CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS: Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Bucktown and Wicker Park, West Loop, Andersonville, Oak Park
Lakeview: The Foo Fighters announced a surprise show this Friday as part of Lollapalooza. Unfortunately for fans, tickets sold out within 26 minutes. Lollapalooza starts on Thursday in Grant Park, with a lineup that includes stars like Chance the Rapper, Lorde, and The XX. The Foo Fighters concert is one of more than 50 after shows and parties that are officially tied to Lolla. The shows will be held at popular concert venues around Chicago like The Vic, Thalia Hall, and Schuba’s.
Lincoln Park: Ignoble Wine Bar is now open! Located at 2417 N. Clybourn Ave., the spot is run by Luke Fairbank, who describes the spot as a “food-focused wine bar”. The menu is intriguing, full of reasonably priced small plates. I’m particularly interested in the arugula salad, topped with baked gorgonzola cheese, balsamic, wine poached pears, walnuts, and red onions. Each week will feature entrée specials. This week includes a Cobb salad, grilled salmon with mango puree, and fish tacos. Ignoble also offers 3 days of brunch, with half-off on Friday. Hours are Mondays through Thursdays from 5 to 10 pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30 am to 12 am, and Sundays from 10:30 am to 10 pm.
Bucktown and Wicker Park: Barbeque is back in Bucktown! The Whistle Pig is now open at 2241 N. Western Ave., serving up Texas style barbeque and Creole food. The menu is saturated with barbeque favorites like slabs of ribs, beer can chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, pork poutine, shrimp etoufee and more. Owner and chef Nestor Soto plans to serve as the chief smoker for the first few months, while his team is in training. Whistle Pig is waiting on their liquor license, so for now the restaurant is BYOB. Hours are 11 am to 10 pm daily. In addition to dine-in, Whistle Pig offers delivery, pick-up, and catering. Find more information on their website.
West Loop: A new pizza craze is coming to the West Loop. Bonci Pizzerium opened its first location in Rome in 2003 and is opening its first U.S. location at 161 N. Sangamon St. Customers order their pizza cut by scissors at the quick service counter. The toppings are eclectic, with up to 20 varieties offered daily. Each slice is pick your size and pay by the ounce. The crust takes 48 hours to make and is thick enough to bear the weight of the numerous toppings. Bonci will also serve sandwiches, salads, craft beer, and wine. Hours are 11 am to 10 pm on weekdays, 11 am to 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 am to 9 pm on Sundays.
Andersonville: The Andersonville Dinner Crawl is coming! From 6 to 9 pm on August 9, diners can sample 11 small plates from various restaurants in the Andersonville neighborhood. Check-in begins at 4 pm at the Swedish American Museum (5211 N. Clark St.). The event is hosted by the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce and features two routes, the Golden Fork and the Silver Spoon, each $30 in advance. Ambitious diners can sign up for The Works package (all 22 locations) for $55. Featured restaurants include Bar Roma, Dollop Diner, The Wooden Spoon, Appellation, and Pork Shoppe. One dollar from each ticket sale goes towards Edgewater’s Care for Real pantry. You can buy your tickets online here!
Oak Park: Tickets are on sale now for the 10th annual Oak Park Micro Brew Review! This fantastic event will be held on Saturday, August 19th in downtown Oak Park at 100 North Marion St. Featuring craft beers, food, and music, this event is the largest zero-waste craft beer festival in the Midwest. The festival will raise funds for Seven Generations Ahead, a company committed to promoting healthy and sustainable communities. General admission tickets are $55 in advance. There will be a limited number of tickets available at the gate the day of the festival. Purchase your tickets today here!
RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO
