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It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood
The best of south Oak Park
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20 Orte
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Lisas 4-Sterne-Beitrag: This new restaurant calls itself "rustic italian dining." It has some of the best wood-fired pizzas that we've eaten in a long time. I had the BLT pizza -- oven roasted tomato, pancetta and arugula on the house cheese blend. It was a tender, chewy crust with a nice dark char on the outer rim, and the toppings were fresh and well balanced. My adventurous son chose the white clam pizza, and my hubby tried the pepperoni. All were pleased. They have a kids' menu with a few pizzas and pastas. There seems to be an emphasis on local and organic produce. The loaf of bread that came out at the start was warm, tender, and toothsome, served with wonderful olive oil. "Artisan" gelato and sorbetto are also available, but we didn't try them. Service was a little spotty (our waitress, a vegetarian, was unable to describe any entree with meat or fish in it), and the noise level was pretty high (we had to shout to be heard) but altogether a very promising neighborhood spot in east Oak Park. EDIT -- The BLT pizza mentioned above was included in Chicago Magazine's list of the 224 best dishes in Chicago. If you aren't really hungry make sure you split it with someone because it is huge and it doesn't re-warm well at home. -
Oak Park, IL, Vereinigte Staaten
Lisas 4-Sterne-Beitrag: TREE SWEATERS? I know we Oak Parkers have been accused of being "tree huggers," but I have never thought of going so far as to knit them colorful sweaters to protect them from the cold. But someone thought of it, and my, aren't they fun? Wander our sweet stretch of Southtown Oak Park (the blocks of S. Oak Park Ave. that are just north and south of the Ike) and you will see that the fine craftswomen of the Oak Park Women's Exchange have created fanciful, multi-colored and even multi-dimensional coverings for several of the trees lining the sidewalks. Often they relate to the stores they flank. For example, the tree by Nola's Cup (our New Orleans cafe) is decorated like a Mardi Gras jester. The one near Lalo's has Mexican colors and even a 3-D margarita glass. These have been up for months and somehow have not shown any ill effects from the elements. Now that the weather is nicer, I plan to have a good look at all of them. The store itself is full of hand-crafted tchotchkes that are a notch above what your grandmother makes. Though I have never been tempted to buy anything from here, it has a nice selection of gifts and decorative items that are by definition locally manufactured. I'm glad it provides an outlet for these crafty creators. -
Lisas 5-Sterne-Beitrag: This little gem is just a short stroll from my house, and it's a sure cure for cabin fever. Admission fees are on the honor system -- just put a buck or two in the box. The flowers, birds and babbling brook make you feel like you are on vacation. -
Lisas 5-Sterne-Beitrag: As a tree-hugging, "Inconvenient Truth"-watching, left-leaning Earth Mama, I was thrilled to see this store open up in Oak Park. Green Home Experts is a store that specializes in eco-friendly building and home supplies. The back of the store is like a teeny, earth-friendly Home Depot -- there are paints, countertops, flooring and window treatments that fit their slogan "Good for your family, good for the earth." The front of the store has cleaning supplies, CFL bulbs, Chico bags, and a display of cloth diapers (thank goodness my diaper days are behind me). The owner, Maria Onesto Moran, is an enthusiastic young entrepreneur, and I look forward to being a regular patron of her shop. -
Lisas 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Well, how cool is this? Something new and unique and it's in my 'hood. Taking over the space of the godawful "Something's Brewing," this "cafe and snack shop" is a great place to stop for a light bite. Calling it a restaurant would be a bit of a stretch, at least for now. The menu is entirely made up of "salgadinhos," which probably means little fried things. I tried a piece of soft and cheesy bread and a chicken croquette. Both quite tasty. I washed it all down with a Brazilian soda called "Guarana," which had a tropical fruit flavor I didn't really recognize. The staff is friendly, but their English isn't so great yet. I got the impression that on Saturdays they will serve a full meal with beans and rice. And that's about as close as I will get to going Brazilian. -
Lisas 5-Sterne-Beitrag: Yoga Trek is only the second Yoga emporium (or whatever they're called) that I have been to, so I'm far from expert. Still, I really enjoyed my Vinyasa Flow class here this morning. The room was bright and the brick walls were covered with abstract paintings. They didn't play any annoying sitar music. The instructor was very helpful and took some time after class to explain to me what "bandhas" are. A very nice selection of classes during the day as well as on evenings and weekends. Conveniently located right by the Buzz cafe, where I could imagine enjoying coffee or lunch before or after class. Do yogis drink coffee? Somehow I doubt it. -
Oak Park, IL, Vereinigte Staaten
Lisas 5-Sterne-Beitrag: I am a pretty "western" person as far as medicine goes. My father was a doctor and my husband works for a medical school. I approached Serenity Acupuncture with a lot of curiosity and a certain amount of skepticism. But today I became a believer. I had an annoying pain in my shoulder that did not seem to be getting any better. I thought of this place, which just opened in my neighborhood and thought, "what the heck?" Serenity certainly lives up to its name -- it's calm and soothing, with candles, new-age music, Asian-style doors, the whole bit. Owner Patricia Miller was my acupuncturist. She was very gentle and explained everything in detail, even letting me view and hold one of the needles. Surprisingly, she put the needles in my left knee even though the pain was in my right shoulder. Don't ask me why, but it worked. There was still a little discomfort, so she needled me in the shoulder for a little while after that. When I left, the pain was 90 percent gone. Go figure. As a newbie to the scene, I really can't compare Serenity to any other acupuncture experience, but in all I found the experience very pleasant and I was impressed at how clean and sanitary everything was. I also learned that acupuncture is very successful with people experiencing infertility. Even though my ovaries are retired, I found that fascinating. -
Lisas 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Ode to Al's Grill: (with apologies to The Corrs) My tummy's feeling rumbly Want something yummy on my plate Waffles so warm and crumbly And nice hot coffee would be great Omelets are fine their bacon is divine I'm in the mood to try Some hotcakes stacked high So go on, go on, come on feed me breakfast Fill me, please me 'Cause I need to lose this Hungry feeling Make me sausage and grits Come on come on Yeah... It's time to break a new egg I won't pay an arm or a leg Al's Grill has breakfast all day In that Greek diner kind of way Not much to see But that's just fine with me. I want a tasty treat. Can't wait till I eat it. So go on, go on, come on feed me breakfast Fill me, please me 'Cause I need to lose this Hungry feeling... -
Lisas 4-Sterne-Beitrag: We typically carry out from this place, but not because it isn't an attractive restaurant. The service is very good, and so is the food. My favorite is the Kow Soy. It is a yummy combination of chicken, noodles, onions, cilantro and sweet/spicy sauce. There is no cow or soy in it as far as I can tell, go figure. Spicy Basil Chicken and Pad Thai are excellent. Potstickers and satay are among the appetizers we enjoy. -
Lisas 3-Sterne-Beitrag: This is a cute spot, perfect for a ladies' lunch. Part gift shop, part cafe, it feels like it should be in Europe. I ordered a salad and a cookie, and it ran to $10 -- a little too pricey for food that isn't organic or brought in from France that morning. -
Lisas 4-Sterne-Beitrag: This is a good neighborhood place to get nails done -- nothing fancy. Lots of colors to choose from, and good magazines to read if you're getting a pedicure. The staff is friendly and pleasant. The cost of a manicure is about $18, and they use tons of products to massage, moisten, and exfoliate your hands. A very nice, relaxing experience. I should do it more often. -
Lisas 4-Sterne-Beitrag: This is one of those stores that take you into the past. The Kuba family started this little jewelry shop in the 1950s, and my guess is that it looks exactly the same. I always go here to get new watchbands and batteries. I've never actually purchased jewelry here, but if my grandma were still alive she would like this stuff. The owners are now in semi-retirement, so the shop is only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. That can be kind of a pain. -
Lisas 5-Sterne-Beitrag: It's not that I'm a bad driver. But I get distracted and bump into things at low speeds. So I'm a regular at Perfection Auto. They not only do good work, they are fairly priced and very honest. Example: we were putting our 1997 Honda up for sale. It had a few dings, and I thought it would sell better with them fixed. The guy there showed me how, with some wax and effort, they would look much better and no repairs would be needed. He could have earned some money off me that day, but instead earned my undying loyalty. -
Lisas 4-Sterne-Beitrag: A nice neighborhood place where the owner recognizes me and gets my things out when I approach the glass door. She sometimes spends the whole interaction chatting on her cellphone in Korean, which is why I took one star off. I haven't used her for tailoring, but she does that too. -
Lisas 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Yani's adds a little touch of "funky" to our otherwise dull south-Oak-Park business district. Proprietor Mia Watson has a fun, fresh, urban feel to her shop, which opened as a shoe store, but is moving more toward purses and accessories. The prices are really reasonable too. I got a lovely pair of earrings and a scarf for $30.
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Lisas 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Snip City has gone downhill a bit with the departure of the wonderful Kathy, but it is still a pretty good spot. The place is always nicely decorated and accessorized. This may seem shallow, but I figure if the salon looks good, then they can't do much damage to me and my coif. The stylists are all friendly and listen to my requests. The kids' haircuts are a bit pricy at $25 (I've started taking them to BoRic's) but other services seem in line with what's out there (my cut and blow dry is $45). They recently added manicures, but I haven't had one yet.
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Lisas 5-Sterne-Beitrag: I stopped by Prodigy to have a look around because it had just opened, and (let's face it) I'm a slut for those "first to review" badges. The concept is a great addition to Oak Park's Harrison street art district. Both a workshop and gallery, you can watch artisans working with the hot glass melting machine (whatever that is called), very cool for the kiddies. You'll want to keep them in hand, though, because everything in the gallery is breakable. Prices range from $22 for glass earrings and pendants up to and past $500 for the larger pieces. There are glass blowing classes, even birthday parties (!) for kids 12 and up. I'd have my "Overprotective Jewish Mother" card revoked if I had my kid's party there, but if that's your thing, feel free. -
Oak Park, IL, Vereinigte Staaten
Lisas 5-Sterne-Beitrag: It does my heart good to see a business like this open up on this otherwise drab section of Madison St. I've been meaning to study guitar for years, and when this opened, it was like G-d saying "OK, Lisa, it's time." This more like a workshop than a guitar store per se. Mr. Danche makes beautiful handmade guitars and his son teaches guitar lessons. I'm signed up for a group class, but it hasn't started yet. A bonus: the adorable golden retriever dog greeting all who enter. -
Lisas 4-Sterne-Beitrag: Wishbone's third restaurant has opened in Berwyn, just across the street from Oak Park. We enjoyed a yummy meal -- hubby got blackened catfish, I got grilled chicken with mango salsa -- close to home with no waiting. We'll go back to try brunch next time. -
Lisas 5-Sterne-Beitrag: This is a great resource for parents in the Oak Park area. When my offspring were small (ages 0-5) I participated in the morning program. Several mornings a week I strolled them over, where they played in their age-appropriate room for an hour or so under professional supervision, while I went to the parents' room to chat, chill, or work. There was a reasonable sliding monthly fee for this sanity-saving service. The twice-annual kids' resale event was a great way to recycle the old clothes and buy "new" ones (you don't need to be a member, just get on their mailing list). Parenthesis also offers evening programs for single parents and teen parents. Just a dandy place.
