Welcome to November and what typically is the beginning of our holiday season here in Chicago.  That’s right, ready or not, here come the holidays!  So, let’s see what’s in store for us this weekend as the holidays quickly creep up on us!!

Believe it or not, you can get a head start on your holiday shopping at the fall edition of SAUCED Night Market this Saturday (5 p.m.-10 p.m.) at the House of Vans (113 N. Elizabeth St.) in the West Loop.  Over three dozen new and returning favorite vendors will be selling handmade goods, jewelry, vintage clothing, and more treasures for your browsing delight.  The market will also feature delicious eats and treats.  Plus, back by popular demand, a live-painted mural will once again take over the stage with featured artists Christina Hryc a/k/a Ceeboots from Vancouver, and Chicago’s very own Zeyeone!

The Hot Chocolate Run series is back for another season with a 5K, 10K, 15K, and a 2-Mile Walk this Saturday (7:00 a.m.) at Grant Park (301 S. Columbus Dr.) in The Loop.  Participants of this annual race will receive a race-themed hoodie, a medal that looks like a cup of hot cocoa and access to the post-run party which is a chocolate lover’s oasis!  Celebrate with a finisher mug that includes fondue, dippables, and of course hot chocolate while checking out some exciting vendors and enjoying some great tunes.  Come join the chocolate movement that’s taking over the country!!

The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild invites you to join in the 20^th anniversary celebration of the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers (FoBAB) this Saturday (1 p.m.) at the Credit Union 1 Arena at UIC (525 S. Racine Ave.) in the Little Italy neighborhood.  FoBAB will be honoring the history and legacy of North America’s largest and most prestigious barrel-aged festival by offering a lineup of wood- and barrel-aged concoctions spanning 12 categories of brews from over 160 participating breweries from across the country.  Attendees will have the opportunity to sample hundreds of barrel-aged beers, ciders, meads, and perries.  Plus, an Oasis lounge will provide a reprieve from the higher ABV samples available throughout the festival and food will be available for purchase throughout the arena!  Breweries also compete for top honors in the National Barrel-Aged Beer Competition!!

If the neighborhood squirrels haven’t eaten all your pumpkins yet, then load them up and bring them to It’s a SMASH! An Eco-fest Pumpkin Smash Festival this Saturday (11 a.m.-5 p.m.) at 1500 W. Catalpa Avenue between Clark Street and Ashland Avenue in the Andersonville neighborhood.  More than 20 sustainable food, beverage, and crafts/entertainment vendors will be on hand for a day of smashing good fun and sustainable destruction for all ages!  Admission is free; however, smashing is a small fee with different ticket options available on Evenbrite.

Parlay at Joy (112 W. Hubbard St.) in the River North neighborhood will be hosting their Hot Wing Eating Contest this Saturday (2:30 p.m.) during halftime of the Georgia vs. Tennessee college football game.  They’ve got plenty of TVs to keep you satisfied plus hot enough wings to keep you thirsty!  Best of all, the winner of the Hot Wing Challenge will receive 4 tickets to the Bears vs. Miami game this Sunday!!

The Chicago Bears (3-5) will be hosting the Miami Dolphins (5-3) this Sunday (12 p.m.) at Soldier Field (1410 S. Museum Campus Dr.) in the South Loop.  Even though our Bears are performing poorly, so are the Green Bay Packers (3-5)!  There’s always a silver lining somewhere!!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

Fast facts about British royalty as King Charles III’s coronation comes closer (May 6, 2023). His 74^th birthday is a whole lot sooner—November 14.

In honor of his upcoming birthday, we’re celebrating early with The Red Lion Pub, Lincoln Park’s celebration of English/Irish/Scottish cuisine in Chicago. 

Fans of the original pub should know that proprietor Colin Cordwell, with 45 years of experience in the business, has kept the dark oak planked bar and Tudor beams, and added book shelves lined with books about British history and literature …some from his personal collection.

What to order in honor of the King’s birthday? 

According to ’Hello!’ Magazine, “Charles is a fan of a coddled egg – a boiled egg that has only been cooked for about two to three minutes, and the unusual delicacy was always on the menu for him.” 

In honor of the new King of the Commonwealth, try The Red Lion’s Scotch Egg, a soft-boiled egg wrapped in house-made sausage & fried pickled vegetable, hot mustard, and greens. While Charles, a vegetarian, may not have the sausage, he’d be wild about another traditional English dish, the  Ploughman’s Plate, with Barber’s vintage reserve white cheddar, different daily cheese & charcuterie pairings, mustard, and mango chutney. Poutine is hand-cut fries with onion gravy and toasted cheese curds. 

Main courses are vintage English fare, including Fish & Chips-Ale-battered Alaskan cod fillets, with malt vinegar tartar and served with fries.You may want to try them on Thursdays, when The Red Lion has a special—a free draught of choice with a purchase of Fish & Chips. Bangers & Mash pair house- made pork sausages with garlic mash and onion gravy. 

Don’t miss their Sunday Brunch, served from 10:30am – 3:00pm. Feast on a classic Full English Breakfast, with bangers, bacon, English baked beans, breakfast potatoes, fried eggs, and toast. Or an aptly named Hangover Salad, with mixed greens, bacon, sharp cheddar, croutons, a poached egg, and shallot vinaigrette. Something new is the Wiltshire Sandwich, with grilled chicken breast, aged cheddar, Dijonnaise, lettuce, and served with fries. 

Another special on Sundays starting at noon, is a ‘Sunday Roast’ featuring roast beef, roasted potatoes, roasted vegetables, and fresh baked Yorkshire puddings.

Google reviews couldn’t be better. 

“The food, atmosphere, and people were exceptional. Very beautiful place. I had the bangers and mash and my daughter had the pub burger and we split a dessert. It was delicious. I love British culture and this place was great.”

“I highly recommend the Red Lion! The food was very delicious, the ambience was extraordinary, and the service was incredible. Colin, the proprietor, was very friendly and welcoming, and his staff took great care of us.”

The Red Lion Pub is located at 2446 N. Lincoln Avenue. According to Google, their hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays, 4pm–1am, Friday from 4pm–2am, Saturdays from 12pm–2am and Sundays from 12pm–12pm. Kitchen is usually closed around 10pm, and the restaurant and bar are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. For more information and reservations, click here. 

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

As much as you love your home, you look at it completely differently when a young person is around. Whether you’ve just had a baby or your sister is bringing her kids around for the holidays, you’ll instantly see all the dangers that lurk in your bathrooms, kitchen, and living areas. While there are numerous products on the market that will make childproofing your home easy, many of them are designed more for function than visual appeal.

It is possible to make your home safer without sacrificing your décor. Here are three small things you can do to keep your smaller visitors safe and sound without creating an eyesore.

Cordless Blinds

You may not realize it, but the cords on your window blinds pose a serious choking hazard for young people. Instead of running yourself in circles, trying to prevent such an injury, consider changing out all of your old window blinds for one of the many cordless options available on the market today. You can find cordless options in almost every type of blind you’d want for your home and you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing they’re safer. There are even motorized blinds that operate using a remote control. If you’re ready to make your house a smart home, you can even purchase blinds you can operate using your smartphone.

Decorative Baby Gates

Baby gates have come a long way over the years. Manufacturers are aware that parents often set up baby gates and leave them for years. As a result, decorative baby gates have emerged that will coordinate perfectly with your existing décor. Since many of these gates have built-in doors to allow adults to easily pass through, you could put these gates in place throughout your home to keep infants and toddlers away from stairs and other areas where danger might find them. Whether you can choose from wrought iron, wood, or traditional plastic to match the area where the gate is being placed.

Outlet Caps and Covers

Outlets remain among the biggest dangers to young household members. Not only are outlets placed within easy reach of young children, they seem to hold a certain amount of interest to these family members. The problem is, if a child sticks a metal object into one of those outlets, he could be seriously injured or worse. Baby-safe outlets are largely unattractive, but a great alternative is an outlet cap. These plastic caps can be purchased in bulk and placed on your existing outlets. You’ll be able to maintain the attractiveness of your decorative outlet covers without sacrificing your family’s safety.

With so many innovators on the home design market today, there are many ways you can keep your home safe while still maintaining the look you want. If you haven’t shopped around for baby-proofing furnishings lately, you may be surprised what options are out there to help. Even if you only have young people in your house occasionally, having some of these items on hand will give you peace of mind when they come around.

The Gold Coast Historic District is bounded by North Avenue, Lake Shore Drive, Oak Street, and Clark Streets. We at Dean’s Team Chicago ranked it the “2nd most walkable neighborhood in Chicago,” with 85,347 residents. It’s also “very bikeable.”

Indeed!  The area is known for beautiful townhomes, luxury apartments, high-end boutiques, the former John Hancock Building, Water Tower Place, Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, the beautiful Newberry Library in Washington Square, and scenic views of the Lake Michigan shoreline on DuSable Lake Shore Drive. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Once known as the Astor Street District… 

According to Goldcoastneighbors.org, the neighborhood’s name comes from the wealth of the Chicago residents who first settled there. According to Choose Chicago, the Gold Coast was originally referred to as the Astor Street District. The name came from John Jacob Astor — one of the richest men in America in the 1800s and the founder of the American Fur Company. Even though he wasn’t from Chicago, the attachment of his name to the area drew in crowds of other wealthy individuals and families, including Potter Palmer, the dry goods mogul who eventually became one of the founders of Marshall Field and Company. He built several buildings along State Street, including the Palmer House Hotel. While many buildings were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1871, he rebuilt with partners. On the Gold Coast, he built a large mansion, which was razed in 1950.  

However, as retail stores and corporations moved in, several mansions, including the Charnley-Perksy House, designed by Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, and the former Playboy Mansion, legendary for Hugh Hefner’s star-studded parties, still stand. The Playboy Mansion, 1340 North State Parkway, served as dorms for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago after Hefner moved to Los Angeles. According to the website Culture Trip, Hefner leased it out to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for five years at $10/year. Hefner had taken a figure drawing class there and decided it would be a good way to give back. It was renamed Hefner Hall and remained in the school’s possession until 1990. Today, today,the mansion/dorm has been refigured as condominiums. 

The Charnley-Persky House is recognized as a pivotal work of modern American architecture. The National Historic Landmark building serves as the headquarters of the Society of Architectural Historians.  The dramatic interior of the house is dominated by an atrium that soars from the first floor hall to a skylight two floors above. The house is open for tours. Click here for details. 

Gold Coast Neighbor’s Association (GCNA) Fall Mulch-A-Thon! 

With all the amazing scenery on the Gold Coast, it’s probably not a surprise that neighbors nurture their environment and keep the soil healthy. This Saturday, October 29, GCNA is hosting its annual  Fall Mulch-athon, from 9am-noon, at the intersection of North Dearborn Parkway and North Avenue, where Dearborn ends. As they say on their website, the trees need help in insulating the soil at their bases so they can survive our Chicago winter. Mulch, tools, gloves, training, trash bags, and snacks will be provided. Just bring your own water and wear clothes that can get dirty. To register, click the link below: https://www.givepulse.com/event/295940

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

The garden is done. We have pulled the last of the tomato plants, and they have given their all. It’s best to remove all plant material from the garden. I used to leave the plants in through winter, but I learned better! Most tomato plants will end up with some disease or another, so you don’t want that in your soil, and it’s best not to compost them as well. We add some compost, homemade or store bought to the garden. Till it in lightly, and let some of the leaves from the trees in the yard cover the garden. They will break down to add nutrients to the soil overwinter.

Keep clearing the leaves off the lawn every other day or so. Grass is still growing well in the cooler weather and keeping it going as long as possible will ensure a good start to the lawn in the spring. Keep watering. It is important to get as much water as possible into the soil before the ground freezes. In the Chicagoland area we have had less than an inch of rain this entire month. Any newer plantings like trees and shrubs need regular watering before winter. Trickle a hose a few feet away from the stem or trunk. Let it go for at least two hours. There’s no such thing as overwatering here!

Keep an eye out for clogged drains, gutters, and downspouts. With all the leaves falling there can be buildup, especially if you have trees around you with small leaves. This is most important when there is insufficient rain to wash the debris through the system. Having clogged gutters and downspouts is especially dangerous in winter as they will clog with ice which will creep up the roof line, cause damage to the shingles, and can leak into the house. Remember, ladders can be dangerous. If you have any trepidation about climbing on the ladder, call a professional. A good handyman can do a lot of good and it won’t be too costly. The drains all around the outside can get clogged easily too this time of year. Check any you have on the outside, especially those below grade which can cause a basement flood if there is heavy rain.  

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago