Edgewater Community Buzz

New restaurant coming to Clark/Berwyn

2009-11-26T09:04:00.001-06:00

from Crain's Chicago:
Owners of Irish pub plan Andersonville eatery
By: Eddie Baeb Nov. 25, 2009
(Crain’s) — The two partners who last year opened the upscale, gay-friendly Irish pub Wilde Bar & Restaurant are planning a new restaurant in Andersonville.

A venture co-owned by Martin Cournane and Denis Paul Sheahan filed for zoning approval for a roughly 9,000-square-foot restaurant and bar at 5252-5260 N. Clark St. in the North Side neighborhood.

The two-story property at the corner of Clark and Berwyn Avenue, a block north of the Swedish American Museum and two blocks south of kitschy burger joint Hamburger Mary’s, was bought last May for about $5 million by a venture affiliated with Harold Rider of Chicago-based Realty & Mortgage Co.
Continue reading

Remember the 80's

2009-11-26T08:39:00.009-06:00

Check out these photos from the Chicago Public Library's "Digital Collections":

Augies (closed) and Calo, restaurants - 5300 N Clark - 1987

Calo again (and great 80's vehicles)

Fireside Restaurant - 5739 N Ravenswood - 1985

DJ's Depot - now Pauline's - 5400 N Ravenswood - 1987

The Piano Gallerie - Clark/Thorndale - 1985

Roundtable Restaurant - 5712 N Clark - 1987

You're free to cross

2009-11-25T17:39:00.006-06:00

We're pleased to report that the crosswalk signals at Thornale have been fixed. Thanks to a reader for informing us the work was completed today. Happy crossing!

talkin' TN

2009-11-24T20:46:00.004-06:00

Edgewater's own True Nature Foods (6034 N Broadway), a retailer of natural foods and products, launched a blog of their own earlier this year called "talkin' TN," check it out! The blog is designed to provide recipes, community information and green roof updates.

Dining out on Turkey Day

2009-11-24T07:41:00.003-06:00

Burn the bird? Forget to thaw it? Don't feel like cooking this Thanksgiving? The "Dining Chicago" blog lists over 80 restaurants that are staying open this year and serving all the fixin's including many local eateries such as Ann Sather, Big Jones, and Reza's. Check out the two lists here and here. Many recommend reservations, but also welcome late ones.

Late Night Andersonville

2009-11-24T07:23:00.003-06:00

Late Night Andersonville is next Friday (12/4) from 6pm to 10pm. Businesses will stay open late offering discounts on gifts and meals, and there will be entertainment such as a beer/wine tasting @ In Fine Spirits, live music, and artist demonstrations. For more information check out the event page on the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce's website.

The Wind in the Willows

2009-11-23T20:12:00.004-06:00

The Wind in the Willows
City Lit Theatre, 1020 W Bryn Mawr (Edgewater Presbytarian Church building)
Tickets: call 773-293-3682 or online via http://www.brownpapertickets.com/

Scammers on Glenlake, robbers on Glenwood

2009-11-23T19:06:00.031-06:00

7:16 PM, 1249 W. Glenlake - Caller reports 2 males are going door to door, claiming to be collecting donations on behalf of Lands Farms. One of the suspects is described as Hispanic, wearing a white shirt and green hat.

7:35, 1741 W. Farragut - Report of several teens loitering near a car in the alley.

7:41, 5624 N. Clark - 2 males are harassing people in a store at this address.

7:45, Lincoln and Foster - Reckless driver in a red pickup, last seen heading northbound.

7:48, Granville and Glenwood - Caller reports 2 teenage black males wearing multicolored hoodies attempted to rob him. They threatened him with a box cutter, but he was able to get away. An Officer is talking with the victim at 5620 N. Clark.

8:04, Elmdale and Glenwood - Report of a second attempted box cutter robbery. Description of the offenders is similar to the previous report (2 teenage black males, one wearing a dark colored hoodie and the other wearing a light colored one).

8:35, 1055 W. Bryn Mawr - Officers were pursuing and have apprehended 2 shoplifting suspects in the alley on the north side of the street.

8:41, 5615 N. Winthrop - Officers are in the alley requesting a cage car to pick up the 2 suspects from the above report.

9:00, Bryn Mawr and Winthrop - Male caller says he was threatened at this intersection This is apparently unrelated to the 8:35 shoplifting incident.

9:28, Clark and Hollywood - Report of a gang disturbance. Gang or Tac unit asked to respond.

9:38, Loyola Red Line stop - Caller says a black male flashed a gun and attempted a robbery near the station. The offender fled in an unknown direction.

9:44, Loyola Red Line stop - Officers have a suspect with a toy gun in custody near the stop. They're requesting that the dispatcher try to contact the person who originally called to report the incident.

10:15, 1608 Rosehill - Confirmed burglary from a garage at this address..

10:15, Foster and Western - Report of several males with baseball bats threatening people near the 7-Eleven. Responding unit says they don't see anything going on.

Beware of SCAM

2009-11-23T11:29:00.003-06:00

An Edgewater resident was recently the victim of a scam at their home and wanted to share their experience with the community in an effort to raise awareness. Apparently two very charming/personable African American teenagers are dropped off in a brown van and go door to door soliciting money for a "college scholarship fund." The receipt for your donation will be a photocopy of a Lambs Farm/Chicago Tribune subscription deal (see image above). Lambs Farm was contacted and they do not solicit door to door and had no knowledge of the scholarship fund. The teenagers also attempt to get into your home by requesting a glass of water or to use the bathroom. It can only be assumed that they are trying to survey your personal possessions. If you donate via check you could be exposed to identity theft as they will have your bank information and routing number. According to a recent CAPS meeting, this scam has happened multiple times around the neighborhood and Chicago police suggested that if you see these boys or a similar scheme please call 911!

Man in garage crash had $600K in heroin

2009-11-22T21:46:00.004-06:00

As a follow up to last week's post regarding the crash into the garage on the 5800 block of N Magnolia:

Prosecutors: Man had about $600,000 in heroin
A Minnesota man was ordered held in lieu of $250,000 Wednesday after more than a half a million dollars in heroin was found in the back of his sport-utility vehicle, after it crashed into a garage on Chicago's North Side, authorities said this afternoon.

Abel Zor, 37, of Brooklyn Park, Minn., appeared for his bond hearing Wednesday before Cook County Criminal Court Judge Laura Sullivan, charged with, according to Chicago police and court records, manufacturing with the intent to deliver the heroin, a felony.
Continue reading at ChicagoBreakingNews.com

Additional news coverage: CBS2 Chicago; Chicago Sun Times

LDC Fundraiser: December 13th

2009-11-20T08:38:00.000-06:00

(click to enlarge)

Man dies after being shot by police on North Side

2009-11-20T08:36:00.001-06:00

From ChicagoBreakingNews.com:

A 30-year-old man died after being shot by Chicago police on Thursday night in the city's Ravenswood neighborhood.

According to the Cook County medical examiner's office Tarek El-Hila, of the 5100 block of North Leavitt Avenue was pronounced dead at 10:06 p.m. at Illinois Masonic Hospital.

No officers were injured in the shooting around 9:30 p.m. in El-Hila's home, Chicago police said in a statement.

TIF funds used for Berwyn improvements

2009-11-19T07:35:00.004-06:00

From the CTA Tattler blog:
A good use of TIF: Funds to cover Berwyn station fixup

The CTA once again is tapping a local TIF fund to pay for station improvements, this time at the Red Line Berwyn station.

The CTA is entering into anagreement with the city to receive $1,173,768 in Tax Increment Financing (TIF funds) for station improvements made at the Red Line Berwyn station. CTA this year made improvements at the Berwyn station, which is located within the City's Edgewater TIF District. The work performed was a TIF-eligible expense.

Says a CTA spokesperson: "The agreement would allow CTA to be reimbursed through TIF funding and free up scarce capital resources to improve other parts of the system and helps the agency continue to move toward its goal to reach a state of good repair.

Specific improvements included:

Replacing the canopies and lighting.
Repainting the canopy support columns.
Replacing the plaster columns and installing new ceilings.
Installing concealed gutter systems inside the stationhouses.

CTA Vision Study Meetings

2009-11-19T07:29:00.002-06:00

The CTA is conducting a "vision study" of the Red Line stations. In order to get input and feedback, the public is invited to a series of Open Houses. Each Open House will focus on a specific group of stations. Exhibits and other information will focus on the condition of the stations.

The Open Houses are:

Tuesday, December 1, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Thorndale and Granville stations
Emanuel Congregation, 5959 N. Sheridan

Wednesday, December 2, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Argyle, Lawrence, Wilson and Sheridan stations
Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson, Lecture Hall C Room 3641

We even share recipes...

