It’s Father’s Day Weekend here in Chicago, and as usual, there’s no shortage of events to celebrate and spend some time with your dad!

The 8^th annual Craft Brews Beer Festival takes place this Saturday (7 p.m.-10 p.m.) at the Lincoln Park Zoo (2001 N. Clark St.) between Cannon Drive and Fullerton Parkway in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.  Guests will have the opportunity to sample over 100 craft beers, ciders, and non-alcoholic options as well as enjoy food for purchase, listen to live music, play lawn games, and wander around the premises after hours viewing the zoo’s amazing animals!  A General Admission ticket includes tickets for 20 three-ounce tastings and a Craft Brews souvenir tasting glass.

The Taste of Randolph returns for its 26^th anniversary this Saturday and Sunday (12 p.m.-10 p.m.) to 900 West Randolph Street in the West Loop.  This iconic street festival boasts six blocks of food from more than 16 local restaurants, drinks, two stages packed with live music, and a DJ stage hosted by local DJ Derrick Carter.  It’s said to be the culinary adventure of the summer!

Taking place at Midway Plaisance (1130 Midway Plaisance North) between Woodlawn and Ellis Avenues in the Hyde Park neighborhood this Saturday and Sunday (12 p.m.-10 p.m.) is the Hyde Park Summer Fest.  This two-day music festival will host a lineup of performers, DJs, and food from local restaurants along with retail/artist and non-profit vendors for a weekend of music, community, and a celebration of Chicago culture!

SailGP returns to Navy Pier (600 E. Grand Ave.) in the Streeterville neighborhood this Saturday (3 p.m.) for a thrilling sailing competition on Lake Michigan.  Ten national teams battle it out on the F50 catamaran which is a race boat that “flies” out of the water and reaches speeds in excess of 60 mph!  Plus, the east end of the Pier will be transformed into a viewing stadium along with grandstand seating, and big screens with live commentary and entertainment!!

One of the city’s biggest art fairs of the summer, the Gold Coast Art Fair, takes place this Saturday and Sunday (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) at Grant Park’s Butler Field in The Loop.  Treat dad and yourself to 200+ juried artists from around the country for a shoppable art experience, enjoy live music on three stages, and have some delicious food, beer, wine, and sangria at three festival oases.  New this year are on-site painting classes for adults and kids as well as a Kids Art Stop where they can learn more about the art-making process from the artists themselves!

Also taking place this Saturday and Sunday (11 a.m.-10 p.m.) is the 22^nd annual Chicago Pride Fest on Halsted Street at Waveland Avenue in the Northalsted neighborhood.  This street festival features live music on three stages, over 150 food and merchandise vendors, guest speakers, dance exhibitions, a high heel race for prizes, and more.  Plus, the Proud Pet Parade steps off Sunday at 12:30 p.m. from the North Stage with Miss Foozie as she leads the contestants to the Winners presentation at the South Stage at 1:00 p.m. for prizes and fun!

Lastly, dad may enjoy taking in a baseball game at either Wrigley Field where the Chicago Cubs will host the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday (1:20 p.m.) and Sunday (12:00 p.m.), or at Impact Field in Rosemont where the Chicago Dogs will host the Kansas City Monarchs on Saturday (6 p.m.), which also happens to be Mardi Gras theme night, and Sunday (3 p.m.).

Happy Father’s Day!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

With Father’s Day coming up this Sunday (June 18), it’s time to celebrate the people who raised you! 

One restaurant going all-out is Adalina, located inside the No. 9 Walton building on the Gold Coast. As the Chicago Tribunereported, “Dad will have a chance to take home pocket squares, cigars, White Sox tickets and other gifts during a brunch featuring a $20 waffle station and $30 Bloody Mary bar, with both offered together for $45.” 

Who could want more? 

Well, listen to what they’re serving! For $75 per person (excluding tax and gratuity) Adalina is also serving a special Father’s Day dinner, starting with a 24-oz, bone-in, aged Balsamic Ribeye, served with Parmesan-Dusted Fries, a special Smoked Manhattan, and to complete the special meal, Chef Nicole’s Decadent Chocolate Cake.

You don’t have to be a dad to appreciate such a meal! For reservations, click here. 

What is Adalina? 

Opened nearly two years ago and led by Michelin-starred chef Soo Ahn, previously with Band of Bohemia, Adalina’s menu, according to their website,  “creates a balance between Northern and Southern cuisine, providing expertly staged shared plates along with strong statement items that satisfy a table.”

For a great dinner starter, try their Charred Octopus, served with fingerling potatoes, Sicilian pistachios, fennel, horseradish, and goat cheese, or Polpettine, whichare meatballs with Scamorza, Pomodoro, and  EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), or the Gnoccho Fritto, made with 24-month aged Prosciutto di San Daniele, whipped ricotta, and Mieli Thun Honey. 

