Konak Pizza and Grill

Photo from Eridony's photostream on Flickr

Several Fridays ago, we had the opportunity to go out for pizza and beer at Andersonville's Konak Pizza and Grill. We arrived around 7:30, and there were a few people at the bar. It was apparent that Konak is a subdued and laid back place, which was somewhat belied by the large pool/darts area near the back of the establishment.

We had a few domestic beers, and their selection is very good if that's your thing. I tried an Efes, which is a Turkish beer I hadn't heard of. It's served in a tulip style glasses branded with the beer's logo. Speaking of Turkish elements, Konak was established in 1988 as a restaurant serving Turkish cuisine. They've clearly evolved substantially since then.

The menu includes some great variety, but we really wanted to try the pizza. The pizza itself is a style I haven't encountered in Chicago-thinner with a rigid yet crisp crust, and cut into triangles. We ended up ordering a simple pepperoni version, which was very satisfying. The service and staff were prompt and friendly, and I imagine we'll be back sometime soon.

Keeping track of decaying L bridges

Northwestern University's Infrastructure Technology Institute has partnered with the CTA in order to measure how much viaduct structures shift when L trains pass over them. The focus is on older viaduct bridges, many of which are located along the Red Line's route through Uptown, Edgewater and beyond. Northwestern's team has installed sensors in the bridge at Devon and Sheridan to take measurements, and then provide the results on a website monitored by both entities. According to CTA chief engineer James Harper, "the Infrastructure Technology Institute's around-the-clock monitoring of the Devon-Sheridan bridge will provide an early warning to changes that could compromise the bridge's integrity."

More on the story from the Chicago Tribune

Exploratory Dog Park Meeting

Edgewater Medical Center in NY Times

(photo from the Chicago News Cooperative/NY Times)

The Edgewater Medical Center story was featured in the New York Times this weekend, with this article titled "A Dangerous Eyestore Endures, Hostage to Financial Concerns."

Weekend shooting at White Castle

According to the Chicago Sun Times, a man was shot in the knee inside the White Castle located at Clark & Ridge early Saturday morning.

Car hits furniture store

(photo from NBC5 Chicago)

Shortly after midnight Sunday morning, a vehicle struck the storefront of Chicago Furniture Liquidators located at 5923 N Clark. The two passengers from the car were taken to the hospital in serious condition, and it is not believed there is any structural damage to the building other than broken windows.

Source: Chicago Sun Times; NBC5 Chicago; Chicago Tribune

Robbery at Popeye's

(photo from Google Maps Street View)

According to the Chicago News Report, a robbery occured yesterday afternoon at the Popeye's located at 6340 N Broadway. The suspect was described as an African American man in a blue jacket on crutches.

Slowly....slowly...progress.

This is what the front of "Nookies" looks like on Bryn Mawr at Winthrop. They replaced the boarded up windows with these brand new windows on the southeastern corner of the storefront, and it appears they are doing the same to the other set of windows just to the left of these. At this rate we're hopeful that one day, at least your grandchildren will be able to enjoy the new Nookies location here.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing a very happy Thanksgiving to all of our neighbors and readers of the Edgewater Community Buzz!

Official press release from Bernstein campaign

(click image of press release to enlarge)

Thrifty Thrifting

All Brown Elephant resale stores, including the one in Andersonville at 5404 N Clark, will have a 50% off everything sale this weekend. The sale will run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday when the Andersonville store is open from 10AM - 7PM.

Development at Clark/Glenlake

A reader inquires: Does anyone know what is being built atop the building at the corner of Clark and Glenlake? They have been working on the first floor for quite some time, but now I see a second floor being added and the beginnings of a third. This would be a strange time for more condos.

Antiquing in Edgewater

Did you know that you can get your antique fix on Broadway at the northern edge of the neighborhood? On the west side of street just a few blocks south of Devon you'll find both the Edgewater Antique Mall (6314 N Broadway) and the Broadway Antique Market (6130 N Broadway). Each store is stocked full of vintage goods with an ever changing inventory, as both are stocked by multiple dealers.

Man arrested for vandalism to political offices

According to Chicagoist a 40 year old man , Admir Susic, was arrested for the recent vandalization of the 48th Ward Democratic office, Alderman Mary Ann Smith's office and the office of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Susic was caught throwing a piece of concrete at PNC Bank at 5247 N Broadway and apparently he has been fed up with the government and banks since 2001.

Update on Sunday's Hit and Run

According to CBS2 Chicago, a man has been charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia after the hit and run accident which occured on Ridge early Sunday and left a pedestrian in the hospital in "grave condition." Jeffrey Mattson, of downstate Glenarm, was arrested Sunday afternoon at the River Park Motel at 6060 N Lincoln. Mattson owns a red Ford Escort that matched descriptions of the vehicle involved in the hit and run and the Escort was found in the motel's parking lot with damage to it's right side and front end.

Continuum Studio featured on Groupon

Continuum Studio (5671 N Clark) is featured on Groupon today. For $57 you will receive a Groupon valid for a one-hour facial and multivitamin hand treatment - a $115 value. But hurry, as of this posting there were only 16 hours left to buy!

Two additional candidates enter 48th Ward race on final day to file

According to the Chicago Board of Elections website, two additional candidates today submitted petitions/signatures to officially enter the 48th Ward Aldermanic race and be placed on the ballot: Phil Bernstein and Jose E. Arteaga.

Phil Bernstein is an independent economist and small business owner who has vowed to donate 1/3 of the Alderman salary to charity. You can learn more about his campaign at bernsteinforalderman.com.

Unfortunately, we do not know anything at this time about Mr. Arteaga, nor does he seem to have a campaign website.

The deadline to enter the race was this evening, so the final count of candidates will end at five.

Latest poll: Holiday pies

With the Thankgiving holiday just days away, we're curious - where in Edgewater did you or do you plan to order your holiday pie? As always if we've left off your favorite from the list tell us about it in the comments.

Workout Special

Have friends or family in town who need to work off the turkey and pumkin pie this weekend? Know No Limits (6125 N Clark) is offering special holiday guest passes - just $25 for the entire 4 day weekend.

Aspire CoffeeWorks at Metropolis

Every Tuesday at Metropolis Coffee Company (1039 W. Granville), Aspire CoffeeWorks takes over the space in order to package their coffee. Aspire employs two people who bag, grind and label their coffee blends, which they sell in various Whole Foods stores. 100% of Aspire CoffeeWorks' profits go to Chicago's Aspire Program, which provides services for people with developmental disabilities. WGN TV's Marcus Leshock recently visited Metropolis to see Aspire in action. You can read all about his experience over at Chicago Now.

Hit and run on Ridge

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A man was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston after being struck by a vehicle on the 5900 block of North Ridge at about 3:30AM on Sunday morning. The person suffered massive head injuries and was last reported as being in very serious condition. The vehicle was a red Ford and fled the scene, but was later found at a motel on the 6000 block of North Lincoln and the police may be in contact with its driver. Let's hope the victim recovers and the offender is caught.

Sources: Chicago Sun Times, ChicagoBreakingNews.com, ABC7Chicago, WGN

New 48th Ward Alderman Candidate

Accoridng to the City of Chicago's Board of Elections website a new candidate, Steven Chereska, has entered the race and filed petition signatures this week. We know nothing about Mr. Chereska but we're eager to learn more about his background & campaign. He would be the third candidate officially filing to enter the race along with Harry Osterman and Patrick McDonough.

Best Pizza: Ranalli's

Congrats to Ranalli's (not Renalli's as we spelled it in the poll) for winning the "Best pizza in Edgewater" poll hosted on our blog this week. Ranalli's edged out Pizza Apart by just 10 votes, and Calo Ristorante came in a close third.

Ranalli's is located at 1512 W Berwyn where you can dine in or carry out, but they also offer delivery if you prefer not to leave the couch. Seating is limited inside, but they also have a large patio for outdoor seating (though you may want to wait a few months before trying this option) and the restaurant is BYOB. In addition, Ranalli's features a gluten-free pie for the gluten adverse. Check out their website, where you can also order online: www.ranallispizza.com.

