Another Reason to Tell Us “Why Chicago”: Chicago Style Pizza
October 31, 2008
Loving Chicago style pizza may win you a trip to Vancouver to get a sneak peek of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. If you don’t win this grand prize, you could score $5,000 of video production equipment.
All you have to do is create a video of your pizza-loving ways and submit it to us.
Running through November 25, the “Why Chicago” contest invites film makers and fans of Chicago to create YOUR take on why Chicago should host the Chicago 2016 Olympic and Paralymic Games (in this case, our fantastic selection of pizza). If you don’t get selected for one of the prizes, your video may still be chosen to be featured on NBC5 Chicago. Voters also have a choice to win. Yep - a lucky group of video viewers will win a trip to the USOC headquarters in Boulder, Colorado.
I’ve seen screaming matches over pizza. Deep dish versus thin crust. Gino’s East versus Lou Malnati’s. I’m a Home Run Inn fan, myself (frozen is OK, but the restaurant on 31st street still makes my mouth water).
What do you think? Is there a pizza joint you want to tell us about? Are you passionate about telling the world about Chicago’s deep dish pizza? What are you waiting for?!
Grab a camera, get your creative bug going and make that video. Who knew your favorite food could win you a trip out West?
A Carbon Negative Getaway
October 31, 2008
A main attraction for the Chicago 2016 Olympic & Paralympic Games Bid is the compactness of venues, athlete living quarters and downtown tourist destinations. However, the influx of visitors to Chicago would also have access to relaxed pastoral getaways such as Monroe, Wisconsin’s Inn Serendipity during their stay.
Ecopreneurs Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko left corporate positions in Chicago to build a Bed & Breakfast incubator (never thought I would type that phrase) for land-stewardship and sustainable living. The couple has created a retreat completely powered by renewable energy including a Straw Bale Greenhouse heated by passive solar. As a result of their efforts, Inn Serendipity is officially a “carbon negative” business, capturing more carbon than emitted through yearly operations.
Features of Inn Serendipity include:
- 680-watt photovoltaic system
- A labyrinth with 3000 years of history
- Solar heated water for bathrooms
- 10kW wind turbine system
Chicago’s skyscrapers and dense neighborhoods may intimidate some visitors, but a slower lifestyle is available in the surrounding areas. Don’t forget Wisconsin and Indiana are less than an hour away!
Decathlete Bryan Clay Made Me Cry
A Morning of Inspiration and Pride
October 30, 2008
Gold medalist Bryan Clay was one of over 1,400 people that participated in the annual Chicago Principal for a Day Program. I had the opportunity to join other members of the 2016 team and spend the morning with Bryan at Bronzeville’s DuSable Campus.
First things first – a Decathlete competes in ten sports over two days. It is tradition to for the gold medalist to also be known as the best athlete in the world. That’s right, the best athlete in the WORLD.
From the moment I met Bryan, I felt chills. I ran track in high school, but was nowhere near the athletic ability that Clay possesses in one pinky. Bryan’s dream of becoming an Olympian began at 8– when he saw Carl Lewis win the gold medal. A native of Hawaii, Bryan turned to sports to squash the anger and struggles he faced as a child. After 20 years of sacrificing time with friends, late nights out and sleeping in, Bryan Clay won the gold medal in Beijing.
I asked Bryan how it felt to be an Olympian. I realized that he must get asked this question numerous times a day. After all, he’s only been home for two nights at a time since Beijing (he begins training next week). As we walked into the gym for the 10 am assembly, Bryan told me his thoughts on the Olympic movement, what it means and why Chicagoans and Americans alike should be excited for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic games.
After a few sentences about pride in your country, love for your fellow athletes and accomplishing a major goal, I realized I was tearing up. I watched the reaction on the students’ faces as they listened to Bryan as he shared his story and I saw smiles, excitement and future Olympians high-fiving each other. I hope each and every one of them submits a video for the Why Chicago video contest!
Thank you to DuSable Campus for hosting us and thank you Chicago Public Schools for a fantastic day. Look for the video of the festivities soon!
Principal for a Day is Tomorrow!
October 29, 2008
Hundreds of Chicagoans will be Principals for a Day, will you?
Every year, the Chicago Public Schools welcome athletes, executives, students and other volunteers in elementary and high schools across Chicago. The Chicago 2016 Channel will be at various locations to document the day and see what types of programs each school will set up for their Principals.
Check in with us on Friday for a recap!
Sweden’s Athletes Will Get A Taste Of Home
October 28, 2008
My last post was about Chicago’s Swedish community. One of their most popular restaurants is Tre Kronor. Check out these items and you can understand why: salmon, cream cheese and fresh dill omelet served with new potatoes; eggs benedict placed on crab cakes instead of muffins; orange vanilla french toast with cinnamon and orange zest.
Now that’s a breakfast that’ll have you packing your bags and hopping on the next plane to Sweden. Fortunately, all you have to do is head to the north side of Chicago.
