Chicago! Have Some Wine, Shave Your Head and Help Cure Childhood Cancer on Sunday, March 25

vintage338.com

Chicago has a great (and fun) way to fight childhood cancer this Sunday, March 25. The good people of Vintage 338 wine bar are hosting a St. Baldrick's event where volunteers will shave their head to help conquer childhood cancer. You can sign up here for this event, which is open to the public with drink specials that will help benefit St. Baldrick’s!

The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. For a $5 contribution to St. Baldrick's you too can shave your head during the event, courtesy of Floyd’s 99 Barbershop in Lincoln Park! Did we mention the Complimentary Chili and Mac & Cheese Bar? (Vintage 338 has a great menu!)

Where: Vintage 338
338 W. Armitage Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614 (Map)

Contact: Christopher Barkulis
773-525-0521 or cbarkulis@earthlink.net

Activity Schedule:

• 2:00pm - 6:30pm For a $5 Donation to St. Baldrick's you can get your head shaved courtesy of Jada from Floyd's 99 Barbershop, located at 2572 N. Clark St. in Chicago.
• 2:00pm - 6:30pm $1 off all drinks and $1 donated to St. Baldrick's by Vintage 338 for each purchased drink!
• 2:00pm - 6:30pm $5 off all wine bottles and $5 donated to St. Baldrick's by Vintage 338 for every purchased bottle!
• 2:00pm - Until We Run Out! Free Chili and Mac & Cheese Bar

Not quite ready to shave your head, but would love to help this fantastic charity? No problem. Go to the event page to donate directly to St. Baldrick’s! Also, Vintage 338 is offering up some other great ways to contribute:  $1 Off every glass of wine, beer, or mixed drink purchased and Vintage 338 will donate $1 to the St. Baldrick's Foundation, PLUS All Bottles of Red, White and Sparkling Wine will be $5 off and Vintage 338 will donate $5 per bottle to the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

OMG! Zanzibar Serves Best Ice Cream in Chicago!

I recently stumbled across a new ice cream parlor. Normally, I don't get excited about ice cream parlors. While I love the stuff, I don't tend to eat a lot of ice cream, and growing up in Wisconsin I was spoiled by the best in the nation. When I passed by Zanzibar's ice cream parlor on a recent evening, however, the place looked so inviting that I just had to go inside and look around. That led, of course, to a sampling of the ice cream. Wow... Dang, I thought, ice cream as good or maybe better than any I'd ever had in Wisconsin! But here's the catch: The ice cream sold at Zanzibar is made by The Chocolate Shoppe in - ta da! - my home town of Madison, Wisconsin! I used to go to Chocolate House Candy and Ice Cream, the predecessor of The Chocolate Shoppe, with my folks. That was back in my grade school days. I haven't had their ice cream in more than 25 years, and here it was, served up in generous scoops right here on Chicago's North Side, at Zanzibar in Edgewater. One of the secrets to great ice cream is to have as few ice particles or microscopic air bubbles in the cold stuff as possible. The incredible flavors served at Zanzibar meet those specifications. Rich and creamy, cold and gooey, it will not disappoint. I know I'm hooked, and if means gaining few pounds this summer, well, you only go around once. Might as well have great ice cream. Yes, that's my banana split in the photo and yes, I ate the whole gigundo thing. Zanzibar is much more than ice cream, though, with great hand-made sandwiches, soups, salads, coffee and tea. The atmosphere is cozy, despite the large size of the room. Free wi-fi makes this a great place to linger. Got kids? Perfect, they'll love the place. It's casual, wheelchair accessible and spitting distance from the Bryn Mawr CTA Red Line station (no parking lot, but metered street parking is right outside). Oh, before I forget - you gotta try the blue moon ice cream. Also see The Chocolate Shoppe web site Leave a Comment... See Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed We're on Twitter...

Iyanze Restaurant Followup

Iyanze, the still-new West African-style restaurant in Uptown, Chicago was propping open its rear door, a violation of Chicago health code. Their dumpster was overflowing and unsecured, another violation. In our report on June 1 (see original report here), we reported that Iyanze restaurant, 4623 N. Broadway, was violating Chicago health codes by leaving their back door open with an overflowing dumpster nearby. A 311 operator told me that a health inspector gave Iyanze a "pass" on June 3, 2009. Subsequently, Chicago News Bench revisited Iyanze's back door and found that they now have a screen door installed. Now, vermin cannot enter through the propped-open rear door. However, we also found that the dumpster is still frequently filled over capacity and the lid is not closed flush with the top of the dumpster. Although the door issue seems to have been resolved, the issue of the dumpster remains open (no pun intended). See Comments... Visit Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Hey! ChiNewsBench is on Twitter

UPDATED - Iyanze Uptown Violating Chicago Health Code

UPDATED - June 13, 2009 In our original report on June 1 (below), we reported that Iyanze restaurant, 4623 N. Broadway, was violating Chicago health codes by leaving their back door open with an overflowing dumpster nearby. A 311 operator told me that a health inspector gave Iyanze a "pass" on June 3, 2009. Subsequently, Chicago News Bench revisited Iyanze's back door and found that they now have a screen door installed. Now, vermin cannot enter through the propped-open rear door. However, we also found that the dumpster is still frequently filled over capacity and the lid is not closed flush with the top of the dumpster. Although the door issue seems to have been resolved, the issue of the dumpster remains open (no pun intended). ORIGINAL POST: Chicago - June 1, 2009- by Tom Mannis - An exclusive investigation by Chicago News Bench (CNB) has documented repeated health code violations by Iyanze, a West African style restaurant located at 4623 N. Broadway in Chicago's northside Uptown neighborhood. CNB's investigation indicates that at least two "critical" violations and two "serious" violations were committed. Exclusive photos (slideshow below) document the violations during the period of May 23 through May 31. During that period, Iyanze's rear door was frequently left open for hours on end, with no screen or any other barrier to prevent rats, mice, insects and other vermin from entering. The kitchen area was left exposed to the elements, dust and other contamination. Next to the open door, a dumpster was usually filled over capacity and its cover was not tightly closed, as required by law. Iyanze was issued its "retail food establishment" license on April 6, 2009. It passed a restaurant inspection on March 12, 2009, weeks before it opened. Iyanze is owned by Bolat African Cuisine, Inc. Here is a summary of the specific health code violations that we observed (violation text source): V4 - All food shall be protected from contamination and the elements, and so shall all food equipment, containers, utensils, food contact surfaces and devices, and vehicles. (CRITICAL) The wide-open door that CNB observed allowed contamination, the elements and vermin entry to the kitchen area of the restaurant, including "all food equipment, containers, utensils, food contact surfaces and devices, and vehicles." V13 - All necessary control measures shall be used to effectively minimize or eliminate the presence of rodents, roaches, and other vermin/insect infestations. (CRITICAL) One "necessary control measure" would be to keep the back door closed when not being used to exit or enter the building; rodents and other vermin are attracted to overflowing dumpsters with loose lids. Our photos show that these measures were not adhered to. V18 - All necessary control measures shall be used to effectively minimize or eliminate the presence of rodents, roaches, and other vermin and insects on the premises of all food establishments, in food-transporting vehicles, and in vending machines. (SERIOUS) Again, CNB's photos show that with the door left open for hours at a time, and a loose lid on an overfilled dumpster, not "all necessary control measures" were used. V20 -All garbage and rubbish containing food wastes shall, prior to disposal, be stored in metal containers with tight fitting lids and shall be kept covered except when opened for the disposal or removal of garbage. (SERIOUS) As stated above and shown in our photos, Iyanze was clearly violating this part of the code. Leave a Comment Here... See our cool merchandise... Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Hey! ChiNewsBench is on Twitter

Updated: Sticky Rice Chicago Restaurant

UPDATE, FEB. 2012:  Today, Sticky Rice restaurant, at 4018 N Western Avenue in Chicago, gets good reviews on Yelp and Zagat.  I want to make it clear that the incident of 2009 has long been resolved.

This post was originally published in May, 2009 with the headline "Sticky Rice Chicago Shut Down by Health Inspectors for Critical Violations." That was a long time ago, and those violations have long since been cleaned up. Today, Sticky Rice is a much respected eatery. 

Fontana Grill Gets Liquor License

Finally, one of my favorite restaurants on the northside of Chicago will get its liquor license. Fontana Grill & Wine Bar has been BYOB since it opened last autumn. I had dinner in the cozy and intimate restaurant on Friday, Feb. 13, and owner Nino Divanovic pulled me aside tonight and said the city told him earlier this week that his liquor license has been approved. Nino said they hope to start selling wine, beer and liquors "next weekend," and he plans to host wine tastings frequently. My friend had the NY strip and I had the rack of lamb (Nino's personal favorite). Both were cooked to perfection, and the excellent potatoes au gratin and grilled asparagus spears rounded out both plates nicely. Sadly, we forgot to bring a bottle of wine; we forgot that Fontana Grill was still a bring-your-own establishment. Only for another week, thank goodness, and the next time I go I'll be able to order an adult beverage from Fontana's own stock. Tip: Some of the best calamari I've ever had, and when the weather gets warm they have a beautiful cobblestone outdoor patio. Great stone-fired thin crust pizzas, too, and if you just want something simple, Fontana's burgers are excellent. 1329 W Wilson Ave (between Beacon Street and Malden Street, between N. Broadway and N. Clark) Chicago, IL 60640 (773) 561-0400 http://www.fontanagrill.com/ For more information, see a review at Metromix. CNB RSS Feed

RoPa Restaurant & Wine Bar Opens in Rogers Park

Last Tuesday, in fact. RoPa (ROgers PArk, get it?) opened its doors after months of anticipation by neighbors on the north side of Chicago. RoPa is located at 1146 W. Pratt Blvd., just east of the 7-Eleven on the northeast corner of N. Sheridan Road and W. Pratt Blvd. in Rogers Park, just steps from Lake Michigan. Their phone is 773-508-0002. Full bar. More info at MetroMix. BackTrack: RoPa Restaurant Opens Sept. 2nd

RoPa Restaurant Opens Sept. 2nd

Good news, Rogers Park foodies! The long-anticipated RoPa restaurant will open next week. This is contrary to the fear that they would not open and highlights some very bad reporting by one of the local bloggers, who wrote that the owners had "apparently run into some kind of problem." They haven't, and they will soon be serving lamb kebabs. Owner Tirak told The Bench today that RoPa Restaurant and Wine Bar will open at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2. RoPa (a contraction of "Rogers Park"). They will specialize in upscale Mediterranean-American cuisine. RoPa is located in the former space of Suron, a Persian restaurant, at 1146 W. Pratt Blvd., just east of the 7-Eleven on the northeast corner of N. Sheridan Road and W. Pratt Avenue in Rogers Park, just steps from Lake Michigan.

Bloody Cock Meat, Damn!

As part of this weekend's Homo-Pa-Looza extravaganza here at The Bench, we're trying our hardest to find stories that fit. You know, stories into which that we can sensibly work words such as "blow," "hardest," "suck," and ... well, you get the idea.

This brief restaurant review should fit nicely. Sizzle on Broadway (a.k.a. The Pumping Company) serves food. Bar food. Decent for the most part. But watch out. The kitchen may or may not have tried to assassinate my last night.

I ordered the fried chicken special, a half chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and garlic green beans. Those were okay, and I ate some of those while I let the fried chicken cool down a bit. The half chicken included one wing, of course, and I ate that, too.

I must assume that the meat was from a male chicken, also called a "cock." Hens (female chickens) are generally reserved for egg laying.

During the whole experience, the air conditioning ducts above me dripped condensed water down my back. I tolerated the one-drop-at-a-time rain shower with humor.

The supple, meaty thigh was still too hot to handle, which I realized as I picked it up to bite into it. I set it down and cut into it with a fork. That's when the blood oozed out of the chicken. Red blood, lots of it, oozed out. I cut into the breast and got the same result. I thanked my guardian angel that I did not bite into that undercooked chicken.

You can enjoy the fried chicken dinner special too! Sizzle is located at 6157 N. Broadway Street in Chicago's beautiful Edgewater neighborhood. For reservations call (773) 465-9500. They seem to be gay friendly, but I didn't actually ask.

Rabbit: It's What's For Dinner!

Rescue that rabbit from the ordinary with a special recipe this weekend! Here is a collection of web sites with great rabbit recipes for you to experiment with and enjoy. Rabbit Recipes - For the small game lovers you will find Rabbit Recipes on the page. Recipes Using Rabbit - For most recipes, the rabbit is cut in serving pieces before it is cooked. Just Game Recipes - 129 Rabbit recipes Rabbit Recipes Society - 2,272 pages of information about hunting and rabbit recipes! Rabbit Recipes - Domestic Rabbit Meat - Eat Better, Cleaner and Healthier!

UPDATED: LOYOLA PARK BEACH OPEN FOR BUSINESS

FOOD VENDORS NOW WELCOME ON LOYOLA PARK BEACH!

CORRECTED/UPDATED - The Bench mistakenly said yesterday that this vendor was not licensed. In fact, there is a tiny permit on the cart. This only reinforces The Bench's assertion that Chicago Park District is selling out to push cart vendors along the beach.

This is great news for food vendors in Chicago.

This vendor set up shop on Saturday, May 24 at the south end of Loyola Park on Chicago's north side.

The vendor was back on Sunday, May 25 and Monday, May 26 - and why not? There's money to be made selling chips and soda and hot dogs at the beach.

This adds a whole new dimension to Rogers Park's already famous dining scene. And now - apparently - anybody can just set up shop on the beach! How long will it be before the Park District allows 20 more vendors onto Loyola Park's beach?

According to Chicago Park Concessions Management, to sell food you need several things. Their web site says, "Each concession must have at least two (2) persons certified with the Chicago Dept. of Health Certified Foodservice Manager Certificate." The Bench observed several periods when the vendor had only one person tending the food cart.

The Dining Diva

Had to share this with you... just came across a great little blog that reviews restaurants in Chicago. Called "312 Dining Diva," it's entertaining and informative. Check it out before you plan your next fine dining experience. Audarshia is the blogger, and she's sharp. Her credits include writing for the Chicago Tribune, Essence, UR Chicago, Chicago Preferred and Playboy.com.

Playboy? Say, Audarshia and I have something in common. I've been published in Playboy! Maybe one day I'll share that with you, dear reader (if I get my nerve up enough).

Morse Avenue Munchies Update

I'm enjoying a hot cuppa over at Common Cup whilst I wifi my way through the Internet. Oh, you haven't heard? Common Cup is open on Sundays now, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. They've added salads and sandwiches to their menu, too. Come on over to 1501 W. Morse (at N. Greenview).

The newest restaurant to open on Morse is the Grill Inn at 1422 W. Morse Avenue, which opened last Thursday. It's a Greek restaurant, sort of. Owned and operated by Nick, a cousin of the owners of Morse Fruit and Meat Market two door away, the Grill Inn offers a number of Greek-style items.

But they have plenty of non-Greek items to choose from. French fries, of course, but rice pilaf is a nice alternative to accompany the Italian beef or the Italian sausage. I had the beef-and-sausage combo (photo) and it was excellent. The lady who ordered before me had the Cajun chicken sandwich, which looked and smelled incredible. The atmosphere is cozy, with hand rendered plaster walls that recall aging brick. The grill area itself is impressively large, and the customer can see everything that is happening during the preparation of their meal. This is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

My Big Fat Indian Lunch

Hunger befell me while biking along W. Devon Avenue in West Rogers Park, Chicago today. I went into one of the many Indian-Pakistani restaurants, but that one creeped me out, to be honest, so I went looking for another.

I was happy to find King Sweets at 2308 W. Devon, a small storefront restaurant with a big assortment of great items. I won't pretend to be any kind of expert on Indian food, but the rich smell of curry and rostiseried chicken, along with a happy looking mix of customers, told me I made a good choice.

King Sweets, as the name implies, specializes in desserts. They make all of their wonderful sweets on the premises. The sweets alone are worth the trip. I sampled the halwa, a dense form of carrot cake with a creamy frosting. Halwa without frosting is also available. I also had a balushai, very sugary and syrupy. Excellent.

For those watching their sugar intake, King Sweets has a good variety of desserts that are made with sugar substitutes: Kalakand, Gulab Jamun, Balushai and Dal Pinya are available without sugar.

The sweets were very good but I needed protein. An order of the channa chicken filled me up. It's several pieces of stewed chicken (bone in) settled into a nice brown gravy, with chick peas. A side of nan (a flat bread to die for) made for a substantial lunch. I will definitely go back for more.

King Sweets serves all Zabiha meat. They do catering and ship all over the U.S. and Canada. Credit cards accepted with $10.00 minimum.

King Sweets
2308 W. Devon Avenue, Chicago, IL 60659
Telephone: 773-262-8001
Web: http://www.kingsweets.net

Yummy: Susie's Noon Hour Grill

Susie's Noon Hour Grill offers a quiet, clean and cozy atmosphere for breakfast or lunch in the heart of Rogers Park's Arts District. Located at 6930 N. Glenwood, the Noon Hour Grill is just steps away from the Morse CTA Red Line station, half a block south of Morse Avenue.

I have fond memories of eating breakfasts at Susie's in the early-mid 1980's when I lived on Albion. I moved to Los Angeles and remembered her great omelettes, even telling Angelinos about it. When I moved back to Chicago in late 1994, I was disappointed to find that she'd left Rogers Park. I was thrilled when she moved back, one door away from her original location, just a few weeks ago.

I finally dropped in yesterday and had the Bulgogi Omelette, a three-egg monstrosity with Korean-style strips of beef ribeye. The meat is mildly sweet due to the sauce it is marinated in, and combined with green pepper and onion it makes for a fantastic dish. Choice of potato or rice; I took the rice. Toast and coffee on the side. A good start to the day. I plan to be a regular at Noon Hour Grill, and am eager to try the Bulgogi and Kimchee omelette.

Susie has lunch and dinner items, too. Yook Gue Jung, a hot and spicy Korean-style soup with beef, sounds like a winner. But all of the items, American and Korean-style, sound great. She has daily specials, too. The most intriguing: Korean Spaghetti on Wednesdays, with stir fried veggies and choice of chicken, beef or tofu for only $4.95.

Noon Hour Grill is tucked in with Duke's Bar, Evil Squirrel comics and Lifeline Theater, so this little strip is becoming something of a destination in its own right.

Susie's Noon Hour Grill is open Sunday-Monday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wednesday-Saturday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays.