Meet your friends at the Red Line Tap in Rogers Park for plenty of good beer, all kinds of music, and good food from the Heartland Cafe. The Red Line Tap shares a building with the Heartland Café; look for the broken missile on the roof next to the Morse Red Line El stop.
At first glance the Red Line looks ordinary with a small stage, concrete floors and one pool table. The selection of beer and music, both modestly priced, sets the Red Line apart from other bars. On a Saturday night I saw three bands there for only $5, including rock, folk and jazz. Many types of bands play here including the regular features: country and rock with Poverty Tax on Sundays, jazz, jam and funk with Project 99 on Mondays, the much-loved bluegrass band Sexfist on Tuesdays, punk rock and metal acts on Wednesdays and an open mic on Thursdays. No matter what your friends’ musical tastes, you can find something they like at the Red Line. Covers are $5 and entertainment is free on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Bring your instruments and vocals to the long-running Thursday night open mic. Sign-up is at 8pm with the music starting at 9. Miki Croisant from Funk to Punk hosts and visiting bands can use the house drum kit. Performers each get one free drink, which your musician friends will love.
With over two dozen beers on tap, the Red Line serves a mix of local and domestic beers from Goose Island 312 to New Holland’s Mad Hatter to Sapporo and Fransiskaner Weiss. The $2.50 or $3 nightly beer specials always offer a good domestic or import like German Jever, and never wuss out and give you an overpriced can of corporate beer. You can also order cocktails and wine from the bar.
When you get hungry at Red Line, order quesadillas, nachos or other food from the Heartland Café kitchen, which also serves a smaller menu here. You could make a night of it, meeting up at the Heartland for dinner first, then moving to the Red Line to enjoy the music. The Heartland Café has been a cornerstone of Rogers Park for over 30 years. Since 1996, the Red Line has served drinks in this location, which housed Roy Kawaguchi’s bar before that. All types and ages of people feel welcome here and the small bar offers great music, beer and food for you and your friends.
What a beautiful, beautiful park - a place children will beg to return to again and again! Not only does it have a giant playground and spray pool, but it also has a lagoon where ducks and geese swim in and has a neat little zoo to boot! There is also a charming Tudor style field house on the grounds, picnic tables and even a performing arts building. This is probably the most unique park in all of Chicago! In fact, one has to wonder if that song “Saturday in the Park” was partially inspired by this place!
When the kids first start making a bee line for the playground, their eyes will glaze over like saucers - this wooden construction lot is HUGE, with lots to climb on and explore! It’s decked out like an old fort, perhaps granting a nod to the land’s history. Of course, one thing that’s always important with the kiddos is there are enough slides and swings around so they don’t have to wait to get on one - Indian Boundary does not disappoint. They will surely find lots of other kids to play with, because this playground is so very popular with the locals. In fact, many families come here in the summer with the intention of having a barbecue and making a day of it. It’s little wonder why so many groups opt to hold their social gatherings here.
If (not when!) the kids get tired of the play lot, go as a family and explore the rest of the park. The beautiful lagoon has plenty of vantage points to view the ducks and geese merrily swimming around. At the other end is where the small zoo and field house are located. While it’s a given with most people these days, a gentle reminder is posted to please not feed any animals, enclosed or otherwise. On top of everything else, there is a performing arts building and field house to check out as well, where just about every interest is catered. Be sure to stop in and see what’s on the calendar!
Getting to Indian Boundary is pretty easy, though it’s somewhat off the beaten path. Granted, parking in the area can be a little on the sticky side, especially on weekends, but I have personally never had to spend more than ten minutes of circling the park to scope out a spot. Just be on the lookout for the permit only and street cleaning signs and you’ll do just fine.
One of Chicago's more recent additions to the vegetarian restaurant scene is Lakeside Cafe, up near the Evanston border. It's delicious, carcass free and organic twist on old favorites and contemporary flavors makes it a place everyone should try out at least once... and after that first bite, no doubt you'll be hooked! Who said healthy has to taste like leaves and twigs?
Two of the most popular entrees are the seitan gyros with vegan cucumber sauce and the Tao bowl, which is a full meal for only $6! Let me tell you, I know my gyros, and this is definitely it! Lots of oregano and thyme throughout – the look, taste and texture were all present and accounted for! All that was missing was all that grease, which isn't a bad thing.
