Friday Flashback: Rec. #756: Women & Children First

Chicago Series

What the organization does: Chicago's Women & Children First is one of the largest feminist bookstores in the country. The store's mission is to promote the writing of women and other marginalized voices and to offer a place where everyone can find books reflecting their lives and interests in an atmosphere in which they are respected, valued, and well-served.

Where to learn more: https://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/wcf-history-and-purpose

How to help: https://crossroadsfund.org/content/womens-voices-fund


Find more independent local bookstores at IndieBound.org.

Rec. #824: The Field Museum

Chicago Series

What: The Field Museum in Chicago is one of the world's largest natural history museums. Permanent exhibitions include animal halls, Underground Adventure, and the much beloved SUE the T. Rex.

How to get it: If you can't make it to the Field Museum itself anytime soon, you can at least follow SUE on Twitter (@SUEtheTrex). Bio: "Legendary Fossil. Apex Predator. National Treasure. New Suite Getter. All Caps Name Haver. "They/Them" Pronoun User. LARGE M U R D E R B I R D."

Rec. #823: Merz Apothecary

Chicago Series

What: Merz Apothecary, an institution of Chicago's Lincoln Square, is the place for all the personal care and healthcare products you didn't know you needed. It's particularly strong in homeopathic and international options.

How to get it: Nothing is quite like the reassuring, European-style pharmacy atmosphere of the actual store, but you can also order from Merz's significant selection of brands online at SmallFlower.com.

Rec. #822: Noon O Kabab

Chicago Series

What: Noon O Kabab is a Persian/Iranian restaurant in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago. It's very, very good, with plenty of options for both vegetarians and meat-consumers. 

How to get it: The large portions and generally level of busyness make it ideal for takeout/delivery. And don't be a chump --- get the dill rice whenever it's an option.

Rec. #821: Art on theMART

Chicago Series

What: Art on theMART is a new public art installation along the river in downtown Chicago. A rotating selection of digital art (no branding!) is projected onto Merchandise Mart for two hours every night May-September. It's glorious, and also much more dynamic than I was anticipating.

How to get it: Grab some food and walk along the river as the sun sets to grab your spot. Projections start about half an hour after sunset.

Rec. #820: Music Box Theatre

Chicago Series

What: The Music Box Theatre in Chicago is celebrating its 90th anniversary. For the last couple of those nine decades, it has focused on independent, foreign, cult, and classic films.

It also regularly hosts sing-along Rocky Horror Picture Show / Mary Poppins / The Sound of Music (etc.) events. (I once went to a sing-along Little Mermaid and discovered that, yes, my brain had indeed held onto all of those lyrics for more than twenty years without any help from me.)

How to get it: The Music Box Theatre is just up the street from Southport Grocery & Café (Rec. #819). It's entirely possible that all movies are better when you have a stomach full of bread pudding pancake goodness.

Rec. #819: Southport Grocery & Café

Chicago Series

What: I guess the main thing I want you to know is that Southport Grocery & Café has bread pudding pancakes on their brunch menu, and these are fantastically delicious. 

If you, like me, tend more toward savory than sweet at breakfast, you should still have a bread pudding pancake --- just pair it with the red potato mash (also delish).

How to get it: Good luck getting in on the weekend. Gooooood luuuuuck.

Rec. #818: Myopic Books

Chicago Series

What: Myopic Books is a used bookstore in Chicago's Wicker Park. It's often voted to "Best of Chicago" lists, but here are some specific aspects I really like:

• The interior is based on half-floors and short, labyrinthine aisles. Very pleasing aesthetic for a used bookstore.
• A robust fiction selection that is co-located, skipping over the trap of making (usually questionable) genre distinctions.
• A robust book-buying program!
• Very accessible hours! (9 a.m.-11 p.m., seven days a week)
• Close to public transit! (Damen, Blue Line)

Myopic also hosts regularly scheduled live music and poetry readings, but these can easily be avoided if they're not your cup of tea.

Rec. #817: Devon Avenue

Chicago Series

What: Devon Avenue is home to Chicago's Little India -- go here for your Bollywood music, your saris, your dosai.

Pretty much all the food is good, whether it's northern Indian, southern Indian, Pakistani, at a bakery, in a restaurant, or at a market. You can just wander through a door, point at anything edible, and it will be delicious.

(You might start at Udupi Palace or Mysore Woodlands, though.) 

How to get there: The stars have to align in a very specific way for driving to be the best method (unless you prepare yourself to circle out into the surrounding residential streets for awhile to look for parking). Just go ahead and take a bus. It won't bite.

Rec. #816: The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago Series

What: The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the largest museums in the United States, and one of the best art museums in the world. The collection includes iconic works from Seurat and Hopper, but perhaps you know the museum best from Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

And let's not forget the gorgeous and huge Modern Wing, which is celebrating its ten anniversary this year, or the visitor-favorite Thorne Miniature Rooms, which Wes Anderson praised during an interview with Terry Gross (very on-brand for all parties involved).

How to get it: Be sure to see if you qualify for free admission. If you can't get there in person, you can also explore the collection via Google Arts & Culture.