We love the Wiener! (And Still Champion!)
My mom is visiting this weekend. Kate and I dragged my mom to Wiener and Still Champion in Evanston. My mom had a Dippin' Dog, WASC's name for their hand-battered corn dogs, which she loved. Kate and I each had a dog and split an order of fries. Afterward, we were still a bit hungry, so we went back for more, and I ordered three more dippin' dogs. Man, those were good. I love the batter on the dogs; it's very similar to corn bread. Yum. Definitely worth the train ride to Dempster.
Amazon EC2
Does anybody out there use Amazon EC2 to host their web sites and/or web applications? I'm intrigued by the concept, and am debating signing up, spending a few bucks, checking it out. No server to colo, yet you're not restricted with regard to what OS you can run and what apps you can run on it. So, I could have a custom Ubuntu box doing whatever I want -- hosting all my websites, running a bit of MySQL, etc. Is it worth the effort?
Heartland Cafe Reopens
Read about it here.
From reading the Channel 2 News Story, sounds like the owners have caught on to the fact that whining about their situation wasn't helping their case in the press (or on the blogs). Now I'm seeing Ms. Hogan talk more about the future, how they've fixed things, taking this very seriously, and not seeing any more "OMG, the city was so mean to us!"
We're trying to decide if we want to come check it out or not. We're glad to hear that things may be cleaned up and improved, but I'm also thinking that RoPa is much more deserving of our limited entertainment dollars.
From reading the Channel 2 News Story, sounds like the owners have caught on to the fact that whining about their situation wasn't helping their case in the press (or on the blogs). Now I'm seeing Ms. Hogan talk more about the future, how they've fixed things, taking this very seriously, and not seeing any more "OMG, the city was so mean to us!"
We're trying to decide if we want to come check it out or not. We're glad to hear that things may be cleaned up and improved, but I'm also thinking that RoPa is much more deserving of our limited entertainment dollars.
Help My Friends Peter and Ericka?
My friends Peter and Ericka in Minneapolis are struggling under the weight of the sagging economy, and their home is facing foreclosure. I've known Peter long enough and well enough to know that he's not a screw up -- he's not secretly taking donations and using them for drugs or something. He's a hard worker who's been out of work lately. Ericka is disabled. Their home has been significantly modified to make life easier and more comfortable for her. That's the kicker. If they lose their house -- they're not only out the house, but wherever they end up next, they'll have to modify that place for Ericka, and that won't come cheap.
They were actually only about $9k in the hole, and they've already made up some of that through some hard work on Peter's part and through the kindess of friends and strangers. Would you consider donating a few bucks toward helping them save their house? Any amount would help.
Why not take that money you were going to donate to public radio this time around and donate it for this cause instead? The reward is that you're actively helping someobody to keep a roof over their head.
For more information, and a link to donate via Paypal, visit http://tinyurl.com/by9xot
Thanks for listening, and I'll stand down off my soap box now.
They were actually only about $9k in the hole, and they've already made up some of that through some hard work on Peter's part and through the kindess of friends and strangers. Would you consider donating a few bucks toward helping them save their house? Any amount would help.
Why not take that money you were going to donate to public radio this time around and donate it for this cause instead? The reward is that you're actively helping someobody to keep a roof over their head.
For more information, and a link to donate via Paypal, visit http://tinyurl.com/by9xot
Thanks for listening, and I'll stand down off my soap box now.
Heartland Cafe
I just saw this article linked from the front page of the Chicago Tribune. Was already aware, first heard about it on Twitter, and then on the blogs, but here's some more detail.
Heartland Cafe was closed for the following health code violations: mouse feces throughout; a slimy black mold inside its automatic ice machine that was dripping into the ice-forming tray; and 24 pounds of food that should have been stored at below 40 degrees Fahrenheit that was warmer, including shredded chicken, tofu and cut vegetables.
All together now.......EWWW.
Read the whole story here.
In the article, the owner complains that the city's response was harsh. I disagree. When somebody gets sick and the health department comes in and takes a look, it is standard practice to shut the place down until all violations are rectified. Why? So nobody else gets sick before everything is resolved. You don't get "a few days" to work that out while staying open.
Kate and I stopped going here long ago because the food never seemed to be hot enough, the silverware and glasses were always grimy, and the general environment of the place just wasn't clean enough to our standards. Is that related to the current issues? Hard to say, as I'm not an expert on these things. But, in my uninformed opinion, I guess this doesn't surprise me all that much.
Finally, I would point out that though I'm no longer a vegetarian, I was one in the past. I regularly eat vegetarian and vegan fare, and I really enjoy tofu. Ever tried a veggie burger with bacon and cheese on it? It's confusing, but delicious. So I really, really wanted to enjoy the Heartland Cafe. The menu seems right up my alley. So trust me when I tell you that I'm not trashing the place due to a dislike for the "granola nature" of this place. If they could actually pull it off, I'd be over there for lunch or dinner a couple of times a week.
Heartland Cafe was closed for the following health code violations: mouse feces throughout; a slimy black mold inside its automatic ice machine that was dripping into the ice-forming tray; and 24 pounds of food that should have been stored at below 40 degrees Fahrenheit that was warmer, including shredded chicken, tofu and cut vegetables.
All together now.......EWWW.
Read the whole story here.
In the article, the owner complains that the city's response was harsh. I disagree. When somebody gets sick and the health department comes in and takes a look, it is standard practice to shut the place down until all violations are rectified. Why? So nobody else gets sick before everything is resolved. You don't get "a few days" to work that out while staying open.
Kate and I stopped going here long ago because the food never seemed to be hot enough, the silverware and glasses were always grimy, and the general environment of the place just wasn't clean enough to our standards. Is that related to the current issues? Hard to say, as I'm not an expert on these things. But, in my uninformed opinion, I guess this doesn't surprise me all that much.
Finally, I would point out that though I'm no longer a vegetarian, I was one in the past. I regularly eat vegetarian and vegan fare, and I really enjoy tofu. Ever tried a veggie burger with bacon and cheese on it? It's confusing, but delicious. So I really, really wanted to enjoy the Heartland Cafe. The menu seems right up my alley. So trust me when I tell you that I'm not trashing the place due to a dislike for the "granola nature" of this place. If they could actually pull it off, I'd be over there for lunch or dinner a couple of times a week.
RoPa Reminder
Have you stopped into RoPa on Wednesday night for a $4 martini yet? They make 'em right. And the food is good, too. My fave of late is the cajun tilapia.
RoPa is at 1146 W Pratt, just east of Pratt and Sheridan. Good stuff!
RoPa is at 1146 W Pratt, just east of Pratt and Sheridan. Good stuff!
Uncommon Ground on Devon
Uncommon Ground over on Devon got a quick, but positive write up over on Chicagoist today. Read it >>
Music in the Park – Rogers Park
Kate and I got home late last night after a long (and fun) week in San Francisco. In between the work functions I was out there for, we found a lot of good places to eat. A couple of which had music, but for the most part, we didn’t partake of any live music. Nor did we make it to my favorite club, the DNA Lounge. (To whom you should donate a buck or two, since they’re currently being hassled by the man.)
I regret reading (most of) the neighborhood blogs while I was gone. The Morse Theatre’s investor troubles lead to a mountain of speculation about what the Morse is or isn’t, and what it should be or shouldn’t be.
The Morse Theatre is a beautiful space. If it closes, I’m going to be saddened. I hope that it gets another shot at life – someday, somehow. Bloggers and commenters speculate about what would happen if it were opened up to those awful “rock-n-roll” shows, waving sadly aged concerns about a “Neil Peart”-loving crowd overrunning the corner of Morse and Glenwood, and all the implied damage that implies to the event space and the neighborhood.
Yeah, what? I don’t get it either. First, they were already doing shows other than jazz. There was/is definitely some stunt-booking going on. And I don’t blame Andy & co. for going that route. Starting up a new music venue is tough, and never guaranteed to do anything but lose money. The only ways to be even worse off are to open up in an economic downturn, and try to focus on jazz exclusively. I imagine that the negative impression Morse Avenue doesn’t help too much, either. (And that’s sad, because we need more stuff like the Morse Theatre to succeed, if that area is going to improve.)
I used to work for a jazz club in Minnesota – doing whatever I can to help get more people into the club. Working for free, running their website, trying to come up with occasional promotional opportunities. It was never easy – and the club in Minnesota was on a much more solid footing (read: “life was tough but relatively debt-free”) than the Morse is.
A jazz club is almost a losing proposition from day 1, in this day and age. Like some of the other commenters, I think it might benefit the club to open themselves up to more of the alt-rock indie-rock crowd a bit. I don't think it can hurt. (The real question is, are there shows out there to book, shows that'll make money. The economy is clamping down hard on entertainment dollars.)
If I ran the Morse, would I have done a lot of things differently? Sure, I would have. (And I would have started by complete discarding the restaurant’s wacky sausage-laden menu.) But, I don’t have any clue that anything I would have done would have helped them to prevent the situation they’re in. And, I strongly commend Andy McGhee for everything he’s done. And I wish I could have done something to help it succeed, something beyond dropping in for a show periodically. I guess the best thing I can do now is stop in a few more times, have a few drinks, and wait and see what the future brings.
On an unrelated topic, is Morseland a "hip hop nightclub"? Yeah, what? Angry Blogger is convinced of it, but I'm not so sure. Kate and I stopped in last night, for a late dinner after getting home from the airport, they were playing some pretty cool deep house and older dance music. You know. Music. From a vinyl record. Like a lot of bars do. Yes, they did play “Everyday People” by Arrested Development last night, but this does not make a venue a hip hop night club. Not even on Dirty Thursdays. (Actually, should I care if it’s a hip hop night club? I’m not sure that I do. I think this might actually be a cloaked concern about the kind of clientele that might attend a “hip hop club” – and I think that’s as much as I’ll say on that topic.)
I regret reading (most of) the neighborhood blogs while I was gone. The Morse Theatre’s investor troubles lead to a mountain of speculation about what the Morse is or isn’t, and what it should be or shouldn’t be.
The Morse Theatre is a beautiful space. If it closes, I’m going to be saddened. I hope that it gets another shot at life – someday, somehow. Bloggers and commenters speculate about what would happen if it were opened up to those awful “rock-n-roll” shows, waving sadly aged concerns about a “Neil Peart”-loving crowd overrunning the corner of Morse and Glenwood, and all the implied damage that implies to the event space and the neighborhood.
Yeah, what? I don’t get it either. First, they were already doing shows other than jazz. There was/is definitely some stunt-booking going on. And I don’t blame Andy & co. for going that route. Starting up a new music venue is tough, and never guaranteed to do anything but lose money. The only ways to be even worse off are to open up in an economic downturn, and try to focus on jazz exclusively. I imagine that the negative impression Morse Avenue doesn’t help too much, either. (And that’s sad, because we need more stuff like the Morse Theatre to succeed, if that area is going to improve.)
I used to work for a jazz club in Minnesota – doing whatever I can to help get more people into the club. Working for free, running their website, trying to come up with occasional promotional opportunities. It was never easy – and the club in Minnesota was on a much more solid footing (read: “life was tough but relatively debt-free”) than the Morse is.
A jazz club is almost a losing proposition from day 1, in this day and age. Like some of the other commenters, I think it might benefit the club to open themselves up to more of the alt-rock indie-rock crowd a bit. I don't think it can hurt. (The real question is, are there shows out there to book, shows that'll make money. The economy is clamping down hard on entertainment dollars.)
If I ran the Morse, would I have done a lot of things differently? Sure, I would have. (And I would have started by complete discarding the restaurant’s wacky sausage-laden menu.) But, I don’t have any clue that anything I would have done would have helped them to prevent the situation they’re in. And, I strongly commend Andy McGhee for everything he’s done. And I wish I could have done something to help it succeed, something beyond dropping in for a show periodically. I guess the best thing I can do now is stop in a few more times, have a few drinks, and wait and see what the future brings.
On an unrelated topic, is Morseland a "hip hop nightclub"? Yeah, what? Angry Blogger is convinced of it, but I'm not so sure. Kate and I stopped in last night, for a late dinner after getting home from the airport, they were playing some pretty cool deep house and older dance music. You know. Music. From a vinyl record. Like a lot of bars do. Yes, they did play “Everyday People” by Arrested Development last night, but this does not make a venue a hip hop night club. Not even on Dirty Thursdays. (Actually, should I care if it’s a hip hop night club? I’m not sure that I do. I think this might actually be a cloaked concern about the kind of clientele that might attend a “hip hop club” – and I think that’s as much as I’ll say on that topic.)
Thanks, Sort Of!
The Chicago Reader was kind enough of to list my blog in its list of Rogers Park blogs in the most recent issue.
Tis a shame it was in the context of an issue of the Reader entirely focused on trashing the neighborhood and lots of the great things in it. Oh well. It was particularly (not) awesome of them to list U Lucky Dawg as open (last time we checked, it had gone out of business), and to give a snotty and unfair review of a couple restaurants that we actually really enjoy.
Tis a shame it was in the context of an issue of the Reader entirely focused on trashing the neighborhood and lots of the great things in it. Oh well. It was particularly (not) awesome of them to list U Lucky Dawg as open (last time we checked, it had gone out of business), and to give a snotty and unfair review of a couple restaurants that we actually really enjoy.
Been to RoPa Lately?
Hey, if Kate and I are cutting back on eating out (and we are), then holy hand grenades, Batman. The economy really is in the dumps. It never hurts to set more money aside to prepare for an uncertain future (and help to cover our upcoming wedding reception). For us, that means a lot more casseroles and a lot fewer visits to good restaurants. For restaurants, that means there are now a lot of people who, like us, are stopping in an awful lot less than in months prior.
That being said, we're still doing our part to try to help RoPa succeed. We still try to stop in for dinner every week or two – and I think you should do the same.
RoPa has great food. I've had steaks and pasta there, mainly. I like the Ribeye quite a bit, and have had it a few different times. Also, their chicken skewers are really, really good. Last time we were there, they had steak skewers for a special. Kate ordered them – and in hindsight, I wish I had ordered them as well. Kate let me have a taste, and they were fantastic. “Shish Kabobs, like we would call them in Turkey,” according to Ozkam. For appetizers, we have found the artichoke dip and calamari to be delicious.
RoPa now has a three course dinner option for $17.95, with various choices for soup/salad course, main course, and dessert. For entrees, this includes a choice of steak, pasta, pork chop, and another option or two. This is an excellent deal, and if you haven't stopped by RoPa yet, do you need any more reason to check it out?
RoPa is located just east of Sheridan and Pratt, at 1146 W. Pratt Blvd. Their phone number is 773-508-0002. Their website (sadly, under construction), can be found at www.roparestaurant.com. Visit Yelp for more reviews and to see RoPa's star ranking (4 stars). RoPa offers full cocktail service and a wide selection of wines.
That being said, we're still doing our part to try to help RoPa succeed. We still try to stop in for dinner every week or two – and I think you should do the same.
RoPa has great food. I've had steaks and pasta there, mainly. I like the Ribeye quite a bit, and have had it a few different times. Also, their chicken skewers are really, really good. Last time we were there, they had steak skewers for a special. Kate ordered them – and in hindsight, I wish I had ordered them as well. Kate let me have a taste, and they were fantastic. “Shish Kabobs, like we would call them in Turkey,” according to Ozkam. For appetizers, we have found the artichoke dip and calamari to be delicious.RoPa now has a three course dinner option for $17.95, with various choices for soup/salad course, main course, and dessert. For entrees, this includes a choice of steak, pasta, pork chop, and another option or two. This is an excellent deal, and if you haven't stopped by RoPa yet, do you need any more reason to check it out?
RoPa is located just east of Sheridan and Pratt, at 1146 W. Pratt Blvd. Their phone number is 773-508-0002. Their website (sadly, under construction), can be found at www.roparestaurant.com. Visit Yelp for more reviews and to see RoPa's star ranking (4 stars). RoPa offers full cocktail service and a wide selection of wines.
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