Thursday, May 23, 2013
Chicago Magazine listed its "15 best things to do in Oak Park," including landmarks like the Hemingway House and Unity Temple, and restaurants Maya del Sol and Marion Street Cheese Market.
Chicago Magazine recently published a list of its 15 best things to do in Oak Park. It includes landmarks, stores, parks and restaurants. But do you agree, or do you think there are more fun things to do? See Chicago Magazine's list below and tell us in the comments if you agree or disagree. Why were these places chosen? Read more on Chicago Magazine.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Meet area brewers, try new craft beers and more during the Chicago Craft Beer Week events near Oak Park and Forest Park. We highlight some events at Poor Phil's, Marion Street Cheese Market, Amelia's and Cardinal Wines & Spirits.
Craft beer brewing is an industry on the rise, and whether you're a veteran beer snob or looking to try something new, there's plenty of local events to celebrate Chicago Craft Beer Week. From May 16-26, bars, restaurants, breweries and more spots in the Chicago area will offer special tastings, tappings, deals, meet-and-greets with brewers and lots more. In the Oak Park and Forest Park area, we've highlighted a few local options. You can find more Craft Beer Week events in the western suburbs, or see a map with all events in the Chicago area. Amelia's Good Food & Drink, 7330 Harrison St. in Forest Park Wednesday, May 22: 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Church Street Brewery beer dinner. Go here for menu and ticketing information. Poor Phil's …
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Every week, I'll feature a standout menu item from a restaurant in Forest Park or Oak Park. Today, I try a hearty pork sandwich for lunch.
Welcome to Menu Masterpiece, a weekly column where we try some of the best and most unique menu items at local restaurants, as recommended to us by chefs, restaurant owners and readers. What should we try next? Email michael.sewall@patch.com. Menu item: Indy Pork sandwich Restaurant: Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park (Write a review.) Price: $10 More Menu: This item was off the weekday lunch menu. Other recommendations are the MSCM grilled cheese (cheese is their specialty, after all), the cauliflower melt and the turkey muffaletta. See the full menu here. Apparently the chefs at Marion Street were debating whether this style of sandwich came from: Iowa or Indiana. Indy proponents won the battle, and thus we get the Indy Pork …
Monday, March 11, 2013
Marion Street Cheese Market's executive chef, Leonard Hollander, is embarking on a European tour to explore cuisine.
Marion Street Cheese Market’s executive chef, Leonard Hollander, will be traveling to Europe for a 12-week excursion to explore the roots and inspirations of American cuisine. Michelle Dirks, the general manager at Marion Street Cheese, said they've named the journey "Chef Leonard Connects." Hollander will be cooking in County Cork, Nottingham and more. "While Chef Leonard will be abroad, he won’t be far," Dirks said. During his travels, Hollander will telecommute to Oak Park and work remotely with sous chefs Corey Pastor and Nick Stewart. “You’re in good hands while I’m gone," Hollander said. "In addition to debriefing my team, I’ll be blogging so the folks back home can connect with me as I connect with artisans, farmers, vintners and …
41.88643
-87.80247
Marion Street Cheese Market
100 S Marion St, Oak Park, IL
/articles/from-oak-park-to-europe-a-culinary-tour-for-a-local-chef
246652
/locations/8976474
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Microbrew Pub Crawl, from 7 to midnight, Thursday, will feature varieties of high-end beers.
If you're a fan of microbrew get ready for the sampling of all samplings. The Tale of Two Parks, an inaugural Micro Beer pub crawl, will be staged at a number of bars and restaurants in Oak Park and Forest Park from 7 to midnight, Thursday, Feb. 21. Healy's Westside, Old School Tavern, Kinderhook Tap, Amelia's, Poor Phil's Bar and Grill, Marion Street Cheese Market, Lake Kitchen + Bar, Fat Duck Tavern & Grill and Piggy Back Tavern will be stops along the way. Reps from Pig Minds, Tighthead Brewery, Lake Effect Flesk, Church Street, Begyle and Spiteful Brew breweries will be on hand along the route. Tickets are $20, which includes bus transportation to the bars, a collectible tee shirt, beer stein and tote. To sign up ask a bartender at any…
41.886307
-87.80247
139 S Marion St, Oak Park, IL
Poor Phil's
/articles/oak-park-and-forest-park-sets-locales-for-micro-beer-pub-crawl
/locations/8840532
41.88643
-87.80247
100 S Marion St, Oak Park, IL
Marion Street Cheese Market
/articles/oak-park-and-forest-park-sets-locales-for-micro-beer-pub-crawl
/locations/8840533
41.87961
-87.80593
7218 Madison St, Forest Park, IL
Fat Duck Tavern & Grill
/articles/oak-park-and-forest-park-sets-locales-for-micro-beer-pub-crawl
/locations/8840534
41.4488
-87.7096
800 s oak park ave, oak park, il
/articles/oak-park-and-forest-park-sets-locales-for-micro-beer-pub-crawl
/locations/8840535
41.4488
-87.7096
1101 lake st, oak park, il
/articles/oak-park-and-forest-park-sets-locales-for-micro-beer-pub-crawl
/locations/8840536
41.879574
-87.808203
Healy's Westside
7321 Madison St, Forest Park, IL
/articles/oak-park-and-forest-park-sets-locales-for-micro-beer-pub-crawl
2139009
/locations/8840537
41.872246
-87.808273
Amelia's
7330 Harrison St, Forest Park, IL
/articles/oak-park-and-forest-park-sets-locales-for-micro-beer-pub-crawl
2139225
/locations/8840538
41.879392
-87.808347
Piggyback Tavern
410 Circle Ave, Forest Park, IL
/articles/oak-park-and-forest-park-sets-locales-for-micro-beer-pub-crawl
2297461
/locations/8840539
41.8829
-87.81202
Old School Tavern and Grill
201 Des Plaines Ave, Forest Park, IL
/articles/oak-park-and-forest-park-sets-locales-for-micro-beer-pub-crawl
2327928
/locations/8840540
Friday, January 25, 2013
Robotics geeks will show off their creations and compete for prizes.
If you're into all things robots and robotics, Percy Julian Middle School will be the place to be Jan. 26. More than 100 middle school VEX Robotics students from Oak Park and the Chicago area will square off in the Battle of the Bots, featuring teams from Brooks, Julian, St. Giles and the surrounding suburbs. It will be set at 9 a.m. at the school, 416 S. Ridgeland Ave. Participants will compete for trophies by strategically executing the VEX Robotics challenge game Sack Attack, driving robots they've designed, built and programmed from the ground up since October. The Robotics program involves more than 80 middle school students who have worked with teachers, volunteer engineers, and high school mentors. The most successful teams will …
41.881348
-87.784493
Percy Julian Middle School
420 S Ridgeland Ave, Oak Park, IL
/articles/battle-of-the-bots-slated-for-jan-26
245942
/locations/8672116
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Area restaurants, venues to have parties, special deals for frolickers and their families.
Looking for some great ideas of where to go on New Year's Eve? From kid-friendly doings to a late-night champagne toast, there's a few places around town that can fill those bills. Just let Patch be your guide! Wonder Works' Children's Museum: From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wonder Works, 6445 North Ave. in Oak Park, will be "counting down" to the New Year with a party for the whole family. Sparkling cider, guided crafts, face painting, games from around the world, music and singing all will be included with a $6 general admission. For more information call 708-383-4815 or visit www.wonder-works.org. West Cook YMCA: Celebrate New Year's Eve around the world with family friendly activities from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the West Cook YMCA. …
41.888648
-87.795493
Oak Park Public Library Main Branch
834 Lake St, Oak Park, IL
/articles/the-ultimate-new-year-s-eve-guide
246216
/locations/8457767
41.87269
-87.78051
Trattoria 225
225 Harrison St, Oak Park, IL
/articles/the-ultimate-new-year-s-eve-guide
246266
/locations/8457768
41.886115
-87.794431
Maya Del Sol
144 S Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL
/articles/the-ultimate-new-year-s-eve-guide
246413
/locations/8457769
41.88643
-87.80247
Marion Street Cheese Market
100 S Marion St, Oak Park, IL
/articles/the-ultimate-new-year-s-eve-guide
246652
/locations/8457770
41.86523
-87.78964
6615 Roosevelt Rd, Berwyn, IL
Fitzgerald's Night Club
/articles/the-ultimate-new-year-s-eve-guide
/locations/8457771
41.90118
-87.82198
Dominican University
7900 Division St, River Forest, IL
/articles/the-ultimate-new-year-s-eve-guide
1297627
/locations/8457772
41.90912
-87.786667
Wonder Works
6445 North Ave, Oak Park, IL
/articles/the-ultimate-new-year-s-eve-guide
1417926
/locations/8457773
41.87954
-87.8098
7403 Madison St, Forest Park, IL
House Red Vinoteca
/articles/the-ultimate-new-year-s-eve-guide
/locations/8457774
41.884633
-87.802442
225 S Marion St, Oak Park, IL
West Cook YMCA
/articles/the-ultimate-new-year-s-eve-guide
/locations/8457775
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Sen Sushi Bar named again to Michelin Bib Gourmands list.
Sometimes it's a challenge to get a table at the Marion Street Cheese Market. But now that it's been included on a prestigious list of places to eat in the Chicago area, the wait just perhaps got a bit longer. The restaurant, at 100 S. Marion St., is on the coveted list of 2013 Bib Gourmands. The rating list, put out by the prestigious Michelin Guide, means the restaurant is an inspector’s favorite for good value. Sen Sushi Bar, at 814 S. Oak Park Ave., made the list for the second consecutive year. Michelle Dirks, the restaurant's general manager, found out about the honor when a former vendor posted an item on the restaurant's Facebook page. She wondered what was going on, and the article by Tribune critic Phil Vettel made it all real…
41.88643
-87.80247
Marion Street Cheese Market
100 S Marion St, Oak Park, IL
/articles/marion-street-cheese-market-included-on-coveted-area-list
246652
/locations/8246832
41.87406
-87.794042
Sen Sushi Bar
814 S Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL
/articles/marion-street-cheese-market-included-on-coveted-area-list
246743
/locations/8246833
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Marion Street Cheese Market gets recognition as "Best of" in 'Chicago Reader.'
How about that. A few weeks after getting snubbed by the informed foodies over at LTHForum, Oak Park restaurants get their due in another publication. Well, it's one restaurant. But still. Marion Street Cheese Market, downtown Oak Park's emporium of tasty local delights, gets the nod in Chicago Reader's Best Suburban Chicago restaurants in the west. Here's the complete guide, and here's part of what local food scribe David Hammond had to say about MSCM in the Reader: "Wine and beer flights are well paired with cheese and charcuterie, affording tiny tastes of many good things, which is what this cafe is all about." Now, it's worth pointing out that the LTH Forum is community-driven, meaning that anyone can join (for free) and make their …
41.88643
-87.80247
Marion Street Cheese Market
100 S Marion St, Oak Park, IL
/articles/marion-street-cheese-market-best-of-the-suburbs
246652
/locations/6881989
Monday, March 5, 2012
Meredith Conn said she was loyal to the customers of the popular Oak Park market and the farmers who supplied it. Then she was fired. So what happened?
On any given summertime Saturday at the Oak Park Farmers' Market, you'll find thousands of happy customers buying produce, snacking on donuts and taking in bluegrass tunes. Smiles abound. Former market manager Meredith Conn doesn't take credit for that. She does, however, take responsibility for maintaining the "grower's only" ethos that's prevailed over the weekly gathering for decades. But now that the search is on for a new market manager, Conn has some words of wisdom for whoever takes over the position. Earlier: Search on for Market Manager “Working for a municipality like Oak Park is not the easiest thing in the world," she said. "If you want to maintain authenticity for the kind of Farmers' Market that was cherished and we were a …
david poppei
8:44 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
What a great opportunity for Chef Leonard and our community! I will be sure to follow Chef and I can't wait to sample " the roots and inspirations of American cuisine"!. -David Poppei more ›