North to South on Western Avenue

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hollywood hotspot. Fluky’s was

rated the #1 hotdog in Chicago by the Chicago

Tribune and #1 hotdog in the United States by

Forbes Magazine. Celebrity sightings include Jay

Leno and the Tonight Show crew, John Candy, Dan

Akroyd, and Chicagoan Jim Belushi, who shot a

scene from Curly Sue at a Chicago Fluky’s location.

Fluky’s6821 N. Western Ave.Chicago, IL 60645(773) 274-3652

6am - 10:30pm Monday through Thursday6am - 11pm Friday and Saturday7am - 10pm Sunday

history. Fluky’s fi rst opened in 1929 to

instant popularity. Their “Depression sandwich,”

a hot dog with mustard, relish, onion, pickles,

pepper, lettuce, tomatoes and french fries cost only

fi ve cents. Today, their location in West Rogers

Park still offers the house specialty, a basic vienna

beef hotdog loaded with sweet relish, onion, dill

spears and tomato slices for only $2.29. Other

popular items include extra-creamy shakes, polish

sausages and crispy fries.

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far left: The photogenic Fluky’s hotdog statue uses ketchup before mustard! center: Fryers and boilers can be seen from over the counter at Fluky’s.

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Devon Avenue6400 N. Western AvenueChicago, IL 60645

history. At the north end of the city, Devon

Avenue meets Western in an area known worldwide

for its vibrant South Asian community. “Indo-Pak”

restaurants, general stores, jewelers, Bollywood video.

audio shops and Indonesian groceries line each side

of the 140-year old street. Ornate necklaces, hindu

statues, and red, purple and green saris can be found

at ease.

hotspots. In a one mile strip lined with Indian

restaurants, it’s diffi cult to decide where to spend your

money and your calories. Hema’s Kitchen would be

a good choice. Hema’s is a popular BYOB restaurant

that serves a divine buna gohst - lamb sauteed with

fresh peppers, onions, curry leaves and black pepper.

Other local favorites: Gandhi India Restaurant, King

Sweets (candies pictures at right) and Udupi Palace for

vegetarians.

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left: A small box of treats from King Sweets, a muslim candy store where the owner won’t look women in the face. above: Internation Sari Palace (ISP) is lined in clothes and jewelery that can be expected of Indian culture.

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Lincoln Square4602 N. Lincoln Ave.(where Lincoln meets Western and Lawrence)Chicago, IL 60625

the story. Around the corner from the intersection

of Lawrence and Western lies a small square rich in

German culture. Lincoln Square was established in the

early 1900’s and still remains a thriving center with many

shops aged over one century.

at left: Baby outfi ts created by a local designer adorn the wall at Hanger 18. center: Shoppers browse the shelves at Merz Apothecary.

Merz Apothecary. Peter Merz, original

owner and Swedish pharmacist, opened this European-

style apothecary in 1875. The store focused on herbal

medicines and traditional health formulas that were

somewhat uncommon in the United States. The Merz

Apothecary has been family owned and operated since

its opening and remains a popular spot today.

Delicatessen Meyer. Delicatessen Meyer

is a staple to Lincoln Square’s German community.

Nearly one century old, the deli is now owned by

German immigrant Hans Liebl of Neukirchen, Germany.

Hans, a master sausage maker, sells his high quality

meats along with German cheeses, wines, beers and

chocolates to a majority of German-speaking clients.

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Waveland Bowl7242 S. Western Ave.Chicago, IL 60636(773) 737-6294

open 24 hours

pricing. Cost varies on an hourly basis.

Add $4.00 for shoe and sock rental.

Monday through Thursday6am - 5pm: $1.50 per game5pm - 6am; $3.00 per game

Friday6am - 5pm: $3.00 per game5pm - 6am: $6 per game

Saturday6am - 4pm: $3.00 per game4pm - 6am: $6.00 per game Sunday 6am - 4pm: $3.00 per game4pm - 6am: $4.00 per game

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the story Waveland Bowl fi rst opened in 1959 and

has not closed its doors for a single minute since. The

alley is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is home

to a lounge, billiards, arcade room and forty bowling lanes.

The restaurant, Alley Dogs, is located inside and internet

access is available anywhere on location.

The fl ourescent lights are replaced with black lights every

night for “Cozmic” bowling, which includes fog machines

and the lastest music videos being shown on a large

projector.

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history. Margie’s Candies is an old-

fashioned ice cream shop located in the

Bucktown neighborhood. The Chicago

landmark was found in 1921 by Greek Immigrant

Margie G. Poulos and is now owned and

operated by her son, Peter George Poulos.

Margie’s is best known for the hot fudge sundae

made of 18% butterfat ice cream, hot fudge, real

butterscotch and caramel. Reported clientele

include Al Capone and the Beatles, who

stopped at Margie’s in 1964 after their concert at

Comiskey Park.

Margie’s Candies

environment. The interior of Margie’s

is small and quaint. A wait is highly-likely on

weekend nights even in the winter months. Not

much has changed over the past few decades

as the old-school parlor is adorned with Tiffany

lamps, memorabilia and a porcelain doll collection.

