Having a rough week? Tired of the time change messing up your schedule? Soothe yourself with a little Thai food! Come on in to Forever Thai and take your time pouring over our extensive menu, or order in for the evening if you prefer. Either way, we are sure you’ll be glad you decided to join us for dinner….

Check out our menu items on the left hand side here and see what sounds good. We’ve got enough for everybody!

Forever Thai…Delicious Choices

(773) 883-8883

One of the things that attracted me to the Northcenter/Lincoln Square neighborhood was its safety.  Generally, I think most of the North Side of Chicago is a relatively safe place to be (maybe with the exception of some pockets in Albany Square and Uptown) but this weekend has been a bit rough for the ol’ ‘hood.  Of course, the CPD is still looking for the car that struck and killed a 25-year-old female bartender at Lincoln & Cullom Halloween night and now comes another community alert from the 19th District concerning a failed sexual assault Halloween night in an alley just east of Addison & Western.

Neither really shakes my faith in this neighborhood and the real moral of this story is to just be on the look-out, fellow Northcenterians.  I certainly hope both perps are caught and brought to justice.

Chicago’s Lincoln Square has a great Farmer’s Market every Tuesday from 7am till 2pm. Located right next to the CTA Brown Line Western station, it gets a lot of foot traffic. There are about 15 local vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods, homemade soaps and flowers. My favorites have started showing up now that it’s October: pumpkins! It’s as close as you can get to farm fresh food in Chicago. There’s even a fresh chicken and egg seller! Last week I stopped on my way home from the train and bought most of the goods to make chicken soup (with the exception of celery, which is not in season at the moment in the midwest). I bought a turnip, parsnip, onion, carrots and parsley for all under $5. And the soup turned out great!

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and now that cooler weather is setting in the market will close. Good news is that the Farmer’s Market will not close up shop for what everyone thought the last time this season next Tuesday, Oct. 27. It was a cold and bitter day last Tuesday, weather that the vendors sit through all morning and afternoon, but today was warm and encouraging. Vendors agreed that they had more business this week than last because of the favorable weather conditions. Even though farms are starting to finish up the harvest and winter is setting in, the vendors plan on being in Lincoln Square once a week until the week before Thanksgiving (which means we can get our Thanksgiving pumpkin pies from Marilyn’s!). When it does close up, I’ll have to turn to the indoor Green City Market that warms up at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park during the winter starting Nov. 7.

Interesting enough, my family loves to eat out except for Thursday evenings; where we enjoy a little family gathering at my aunt’s house. Otherwise, you will catch us for dinner at these three top locations in the Heart of Bellevue Downtown.

My Review:
Lovely decor + Amazing Service + Delicious Food = TO DIE FOR!
Just like fashion, I heart Seastar!
Seastar has never disappointed me that’s why I always go back!
My Favorite Dish: Halibut Putanesca
My Favorite Drink: Gin & Tonic with Tanqueray 10
Check them out at – Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar

My Review:
Just like Seastar, the food is to die for & service is superb!
If you like Daniel’s Broiler at the Hyatt, try John Howie Steak…
You’ll never want to go back to DB.
My favorite dish: Potato Gnocchi
My Favorite Drink: Gin & Tonic with Tanqueray 10
Check them out at – John Howie Steak

My Review:
I really love the atmosphere & ambience here.
It’s chic, sophisticated, and foremost, cozy & romantic.
Service is good but not as great as Seastar or JH Steak.
Their drinks are delicious!
My Favorite Cocktail:  Cucumber Melon Mojito
My Favorite Dish: Wild Mushroom Risotto
Check them out at — Pearl Bar & Dining

Totally rehabbed in 2008, this house at 2202 W Berwyn has been on the market for nearly a year. Once priced at $769,900, it was reduced to $649,900 in June and finally went under contract last week. Ted Nash of Jameson has the listing.

Lincoln Square, one of the more desirable neighborhoods on the North Side, is now growing more affordable as well. Prices of single-family houses here have tumbled considerably in the last year, making the area a great buy for bargain-hunters.

In June 2008, for example, six houses sold in Lincoln Square, with a median price of $664,500. This June, eight houses found buyers, but the median price had fallen to $532,500 — a 20% drop in just a year.

I think part of the problem was the rash of small-time investors who started buying up old A-frame houses here in 2007 and 2008. Some were contractors, some were real estate agents, some were just starry-eyed dreamers, but they all shared a hope of fixing and flipping these houses for a tidy profit, particularly in the Bowmanville area north of Foster and west of Damen.

Now, unfortunately, Lincoln Square is speckled with lovely, newly-rehabbed houses that can’t find buyers. There’s 2130 W Summerdale, which has been on the market since March, for $645,900. There’s 2110 W Berwyn, also for sale since March, now listed at $650,000. Or 5324 N Leavitt, which has been on and off the market since 2007 and is now a short sale for $650,000. Or 5148 N Oakley, which has been on the market all year and is now priced at $539,900.

All of these homes have endured multiple price reductions of tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes even $100,000. And yet here it is, heading into our sluggish winter season, and they remain unsold.

About a week ago, I was strolling down N. Lincoln Avenue when I came across a building that made me wonder if I had just transported back in time. The building was Krause Music Store and it can move even the most stubborn modernist to dream of a time when buildings were intricate and beautiful.

Picture courtesy of Time Out magazine.

Here are some details about Krause Music Store which can be found both on a plaque outside the building and on the City of Chicago’s Chicago Landmarks page.

Address: 4611 N. Lincoln Ave.
Year Built: 1922
Architects: William Presto and Louis H. Sullivan (his last commission!)

In attempt to describe to you exactly what it looks like (I love the Time Out picture, but it simply does not do the store front justice), I wrote the following description:

Upon first glance, in broad daylight, Krause Music Store looks like a tiny opera house. The ornate terracotta façade is so perfectly symmetrical and elaborately designed that, despite its actual depth, it looks flat from across the street, even propped up from behind, like something out of a Hollywood set. The building also stands out because of its whitewashed colour. Surrounded by square buildings made of simple red brick, it is like a flash of obsidian among a pile of rocks. At night, the yellow bulbs glowing in the wide, inviting entryway give the clay surface a golden tint.

You really must see this building at night, so I am going to suggest the following itinerary, so you can fit it in after having dinner.

First, grab a pint at Huettenbar (4721 N. Lincoln) in honour of Oktoberfest. This bar is one of the last authentic Germanic bars in Lincoln Square and comes complete with a German staff, long wooden bar and many a German beer on draught.

After you say auf wiedersehen to your bartender, turn left out the arched, wooden doors and look for Krause Music store on your left. If it is still daylight, the lights will have not turned on yet, and you can marvel at the animal carvings in the terra cotta. Then cross the street and head over to Bistro Campagne (4518 N. Lincoln) to tuck yourself into French food served in a luxuriously French countryside atmosphere.

I will be headed to Bistro Campagne tonight and will let you know how it is!!!!

Once you have polished off your dinner, go back to Krause and admire it some more!
Dev xx

It’s like everyone has just awoken from a deep sleep. Suddenly they realize that there are abandoned buildings at one of the most important gateways to Worcester. The old courthouse has been empty for two years now. The construction took another three years. So five years later the State and City are wondering what we’ll do with the building. That’s called planning our future- State Style. The old Boys Club building has been empty at least ten years now, and the Auditorium has been an impossible mission since the DCU center, then the Civic Center, was first was built. So what’s the hurry suddenly to do something at Lincoln Square?

I must say the City Council and Mayor’s concern is most appropriate just before an election. But reasonable people would have to agree that with the current economy the chance of a ‘White Knight’ riding into Worcester with an answer is slim and none. What the city doesn’t want is to take over the old courthouse. Why would the Worcester taxpayers want responsibility for that?

The State and City should get out of the Development business; give the properties to the Worcester Business Development Corporation, or Worcester Tech. This is no time for the childishness and inabilities of the council to get into this one. Don’t forget, this is the council who can’t build a swimming pool.

It has taken far too long, but with most Government actions, later is better than never. The new discussions of what to do with the vacant, yet stately buildings that abut Lincoln Square are finally being had. I’m not sure if the sudden interest is due to the upcoming election or not, but whatever reason the timeliness of the talks is right on. What ever happened to the city’s charette?

The Mayor, and councilor Palmieri have chimed in with ideas; discussions that needed to be made when the plans were formulated for the new courthouse and the movement of the Vocational School. Palmieri’s idea of bundling the properties together is intriguing, but in these economic times somewhat more questionable. The properties, which include the old Boys Club, Auditorium, and Courthouse, have special historic meanings. So what should happen with Lincoln Square? Let me know!

My solo activity of the week, the Tweed Ride.  Dress up like a Brit and ride from English pub to English pub on your bike.  Brilliant!  Started at the Globe at 1pm, then to a Polish bar where they gave out free polish sausage, then to the Handlebar by 4pm.  This is where I had to peel off to clean for tonight’s party, after hosting 30 people last night.  They’re going to a few more places until they end up in Lincoln Square for German Fest.  About 30 in the group.  Surprised how many people dressed up.  Bonus of the day – actual Brits!!  Including one who came up to me and said, “Are you Saya?”  Turns out he saw my Pecha Kucha presentation.  Fun outing, though I wasn’t as social as usual due to playing host last night.  Friendly group, would do it again.  Totally an activity one can feel comfortable doing solo.

Visiting the Lincoln Square Farmer’s Market is one of my favorite rituals of the week.  It’s social, it’s full of eye candy, Meinl gives away free coffee, and at the end I come home with a bag of food.

Last week I had a faculty meeting on Tuesday morning, so P. did my marketing for me.   He came back raving about Donut Man and his delicious donuts and how he got the last one and that this week we needed to get up early enough to get a custard donut from Donut Man.

Mission accomplished.

We paid a visit to Pork Lady.  Sadly she was sold out of ham steaks.  Happily her summer helpers made samples of homemade mac & cheese with Polish sausage.  Happy animals cared for by good people make amazing meat.  I can’t even describe how much better it is than things you get in the grocery store, to the point that grocery store meat is “Why bother?  I’d rather eat tofu” but Pork Lady meat takes on an almost religious significance – when I serve it to others, all I hear is chewing and the words “Oh my god…unghhhhhh…”

I really want to go down to the farm to help out sometime.  I’d also like to go and take pictures and maybe some video.

Today’s market haul was small – some chicken and pork, some carrots, white nectarines, the last blueberries of the season, tomatoes.  I’m thinking about making another batch of eggplant pasta sauce for dinner.

I really like the people and the produce from Peasants’ Plot.  They are a great local source of beets, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, chard, kale, and arugula and the sellers are super-friendly and full of recipe recommendations.  Those are their tomatoes in the top image.

If you’d like to see more photos of the market, I uploaded them here.  I’ll leave you with a suggestive smile from Flower Guy.

Tonight, on the way home from work, I was in a bit of a funk. Not really sure why, but I was. I decided it probably wasn’t the best night to have dinner alone at home where I could stew, so I opted to eat out somewhere.

I ended up taking the Lincoln bus north, figuring I’d get out when it felt right. It felt right around Lincoln and Leland, just south of a cute strip of Lincoln Avenue that includes Merz Apothecary, Huettenbar, and Cafe Selmarie. Potbelly was not an option as I work opposite a building that has one, so I wanted something I hadn’t eaten in ages.

I chose at Selmarie, where I thought about getting dinner to go and then eating it elsewhere. But where would I bring it? Why not stay and enjoy the outdoor seating? So I did, taking a seat facing the area where small children played under the watchful eyes of their hipster parents. The Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce appeared to be hosting a dinner for its members, grilling burgers next to the fountain.

I sat outside, drinking some water and considering the menu. My fellow diners were mostly female. I wasn’t the only lady dining solo, so I’ll have to remember Selmarie for future weekday spinster dinners. But before I delay any further — the food!

Stiegl-Radler

I don’t drink a lot, but this Stiegl-Radler, which sounded to me like an Austrian shandy, sounded so good. Guess what? It was delicious, and perfect for someone like me who has a dreadfully low tolerance for booze.

Mussels

Appetizer portion of mussels. In a wonderfully salty broth with perfectly toasted bread.

Mac & cheese

I think there were four different kinds of cheese involved here. Also leeks baked into the dish, so yay, vegetables. Wonderful.

The only sad thing is that I had no room left for dessert. Next time, I promise.

This past Wednesday, my wife and I teamed up with Chris and Kristina Caruso of Vine Times Chicago for a BYOB evening at Caro Mio Italian Restaurant in Lincoln Square.  We found ample inexpensive meter parking just across the street, and walked into a quaint and cozy little dining room.  We were then given water, which is served in pint glasses (great for holding alot of water), a carafe of water for the table, and menus.  Stemware was then presented, and it was time to open the wines!

For our Italian dinner, we both brought Super Tuscans from the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany.  Super Tuscans are great wines made in Tuscany which rebel against Italian wine classification laws.  Wines from this region are traditionally made from Sangiovese, along with a blend of other local grapes (mostly white wine grapes).  They have a history dating back about 40 years, when the head of the Antinori family created one of the first.  Piero Antinori wanted to add Bordeaux varietals to the mix, enhancing the body, texture, flavor, and aromatics to Italy’s #1 varietal.  His creation, and my wine choice for the evening, was Tignanello.  I brought the 2001 vintage (retails around $85), a blend of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc.  I love this wine, as it has a great soil and barnyard aroma, mixed with ripe dark cherry, worn leather, and oak on the palate.  There was also small hints of tobacco and chocolate, which proved the complexity of the wine.  The tannins were supple and smooth, making it great with any food, especially Italian.

Chris brought 1997 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve (retails around $70), made from single vineyard, 100% Sangiovese.  It has been produced since 1981 by the Manetti family.  This wine is weighty and big, with larger tannins, dark cherry and plum aroma and flavor, along with some cedar and rich earth.  It is a perfect partner for meat dishes and heavy sauces.

As far as the food is concerned, the menu has tons of options: fresh salads and soups, homemade pastas, veal, chicken, beef, and fish.  We went with a couple of fresh mozzarella dishes to start, one with green beans, and the other a classic caprese.  The mozzarella seemed local, as it was harder textured than the imported soft, rich version.  The green beans were large and delicious, especially when topped with the balsalmic vinegar.  The tomatoes were thick, but a touch less than ripe.  Both a good choice to accompany the bright acidity of the wines.

For dinner, everyone chose homemade pasta (most dishes priced around $20), which is hard to resist when offered.  I went with rigatoni bolognese topped with chicken parmesan- an odd combination, but great for meat lovers.  The dish was large enough to easily feed two, and needless to say, I had leftovers.  All of the pasta was cooked al dente, and tasted fresh, with unbelievable doughy, chewy flavor.  The bolognese sauce had a tomato tang accompanying the soft, salty ground meat.  All of this combined with tender chicken and melted mozzarella was outrageous!  My wife chose the porcini ravioli with chicken, which was an earthy, creamy blend of four monster ravioli and chicken breast topped with a creamy porcini sauce, which could double as a tasty soup.  I know the Caruso’s loved their food as well, because we found ourselves doing more chewing, and less talking!

We left no room for dessert, but I will be back to try the tiramisu and more fresh pasta.  I highly recommend this spot, and hope you enjoy the food and BYOB experience as much as us.  Feel free to comment about your experience!

i went to the lincoln square market with the goal of getting the main ingredients for gyoza (japanese dumplings typically filled with pork and cabbage).

now a word on where i got the inspiration for this dish…. the splendid table. if you’re not familiar with this radio show, go to splendidtable.org. you can download podcasts of each episode for free. if you like food and eating, you’ll love this show. i’m obsessed with it. during one of the more recent shows, someone called in asking the host, lynne rosetto kasper, what to use in gyoza if you’re a vegetarian since they are typically made with pork. of course, LRK came through with not one idea but a multitude of filling options, one of which was making the gyoza with mushrooms. because mushrooms have umami, they can taste like meat at times. since i live with a vegetarian and needed something for dinner that night, this sounded perfect.

the lincoln square market did not disappoint me in my search for gyoza ingredients. i found cremini mushrooms (shiitake probably would have been better but these worked just fine), cabbage and green onions. i took pieces of a couple of recipes i found online and patched them together (see below). i had most of the other ingredients at home other than the gyoza wrappers which required a trip to whole foods. it was a little tricky to close up the wrappers and make them look like they do in japanese restaurants but otherwise they were fairly simple and tasted great.

gyoza couldn’t be the only component for our meal, so i used the 2/3 of the cabbage that wasn’t part of the gyoza for a side dish (recipe courtesy of susie and barb morawitz!). i set the oven to 400 and got out some aluminum foil. on the foil, i cut up the cabbage and an onion into 1/8ths, cut up a half a stick of butter, drizzled on teriyaki sauce and sprinkled with sea salt. i wrapped the foil up tightly and put it in the oven for about 30 mins. you can also do this on the grill.

i also have to mention one other thing that i found at the lincoln square farmers market which made the trip a complete success… fraises des bois strawberries (from seedling farms). after hearing about these gems on an episode of the splendid table, i’ve been looking for them at every farmers market and specialty grocery i’ve been to for the past six months. they are tiny and much more complex in flavor than you’re average grocery store strawberry. we had ice cream topped with them for dessert that same night. this is why i love farmers markets!! you’ll also notice in the picture of my finds that i walked away with a lovely strawberry pastry from delightful pastries… oops!

mushroom and cabbage gyoza

preparation:

melt the butter over medium heat and add the mushrooms, ginger and garlic for a few minutes. When the mushrooms are almost done cooking, add the scallions, soy sauce and sesame oil, stirring well to combine. allow to cook for one or two more minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

combine this mixture as well as cabbage, sugar and salt  in a bowl and mix well by hands. place a teaspoonful of filling in a gyoza wrapper and put water along the edge of the wrapper by fingers. make a semicircle, gathering the front side of the wrapper and sealing the top. heat oil in a frying pan. put gyoza in the pan and fry on high heat until the bottoms become brown. turn down the heat to low. add 1/4 cup water in the pan. cover the pan and steam the gyoza on low heat until the water is gone.

dipping sauce:
ingredients:
1 cup soy sauce
juice from one lemon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 scallion, minced
1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds

Justin and I spent the past few days pretending we were going to buy a place. This was a fun game for me, since one of my favorite things to do in Chicago is just wander around aimlessly. However, Mr. Boley hates aimless wandering. But since we were “scouting” neighborhoods, the wandering transformed into a mission with an objective. He is much happier this way.

There was also food. Ugly, colorless– and yet delicious–German food. Since we were in Lincoln Square for one of our scouting missions, we decided to try the Brauhaus.

Looks safe and Germanish from the outside...

..on the inside it was a dimly lit carpeted German cafeteria decorated in the 70s.

Sprechen Sie Delicious?

All aesthetic treacheries were pardoned the second that the jars of horseradish and mustard were delivered. I then proceeded to top my schnitzel and bratwursts with this manna from German condiment heaven. This was one of the most comforting and delicious meals I have had in a long time.

I was so happy with the meal, that I looked on the internet to see if my company has an office in Germany. Just in case. YES! Frankfurt. I could do that. And maybe change my middle name back to Hochstetler? I would consider it.

I know I’ve said that Lincoln Square needs another pub-grub restaurant like I need a hole in the head, but I think Chelsea Grill has finally figured out how to make it work. The former Erba (which I confess I never ate at) recently re-configured to a lower price point with basic comfort food offerings and they’re doing it right. And here’s where I think they’ve managed to succeed- they ambiance is great- not too dark lighting (like the Grafton), no bad 90’s pop music playing (like the Daily), no bombardment of flat screen TVs (like the Bad Dog Tavern) and comfortable seating (unlike Latitude). The food was good- I had a grilled chicken sandwich and it was like $8! For all four of us, with appetizers, salads, entrees, a bottle of wine and a shared dessert, it was a few dollars over $100. Not bad! And the service was very friendly and not trying to rush us out.

4520 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 989-4200

Six nights to go.

"What the HELL is happening here?"

Six more nights in our box-stuffed apartment, with the cat spastically moving from one empty bookcase to another, pulling herself into the bottom cavity. Six more nights to think of all the things I still haven’t seen (Wright’s Robie House) or done (concerts at the Metro, the Riveria, the Aragon; dinner at various vegan-friendly restaurants). Six more nights to stress about what could still go wrong, after several weeks of things-gone-wrong that either turned out OK, or made me shrug and say, “What can you do?”

For the latter: the fucked-up process that was getting a mortgage. It began with me in Italy, so that made Samantha the point person. She had never been through the details before, and to give her credit, she did a good job. Still, she didn’t know all the questions to ask — or didn’t ask the neurotic ones I would have — and she trusted our broker, and once I got back, I stayed out of the process so as not to step on her toes, and didn’t follow my hunches. Bottom line: the broker blew the call (“wait, wait to lock”) and we missed out on what would have been a great rate, though we did end up with a decent one, historically speaking, though this is one time I take little comfort in history. But that one point-or-so spike in early June hurt us, throwing the estimated payments out of whack.

As did the news that our house was not easily insurable; too close to the water, most of the big-name companies said, even though I doubt a killer hurricane has hit West Haven in decades, and it’s not like a storm surge would pour over the other dozen or so streets between us and the Sound. So, the insurance was almost double what I expected. And did I mention the taxes? And that we need work on the garage, and chimney, and have to paint, and…Welcome to your new home.

For the former, the almost snafus: We (ok, I) spent the week worrying we would not get the funds to the lawyer in time for the closing. Tip: when dealing with an internet bank like, say, ING Direct, carefully find out its policies for transfers before you try to send big bucks somewhere. I take part of the blame; again, I ignored a hunch that told me I should have taken care of it last week. So human error and those damn bank policies almost tripped us up. Thankfully, we are on for tomorrow’s blessed event.

The old-time neighborhood movie palace, complete with neon signs and a working Wurlitzer

Beaucoup microbrews on tap and a great beer garden in back; plenty of these in Connecticut (haha)

What else is in store these last six nights in Chicago? Lots of thinking about the last time I’ll do this and that, which I may have mentioned before. Already had our last supper at our favorite vegan restaurant. Just one more movie to go at the great neighborhood theatre, and I hope one last beer still awaits at the favorite local pub. One more free concert in Millennium Park, one of the rare rock shows — the Feelies. Weather is supposed to be perfect, and I can’t wait. We’ll skip one last visit to the Taste of Chicago this weekend; once or twice is plenty for that crowded quarter-mile stretch of way-too-much fatty flesh. And then there’s the food, which isn’t so hot either.

Each train ride downtown makes me wistful. I still get excited as we close in on the skyline, as we go over the Chicago River and I look at the streets crossing in parallel, reminding me of the opening shots on the original Bob Newhart show (there’s a statue of him and his couch by Navy Pier). Walking through Lincoln Square and North Center (the featured neighborhoods in this week’s Reader), I still think, “this is home.” Even though it soon won’t be. I can’t imagine ever feeling the same comfort in our little corner of West Haven, even with a raw restaurant (with a less-than-mellifluous name)  within walking distance.

I try to imagine liking life back in Connecticut. Lord knows my friends try to help, telling me how good it will be to see us again. But the visits will be sparse; they have busy lives, we are not that close to most of them. I will not have the daily existence that lets me live, mostly, without a car, take a quick train or bus ride to great free events, walk to my choice of bars with good beers and food we can actually eat. (I have perused the menus of the bars that could be our new local haunts: they have never met a form of animal-based cholesterol they didn’t like. The token vegetarian offerings certainly don’t have vegans in mind. And no one has ever heard of veggie wraps or burger, which are ubiquitous here).

I’ve written before that I had a hunch things could work out OK in West Haven. I wouldn’t call that a lie, but maybe a bit of whistling in the dark. Not much I can do about it now, though. We get the truck on Tuesday, load on Wednesday, reach the new home on Thursday.

Goodbye Chicago.

Six more nights.

It seems that someone heard all of us complaining about the cold and wet weather, wondering if summer was ever going to come.  Summer has arrived and boy oh boy is it hot!  The sun is beating down, the slides are too hot to touch, everyone is uncomfortable.  I don’t know about you, but we’ve been trapped inside all winter, I can’t stay home anymore.  Good news, something to do with the kiddos, it’s inexpensive and with the comfort of a/c.  The Davis Movie Theater in Lincoln Square is running a family film series.  They are showing kids movies for only $1 — how cool is that?

Here’s the scoop…..

Davis Theater
4614 N Lincoln Ave

Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Movies start at 10am, Doors open at 9:30am

June 30/July 1  Charlotte’s Web

July 7/8  E.T.

July 14/15  Hotel for Dogs

July 21/22  Mall Cop

July 28/29  Kung Fu Panda

August 4/5  Alvin and the Chipmunks

August 11/12  Horton Hears a Who

August 18/19  Happy Feet

Sounds fun, huh?

www.ChicagoFamilyRealtor.com

4539 N. Lincoln – www.tallulahchicago.com

One of the great things about Chicago summers is eating out for brunch on the weekends. Tallulah just started serving brunch recently (they used to only serve dinner). This Lincoln Square restaurant pairs together interesting combinations to create delicious brunch dishes. The two entrees that I tried were the lobster eggs benedict and the braised rabbit skillet. Both were delicious, and not a morsel was left on the plate.
The service was wonderful, and the ambience sheik and inviting. They offer seating on an indoor/outdoor patio out back, which I highly recommend. Brunch will run you about $15/person and is well worth it.

The neighborhood: Lincoln Square. It’s boundaries are Foster to the north, Montrose to the south, Damen to the east, and the Chicago River to the west.

This is a wonderful area that’s comprised of both single family homes as well as condos. There are currently about 130 active condo listings ranging from $135k to $600k with the median being a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom home priced around $400k. There are currently about 40 single family homes on the market, ranging from $300k to $1.7M, with the median home priced around $750k.