The Chicago Style Hot Dog

When I was a kid in the late 70s and even the early 80s, I don't recall any issue with putting ketchup on a hot dog.  Most of the hotdog stands and burger joints I frequented could care less what you put on it once you paid for the item.

I suspect the Chicago Style Hot Dog was a marketing ploy and it got a little out of hand.  Sure, you don't need ketchup because you have the tomato already.  Just like if you are making Fettuccine alfredo, you don't use marinara sauce because that would be something else.  [You are allowed to use a different pasta than Fettichine because Grandma Mary is too tired to go back to the store and hasn't made homemade pasta since child #4.]

Saturday Photo: Mr Steer Steakhouse

cheap steaks and cocktails

Back in the day, there was a chain of steak restaurants called Mr. Steer.  Think Sizzler but local chian instead of a national franchise.   It wasn't the best steak around but for the relatively cheap price, it was serviceable.  In the downtown area, you can still find vestiges like Ronnie's Steak House.

This was the one at the legendary Six Corners intersection of Irving Park, Cicero and Milwaukee Avenue on Chicago's northwest side. I think my mom took me there a couple of times for birthdays or when we were doing some shopping at the once vibrant Six Corners.

This is what it looks like today (2018)

 Apparently, once they removed that reddish flat awning, it exposed some windows as I cannot imagine those were retrofitted.  Notice the sign shaft was left behind.



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Back in the Day: The Octogon

One of the places I use to go to drink and dance in the 90s was a dive bar called Octagon (2483 N Clark).  I suspect it was one of those bars that put up shop when the neighborhood was less than desirable and eventually got taxed out of existence once the final stages of gentrification arrived.

I've never really liked clubs because they are just too loud to talk to anyone.  That's not old man Icarus talking, I felt this way in my 20s.  The only exceptions I've found are the euro-trash and maybe a few suburban ones.

The front of this place really looked like an Old Man Bar trying to pass itself off as a sports bar (probably what kept it alive during the early days of gentrification).  In the back there was a decent sized dance floor and they played what we considered Alternative Music:  DePeche Mode, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Tears For Fears, etc. 

Free Parking was hard but not impossible to find and my friends and I would go there, have a few drinks and get our dance on.

 The owner was there every night making sure everything ran smoothly and I think he was in his late 70's at that point. He sat on the corner sipping his drink making sure he said hi to everyone as they walked in. Great times and memories..

I was hanging with some suburban transplants at the time so we often were the first ones there and the first to leave, not that it would have made any difference.  I was often the 5th wheel to a pair of couples which is not only counter productive to meeting anyone, it is actually the kiss of death.

Plus I didn't know how to talk to girls people which would work out fine 20 years later.  Around 1999 it closed or re-branded itself as Thin Lizzie's.  I don't care to google if that place is still around, it was douche bag bait for all the frat boys in Lincoln Park and lost it's edge. 

There was another place that had a similar concept, bar up front,  psychedelic dance room in the back (I'm sure this is not a unique thing).  The Artful Dodger (1734 W Wabansia) went one better by having the bar area look like Medusa's all grown up. 




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Friday Photo: Another Jefferson Park icon bites the dust

I don't know what the plans are for this building looks like they are going to build residential units above new store fronts as part of the planned rehabilitation of the Edward Fox Photography and former First Staffing buildings across from the Jefferson Park CTA Terminal.

 

Seeing it a little differently

When I work downtown I have to leave the house by 7:45 to catch a bus to Jefferson Park in order to make it to TopFive Financials' downtown office by 9am.  Unfortunately I had to help with the twins and I was a bit rushed.  CTABustracker assured me a bus was 8 minutes away when I left the house and I'm pretty sure it doesn't take me 8 minutes to walk .2 miles though Google maps show it could take 6 minutes.

The bus blew past as I was about 10 ft from the intersection, with the light against me.  Chasing it was not an option.  I elected to catch the Milwaukee bus going South in hopes of getting off at another El station like Logan Square, California or even Division.  Instead I opted to ride the bus all the way in, which got me to the office at 9:20.

It did give me an opportunity to see Avondale, Logan Square, Wicker Park and a few other spots along Milwaukee Avenue.

Polonia Book Store is now gone

This is the Polonia Book Store in Jefferson Park. Polonia Books could have been so much more according to this article.  Unfortunately, it won't be anything at least on the brick and mortal side.   It does appear to still have an online bookstore presence.

 I drove past it yesterday and saw that it was empty.  For the last year or so, there was a sign above the door saying the space was for lease or sale.  I guess the owner finally found a buyer.

Update:  I should add that I always thought the space would be good for a Running Clothes Store, cybercafe and yoga studio.  If I ever win the lottery I might hire one of my MBA peeps to write up a business model. 

Update 1/19/2015:  It appears that the bookstore has simply relocated to a much smaller space across the street and a little to the north, possibly sharing the space with another retailer.  

Oh submarine shop, you're my Hero

During the marathon training summers of 2003-2005, SHB and I use to carpool to the downtown CARA site.  We'd do our miles and then head to the Corner Robbery Bakery for breakfast.  Breakfast wasn't just about refueling, it was also about socializing with the other pace groups and catching up on gossip with our fellow runners.  Once the mileage got longer, we would end up not getting back north until closer to noon.

SHB lives at Irving Park Rd and Scheffield Ave.  For some reason, I couldn't just drop her at that corner and make it home in 10 minutes with a straight shot down Irving Park.  I had to make the turn and drop her off in front of her condo, 100 yards south of the intersection.  Basically, I was too much of a pussy to insist otherwise.  Fortunately, my pussyness afforded me the opportunity to head toward Addison and drive West to get home.  I would often stop at Hero's Submarine Sandwich Shop at 3600 N Western and get a couple of subs for my late lunch and early dinner before going out for the evening.

This tiny, cash-only corner sub shop across from Lane Tech High School specializes in fresh sandwiches made fast. Subway, this is not.  All sandwiches come with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano.  I still make sure to say hold the mayo unless I'm getting the roast beef.

Hero's has been around for a long, long time. My Uncle "Animal" use to go to Lane and he introduced me to them.  I was supposed to actually go to Lane Tech for high school but a bitter douch bag 8th grade teacher decided to write an anti-recommendation in the section of the application reserved for Principal Comments and I suspect that placed me on the path to attend Von Steuben instead.  Although I did get to go there for a couple of summer school sessions.

Reading through the Yelp reviews, it seems like the quality has gone down a little.  If so, that is too bad.  I suspect this shop, like so many other Chicago staples, will go away once the current owner decides it isn't lucrative to continue and/or doesn't have an heir to continue the family business.

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Oh Snapp!

Almost every day on my way to work, I pass the Your Snappy Shop at 3544 W Irving Park Rd , just before Central Park Rd.  I have yet to walk into the shop -- it appears to cater to women only -- but I am just curious enough to make a visit.  This shop strikes me as a throwback to a different time.

A quick google search tells me that this retail store provides elegant dresses at affordable prices.  Again, not of direct use to yours truly per se, but as I have tons of lady friends who often lament about having to go to another wedding or banquet and not being able to afford a new dress -- and they cannot use the umpteenth thousand brides maids dresses they already own because one other person has seen them in it -- I could recommend this place to them.

Of course that presents another challenge.  Many of these aformentioned people don't realize that Chicago extends beyond Ashland Avenue. They believe that if you go west of Western, a dragon will swallow you up whole and spit out your bones.

This has its advantages and its disadvantages. The advantage is that when the day finally comes, I'll be able to buy so much house and still live in the city, The disadvantage is that when I want to have friends over, most will suddenly come up with some incurable disease or ailment that requires them to stay at home.