November 2001

In the Hood -
At a Cultural Crossroads

   Where Clark and Belmont come together, you'll find a lively intersection of culture, taste and style.
   While this hotbed is linked by the timeless and well-known Italian eatery, Mia Francesca, and the famous haven for margaritas and Mexican, El Jardin, a plethora of ethnic dining options can be found in this four-block radius. It's literally a multicultural food court.
   At the Asian, Diosa Red (3419 North Clark), sample the green river spinach seafood soup with rice crouton, unagi seaweed rolls with crabmeat, wasabi tobikko, and the whiskey barbecue garlic prawn with asparagus and jasmine rice.
   Mama Desta's Red Sea (3216 North Clark) features African fare with names like Asmara Foole, boiled fava beans, sautéed onions in kibbeh (clarified butter) with green peppers and potatoes, and Yebeg Wat, lamb stew seasoned with spices and berbere sauce.
   Moroccan Andalous (3307 North Clark) offers "Famous Couscous" with braised lamb and assorted vegetables and spices - also made vegetarian-style - and several Tagines of chicken, lamb, beef and catfish.
   The Outpost (3438 North Clark) may serve traditional Asian cuisine, but food preparation is anything but conventional. Dried cherry-filled wontons, mint-tinted vegetable spring rolls, seared ostrich, as well as pizzas and pasta grace this out of the ordinary menu.
   These next places are a few steps away from Clark and Belmont, but they're Dion Antic's joints (Bar Thirteen, Iggy's, Harry's Velvet Room, Toast), and they rock. Deville (3335 North Halsted) serves contemporary American cuisine featuring steaks, fish and chicken in upscale arrangements, as well as a nouveau take on mac 'n cheese. Walking into The Pepper Lounge (3441 North Sheffield) may feel like you've just stepped into a scene from the film, Casino ("No one stays at the top forever..."). As the late-nite supper club serves mostly Italian fare, don't miss the house specialty - cheese-filled red pepper ravioli with shrimp and peppers in a tomato cream sauce. But the real flavor here is the hipster atmosphere accented by the film classics rolling on the screen.
   Trade in traditional omelets and pancakes for weekend brunch with "a peel" at Orange (3231 North Clark). All ingredients are organic, even the coffee (give the orange coffee a swill.) If it can be squeezed, they can juice it, so pick your fruits and veggies wisely. The house specialty, "Frushi" (fruit sushi) is a creative combo not to be overlooked, such as papaya sashimi and strawberry-pear maki. Find your inner child while tasting jelly doughnut pancakes, French toast kabobs, and green eggs and ham (the green comes from basil pesto, Dr. Seuss).
   While dining purveyors range from African to Vietnamese, Clark and Belmont's sartorial focus is purely funk and punk. Vintage jewelry and handbags cover the walls of Hubba Hubba (3309 North Clark), but the clothes on the racks are anything but old. Funky tees, sweaters, skirts and pants are shipped in frequently from New York and Los Angeles.
   Across the...The Alley, with its two entrances - on the north corner of Clark and west corner of Belmont - features the finest in biker jackets, leather apparel, assorted metals for body piercings, music, and any other paraphernalia that might fall under the category of punk or antiauthoritarian.
   Tragically Hip (931 West Belmont) is the "it" spot, girls, if you're looking for those long cardigan sweaters that are all the rage, with fashionable hues and faux-fur trims. Denims and tops that scream, "Notice Me!" are also on sale at reasonable prices.
   What you will notice is a neighborhood an L stop away from food, people, and style that says, "Try something different!" The intersection boasts suburban punk rock teens, Cubs fans, and cultured locals.