The Real Chicago

Top Menu

  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

Main Menu

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Home
  • E-newsletter
  • Contact

logo

Header Banner

The Real Chicago

  • Home
  • The Big City Blog
  • General Features
  • Around Town
    • First Look – Reviews
    • Hidden Gems
    • Inside Scoop
  • Eat. Drink. Shop.
    • Good Eats
    • Signature Dishes
    • A Round of Drinks
    • Shop Around the Corner
  • The Local Angle
    • Chicago Insider
    • The Local Corner
    • My Chicago
  • Interviews
  • Forum
  • Chicago’s hidden gems: Kiss Kiss Cabaret, Unabridged Bookstore, Lulu Belle’s Pancake House and TNT at The Annoyance

  • New on the scene: Recapping recent restaurant and bar openings in Chicago

  • The Big City Blog: A Chicago summer bucket list

  • Outdoor drinking: A guide to some of our favorite beer gardens and rooftops in Chicago

  • A day at the museum: Exploring the iconic Field Museum in Chicago

General Features
Home›featured-blogs›General Features›A Saturday well spent in Andersonville: plenty of food, shopping and culture

A Saturday well spent in Andersonville: plenty of food, shopping and culture

By TheRealChicagoOnline
April 18, 2016
747
0
Share:

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

By Nicole Cash

Andersonville is a Chicago neighborhood that, until recently, I didn’t know much about, aside from the obvious fact that it’s a traditional Swedish neighborhood with an Ann Sather restaurant and the Swedish American museum. But after spending a Saturday afternoon exploring, I found Andersonville has a lot more to it than just delicious cinnamon buns and fun facts about Sweden.

Make time for breakfast in Andersonville: I recommend starting the day at Bongo Room (5022 N. Clark St.) for brunch; the red velvet pancakes are a personal favorite. If you’re not a huge breakfast person, pick up coffee and a light pastry to go at La Colombe (5158 N. Clark St.).

Notice gifts - webFrom there, stroll up and down Clark to explore a variety of great stores. Start with Notice (5028 N. Clark St.), a cute little shop that sells a variety of gifts, accessories and even gifts for babies and children, housing everything from Chicago mugs and shot glasses to baby toys and purses. Store manager Nikki Frisinger says the shop offers personalized customer service and gets new items in weekly. “It’s always fun to stop by when you’re in the neighborhood to see what’s new,” she adds.

Next, head over to Milk Handmade (5137 N. Clark St.), a small shop with women’s Milk interior - webclothing fit for any occasion, unique jewelry and accessories. They also sell gift items such as a horchata-scented candle, so when you’re craving that delicious Mexican drink, you can just light the candle instead. Owner Hallie Borden says the signature candles, infinity scarves and locally made jewelry are the most popular items at Milk, and that the store stocks clothing and accessories from independent designers. “We focus on locally made pieces from emerging Chicago artists,” she says.

Hopleaf diners

Hopleaf

Next up is Notre (5202 N. Clark St.), a slick menswear store carrying shoes, clothing and accessories. Although more on the pricier side, the pieces are ultra cool and of good quality.

If all this shopping has you worn out, there are plenty of quaint spots for some good grub. Hopleaf (5148 N. Clark St.) boasts a cozy ambience and unique sandwiches like the duck reuben or the goat sloppy joe — not to mention one of the better beer lists on the north side. If that’s not your cup of tea, try Hamburger Mary’s (5400 N. Clark St.) for a great selection of burgers and sandwiches. Their dessert menu includes a fried Twinkie, and they have daily drink specials. If you feel like going out on the town in Andersonville, come back later and head upstairs to Mary’s Attic for Boylesque shows and MaryOke.

If you’re ready to take a break from shopping and eating and indulge in some culture, stop by the Swedish American Museum (5211 N. Clark St.). Here you can learn about Swedish history and its influence on our country, or learn about famous Swedes and see belongings brought to the U.S. in the early 20th century. You can even bring the kids; the museum has an excellent children’s museum upstairs where kids can learn all about Ellis Island and what it was like for immigrants to arrive to in the early 1900s.

Andersonville Galleria - webIf you haven’t gotten your fill of culture for the day, check out the Andersonville Galleria (5247. N. Clark). The gallery is made up of tiny booths where artists can rent out the space to display and sell their work. The gallery collects around 100 artists at a time, allowing visitors to browse to their heart’s content. Assistant manager Angelique Bolin referred to the gallery as an “indoor art fair,” where everything is made locally. Manager Denise Riesen said the gallery allows Chicagoans to shop small business and called the space an “incubator for artists.”

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

Swedish Bakery - webIf you have a sweet tooth but aren’t totally hungry for dinner yet, try the Swedish Bakery (5348 N. Clark) for some classic pastries. The bakery has everything from coffee cakes, breads and sweet rolls to Swedish traditions such as pepparkakor and brusselkaka cookies.

Explore the neighborhood some more to work off those calories, and when you’re ready for dinner, make your way to Cantina 1910 (5025 N. Clark) for traditional Mexican food with a twist. Some 70 percent of the food and beverage ingredients are locally sourced from within a 200-mile radiCantina 1910 - Bistec frijoles (web)us, and this spring Cantina 1910 is even opening up its own garden to become even more locally-sourced. “The menu is constantly changing depending on what ingredients are available,” PR manager Jamie Soloman says. “This way, people are able to experience new and unique dishes each time they dine.”

