Englewood grows green, but faces challenges with urban agriculture
Mayor Rahm Emanuel paid a visit to Growing Home community garden in Englewood on May 1 to celebrate the kickoff of the garden’s farm stand that will provide fresh food to the community’s residents every Wednesday through spring and summer. The Mayor’s visit highlights the growing initiatives being implemented to combat food deserts, particularly urban [...]
Building a barbecue community in West Ridge
Harry Belafonte is playing on the turntable and the smell of smoked barbecue invades the room. Within moments of walking in, Rub’s Backcountry Smokehouse proves true to its name, and feels more backwoods Nashville than it does Northside Chicago. Vintage flags, wagon wheel chandeliers and ornamental pigs decorate the space. Through the economic downturn, struggling [...]
Chicago’s top restaurant trade shows and conventions
In the restaurant industry, whether you’re selling cooking products, appliances or just opening a new restaurant, a trade show could be the perfect opportunity to get your name out there. In Chicago the restaurant industry is highly competitive, but if you get yourself out to some trade shows in the city you’ll get a real head [...]
Holiday Travel Tips to Keep you on Time During Rush
Lines were already filling at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport early Wednesday morning, as Chicago’s airports are expecting nearly 1.8 million travels for the Thanksgiving holiday. With such busy days ahead, travel experts say the most important things to remember are being informed and getting to the airport as early as possible. But the airport [...]
Conversation With Chef Erik Freeberg
When Chicago’s Chef Tony Mantuano asked his Spiaggia sous chef Erik Freeberg to be the executive chef of his new venture, Italian pizzeria and wine bar Bar Toma, Freeberg jumped on board fast. Almost one year since Bar Toma opened its doors, Freeberg sat down with a reporter in the bustling Gold Coast restaurant that [...]
Logan Square Farmers Market Report
Every Sunday through October 28th, Logan Square Farmers Market is open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. You can check them out on Facebook, or on their Farmers Market Website for more details. See the list below of who will be there this Sunday. It’s tomato season, even this early in the season. The agricultural practice that [...]
The Map Room, a Grass Roots Tavern in Bucktown
The Map Room was founded in 1992 by Laura and Mark Blasingame after many years of traveling; when they came home, they founded a tavern that incorporated an international theme along with a down-to-earth atmosphere. The bar was given its name from the film, “Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The Map Room in [...]
A Unique Taste of Bridgeport
Walking into Mimi’s, it smells like a county fair in the summertime with freshly made funnel cakes. Homemade red, green, yellow and purple gelato is lined up in a display case. Neon signs advertising gelato and lemonade decorate the Chicago restaurant. Mimi’s Churros is located in the neighborhood of Bridgeport and is unique to its [...]
Moroccan restaurant in Wicker Park transports diners
The Marrakech Cuisine restaurant at 1413 North Ashland Avenue in Chicago serves authentic Moroccan food. Once you get into the store, it’s is as if you’ve entered into a completely different world. The brightly colored clothes displayed in the gift shop capture everyone’s attention. The lyrics of music played while you eat do not have [...]
Daddy-O’s: A Taste of Jamaica
For a change, get a taste of the islands with this story about Daddy-O’s bringing a taste of Jamaica to the South Side. You can get an eye-full with the slideshow.
Honest Meal Project at Green City Market
Looking to lose weight the healthy way? Kendall College chef-instructor Dana Cox will tell you how she lost 50 pounds by consuming only foods grown on family farms—no processed foods. Cox will host the “Honest Meal Project” at the Green City Market’s Locavore Picnic Supper at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on Wednesday, September 21st [...]
Food Trucks are Coming to the Harris Theater Wednesday!
ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT THE HARRIS! FOOD TRUCKS NOW STOPPING BY LOWER RANDOLPH! Now available at the Harris Theater before your show: Adelita, Brown Bag, Cupcakes for Courage, Gaztro Wagon, Haute Sausage, Homage, Mama Greens Cookies, Meatyballs, Pie Machine, and Sweet Miss Givings. Come eat during the following food truck times: EAT TO THE BEAT [...]
Free Soup, Bread and Hospitality
A small catastrophe arose in the Hideout on April 13. As a few people dropped their donations into the almost full crockpot of cash, they turned to pick up their prize: a bowl, a spoon and just past five vats of soup. But no spoon was in sight. After a few moments of bemused looks [...]
Food Pantries Meet Demand in Englewood
By Deborah Alexander, LISC Chicago’s New Communities Program Joyce Brown is no stranger to people in need. As the project coordinator for the Englewood Food Network, she’s been organizing food pantries and serving up meals to hungry clients for a long time. But during the past year, she’s seen a pronounced difference in the people [...]
More Volunteers Needed To Patch Social Safety Net
By Christopher Pratt of The Urban Coaster July 27, 2009 – More than 800 people per month are being served by a Rogers Park food bank, a number that has doubled since last summer, and an already busy crew of volunteers and human-services workers will be asked to give more time to provide for those [...]
Organic Oasis in a Food Desert
By Curtis Black of Community Media Workshop June 18, 2009 – Englewood residents and food justice activists will celebrate “the death of a food desert” when a new food market featuring local and organic produce opens for a community dinner and fundraiser Friday. Graffiti and Grub, a project of urban farm pioneer LaDonna Redmond and [...]
Debate Over, Aldi to Open in Edgewater
By Dylan Heath of The Urban Coaster June 11, 2009 – After a period of sometimes heated community discussion, an Aldi grocery store is set to open in Edgewater. Bill Platt of the Access Realty Group estimates that in about two months the store will take over half of the Clarovista condominium building’s ground-floor retail [...]