All the starters set up nicely for Adalina’s handmade pastas, including Chitarra, which is Duck Bolognese with Watercress, Ricotta Salata, and Calabrian chili. Gnocchi Dells Nonna is a mix of potato, pomodoro, and black pepper.

For big appetites (and bigger spenders) Adalina’s 40-ounce Bistecca Alla Fiorentina includes a 40oz Porterhouse steak, served with fried brussel sprouts and ricotta whipped potatoes. Their Veal Chop Parmigiana has spicy tomato and crispy basil. Lighter appetites will enjoy their Salmon Vesuvio withpotato gnocchi, truffle, and micro oregano.

As we always say here, “SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT!” Created by Nicole Guini, their Head Pastry Chef, try the Adalina Tiramisu, which isa rich combination of chocolate, bourbon, espresso, and a unique smoked vanilla gelato.

Nicole’s Cookie Plate is a “Chefs whim,” and a good bet. Banana Bread Donuts are lively with passion fruit, rum, and black sesame gelato.

Google reviewers were ecstatic: 

“Great place to dine for dinner. Elegant looks. Nice cocktail and food. I really like truffle Ceasar salad and grilled Branzino. Great service from staff. Recommended and think it’s famous and popular place anyway.”

“There are many upscale restaurants in Chicago but Adalina offers the best value. Great environment and great vibe with delicious food at a decent price that is Adalina!”

Adalina is located at 912 N. State Street. They are open Monday-Wednesday, 5pm- 10pm, Thursday-Friday, 5pm-11pm, Saturday, 10am-11pm, and Sunday, 10am-9pm. For more information, click here. 

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

It’s still high season for sellers out there in the world of real estate. If you just listed your home, you’re probably feeling very confident that your house will garner plenty of attention and sell shortly, right?

While it’s definitely highly possible that your home is ripe for the picking, it’s generally not recommended to just sit back, relax and assume that the home will just ‘sell itself’ just because the market is hot right now. There are actually things you might be doing – and not doing – that could botch the sale of your home.

When properties are on the move and your home isn’t getting much action within the first two weeks of hitting the market, home buyer hopefuls will start to think that there’s something wrong with your house, and assume that they’re in a better negotiating position or blow the home off altogether.

If you’ve got your home on the market, don’t just plop a For Sale sign on the front lawn and walk away. The best real estate agents in the country have a few suggestions for you to set your home listing up so that it’s plucked off the market sooner rather than later.

The Price Point of Your Home Can Make All the Difference

One of the most important factors to consider when selling your home is how much to list it for. Price it too low, and you could leave a bunch of money on the table. Price it too high and you could scare off buyers who otherwise would have put in an offer on your home.

Unfortunately, many home sellers get caught up on the dollar signs they see, thinking that the higher they list their home for, the more money they’ll make on the sale. The truth is, this mentality doesn’t always allow things to pan out the way they should.

Once the home lingers on the market after two or three weeks, it starts to get stale. At that point, you’ll wind up having to slash the price anyway. During that time you wasted with a higher-than-called for listing price, you could have had a completed sale and saved yourself a lot of money on carrying costs.

It’s imperative to price your home appropriately for your local market, and the best way to do that is to get your real estate agent to pull a list of comps in the neighborhood. A properly priced home will almost always sell faster than one that’s way over-priced.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Staging

Even in a seller’s market where demand is high, you’re home won’t automatically sell itself if it isn’t presented in the best light possible. A nicely renovated home is great and all, but if it’s empty or not furnished nicely, it could be a turn off to buyers.

Professional home staging paints your home in its best light, and helps buyers get a clear visual of its highest and best use. People want to be able to see themselves living in the home, so the better able you are to paint that picture, the better the odds are of someone putting in an offer.

It’s estimated that two-thirds of home buyer hopefuls need some help visualizing themselves in your home, so it’s up to you to give them a little assistance in this department.

Don’t Ignore Your Home’s Exterior

Many sellers place a ton of emphasis on the interior of their homes without putting the same amount of importance in the outside. The truth is, it’s the curb appeal of your home that will make a good first impression on buyers. You don’t want to lose a buyer’s interest before they even step foot through the front door.

Make sure that your grass is cut, shrubs are trimmed, flowers are tended to, and any clutter is eliminated. Your front door should be void of cracking or peeling paint, and your front porch should be void of dead leaves and other debris.

And a nice “welcome” mat wouldn’t hurt either.

Don’t Work Alone

Your secret weapon in the entire sale of your home is working with a good, experience real estate agent. He or she will be your guide and counselor throughout the entire process. You’ll get the best advice and suggestions about what needs to be done to sell your home quickly, even if you think it’s the best house on the street. 