Vegan and dairy based mozzarella cheese is available for ordering pizzas, and the Shepherd’s Pie is absolutely wonderful. Specials change nightly, along with monthlies thrown in for good measure. Lots of great juices are also available, as is fair trade coffee and tea. However, what makes Lakeside a solid standout is their absolutely sinful all vegan dessert menu. Blondies, brownies and cakes, oh my! Generous portions, made in house, with all the flavor you'd expect of a dessert item, and blessedly low on the density. What more could anyone else possibly ask for?
Now attached to this cozy little nook is the Inner Metamorphosis University (where that IMU sign comes from out front!). It features classes in meditation and dancing, along with vegetarian cooking, which the owner is more than happy to embellish upon. However, don't let that title fool you, as she's probably one of the most laid back individuals ever to grace a kitchen. Her overall personality really shows in the restaurant's overall decor, including the beautiful ivy draping the walls.
To be honest, the one “bad” thing about this place is the neighborhood it's based in. The eastern portion of Roger's Park can be downright scary for those outside the area, so it's best to keep your wits about you when going there after dark. Red line train riders should get off at Jarvis and not Howard, and drivers should circle until they find parking on Howard itself, making sure nothing of value is visible. With that one caveat in mind, making the trek out to Lakeside is well worth the little extra effort.
If your date happens to be the antiquing type who simply adores authentic turn of the century, functional light fixtures, statuaries, moldings, beveled glass and paintings and also happens to love a good Chicago pizza, then Gulliver's on the far north side is a must!
Hearts flutter and jaws lie agape simply walking in the door, as the ambiance is absolutely breathtaking, many layers thick in stunning beauty. The owner boasts as having the largest such collection in the country, making the wait for a nice, thick pizza seem to fly right on by. The wooden bench tables adds to the flair, the delicate lighting is set just right and the HUGE outdoor garden makes for a beautiful, romantic evening.
Fresh, inventive and exhaustive toppings abound like artichoke hearts and eggplant are complimented with a perfect sauce, thick with tomatoes. The crust is thick, hearty and yes, crusty, and in true Chicago fashion, they don’t hold back on the cheese!
For those looking for something different, Gulliver’s offers a huge selection of authentic Italian entrees even staunch foodie critics rave about, and their steaks are cooked to perfection, with Mexican and even Chinese fare thrown in for a surprise bonus. Even their appetizers think big in terms of variety, like their avocado egg rolls. No stone has been left unturned, be it in its museum-quality decor, the expansive menu or in the pride and love put into the food.
So, while Chicagoans have a plethora of pizza places to choose from, all boasting to be the best, it’s Gulliver’s overall experience that makes it the best place for food and dining.
Located near the northern Chicago border of Rogers Park, this local institution serves up a wide selection of organic vegetarian and free range fare, with a peace lovin’ hippie vibe no other restaurant can compare.
Founded back around the time of that infamous Democratic Convention, the Heartland Cafe has been a place where activists can meet and post bulletins, folk musicians can sing about the events of the day, and strict vegetarians can bring their carnivorous friends to dine together on variants of traditional and contemporary favorites. Tie dyes, cut offs and sandals aren’t necessary, since the Heartland makes a point of welcoming each and every person, no matter what path they may follow.
A vegetarian’s dream come true, the Heartland offers a large selection of meat-free entrees, sandwiches and appetizers, like their Seitan Barbecue sandwich, the Macro Plate and their ever so Spicy Black Bean burger. Decadent desserts like the Mixed Berry or Peach pie are so good, no one would be the wiser it’s vegan! Customers can also try out some of their various meat-based dishes, like their famous Buffalo burgers, Chipotle Shrimp, Chicken Chardonnay or the Farm Raised Catfish. Their Buffalo Sirloin steak is a real crowd-pleaser and comes complete with garlic mashed potatoes, bread, veggies and topped off with grilled onions.
A nice compliment to any meal is a good drink, and their famous Buffalo Bar serves people up right! Literally dozens of domestics, micro brews and imports are available, making it one of the best places in the entire city for finding those rare libations no one else carries. Grab a pint while checking out a performance!
Besides the restaurant and bar, a main attraction is the general store and gift shop guests walk through upon entering, taking them through a virtual time warp back to the Woodstock era. People far and wide enjoy exploring their vast display of periodicals and gifts, chatting with the owners about various causes, points of action or just shooting the breeze.
Overall, the Heartland Café is quite possibly one of the best places in the entire city for taking just about anyone, from the stuffy suits to the granola-munchers, and everyone in between.
Located near the northern Chicago border of Rogers Park, this local institution serves up a wide selection of organic vegetarian and free range fare, with a peace lovin’ hippie vibe no other restaurant can compare.