Larry and Patty Anderson (Swedish & Norwegian, respectively) opened Tre Kronor a couple of miles west of Andersonville back in 1992. Since then it’s become a favorite not just in the North Park neighborhood, but also as a dining destination. It’s easy to understand why. Besides the delectable items mentioned above, you get to order food like lingonberries and limpa toast while looking at trolls.
This family owned restaurant has a quaint feel, with wooden floors and happy dancing trolls painted on the wall. The servers wear t-shirts with Swedish sayings like “kotbulle” (meatball) and “fint sons snus” (I have no idea). Tre Kronor means Three Crowns and there’s a castle in Stockholm that dates from the 13th century with the same name.
If you go on the weekends there will be a wait. There’s no room in the restaurant itself, so they send you across the street to the Swedish Shop where they call the shopkeeper when your table’s ready. It’s kind of like a disconnected Cracker Barrel arrangement.
Dining at Tre Kronor is a treat. The food is wonderful, and the atmosphere makes you feel like you’ve been transported to another place. When the 2016 Swedish Olympic and Paralympic Athletes get a little homesick during the games, they can just head on up to Foster and Kedzie. It’s a bit of a hike, but much closer (and cheaper!) than flying to Sweden.
Passion for Chicago Fire Burns Bright
October 27, 2008
One Olympic sport with growing popularity in both Chicago and the nation overall is soccer. It’s appealing to the youth of this country with over 19 million children currently participating in the sport. The Chicago Fire, the Second City’s Major League Soccer team, was founded on October 8, 1997, the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In the Fire’s inaugural season of 1998 the club won the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup. They also won the U.S. Open Cup in 2000, ’03 and ‘06. And they were also runner-up for the MLS Cup twice (’00, ’03).
The Chicago Fire logo is modeled from a standard Fire Department crest, featuring what a Florian’s cross. The city’s fire department is one of many that utilize this symbol. The team’s first GM, Peter Wilt, sought to create a logo with a classic image like the NHL’s Original Six franchises and also evoke the symbols and brands associated with European soccer clubs.
Home Fires
In 2008, the Fire had one of their better years at the gate drawing an average of 17,034, well above their all-time average of 15,717. The team played at the famous home of the Chicago Bears NFL franchise, Soldier Field both before (1998-2001) and after the renovation (2004–2005). From 2002–2003 the team played their home games a formidable distance from the city, in Naperville’s Cardinal Stadium. They currently play in their own stadium, Toyota Park located at 71st and Harlem Avenue in the southwest suburb of Bridgeview. Toyota Park, also one of the city’s premier summer concert venues, is owned by that municipality.
The “Ring of Fire” was established in 2003 by the team and the club’s Alumni Association to honor those who have made special contributions to the cause of making the Chicago Fire a proud and successful club. Aside from the charter member, only current “Ring of Fire” members can select new inductees, and no more than one can be selected within any one year. The names of the “Ring of Fire” are prominently displayed at Toyota Park.
Competition
Like the many trophy games of college football, a special and original prize goes to the victor between the Fire and FC Dallas. Since 2001, the two teams compete annually for the Brimstone Cup. FC Dallas is the Fire’s biggest rival, but the events of recent years have stimulated a new rivalry between the Fire and the New England Revolution, another team with nickname paying homage to the city’s history and culture. The Revolution-Fire rivalry is starting to resemble that of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees or Minnesota Twins-Chicago White Sox because the clubs have ended each other’s season (whether in the playoffs or during the regular season) every year since 2001. The Fire’s current squad is coached by Denis Hamlet and captained by Cuahtemoc Blanc.
Chicago has a built-in passion for soccer, taking over Soldier Field when high profile games come to Chicago, especially Mexico. Having other global fans at our doorstep in 2016 would be fantastic - bring it on!
Pulling the String of Imagination
A Look into Pershing West’s Archery Program
October 27, 2008
On a quiet street in Chicago, a large brick building is home to 4th-8th graders, an innovative principal and a teacher that just may produce a future Olympian.
Swedes Built The Second City
October 26, 2008
In 1912, when Sweden hosted the 5th modern Olympic Games, 20% of Swedes lived in the United States, many of them in Chicago. Now almost 100 years later there’s still a community of over 120,000.
The first Swedish settlement was in 1846. Some immigrants were on their way to Bishop Hill, Illinois, where there was already a large Swedish religious colony, but this group decided to stop and set up camp here. Over the next few decades more and more joined them until this area was home to more Swedes than any other in the U.S.
At first they lived in enclaves surrounding downtown. Swede Town was in the area now known as River North, but there were also pockets on the south and west sides. Fortunately these immigrants were skilled in construction. After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 so many of them helped to rebuild the city it was said “the Swedes built Chicago”.
That fire also prompted their move to the north side and Andersonville. An ordinance prohibiting the construction of wooden structures made housing so expensive they had to move outside the city limits. Today Andersonville is a thriving community that, while welcoming other ethnic and cultural groups, also honors its Swedish residents by celebrating traditional holidays. The annual Midsommarfest is one of the most popular street festivals of the year. The Swedish American Museum educates visitors about the immigrant experience, and local businesses reflect their heritage.
Famous Swedes that called Chicago home include Pulitzer prize winning author Carl Sandburg and drugstore magnate Charles Walgreen. Next time you sit under a shady tree, consider that it might have been planted by Pehr Samuel Peterson. He began the Rose Hill Nursery, which supplied trees to the city at the turn of the last century.
By keeping their heritage alive while being influential in the community as a whole, our Swedish population exemplifies the immigrant experience in Chicago. One way they make their presence felt is through their cuisine. Next I’ll profile a Swedish restaurant favorite, and no, it’s not Ann Sather’s!
Chicago Aldermen Playing a Key Role in Development Decisions: How Neighborhoods Will Have a Voice for 2016
October 23, 2008
Alderman Fioretti on Election Night
A community meeting last night got me thinking…most of what we do in Chicago is grass roots. How are we using that type of community organizing with the potential 2016 Olympic & Paralyampic Games?
Chicago is a big city known for the intimacy of its neighborhoods. With so many pockets of ethnicities and local watering holes, one may wonder, how is it all organized?
I moved to Chicago in 1998 and quickly learned that my Lincoln Park neighborhood had a larger advocate, an Alderman, that was our liaison into the Mayor and City Hall. An Alderman serves as an area’s champion, go-to person and, in many cases, the final authority when it comes to various things like new developments, events, etc. I live in the 2nd ward and serve on my ward’s Citizen Advisory Committee on Development.
What does this mean exactly?
My Alderman set up a task force for any new developments that come into my particular area. Before a new condominium, retail store, etc, goes before the Planning Commission and the city, we sit with the developers to review plans, ask questions and speak up for a larger group of residents. Once the developer meets with us, larger community meetings are organized, which lends to more questions, feedback, etc for that developer. From there, our Alderman takes the feedback and decides if he supports the project and/or may ask the developer to alter their initial plans.
Chicago has 50 wards and each ward has its own way of reviewing developments. I’m fortunate to live in a ward where we have a community say in decisions our Alderman makes before new construction takes place. As Chicago approaches the potential of hosting the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, other neighborhood groups are already involved in asking the right questions on behalf of their community.
I applaud this type of community involvement and it’s the very reason I decided to stay in Chicago. Tough questions should be asked. Research should be done and stakeholders on all fronts deserve complete transparency in how neighborhoods will be affected by the potential activity an Olympic & Paralympic Games. I strongly believe that the legacy structures and programs that will remain after such a fantastic event is over will continue to keep the city moving forward for generations to come.
If you are NOT involved in a community group of any sort, I encourage you to contact your alderman and/or sign up to volunteer with the crew at 2016. The more hands, the better!
Locally Grown, Eco-Friendly Restaurants
October 22, 2008
by Andy Angelos
Chicago residents are already proud of their vast culinary treasures as demonstrated in numerous posts from Theresa. Adding to the diversity is a growing collection of environmentally conscious restaurants featuring locally grown food and energy saving practices. Some of the emerging conservation tactics employed by Chicago eateries include:
- Installing low-flow sprayers and dual flush toilets
- Reducing the pre-heat and idle time on cooking surfaces
- Run full capacity dishwasher loads
- Collecting organic waste for the Chicago Resource Center
- Use eco-friendly cleaners
Since I do not possess the same level of gastronomical expertise as Theresa or local critics like Tweating Out, I was forced to request help from my network of Twitter followers. Below are introductions to some of the more intriguing responses. Thanks to all who contributed!
312 Chicago. Chef Dean Zanella uses locally grown ingredients from Green City Market and naturally raised livestock. The “Italian-inspired American” food changes with seasonal produce but features constant specials such as seared day boat scallops. And for only $1000, Chef Zanella will instruct a personal cooking class and cater a small dinner party.
May Street Market. Located on 1132 W. Grand, May Street Market strives to provide multi-course meals for reasonable prices. Three full-course meals for $32 are offered nightly. The menu - created by owner and experienced Chef Alexander Cheswick - uses seasonal ingredients sourced from regional farmers.
Crust. This wood-oven pizzeria in Wicker Park was the fourth certified organic restaurant in the United States and the first in the Midwest. Owner Michael Altenberg also operates Bistro Campagne in Lincoln Square, which features locally grown and organic produce.
Uncommon Ground. Several blocks north of Wrigley Field, Uncommon Ground provides visitors with a unique blend of music, coffee, craft beer and locally inspired cuisine. The Devon location even hosted “Farmer Fridays” allowing Harvest Moon Farms to sell their sustainable organic products in the parking lot.
Feel free to add additional restaurants in the comments section!