1906 N. Western Ave.Chicago, IL 60647(773) 497-2021

9am - 10pm Sunday through Monday9am - midnight Friday and Saturday

Above (left): Teddy bears are stuffed into cups that say “I Love You” in the store window. above (right): Margie’s Candies storefront facing north on Fullterton.

hot fudge sundae (or one of 80+ additional sundae selections)

extra-thick milkshakesrootbeer fl oatsThe Eiffel Tower - four scoops of fresh fl avors and “paradise”Margie’s Melody - an ice cream and marshmallow sundae

Above (left): Teddy bears are stuffed into cups that say “I Love You” in the store window. above (right): Margie’s Candies storefront facing north on Fullterton.

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highlights

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�� Harold’s Chicken7118 S. Western Ave.Chicago, IL 60636(773) 778-9182

11am - 7pm Monday through Friday11am - 6pm Saturday11am - 3pm Sunday

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white half hot with salt and pepper. Harold’s frequenters are always bragging about

their regular order. Chicken dinners come in

halves and quarters, white or dark. Each meal is

served with french fries, cole slaw and white bread.

Meat is described as ultra tender with crispy skin

and barbecue or hot sauce. Other menu items

include chicken wings, fried shrimp, fried catfish,

livers, gizzards, and in recent years, Kool-AId

(“Harold’s Chicken Shack . . . Now proudly serving

Kool-Aid OH YEAH!”).

history. Harold’s Chicken Shack has become

a southside staple serving up fried chicken

dinners for over 50 years. The chain was started

in by Harold Pierce, a Chicago southside native

who noticed that fast food chains often avoided

opening in African American neighborhoods.

Today, Harold’s has 24 locations throughout

Chicago (primarily on the southside) and has even

opened a store in Dallas, TX.

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Fat Johnnies Famous Red Hots7242 S. Western Ave.Chicago, IL 60636

(773) 737-6294


the story. Fat Johnnies Famous Red Hots is

one of Citysearch’s top ten hotdogs in Chicago. The

stand is also well-known for their polish sausages and

tamales. Despite its popularity, Fat Johnnies is located

in the Engelwood neighborhood and thus closes early.

Seating is only available in the the summer, where picnic

benches can be found around the back of the stand.

The hotdog stand has been open since the mid-70’s and

has frequented the Taste of Chicago. According to their

slogan, Fat Johnnie’s has “Dynamite dinners on a bun

- Fit for a king, queens, too.”

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hot dogs steamed and topped with mustard, relish, chopped onions, cucumber and tomato“double dog” - two hot dogs, one bun“fat one” - a quarter pound of hot dog meat“double Super fat one” - two quarter pound dogs on a bun with all of the trimmings . . . . be sure to order ahead for this selection!

highlights

below: Two hungry southsiders line up outside the Fat Johnnies stand..

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Original Rainbow Cone9233 S. Western Ave.Chicago, IL 60620(773) 238-7075


history. Rainbow’s founder, Joseph Sapp, was

an orphan who used to dream of getting more than

one fl avor of ice cream on the spoon for his 1 cent

investment. So when he grew up, he invented the

fi ve-fl avor Rainbow Cone, which features chocolate,

pistachio, strawberry and Palmer House (a cherry-

nut blend) ice creams, as well as a layer of orange

sherbet. More than 79 years after he invented this

delight, families still fl ock from miles around every

summer to enjoy the cool concoction at its original

site. Lines can get long, so plan on a wait when

coming at peak times. There are a few picnic

tables out back, but it’s standing room only inside,

where kids will love watching cone production.

the original rainbow cone. The “original rainbow cone” is composed of fi ve

fl avors--chocolate, strawberry, pistachio and

Palmer House (cherry fl avored, with chunks

of cherry and walnut) ice creams, along with

orange sherbet--packed into a wedge atop

your cone. The Palmer House variety is terrifi c on

its own, with huge pieces of cherries throughout.

Similarly, the pistachio is loaded with nut chunks.

Another house specialty is the rootbeer fl oat with

soda from a keg.

left: Original Rainbow old-fashioned interior. center: ice cream cakes.

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The Southside St. Patrick’s Day Parade103rd through 115th and Western AvenueChicago, IL 60636

history. The Southside St. Patrick’s Day Parade

began in 1979 when the WeeFolks of Washtenaw and

Talman pushed a baby buggy decorated with Irish fl are

through the streets of the West Beverly neighborhood.

Hence, the Southside St. Patrick’s Day Parade was

born. Now in its 24th year, the parade has grown to

become the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in

the United States. Each year, over 200,000 specta-

tors gather to watch 100+ fl oats, marching bands,

Irish dancers, and politicians march through the

streets. Area families, schools, civic organizations

and businesses are also well-known participants. The

parade begins at 103rd Street and marches south on

Western Ave. to 115th Street.

above: a spirited family of children line western avenue as the parade marches by.

Irish fanfare. Aside from the parade festivi-

ties, this stretch of Western is also known for its Irish

pubs - ten in total along the parade route. The east

side of Western Avenue is dry, and thus the bars lie

on the west side of the street along with a plethora of

intoxicated and loose adults while the east side has

become a stronghold for families coming to watch the

parade.

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process color CMYK RGB web color

0, 97, 100, 0 230, 0, 0 #FF0000

#999999

#FFFFFF

#FFFF33

237, 237, 237

128, 128, 128

255, 255, 62

51, 43, 43, 7

5, 4, 4, 0

8, 0, 86, 0

Self Improvement

North to South on Western Avenue