Thursday, February 21, 2013
Snow and sleet could accumulate up to four inches in the Chicago area on Thursday evening and into Friday.
Don't put away those shovels yet; more winter weather is on the way. According to the National Weather Service, the Oak Park area can expect to be hit with a storm on Thursday night that will bring snow, sleet and wind into Friday. The National Weather Service is predicting the chance of snow at 100 percent. In other words, they seem pretty sure that we'll get between two to four inches tomorrow. Others, like CBS2, are predicting as much as five inches by Friday morning. The storm will likely start off as freezing rain in the late afternoon and turning to snow by evening, which will continue throughout the night and into Friday morning. Winds speeds are predicted at between five and 15 mph. You can look forward to a snowless weekend though…
Monday, February 11, 2013
Catching a show? You can also see a collection of work by Forest Park-based photographer Debra Mae Funderwhite while you wait for your popcorn.
One tends to think about moving pictures when going to a movie theatre, but at Classic Cinemas' North Riverside Mall Theatre, 7501 W. Cermak Rd. in North Riverside, you can also explore the still photography of Debra Mae Funderwhite. In special exhibit this month, Funderwhite's largely black and white collection of photographs document her travel across the county, and the people and places that have crossed her path. The collection sits behind glass in the theatre's lobby not far from where you'd grab your popcorn before a show. The photographs will be up for the month of February, and will likely catch your eye as you head to your theatre. Stop, and take a look. Funderwhite grew up in rural Pennsylvania and joined the army after high …
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Scratch Kitchen and Lounge in Forest Park is open for business with the restaurant's grand opening to come later this month. Patch took a seat the bar recently for a burger and some mac and cheese. Here's what we thought.
The name says it all at the newly opened Scratch Kitchen and Lounge, 7444 Madison St. in Forest Park—even the ketchup and mustard is made from scratch, in-house. Although only sporting a preview menu before their grand opening in mid-February, Scratch has the potential to become a neighborhood favorite with its focus on locally sourced, house-made burgers and mac and cheese. Owner and chef Patrick O'Brien has deep roots in the area, having grown up in River Forest. Although Scratch is his first foray into the restaurant business on his own, he's helped launch several popular local spots, including Avenue Ale House in Oak Park and Francesca's in Forest Park. O'Brien has big plans for his new establishment, even if those plans call for …
Monday, February 4, 2013
Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park could get another 3-5 inches of snow tonight, with flurries beginning later this afternoon.
Meteorologists sound pretty certain that the Oak Park area is going to get hit with another 3-5 inches of snow starting this afternoon and continuing through Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service is reporting a 60 percent chance of snow overnight tonight. We're supposed to get 1-2 inches later this afternoon and in the early evening. Another 1-2 inches is expected to fall on Tuesday. And all this just after you got your driveway and sidewalk shoveled. Sorry folks. Related: Area Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks Now Open Tell us: What's the best place around Oak Park and Forest Park to go sledding? Give us your favorite location in comments below.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Village's plan is to continue the downtown Forest Park streetscape on Madison Street between Des Plaines Avenue and the Wisconsin Central Railroad Tracks.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Patch picks five places where we think you'll enjoy watching the game. Give us your suggestions too.
The XLVII Super Bowl will take place at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on CBS-TV (channel 2). Want to enjoy it with a crowd? We've picked five spots around town that have great specials going on and a good atmosphere. Click on the business name to get more information, such as an address or phone number. Look for bolded words to catch the really, really good deals! If you think we've overlooked a great party, tell our readers where you're headed in comments below. There's lots going on at the Avenue Ale House on Super Bowl Sunday. Watch the game on 11 screens and get a wide range of drink specials. Food: special $5 NFL menu Drinks: $5 screwdriver, bloody Mary, or bellini cocktail. Prizes: Bulls tickets, beer tower, stadium chair and a whole lot more. …
Friday, February 1, 2013
Scratch Kitchen and Lounge in Forest Park is now open and serving. Get a first look here.
Scratch Kitchen and Lounge is Forest Park's latest restaurant with a downtown feel to open up on the Madison Street strip. I took it for a test drive on Thursday, and was definitely pleased with what I experienced. The menu is still small, but that's actually kind of the point. A few more options will be added down the line, but the owner and chef tell Patch they would rather be really great at a few things, then just throw as much on the menu as possible. I'm not going to give too much away. You'll have to wait until early next week to read our profile on the owner (he's got deep roots in the area) and our review of the food. What I will say is that they do what they do right. I can say with some certainty that this place will soon become…
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Village's plan is to continue the downtown Forest Park streetscape on Madison Street between Des Plaines Avenue and the Wisconsin Central Railroad Tracks.
The villages of Forest Park and River Forest received some exciting news today: they'll get $1.3 million in federal money to improve Madison Street on the west side of Des Plaines Avenue. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced today on their website that a $1.3 million grant was awarded to Forest Park as part of a $50 million investment in local transportation improvement projects. The investment will fund a total of 54 community projects—including walking trails, bike lanes and general street beautification—and will support more than 400 jobs, according to a press release from Governor Pat Quinn and Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider. See a full list of how that $50 million will be broken up here. Forest Park …
Friday, January 25, 2013
Oak Park and River Forest have their outdoor skating rinks up and open to the public. Get more information here.
It's been a tough season for area park district's trying to get their outdoor skating rinks going. For one, the weather has been too warm for the ice to actually freeze properly. For another, when it does freeze, the fluctuating temperatures have made it hard to keep them open regularly. In spite of these hardships, area park districts in Oak Park and River Forest now have their rinks up and open to the public. Hopefully the weather will be kind. Oak Park has two skate locations: Longfellow Park, 601 Ridgeland Ave., (NEW) Austin Gardens, 167 Forest Ave. The Parks are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and skating is permitted only during those hours. You'll know skating is allowed if a green flag is flying. If it's red, that means no skating. …
ABC7's Steve Dolinski recently dropped by Piggyback Tavern in Forest Park. Watch it here.
Apparently, the Hound has been sniffing around Forest Park lately. Drawn by the scent of Piggyback Tavern's smoker perhaps. ABC7's Steve Dolinski, AKA, the Hungry Hound, had some high praise for the Forest Park BBQ spot recently. Head chef Jason Kurosaki told Dolinski that his BBQ roots run deep: the Arkansas native said he grew up on Memphis-style ribs and Texas brisket. "We try to do those really well," Kurosaki said. Kurosaki told us in an interview that he's not trying to reinvent the wheel, but just wants to provide great barbeque to Forest Parkers in our recent interview. You can read our interview with Kurosaki and Rachel Dennis, owner of Lake Street Kitchen + Bar in Oak Park, here. Check out our review of Piggyback just after it …
Nancy Bauer
8:38 am on Monday, February 11, 2013
Great news about the door! We'll come back and try again, especially for the fries and mac and cheese. more ›