If a visit to the nearby conservatory inspires you to start your own patch of green, make a stop at this full-service retail garden center and design-build landscape resource. You'll hundreds of annuals, perennials, shrubs, soil/mulch/fertilizer and pots ready for purchase in it 16,000-square-foot garden center, along with a staff ready to offer gardening advice.
Owner Edna Stewart knows a lot of things about cooking, and how to whip up a buttery biscuit is one of them. You'll get plenty of biscuit goodness, plus two sides (choose from fried okra, mac 'n' cheese, string beans, corn bread dressing and more), with your entree, which includes house specialties like smoked ham hock, honey-baked ham with pineapple sauce and smothered chicken drumsticks (average $10 each). If the deep-fried pork chops don't overwhelm the belly, save room for the touted peach cobbler.
If you're looking for fresh-from-the-farm fruits and veggies, a stop by the Garfield Park Conservatory is a wise one. The Chicago- and Milwaukee-based Growing Power has teamed with the Conservatory to establish a year-round Saturday pick-up location for its produce boxes (you must place an order by calling the number above). The Farm-City Market Basket consists of 10-15 varieties of veggies intended to feed two to four, like basil, tomatoes, melon and zucchini.
Hop off the L at Conservatory-Central Park Drive and step right into the greenhouses, first opened to the public in 1908. In addition to outdoor gardens, the many display houses include the cacti-filled Desert House, the rainforest-like Palm House, and the Fern Room, a lush space that lets you see what Chicago may have looked like millions of years ago. Should you want to relax among the greenery, the best seat in the house is at the bench located next to a fish-filled "lagoon" in the Aroid House. Free.
If you're craving fish or chicken with a bit of Southern flair, this is a smart stop. Dinners (like the $14 large shrimp dinner) come sided with fries, coleslaw and bread. Take your pick of menu items like catfish fillets and nuggets, perch, wings and chicken gizzards. Sides include okra and hush puppies. You can easily get your fill for about $7.
Providing food and shelter to women in crisis, the Joshua Center is just one of Breakthrough Urban Ministry's programs focused on East Garfield Park. The center cares for both emergency and long-term needs and is "designed to help women break the cycle of homelessness, abandonment, addictions, domestic violence and abuse." Volunteers help prepare and serve meals, assist with GED prep and provide on-the-street outreach; donations of clothing, personal care items and bedding are appreciated as well.
If your pooch loves the great outdoors, this is a massive space worth considering for your boarding and training needs. In addition to the 10,000-square-foot outdoor play area, your boarded pup will enjoy six hours of supervised group play, extra large crates with soft bedding, dim lighting and "soothing" music during rest periods; $35 a night for one dog, $50 for two. Training options include basic and intermediate obedience, agility training and more. Pick-up service available for many North Side neighborhoods.
Serving more seafood and fish, this is the place to go if you're looking for a little of both in the afternoon…or late-late evening. Fish and wings combos are available from about 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and include three pieces of fish and three wings. If you're looking for a bucket of chicken or perch well after dinnertime, Shark's is open until 2 a.m. on weekends.
