) Many regulars swear by their menudo, served only on weekends (their barbacoa is also a weekend special). Everyone agrees that nowhere else in Chicago can you get such large portions of authentic Mexican fast food classics served so fresh. It’s a little disarming to find ingredients so flavorful outside of a San Antonio food truck or a Merced gas station. Each taco is piled high with (non-iceberg!) lettuce, avocado, tomato, sour cream, and cheese, plated with pickled jalapenos and carrots, and served with housemade red and green salsas.

Mama Zaleta Olivo presides as head chef of the restaurant, which she opened with her husband Cecilio in 1986. Their menu proudly proclaims their mission, “EVERYTHING MADE FRESH AND PREPARED AS IF YOU WERE FEEDING YOUR OWN CHILDREN.” Seeing as it’s staffed by their sons and daughters, along with a couple extended family members, it truly is a family restaurant through and through, from their origins in Zacatecas to their new home in Chicago.

No matter which items of their “Mexican soul food” (as one of the Olivo’s sons calls it) you get—their brimming burritos, tortas, tacos, gorditas, sopes, quesadillas, or breakfast moles—you’ll come away full of food and joy. ( J. Michael Eugenio)

La Catedral Cafe and Restaurant, 2500 S. Christiana Ave. 7am–3pm, every day. $1.75–$14.99. (773) 823-7546. chefambrociogonzalez.com

Los Olivos, 3400 W. 31st St. Monday–Friday, 6am–4pm; Saturday–Sunday, 6:30am–4pm. (773) 247-1002. losolivoschicago.com

BEST SELECTION OF HOMEMADE NIEVES

Azúcar Walking into Azúcar, you might think you’ve stepped into the waiting room of a dental office: their clean and orderly eating area has shiny black leather loungers, a potted dragon tree, and a television tucked in the corner. After trying their wonderful vibrant nieves, you might soon find yourself needing a dentist! The flavors are inspired by Angel Garcia’s home of Cuernavaca, the largest city in the Mexican state of Morelos. Some of the frozen standouts include the creamy and balanced platano con nutella, the fluorescent Mexican mango con chile, and the elote, which tastes a bit like the most artisanal corn pops you’ve ever had. That said, every flavor that we tried was distinct, fresh, and perfectly sweetened—and it’s priced low enough for you to visit every day of the summer. Shockingly, you can get two scoops of these fresh handmade treats for just $2.50! ( J. Michael Eugenio) J. MICHAEL EUGENIO

Azucar, 3617 W. 27th St. 9am–9pm daily. (773) 486-6464. facebook.com/AzucarChicago SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 47

LITTLE ITALY, TRI-TAYLOR & UNIVERSITY VILLAGE Compiled by Erica Knox

J. MICHAEL EUGENIO

Erica Knox is a graduate of UIC Children’s Center and Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, both of which are in close proximity to Little Italy/Tri-Taylor.

Their mom has worked at the corner of Roosevelt & Ashland Erica’s entire life.

T

he history of Little Italy/Tri-Taylor is full of children. Here, Jane Addams established her renowned settlement house, Hull-House, which served immigrant children from 1889 to the 1960s. Thousands of kids grew up here in public housing complexes like Roosevelt Square, ABLA/Brooks Homes, Loomis Courts, and Barbara Jean Wright Courts.

And at the Maxwell Street Market, kids of vendors would even play their own roles like police lookout for informal vendors.

Little Italy/Tri-Taylor raised me too. My preschool memories of UIC Children’s Center are all out on the playground. (Teacher Kim is still there and just sent her kids to college). My first awkward dance with a classmate at a bat mitzvah was in the back room of Pompei restaurant. And in high school I spent countless hours outside the Taylor Street Starbucks, wondering who in the world Joe DiMaggio was—and why, if he never lived here, did he get his own plaza in Chicago?

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I wish I could ask all the kids and former kids living here how they define Little Italy/Tri-Taylor, because its boundaries and definition are somewhat nebulous. In this issue we roughly delineate “Little Italy/Tri-Taylor” as 15th Street to the south, Harrison Street to the north, Union Avenue to the east, and Western Avenue to the west. However, as we explore in this section, names matter, and this name is wholly inadequate to describe the area in which UIC now forms the beating heart (or the virus—depends on your perspective). Subsets of this area include Illinois Medical District, Taylor Street, and University Village.

Children continue to occupy various spaces in the Little Italy/Tri-Taylor area. Children still live at the remaining public housing sites here. One space that implores a transformation is the Cook County’s Juvenile Temporary Detention Center on Roosevelt and Ogden, where children are caged (does jailing a twelve-year-old heal anybody?). And every fall, a new batch of kids arrive here ready to grow up: UIC college freshmen. As Little Italy/Tri-Taylor inevitably changes, there will always be one litmus test I use to judge the condition of the neighborhood: how are the kids? (Erica Knox)

LITTLE ITALY, TRI-TAYLOR & UNIVERSITY VILLAGE

BEST FREE WRITING SPOT

Little Italy (Roosevelt) Branch Finding a good place to write is harder than finding a library on the South Side that’s open on Sundays. (There is one—it’s in Washington Heights.)

As I worked on my thesis this past winter, I needed a place that was free or low-cost, had good lighting, and had low ambient noise. Chicago Public Library’s Little Italy Branch had all three. Located on the former ABLA public housing site, the Little Italy Branch opened earlier this year in a brand-new building. Upon completion, the building will pair the library with seventy-three residential apartments, thirty-seven of which will be managed by the Chicago Housing Authority. The library-public housing project has been touted by the City as being part of the “renaissance of Taylor Street.”

The original library that served the Little Italy neighborhood was located on Roosevelt, and appropriately named the “Roosevelt Branch.” Despite moving to Taylor Street in 1998, however, the library retained its name until reopening at its new location this year. The Little Italy Chicago Neighborhood Association, which formed in opposition to the library-CHA project, lost its fight against the library’s location, architecture, and housing component—but successfully pressured the city to change the library name from Roosevelt to Little Italy. Residents from University Village, ABLA/Brooks

Homes, Roosevelt Square, Loomis Courts, and Barbara Jean Wright Courts fought the name change because they see it as exclusionary toward the broader neighborhood. As one commenter on their online petition put it: “Local CHA residents [were] not represented in the decision of the name change.”

Based on 2017 census data, there are only thirty-eight Italian immigrants in all of the Lower West Side, but previous generations are memorialized in places like the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. CHA residents are still here, but their numbers have shrunk dramatically since the Plan for Transformation razed local public housing.

I agonized over the thousands of words I wrote for my thesis inside the Little Italy (Roosevelt) CPL Branch. Hopefully, future namings across Little Italy/Tri-Taylor will better remember everyone who has shaped the neighborhood. (Erica Knox) Little Italy Branch, Chicago Public Library, 1336 W. Taylor St. Monday & Wednesday, noon–8pm; Tuesday & Thursday, 10am–6pm; Friday & Saturday, 9am–5pm. (312) 746-5656. chipublib.org

BEST ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT THALI

Siri Indian

On a grey Sunday, I open the door to Siri, an Indian restaurant in Little Italy, and find a person waiting at an open table gesturing for me to sit. The water carafe is full, and so are a dozen chafers and trays lined up at the far end of the room with bountiful piles of stews, starches, and curries. When I arrive, several tables are open—but not fifteen minutes pass before all are snatched up and a line for the buffet materializes. I grab what looks like a twenty-inch plate and start to devise a plan, because the dish size and heaping portions suggest that this meal requires endurance.

If you are a vegetarian, you’ll be gladdened by the selection of options, from veggie biryani to methi paneer. In fact, you’ll flutter your eyes to find nine out of thirteen trays at the buffet station are there for you and your vegetarian diet. At the last station, you will find two silver canisters. One is stockpiled with naan, and the other is a dessert—but one you’ll want to circle back to, so as not to spoil lunch.

Remember the large plate I picked up? Siri serves traditional Indian food from the north and south of India on a large platter, or thali, sized to fit containers of sauce, stews, and curry that circle around a center of rice.

Traditionally—and for those in the know—the thali is stocked with up to six flavors in small bowls, or katori. Looking back, I’m relieved not an eyebrow was raised at the heaps of food cross-contaminated on my own plate.

Somehow I’m able to fit mah chholey, biryani rice, coconut kesari, a bowl of rasam stew, sambar stew, and punugulu on my plate, and still find room for dessert—which today is a mango kulfi. The rasam stew is cumin galore: the seeds swirl in broth like maritime traffic, sharing the open tomato

waters with whole garlic cloves, coriander seeds, and a bouquet of spices. The punugulu, a common street food in India, can hold its own—the tastes of coriander and cumin catch up fast once you pass the oily but firm dough crust.

Someone recommends I dunk the punugulu in the sambar stew. I discover that the dough and stew fit together like a key in a lock. Back at the silver canister, I prepare for dessert: mango kulfi, an Indian ice cream loaded with cardamom, milk, sugar, and, of course, silky mango. An ice cream scooper points toward the canister handle, inviting you to decide how much to take on—and even if you’re unsure how much room is left, once you sample the kulfi, you’ll find space mysteriously opens up.

In Indian cuisine, a buffet is not a strategy for accommodating people with a range of dietary needs and appetites, but part of a Sikh tradition known as langar—which more or less means a community meal, commonly served buffet-style in temple. When I dine at Siri, it is close to 1pm on a Sunday, the middle of lunch rush, and the intention Siri’s owners have for the space is palpable. You won’t be eating alone: even if you dine solo, you will be in the company of a family-run restaurant where guests are provided sustenance and are cared for as a community. And you’ll be hooked. (Leo Williams) Siri Indian Restaurant, 1520 W. Taylor St. Monday–Thursday, 11:30am–2:30pm and 5:30pm–10pm; Friday, 11:30am–10pm; Saturday–Sunday, 7am–10am and 11:30am–10pm. (312) 766-7474. sirichicago.com SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 49

LITTLE ITALY, TRI-TAYLOR & UNIVERSITY VILLAGE

BEST FOOD TRUCK TURNED BRICK-AND-MORTAR

Jarabe

Jarabe (aptly, “cure-all syrup” in Spanish) is hard to miss on the less populated west-of-Damen portion of Taylor Street. The storefront beckons with a bright red insignia, reminiscent of the La Adelita logo of its food truck days.

Brothers Teddy and Alexis Vejar own and operate this no-frills Mexican street food joint.

For me, La Adelita was the original Hyde Park food truck. Every Friday during the summer of 2013, I would scan the food trucks gathering outside the hospital for the La Adelita red: a color that still evokes the visceral experience of a chicken tinga torta, my weekly treat-to-self. Teddy, who often worked the truck, would sometimes further sweeten my day with a complimentary agua de jamaica. I was elated to learn that La Adelita’s closing was actually to allow for its growth into Jarabe, a brick-and-mortar space. And to my shock, when I visited Jarabe for the first time in 2016, Teddy remembered me from my time as a La Adelita regular. I like to think that I had followed Jarabe to its new home.

Jarabe has expanded its vegetarian options since La Adelita, which parallels my own trajectory. The Mojo Mushrooms burrito bowl—which I drown in a green salsa that I wish I could start an IV of—is especially satisfying. Perhaps most importantly, I finally know where to send my Texan transplant friends, who love to bemoan the purported elusiveness of Tex-Mex cuisine in Chicago. Jarabe keeps an eye out for them with its twelve options–deep breakfast array, including the Tex-Mex favorite (or so I’ve heard) “migas” taco.

Apparently, La Adelita is forever—you can still book the truck for parties. (Stephanie Bi) Jarabe Mexican Street Food, 2255 W. Taylor St. Monday–Friday, 9am–9pm; Saturday, 9am–5pm. (312) 725-0507. jarabechicago.com

J. MICHAEL EUGENIO

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LITTLE ITALY, TRI-TAYLOR & UNIVERSITY VILLAGE

BEST BOARD GAME & DESSERT CAFE

Relo’s

Relo’s, which takes its name from a portmanteau of co-owners Regen Chan and Lou Guoc’s names, has a lot to offer. After walking past the free parking and outdoor patio, patrons are greeted with a beautiful space composed of brick walls, wood features, and Tiffany Blue accents. There’s plenty of seating space at various booths—and close to three hundred games in the back of the cafe.

Relo’s accomplishes more than just providing great games and tasty treats: it fills a lacuna in the South Side’s leisure spaces. “We're really trying to make Relo’s a space where people can feel comfortable doing what they like and enjoying the company of friends and family,” said Guoc.

“While we allow BYOB, we also pride ourselves in being an alternative to the many local bars in our neighborhood. Regen and I sometimes like that quiet hangout spot, and we’re not really drinkers, we just want a space that’s comfortable where we can catch up and hang out, and that’s what we created Relo’s to be.” And at only five dollars a person for unlimited games, Relo’s isn’t just a fun option for groups, but an incredibly affordable game space on the South Side.

What’s perhaps most exciting about Relo’s is its success in building strong relationships with other local businesses in the greater Chicagoland area after only four months in business. Among the many guests excitedly playing games like Splendor or Ticket to Ride, you’ll see just as many sipping Intelligentsia coffee and eating towering desserts using freshly made waffles and local ice cream.

“Don, who’s our coffee trainer, invited us to [Intelligentsia] multiple times to train us on how to create the perfect latte, and even came to our cafe multiple times to help set us up and teach us how to use all the new equip-

ment,” Guoc said of Relo’s relationship with Intelligentsia. “We’re very happy with the relationship we have with them, and we look forward to continue working with them closely.”