2009-11-19T07:23:00.002-06:00

Dining Chicago recently shared this recipe from Andersonville's French Bistro La Tache (1475 W Balmoral):

La Tache’s coq au vin
Chicken with red wine, bacon and onions
Chef Andrew Alcid

“This dish is the kind dish that makes any chef happy, it’s classic and simple, and hearty enough to feed any type of hunger while keeping the senses on overload,” Alcid says. “Since taking over La Tache, this is one of the first things I have put on the menu, and one of the only ones not to change.”

1 4 to 5 pound whole chicken
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 750 ml bottle pinot noir
Canola oil or leftover bacon fat
2 white onions, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
Fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock or broth
1 cup demiglace or chicken blood
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Garnish:
1 cup bacon lardons
1 cup peeled pearl onions
2 cups sliced crimini or chanterelle mushrooms
1 cup peas
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped fresh thyme, parsley and chives

Split the chicken in half, removing the backbone. Mix 3 cloves of the garlic with the wine. Place the chicken in this mixture, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours. Remove the chicken, saving the liquid.

In a heavy roasting pan or dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil and sear the chicken skin side down until golden brown. Remove and set aside. Add the remaining garlic and vegetables and cook until they caramelize. Use some of the reserved marinade to deglaze the pan.

Add the chicken stock and herbs, and put the chicken back to the pan. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook the chicken for about 1 hour, or until very tender; remove from pot. Continue simmering the braising liquid until it’s reduced by half, and add the demiglace.

Prepare the garnish: While the chicken braises, cook the bacon lardons until golden brown n a saute pan over low heat; remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate covered with a paper towel to soak up any excess grease. Do not discard the bacon fat from the pan.

Add the mushrooms to the hot pan with the bacon fat and saute until the edges are crispy; remove and place on the same plate with the bacon. In the same pan, caramelize the pearl onions until golden and cooked throughout.

Add the lardons and mushrooms back into the pan, put in the peas and saute together. Season with salt, pepper and fresh herbs to taste.

To serve: Cut the chicken into four pieces (two breasts and two legs). Arrange in a deep platter or large bowl. Pour that lovely reduced braising liquid on top and then add the garnish. 2 to 3 servings.
Source

Crew & Wild Pug: Here to stay

2009-11-18T07:37:00.003-06:00

Although a little out of Edgewater's borders, the owners of Crew and Wild Pug, located in the 48th Ward at Lawrence and Broadway, contacted us asking if we could help them dispell some rumors that they are selling one or both of their bars:

Rumors about Crew and Wild Pug
We wanted to take the time dispel the rumors about Crew and Wild Pug and replace them with some facts. We are not actively looking to sell either Crew or Wild Pug. We have listed the businesses with the Kudan Group in hopes of finding an additional partner(s) to recapitalize both businesses.

It is no great surprise these are extremely tough times. At Crew alone we have had over 18 of our regular customers lose their jobs since the down turn of the economy. When Crew turned five years old this past summer, our goal was to do a remodel including updating our monitors. Unfortunately that money has gone just to keep the doors open.

The Wild Pug was six months late in opening. We opened in November which was shortly after the start of the worst economic crisis since the 1930s. The good news is business is growing slowly, it’s just not where it needs to be.

This is not something that is easy to share, in fact it down right embarrassing. However, we felt we had to say something to address all the speculation. To those of you who frequent our businesses, thank you! If you haven’t been by lately, we would love to see you. We love being a part of Uptown and encourage you to support all the local businesses that have invested in your neighborhood. We hope to be here for many years to come.
Steven Milford & Brian Wells

Help support these two great neighborhood bars!!

Students help low income residents find jobs

2009-11-17T21:04:00.002-06:00

From Loyola's student newspaper the Loyola Phoenix:
Typically, college students look to others for help finding employment, but for some Loyola students, the tables are turned.

Thirty-eight Loyola undergraduates are helping others find jobs through an organization called LIFT, or Life-Improving Financial Tools, which is a national non-profit organization with locations in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Chicago, all staffed by student volunteers from local universities.

The Loyola students are currently working one-on-one through LIFT with low-income members of the Uptown, Edgewater and Rogers Park communities. Students help them work on résumés, find employment, search for education opportunities and find affordable housing.

Continue reading

Traffic changes coming?

2009-11-17T15:32:00.004-06:00

We've received notification via the EBNA block club that Alderman Smith's office is conducting traffic studies to consider the following "South Edgewater Calming" changes to the streets:

South Edgewater Calming (LBRC and EARC neighborhoods) West of Broadway

Ø Convert to two-way traffic N. Glenwood from Bryn Mawr to Foster

Ø Convert to two-way traffic W. Catalpa, W. Berwyn and W. Balmoral from Broadway to Clark

Ø Close to motorized traffic permanently W. Balmoral from Broadway to alley just west (to expand Bromann Park )

Ø Close to motorized traffic permanently W. Berwyn from Clark to Ashland (to create a pedestrian plaza)—agreed by Ald. O'Connor/40th Ward

That Little Mexican Cafe gives back, again

2009-11-17T10:44:00.002-06:00

Just like last year, That Little Mexican Cafe owners Porfirio and Hilary Balderas are partnering with Care for Real to host 300 people for a traditional turkey dinner. The staff of That Little Mexican Cafe volunteers their time to cook and serve dinner. For most CFR clients, this is the only time during the year that they have a restaurant meal. Many thanks to the Balderas family and That Little Mexican Cafe's staff for their continuing generosity. If you would like to help out on Thanksgiving, call Irene at (773) 769-6182.

Weekend gunfire

2009-11-16T20:12:00.004-06:00

Gun shots were reported Saturday night around 6:30pm in the 5800 block of North Broadway. An SUV which was likely fleeing the scene, was found crashed into a garage nearby in an alley behind the 5800 block of North Magnolia. Contents of the vehicle are being investigated, and as is the possible connection of the vehicle to a to a methamphetamine operation.

Source: ChicagoBreakingNews.com

Additional news coverage:

WBBM 780

Suspicious follower on Granville

2009-11-16T18:44:00.019-06:00

6:44 PM, 1140 W. Ardmore - 2 males are fighting under the bridge.

6:50, Granville and Hoyne - Male caller reports a suspicious man is following him. He is heading west on Granville.

7:00, 1269 W. Victoria - Officers have located a stolen vehicle. It looks drivable and appears to have been abandoned.

7:11, 1042 W. Catalpa - Possible burglary in progress. Female caller says someone just forced their way into her building through the outer hallway door.

8:36, Granville Red Line stop - El check.

8:47, 4800 N. Ravenswood - Report of a fight breaking out at the Metra station.

8:50, Berwyn Red Line stop - Disturbance call. Report of multiple teens loitering.

10:07, Thorndale Red Line stop - El check.

Tonight

2009-11-16T14:16:00.003-06:00

Now serving #42

2009-11-16T12:35:00.003-06:00

If you've yet to experience the T-Shirt Deli (1482 W Berwyn), you're truely missing out. This little retail store where you can make your own shirt is easy to miss, nestled in between North Community Bank and Tulip at the corner of Berwyn & Clark. The concept is simple - pick out a design from one of the hundreds of designs, pick a shirt style, color and size, and they make it while you wait. The entire experience revolves around a deli theme, which they have down to a "T" - from the shirts in the deli case to the way your finish product is wrapped in butcher paper and decaled with meat stickers and served with a napkin and bag of chips.

Find Poppy

2009-11-15T15:03:00.002-06:00

From Craigslist:

It has been one week and my Poppy still has not returned to me. I WILL NOT give up!
Poppy was taken from my car that was parked at the Chicago Armory Parking lot at Broadway and Thorndale in Edgewater on Friday, November 6 around 4pm.
She is a tan Chihuahua, two years old, wearing a black buckle collar. I have posted a $400 reward. I will do anything to get her back. I know she is terrified right now because she is with thugs. Please keep an eye out for her!
If you know anything about Poppy's whereabouts please email:
comm-aeyhv-1465489246@craigslist.org

Transistor, 5045 N Clark

2009-11-15T09:36:00.002-06:00

Andersonville welcomes a new business to Clark street: Transistor. We recently stopped in this neat place, and rather than try to describe it ourselves here is their description from Facebook: "Transistor, 5045 N. Clark St, is equal parts art gallery, book and magazine shop, CD & record shop, electronics boutique and more. We also feature free film/video screenings (Tu & Th), performances, workshops and pingpong every Sunday night." Stop by and check them out! Here are a few links where you can learn more:

Transistor Website (under construction)

Transistor Facebook page

TimeOut Chicago