Chicago Magazine Lists 15 Great Things to do in Evanston

What perfect timing for Evanston to make Chicago Magazine's latest issue with a list of 15 Great Things to do in Evanston! I've got a gaggle of visitors coming this summer and now all I have to do is send them this link and their entire trip is planned, lazy days of summer indeed.

This list is also a fantastic resource for me as I have never been to the Shakespeare Garden and it's on my list along with Bat Bar - which I just heard of the other day at a porch party (more on that later)!

Also mentioned was the Fountain Square Arts Festival, featuring 200 artists, on July 6 and 7 at the corner of Sherman Avenue and Church Street. This FREE festival is a great event over the 4th of July holiday weekend. See you there!

Below is the full list of 15, congrats to all of the businesses that made it!

Bat 17
[1] Beer geeks flock to this deli and pub for its tasty fare, pool tables, and 40-plus craft brews. 1709 Benson Ave., 847-733-7117,bat17evanston.com

Chalk Boutique
[2] Carrie Kane and Sharon Watrous bring an urban edge to their high-end women’s wear boutique, carrying Nina Ricci, Chloé, and the Row. 2611 Prairie Ave., 847-424-0011, chalkboutique.com

Charles G. Dawes House
[3] Tour Calvin Coolidge’s vice president’s 26-room residence, which is home to the Evanston History Center.225 Greenwood St., 847-475-3410,evanstonhistorycenter.org

Dave’s Down to Earth Rock Shop
[4] Shop here for gems, crystals, and jewelry, or explore the store’s fossil museum, with its complete cave bear skeleton. 704 Main St., 847-866-7374, davesrockshop.com

Evanston Galleria
[5] Local artisans hawk art and clothing at this bazaar.1627 Sherman Ave., 773-245-9779,galleriainevanston.com

Evanston Space
[6] Enjoy remarkable jazz and roots music at this candlelit lounge, hidden behind Union Pizzeria. 1245 Chicago Ave., 847-492-8860, evanstonspace.com

Found
[7] Amy Morton’s homey bistro—No. 3 on Chicago’s 2013 list of best new restaurants—excels at daring small plates (fried oyster tacos, pork shoulder sandwiches). 1631 Chicago Ave., 847-868-8945,foundkitchen.com

Maple Avenue houses

[8] Spot three Queen Annes or Tudor Revivals, all on the National Register of Historic Places, on these three blocks.1101–13, 1209–17, and 1316 Maple Ave.

Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art
[9] Northwestern University’s fine arts museum showcases 5,000 works. Catch a classic flick in the adjacent cinema.40 Arts Circle Dr., 847-491-4000,blockmuseum.northwestern.edu

Merrick Rose Garden
[10] You may stumble upon a summer wedding at this romantic enclave, where 2,000 roses ring a brick-walled lawn. Oak Avenue and Lake Street, cityofevanston.org

Northwestern lakefill
[11] This 74-acre campus extension offers lovely walking paths, shaded picnic spots, and breathtaking views of Lake Michigan and Chicago. northwestern.edu

Shakespeare Garden
[12] Fans of the Bard will notice more than 50 plants mentioned in his works at Northwestern’s garden.2101 Sheridan Rd., thegardenclubofevanston.org

The Spice House
[13] Fresh-ground, fabulous-smelling spices from around the world line the shelves of this 16-year-old store. 1941 Central St., 847-328-3711, thespicehouse.com

Ten Thousand Villages
[14] This fair trade retailer stocks bags and home wares from 38 countries. 719 Main St., 847-733-8258, evanston.tenthousandvillages.com

Union Pizzeria
[15] The Neapolitan-style pies are a must at this inviting bar and restaurant. 1245 Chicago Ave., 847-475-2400, unionevanston.com

Click here to read the full article. 

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog dedicated to helping you too fall in love with Evanston, just like I did. If you have any questions or need to get in touch with me about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com. Also feel free to send me announcements about upcoming Evanston events and I will promote them here!

Found Kitchen of Evanston makes Chicago Magazine Hot List

Congratulations to the owners of Evanston's new restaurant Found!

The Hot List: 10 places everyone’s talking about and dining at in January in order of heat

FOUND A 1920s salon? A 1950s beatnik lounge? Amy Morton’s living room? Found is all of these, plus fried oyster tacos with bacon. 1631 Chicago Ave., Evanston, 847-868-8945

Click here to see the list!

Visit Found online at foundkitchen.com.

P.S. Although this was announced on the Found Tumblr page in December, I took a long break from my blog and am just now coming back to life. You'll notice I've yet to event eat at Found, so when I add it to my favorite place to eat in Evanston, you'll know why! Food review coming!

Here's the beginning of a great review by Chicago Reader's Sam Worley;

Even for somebody who lives in Rogers Park, Evanston can seem a bit far afield—away from the city's nexus of nightlife, and particularly remote from the restaurant scenesters who cure their pork belly in the environs of Fulton Market, Randolph Row, and River North. So I don't know what I was expecting on a recent visit to the new Chicago Avenue (that'd be the other Chicago Avenue) restaurant Found Kitchen & Social House, which comes from chef Nicole Pederson, who most recently oversaw the kitchen at C-House, and restaurateur Amy Morton. It may not have been this: a lively, happy crowd; people at every mismatched set of table and chairs; and a 45-minute wait. Or this: a dining room so haphazardly arranged and yet so inviting that you'd be tempted to wait out those 45 minutes no matter how crowded the circumstances—because, also, did you get a look at that menu? Have you seen those bottles of bourbon behind the bar?

Click here to read the full review.

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Thank you for reading my blog Evanston Newbie, a blog devoted to covering my family's move from El Paso, TX, to Evanston, IL, in 2011. We arrived in June 2011 and several people have pointed out that I am no longer a "newbie" and should start some other blog. But I disagree and want to keep the "newbie" status for a while longer, maybe five years and for several reasons. #1 - there are many Evanston families who have lived here for generations since the town incorporated in the late 1800s, so in comparison to them, I am very much a "newbie". #2 - I firmly believe this blog is a good branding tool for the city of Evanston and it's the least I can do to thank our new town for being so AWESOME! If you have any questions or need to get in touch with my about this blog, Evanston, or anything else you can email me at thelisadshow@gmail.com. Thank you for reading and have an awesome 2013.