From The Archives: Volume 1

Throughout our tours of Chicago's various neighborhoods, we end up snapping dozens of pictures that don't make the cut for various reasons.  Whether it be due to a lack of space, or the sake of repetitiveness, some images we've taken just haven't quite fit into our entries.

From time to time, we're going to do "From The Archives" posts where we get to go back and show some of these pictures and share our thoughts.  So please click below for some more reflections on past neighborhoods that we've visited.

Chicago Brauhaus 
(Lincoln Square)
During our early Saturday lunch, the spirit was already high at the Brauhaus. The place broke out in the popular "Ein Prosit" and everyone joined in!  Here, we saw the burliest men of them all, singing and raising their glasses.  Liter up, friends!

90 Miles Cuban Cafe
(Roscoe Village)
Of the pictures we took inside 90 Miles, this was Laura's take on film noir.  We didn't really get to show you the walls of the restaurant, which are covered in vintage newspaper articles, posters, and magazine covers.  The microscopic dining room has one of the best, most intimate atmospheres of any place we've dined at, and as the sun lowered in the sky, Laura snapped this shot of my shadow, also enjoying juicy pork and plantain.

A Hawk Having Lunch
(Albany Park)
In one of the more Animal Planet-y moments we've seen, a hawk (see top of telephone pole) picked off a smaller bird for lunch, grabbing it with his talons and flying it to his perch.  Next thing we knew the hawk was being circled by enraged friends of the prey (seen to the left).  I think the hawk won this one.

St. Matthias Church
(Lincoln Square)
When we wrote about St. Matthias Transfiguration in our Lincoln Square entry, we somehow left out a picture of the stunning interior of the church.  Here the light is shining immaculately through the stained glass in the mid-afternoon.  Chicago has a wealth of spectacular houses of worship.  St. Matthias is not one of the more famous religious landmarks, but for a practicing Catholic or even non-spiritual architecture buff, this is a real gem on the north side.

Seagulls (Edgewater)
These guys remind us a little bit of ocean life right here on the waters of Lake Michigan.  Hollywood Beach, when viewed in the morning or on off-hours, can be a serene place to escape.

Podhalanka
(Polish Triangle)
We had some great Polish food in this little joint at Ashland and Division.  We went with a white borscht for starters (I thought it only came in red...you learn something new every day).  BIG chunks of sausage mixed in with the hot soup (borscht doesn't have to be served cold either).  Oh, and we had that specialty blueberry-flavored drink in the red cup in the background.  Sweeeeeet.

The Publican 
(West Loop)
One thing we left out was a shot of Laura's dish at The Publican.  Perhaps we were just so floored by the pork rinds and sweetbreads, we just called it a day.  But her stew was another great, hearty dish.  Beef tongue, rabbit sausage, couscous, nice broth.  On the left, your seat is greeted by a towel-like blue napkin featuring the Publican logo.  The Publican isn't just a great meal, it's a great dining experience.

Three Happiness

(Chinatown)

...is a tiny enough place that the ingredients were being prepped by kitchen staff on one of the dining room tables. Here, the snipping of green beans. This kind of atmosphere is another reason to come to the smaller, original location rather than the larger, newer one across the street.

Chinatown Square
(Chinatown)


In our Chinatown entry we included an overhead shot of part of the public square.  Here's a look from street level.  Opened in 1993, it's basically an outdoor shopping mall (or "ped mall" for all you urban planners out there).  Lots of video stores, professional service offices, and restaurants (notably Lao Sze Chuan).  Even if you're not buying anything, it's worth a ten-minute stroll.

Metropolitan Brewing
(Ravenswood)
A dog in the brewery!  This little dude was super excited to be at Metropolitan.  Don't just expect to be able to bring your pooch with you on a tour though.  This guy's got connections.