Maggie Sivit

Originally dubbed “Beverly Hills” in reference to a massive prehistoric ridge that spans it, the neighborhood has always been home to more upwardly mobile middle class families than California-style celebrities. Those weary of the bustling city have taken refuge in this burgeoning suburban community wedged between 87th and 107th Streets since the 1890s, starting with waves of English, then Irish, and finally African Americans. Today, while the outskirts of the neighborhood are home to commercial development, a continuous stream of traffic, and sun-baked sidewalks, the heart of Beverly continues to provide a respite from Chicago’s harsh urban scenery.  The pleasant clang of an approaching Metra train, brick buildings, tree-lined avenues, and soaring church steeples create quaint vistas straight from old-fashioned family sitcoms. Boasting many architectural gems, Beverly possesses a bevy of Frank Lloyd Wright homes, numerous examples of prairie-style architecture, and a 19th century replica of an Irish castle. Properties terminate in sloping, manicured lawns and the air is permeated by a quiet hum of lawnmowers and rustling leaves. In spite of the idyllic scenery, Beverly still has had its share of community strife. The installation of cul-de-sacs in the mid 90s restricted entry into the neighborhood to three locations, viewed by some as an effort to create a racially and economically gated community. Yet Beverly continues to change. A special clause in Chicago city contracts encourages employees to live within Chicago’s limits; Beverly has become a haven for cops trying to maintain their pensions as a result. But the hard-working spirit that established Beverly still persists, borne out in a down-to-earth community that is proud of its roots.

Best Hats
Optimo
In a smoke-gray building off Western Avenue, Optimo is redefining the nearly extinct craft of hatmaking. The store, with a dark wood interior, old sewing machines and vintage hat forms, offers a wealth of timeless designs including the classic Fedora, the flat-top pork pie, the 47th Street, and the Montecristi Panama hat. Owner Graham Thompson, a former apprentice of famed South Side hatter Johnny Tyrus, uses techniques that belong to a tradition dating back to the 1930s. A back wall sweeps up two stories, dotted with beauties of all shapes and materials. Optimo does not actively market itself but instead relies on the reputation of its craftsmanship. Incidentally, word has spread and Optimo hats have graced the crowns of local South Side dandies, international patrons, and celebrities such as Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. But gentlemen must be prepared to shell out for gentlemen’s prices: most hats are in the $500 range. Quality is classy, though, and to that we can tip our hat.  10215 S. Western Ave. Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm. (773)298-1031 optimohats.com (Anna Fixsen)

Best Blueberry Pancakes
Beverly Bakery
With friendly service and damn good breakfast, Beverly Bakery gives off a small-town vibe that’s rare in the big city. Here, slow moving fans rotate above diners digging into heaps of pancakes, and the clink of dishes nearly drowns out the old timers chattering over cups of coffee. A large display case sits adjacent to the cash register, stuffed with goodies like buttery croissants, doughnuts, cupcakes, and gooey caramel rolls. The tasty omelets, hashbrowns, and what the menu boasts as “the best blueberry pancakes on the South Side” keep Beverly Bakery packed on weekends. The bakery also doubles as a coffee roastery. Gourmet blends of coffee are imported from 21 different spots around the globe and roasted in-house. Patrons can even have coffee roasted to their specifications. The Chiapas blend ice coffee and a fluffy almond scone make for an especially satisfying summer’s second breakfast, further justifying that this is where Beverly goes for breakfast again and again. 10528 S. Western Ave. Tuesday-Friday, 7am-2pm; Saturday-Sunday, 8am-2pm. (773)238-5580. beverlycoffeeroasters.com (Anna Fixsen)

Best Take-Out Vegan
Sistah’s Vegan
Sistah’s Vegan is easy to miss, plunked next-door to a shrimp and chicken shack in a strip of low-lying white buildings. A glass door ushers patrons into this pocket-sized eatery where reggae music bounces off the walls. While the décor—bright yellow walls punctuated here and there by African diaspora art—can be described as spartan, the spectrum of flavors in its vegan fare is anything but scant. Sistah’s dishes up favorites such as enchiladas, homemade lasagna, and barbecue seitan at reasonable prices (the most expensive item on the menu is $8.95). Fried seitan bites proved crisp and delicious, while celery sticks and vegan dipping sauces made a tasty side dish. Washing it all down with organic ginger beer offered a perfect ending to the meal. Sistah’s also offers dirt-cheap daily specials including $1 tacos on Mondays and $5 personal vegan pizzas on Fridays. While mostly designed for carry-out, customers can sit at small tables, and munch on country fries or tofu bites while watching planes from Midway Airport gain altitude over 95th Street. 2239 W. 95th St. Monday, 3:30pm-7:30pm; Tuesday-Saturday, 12pm-8:30pm. (773)445-4788 (Anna Fixsen)

Best First Date
Café 103
Tucked in scenic downtown Beverly, Café 103 is a little gem of a BYOB.  Serving contemporary American fare in a cozy yet chic atmosphere, the restaurant draws crowds from even the far North Side. Quaint Americana décor and earthy burgundy tones make the space warm and welcoming. The joint is small, but it features a diverse and delectable menu. For lunch, Café 103 offers a variety of gourmet sandwiches and salads. A highlight from their dinner menu is the grilled rack of lamb accompanied by ladolemono couscous with feta, roasted garlic, and spinach. A vegetarian-friendly fettuccini á la nage is served with roasted red peppers, summer corn, fresh tomato, thyme, and parmesan. Themed dinners spice up the midweek cooking slump, so instead of ordering Chinese takeout or heating up leftovers, you can have tapas on Tuesday and burgers on Wednesday. While their prices are a little on the steep side—their red snapper will have you out 27 bucks and they charge a $5 corking fee—the quality of food, the intimate space, and idyllic location make it the perfect spot for an impressive date, first or five hundredth. 1909 W. 103rd St. Tuesday-Saturday, lunch served 11am – 4pm; dinner served 5pm – 10pm (773)238-5115. cafe103.com (Anna Fixsen)

Best Way to Lose the Lovehandles
Running Excels
With the Chicago marathon around the corner, it might be time for some new kicks. Running Excels is the only shop of its kind on the South Side that fits both casual joggers and seasoned racers with the best in running gear.  The store is stuffed with racks of light runners’ singlets, socks, energy goo, and a wall of shoes. The workers have dozens of marathons under their belts and the knowledge to answer any running-related questions. The shop carries a wide range of sneakers, from racing flats to cross country spikes. Running Excels will conduct a stride analysis on treadmills in-store to identify one’s foot type and recommend the best footwear to ensure a proper fit. Less tangible prizes like a whittled waist line and companionship can be acquired through the store’s running club: groups meet several times a week for brisk morning jogs. And whether you run for pleasure or only when pursued, the cheery staff at Running Excels will give you ample motivation to break into a trot as soon as the glass front door shuts from behind. 10328 S. Western Ave. Monday-Friday, 10am-7pm; Saturday, 10am – 6pm; Sunday, 11am-5pm. (773)629-8587. runningexcels.com  (Anna Fixsen)

The Freddie from Calabria Imports (Claire Hungerford)

Inspired by a recent article in Dining Chicago on the city’s lesser-known signature sandwiches, I set out last week to find and consume three that are native to the South Side: the big baby, the Freddy and the mother-in-law. My expedition very quickly deteriorated into a desperate search, however. I met with caged, closed storefronts, wrong turns, and bad directions. I drove past blocks of boarded buildings, torn signs, and trash, then unexpectedly emerged into neat rows of houses, time-warped out of the ’70s. My physical journey through the South Side landscape to discover the sandwiches illuminated a historic movement of people, cultures, and tastes.

My first success was finding the big baby, a distinctive incarnation of the double cheeseburger. Its birthplace, Nicky’s the Real McCoy, was bright and yellow and red. Devoid of authenticizing pieces of memorabilia, it had the fast-food sterility of McDonald’s, with plastic tables fixed to the ground and brown tile floor. Yet the menu lacked McDonald’s predictability. While families with small children ordered up barbecue, two spindles hung with meat for gyros rotated slowly and beef patties sizzled for the quintessential American double-cheeseburger that would soon melt in my mouth. The big baby was by far the best sandwich I encountered, with its classic combination of juicy beef and onions, American cheese, mustard, and ketchup.

The eponymous founder of Nicky’s, Nick Vaginas, was a Greek man who opened some hot dog and burger stands in the ’60s. Vaginas appropriated the established tools and forms of production in America—hot dog stands, burgers, and buns—and injected Greece into them, in the form of gyros and pita bread. Though Vaginas didn’t stick around (he returned to Greece after only a few years), his sandwich and store remain to preserve his memory.

A similar two-way Americanization characterizes the Freddy, an Italian-style sausage patty on French bread that was conceived in Beverly during the ’70s. After previous failed attempts to lay my hands on this less common sandwich, it was with whoops and smiles that I spotted Calabria Imports on 103rd Street. Nestled in a row of tacky home accessory shops and cafés, the deli had a distinct community feel. Its founder, Benito Russo, is generally recognized as the father of the Freddy, which he named after his son. The sandwich I received was smothered in chunky tomato sauce, wilted green peppers, and mozzarella, offering a pleasing contrast of textures and flavors: the French bread was fluffy, and the sausage surprisingly well-spiced.

The community atmosphere, rather than the sandwich itself, reflected the story of the South Side’s immigrant past. Calabria Imports is a living legacy to the sorts of shops and food markets newly immigrated Italians opened that have, over the years, slowly become completely integrated.

The essential ingredients of the mother-in-law sandwich are chili and a corn-roll tamale on a hot-dog bun. Despite the efforts of Chicago food history buff Peter Engler, who traced the roots of the big baby and the Freddy, the mother-in-law’s origins remain murky. Today it is hard to find anywhere but at hot dog stands on the Southwest Side, which is where I got mine: at Fat Johnnie’s Famous Red Hots in Marquette Park. After ordering at the window of a clapboard-roofed trailer, I returned to the car with my brown bag. Inside was a soggy brown mess; goopy, watery chili threatened to consume the squishy poppy-seed bun. All the textures—the mealy cornmeal, the grainy meat, the soaked bread—combined into an unfortunate mush in my mouth.

Though it was the least appetizing of the three South Side specialties, the mother-in-law has perhaps the most intriguing history. It bears an obvious resemblance to the Coney dog and the Maxwell Street Polish, but its corn-roll tamale is unique to Chicago, differing from both the Mexican version and the spicy variety common to the South. Both are probable influences, however; Engler’s posts about the mother-in-law on Chicago foodie website LTHforum.com even caught the attention of historians documenting the Mississippi Delta’s “Hot Tamale Trail” (tamaletrail.com). The paths of immigration and the Great Migration of Southern blacks during the early twentieth century have crossed in Chicago to create a unique culinary experience.

Nicky’s the Real McCoy, 5801 S. Kedzie Ave. Calabria Imports, 1905 W. 103rd St. Fat Johnnie’s Famous Red Hots, 7242 S. Western Ave.

best start-your-own catering business
Cakewalk
Baking enthusiast? Or do you think you’re a world-class pâtissier in the making? Cakewalk, a baking supply store, was started in 2003 by Chef Lori Parrett to help Chicagoans embark on all kinds of cooking endeavors. Providing for both professional needs and homestyle techniques, Cakewalk is stocked with every kind of cake mold, cookie cutter and muffin tin imaginable. The store also provides candy-making tools and a solid collection of instructional books, which range in subject matter from cupcakes to wedding cakes. To supplement their retail, Cakewalk offers an array of weekend classes. A knowledgeable staff is on premises, ready and eager to cater to their customers. 1741 W. 99th St. Tuesday-Thursday, 11am-5pm; Friday, 11am-pm; Saturday, 10:30am-5pm. (773)233-7335. cakewalkchicago.com (Sarah Pickering)

most uses for sweet potato
Jimmy Jamm Sweet Potato Pies
“Is this your first time here?” asks the man behind the counter. “Let me show you around.” Pies, you will find, are only one of the many uses of the sweet potato. Jimmy Jamm also sells scones, muffins, cookies, cakes, as well as a non-dairy ice cream, all flavored with the tasty tuber. One could theoretically get lunch first, as there are sweet potatoes stuffed with chicken or beef, sweet potato vegetable stew, and a variety of sandwiches on sweet potato bread. The friendly establishment goes through 300 to 400 sweet potatoes every few days, using recipes that have been passed down for nearly a century. 1844 W. 95th St. Monday-Saturday, 10am-7pm. (773)779-9105 (Sarah Pickering)

best (and only) meadery
Wild Blossom Meadery
While it may evoke images of Vikings and warlords, the taste of mead, or “honey wine” as it is sometimes called, is sweet, similar to a dessert wine. The Wild Blossom Meadery operates out of the back room of the Bev Art Brewer and Winemaker Supply shop. Bev Art offers classes in making your own beer and wine, and they let you store your product in their store until it’s ready. Founded by Greg Fischer in 2000, Wild Blossom is Chicago’s first winery and the only meadery in Illinois. Using local bees and wildflowers found in abandoned lots, Wild Blossom runs over 80 hives. Certain products are flavored with spices or fruit, like the blueberry and pomegranate meads, but there is really something for every audience here. Case in point: through their unique partnership with Jim Beam, Wild Blossom ages their “Sweet Desire” mead in old oak casks used to age whiskey, imparting a strong kick to its flavor profile. Using and reusing local materials is what led Fischer to promote the Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery as “the world’s most sustainable wine.” 10033 S. Western Ave. Monday, 8am-4pm; Tuesday-Saturday, 8am-7pm. (773)881-9463. wildblossomwines.com (Sarah Pickering)

The festival was founded in 1989 by Christopher Kamyszew, who “decided to bring some Polish films to the United States to show Polish culture,” according to PFFA director Ewa Domeredzka. This year she expects about 15,000 people to show up at the festival’s six venues. “These days everything is on computers…It’s harder than it used to be,” she says of attracting viewers. “We’re trying to bring more for the American audience.” Thus, all but a few of the films have subtitles, and a number are in styles that Americans will recognize.

This is true of the first run of films at the Beverly Arts Center, all three of which are comedies. It begins on Tuesday, November 11, with “Lejdis,” a modern riff on the battle of the sexes from the point of view of four independent young women. The film has proven wildly popular in Poland, breaking box-office records on its opening night and garnering interest from foreign producers eager to shoot their own versions. The Wednesday and Thursday night offerings are less promising: two rom-coms in the Hollywood vein, neither of which boasts enough originality to make it worth either the $10 ticket price or the effort of reading subtitles. “Midnight Talks” has its requisite quirky heroine who spends her time sculpting angels out of salt dough until she realizes it’s time to have a baby. Her ad for a sperm donor brings her more than she expects, though, and her (somewhat inexplicable) efforts not to fall in love make up the better part of the movie. “One More Time” is a somewhat clumsy effort to interweave two subplots, the “parallel romantic adventures” of a mother and her teenage daughter as they spend a summer together at a seaside resort. The film’s picturesque Polish setting may be a bigger asset than its plot or character development.

On the following Tuesday, however, the Center will show a film that rivals the biggest Hollywood blockbusters in scale and ambition. “Mongol” is an epic that chronicles the early life of Genghis Khan: his choice of a bride at the age of nine, the flight from his clan following the murder of his father, and his stormy friendship with his blood-brother Jemukha. With a budget of just $20 million, Academy Award-nominated director and co-writer Sergei Bodrov shot the film on the steppes of Kazakhstan, creating battle scenes on par with those of “Lord of the Rings.” He intends it to be the first part of a trilogy based on a recently discovered text entitled “The Secret History of the Mongols.”

The screenings on Wednesday and Thursday are more tragic than epic. “Children of Glory” centers on the Hungarian water polo team in the lead-up to the 1956 Olympics, where it faced the Soviet Union shortly after the violent suppression of Hungary’s attempted revolution. “Katyn,” directed by the renowned Andrzej Wajda, is another Academy Award nominee; it tells the story of the Katyn Forest massacre through the eyes of the women left behind by the 1940 mass execution of 22,000 Soviet prisoners of war.

For those looking to get a taste of authentic Eastern European cinema, these last three films offer the best opportunity. “Some are trying to make things similar to Hollywood,” explains Ewa Domeredzka. “But we have our own European style that’s not so sweet, not always a happy ending. I think that these are the best films—the ones that win awards, that we can be proud of.”
Beverly Art Center, 2407 W. 111th St. Mongol: November 18. Tuesday, 7:30pm. Children of Glory: November 19. Wednesday, 7:30pm. Katyn: November 20. Thursday, 7:30pm. $10. pffamerica.com, beverlyartcenter.com

Best Ice Cream
Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream
One hundred feet south of the city line, technically in the suburb of Blue Island, sits the new location of Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream. The enthusiastic staff warn first-time customers, “Shawn Michelle’s Homemade Ice Cream is not responsible for any addictions” resulting from the seriously incredible quality of their ice cream. The “Sweet Sixteen Flavors” include their superior versions of the basics, like Vanilla Supreme, Burst of Strawberry, and a dark chocolate called Melanin Magic. Unique and brilliant flavors like Honey Cinnamon Graham Cracker Supreme and Taste of Heaven Supreme (bean pie ice cream with bean pie pieces) make this establishment worth the trek out to the furthest reaches of the city. 11925 S. Western Ave. Tuesday-Thursday, 11am-9pm; Friday-Saturday, 12pm-9pm; Sunday, 12pm-6pm. (708)239-1380. homemadeicecream.blogspot.com (Ellis Calvin)

Best Italian import
Calabria Imports
Calabria was founded in 1975 in suburban Blue Island by an immigrant from Reggio Calabria. Five years ago it moved to Beverly, and it has been serving the Far South Side neighborhood’s sizable Italian-American population ever since. The deli/grocery store offers Italian specialties such as lasagna, tortellini, homemade tiramisu, and cannoli, not to mention a wide selection of Italian sandwiches and general sundries. The 1950s-esque atmosphere given off by the friendly local deli is reinforced by the 99-cent glass Coca-Cola bottles available in the fridge. It’s true what they say: it really does taste better in a glass bottle. 1905 W. 103rd St. Monday-Friday, 9am-7pm; Saturday, 8:30am-6pm; Sunday, 11am-3pm. (773) 396-5800. www.calabria-imports.com (Sam Feldman)

Best Place to Complete Your Vintage Vinyl Collection
Beverly Records
Now celebrating its 41st anniversary, the Beverly Rare Record Shop, or Beverly Records, is a haven for all your classic vinyl needs—and more. In fact, it hosts a variety of “classic” (i.e. nearly antiquated) goods of all kinds, as the big glass case at the entranceway immediately illustrates. From baseball cards to Wizard of Oz dolls, Buddy Holly posters and a brick from the original Comiskey ballpark, the door to Beverly Records is like a gateway into a lost—but not forgotten—era. VHS tapes go for a paltry dollar, and of course, there’s the variety of classic rock and other LPs from genres running the proverbial gamut, including contemporary releases from chart-topping mainstays. Owner Jack Dreznes has been running the business since 1975; before that, his mom ran the show, and it really has the feel of a family-owned affair. Personable service and an extensive library of old and rare LPs (along with CDs, cassettes and even 8-tracks) make this one record shop that can hold its own with the best of the South Side—and beyond. 11612 S. Western Ave. Monday-Friday, 10am-7pm; Saturday, 9:30am-6pm; Sunday, 11am-3pm. (773)779-0066. (Sean Redmond)

Best Place to Catch Some Quality Culture
Beverly Arts Center
Right as you finally step off the Western stop of the 112 bus to Beverly, a large brick building with colored BAC flags is there to welcome you to the neighborhood—and remind you that, just because you’re more than one hundred streets south of the Loop, doesn’t mean that you have to give up the fine trappings of big city culture. Indeed, the Beverly Arts Center attracts professional theater groups like Second City all the way to its humble stages, as well as providing concerts, galleries to showcase artists’ works, and offering classes on art, theater, music and dance—including bellydance!—for both kids and adults. Poems by Judith Valente line the walls, accompanied by photographs by John Matt Dorn, and a new art exhibit with vibrant large-print photography by Cecil McDonald entitled Domestic Observations & Occurrences is on display through October 13. So if you ever find yourself among the hilly streetscapes of this south-south pseudo-suburb, fear not—you can still get all the quality culture you need, even if you are an hour and a half away from home. 2407 W. 111th St. Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm; Saturday, 8:30am-6pm; Sunday, 12pm-6pm. (773)445-3838. (Sean Redmond)

Best Place to Complete Your Vintage Vinyl Collection
Beverly Records
Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Beverly Rare Record Shop, or Beverly Records, is a haven for all your classic vinyl needs—and more. In fact, it hosts a variety of “classic” (i.e. nearly antiquated) goods of all kinds, as the big glass case at the entranceway immediately illustrates. From baseball cards to Wizard of Oz dolls, Buddy Holly posters and a brick from the original Comiskey ballpark, the door to Beverly Records is like a gateway into a lost—but not forgotten—era. VHS tapes go for a paltry dollar, and of course, there’s the variety of classic rock and other LPs from genres running the proverbial gamut, including contemporary releases from chart-topping mainstays like Amy Winehouse. Owner Jack Dreznes has been running the business since 1975; before that, his mom ran the show, and it really has the feel of a family-owned affair. Personable service and an extensive library of old and rare LPs (along with CDs, cassettes and even 8-tracks) make this one record shop that can hold its own with the best of the South Side—and beyond. 11612 S. Western. Monday-Friday, 10am-7pm; Saturday, 9:30am-6pm; Sunday, 11am-3pm. (773)779-0066. (Sean Redmond)

Best Steak and Onion Sandwich
Calabria Imports
Beverly may be a historically Irish neighborhood, but Calabria Imports is hands down one of the best Italian delis this side of the Loop (and, dare I may be more audacious, the Atlantic—or at least Lake Michigan). But seriously, coming from a predominantly Italian-American hometown with an Italian sub shop on every corner, I can say that the beef sandwiches at Calabria’s are some of the best this reporter has ever experienced. I don’t even like steak all that much, but the meat is moist, tender, and rich with flavor; add some onions and melted provolone on some crisp Italian bread with a big bag of fries (and to think, all this for only five bucks!)—hands down, it makes the trek allllll worthwhile. Calabria’s also boasts a variety of traditional Italian dinners, such as gnocchi and chicken parmesan, as well as many other sandwiches and subs. An extensive variety of pastas, sauces, breads and Italian cookies are also for sale, and they even stock a full range of Stewart’s sodas. And while the atmosphere isn’t exactly noteworthy, the maps of Italy and the community bulletin board that adorn the walls certainly work to keep you feeling at home (although non-Italians might not feel the warmth so much). But I’ll tell you this—if quality food at great prices doesn’t put a twinkle in your eye and a spring in your step, then hey, maybe Italian food’s just not your thing. I guess there’s always Chinatown. 1905 W. 103rd. Monday-Friday, 9am-7pm; Saturday, 8:30am-6pm; Sunday, 9:30am-3:30pm. (708)388-1500.