On a windy day, the aroma can seep through your car window starting around 111th Street: a unique blend of truck exhaust and barbecue. I-57 Rib House in the far south neighborhood of Morgan Park is part of a chain…
Author Archive for Sarah Pickering
Uncommon applicants
by Sarah Pickering •
Last Saturday, the University of Chicago’s Uncommon Fund committee saw presentations on fifteen proposals that have made it to the final round of projects. This Friday, the committee will decide which of these proposals will receive a portion of the…
Faith painting
by Sarah Pickering •
The art of icon writing is one that traverses many cultures. From Buddhism, to Orthodox Christianity, to Islam, the practice is as widespread as religion itself. Katherine de Shazer teaches a weekend class on this historical art form in the…
The Politics of Art: Beverly Arts Center exhibits Jack Higgins’s cartoons
by Sarah Pickering •
Some of the strongest opinions in newspapers today can be found in a single frame. Political cartoons have been entertaining and infuriating readers for centuries: at best, they vent our political frustrations with a succinct sense of humor. This quality…
The Gift of Gumbo: Lagniappe brings spicy Cajun cuisine to 79th Street
by Sarah Pickering •
“Lagniappe” is a Louisiana French term for a small gift that a merchant includes with a customer’s purchase. It’s also the name of a restaurant on the corner of 79th and Justine, which in some ways seems like a gift…
Not Your Grandfather’s Taquería: New Pilsen restaurant Abuelo’s serves exceptionally delicious Mexican
by Sarah Pickering •
Abuelo’s neon-bright exterior appeared across the street from the Damen Pink Line stop over the summer, and since then, brothers Angel and Hugo Gomez have kept up the heat even as the temperature drops outside. The two owners, who hail…
Wild Blossom: Illinois’ only meadery brings an ancient tradition to the South Side
by Sarah Pickering •
The preferred beverage of Viking warriors and the legendary Beowulf has found a surprising new home on the South Side of Chicago. Mead, or honey-wine, is considered one of the oldest fermented drinks on Earth. Archaeologists have found evidence of…
Green, Godly, and Grunting: “Salad, Church, and Exercise” at the Co-Prosperity Sphere
by Sarah Pickering •
Curating a show isn’t something new for Chicago artist Bert Stabler. His show “$(heart),” which was featured in the NFO/XPO at Lumpen’s Version Festival 2009 this past spring, dealt with our psychological relationship to currency. A year previous, “Vulva O’Keefe…
