"Since I am Italian and have both Italian and American citizenship, I wanted to bring part of my heritage here with me to Chicago. I love the craftsmanship of the European clothing lines and am very careful to find unusual pieces to showcase here. The people seem to love it."
You know when I first tried finding Merkel's, since my love is from Germany and Angela Merkle is the Chancellor, I entered the bar next door during a Sunday, the Super Bowl Sunday, and outside was the Trolley fun car filled with people going paintballing dressed in Camouflage outfits...true story. The owner of the "other bar" yelled, "We're not Merkel's it's next door quit coming in here asking for Merkel's!" so I kind of figured that the paintballers were German and had already run into the bar asking for Merkel's! Yep!
"We have specials everyday we are open, just look on our website, and the people especially love the Trivia Fridays, which is basically starting at 7:30pm every Friday and great drink specials with food and fun."http://merkleschicago.com/ LOCATED AT 3516 CLARK STREET 
Located at 5 West Hubbard Street, if you all want to come in to Mother Hubbard's be prepared to be in Sport's Heaven! "Every television has sports, yet at the Super Bowl every television had the SuperBowl, a small group of 5 people came in and asked to watch the women's basketball game. We turned on a television for the women! You know we are known as the Sport's Bar that is for everybody," says Parker. 
You know it is all about the Sports, literally, they have about 36 televisions with Sports playing til 5:00 am every night...that is right, it is a Sports Bar that is kitty corner form the Hilton Garden on State Street, one block Rock Bottom Brewery, and it is continual Sports all day everyday. If you come in and ask for a certain Sports Team, a ERC Rally, a Soccer Barcelona and Rome, a obscure sports station from around the world, they find it. "We have so many cable boxes, you wouldn't believe it. We even have cable boxes in the basement, that is how many we have. Every hotel in the downtown area of Chicago knows that they can recommend Mother Hubbard's to their guests, and we can find what you want. One time a New Zealand group came and told us of a station we never heard of, and we made a call. 15 minutes later, they were happily sitting at a table facing their favorite sport team watching the games," says one of the two young partners, Parker, who I met on Saturday. 
"We've owned Mother Hubbard's about 10 months now, " says his other partner, Jake, who I met on the National Pizza Day before Covid shut Chicago down, "My first bar is in Lincoln Park and it is named Derno's, which was an accident really. I wanted to open the neighborhood bar and all my friends the week before I opened kept asking me when Derno's was opening and I would say to my friends that it isn't named Derno's. But, I finally just named it Derno's which is my nickname. That bar is a neighborhood bar with specials such as wings and special priced beer. The one here is a Sports bar and we have the distinct honor of being named the best pterodactyl wings in the world from CBS Sports. It is because our wings are three sided and huge. You have to come in on Wednesdays when we have the wing day or since you said you have eaten Chicago Chicken wings everyday since coming to Chicago you can try these today, although it is National Pizza Day!" he says. 
"We've owned Mother Hubbard's about 10 months now, " says his other partner, Jake, who I met on the National Pizza Day before Covid shut Chicago down, "My first bar is in Lincoln Park and it is named Derno's, which was an accident really. I wanted to open the neighborhood bar and all my friends the week before I opened kept asking me when Derno's was opening and I would say to my friends that it isn't named Derno's. But, I finally just named it Derno's which is my nickname. That bar is a neighborhood bar with specials such as wings and special priced beer. The one here is a Sports bar and we have the distinct honor of being named the best pterodactyl wings in the world from CBS Sports. It is because our wings are three sided and huge. You have to come in on Wednesdays when we have the wing day or since you said you have eaten Chicago Chicken wings everyday since coming to Chicago you can try these today, although it is National Pizza Day!" he says. 
"Since you love chicken wings,
you gotta come in for the pterodactyl wings, which is what CBS named these. People love our wings and me and Jake have a great time pushing as the envelope on sports channels and pub food!" says Parker.
What do I love about Derno's Pub Neighborhood Drinking Place...didn't I just say! Okay, I love the wings and pizza, the cool and fun and crazy bartenders and the wild laughing guests who are always at Derno's. Just thought I'd show you the famous pizza and wings...the beer has local breweries and American staples and of course Maplewood Brewery beer! https://www.orderdernos.com/
https://www.orderdernos.com/
The neighborhood Bar Derno's is at 506 West Diversey, and is always full of happy people wanting to drink some good beer with friends,"Which is why I bought the 30 year old bar about 3 years now. I went to the place with friends and when the opportunity arose, I grabbed it. About 6 months ago, I asked Parker, who is a expert in real estate, to partner with me. He is great at marketing and knows many people around Chicago and I am good in the bar scene. We make great partners!" says Jake.
https://maplewoodbrew.com/ "Maplewood Brewery is one of the beers that I had at my Derno's bar in Chicago the last 2 years, since my friend Evan is one of the sales reps and basically it is a great beer, and when we bought the bar Mother Hubbard's 3 months now, we added Maplewood to our list. The people love it." says Jake and I tell him that my niece Chelsea married the boss of Maplewood Brewery, Adam Cieslak. "That is totally awesome this is cool. We love that beer!"says Jake. I say that they started the beers with pictures of their pug dogs on the can, and we look at the other beers. Maybe I am
Below the Maplewood Brewery in Logan Square on Maplewood of course. 
Below one of the Pug Beers named Morbidly Obese Pug Extra Fudge...(I guess their Pug got fat!).
The owners with Adam Cieslak in the middle of Maplewood Brewery. 
And starting February 8, 2020, the newest Cuppa which is the Cuppa Stuffff, I guess for the Thurn und Taxis Palace's Stuffed Christmas Camels, yet it could be something else. They have so many cool beers that it is difficult to tell which one is me. So, I guess I have to try all of em! 
Because of Covid I've been limited in meeting with any of my entreprenuers, so just keep everybody safe and
know we can all party here in the future!
DSTRKT BAR at 1540 Milwaukee in Wicker Park
reservations: (773) 394-4147
SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS
"We want to be known as a Sports bar, primarily, with Sports Pub food specials, but mostly concentrating on great sports. When we have a super event, we have reservations, such as yesterday at the Super Bowl and getting ready for the NBA stars on Feb. 14 to 16"
"We're a upscale bar with great music and events, and every night we have specials for the sporty people. We are trying to reshape that image for sports. We love sports and music. Of course at the SuperBowl it was crazy here!" says the very fun and friendly manager named Frank who I interviewed at the bar. Upstairs is a very elegant bar and dinner tables, but downstairs is where the wild fun happens! https://www.instagram.com/dstrktchicago/ 
I met the ultimate most charming couple at the brand New Thai inspired Japanese Sushi BAR! named KIZAMI SUSHI, located at 2235 North Lincoln Ave. Patcha is the boss here, and his story is so amazing which you can see from the photos! 
used to be a Buddhist Monk, yes it is true. "In my homeland of Thailand, I was a Monk 3 years. My mother kept coming to the Temple asking me to please stop being a Monk and get on with life! Finally, I moved to Chicago with my aunt's family and I started working on my first restaurant after 5 years of college. I started with 7 partners who have almost all gone, and it is only my partner and me now! I own three and the one here is 100% mine. My first!" says Patcha as he and his fiance, Mae, sit and chat. They interrupt our interview a couple of minutes to have his Master at the Buddhist Temple bless his new restaurant. A first for me, too, and I am thrilled to witness! 
Patcha is a partner in the two Thai Restaurants, Thai Japanese, and Thai, named Thai Lagoon and Zoku in Chicago, too. You can see both of their websites and make reservations here: http://thailagoononline.com/ and http://www.zokuchicago.com/ respectively.
Thai Lagoon is many years old and when I entered in the partnership, my first restaurant, I had much to learn from my other 6 partners. We had 7 before and now we only have 2. It is great and the people love the Thai food and I am happy to introduce my culture. I learned much with 2 restaurants after that one and now I have number 4 and 5 still successful. I guess my 1, 4, and 5 are successes!" says Patcha on how his 2nd and 3rd restaurants were not so successful! "I learned and am happy for my experience. Now I have 2 Thai inspired Thai and Thai Japanese and my Sushi restaurant!" 
And since the Thai and Japanese cuisine is ultimately all about the Food, I thought to include some very yummy pictures. My first Thai food experience was about 22 years since and I loved it and the food very much!
Thai Lagoon is located at 2223 West North Avenue. 
Zoku, which is Sushi and Asian cuisine is in Humboldt Park. "I went back to culinary school, after my second restaurant failure and learned all of it. I learned how to cook everything from the Master's and I learned bartending and basically I learned how to be a better foodie!" says Patcha and here is the results! 
And of course a lovely way for the men to find women! Ha ha ha. Very smart! Another item I loved about the bar and tell Bob is that my niece owns Maplewood Brewery in Chicago(or her husband Adam does) and Dominique and Bob start laughing. "Actually I love the beer that they have and that is why we have two on tap. And we had our Christmas party at the brewery pub, the Tap Room at Maplewood, so we know the brewery very well." I tell him I am supposedly the Green Spirit, since all of us are named after their beers, and Dominque and Bob say that at least I'm not the Charlatan, although the Charlatan is actually a very good beer. I say that perhaps I am if they talk about me behind my back and just don't actually tell me!
Trattoria Riccardo, Enoteca Riccardo and the Randolph location of Osteria Riccardo opened only 10 months, is the newest empire of esteemed chef Riccardo Michi and his first sole ownership. Riccardo Michi is from a Milanese family of a 76 year old authentic traditional Osteria named Girarrosto. Riccardo later moved to New York where he opened the Sonny Bono Restaurant, Giardino Restaurant and Madeo Restaurant in Beverly Hills! In 1987 he helped his cousin open the first famous Bice in New York City and subsequently Chicago where he moved with his chef wife Veronica. "I enjoy mine the most now,"he laughs. "I can do it the way I want. It is all mine and I used to be in the kitchen all the time, yet most nights you can find me outside just supervising each plate. And yes I love what I do. You have to love what you do in the business or you wouldn't last very long," he says laughing. Trattoria Riccardo and Enoteca Riccardo can be found at
2119 N Clark St, Chicago, IL
https://www.facebook.com/
"A lot of the Chicago-land Italian restaurants want to do the Modern design and new innovations, yet here I want to keep it simple. A simple Italian kitchen, I have the Tripe still and the Ribollita and I have the Wild Boar. I could do the Florentine steak, yet it is a simple way to do steak and I would have to compete with all of the famous steakhouses in Chicago which is what Chicago is known for. Mine is a Milanese Kitchen with recipes of my mother's and a Tuscany kitchen. Both me and my wife, Veronica, are chefs and she has learned the Italian cooking although she is Argentinian." says the very kind capo, Riccardo Michi.
I comment on the wild birds of Audubon framed on his walls, with their heavy dark wood borders and their elegant flow of body and form and Riccardo says, "Yes, I have these designs from my mother and father's restaurant in Milan. I don't have their pictures, since that restaurant was 76 years, but I have that style. I love the birds of Audubon," he says. You can catch a glimpse behind his young chef, Al.
Osteria Riccardo and Trattoria Riccardo are opposite each other at 2110 North Clark in Lincoln Park./cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63344623/RO2__2_.0.jpg)
Meet the very humble, yet totally famous and accomplished revered Capo of Riccardo's of Chicago, Riccardo Michi, Trattoria Riccardo, Osteria Riccardo and Enoteca Riccardo, of which received Bib Gourmand from Michelin in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
"Restaurant week of Chicago is very big now with about 500 restaurants participating. We each do mini degustation menus for 10 days and they are $36.00. Mine is huge portions and a couple courses of the best that I have to offer of pasta and pesce and meat. I don't skimp the way some restaurants do during restaurant week. I want my guests to sample my food, enjoy it with delight and come back again, " he says. 
"Each restaurant is special in its own way, such as the Enoteca Riccardo has a big brick oven that we cook everything inside, including pizza, and of course the wine. The Osteria Riccardo downtown on Randolph is a little different and the Trattoria Riccardo is a little more extensive since the kitchen is bigger, yet the main items are the same and the recipes are the same. All mine from me and my family's traidtion of Milanese and Tuscany recipes," says Riccardo. "I'm not a sommelier and nobody on my team is, yet we know wine and my wine is from every region of Italy. 
The coolest bar, kitchen and restaurant you shall find in Chicago looks very unethnic, although they are all Mexican: the Takito's, Takito Kitchen at 2013 West Division, The Takito Street at 2423 North Lincoln, and The Takito Bar at 201 North Morgan Street. The creative genius behind all 3 of these is the charming energetic Mario Ponce of Chihuahua, Mexico. http://bartakito.com/ 
"The Takito Bar is the most expensive, probably with the average price per person about $50.00; and the food from each is very different. The Takito Bar has great Margaritas, of course, as all of my restaurants do, and the food is a little more upscale and modern. All Mexican original recipes, though,"says the very happy Boss, Mario, of the three branding Mexican Places that he has enjoyed creating in Chicago. 
"I hire local street artists to paint the murals for my places, since I want something modern, and in keeping with the theme of each. Plus, I love to help the local merchants of Chicago." 
Although the Takito Kitchen is the tiny one of all three, it has the greatest real authentic Mexican food, such as the guacamole, which I LOVE... 2013 West Division
"It took awhile for my artist to design the beautiful butterfly mural outside and bring the same pattern inside, but I am thrilled with what he has done. Let's say that I am the visionary of the design and they actually create my vision. So, I guess I am creative too," says the VERY HUMBLE Mario Ponce, at the Takito Street location in Lincoln Park. 
"In the summer, I am painting John Dillinger behind on the alley brick wall, since that is the place where the real Dillinger was shot!" he says.
"In the summer, I am painting John Dillinger behind on the alley brick wall, since that is the place where the real Dillinger was shot!" he says. 2423 North Lincoln
What's better than serving $3.50 Craft Beers? How about everyday $2.00 Budlight drafts? They don't have special hours here, they have every hour, and they're open til 3.00am weekdays, 4.00am weekends with bar and kitchen ready to serve.
https://www.instagram.com/theclarkstreetdog/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/
"My father started the Pub in 1977 and I joined him, basically took it over, in 2009. It's fun. People come in here from the neighborhood and people come from out of state, and out of the country and always want to eat the HotDog since that is basically what we are famous for. I think actually they enjoy it the most along with the Italian beef. The locals eat the hamburgers, the grilled chicken, and try all of the items, but I think mostly the people that are visiting Chicago for the first time always want to try the famous HotDogs. At 2.00am, if you're hungry, you can come here and eat some great food, that is very inexpensive and drink beer along side it. That is very unusual in Chicago since most of the time the Hotdogs aren't sold along with the alcohol. I think at $2.00 a budlight, it is the cheapest place in all of Lincoln Park vicinity: the bars in Lincoln Park might have Happy Hours, but even that is more than our All day hours. Try it here and you'll always come here." 
The cool family of Clark Street Dog, where I interviewed the son, Angelo, about life in the neighborhood and the history of the Clark Street Dog Pub. I had the first opportunity to try the famous "vienna beef" hotdog, complete with "run the garden". What exactly does that mean? "That means that you add the real brown relish, the tomatoes, the peppers, the pickles with mustard. No ketchup, just mustard and real beef hotdogs. That is the traditional Chicago hotdog and we've been serving it here since 1977, along with the 100% beef hamburgers that were real trendy as 100% beef way before it became the "yuppy gourmet burgers." "The Taste of Chicago downtown is something we don't do; however, the Taste of Wrigleyville which is not really called that but it is near here and it is a Music festival Memorial Day that is in the Wrigleyville area or the Art festival that is near another neighborhood, we do have tents at these since I feel they are actually better quality festivals and less money for the guests." says Angelo, who is 100% about the quality of the food and not charging his guests a outrageous price. Although being located where he is in the middle of it all and being pretty famous locally for the Chicago-style food, he could do just that.
You can find Bourgeois Pig located at 738 West Fullerton Ave. It has such a lovely old-fashioned space, with it's sandwiches named after famous literary figures, The Great Gatsby, you know those romantic images of days-gone-by. The couches, the chairs, the epitome of comfort and style. On every given day you can find the college student, the book aficionado or just a group of friends hanging out enjoying a cup of coffee that isn't Starbucks. It is a charming independent cafe that has been cared for years and years by the same Bohemian spirit, by the name of Mason Green, a charming kind person who is totally interested in all that you have to say and is full of stories and adventures himself. 
https://www.facebook.com/BourgeoisPigCafe/ They have great sandwiches, all homemade, and my favorite treats of all...Rice Krispy squares made with tons of marshmallows and big enough for lunch!
A beautiful 1920's style cafe, with a world traveler boss at the heart of it and killer scones and homemade bakery items, along with the best fruit flavored coffee and many varieties of tea and you have the oldest independent coffee house in Chicago, featured on Rachel Ray and Adam Richman's television shows, not to mention on People Magazine's list. 