Relo’s also uses Mt. Prospect’s Capannari Ice Cream as a core ingredient in their mouthwatering desserts. “Meg and Jim [of Cappanari] really care about our business and our success. And Meg, as another woman in business, has become an inspiration to me. They’ve made personal deliveries to us when we were in a bind,” said Guoc. “These guys have dozens of accounts, there’s really no need for them to deliver two tubs of ice cream for us. But they did it because they really care about our business.” While Relo’s is (quite literally) a new kid on the block, they’re certainly not shying away from being an active part of the Chicago community.

When asked if there’s anything else they’d like the community to know about Relo’s, Guoc and Chan had only words of appreciation. “Without you guys, we wouldn’t be able to do what we love and keep this dream alive.

Many of you have helped us promote our cafe by telling friends and sharing your enthusiasm for the cafe. We’re so grateful for the support and love we’ve received—it’s honestly such a special environment that we’ve created.

I don’t know of many other establishments that have this kind of supportive following, and we’re thankful for each and every one of you.” (Alejandro Ruizesparza) Relo’s Board Game & Dessert Cafe, 1321 W. Taylor St. Monday, 2pm–11pm; Tuesday–Thursday, 11am–11pm; Friday–Saturday, 11am–1am; Sunday, 11am– 10pm. (312) 819-7356. reloscafe.com

BEST BREAK FROM BRUTALIST ARCHITECTURE

UIC College of Pharmacy

Walking around campus at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), the architecture is hard to miss. “Brutalism” describes a school of architecture popular in the 1950s through the 1970s that relies heavily on concrete, block shapes, and repetition. Critics argue that brutalism—which is often used for public buildings, like state universities—gives buildings the appearance of a bunker.

When Walter Netsch designed UIC’s campus in the mid-1960s, his brutalist style laid the groundwork for UIC’s future aesthetic. Sometimes, though, you need a break from all the fortresses. Tucked away in the medical district, the College of Pharmacy building is large and rectangular, but noticeably less confrontational than most UIC buildings.

Admirers are met by a thematic mortar and pestle statue outside the front door, the base of which also serves as an excellent sitting area in warmer months. Benches across the street in front of the Clinical Sciences North building serve as a great place to soak up the pleasantly underwhelming architecture of the College of Pharmacy.

Brutalism still shapes design decisions at UIC today. Two of the three finalists for UIC’s new Center for the Arts remain in the brutalist tradition, while one significantly departs from it. UIC’s commitment to staying on brand is admirable, but perhaps a new building is an opportunity to diversify its architecture. (Erica Knox) UIC College of Pharmacy, 833 S. Wood St. Admire it from the outside 24/7.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 51

MOUNT GREENWOOD Compiled by Atavia Reed JASON SCHUMER

BEST DON’T-JUDGE-A-RESTAURANT-BY-ITS-EXTERIOR BREAKFAST

Bacon and Jam

I stumbled upon Bacon and Jam after a hard day of filming a short video at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences. I was looking for a place to grab a quick, satisfying bite to eat where I’d feel comfortable and accepted by those both serving and enjoying the food. As a woman of color living on the southwest side of Chicago, my parents had always warned me about the potential dangers of venturing into popular spots in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood alone. Their worries weren’t in vain. Just last year, White Lives Matter fliers were found placed throughout the neighborhood touting a list of “pro-white” websites. It goes without saying that Mount Greenwood as a neighborhood has had problems accepting people of color willingly. I didn’t want to become another spectacle to stare at. I wanted great food. Bacon and Jam provided that.

When cruising by, Bacon and Jam may look forlorn and forgotten. One small, colorful sign declares its name, but, otherwise, it rejects the glitz and glam other breakfast spots decide to use when drawing in the hungry customer. Its interior, however, is an entirely different story. Hidden inside this obscure corner spot is a delicious breakfast served by people who genuinely seem like they care about the food that’s resting on your plate. The food is

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just what you want after a long day: greasy, savory, and sweet. But there are healthy options for those hoping to play it light.

As a lover of all things carbs, I went with the French Toast Combo. It’s a simple delicacy that can easily be ruined, but Bacon and Jam prepared this order swiftly and with care. It was potentially the fluffiest bread I’d ever eaten, and the hash browns, upon request, were fried hard to a golden crisp. The bacon, of course, was meticulously cooked and so crunchy, I felt like I was in a television ad. My companions ordered similar, simple breakfast items, but not a word was spoken as we dived into our meals and ate until there was less than a crumb left on our respective plates.

Bacon and Jam got its start in 2017, but it will no doubt remain for years to come. It was featured on America Loves Food and Sports, an online show hosted by retired Atlanta Hawk Stephen Bardo, and praised for its high-end food. And its old-school diner interior combined with its up to date menu will draw in crowds of all ages. There’s something for everyone at Bacon and Jam. They make sure of it. (Atavia Reed) Bacon and Jam, 3335 W. 111th St. 6:30am-3pm, daily. (872) 356-5400. baconandjamchicago.com

MOUNT GREENWOOD

JASON SCHUMER

Apple crumble pancakes from Bacon and Jam.

BEST BURGER WHERE THE NEW AND OLD COLLIDE

Wonderburger

In its online bio, Wonderburger is described as a restaurant hoping to “create a welcoming neighborhood joint where families and friends can meet to enjoy great food, local craft beer and specialty cocktails.” “Welcoming” is the first word I’d use to describe Wonderburger. Delicious is the second.

All ages stop by Wonderburger for a bite at one of its juiciest creations.

And with a counter and stools right by the cooks as they grease up the grill for another meal, you’ll feel like you’re back in a fifties-style diner without the segregation to match.

This Wonderburger location opened its doors in 2019, continuing a

string of neighborhood burger joints under the name since 1954—it feels like it’s been around for decades waiting to welcome you. The burgers are fresh, but the fries are sometimes undercooked, so ask for the cook to let them simmer for a while if you’re hoping to attain that perfect crunch. Stop here with a date or with a few pals wanting a drink, and chances are you’ll make it a staple every time you’re in this neighborhood. (Atavia Reed) Wonderburger, 3333 W. 111th St. Tuesday–Sunday, 11am–9pm. (773) 2387200. wonderburgerchicago.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 53

PILSEN

Compiled by Carlos Ballesteros & Sebastián Hidalgo

JASON SCHUMER

Carlos Ballesteros is a staff reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times via Report for America. Carlos grew up in the city and is a proud Chicago Public Schools graduate. He covers immigration, housing, city government, and breaking news.

F

or most of her life, twenty-three-year-old visual artist Zarai Zaragoza grew up in a two-bedroom apartment on 17th Street and Wood with her stepdad, her older sister, and her mom, Santa Bandera.

Bandera has been selling tamales in the neighborhood for nearly fifteen years. She sells them off a cart outside Paleteria Los Magos on 19th and Paulina every day except Tuesdays, which is when she goes grocery shopping to make hundreds of tamales for the week.

“We had two fridges and they were full of tamales,” Zaragoza said.

Zaragoza’s family migrated to Pilsen from a small town in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero about twenty-five years ago. The family lived in a few apartments across the neighborhood until 2016, when rising rents pushed them across Western Avenue into Little Village.

Two years later, Zaragoza graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont where she studied education and studio art. She moved back to Chicago soon after graduating and is now going into her second year of teaching art at UIC College Prep. Like many of the friends she grew up with, Zaragoza no longer lives in Pilsen, but she doesn’t consider herself completely displaced from the neighborhood.

“I will always feel like I can come back here,” she said. “It sucks that I have to make more money than I’m making now to live comfortably in Pilsen. I remember when we were paying $600 a month in rent. But the neighborhood will always live inside me.”

Zaragoza’s artwork —brimming with color and movement—is highly influenced by her roots in Pilsen. As a middle schooler at Jose Clemente Orozco Academy, Zaragoza worked under Francisco Mendoza, an artist from South Chicago whose murals cover the inside of the CTA 18th Street Pink Line. Mendoza taught art at Orozco for twenty-five years until his

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death in 2012.

Zaragoza said Mendoza helped cultivate her interest in drawing and painting and hopes to have a similar impact with her own students. “I want students to come into my classroom and know they have a voice and draw from their experiences because they are valid,” she said.

There is an entire generation of young people who, like Zaragoza, grew up in Pilsen and can no longer afford to stay. Zaragoza doesn’t know what Pilsen’s going to look like in five to ten years, but she’s confident the neighborhood that shaped her will always find a way to survive.

“I mean, just look at 18th Street—even though it’s changed so much, people are still doing their best to maintain the culture, regardless of who’s coming in,” she said.

BEST WEEKEND LUNCH DEAL

Panaderia Nuevo Leon

Do you like pozole? Do you like bread? Do you have four dollars?

If you answered yes to all three, head over to Panaderia Nuevo Leon for the best lunch deal in the city: A cup of soup and a bolillo for $3.69, with tax.

The bakery rotates between three soups: lentil, cream of broccoli, and green chicken pozole. (The pozole comes with a side bag of lime and shaved cabbage and radishes.) Their bolillos—which are kind of like a baguette but better—are always made fresh in the morning, using a family recipe that’s helped keep the bakery in business for nearly fifty years.

While you’re there, pick up some avocado tortillas from the fridge near the register. Trust me. (Carlos Ballesteros) Panaderia Nuevo Leon, 1634 W. 18th St. Monday–Friday, 5:30am–8pm; Saturday & Sunday, 6am–8pm. (312) 243-5977.

PILSEN

BEST STOOP ON THROOP

Shady Rest Vintage & Vinyl

Few things are as important to a Chicago summer as a good stoop. A stoop is where friends reunite, families argue, kids run around, and couples sit on each other’s laps. The stoop is sacred. Everyone is welcome at the stoop, unless you’re an asshole.

There are plenty of good stoops around Pilsen. One of the best is outside Shady Rest Vintage & Vinyl, a record store corner of 18th and Throop.

Longtime couple Peter Kepha and Nuntida Sirisombatwattana opened the store in 2016 and their front stoop quickly became one of the best hangout spots on the block.

Kepha and Sirisombatwattana supply the tunes for the stoop from inside the store. On a recent Saturday, it was T.S. Monk. As the evening turned into night, friends and strangers began to trickle toward the stoop, many stopping on their way to or from the bars around the area.

But what makes Shady Rest’s stoop the stoop on Throop is not its location, it’s the people.

“People here are ready to react to help others in need,” Kepha said. “We’re like a neighborhood watch, you know. Not by choice, but because we’re just chilling and it comes with it.” (Carlos Ballesteros and Sebastián Hidalgo)

the plaza while the class is in full gear. Still, Landa said he’s looking for a permanent space in the neighborhood to host his classes through all four seasons. Until then, “we’re happy at El Zocalo,” Landa said, “and we’ll be there until we find something. We’ve danced in the rain and snow before.”

(Carlos Ballesteros) El Zumbero de Chicago, 1814 S Paulina St, Chicago, IL 60608. Tuesday–Saturday, 7pm–8pm.

Shady Rest Vintage & Vinyl, 1659 W. Throop St. Wednesday–Friday, 2pm–8pm; Saturday, noon–8pm; Sunday, noon–5pm; closed Monday & Tuesday. (872) 4446488. shadyrestchicago.com JASON SCHUMER

BEST BLEACHERS

Boogie/Reyes Park BEST DANCE CLASS

El Zumbero de Chicago

Tuesday through Friday from 7–8pm, Ismael Alvarez Landa hosts a dance class in the public plaza in front of the old St. Vitus church off 18th and Paulina where dozens of women dance to cumbia, merengue, reggaeton, salsa, techno, and everything in between.

Landa started giving classes at the plaza—also known as “El Zocalo”— in 2015. Landa migrated to Pilsen in 2013 from the Mexican state of Veracruz, where he started hosting his first dance classes nearly twenty years ago.

He lives in a basement apartment with his mom in a building owned by his aunt, who is also the owner of Pollo Express on 18th and Ada Street.

Landa makes a living off dancing. Zumba studios from around the city and across the country hire him to give classes to their customers. “My calendar’s full year-round,” he said. But Landa’s class at El Zocalo is donation-based and makes around twenty-five to forty dollars per class.

“Many of my students don’t donate, and usually I get one to three dollars from them,” he said in Spanish.

The class has become part of the tapestry of 18th Street. You can hear the music from blocks away and nearby residents often hang out around

There’s a small park across the street from an empty church on 19th and Peoria. The park is about three-quarters of an acre and features two basketball courts, bleachers and chess tables.

The Chicago Park District originally named it Rose Park when it opened in the 1970s. In 2004, the Park District renamed it after Guadalupe Reyes, a Pilsen matriarch who organized the first Fiesta del Sol in 1977.

But many people who grew up in the neighborhood also know the park as Boogie Park after David “Boogie” Gonzalez, a peace activist who grew up near 18th and Morgan and orchestrated a truce between rival gangs in Pilsen in 1973. He was killed in a drive-by shooting at Harrison Park four months later. He was twenty-three. In 1977, muralist Sal Vega painted Boogie in a bloodstained green robe on a wall overlooking the corner of 18th and Throop.

There isn’t a park in the neighborhood quite like Boogie/Reyes Park.

The old abandoned church across the street—built by German immigrants in 1880 and mostly destroyed in a fire in 1979—gives it a sense of serenity hard to find elsewhere. Boogie’s legend adds another layer of serenity to the park; he exists through oral histories passed down by older Pilsen residents who’ve shaped the neighborhood as we know it today. (Carlos Ballesteros and Sebastián Hidalgo) Guadalupe Reyes Park, aka Boogie Park, 821 W. 19th St. 6am–11pm, daily.

(312) 746-5083.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 55

ROSELAND & PULLMAN Compiled by Tammy Xu & Brittanee Rolle

JASON SCHUMER

Rayshauna Gray is a History Design Studio Fellow at Harvard University, inaugural fellow and committee member at the Cambridge Historical Society, and researcher at Tufts University’s Center for the Study of Race and Democracy. Her upcoming book, Roseland, will be published in fall 2020 by Belt Publishing. She is working on Up the Antebellum, a public history project that reconstructs the family trees of enslaved African Americans and finds living descendants.

R

oseland has had many names.

The Potawatomi (Bodéwadmi) called the land “Chicaugou” or the “wild onion,” a knowing nod to the willful landscape stewarded by the Council of Three Fires (an alliance of the Potawatomi, Ottawa [Odawaa], and Chippewa [Ojibwe] tribes). The Indian Removal Act and 1821 and 1833 Treaties of Chicago ceded fifteen million acres to the government, laying the foundation for forced removal. At the concluding ceremony for the 1833 treaty, eight hundred Native people gathered for the last recorded war dance in the Chicago area. The treaty required that they evacuate the land and move west of the Mississippi River.

After an arduous journey across the Atlantic in 1849, three siblings and their families called the land “de Hooge Prairie”—or the High Prairie, a fitting moniker for the higher, dry ground they inhabited (as compared to “de Laage Prairie” or the Low Prairie, now known as South Holland). Eventually, while mourning the seventeen loved ones (including thirteen children) they lost to cholera during the forty-two-day voyage, the Dutch settlers would come to call the land Hope. Its flowers enraptured James H. Bowen, the president of the Calumet and Chicago Canal and Dock Company, who would

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propose dubbing the area Roseland in 1873.

In 1880, Bowen helped contribute to the area’s economic mobility and labor history by overseeing the sale of more than 4,000 acres on Roseland’s eastern edge to the Pullman Land Association for the town and Pullman Car Works.

Roughly a decade later, Roseland officially became part of Chicago as the city prepared to regale the masses at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. It would include the neighborhoods of Fernwood, Lilydale, and Princeton Park.

Over the years, European immigrants folded themselves into the community, cultivating new lives and traditions in a land previously unknown by them. Generations later, the Great Migration would usher in scores of African Americans from many parts of the South in hopes of realizing opportunity and safety, and experiencing the warmth of another sun.

By the time I was growing up in Roseland, the area had seen better days. Over time, the descendants of settlers and immigrants blended in and were part of the white flight during the Great Migration. The transition was not seamless, to say the least. Restrictive covenants, race riots, and redlining engineered barriers that made cultivating prosperity an uphill battle for the African-American southerners-made-midwesterners. The business district along Michigan Avenue began slowly hemorrhaging shops, contributing to now long-vacant lots.

My childhood and adolescence are peppered with memories of running all over Fernwood Park and being in community with the families who’ve lived on my block for the better part of fifty years. As a kid, I'd pop across

ROSELAND & PULLMAN

the tracks just west of Eggleston with my mom and head over to Michigan Avenue to get donuts from Mr. Bulloch or a new watch battery or take piano lessons. After a stint in Michigan, my maternal grandparents migrated to Chicago and lived in Bronzeville in the former Stateway Gardens. After amassing enough savings, they traipsed over to view a little red brick home on 105th off Halsted that my grandmother had fallen in love with while passing by. The kind Irish American man who built the house gave my grandparents a tour, and in 1971, $28,500 changed hands and the home became a linchpin in my family’s history.

My grandmother, who’d grown up picking hundreds of pounds of cotton a day in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, would decorate our home with crystal glasses from Marshall Field’s, fill the hallways with Mahalia Jackson’s voice, and grow roses in our backyard. I grew up tending to and marveling at that garden—and falling in love with the community that molded me, the community that was a symbol of prosperity for my sharecropper grandparents, the community that produced a president and set the tone for my current chapter in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Roseland has been many things to many people over the years.

After World War I, descendants of the Delaware, Kickapoo, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Sac and Fox, and Wyandot tribes began migrating back to Chicagoland, now the third largest urban Native population in the country, with a representation of more than one hundred tribal nations.

In 1999, 150 years after the Dutch settlers’ journey, five hundred descendants of Gerrit, Jannetje, Geertje, Jakob, Hark, and Aaltje gathered in Lansing to commemorate their family’s time in the land that would become Chicago.

And today, more than 40,000 Black Roselanders—my family included—call this neighborhood home.

BEST BREWERY TOUR

Argus Brewery

More than a hundred years ago, when Pullman was an industrial town where workers lived, ate, and prayed, Joseph Schlitz had a brilliant idea. At the time, the sale and consumption of alcohol was prohibited in Pullman (at least to the rank-and-file—supervisors and other upper-class people were served drinks at the Hotel Florence), along with other ‘vices’ like gambling and prostitution. These rules, decried by the thousands of European workingclass immigrants who worked the Pullman factories, only extended as far as the railroad tracks along present-day Cottage Grove, currently used by the Metra Electric line.

Just west of the tracks, minutes away from where Pullman workers lived, Schlitz bought out and paid for the construction of ‘Schlitz row,’ a whole block devoted to gambling, bars, and brothels. Rumor has it that workers would take the alleys when going to and from Schlitz row so as not to alert

their neighbors that they were up to no good.

Two buildings still exist from Schlitz row. One is a Schlitz tied-house, which was a bar that Schlitz bought and paid for, but could only serve Schlitz beer, and which still has the Schlitz globe logo embedded above the entrance.

During the tour, I was told that the story behind the logo is that Schlitz, having inherited the brewery, was asked at a meeting of shareholders how he was going to run the business. Apparently he took his belt off, looped it around a globe at the table, and said “We’re going to take over the world.” The Weekly was not able to substantiate this story, and in fact it seems unlikely, but admittedly it makes for a great tale.

The other still-existing building is what was formerly the Schlitz stables, which housed the horses that pulled carriages with beer to deliver around the city, and which is now the home of Argus Brewery.

Argus Brewery carries on the Schlitz tradition to some extent. It envisions itself as part of the Pullman neighborhood, though, being across the tracks, it is squarely in Roseland. I attended a recent brewery tour, which Argus has been doing every few Saturdays for eight years. Nick and JT were our guides as we drank beer, learned about Argus history, and got a peek into their brewing process.

Let’s start with the important facts: the Argus Brewery tour does not skimp on the beer. Everybody got one of the Paschke Pilsners at the start, made with Polish hops and named after the Chicago Polish-American artist Ed Paschke, while Nick went over the history of the brewery. Next we went straight to the bar upstairs, where we could try from between four established Argus beers, and two experimental brews—one a Hefeweizen, and the other a pale ale with Citra hops. There were containers of popcorn scattered around the room, which had a pool and shuffleboard table, along with a sign near a backdoor that said “HIPPIES USE BACKDOOR  NO EXCEPTIONS.” Here we were joined by Libby, a friendly cat with a splotchy black-and-white coat. Nick explained that brewery cats (Argus had two) were traditional due to their ‘mousekeeping’ abilities—with all the grain that breweries went through, mice can cause big problems.

After drinking and chatting for a solid twenty to thirty minutes, we were led to see the actual brewing process by Melissa, who showed how the grain was milled, sent to the chambers, and finally transferred to several holding tanks where each brew fermented. We took an elevator that, back in the day, was powered by horse and could have fit more than fifty people, to the lower level where the beer is filtered, bottled, and labeled.

Argus stocks several stores and bars throughout Chicago and the suburbs. Their beers range from sweet honey ginger to vanilla-flavored brown ales, to IPA’s and Pilsners and Argus lagers. Many of their labels and beer names feature fantastical creatures, like the Pegasus IPA, or the Argus Lager, which has an illustration of Argus Panoptes, a hundred-eyed giant from Greek mythology. (Adam Przybyl) Argus Brewery, 11314 S. Front Ave. Tours offered select Saturdays, next available date is September 28, for $15 per person. (773) 941-4050. argusbrewery.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 57

ROSELAND & PULLMAN

MILO BOSH

BEST DJ BOOTH ON A COMMUTE

95th Street Red Line DJ Booth

It’s after 6pm on a Friday, and an electronic mix of Bill Withers’s “Harlem” is thumping through the halls of the 95th Red Line station. A few heads perk up from the crowd of weary commuters riding up the escalators, searching for the source of the music. “What is going on over there?” one asks out loud, looking in the direction of a 200-square-foot booth with a glass storefront, bathed in pink neon light and pulsing with music. The room is commanded by a man in a black and yellow patterned shirt and oversized headphones, who is presiding over a long glowing DJ table full of sound equipment. “You can really swing and shake your pretty thing,” the speakers sing, “the parties are out of sight!”

A gentleman in a brown suit moves on by, mouthing along to the lyrics. Soon after, a CTA worker wearing the agency’s neon yellow and orange jacket shows off his moves next to the turnstiles as a mother and son walk past, the boy spinning circles in his vibrant blue jacket in time to the music.

Before long, a small group has gathered at the doorway of the room, livestreaming the DJ on their phones as they bop along to the beat, dancing off a week’s worth of stress. “Go girl!” a passerby exclaims at a woman boogying in a black jacket, and they high five before going their separate ways, both beaming. “I think it’s kind of cool,” said Adam Grey, who was commuting from Navy Pier and seeing the booth in action for the first time. “I kind of wonder what the purpose of it is—I don’t see them advertising any products or anything like that.”

What was going on is AESOP (An Extended Song of Our People), a project developed by Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates for the north terminal of the newly renovated 95th Red Line station, which reopened earlier

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this year. On Monday mornings DJ Ayana Contreras spins vintage soul to soothe the spirits of reluctant commuters, and on Friday evenings DJ Duane Powell plays house music to give people “that weekend pep,” as he put it. The two DJs are on every week until at least the end of the year, and there are plans to add a storytelling aspect so that the stories of Black residents from the community can be heard as well.

Powell said that because the station was the last stop on the Red Line, anyone commuting up from further south would be able to hear the music.

He loved playing music at the station, and described the experience as a kind of homecoming after spending a great deal of his childhood in the terminal: “I grew up in this terminal, because I’m from 115th Street. And so coming from high school, when I was promoting parties, handing out fliers and posters when I grew up....it’s like coming back home.”

Despite being a fixture at the station since April, many people are still encountering the live DJ booth for the first time and experiencing an unexpected jolt of joy. Then there are the regulars: “The workers love it,” said Powell. “Today I was a few minutes late and they’re like, ‘Hurry up!’ You know, they just dance and groove all day.” (Tammy Xu) 95th/Dan Ryan Red Line Station, North Terminal, 14 W. 95th St. Monday, 7am–10am; Friday, 4pm–7pm. Through December 2019. transitchicago.com/art

BEST VIEW IN THE CALUMET REGION

U.S. Bank near Pullman

One of the best views on the Southeast Side or in the greater Calumet Region is at the top of the U.S. Bank near Pullman.

The top of the bank tower offers sweeping views of the downtown skyline in the Loop, of nearby windmills and factories, and of the ceaseless river of traffic on the Bishop Ford Expressway. At more than 130 feet tall, the commercial office building is the tallest high-rise at the southernmost edge of the city. It was originally intended to be seventeen stories when it was planned in the early 1970s, but it opened in 1974 with twelve stories.

Reminiscent of the Ruby Tower on the Hochhaus Lyoner Straße 40 in Frankfurt, Germany, the modernist bank tower was constructed with aggregate and a white and blue glass facade. It was last renovated in a significant way in 2006.

The building, once owned by Pullman Bank before eventually being bought out by U.S. Bank, is also home to the half-century-old Calumet Area Industrial Commission. But its panoramic view of the South Side is its most memorable feature. From the top, you’ll end up with many Insta-worthy posts. ( Joseph S. Pete) U.S. Bank Pullman branch, 1000 E. 111th St. Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm; Saturday, 9am–1pm; closed Sunday. locations.usbank.com

MILO BOSH

BEST THRIFT STORE FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Roseland Christian Ministries Thrift Store

On a warm weekend afternoon in August, a hodgepodge collection of furniture sits on the sidewalk outside Roseland Christian Ministries’ thrift store, soaking up the sunshine. Volunteers bustle around the brown and red painted building, arranging more furniture outside to tempt passersby and bringing donated items inside, past aisles of children’s clothing and jewelry display cases. Customers line up to purchase items they’ve discovered from the carefully organized racks of shoes, clothing, and accessories, each item neatly sorted by size and tagged with the price.

Store manager Jamal Spells, who was working the cash register, says that although the store has been around for twenty years it has a perpetual status as a hidden gem. “To this day, when people come they always say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know this store was here!’ If I had a dime for every time somebody said that,” said Spells, laughing.

The thrift store’s underdog status doesn’t discourage the store’s group of volunteers, which consists of eight regulars and others who are referred to the store through school or community service, including most recently thir-

ty-four students from Trinity Christian College. The volunteers do a great deal of work, from processing the overflowing crate of black garbage bags in the intake room, to sorting and tagging each item with the price, to organizing the merchandise across the store’s three levels. All of their work helps support the thrift store’s mission, which Spells says is “to serve God and better serve our community.” Proceeds from sales go toward funding Roseland Christian Ministries’ other programs, which include a food pantry, a weekday free lunch program, and a recently renovated women and children’s shelter with capacity for twenty families.

If you need even more reasons to check it out, consider the prices.

Clothes normally range from one to three dollars, but the current summer sale has them priced at fifty cents apiece. The store also carries housewares, a sizeable assortment of board games, an adorable wall full of stuffed animals, and shelves of books and (mostly VHS) movies. There’s also a furniture section, full of items such as a twenty-five-dollar armchair, a sixty-dollar sofa, and a handsome mahogany vanity and dresser set for ninety-five. All furniture items can be delivered to customers in Roseland for an additional twenty-five dollars, or surrounding areas for thirty-six dollars. (Tammy Xu) Roseland Christian Ministries Thrift Store, 33 E. 111th Pl. (773) 468-0262.

Thursday–Saturday, 10am–4:30pm. roselandchristianministries.org

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 59

RIVERDALE & WEST PULLMAN Compiled by Jasmine Green

VASHON JORDAN JR.

VASHON JORDAN, JR.

M

onique Horton has lived in the West Pullman neighborhood for forty years. Her grandmother, Willie Mae Horton, has been a resident of West Pullman since 1970. They live together on 126th and Michigan, where the grandmother-granddaughter duo have been planning annual block club parties for almost thirty years. In order to secure the party’s date, the Hortons must first go to 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale to acquire a permit. Then the pair must complete the permit for approval, fill out the application for the kids’ bouncy house, and get that seperate application approved as well. It is an arduous process, but the festival of music and laughter on the long-awaited summer day makes it well worth it.

When asked about her favorite part of living in the West Pullman neighborhood, Horton gave a soft smile. “By me growing up here, I know a lot of people, so, in forty years we became more of a friend-family type of thing.”

As a long-time resident of West Pullman myself, I would agree. Neighbors are more like siblings, and our annual block club party is just one of the many times we all celebrate our neighborhood together. To put it best in Monique Horton’s words: “This [neighborhood] is the best of all [neighborhoods].” ( Jasmine Green)

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BEST PLACE TO CLEAR YOUR MIND

West Pullman Park

I visited West Pullman Park with my father on a humid, cloudy August afternoon. As I walked towards the entrance, my eyes searched the field curiously. I was sure that I had never been to this park before, despite having lived in West Pullman my entire life. “Yes, you have,” countered my father, “Look over there.” His outstretched arm pointed to a small brick building stained by rain and faded graffiti. I stared at the humble structure, then remembered what was inside. The hot summer days of my childhood flooded back to me: weeks of swimming in the public pool, nylon swimsuit clinging to my wet skin, practicing underwater handstands with my neighborhood friends. I failed to remember, however, the charming park located beyond the area’s facilities.

What I noticed first about West Pullman Park were the sounds. Flocks of house sparrows chirped eagerly to each other, broadcasting pitched messages into the wind. Cicadas then joined the sparrows in an axes of noise. The

RIVERDALE & WEST PULLMAN

bugs’ cacophonic cry swelled then descended into a low, roaring buzz. The concert of critters continued around me as I noticed the scenery. Large oak trees stretched upwards and casted a lush shade that covered the entire park.

Their branches nipped at the corners of the sky, twisted beneath each other, like tangled vines in a jungle. I watched the world move from the seat of a park bench; I took a deep breath in and appreciated the patterns of nature.

Near the edge of the playground, there stood a brooding structure. It was a deer, made from rusted cylindrical metal, with words carved into its flank.

The deer was facing towards an enclosed field of flowers, named the “West Pullman Park Butterfly Sanctuary.” As you enter the sanctuary through the gap in its wooden fence, you are first greeted by twitchy squirrels, racing up the leathery trunks of oak trees. Half-sawed logs clear a path, but goldenrod and Joe-Pye plants courtesy over their borders to welcome you. Your heels crunch the dry mulch as you walk deeper into the sanctuary’s maze. Honey bees sip nectar from the pistils of golden aster flowers. Birds glide in a crescent moment to rest atop leaves. The noises of the parkland behind you fade away slowly, and you are left alone with your thoughts.

Such is the beauty of West Pullman Park. Established in 1914 by the West Pullman Land Association, West Pullman Park is one of four public parks in the West Pullman neighborhood.

The park’s sixteen acres encompass an indoor pool, basketball courts, baseball fields, gymnasiums, a playground, an outdoor spray pool, and, of course, the enchanted greenery that connects it all. Quiet and serenely beautiful, West Pullman Park will allure you: so, sit on a park bench, breathe in, and let your mind wander amidst the spellwork of nature. ( Jasmine Green) West Pullman Park, 401 W. 123rd St. Park open 7am–11pm everyday, fieldhouse 8am–8:30pm Monday–Friday, 10am–4:30pm Saturday, closed Sundays.

(312) 747-7090.

BEST SPOT FOR PILOT TRAINING

Kickapoo Woods

Yes, technically Kickapoo Woods is in Riverdale the town, not the neighborhood of Chicago, but we don’t think that should really disquality what is objectively a great place to relax and partake in several outdoor activities. Like in most Cook County forest preserves, there’s hiking and walking paths that meander through trees and prairies, and there’s an area for picnics, some of it with tree cover. It being next to the Little Calumet River, there’s a path that leads to a canoe loading area for light canoeing down the river, which is beautifully shaded and isolated from everything else.

But what helps Kickapoo Woods stick out is what some might consider the main attraction: a small airfield for model airplanes. The airfield is separate from the picnic area with a short fence and a couple signs that say “Flyers only beyond this point.” One of nine official model airplane flying fields in the county, the Model Aviation Club organizes the Model Aviation Flight School in the summer at Kickapoo, which is free for all Aviation Club members, though participants are asked to donate one gallon of glow fuel. Student pilots can practice with one of the available planes or purchase their own and learn radio and taxi basics, take-offs and landings with head and crosswinds, to name a few things, with a final flight school exam. (Adam Przybyl)

VASHON JORDAN, JR.

BEST CHANCE TO BUY A FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOUSE

S.A. Foster House and Stable

Many houses designed by architecture superstar Frank Lloyd Wright sell for well over $1 million. The Heller House in Hyde Park, for instance, is currently listed at $2.2 million. But Chicago is also home to what is, according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, the lowest-priced Wright house currently on the market: the S.A. Foster House and Stable in West Pullman, available for just $175,000.

The house is located at the intersection of 121st Street and Harvard Avenue, situated on a gorgeous quarter-acre lot lined by trees. One of the few surviving Wright buildings in the city, it bears little resemblance to his later projects. Wright designed the building in 1900, when he was in his early 30s and still experimenting with different architectural styles. As a result, the house lacks many of the elements, like strong horizontal lines, that characterize the Prairie School of architecture.

Instead, Wright drew on elements of Japanese architecture, still evident in features like the home’s gateway. The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition featured an elaborate Japanese pavilion in Jackson Park, one of the first exhibitions of Japanese architecture in America. Wright, who worked on the fair’s Transportation Building, would have had the opportunity to observe the pavilion as it was constructed. Wright would later become an avid collector of Japanese prints, visiting Japan in 1905. These interests clearly influenced his architecture, nowhere more evidently than the Foster House.

Otherwise a fairly conservative design, the roof is the most notable feature, which flairs out and curves up in a fashion similar to the Japanese irimoya roof. This feature is mirrored in the front gate, each post of which has a small roof that echoes the torii gates that mark the entrance to Shinto shrines.

The house was built as a summer cottage for Stephen A. Foster, a Municipal Court judge and the vice-president of the West Pullman Land Association, which developed much of the neighborhood. At the time, the Stewart Ridge area was a rural section of the city dominated by open prairie,

Kickapoo Woods, Halsted St. south of W. 144th St., Riverdale, IL. Sunrise to sunset.

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RIVERDALE & WEST PULLMAN

making the house a place where Foster and his wife Almeda could ride horses, relax on the sun porch, and escape the city’s hot summers.

Some of the house’s original features, including a functional fireplace in the living room, have remained intact through the decades. Most of the house, however, requires a bit of work. Real estate agent Armond Boulware told WBEZ in 2017 that the house is structurally sound, but probably needs $100,000 in cosmetic work. The original wood floors are still there, but have been covered by carpet, while the bathrooms and kitchens desperately need an update. The house has been designated a Chicago Landmark since 1996, which adds another layer of review for any permit applications. Despite these drawbacks, the house’s unique design — and its low price tag — offers the right owner an opportunity to own a piece of architectural history for a relatively reasonable price. (Sam Joyce) S.A. Foster House and Stable, 12147 S. Harvard Ave. Private residence.

BEST SANCTUARY

Kids Off the Block

Kids Off the Block started off simply enough: Diane Latiker wanted to make sure her youngest of eight children, thirteen at the time, made it through high school and went to college. She started spending time with her daughter’s friends, and one day invited them to the house for a gettogether. “As I listened to them, I thought I knew her friends, but I didn’t know anything,” she recounted. Kids her daughter’s age were being recruited into gangs and failing school. Realizing she could help, Latiker sold the family TV to gather enough resources to start helping some kids with their homework. Soon enough, kids were coming over for more than homework.

“Eventually homeless kids started coming. At one point we had seventy-five kids in the house.”

Latiker would often get kids involved through sports and music. She recalled more than one kid would come over in order to play basketball and stay for the other things Latiker did, like mentorship and support. “Some of them needed help keeping the lights on in the house. There was a kid who would wear two to three hoodies in the wintertime, so we pulled together fifty or sixty dollars to buy him a coat,” she said. Sometimes that support was as simple as feeding them. “We were helping so they could focus on their education.”

At forty-six years old, Latiker quit her job and started going to meetings and researching on how to help the kids. She would stay at the alderman’s office so long they had to ask her to leave. At first, she couldn’t explain exactly what she was doing or why, either to herself or her family, who didn’t take to it. “My daughter would get mad,” Latiker recalled. “All her friends were in

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the house twenty-four hours a day, and she’d say, ‘Hey, I’m the baby, you’re my mom!’” Mothers from around the community would get upset with her when their kids came home and started saying “‘Well, Miss Diane told me I should do this’ and I would tell them, ‘No, don’t say that!’” she laughed.

With so many kids milling about inside and outside the house, the neighbors would call the police. And with kids from at least six different gangs coexisting inside the house, two gang leaders came to threaten her. At one point, her van was shot up.

When I asked why she kept it up, she said simply, “I quit every day.

When I found out that people in the community didn’t care about the kids and wanted them locked up...every day I woke up and said to myself, I’m done. We’ve lost young people to violence too, and it shreds your soul...that made me want to quit too.” After a pause, she added, “But then a kid would come in, saying how much it meant to be here, or how much it helped them... and I would remember why I did this.”

Eventually, Latiker began getting support, both from her family and outside sources. She partnered with Summer in the Streets, a “citywide collaborative to decrease violence among youth during Chicago’s summer months,” and has hosted ‘Feed a Teen’ every Thanksgiving for the past thirteen years, where she feeds over a hundred people, with kids she mentors bringing their family and friends. She was able to secure an office next door and used it for a few years, and plans to turn it into a technological entrepreneurship center, a place for kids to learn useful skills.

“There are still obstacles, even after sixteen years,” she added. During the budget crisis, state funding dried up. While she’s been able to gather enough money through fundraisers to buy the office building next door, the roof caved in three years ago, and she’s looking for funding for the rehab.

Latiker had to move everything back into the house where we sat for the interview, in a large welcoming space that included the kitchen, dining and living rooms, and an open bowl filled with Tootsie Rolls on the table. The walls were covered with frames containing pictures of kids and what seemed like an endless collection of awards and honors dedicated to the work she’s done over the years.

Like always, what drives her forward is the kids. She told me about Denzel Russell, now a senior at Fenger High School who just turned eighteen in August, and who she got to know a few years back. “He came from violence. He’s a shy man, he loves his family. He’s not in a gang but surrounded by them,” she explained. She showed me a video of Russell reading a poem that he wrote for her, in which he went over all the ways in which she’s been there for him and helped him succeed, and that he loved her. “This is why I do it...we are a small part in their lives, but that small part has excelled when they come out here.” (Adam Przybyl) Kids Off the Block, 11623 S. Michigan Ave. On November 23, 1pm–5pm, KOTB will be hosting ‘Feed a Teen’ across the street from the office. (773) 941-6864. kidsofftheblock.us

SOUTH CHICAGO Compiled By Eli Hoenig

LIZZIE SMITH

M

aryam and Ade Lala have lived in South Chicago for a decade and have owned and operated their restaurant, Southside African Restaurant, for four years. I sat with the two of them in the newly finished dining area of their restaurant to discuss their experiences in the neighborhood.

Maryam did most of the talking, so the words below are hers. Interview has been edited for clarity.

On 83rd and Baltimore, you know this street right here, everybody knows each other. The houses on the streets: the owners have been living here for years. When there’s a new neighbor around we’re going to know. It’s not like I know everybody by their names, but I know the faces, and most times when we barbecue, they stop by. There’s a lot of stuff to do: we barbecue outside, mostly Fridays. We’ll be out there until like ten. Some with kids, you know. People bring their kids so they run around and play while we just talk.

We’ve created a base for ourselves.

We meet [in the neighborhood] and it’s been like a family, since everyone is here like it’s their home. We look out for each other, it’s been impressive. Let me give you an example: if people are arguing, you’ll have neighbors come out and ask “Are you good, are you good?” Some of them, before we wake up and if it snows in the middle of the night, [will] shovel before we’re awake.

We moved [to South Chicago] in 2009, and [the neighborhood] is calming down. It’s been kinda hot this summer, there’s been a lot—but it’s nice. If more businesses opened around the community, it’s going to calm it down [even more]. When we started [the restaurant] our landlord wasn’t doing it for the money, you know, because he was doing okay. It’s been so nice, it’s been fair.

Sometimes when I go out and people ask me what I do, I say I own a

restaurant on the South Side. They ask what restaurant and I say Southside African Restaurant. They’re like, “Ohhh, I’ve been hearing about that place, that’s the most peaceful place on the South Side.” We have American friends, we have Mexican friends. If Americans came down and saw us barbecue…I wish they could come out and see how we celebrate. It’s not like the guys don’t fight; they fight now but the next moment you see them talking again.

So they may beat each other up but the next moment you seem them talking with each other. That’s how it is here, that’s just the atmosphere. You come right now, everything is peaceful. After work everyone just comes here to chill. Some are going to bring cases of beer, you know, it’s just peaceful like that.

I know there are people that look at us like we are foreigners, making money off their land. People feel like that but I want to make people understand that we are family. Where we come from, if we have an issue with someone we throw the punches, but we put the weapons on the ground. The ones that understand us, we are friends. (As told to Eli Hoenig)

BEST POINT FARTHEST FROM A PUBLIC ROAD

The Calumet Breakwater

The site of the closed-down U.S. Steel South Works plant is comprised of two regions, divided cleanly by a canal connecting the shuttered steel plant to Lake Michigan. Steelworkers Park lies south of the canal, boasting wellmaintained landscaping and an array of walking trails and historical sites.

The north side of the canal is fallow land; abandoned by the Chicago Park District, Park No. 566 continues to grow wild. It also holds the Calumet SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 63

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Breakwater, a mile-long jetty that pierces far into Lake Michigan, then turns south to cross the state line into Indiana.

On stormy days, the waves splash freely onto the jetty, making walking on the concrete barrier a perilous endeavor and, simply put, a very bad decision. When the weather is calm, however, and the breakwater is not absorbing the blows of the lake—U.S. Steel constructed the barrier to protect their factory from the throes of Lake Michigan—you can easily walk the length of the jetty, all the way to the modest light tower at the tip. Along the way, you will enjoy views of downtown, a clear view of the remaining heavy industry in the area, and a unique feeling of isolation from the city.

After walking a few hundred yards into the lake, occasionally picking your way through patches of uneven stone, you’ll have reached a very special point in the city, the significance of which was discovered by statistician and explorer Eric Potash. Separated from traffic by acres of undeveloped park land, in addition to the portion of the lake now between you and the shoreline, you’ll have reached the point in Chicago farthest from a public road.

To arrive at the Calumet Breakwater, you’ll turn left at the intersection of 85th St. and Lake Shore Drive, turning away from the center of South Chicago towards the lake. It is easy to bike along an old service road adjacent to the canal. The canal is enclosed by concrete siding on which a concerned citizen has spray-painted in large block letters SAFETY FIRST. Keep this sound advice in the front of your mind, as this part of the park is not technically open to the public and I know little of its potential dangers. After riding the length of the canal, you’ll reach the lake shore, which is covered by tall grass and shrubbery in the summer but is bare in colder months. The breakwater, lying at the entrance of the canal, is impossible to miss. (Eli Hoenig) Calumet Breakwater, E. 85th St. & S. Lake Shore Dr.

northern and quiet tip of Commercial Avenue, is owned and operated solely by three members of a single family. Upon entering the restaurant, which is dominated by kitchen space and holds no more than five booths, I was immediately greeted with genuine enthusiasm by Linda, the owner and taco chef. I ordered at the counter, glancing at the menu written in Spanish posted on the wall, but mostly going by Linda’s recommendation. I should get the Super Taco, of course, she emphasized with equal enthusiasm as her initial greeting. This dish is easily the most popular in El Jacalito, and for good reason.

I considered briefly trying the gordita or satisfying my vegetarian inclinations with the veggie taco. After all, Janette, Linda’s daughter and perhaps the one who interfaces with customers most easily and frequently, assured me that their vegetarian options are excellent and include an assortment of vegetables, rice, beans, and cheese. Eventually, however, I followed Linda’s recommendation and ordered, then promptly and happily consumed their steak stuffed specialty. With more marinated meat than I had eaten in the past year, the Super Taco was as filling as Linda advertised—very—but the best part of the experience was easily the tortilla, large and robust enough to hold a mountain of peppers and steak without breaking. Yet so much more than a vessel, El Jacalito’s tortillas are thick, chewy and full of flavor, most likely enhanced by the juices soaked up from the skillet Linda cooked it on just minutes earlier. After tasting the true El Jacalito tortilla, I’m not sure I will ever happily eat the grocery store version again. (Eli Hoenig) El Jacalito, 8465 S. Commercial Ave. Monday–Friday, 9:30am–5:30pm; Saturday, 9:30am–4:30pm; closed Sunday. (773) 954-6961.

BEST ROCK-CLIMBING ON AN ABANDONED STEEL PLANT

Rock-climbing wall in Steelworkers Park

LIZZIE SMITH

BEST FRSHLY FRIED TORTILLA

El Jacalito

El Jacalito has no identifying sign: only the faux-neon writing spelling “open” in the front window explicitly marks it as a business. I could discern the storefront’s identity easily, however, by its distinct yellow and blue paint job and the smell of rich handmade tacos emanating through the grated windows onto the sidewalk. This lunch-oriented taqueria, located at the 64 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

¬ SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

The final remnants of the U.S. Steel South Works plant, two pairs of thirtyfoot-tall concrete barriers, run for a half a mile from the coast of Lake Michigan along Steelworkers Park. When the factory was operational, these ore walls stored unprocessed iron and limestone; now they enclose dense wildlife (according to the Tribune, 200 native bird species) untouched by human traffic. In 2018, however, the Chicago Parks District installed rockclimbing features on the outer face of the ore wall abutting the park, allowing humans to officially, in an entirely new manner, utilize the walls once more.

(Read more about their history in the Far Southeast Side section of this issue.)

The climbing features are comprised of a dense array of artificial holds— like those found in an indoor climbing gym—along with two wooden structures that create forty-five and ninety-degree overhangs. The experienced rock-climber will need to get creative to challenge themselves, as the official routes only reach a 5.7 difficulty rating, according to REI’s online journal— there is, for example, a naturally formed crack running to the top of the wall that is more difficult than the established routes.

For a creative climber, or someone new to the sport, the ore walls will easily provide a morning’s worth of entertainment. I was the only climber present on a summer Saturday afternoon, so the chances of being the sole climber appear high. The Parks District installed a set of auto-belays, but

SOUTH CHICAGO

they are padlocked and only open for official climbing days, which based on the very limited information publicly available have so far only occurred during the summer months (ending Labor Day). Still, the facility has plenty of structures for top-roping; for the more experienced it has built-in bolts for lead-climbing; and with a soft wood-chip patch below the wall, the ore wall is also highly suitable for bouldering.

After tiring myself out on the wall, I was able to walk around Steelworkers Park—worthy of a visit on its own. Directly on the lakefront, the park is well maintained with gently curving gravel paths, shaded grassy spots for picnics or catnaps, and a bronze statue of a steelworker’s family created by the local artist Roman Villarreal. I was also able to climb up a decaying part of the ore wall, the top of which provides an expansive view of the lake and the steeple of St. Michael the Archangel, a towering catholic church in South Shore. I was also able to gaze down on the dense wildlife between the ore walls, uncaring and unaffected by the developments on its southern front.

(Eli Hoenig)

ing, the cooks happily accommodate vegetarians, for whom options include okra soup, jollof rice and, if you call ahead, a specially prepared efo riro (vegetable stew). Their meat selection is, however, quite spectacular. Extending beyond their minimalist menu, they serve dishes ranging from beef, chicken and tilapia to goat, cow skin and turkey gizzard. For those looking for a simple rice dish, or the more adventurous who care to try something like the plantain and chicken gizzard stew, Southside African will stretch your pallet while simultaneously providing a taste of South Chicago hospitality.

(Eli Hoenig) Southside African Restaurant, 8311 S. Baltimore Ave. Monday–Friday, 10am– 10pm; Saturday, 10am–11pm; closed Sunday. (872) 666-5588.

Ore walls at Steelworkers Park, E. 87th St. & S. Lake Shore Dr. 6am–11pm, daily. (312) 720-0940. chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/steelworkers-park

THE BEST PLANTAIN AND ANY-MEAT-YOU’D-LIKE STEW

Southside African Restaurant

The boundaries of Southside African Restaurant are defined less by any formal seating area, but instead by where customers, employees and friends decide to stay and make conversation. Arriving at this Nigerian restaurant, you’ll inevitably find a cluster of people hanging about in the parking lot or on the sidewalk, chatting over their food or just enjoying each other’s company. As a result, Southside African serves as more than just a restaurant; it is a gathering place for many in the neighborhood, a self-defined peaceful place that also serves amazing food.

Southside African inhabits a previously unoccupied building on the very north side of South Chicago. According to Lala, who owns the restaurant with his partner Maryam, up until the ‘90s it held Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant, traces of which are still present in the current setup. A plexiglass window, for example, separates the customer from the kitchen and the server taking orders. Many patrons order food to go, but the ones who stay sit in a long and narrow room reminiscent of a train car, with two columns of small booth-like tables set up parallel to each other on either wall. Lala and Maryam just this week finished preparing additional seating that will be a more conventional and spacious dining area. They hope the additional room will be not only a place to eat, but also a space for parties and events.

When ordering, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the culinary options: much of the menu presumes some familiarity with Nigerian cooking and, as I learned, many options aren’t explicitly written down. I turned to Maryam, who was working the counter at the time, for recommendations. A friendly customer walking through the restaurant added his opinion, then so did the next person in line for food, turning the ordering process into a lesson on the varieties of Nigerian dinner options.

As Lala emphasizes, their cooking is authentic Nigerian cuisine, the same food he’s been eating his entire life; they do not compromise for an American customer base. The jollof rice is infused with a smoky and spicy flavor, relying on a rich palm oil coating to give it a burnt orange color. Although the kitchen has a heavy emphasis on meat, typical of Nigerian cookSEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 65

SOUTH LOOP Compiled by Jasmine Mithani & Carly Graf LIZZIE SMITH

BEST PLACE FOR FEMINISTS

BEST HANGOVER CURE

Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens

Manny’s Cafeteria & Delicatessen

In an otherwise bustling part of Chicago’s downtown-adjacent South Loop neighborhood, the roughly three acres of the Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens provide a peaceful respite for those looking for a break from the hustle while paying tribute to some of the city’s most influential women.

The park’s centerpiece is a large iron fountain surrounded by a winding path that, according to the website, is meant to represent how a woman “moves in and out of traditional boundaries and roles through the course of her life.” Two Chicago women, landscape architect Mimi McKay and architect Tannys Langdon, designed the park itself. It features a monument to Jane Addams, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and social activist from Chicago.

The granite sculpture depicts hands supporting one another and, according to the artist, is meant to represent the work Addams did to support the diverse range of people and communities she helped. (Carly Graf )

Walking into Manny’s feels like walking into a Chicago time capsule: blackand-white photos, newspaper clippings, and retro menus line the walls. A member of the Raskin family, the founding owners, is almost always there to greet customers. The Raskins have been dishing out delicious Jewish deli food to Chicagoans for seventy-five years, and they’ve been in this location on Jefferson Street since 1964. The menu reflects that same history. It’s simple, with a special focus on classic dishes like corned beef, challah French toast, and their famous matzo brei, all of which can be piled high on your plate as you make your way through the cafeteria line. One word of caution: wear stretchy pants, and prepare to leave stuffed. (Carly Graf )

Chicago Women’s Park and Gardens. Every day, 6am–9pm. bit.ly/ChiWomensPark 66 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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Manny’s Cafeteria & Delicatessen. 1141 S. Jefferson St. Sunday and Monday, 7am–3pm; Tuesday–Saturday, 7am–8pm. $7–$18. (312)-939-2855. mannysdeli.com

SOUTH LOOP

BEST PLACE TO UPGRADE YOUR KITCHENWARE

Barbara’s Basement

LIZZIE SMITH

BEST BLUEBERRY SCONE

Tea Pot Brew Bakery

For the most part, the fine art of tea is lost on me. I’m a coffee head. So when I stumbled into Tea Pot Brew Bakery, I wasn’t really paying attention. I just wanted a cup of coffee and had been meaning to stop at the cute little gray-colored corner bakery with the indigo logo, where I had noticed people always sitting al fresco on warm sunny days. Once inside, everything delighted me right away. I enjoyed seeing a destination owned and operated by a Black family that offers an array of fine teas, including classic varieties like Earl Grey and English Breakfast alongside exotic blends like Cinnamon Plum and Turmeric Mango, combined with fresh baked goods prepared from scratch. Though most visit for a favorite tea served hot or iced, with over thirty to choose from, Tea Pot Brew Bakery also brews a pretty good cup of coffee too. And the place smells like your grandma’s kitchen—the grandma who can bake, not the other grandma! If you do anything before you leave the planet you must have their blueberry scone. Get it warmed for a fluffy melt-in-your-mouth sensation that is the perfect balance of sweetness with an actual blueberry in every single bite.

If scones aren’t your cup of tea, there is something that will be, and it’s baked fresh onsite in small batches all throughout the day, I learned from the friendly staff who who helped me. The selection of baked goods varies and things sell out fast. If you can’t get the life changing blueberry scone on your visit, other notable delights are the berry coffee cake and the citrus pound cake. And check this out—anything left over at the end of the day gets donated to the local shelter. Waste not, want not! Tea Pot Brew Bakery also has an extraordinary selection of flavored syrups. For an additional fifty cents add in a splash of rose, or tiramisu, or South Seas—a decadent blend of mango, guava, and ginger. Got a morning staff meeting or need midday snacks for the office? Check out their full catering menu of assorted trays and platters. I’ll be back. (Nicole Bond)

Barbara’s Basement, also known as The Second Time Around, is logically located in the basement of the historic Second Presbyterian Church at Cullerton and Michigan. During the summer, the secondhand store extends its hours to complement the South Loop Farmers Market, hosted in the church’s parking lot. Take advantage of this for the next few weeks, as normally Barbara’s Basement is only open eight hours a week.

When you wander into the entrance in the church’s parking lot, you descend a level of stairs to find a narrow, low-ceilinged room filled with planters, glassware, kitchen appliances, and other trinkets. Browse a small, high-quality selection of coats, check out the handmade jewelry, and stock up on full sets of multicolored glassware. With most pieces under two dollars, you have plenty of bandwidth to make your kitchen gleam with crystal. ( Jasmine Mithani) Barbara’s Basement, 1936 S. Michigan Ave. Tuesday and Saturday, 10am–1pm; Thursday, 4pm–8pm; after services on Sunday, noon–2pm. Through September 26.

BEST WEEKDAY STEAL

Reggies Music Joint

For a performance venue that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this thrasher-meets-indie dive bar is the place to be. It’s perfect for the folks who don’t think life ends when the work week hits, offering a regular lineup of entertainment—bingo, open mics, and musical acts are a few of the offerings— alongside food specials Monday through Thursday and drink specials every day of the week. Go on Mondays for one-dollar tacos and half-price drafts, or Wednesdays for six-dollar margaritas and Long Island iced teas. If the deals don’t tempt you, the menu is filled with comfort-food-inspired dishes that somehow don’t make you feel gross after eating them. The “Veggie Burger en Fuego” with buffalo sauce and melted mozzarella is an exceptionally good opening act to whatever concert you’re planning to see. (Carly Graf ) Reggies Music Joint, 2105 S. State St. Sunday–Friday, 11am–2am; Saturday, 11am–3am. Kitchen open Sunday–Thursday, 11am–11:30pm; Friday–Saturday, 11am–11:30pm. (312) 949-0120. reggieslive.com

Tea Pot Brew Bakery, 1802 S. Wabash Ave. Open Monday–Friday, 7am–4pm; Saturday and Sunday, 8am–3pm. (312) 966-6001. teapotbrewbakery.com

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SOUTH SHORE Compiled by Clare McCloskey

ALLIX ROGERS

BEST LIBERATION FROM THE CONFINES OF CONSTRUCTION

Builders of the Cultural Present Mural

On the northeast corner of 71st and Jeffery, the Jeffery Jump bus collects and drops passengers in front of a 1,000 square foot mural called “Builders of the Cultural Present.” Constructed in 1981 and restored in 2001, artists Mitchell Caton and Calvin Jones’s design is “a celebration of cultural heritage of black culture, in the fields of health, performing and visual arts, and then in literature,” according to Steve Weaver, the executive director of the Chicago Public Art Group, the organization behind the 2001 restoration.

In the mural, contemporary and historic cultural and scientific leaders from the neighborhood and South Side, such as Gwendolyn Brooks, are depicted across three panels alongside traditional African symbols, such as the Ghanian Adinkra symbol gye nyame (“fear none but God”) to show how a people shape and are shaped by their cultural heritage. The panels are diagonally slanted to the right, creating a sense of motion, as if the mural itself is continuing to shape and be shaped by its cultural heritage. Indicating the mural, and thereby the people it represents, cannot be contained by the confines of its construction.

It’s been eighteen years since CPAG’s 2001 restoration, and Weaver says the mural is due for another. “We’re just looking for someone who would be willing to help bring the mural back to life and restore this wonderful cultural asset of the neighborhood,” he said. (Clare McCloskey) Builders of The Cultural Present, northeast corner of E. 71st St. and S. Jeffery Blvd. Those interested in helping to restore the mural are encouraged to contact the Chicago Public Art Group through their website, cpag.net 68 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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SOUTH SHORE

BEST PRAIRIE SCHOOL ARCHITECTURE

Allan Miller House With its deep, overhanging eaves and striking horizontal design, the Allan Miller House stands out from its neighbors on this block of Paxton Avenue.

Given its visual similarities to the Robie House in Hyde Park, even an experienced architecture fan might guess that the house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. This wouldn’t be entirely inaccurate; the architect, John S. Van Bergen, studied under Wright for a year and practiced a similar style.

As the only surviving example of Van Bergen’s work in Chicago, however, the house reflects a unique moment in the evolution of Prairie School architecture.

Many architectural historians write off Van Bergen as a minor contributor, merely an understudy and imitator of Wright. In part, this is because a tragic wildfire consumed Van Bergen’s California home in 1964, destroying most of the records of his career. Local historian Martin Hackl has written the definitive (and only) book on Van Bergen’s career, painting a fascinating portrait of an under-appreciated architect.

Van Bergen grew up in Oak Park, and developed an interest in architecture when two new houses were built in his neighborhood, one across the street and another next door. These strange new buildings, with their horizontal lines and leaded glass windows, looked nothing like anything else in the neighborhood. Van Bergen’s conservative parents scoffed at the eccentric stylings of this young Wisconsin architect named Frank Lloyd Wright, but the teenage Van Bergen was fascinated. In January 1909, a few years after graduating from high school, he began working under Wright as a draftsman. Despite his age and inexperience, Wright trusted Van Bergen to oversee construction on some of his best-known designs, including the Robie House.

By 1911, he had earned his architect’s license and established his own flourishing practice, and would take on at least thirty-six commissions and projects between 1911 and 1917. He remained close with Wright, taking several trips to Taliesin, Wright’s Wisconsin estate. This relationship is evident in the buildings he constructed at the time, including the Allan Miller House, which skew more closely to Wright’s than Van Bergen’s later works.

After serving in World War I, Van Bergen moved to Highland Park, then further north near Barrington. He eventually retired to California, where he died in 1969. Many of his designs still stand, with distinct clusters around Oak Park, Highland Park, and Barrington, as well as a few in Santa Barbara.

His Chicago buildings, however, were either demolished—such as a shiplike building with round windows and a smokestack chimney he designed for the Chicago Yacht Club—or, like his planned boathouse and pavilion in Columbus Park, simply never built.

The sole remaining example is the Allan Miller House, built in 1915, which is one of the best-preserved examples of his work. The house was commissioned by Allan Miller, an advertising executive, on a lot selected by his wife Helen, who admired a large willow tree on the property. The Millers, however, did not stay in the house long; Allan Miller died in a hunting accident, and his wife and daughters moved out in 1923. Eric Allix Rogers, who works for the Chicago Architecture Foundation, uncovered a classified listing from 1923 that highlights the house’s location in the “best part of the South Shore district.” The house was sold again in 1932 and again in 1936, when it was listed for $17,500—or $325,000 in today’s money, a massive sum at the height of the Great Depression.

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The house boasts the low horizontal lines, flat roof, and overhanging eaves characteristic of the Prairie School. The design is intended to evoke the flat landscapes of the prairie, integrating the building with the natural landscape. Wright believed that “the prairie has a beauty of its own and we should recognize and accentuate the natural beauty, its quiet level.” In the Midwest, making a house that seemed to grow out of its surrounding required the long, low designs that have come to be synonymous with Wright.

The house has a unique, T-shaped plan. The open interior is based on Wright’s “Fireproof House for $5,000,” but the house is on a lot three times as wide as the standard Chicago residential lot. With seventy-five feet to work with, Van Bergen added an enclosed side porch to Wright’s original design.

With windows on three sides and French doors connecting the porch to the rest of the house, the porch serves a dual purpose: expanding the living space and bringing more light into the house. The exterior is covered in unpainted, earth-colored stucco and brown wood, a naturalistic touch characteristic of Van Bergen’s style.

The interior of the house retains many of its historic charms, including patterned-leaded windows, pearl-embedded light switches, and custom wood-carved light fixtures in the living room. The open interior floor plan and dark wood trim, both typical of the Prairie School, serve to create a sense of open space inside the house, while the tall windows in the stairwell—a feature of Van Bergen’s designs—brings light into the home. One interior feature, however, never made it into the final product: Van Bergen wanted a moat around the fireplace, a feature in a few Frank Lloyd Wright designs, but the Millers shot down this proposal.

The house has won some recognition, being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and designated a Chicago Landmark in 1993. These awards reflect the fact that the house is rare among its contemporaries, a Prairie School house that has survived to the present virtually unaltered. Described as a “time capsule” that “can still be viewed as its architect intended” in its NRHP registration, the Allan Miller House preserves a unique moment in both the life of a noteworthy architect and an influential period in Chicago architectural history. (Sam Joyce)

Blackstone Bicycle Works Blackstone Bicycle Works Weekly Bike Sale Weekly Bike Sale Every Saturday at 10am Every Saturday at 10am Wide selection of refurbished bikes!

(most are between $120 &bikes! $250) Widebikes selection of refurbished (most bikes are between $120 & $250) Blackstone Bicycle Works is a bustling community bike shop that each year empowers over 200 boys andcommunity girls from bike Chicago’s Blackstone Bicycle Works is a bustling shop that south mechanical business each side—teaching year empowers them over 200 boys andskills, girls job fromskills, Chicago’s literacy and how to become responsibleskills, community members. south side—teaching them mechanical job skills, businessIn our year-round ‘earn and learn’ youth program, participants earn literacy and how to become responsible community members.

In bicycles and accessories forlearn’ theiryouth work in the shop.

In addition, our our year-round ‘earn and program, participants earn bicycles and accessories fortutoring, their work in the shop.

In addition, youths receive after-school mentoring, internships andour youths receive after-school tutoring, mentoring, internships and externships, college and career advising, and scholarships. externships, college and career advising, and scholarships.

Hours Hours - Friday 1pm - 6pm Tuesday 1pm- -5pm 6pm Tuesday - Friday10am Saturday 10am - 5pm Saturday (773) 241 5458 (773) 241 5458 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. 6100 S. IL Blackstone Chicago, 60637 Ave. Chicago, IL 60637

A PROGRAM OF A PROGRAM OF

Allan Miller House, 7121 S. Paxton Ave. Private house.

BEST PLACE FOR CONVERSATION

South Shore Brew

Hours

“I’ve seen lots of different people: politicians, artists, entrepreneurs, engaged community members...something about the space allows for unique connections,” said Giovanni Mwesigwa, who has been working at South Shore Brew since earlier this summer. I couldn’t agree more. As the smooth tunes of Daniel Caesar drifted through the space, people talked in pairs in what seemed like genuine, intimate conversations. The shape of the coffeeshop, on the corner, with windows facing the entrance to the South Shore Cultural Center, added to the sense that we were part of the life around us.

South Shore Brew opened up earlier this year in the winter after some delays. Jennifer and Cory Barnes are the owners and are both involved in running the coffeeshop. Jennifer, whose family is from South Shore, said that Cory is the tactician and inventory master while she’s more of the visionary. They have kept both their jobs as educators—Cory is the program coordinator for the Black Cultural Center at DePaul, while Jennifer, a former CPS teacher, coaches leadership teams at the Achievement Network.

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Jennifer said that one of the key ideas behind South Shore Brew was to be an asset to what was already there, rather than pushing any businesses out, or competing. One way they’re doing that is by being an event-space for the community—South Shore Brew regularly hosts book clubs and birthday parties, and Jennifer wants to move forward with finding a resident artist.

In addition to standard coffee fare, South Shore Brew offers several kinds of paninis and has a few vegetarian options too. (Adam Przybyl) South Shore Brew, 7101 S. Yates Blvd. 6:30am–4:30pm, everyday. (224) 6509329. southshorebrewchicago.com

WAS H I N GTO N H E I G HT S & BRAINERD Compiled by Janaya Greene

AV BENFORD

Dr. Marlo Barnett believes in serving her community and giving back to the education field. Currently, Dr. Barnett is a teacher with Chicago Public Schools. She also sits on the Northern Illinois Alumni Association’s board of directors. An advocate for equity and diversity in computer science, Dr. Barnett is Vice President of the non-profit Computer Science for Illinois and serves as Vice President for the Chicago chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA).

T

he neighbors were always the Best of the South Side in the Auburn Gresham, Brainerd, and Washington Heights communities where I grew up. Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, almost every community had block clubs and block club parties. My grandparents used to be the presidents of the block club in my neighborhood. I remember neighbors attending meetings, and planning the block club parties. These events helped stabilize our communities and made us all family. As president of the 96th & Racine block club in the 21st Ward, my grandmother would advocate for our streets and parks to be maintained and cleaned.

Every year, one of our neighborhood customs was giving gifts to the garbage men on National Garbage Man Day. My grandparents would always provide cold beverages for them on their route.

Over the years some things have changed. The fluctuation of neighbors moving in and out—due to crime, violence, lack of resources and high taxes—has had a tremendous impact on the strong block club committees, once the pillars of the neighborhood.

But there is hope, with people like myself and others that choose to work in and see these communities and their block clubs become the vibrant centers of the neighborhood again.

This past August, for the first time in over twenty-five years, I attended the block club party in my old neighborhood. Some of the neighbors from when I was a child are still living there. I was overfilled with joy to see my daughters jump rope and play in the streets as I once did. I began to talk to some of the new neighbors, and I listened. They want the same things that the previous generation of residents wanted for us: education, opportunity, family, and fun.

I don’t know what’s in the future for our communities, but my neighbors and I are full of hope. If we’re willing to put in the work, we can rebuild strong block club committees that can become once again pillars of the community.

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WASHINGTON HEIGHTS & BRAINERD

BEST NAIL SALON

BEST CENTRALLY LOCATED PARK

Nails Today

Oakdale Park

Expect a wait if you’re trying to get your nails done at Nails Today on 95th & Ashland, but don’t expect a disappointing paint job. Located off of a busaccessible corner and with prices much more reasonable than other salons on the South Side, the wait can be expected. There’s no need for a list to track the order of customers, one that’s actually to be used, of course. Whichever manicurist is closest to the door remembers the orders of customers with ease.

Surprisingly, quality does not lack at this salon either. Customers will always have their favorite manicurist—preference doesn’t always mean picky—yet and still customers typically walk away with a smile at Nails Today. Whether you’re getting a pedicure, acrylic set, or getting your eyebrows threaded, a self-care day at Nails Today is worth the wait. ( Janaya Greene) Nails Today, 1546 W. 95th St. Monday–Saturday, 10am–8pm; Sunday, noon– 4:30pm. (773) 238-6822.

Growing up playing in Oakdale Park made me the Chicagoan I am today.

I spent countless summers swimming in the community pool and begging my mom to let me stay extra late at camp so I could get in again. The huge green grass space served as home to all of our relay races and touch football matches. Across from Oakdale stood a building filled with all of your favorite snacks. You could step right off the basketball court into the doors of what I believe was the greatest candy store in Chicago. I always got a bag of Hot Krunchy Kurls with cheese, a Lemonade Pure Delight, a Cosmic Brownie, and a mixed bag of Frooties. To this day, I can't think of a better snack combination. (The building is now, unfortunately, a car wash.)

Beyond the scenery Oakdale has to offer, this park remains the first place where I was able to call friends family. All of my "play cousins" became so from friendships I was able to begin building in this park. Although small, the Oakdale Fieldhouse is where I first learned how to play Uno with special rules and participate in Connect 4 tournaments. So much of what I consider to be community comes from my experiences in Oakdale Park. I'm grateful to have grown up here in the park with the cousins I made and the family environment it offered me. (Kilo Smith) Oakdale Park, 965 W. 95th St. Park hours: 6am–11pm, daily. Fieldhouse hours: 10:30am–7pm, Monday–Friday; closed weekends. (312) 747-6569. chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/oakdale-park

BEST ACTIVE INTERSECTION F R A N K L LOY D W R I G H T T R U S T ’S

Enjoy drinks and live music at UNESCO World Heritage site Robie House Friday evenings, October 4 – November 22 5757 S. Woodlawn (on the University of Chicago campus)

D E TA I L S A N D T I C K E TS : F LW R I G H T. O R G

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

G A T E WAY

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312.994.4000

C H I C A G O

95th & Dan Ryan

The first Red Line station I remember had an east and west terminal. After arriving to the terminal on my way home from school, my favorite thing to get from the candy store on the main floor was chocolate-covered honey buns and hot O-Ke-Doke popcorn with a watermelon-flavored Arizona iced tea. I would wait for my bus on the eastern terminal, where the buses headed west from 95th Street. The intersection smelled of Polish sausages from Jim’s.

After school, students with friends or family would go to McDonald’s for a quick bite on the west side, or to Cosmo’s Beauty Mart for beauty supply items. Now the building is a Family Dollar.

Midway through high school, repair on the train tracks halted the station’s use and passengers had to take an express bus to the Garfield station to travel between 55th and 95th street—at no charge, the shuttle wasn’t necessarily unwelcome. Over time, the Mobil gas station on the eastern side closed, as did the Jim’s fast-food joint, though another Chicago-style Maxwell Street stands in the shadows of the McDonald’s.

Most recently, the station has seen a full transformation, with a DJ booth, visual art displays, and north and south terminals with a pedestrian bridge connecting the two. Throughout the process, the constant changing of bus locations was chaos; as goes the station, goes the surrounding intersection. Passengers have even expressed feeling like CTA administrators haven’t done enough to ask them what they wanted for the station, proving yet again that the only constant on the CTA is change. ( Janaya Greene) CTA 95th/Dan Ryan Red Line Station, 14 W. 95th St. Open 24/7. transitchicago.com/station/95th

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS & BRAINERD

BEST RESEARCH COLLECTION

Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection

AV BENFORD

BEST FAST FOOD JOINT

Tony’s Original Philly Steaks & Wings Whether you're a student at the Loomis-Longwood campus of Chicago International Charter School across the street or transferring buses nearby at 95th and Ashland, Tony's Original Philly Steaks offers a variety of quick bites that’ll hold you over during your journey and after you arrive at your destination. Upon entry to the bright yellow food shack, you’ll find a mostly empty floor to the left, with five tables around the perimeter—one of which usually has someone with a mini DVD player, selling copies of the latest movies in theaters. The TV will typically play the news, as it does at most joints like it in the city.

The farther end of the building houses the kitchen area where customers walk up to the register and give their orders. My go-to is a Chicken Philly Dinner: a sandwich with buttered french bread, chicken, provolone cheese, onions, peppers, and more, with a side of hard-fried fries. The buttered bread is my favorite and sets the sandwich apart. Popular orders amongst my high school neighbors were catfish dinners and large trays of fried chicken for medium-sized events with lots of people or for a household that needed to settle dinner for the coming nights in advance.

While other businesses nearby have come and gone, Tony’s has proved a delicious staple in Brainerd, with no long waits and reliable taste. ( Janaya Greene)

It’s hard to miss the sculpture at the heart of the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection Reading Room in Woodson Regional Library. A brass and bronze behemoth, it consists of two pieces: one sits in the center of the atrium, and the other hangs from the rafters directly above, a twisting, flowing slab of metal with an undulating ladder. The artwork is called “Jacob’s Ladder,” by artist Richard Hunt, and depicts the biblical stairway to heaven with the two halves reaching toward each other across a still unbridged stretch of open air.

Bridging that gap is the aim of the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection, the largest collection of Black history and literature in the Midwest, which houses nearly 4,000 linear feet of archival and manuscript collections, 70,000 books, thousands of reels of microfilm, and 500 periodical titles. Teachers across the Midwest come to learn how to incorporate primary sources into their classes, and researchers from all over the country come to use the archives, which include original manuscripts and papers from the likes of Richard Wright and Timuel Black.

The collection is named after Vivian Gordon Harsh, the first Black librarian in Chicago, who started the collection in the 1920s while facing pushback from Chicago Public Library (CPL) administrators. In 1932, when Harsh was named head librarian at the newly opened Hall branch library in Bronzeville, her collection became the “Special Negro Collection” there. Eventually the expanding archive was moved to the new Woodson Regional library in 1975.

The collection has a spacious and comfortable reading room, where patrons go for a quiet place to do work or to look through materials not available for check out at other branch locations, such as the only two copies of Margaret Burroughs’s autobiography in the CPL system. The collection also contains an exhibition space, currently used to display an exhibit on the Black Panthers and their depiction in the media that uses many visual artifacts. The rotating exhibits provide an opportunity to showcase items from the collection that give a taste of what the full archives have to offer.

The collection currently has only two archivists, which can prove to be challenging when it comes to keeping up with all the unprocessed items still needing to be indexed. But the challenge is a welcome one for the librarians who work there. “It’s almost like being a detective, because you don’t know what you’re going to find,” said a Harsh archivist, adding that the history in the archives taught people that “you don’t need to be well known to be a community activist. We all have a part to play.” (Tammy Xu) Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection at the Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, 9525 S. Halsted St. Monday–Thursday, 10am–8pm; Saturday, 10am–4pm; closed Friday and Sunday. (312) 745-2080. chipublib.org/vivian-g-harsh-research-collection

Tony’s Original Philly Steaks & Wings, 1400 W. 95th St. Monday, 10am–10pm; Tuesday–Thursday, 10:30am–10pm; Friday–Saturday, 10:30am–10:45pm; closed Sunday. Under $10. (773) 233-6200.

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WASHINGTON PARK & WOODLAWN Compiled by Erica Mosely

LIZZIE SMITH

O

ne single question seemed to loom over this part of town during election season: What exactly is at stake in Washington Park and Woodlawn? One word: progress, and even more progress just around the corner! Okay, fine—that was more like nine words. But with the Obama Library potentially slated to break ground in 2020 and Tiger Woods’s golf course restoration project in Jackson and South Shore Parks gaining steam, stakeholders both inside and outside of this community (far outside, like not even in the Chicago city limits) have been keeping a close watch over the two neighborhoods. These changes may seem to be the long drink of water that a lot of our South Side communities have been in desperate search of for quite a while. But there’s also a lot more buzz these days about the community’s appetite for community benefits agreements and more rent control to keep those who call Washington Park and Woodlawn home actually in their homes.

Some say that progress in the city of Chicago migrates from the north to the south. If you take a look around at all that’s happening in Washington Park and Woodlawn, many would argue that without a doubt it is these South Side neighborhoods’ turn at bat.

Community groups such as Woodlawn Summit and the Washington Park Chamber of Commerce know a lot about the rising interest in the South Side and have formed coalitions led by residents and local business owners to attract and support new businesses and provide amenities for dining and social activities. Many throughout the city have discovered that South Side communities provide spacious homes and apartments for a fraction of the price of properties on the North Side of the city, and that’s a huge draw for

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those who have recently converted to South Side living. Access to beautiful green spaces and parks, major expressways (Lake Shore Drive and the Dan Ryan), along with the proximity to downtown and Lake Michigan make both Washington Park and Woodlawn wonderful communities to work, live, and play in.

This year’s grueling Chicago aldermanic elections should have given some indication of the greatness tucked away in these South Side communities, too. The 20th Ward, which includes both Washington Park and Woodlawn, said goodbye to embattled Alderman Willie Cochran after more than fifteen candidates duked it out over issues such as safer streets, bringing in employment opportunities, protecting low-income housing, and community investment. Community activist Jeanette Taylor, who anchored her campaign on retaining affordable housing, emerged as the winner. The aldermanic race in the 5th Ward, which includes parts of Woodlawn, included few contenders, including prominent figures such as Will Calloway, a Black Lives Matter activist most notable for exposing the shooting of Laquan McDonald, and brought issues like police brutality to the forefront. Incumbent Leslie Hairston was able to retain her throne as 5th Ward alderman and usher in her sixth term (after more than 20 years in office!).

But when you see new restaurants (and older restaurants getting new homes), yoga studios, and artist lofts springing up in and around major corridors like Garfield Boulevard and Stony Island Avenue, it’s enough to make those living and breathing Washington Park and Woodlawn every day smile a little brighter—just not without some concern about what the days, weeks, and years ahead will actually bring. (Erica Mosely)

WASHINGTON PARK & WOODLAWN

BEST SHRIMP AND CHEESE GRITS YOU’VE NEVER HAD

Peach’s at Currency Exchange Café

If you need another reason to fall in love with Chicago’s South Side, bake time into your schedule one of these days to indulge in a meal at Peach’s at Currency Exchange Café. This brunch spot is Chef Cliff Rome’s spinoff location from his flagship restaurant, Peach’s in Bronzeville, which opened in 2015. Regulars will be quick to tell you that the restaurant’s shrimp and cheese grits are by far one of the crowd pleasers. Creamy, piping hot grits are made to order, blended to perfection with garlic cheese sauce, and topped with pork bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, and scallions—a hearty dish of comfort food. If you want a little more yummy goodness on your plate, be sure to order the French toast or one of the tasty sides, along with a flavor-infused coffee or drink. If that’s not enough to love, Peach’s at Currency Exchange Café’s retro lunch counter space welcomes an abundance of natural light, providing an awesome north-facing view of the bustling city life on Garfield Avenue. Don’t have time to take in a leisurely meal? Stop in for one of Peach’s grab & go sandwiches or desserts with a coffee or tea. Peach’s at Currency Exchange Café presents a menu and an ambiance that is welcoming and warm and provides a quick way to retreat from life’s regular hustle and bustle.

(Erica Mosely) Peach’s at Currency Exchange Café, 305 E. Garfield Ave. Monday–Saturday, 7am–3pm. $5.95–$14.95. (312) 300-4471. peachs-exchange.com

BEST PLACE TO USE YOUR COMPASS AND FIND YOURSELF

Bobolink Meadow

If you need to find a peaceful and serene space to center yourself in nature, the Bobolink Meadow in Jackson Park just might be your answer. Prior to the 1893 Columbian Exposition, the meadow was simply a lakeshore marsh; later it was filled and used for athletic fields. But in 1982, the Bobolink Meadow, named after an Illinois grassland bird, was repurposed to be a protected space for both wildlife and people. At that time, the more than 170 acres of land were seeded with natural grasses and wildflowers. Now part of the Chicago Park District, the Bobolink Meadow is complete with its own lagoon, prairie, woodland, birding areas, and nature trail. Today, it’s not uncommon to find couples taking an afternoon stroll, folks conducting their own study of nature, and others walking and running. If you want to venture out after getting your fill of the natural beauty and wonder in the meadow, the Garden of the Phoenix, the Jackson Park Driving Range, Jackson Bark dog park, and the Museum Shores Yacht Club are all just a stone’s throw away. (Erica Mosely)

BEST URBAN FARM OASIS

LIZZIE SMITH

Sweet Water Foundation’s Perry Ave Commons

Would you believe that Washington Park has delivered a farm to the South Side of Chicago? Well, believe it—it’s true! What was a vacant lot just a few years ago is now a space for the community to engage with urban agriculture, artistic expression, and education. The Sweet Water Foundation describes the Perry Ave Commons, which spans more than four blocks around 57th and Perry, as “regenerative neighborhood development.” The full city block that now bursts with vegetables as a farm that both feeds and employs local residents is a huge piece of the Commons. At its heart is the Thought Barn, which was raised in September 2017. The frame barn is the first located in the City of Chicago since the Great Chicago Fire, and it provides the community with a visual and performing arts, reflection, and community gathering space.

When you’re driving west on 57th Street, just before the Dan Ryan, the farm and all of its sunflowers—and a sudden sense of quiet and calm—just spring up out of nowhere. It’s quite a wonderous, divinely splendid surprise! The Sweet Water Foundation is intent on making an impact outside of the South Side, and it partners with a number of educational and art institutions and organizations to encourage the transformation of other communities across the country. (Erica Mosely) Perry Ave. Community Farm, Sweet Water Foundation, 5749 S. Perry Ave. sweetwaterfoundation.com

Bobolink Meadow, 6091 S. Cornell Dr. (312) 742-PLAY (7529).

For volunteer opportunities, visit chicagoparkdistrict.com/communitystewardship. chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/jackson-park-bobolink-meadow-0

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WASHINGTON PARK & WOODLAWN

BEST “EARN AND LEARN” BIKE WORKSHOP

Blackstone Bike Works

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike…

(Queen, Bicycle Race, 1978)

BEST JERK CHICKEN PINEAPPLE BOWL

Jerk 48

The South Side has seen an influx of Jamaican restaurants over the last ten years or so, and many of them offer the same dinner menu: one meat (jerked, curried, escovitched, or browned), two sides (including rice and peas), and bread. But among the plethora of Caribbean jerk spots, one stands out as a Woodlawn neighborhood favorite. At Jerk 48, a simple carryout Jamaican restaurant, patrons pile in all day long to wait twenty minutes for their order to be ready for pickup. What’s so uniquely delectable and scrumptious about Jerk 48, you ask? You can find much of the same Jamaican fare that’s expected at establishments around town, but Jerk 48 kicks it up several notches. One highlight is the jerk chicken pineapple bowl (half of a pineapple with chunks of jerk chicken and rice—be sure to add shrimp!), but whether you try the bowl, jerk lobster and shrimp alfredo, or jerk lamb chops, you can’t go wrong!

Jerk 48’s dishes are packed full of rich flavor, and with premium meats, generous portions, and a consistently good product, Jerk 48 does more than set itself apart from the rest. A typical dinner at Jerk 48 could run you $15, but a host of delicious sides, half orders, and daily specials are also available for you to sink your teeth into. As they say at Jerk 48 and on the block, “On God!” (Erica Mosely) Jerk 48, 548 E. 67th Street. Monday–Thursday, 10am–10pm; Friday–Saturday, 10am–12am; Sunday, 10am–7pm. $5.99–$22.99. (773) 420-3416. facebook.com/Mainstreetdelingrill

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At Blackstone Bicycle Works, area youth can ride their bikes and then some!

Since 1994, Blackstone Bicycle Works has provided South Side youth with the know-how to assemble and repair bicycles, and helped them develop a solid business acumen to apply in the real world, all as part of a full-service bike shop hosted by the Experimental Station, an incubator of cultural projects and small businesses. [Editor’s note: The South Side Weekly’s offices are located in the Experimental Station, which serves as the Weekly’s fiscal sponsor.] What’s rather cool about Blackstone Bikes’s Earn-a-Bike program is that our people can learn the mechanics of bikes, work in a safe retail setting, and earn a bike of their own! The program issues different colored aprons to participants to signify bike mechanic skills; those who receive black aprons have demonstrated mastery and are eligible for paid internships and externships. As part of its range of youth education programs, Blackstone Bicycle Works has an on-site lab and homework space, provides summer internships and college prep support to participants, and is home to a summer meal program. More than 175 youth participate in Blackstone Bicycle Works each year (with more than a third of youth participating in the program for three to seven years), and the program continues to look for ways to expand its support of our South Side youth. (Erica Mosely) Blackstone Bicycle Works, 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Tuesday–Friday, 1pm–6pm; Saturday, 12pm–5pm. (773) 241-5458. blackstonebikes.org

WASHINGTON PARK & WOODLAWN

LIZZIE SMITH

BEST PLACE TO GET THE WAA WAA WAA BLUES

BEST PLACE TO FIND BUDDING YOUNG LEADERS

One of the best places to spend $5 in Woodlawn has to be at our own museum of all things related to the Black musical genre, the blues. But at the Johnny Twist Blues Museum, your $5 will get you much more than a chronology of the blues and an introduction to blues greats around the world.

You’ll spend most of your time learning about a living blues legend whom you may not have heard much about before: Mr. Johnny Twist. Yes, Johnny Twist is the owner of the Johnny Twist Blues Museum, and he boasts of jazz enthusiasts visiting his museum from cities around the world. Twist’s contribution to music is his brand of high-energy blues, Rocka Boogie Blues.

Twist, who hails from Mississippi, has visited more than forty states during his career, originally playing the piano before moving on to the bass guitar and ultimately the electric guitar. His contemporaries, whom you’ll see in many of the photos that he’s collected throughout the years, include Johnny Nighthawk, Ike Turner, Koko Taylor, Chuck Berry, and Chicago’s own Buddy Guy. Those photos, along with newspaper clippings, concert pluggers (show flyers), and tickets, cover the museum from floor to ceiling and along the decorative displays and walls. The museum even includes a recording studio and a slew of musical DVDs, CDs, and books for sale. Johnny Twist plans to release a double CD with his own blues cuts by the end of the year, so get ready to secure your own copy from Woodlawn’s local (yet renowned) blues royalty. (Erica Mosely)

People around the United States and even the world lost hope for our country when the Obamas bid their final farewell to the White House in 2016. But fret no more, good people! The next crop of young leaders is hard at work week in and week out at MetroSquash in Woodlawn. Over the last fourteen years, MetroSquash has been engaging area youth (starting with 5th graders, all the way through college students) to teach them the game of squash and provide them with academic support and enrichment activities.

In case you’re wondering what in the world squash is, squash is a Londonborn sport that’s similar to both racquetball and tennis. Squash provides the physical component of an approach that, as the MetroSquash program model states, aims to produce “healthy adults with economic and social stability.” The program follows through on exactly that by providing alumni with postsecondary and career readiness support. The program can stick its chest out with pride and boast that all of its alumni have secured full-time employment, and many have returned to MetroSquash to invest their time and talents—but more volunteers are always welcome! (Erica Mosely)

Johnny Twist Blues Museum

MetroSquash

MetroSquash, 6100 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Monday through Friday, 9am–7pm; Saturday, 9am–12pm. (773) 241-5150. metrosquash.org

Johnny Twist Blues Museum, 6455 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Monday–Saturday, 11am–7pm. $5. (872) 731-4607. facebook.com/johnnytwistbluesmuseum SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 77

WEST LAWN

Compiled by Sam Stecklow, Adam Przybyl, & J. Michael Eugenio MARIO CORDOBA

BEST SELECTION OF GORDITAS

Gorditas Santiago

If you search for poems about food on the Poetry Foundation’s website, you get more than five hundred results, but none are about gorditas. Enter Yelp reviewer Fox E. from Buffalo, NY, who in April 2018 submitted a lengthy, gushing review of Gorditas Santiago that began with a poem. Here is the second verse: Other versions are WEAKER / And prospects often BLEAKER / Salsas mild and MEEKER / With dry, stale Chicken TIKKA / You won't find it on BLEECKER / But if you're a good food SEEKER / Then please put on your SNEAKERS / And let's go to GORDITAS It’s not every restaurant that inspires poetry from its reviewers, but Gorditas Santiago is a special place. Its first location on 63rd Street has been around since 2008, and a second location on 55th Street opened after that.

The original spot is clean and homey—it looks like an old-fashioned banquet hall, or a large house. The interior is crisscrossed with dark brown wood beams and faux-exposed brick. There’s an open kitchen, which adds to the feeling of being home, cooking and eating with your large extended family.

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But what really struck me was the range of options on their menu. The first three pages were filled with twenty-three pictures of various combinations of meats, chilis, stews, and sauces, all of which you could order in gordita or burrito form. Paralyzed by the choices before me, I asked the waitress for a recommendation and ended up ordering the tinga de pollo (chicken stew), deshebrada en salsa verde (shredded beef in green sauce), and rajas con queso (sliced green pepper with cheese). I layered them with the provided salsas, including a creamy green one I guessed to be jalapeño, and dove into juicy and tender flavors, with just the right amount of filling in each gordita.

You could go to Gorditas Santiago ten times and still have not tried every gordita option, ranging from nopales con huevo (cactus with eggs), chicharrón botanero (pork skin in green sauce), and even requesón (Mexican cream cheese). And who knows, maybe you’ll be inspired to take up the pen, too. (Adam Przybyl) Gorditas Santiago, 3825 W. 63rd St. Tuesday–Sunday, 9am–6pm; closed Monday. $2.75–$9.25. (773) 735-2860.

MARIO CORDOBA

BEST FRESA NIEVE (STRAWBERRY SORBET)

Las Cerezas Fruteria y Neveria

Las Cerezas is a kind of outpost. Just blocks away from Midway Airport, across the street from a Sleep Inn, and adjacent to the Belt Railway (the “largest intermediate switching terminal railroad in the United States”), it is either one of the last vestiges of hospitality heading west, or one of the first things you see as you enter into the city from the airport or the railroads.

That seems to be working out well, because even though Las Cerezas has only been around since December 2017, it appears to be well-known and liked in the neighborhood. Leonardo Hernandez, who grew up near Humboldt Park and has been in the food industry his whole life, started the store with his wife and explained that in the last eight to nine years, food establishments focusing on sweet things—ice cream and other desserts—have become more popular, which gave them the idea to try an ice cream shop.

That, and he’s always had a sweet tooth.

The shop serves a variety of sweet things, like paletas and ice cream cones, banana splits, mangoneadas, and yogurts. There are also Dorilocos (impressively topped Doritos, for the unfamiliar), tortas, quesadillas, and tacos, for those that need a bit of savory with their sugar. And when ordering

ice cream, be prepared to get a lot. I ordered a “small” and got enough to satisfy two or three people.

Speaking of ice cream: on a whim, I tried their fresa. Maybe the deep red color appealed to me, maybe fate spoke to me that day. On the first bite, I knew, hands down, that this was the best strawberry sorbet I had ever tried.

It tasted exactly like fresh strawberries that had been blended, frozen, and lightly sweetened—nothing else. The perfect treat for any day. Hernandez admitted that the strawberry is one of their best flavors, and that he takes special care in finding and selecting the strawberries that then make it into the ice cream. If you go for nothing else, go for this—but consider staying for the many other options on the menu. (Adam Przybyl) Las Cerezas Fruteria y Neveria, 6659 S. Cicero Ave. 10am–10pm daily. $2.50– $9.50. (773) 424-3484. facebook.com/LasCerezas17

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 79

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SEPTEMBER 28 & 29 FR E E

To Learn More Visit: hydeparkjazzfestival.org

FEATURING Ambrose Akinmusire Trio featuring Kris Davis and Nasheet Waits > Amir ElSaffar’s Ahwaal featuring Ksawery Wójciński, Waclaw Zimpel, Lutosławski Quartet > Angel Bat Dawid’s Requiem for Jazz > Ari Brown Quintet > Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade > Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few: The Story of 400 Years > Karuna: Hamid Drake and Adam Rudolph Duet > Orbert Davis Sextet: In the Spirit > Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson Duo > The Alexander/ McLean Project > Tia Fuller’s Diamond Cut > Willie Jones III Sextet featuring Renee Neufville PLUS Andy Oberhausen’s Breadwinners > Angelo Hart Trio > Bill McFarland & The Chicago Horns > Bill McKay/Katinka Kleijn Duo > Dana Hall’s spring > David Boykin: Abeeku > DJ Sadie Woods > Greg Artry Quartet > Irvin Pierce Quartet > Joey Brink > Juan Pastor’s Chinchano > Maggie Brown Group > Marlene Rosenberg Trio > Nick Mazzarella Quintet > Noteworthy Jazz Ensemble > Occidental Brothers Dance Band Int’l > Pharez Whitted Band > Project Tool > Richard Johnson (solo) > Sam Trump Quartet > Shanta Nurullah Trio > The Regulators > Trio Mokili Hyde Park Jazz Festival is supported by the Oppenheimer Family Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Harper Court Arts Council, The University of Chicago Medicine, The Chicago Community Trust, a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Reva & David Logan Foundation, The Hyde Park Jazz Society, and the generosity of many individual donors.