Cantina 1910’s most popular dishes include pork tacos, shrimp ceviche and chochoyotes en mole amarillo, which are dumplings made with spaghetti squash, cauliflower and cheese. The restaurant also offers great drinks such as “a Mexican in Wisconsin,” as well as its own café and brunch menu.

Ombra - web

Ombra

If Mexican isn’t your thing like it is mine, definitely check out Ombra (5308 N. Clark), a super cool spot for traditional Italian pizza and decorated with large wooden booths. Aside from the wood-fired pizza, manager Leah Allen says customers go crazy for the polenta fries, and the brussel sprout leaves are also very popular. Everything is made in house. Ombra is under the same ownership as neighboring restaurants Anteprima (5316 N. Clark), Acre (5308 N. Clark) and Summerdale (5413 N. Clark), which Allen describes as “neighborhood places at a good value.”

I left Andersonville with a sad wallet but a happy stomach, and definitely plan to return soon to indulge a bit more.

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Ads.

Please go to the plugin admin page to set up your ad code.

TagsAcre ChicagoAndersonvilleAndersonville GalleriaAnteprimaBongo RoomCantina 1910Chicago neighborhoodsChicago Swedish American MuseumChicago Swedish BakeryHamburger Mary'sHopleafLa ColombeMary's AtticMilk HandmadeNotice ChicagoNotre ChicagoOmbra ChicagoSummerdale ChicagoThe Real Chicago
Previous Article

Chicago’s hidden gems: River Shannon, Bookman’s Corner ...

Next Article

The Big City Blog: New happy hour ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

TheRealChicagoOnline

Related articles More from author

  • The Big City Blog

    The Big City Blog: Chicago Ale Fest, Breaking Ground Festival, $5 cocktails and Geja’s love of Valentine’s Day

    January 31, 2019
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Hidden Gems

    Chicago’s hidden gems: Myron Mixon’s Smoke Show BBQ and Duke of Perth for fish & chips

    January 24, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • General Features

    Start-up central: Here are 11 relatively new start-up companies in Chicago we think you should know about

    January 5, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • First Look - Reviews

    First Look review: Subtext Theater Company’s “A Prayer for the Sandinistas” tackles issues of the heart, family and the value ...

    May 28, 2017
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • Other Recent ArticlesThe Local Corner

    The Local Corner: Exploring the Milwaukee and Wolcott intersection in Wicker Park

    June 14, 2013
    By TheRealChicagoOnline
  • The Big City Blog

    The Big City Blog: New happy hour specials, Shakespeare, Chicago Cocktail Social, Laugh Out Loud Theater and AIRE rooftop

    April 19, 2016
    By TheRealChicagoOnline

You might be interested

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    Drinks by the lake: Exploring some of Chicago’s best beach bars

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    An ode to good beer: The welcome influx of Chicago craft breweries

  • Around TownGeneral Features

    No vegetarians allowed: Examining Chicago’s love affair with steak

  • LATEST REVIEWS

  • TOP REVIEWS

Timeline

  • November 11, 2021

    Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

  • July 31, 2019

    Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & Ash

  • July 30, 2019

    First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater experience

  • July 28, 2019

    Finger lickin’ good: Six trusted Chicago spots for a stellar barbecue experience

  • July 25, 2019

    The Big City Blog: Four Friday Night Flights beer tastings remain this summer, including July 26 in Ravenswood

Latest Comments

  • The 14 Best Fireplaces in Chicago | UrbanMatter
    on
    October 11, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: The Real Chicago […]

    Cozy on up: We asked active Chicagoans for their favorite spots to warm up in the ...

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum | FreeForAll.org
    on
    January 16, 2017
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • Why You Should Visit a Museum – FreeForAll.org
    on
    October 23, 2016
    […] Photo Credit: Therealchicago   […]

    It’s cold out there: A few spots to warm up this winter

  • The Real Chicago – The Big City Blog: A very Chicago night on the town
    on
    May 31, 2016
    […] up was The Redhead Piano Bar for drinks and live music. I’ve said it before ...

    Friendly, unfussy, and serious about music: Hanging with Marshall Nelson from the Redhead Piano Bar

  • Scouting Logan Square: A Renewed Historical Neighborhood - The Annex, a blog by Casamatic
    on
    March 10, 2016
    […] (cover photo via The Real Chicago) […]

    The rise of Logan Square: Why this diverse area has quickly become one of Chicago’s hottest ...

Find us on Facebook

Originally launched in 2006, The Real Chicago — as a glossy entertainment magazine, website and email newsletter — has consistently provided the very best insider information, features and reviews to help both tourists and active locals get the most out of exploring the greatest city on Earth.
  • Latest Posts

  • Inside Scoop: Massive FoBAB beer festival returns to Chicago this weekend, Nov. 12-13

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    November 11, 2021
  • Chicago Insider Etienne Padin on obscure museums, shopping in Andersonville and dining at Maple & ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 31, 2019
  • First Look review: CMX CineBistro provides a fun, fresh take on the luxury dine-in theater ...

    By TheRealChicagoOnline
    July 30, 2019

Photostream

    Follow us

    © Copyright The Real Chicago. All rights reserved.