The takeaway from this is that there’s work involved in selling a home, even if your pad is impeccable and the market is a hot one. Make sure you do your due diligence and your research in the process, and team up with a realtor who is well-versed in the market in your area. Last but not least, remain humble, and don’t just assume your home will sell itself.

Since June is Pride Month, it’s important to recognize Chicago’s pioneering role in creating a safe, inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community to live, work, and celebrate individuality. 

Pride Month, according to Chicago Pride.com, is celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City’s Greenwich Village, which was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.

The first Pride march in Chicago was held on June 28, 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

In fact, the Northalsted community (formerly Boys Town) section of Lakeview, bordered on Irving Park Road on the north, Broadway on the east, Wellington Avenue on the south, and Sheffield Avenue on the west, holds the distinction of being the nation’s first officially recognized gay village, aka ‘gayborhood.’ Niche. com estimates the population at 4,350.

‘Boys Town’ History

Tracy Baim, a Chicago historian and co-founder and publisher of Windy City Times, one of Chicago’s LGBTQ newspapers told WBEZ Chicagothat the gay areas were (at first) dispersed across Chicago but “a lot of it was centered around downtown, River North, and Tower Town in the mid part of the last century. And then, slowly, as rents went up and other things happened, the community was forced out.”

However, Chicago has long had a gay neighborhood, according to Wikipedia sources. Beginning in the 1920s, there was active homosexual nightlife, adjacent to the Water Tower. In 1961, Illinois was the first state to repeal its sodomy law. Effective LGBT political involvement began in the 1960s, alongside the civil rights movement, with organizations such as Chicago Gay Liberation. In 1965, Mattachine Midwest was founded as a gay rights organization following the Fun Lounge police raidthe previous year.

According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago History,the unofficial designation of Boys Town as an area within Lake View dates back to 1970, when residents marched here in the first Gay Pride Parade. 

However, gay bars not only developed as entertainment venues for the LGBT+ community, but also as essential community spaces and activism grounds as the LGBT+ movement grew. 

An Official Community 

The area became an official community in 1998. According to Wikipedia sources, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley made possible a $3.2 million restoration of the North Halsted Street corridor, and the city erected rainbow pylon landmarks along the route.

Landmark Northalsted…

Today, it’s known for its welcoming vibe, nonstop nightlife, LGBTQ-owned businesses, and excellent dining options, according to the. It’s also the center of some of Chicago’s most popular events and festivals, including the Chicago Pride Parade, one of the largest gay pride parades in the nation, which takes place in Lakeview on the last Sunday of June. The area is also host to Chicago Pride Fest from Saturday, June 17 – Sunday, June 18.

It is also home to Center on Halsted, an LGBT community center that hosts an array of public programs open to the public that provide fun, educational and enlightening opportunities for members of the LGBT community and allies. 

Stroll the award-winning Legacy Walk, the world’s only outdoor LGBTQ history museum. Located on Halsted Street from Belmont Avenue to Grace Street, the Legacy Walk commemorates LGBTQ+ heroes and historical events with colorful monuments. For more Pride Month events, click here. 

Happy Pride Month, all! 

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago 

The gardening season is here, and it finally feels like summer has come to the Chicago area! After a wet and cold spring, the weather has taken a 180 degree turn from the low 50s to the high 80s. Along with the heat the weather has been particularly dry. No significant rain came in last week and not much is in the forecast. So, besides a few drops from pop up storms, we haven’t seen enough moisture for our lawns and gardens. The lawn and garden need a minimum of 1 inch of water per week. Try an oscillating sprinkler and water from different directions until a container placed on the lawn measures 1 inch. Water early in the morning for the best results!

It’s a good time to add some soil to the lawn too. Every lawn needs to be supplemented with fresh topsoil every year. If you have compact clay-like soil, which is common around Chicago, add some sand. Spread it evenly over the lawn and work it in with the back of a lawn rake. Water thoroughly after. While it’s still not too hot, spread some lawn seed too. Wet the seeds daily until they germinate. 

Before you know it, your garden will be taking off. Weeds of course will take off too as the weather warms. Keep these under control. You can mulch, but not too close to the plants. As this is a prime growing time for vegetables and flowers, fertilizing regularly is important. Fertilize every two weeks with a plant food like Miracle Gro. I use the foliar method where you mix the plant food in water and pour over the plants wetting all the leaves as well as the ground. This has worked well for us over the years. Miracle Gro does have a new product that consists of granules that you spread around each plant and it waters in gradually. I haven’t tried this, but if you have had success with this product, let me know. It seems like it would save time and effort!

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago