I Want My Two Dollars!

This summer's Movies In the Park kicks off tomorrow night with "Better Off Dead", which is a bit of an odd choice.

Granted, it has Chicago native John Cusack, who later made Bucktown famous with his role in "High Fidelity"... but it also has Curtis "Booger" Armstrong trying to snort a mountain and wondering what it's "street value" might be.

"Better Off Dead" - the first in a series of John Cusack movies in which he, along with his plucky friends, must perform some task (win a ski race, win a boat race, etc.) in order to stop some evil developers or something from destroying their town. Also along the way he realizes that the mousy brunette girl in the glasses would be totally hot without her glasses, while the blond girl he's been pining after isn't so great after all.

Since it's obvious that subject matter won't disqualify a movie, I'd like to see "High Fidelity" at Churchill park - we could probably see some of the actual film locations from where we were sitting. But for now, "Better Off Dead" will have to do!

Bucktown Community Organization - Meet Your Alderman

Two big events tonight - First, Scott Waguespack will be speaking at the BCO meeting at the Bucktown/Wicker Park library at Milwaukee and Wabansia at 7 PM.

Secondly, the Pulaski Fine Arts Academy is having an open house from 6-8 PM.

Finally, one big event for tomorrow - Dulcenea Gallery (1431 N Milwaukee Ave) is hosting the Wicker Park & Bucktown Chamber Summer Party & Silent Auction. $35 admission, free cocktails and food, and live music.

Two in a Row

This has been a very disappointing season for the northsiders. Our Cubs have spent a fortune on players, went out and acquired a manager with a great pedigree who has, by and large, put his players in position to win ballgames and has been a massive improvement over his predecessor, and the team has failed. Miserably.

They've been so awful, that the manager, Lou Piniella, knew that the situation required that a useless and futile gesture be done on somebody's part, and he didn't disappoint. For his efforts, his "punishment" is that he'll be watching the Brewers series from a skybox. (Seriously, exactly how suspended IS Lou? Is he allowed to set the lineup? Was he allowed to ride the bus to Milwaukee with the team?)

Coincidentally, the Cubs have started hitting in the 2 games Lou has missed. Just as coincidentally, the Cubs have won both games since recalling the electric Felix Pie. Either way, it's about time for these players to start winning some games.

We'll be on the South Side tomorrow night watching the Sox and the Yankees, but my eyes will be glued to the scoreboard to see how the boys are doing in Milwaukee.

The sweaty, sweaty Blue Line.

Not the bar, which can be charming. The actual Blue Line was ridiculously hot and sweaty this morning, and it wasn't even all that hot out.

Still, with the price of gas topping $4 in places ($3.69 with purchase of carwash at Snappy's on Western was the best we saw Sunday), and parking topping $14/day in the Loop, the CTA is a bargain at $1.75.

Just know going in that you're going to be crammed into a hot, crowded train car and covered in sweat, of which maybe 20% will be yours.

Also, you're going to be like 20 minutes late for work, regardless of when you leave your house. Whether you catch the train at 8:25 or 8:50, you're rolling into your office at 9:20. It's as if the CTA operators have orders to arrive at Clark & Lake no earlier than 9:05 AM.

*** We are being delayed, waiting for signals ahead. We expect to be moving shortly. ***

The Blue Line also presents two pretty unique challenges for its everyday riders - First, it's the line that connects the city to O'Hare, so there are always 2 or 3 passengers with a hilarious amount of luggage, either on their way to catch a flight or on their way home. (These passengers are either worried about missing their flight due to the aforementioned signal delays, or exhausted after a flight, lugging 3 suitcases, and wondering when they're ever going to get to their stop. Either way, give them as much room as they need.)

Secondly, the Blue Line is one of the only train lines to feature the "old-timey" split doors that fold into the car and into the standing passengers' space, which is usually a huge annoyance but is sometimes hilarious, such as when a passenger isn't paying attention and gets smacked from behind.

Despite its idiosyncracies, and disgusting commutes like this morning's, the Blue Line is still the best way to get from Bucktown to the Loop or O'Hare. Now if they'd just finish this track improvement project so we can go faster than 5 MPH.

Brunch at Meritage

Meritage Cafe is open for Sunday brunch, and it's surprisingly well-priced. Eggs benedict with Kobe beef, crabmeat, and asparagus? Fantastic. Plus, they take reservations through opentable.com, which makes things awfully easy and ensures that you won't have to wait behind a dozen hungover groups of kids.

Las Palmas = Awesome.

My wife, my baby, my mom and I had dinner at Las Palmas tonight. Mexican in Chicago can get a bit tricky... obviously, we have Rick Bayless and Frontera and Topolobambo on the high end, and some of the best fast-burrito counters in the world on the low end (personally, I'm partial to Flash Taco, conveniently located at the Six Corners), but there are some pretty disappointing mid-range options in the city. Las Palmas isn't one of them.

Located at the corner of North & Honore, I suppose that Las Palmas is technically located in Wicker Park. Then again, it's on the south side of North Avenue, which makes it sort of in the "disputed zone".... but if Wicker Park can put up signs claiming some of the streets north of North Ave and west of Milwaukee, we're claiming Las Palmas as, at a minimum, joint territory.

The restaurant has three dining areas - a standard dining room, an enclosed greenhouse area, and a back patio. They don't take reservations for the back patio, but they were able to seat us because we showed up early and asked nicely. Fortunately, service was quick and we were able to finish up before the rain hit this evening - that was really something. Moreover, for a hip restaurant on a Friday night, they bent over backwards to be baby-friendly. Dinner came to about $20 each, plus drinks, and it was well worth it.

Bar Exam #1 - The Map Room

If you've heard of Bucktown, you've probably heard of the Map Room. It's constantly listed among lists of the "best beer bars in America," and it was recently featured on inHD's "Beer Nutz", which was really a better show than its title would lead you to believe.

At the Map Room, which is located on the southeast corner of Armitage and Hoyne, the beer selection is the primary drawing card. They have over 200 beers available, 26 of which are on tap, and almost all of which are interesting and somewhat difficult to find elsewhere. You can get a Bud Light here, too, but that's not why you chose the Map Room, is it?

However, the Map Room isn't just a drinking establishment. Their windows say that they're apparently open for coffee and pastries at breakfast, although I don't think that I've ever been there before sundown. (I may be missing out, as they have intelligentsia coffee, which is awesome.) They've got a pool table, and while you'll probably be able to see one of their several TVs in order to watch the Cubs from your barstool, they aren't the giant plasmas you'll find most everywhere else, so they don't distract too much from the drinking.

The place gets packed on the weekends, so don't expect to find a table every time. The typical clientele are casually dressed beer-lovers. Doors open for coffee at 6:30 AM Monday-Friday, 7:30 Saturday, 11 AM Sunday. First call is at 11 AM, last call is at 2 AM, and 3 AM on Saturday.

A true Bucktown institution, Map Room was the obvious choice for our first Bar Exam. Needless to say, it passes with flying colors.