maybe one place up on Clark street just south of Fullerton -- Mike's or something like that (used to be the vinyl section of Second Hand Tunes but the dude bought them out -- that place is kinda overpriced, but he has some records).
That would be Dave's Records.
How about some Chicago pizza? This could probably be its own thread. I ride for Art of Pizza on Ashland, but Lou Malnati's and Gino's kill it as well.
Chicago Pizza has all the subtlety of the nagasaki bombing. As a form of advanced gastrointestinal warfare, it has its place, but I could probably live my life happily and never have it again. That said, Lou Malnati's is pretty much number one for me in this category. The cornmeal in the crust and the freshly crumbled sausage do it to me.
If you want to get some real pizza, like the kind you'd get if you go to Italy, holler at Spacca Napoli. It's just around the corner from the Montrose Brown Line stop -go under the tracks and walk north a block or two on Ravenswood. I can't remember the cross street, but you can't miss it. It's right on the corner. This is some of the best italian style pizza in North America. VPN certified, bricks for the oven imported from sicily type shit. Let the haters haterate.
As for Hot Dog's, Pickwick's pick is at least as good or better for the standard Chicago dog or polish. My personal favorite Chicago dog remains Superdawg, but unless you're at Midway (where the dogs aren't as good), the only location is way out in northwest Chicago practically all the way to O'Hare. Intersection of Milwaukee and Peterson. From the Bottom of my Pure Beef Heart!
I have to ask: is the club Excalibur still open? That place was brilliant.
You're joking, right?
Actually, I've never been there, but it's right in the middle of tourist town so I feel like I know the deal. I've heard it's the spot if you're looking to scoop an au pair.
I have to ask: is the club Excalibur still open? That place was brilliant.
You're joking, right?
Actually, I've never been there, but it's right in the middle of tourist town so I feel like I know the deal. I've heard it's the spot if you're looking to scoop an au pair.
Last time I was there it was three floors with an open atrium connecting it all, and EVERYBODY EVERYBODY and GOOD LIFE all night long.
And when Michael Jordan came in, the place went bastard mental.
And yeah, one or two of the girls might have put out I couldn't possibly remember. I was exceedingly drunk.
I have to ask: is the club Excalibur still open? That place was brilliant.
You're joking, right?
Actually, I've never been there, but it's right in the middle of tourist town so I feel like I know the deal. I've heard it's the spot if you're looking to scoop an au pair.
Last time I was there it was three floors with an open atrium connecting it all, and EVERYBODY EVERYBODY and GOOD LIFE all night long.
And when Michael Jordan came in, the place went bastard mental.
And yeah, one or two of the girls might have put out I couldn't possibly remember. I was exceedingly drunk.
Ok, that sounds like a good time. It also sounds like it could have happened last week. I see "Everybody Everybody" and "Good Life" getting caned right along with Lady Gaga or whoever.
Don't come to Hyde Park. It's a great neighborhood, lots of interesting history and whatnot (Riperton, Obama, Frank Lloyd, et al.), and the Smart Museum and the Renaissance Society always have something interesting (maybe the DuSable, too--I don't know, it's been a while), but once you get out here, you're kind of on an island. I love it here, but I would not exactly call it a destination, if you know what I mean, especially for day-tripping. Our bookstores are pretty unfuckwithable, though. And we do have Rajun Cajun, the weird Indian/soul-food spot (come on, where else are you gonna get dhal with oxtails? the sacred meets the profane meets the delicious).
And I would remind Root that the admittedly perfectly named Gaylords (located underneath the Hotel Wacker, no less) moved last year, and has thus been supplanted by Standard India. Though I guess if we really wanted to keep it strut-appropriate, we???d convene someplace that serves a good Combination (sausage with beef--oh, snap!).
Bassie, am I right that you are vegetarian to some degree?
Have I told you Lately that I love you Well, if I didn't Darling, I'm sorry
These threads always make me sorry I'm not staying for three weeks!
If the hot dog place does veggie dogs - we're set! Yea, I eat seafood, but Man doesn't eat any meat at all. We do love pizza and Mexican though - so Thank You for those suggestions.
I'd go to Hyde Park just to check the Rajun Cajun! And for the bookstores. And to see the place where folks came up.
Don't come to Hyde Park. It's a great neighborhood, lots of interesting history and whatnot (Riperton, Obama, Frank Lloyd, et al.), and the Smart Museum and the Renaissance Society always have something interesting (maybe the DuSable, too--I don't know, it's been a while), but once you get out here, you're kind of on an island. I love it here, but I would not exactly call it a destination, if you know what I mean, especially for day-tripping. Our bookstores are pretty unfuckwithable, though. And we do have Rajun Cajun, the weird Indian/soul-food spot (come on, where else are you gonna get dhal with oxtails? the sacred meets the profane meets the delicious).
I think what the god is trying to say is that Hyde Park is a) kinda hard to get to on public transpo (ok it's really hard); and b) interesting in only a brainy, esoterica kinda way. My friend and frequent digging potna I**** wouldn't make a trip to Chicago without going to Hyde Park, though, just to see what the latest and greatest is in academic books at Seminary Coop. There is no better academic bookstore in the country period. And I found the William Pope.L book there when I didn't even know it was out, (which was a huge and delightful surprise to my wife (who was his research assistant in college) under our Christmas tree like four years ago). After we finished creaming over the latest in Bordieu studies at Seminary, we would be adrift to Powells to garner some recently pulled remainder ish (Critical Race Theory Reader for $6.95 in hardback? HELL YES!) or maybe to that antiquarian bookstore across the piece from Powells to drool on that art deco edition of Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward. Nobody dare buy it because it's got my germs ALL OVER IT in places that would be impossible to get them out. I just could never quite broker the $65 he wanted for a book that I would almost never look at (but I can get up the gump to pay $50 for a record that I would almost never play...go figure).
All this is to say I wouldn't go quite so far as to say "Don't come to Hyde Park." I would say definitively "Don't meet up with broke ass strutters and their friends at that korean jernt in Hyde Park unless you want to also buy a subway sandwich for broke ass strutter's friend who just didn't get into the korean food and you felt bad for his hungry broke ass."
Bassie, am I right that you are vegetarian to some degree?
In light of the revelation in response to this question, I urge you to try to reserve a place for yourselves at the Green Zebra (west loopish). Among the best vegetarian restaurants in the U.S. Not cheap, but a worthwhile vegetarian splurge.
Oh, and if you want some Indian food, you could do the buffet at Standard India -- or seek out the other Gaylord's to remind you of your inneur strutteur -- or you could head north to Devon Avenue, where you could almost pretend you were in Mumbai...but not quite. There's a place called Bhabi's Kitchen that I'd recommend highly. Just south of Devon on Oakley (6352 N. Oakley). They have a great tandoori oven, a ton of different types of naan (try the pistachio naan -- it's kinda sweet and so good), and just generally excellent, fresh indian food. I love this place despite the time the server spilled the entire plate of food on my Stax t-shirt and then ran out of the restaurant never to return. The owner dude comes out, I've got mutter paneer all over me, and he's like, "Is somebody getting you a towel?" I'm like, "I don't know. The dude who spilled it on me apologized heartily and walked away with the quickness." He brought me a towel, gave me a shirt, and gave us all our dinner for free. He also said that the waiter who dumped the mutter on me had left without notice to him of the incident and would not be welcome back. Exactly the right thing to do in those circumstances.
Hot Doug's has the veggie dogs on lock down. Not true of Superdawg, and probably not true of Pickwick's Polish place.
Don't come to Hyde Park. It's a great neighborhood, lots of interesting history and whatnot (Riperton, Obama, Frank Lloyd, et al.), and the Smart Museum and the Renaissance Society always have something interesting (maybe the DuSable, too--I don't know, it's been a while), but once you get out here, you're kind of on an island. I love it here, but I would not exactly call it a destination, if you know what I mean, especially for day-tripping. Our bookstores are pretty unfuckwithable, though. And we do have Rajun Cajun, the weird Indian/soul-food spot (come on, where else are you gonna get dhal with oxtails? the sacred meets the profane meets the delicious).
I think what the god is trying to say is that Hyde Park is a) kinda hard to get to on public transpo (ok it's really hard);
It's really hard to get to after dark on public transpo. It can be done, it's just very circuitous and long-winded. But then again, there's not a lot going on in the way of nightlife anyway. The hood is more or less solidly residential. There's some good stuff to see, but it's not exactly Wicker Park South.
If you want to check out the esoterica, it's not too hard to catch a bus in the Loop during the daytime, though...
Don't come to Hyde Park. It's a great neighborhood, lots of interesting history and whatnot (Riperton, Obama, Frank Lloyd, et al.), and the Smart Museum and the Renaissance Society always have something interesting (maybe the DuSable, too--I don't know, it's been a while), but once you get out here, you're kind of on an island. I love it here, but I would not exactly call it a destination, if you know what I mean, especially for day-tripping. Our bookstores are pretty unfuckwithable, though. And we do have Rajun Cajun, the weird Indian/soul-food spot (come on, where else are you gonna get dhal with oxtails? the sacred meets the profane meets the delicious).
I think what the god is trying to say is that Hyde Park is a) kinda hard to get to on public transpo (ok it's really hard); and b) interesting in only a brainy, esoterica kinda way.
Hell yes on the former, but on the latter point, I think what I meant is more that Hyde Park is a great place, but it doesn't go all the way on the first date. If you spend enough time here to take in the texture, plenty of charms will reveal themselves. If you just kinda come in for the day, you will be less likely to see that glow. Like pickwick says: shit is residential.
And I forgot all about Devon. I can't remember whether there's actually a consignment shop out there called Whose Sari Now? or if I just made that up.
Wherever you end up, bassie, make sure to listen to how Chicaga locals talk. Nothing like it.
Don't come to Hyde Park. It's a great neighborhood, lots of interesting history and whatnot (Riperton, Obama, Frank Lloyd, et al.), and the Smart Museum and the Renaissance Society always have something interesting (maybe the DuSable, too--I don't know, it's been a while), but once you get out here, you're kind of on an island. I love it here, but I would not exactly call it a destination, if you know what I mean, especially for day-tripping. Our bookstores are pretty unfuckwithable, though. And we do have Rajun Cajun, the weird Indian/soul-food spot (come on, where else are you gonna get dhal with oxtails? the sacred meets the profane meets the delicious).
I think what the god is trying to say is that Hyde Park is a) kinda hard to get to on public transpo (ok it's really hard); and b) interesting in only a brainy, esoterica kinda way.
Hell yes on the former, but on the latter point, I think what I meant is more that Hyde Park is a great place, but it doesn't go all the way on the first date. If you spend enough time here to take in the texture, plenty of charms will reveal themselves. If you just kinda come in for the day, you will be less likely to see that glow. Like pickwick says: shit is residential.
Right. But if you are jetting into Hyde Park for a first date, here is the move more or less: Take the bus from the loop. During the day this is about a 20 minute bus ride if memory serves. Get off at 57th street.
Walk west. Stop at Powell's, stop at that antiquarian jernt until you get to University. Turn left for books, right for records.
If you turn left, you will be walking into the lovely Gothic campus of the university of Chicago. Truly an impressive place to wander and gawk if the weather is nice. And you overhear conversations about Sylvia Plath and David Foster Wallace and the aristotelian mean among the way too earnest awkward brainiac undergrads who are nonetheless kinda charming.
Seminary Coop is in the basement of the seminary. A block over is the Roby House -- a recently restored Frank Lloyd Wright classique. Do the tour if it interests you.
If you keep wandering south and a little bit west, you'll wind up in that huge park -- is it Washington Park? There's that big concrete fountain sculpture thing that was always dry when I went there, but is pretty interesting nonetheless. You know the one I mean? The one where it's like the history of man or something? Pretty interesting sight. The last time I was there, I was heckled by this drunk woman pretty intensely, but we ended up becoming friends -- she took our picture, we took her picture. It was all good.
If you turn right, you will be walking up to what is it -- 55th? Hyde Park Ave? I don't remember which street Hyde Park Records is on. There's also that other record store up there with all the J-records promos, but I never bought much there. Little afrocentric bookshop near the chess tables, too.
I like Hyde Park a lot. If I was only going to be in Chicago for a weekend, though, and I wasn't with my academic bookstore pimp, I probably wouldn't make it down there.
its such a beautiful day today -- pray for weather like this
and remember Richard Pegue, Chicago's Godfather of the Dusties (along with Herb Kent) - he passed on this week
they say African-American audiences can be real fickle in their tastes and don't like to look back, but Richard Pegue's radio show kept showing the love for black music innovators of decades past - jump blues, doo-wop, northern AND southern soul, funk, etc. he will be missed.
(and for years he was a resident of Hyde Park too!)
how the hell am I supposed to learn how to do this by Saturday? I got to work all day tomorrow! The dude's part I can handle but my brain can hardly process what her feet are doing!
Stepping is one of the easiest dances in the world to fake your way through. Keep it cool above the waist and you'll be fine.
I was reminded on the way in this morning: If you find yourself in the Loop, there's a big, shiny Anish Kapoor at Randolph and Michigan that's real touristy (its actual name is "Cloud Gate," but everyone calls it "The Bean"--isn't that adorable?) but is irreducibly breathtaking up close.
If you find yourself in the Loop, there's a big, shiny Anish Kapoor at Randolph and Michigan that's real touristy (its actual name is "Cloud Gate," but everyone calls it "The Bean"--isn't that adorable?) but is irreducibly breathtaking up close.
For live Jazz you should check out the Green Mill, The Velvet Lounge, or Pete Miller's in Evanston sometimes has good Jazz. There's also Andy's downtown Chicago. There is a young guy named Frank Catalano that plays there weekly. Sometimes the Empty Bottle will have more experimental/Avant Jazz.
As far as Blues: Rosa's on Armitage is the realest Blues bar I have ever had the pleasure of checking out. I have seen tons of Chicago legends at that place.
As far as Blues: Rosa's on Armitage is the realest Blues bar I have ever had the pleasure of checking out. I have seen tons of Chicago legends at that place.
and if youre willing to make the trek up south, there's Lee's Unleaded Blues on South Chicago. black-owned, mostly black-populated, and recommended for the urban juke joint experience.
Comments
I stayed at the Y once. Taxi drivers would shake a pitying head when I asked to be taken there. The mattresses were pure foulness.
How about some Chicago pizza? This could probably be its own thread. I ride for Art of Pizza on Ashland, but Lou Malnati's and Gino's kill it as well.
If you want to get some real pizza, like the kind you'd get if you go to Italy, holler at Spacca Napoli. It's just around the corner from the Montrose Brown Line stop -go under the tracks and walk north a block or two on Ravenswood. I can't remember the cross street, but you can't miss it. It's right on the corner. This is some of the best italian style pizza in North America. VPN certified, bricks for the oven imported from sicily type shit. Let the haters haterate.
As for Hot Dog's, Pickwick's pick is at least as good or better for the standard Chicago dog or polish. My personal favorite Chicago dog remains Superdawg, but unless you're at Midway (where the dogs aren't as good), the only location is way out in northwest Chicago practically all the way to O'Hare. Intersection of Milwaukee and Peterson. From the Bottom of my Pure Beef Heart!
You're joking, right?
Actually, I've never been there, but it's right in the middle of tourist town so I feel like I know the deal. I've heard it's the spot if you're looking to scoop an au pair.
Last time I was there it was three floors with an open atrium connecting it all, and EVERYBODY EVERYBODY and GOOD LIFE all night long.
And when Michael Jordan came in, the place went bastard mental.
And yeah, one or two of the girls might have put out
I couldn't possibly remember. I was exceedingly drunk.
Ok, that sounds like a good time. It also sounds like it could have happened last week. I see "Everybody Everybody" and "Good Life" getting caned right along with Lady Gaga or whoever.
And I would remind Root that the admittedly perfectly named Gaylords (located underneath the Hotel Wacker, no less) moved last year, and has thus been supplanted by Standard India. Though I guess if we really wanted to keep it strut-appropriate, we???d convene someplace that serves a good Combination (sausage with beef--oh, snap!).
Bassie, am I right that you are vegetarian to some degree?
Have I told you
Lately that I love you
Well, if I didn't
Darling, I'm sorry
These threads always make me sorry I'm not staying for three weeks!
If the hot dog place does veggie dogs - we're set! Yea, I eat seafood, but Man doesn't eat any meat at all. We do love pizza and Mexican though - so Thank You for those suggestions.
I'd go to Hyde Park just to check the Rajun Cajun! And for the bookstores. And to see the place where folks came up.
I hope I can meet some Strutters!!!
next weekend is gonna be fun for disco nerdz
I think what the god is trying to say is that Hyde Park is a) kinda hard to get to on public transpo (ok it's really hard); and b) interesting in only a brainy, esoterica kinda way. My friend and frequent digging potna I**** wouldn't make a trip to Chicago without going to Hyde Park, though, just to see what the latest and greatest is in academic books at Seminary Coop. There is no better academic bookstore in the country period. And I found the William Pope.L book there when I didn't even know it was out, (which was a huge and delightful surprise to my wife (who was his research assistant in college) under our Christmas tree like four years ago). After we finished creaming over the latest in Bordieu studies at Seminary, we would be adrift to Powells to garner some recently pulled remainder ish (Critical Race Theory Reader for $6.95 in hardback? HELL YES!) or maybe to that antiquarian bookstore across the piece from Powells to drool on that art deco edition of Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward. Nobody dare buy it because it's got my germs ALL OVER IT in places that would be impossible to get them out. I just could never quite broker the $65 he wanted for a book that I would almost never look at (but I can get up the gump to pay $50 for a record that I would almost never play...go figure).
All this is to say I wouldn't go quite so far as to say "Don't come to Hyde Park." I would say definitively "Don't meet up with broke ass strutters and their friends at that korean jernt in Hyde Park unless you want to also buy a subway sandwich for broke ass strutter's friend who just didn't get into the korean food and you felt bad for his hungry broke ass."
In light of the revelation in response to this question, I urge you to try to reserve a place for yourselves at the Green Zebra (west loopish). Among the best vegetarian restaurants in the U.S. Not cheap, but a worthwhile vegetarian splurge.
Oh, and if you want some Indian food, you could do the buffet at Standard India -- or seek out the other Gaylord's to remind you of your inneur strutteur -- or you could head north to Devon Avenue, where you could almost pretend you were in Mumbai...but not quite. There's a place called Bhabi's Kitchen that I'd recommend highly. Just south of Devon on Oakley (6352 N. Oakley). They have a great tandoori oven, a ton of different types of naan (try the pistachio naan -- it's kinda sweet and so good), and just generally excellent, fresh indian food. I love this place despite the time the server spilled the entire plate of food on my Stax t-shirt and then ran out of the restaurant never to return. The owner dude comes out, I've got mutter paneer all over me, and he's like, "Is somebody getting you a towel?" I'm like, "I don't know. The dude who spilled it on me apologized heartily and walked away with the quickness." He brought me a towel, gave me a shirt, and gave us all our dinner for free. He also said that the waiter who dumped the mutter on me had left without notice to him of the incident and would not be welcome back. Exactly the right thing to do in those circumstances.
Hot Doug's has the veggie dogs on lock down. Not true of Superdawg, and probably not true of Pickwick's Polish place.
It's really hard to get to after dark on public transpo. It can be done, it's just very circuitous and long-winded. But then again, there's not a lot going on in the way of nightlife anyway. The hood is more or less solidly residential. There's some good stuff to see, but it's not exactly Wicker Park South.
If you want to check out the esoterica, it's not too hard to catch a bus in the Loop during the daytime, though...
Hell yes on the former, but on the latter point, I think what I meant is more that Hyde Park is a great place, but it doesn't go all the way on the first date. If you spend enough time here to take in the texture, plenty of charms will reveal themselves. If you just kinda come in for the day, you will be less likely to see that glow. Like pickwick says: shit is residential.
And I forgot all about Devon. I can't remember whether there's actually a consignment shop out there called Whose Sari Now? or if I just made that up.
Wherever you end up, bassie, make sure to listen to how Chicaga locals talk. Nothing like it.
Right. But if you are jetting into Hyde Park for a first date, here is the move more or less:
Take the bus from the loop. During the day this is about a 20 minute bus ride if memory serves. Get off at 57th street.
Walk west. Stop at Powell's, stop at that antiquarian jernt until you get to University. Turn left for books, right for records.
If you turn left, you will be walking into the lovely Gothic campus of the university of Chicago. Truly an impressive place to wander and gawk if the weather is nice. And you overhear conversations about Sylvia Plath and David Foster Wallace and the aristotelian mean among the way too earnest awkward brainiac undergrads who are nonetheless kinda charming.
Seminary Coop is in the basement of the seminary. A block over is the Roby House -- a recently restored Frank Lloyd Wright classique. Do the tour if it interests you.
If you keep wandering south and a little bit west, you'll wind up in that huge park -- is it Washington Park? There's that big concrete fountain sculpture thing that was always dry when I went there, but is pretty interesting nonetheless. You know the one I mean? The one where it's like the history of man or something? Pretty interesting sight. The last time I was there, I was heckled by this drunk woman pretty intensely, but we ended up becoming friends -- she took our picture, we took her picture. It was all good.
If you turn right, you will be walking up to what is it -- 55th? Hyde Park Ave? I don't remember which street Hyde Park Records is on. There's also that other record store up there with all the J-records promos, but I never bought much there. Little afrocentric bookshop near the chess tables, too.
I like Hyde Park a lot. If I was only going to be in Chicago for a weekend, though, and I wasn't with my academic bookstore pimp, I probably wouldn't make it down there.
and remember Richard Pegue, Chicago's Godfather of the Dusties (along with Herb Kent) - he passed on this week
they say African-American audiences can be real fickle in their tastes and don't like to look back, but Richard Pegue's radio show kept showing the love for black music innovators of decades past - jump blues, doo-wop, northern AND southern soul, funk, etc. he will be missed.
(and for years he was a resident of Hyde Park too!)
I was reminded on the way in this morning: If you find yourself in the Loop, there's a big, shiny Anish Kapoor at Randolph and Michigan that's real touristy (its actual name is "Cloud Gate," but everyone calls it "The Bean"--isn't that adorable?) but is irreducibly breathtaking up close.
Thanks for that tip - I can't wait to see this city and its art and architecture!!!
I'm getting excited! I got my addresses and subway lines all typed out next to my destinations. lol
I like that my food and records are lining up, too:
Soul Vegetarian and Fletcher's
La Pasadita and Dusty Groove
M Henry and Dave's
and here's a visual:
ZING
No, man, not "ZING," more like
As far as Blues: Rosa's on Armitage is the realest Blues bar I have ever had the pleasure of checking out. I have seen tons of Chicago legends at that place.
That's Frankie Knuckles Way to you, sir! respect the rael!
I can now die happy knowing that I was responsible for a Soulstrut running gag.
and if youre willing to make the trek up south, there's Lee's Unleaded Blues on South Chicago. black-owned, mostly black-populated, and recommended for the urban juke joint experience.