Simon's & White Glogg

Simon's Tavern was featured in TimeOut Chicago yesterday as they are for the first time ever introducing a white Glogg this year. This pale version of the drink is made by stewing white port wine with pears, vanilla and other spices.

Remember GLOGG FEST is tomorrow, and we believe that tickets are still available!

Superior Car Wash accused of wage theft

Superior Car Wash, located at 6147 N Broadway, is accused of wage theft for paying employees below minimum wage, not paying overtime, and not giving employees days off required by state law. Arise Chicago, a workers rights organization, is calling on the owners of Superior to pay back wages owed to an employee but the owners have refused to meet with the group.

Source: Community Media Workshop

Safety Meeting UPDATE

Please note that the location change for the Safety Meeting for next Tuesday. The meeting will be held in coordination with the CAPS meeting at the Edgewater Library.

If you had a million dollars....

Now that our big new sparkling clean Dominick's is here at the corner of Foster & Sheridan, we're curious as to what will become of the two empty lots adjacent to the new store. As mentioned in a previous posting, the lot north of the store (pictured) is for sale for $4.6M while a smaller lot east of the store is for sale for $1M. What are your hopes/desires/dreams for these vacant properties? Tell us in the comments.

More daily specials: 30 cent wings tonight

According to AOL's "City's Best" there are a few other opportunities to eat & drink cheap in the neighborhood. On Wednesdays, Hamilton's Bar & Grill serves up 30cent jumbo wings and you can wash them down with $3 Coors Light drafts. Enjoy $4 pitchers of domestic beer while watching the Bears at Parlour on Sunday's, along with $4 bloody mary's and $6 long islands. We are not responsible for your productivity at work on Monday.

Small Business Expo

Small Business Resource Expo

Friday, November 19, 2010 (8:00 a.m. to 4:00p.m)

Truman College 1145 W. Wilson, Chicago, IL 60640.

We have a great event instore featuring Thomas J. Walter, CEO, of Tasty Catering as our keynote speaker. www.tastycatering.com. Tom's keynote address is "How To Achieve A Winning Brand Image". His story is compelling! He started his business from a hotdog stand and grew to a phenomenal mega business. Tom has over 39 years of experience as a food service industry entrepreneur, including owning full service restaurants, bars, nightclubs and fast food restaurants

Best Pizza

Today is the final day to vote in our unofficial "Best Pizza in Edgewater/Andersonville" poll. It's currently neck and neck between Ranalli's (our appologies for the spelling error within the poll) and Apart Pizza. If you haven't done so yet, vote on the right hand side of the blog.

Tenant/Landlord Workshop Series

Join the ECC, Lakeside CDC and Rogers Park Community Council for a series of informative Tenant/Landlord Workshops over the next month. The workshops will be held on Thursdays November 18, December 2, December 9, and December 16.

To RSVP you can email anderson@edgewatercommunitycouncil.org or call Derick Anderson at 773-381-1345.

Edgewater, as described in 1893

Check out this post on the Uptown Chicago History blog, which they captured from John J. Flinn's book Chicago, the marvelous city of the West: a history, an enyclopedia, and a guide, originally published in 1893.


In addition, in a seperate post this photo was posted of the Edgewater Beach Hotel as it was being demolished. Most of these photos are available for sale on eBay or Amazon through links on the site.

More progress at Burke's

The liquor license application was filed, the inside has been gutted, little paper signs on the windows say "coming soon".....and now the facade has been spruced up. The paint, trim and new door and windows are a huge improvement. We're eagerly awaiting the opening of Burke's Public House at the corner of Balmoral/Broadway, but still have not received an estimated opening date.

Neighborhood Safety Discussion, Tuesday 11/23

Dirty Laundry?

There were green stickers posted this morning on the Laundromat on the corner of Berwyn/Winthrop indicating that their business license has been revoked from the State of Illinois Department of Revenue. We're not sure what went down, but the Laundromat has always been a good neighbor, keeping their business clean inside and out and a place where many in the area went to do their laundry. Anyone with any further information, let us know.

In addition, just next door we noticed that "Mike's Thrift N Gift" has opened up in the space formerly occupied by the photography studio. At first glance, the store looks a little shabby. We're curious if anyone has been in the store. We'll give them the benefit of the doubt as a new business and hope they do well.

$1 drinks at Atmosphere

A.V. Chicago had a cool article pointing out places around the city to get cheap drinks throughout the week. It reminded us that Andersonville's own Atmosphere Bar serves up $1 well cocktails and $1 Bud Lights on Tuesdays! Got other regular food/drink deals in the neighborhood that you know of? Share with us in the comments.

CAPS Meeting

The next CAPS meeting for beat 2433 will be held on Tuesday, November 23rd at 7pm. The meeting will take place at the Edgewater Library (Elmdale and Broadway).

20 Yoga Classes - $40

LivingSocial's current deal is $40 for 20 classes at Bikram Yoga Andersonville (5715 N Clark). You can check out the deal here, but act quick as the deal ends soon.

Patrick McDonough enters 48th Ward Aldermanic Race

According to the "Early and Often" website which tracks the Chicago Alderman and Mayoral races, Patrick McDonough today submitted the required amount of signatures to enter the race for 48th Ward Alderman.

Patrick is known as the author of the ChicagoClout website, where he has worked to expose fraud and corruption within City goverment. Other than that, we don't know a ton about him and cannot find a campaign website at this time but hope to learn more in the near future. Patrick would be the third candidate in the 48th Ward race, joining Harry Osterman and Philip Bernstein (who we have not yet confirmed has submitted petition signatures).

North Coast blog comments on 48th Ward election

The North Coast, a blog covering Rogers Park, West Ridge, Edgewater & Uptown posted about the upcoming Aldermanic elections, the candidates, and in some instances lack of candidates. Phil Bernstein is mentioned and supported for the 48th Ward in the post. Read the entire article here.

Osterman files signatures

From "Neighbors For Harry Osterman"

48th Ward Aldermanic Candidate Harry Osterman Files Over 4,000 Signatures

November 15, 2010, Chicago – With the City of Chicago’s election filing date arriving, 48th Ward Aldermanic Candidate Harry Osterman today filed over 4,000 signatures to be placed on the ballot for the February 22 election.

Commenting on his campaign, Osterman stated “I’m grateful to the nearly 100 volunteers that made this happen and all my neighbors that signed petitions. As Alderman, I will work hard each day to help our small businesses, improve our schools, make the streets of the 48th Ward safer and focus on other issues that affect our great community.”

Osterman announced on September 7 his candidacy for 48th Ward Alderman after current Alderman, Mary Ann Smith announced her intention not to seek re-election.
# # # #
For Additional information on Harry Osterman and his campaign, please visit www.neighborsforharryosterman.com or www.facebook.com/neighborsforharryosterman.

Raffle Benefitting Senn High School

(click image to enlarge)

Funds raised from this raffle will support the Senn International Festival and Local School Council grants to teachers.

We are using the funds raised to provide grants to teachers for activities that benefit the students directly. Teachers are donating their time to provide "extra" programming to kids who could not otherwise afford these activities. The kinds of extra projects that the LSC funds are:

* Sending a music class to see an opera at the Civic Opera.
* Sending a French class to a hands-on cooking lesson at the Alliance Francaise.
* Providing an English class with "their own" fiction books and a special reading group, to turn students on to reading

The price of the tickets is $10 for four chances. Please post the attached flyer and this email. To purchase tickets, community members can contact me at crh_2@yahoo.com or (773) 293-7515. I can either bring the tickets directly or mail them out. The drawing is on December 13th. More information on Senn High School is located at www.sennhs.org.

Loyola Basketball Care for Real benefit

Two upcoming Loyola University basketball games will benefit Care for Real, Edgewater's Food Pantry, and provide a big discount to those who attend. Anyone bringing canned goods, clothes or toys to either the women's game against St. Xavier on Saturday, November 20 at 7 p.m. or the men's game against Alabama State on Monday, November 22 at 7 p.m., will get two tickets for the price of one. Both games will be played at the Gentile Center on the Loyola Campus.
In addition, the teams will be sponsoring a 50/50 raffle in support of Care for Real.
For more information, call (773) 508-WOLF or e-mail bsisson@luc.edu.

M Henry, Hopleaf win Bib Gourmand honors

The Michelin Guide has announced the recipients of it's Bib Gourmand awards, given to restaurants judged to offer very good food at a very good value (appetizer, entree and glass of wine under $40). Hopleaf, M Henry and Ann Sather were neighborhood recipients of the award. Personally, we had no idea the tire people published a dining guide...but it appears this is their first year in Chicago.
Read the entire article here from the Chicago Tribune.

More broken windows in Andersonville, Uptown

Earlier in the week bricks were hurled through windows at the offices of 48th Ward Democrats, Alderman Mary Ann Smith on Broadway here in Edgewater, and 46th Ward Aldermanic candidate Andy Lam's office on Argly in Uptown. Last night, CBS2 is reporting that a brick was thrown through the window at the Chase Bank in Andersonville at 5134 N Broadway and a can of fruit was hurled through the window of a cell phone store on Argyle. No one has been arrested but we have to assume all these acts of vandalism must be connected.
Source: CBS2 'Angry' Window Breaker Sought

UPDATE: According to the Uptown Update, it looks like another politcal candidate was targeted, and a grocery store victim in Uptown.

UPDATE2: And yet another political candidate in Uptown, according to the Uptown Update.

Shooting on Sheridan

A reader sends us this photo, which was the scene last night around 1:30AM on Sheridan Road, just south of Foster (in front of Big Chicks/Tweet - technically Uptown). The reader informs us that one man was shot in the leg, and that police were still searching for the shooter.

UPDATE: Much more info here on the Uptown Update

Wild Rover

TimeOut Chicago earlier this week published an article regarding Chicago's "50 Unknown Bars" which featured Edgewater's Ollie's Lounge and Gino's North. In the past we've discussed other Edgewater gems such as Double Bubble and Sovereign Liquors. But one that we've been wondering about, which has not been discussed is Wild Rover (formerly Egan's Tavern), which sits mysteriously on the corner of Paulina & Ridge with its "Open at 7AM" sign. Curious? Check out their Yelp Review. Has anyone checked it out?

Dominick's Grand Opening

I have Veterans' Day off, so I thought I'd stop by the new Dominick's at 5201 N. Sheridan. I got there around 9:15, and it was already very busy. The parking lot appeared to be full, and groups of people were outside socializing with Dominick's greeters.

Inside the store, there were quite a few employees providing samples of different products, and other representatives near the pharmacy encouraging people to get flu shots. The store itself is spotless and very well stocked. I got a few shots (please excuse the cell phone picture quality). I'm looking forward to visiting the store again soon once the initial excitement abates!

The expansive produce section

Long checkout lines!

Beer and Wine on Bryn Mawr

A reader inquires about liquor sales along Bryn Mawr:


I have a question that several members of our neighborhood have asked me (indeed it's a question I often ask myself): why are there so few places to purchase beer or wine (or liquor for that matter) near Bryn Mawr / Broadway? The corner store on Broadway/BrynMawr sells cigarettes and other goods, but not beer or wine. Walgreens doesn't sell alcohol, I'm told (though I'm not sure if it's true), because the company itself has some anti-alcohol Christian leanings. Of course, there's "The Pantry" just east of the Redline, which is run by a friendly old couple, but their selection is less than stellar when it comes to beer. There are things in the general vicinity, to be sure, but nothing in close walking distance from the intersection of broadway/ridge/bryn mawr.

With such a large recent influx of young people into the area who enjoy all of the local craft beers that the Chicago area has to offer, I wonder why there is such a dearth of stores that sell beer/wine in the area. It might be worth seeing whether there is interest in this sort of thing. For instance, if the older couple who run "The Pantry" were aware of the wide demand for craft beer in the area, they might be persuaded to expand their beer inventory.

At any rate- this seems like an oversight in this part of Edgewater, and I thought I would raise it to see if others in our community felt the same way.

Violent Crimes up in 20th District

According to an article published yesterday by Northwestern's Medill, violent crimes have increased in the 18th, 20th, and 23rd Police Districts despite recent claims from Police Superintendent Jody Weis that crime is down for the 22nd consecutive month. In the 20th district, which is composed of the Edgewater and Lincoln Square neighborhoods, violent crimes increased 2.8% during the months of January to September when compared to the same period last year. In addition, sexual assualts rose 60%. Check out the article for yourself here: Violent crimes on rise in North Side neighborhoods despite cops' claims

Construction underway at The New Admiral at the Lake

Official Press Release:

Construction of The NEW Admiral at the Lake begins in Chicago

81 percent of residences reserved in 31-story lakefront life-care community

NOVEMBER 8, 2010 -- Construction began Nov. 5, on The NEW Admiral at the Lake, a 31-story life care/continuing care retirement community being built at Marine Drive and Foster Avenue on Chicago’s lakefront. With 81 percent of its residences already reserved, The NEW Admiral has found strong support among older adults in the region.

The NEW Admiral also has garnered strong support from investors, having secured the $202 million in financing needed to make the not-for-profit community a reality.
Situated just 400 steps from a sand beach in Lincoln Park, many residences in The NEW Admiral will offer breathtaking unobstructed views of Lake Michigan and downtown Chicago, which is a 10-minute ride away. In addition to 200 residential apartments--ranging in size from one-bedroom to three-bedroom homes--the community plans to provide 39 assisted living and 17 memory-support accommodations, as well as 36 private skilled nursing rooms.

In mid-2009, Kendal and The Admiral announced a collaboration, bringing together The Admiral’s 151-year tradition in Chicago with Kendal’s nationally recognized expertise and leadership in the development and operation of not-for-profit continuing care retirement communities. Since then the original intent to collaborate has been consummated with a formal working agreement that will eventually lead to an affiliation between the two.

“With Kendal’s involvement in The Admiral’s redevelopment project, significant results have been achieved within a relatively brief period of time,” says Glenn Brichacek, Chief Executive Officer of The NEW Admiral at the Lake. “The New Admiral has seen a surge in interest from potential residents, which has yielded more excitement and new resident reservations in a shorter period of time than had been anticipated.”

Drawing its name from the historic hotel that once occupied the site, The NEW Admiral at the Lake will continue to serve one of the most interesting and diverse neighborhoods in the United States.

As Chicago’s first and longest-operating, not-for-profit senior living community, The Admiral has a long history of serving older adults of all faiths and nationalities. The Admiral approached Kendal, asking for assistance in repositioning its historic mission on the same site it has occupied since the 1960s, which sits on the border of Chicago’s Edgewater and Uptown neighborhoods on the shore of Lake Michigan.

“This collaboration works because Kendal’s values resonate deeply with those held by The Admiral and its board, staff, and residents,” says John Diffey, President and CEO of The Kendal Corporation, based in Kennett Square, Pa. “The mission, history, and multi-dimensional attractiveness of this opportunity are compelling, and Kendal moved swiftly to help The NEW Admiral complete its plans to create what promises to be an exceptional new urban retirement living community and Kendal’s newest affiliate.”

GlöggFest!!!

St. Morten's GlöggFest
Saturday, November 20 (7-11pm)
Swedish American Museum
5211 N. Clark Street

Be the first to sip on this year's batch of Simon's Tavern's world-famous glögg at St. Morten's GlöggFest! This great event will also feature:
- a performance by the dynamic Daphne Willis
- a traditional Swedish smorgasbord with appetizers from Svea Restaurant
- a huge silent auction featuring great gifts from many Andersonville businesses
- an after-party at Simon's Tavern featuring holiday drink specials

Ticket price: $30 (includes three glasses of glögg - beer and wine will also be available.)
Tickets are limited and this event will sell out! Get yours today at http://gloggfest-novupdate.eventbrite.com/.
For more information, call 773-728-2995.

All proceeds benefit the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce.