Rise Up With Fists

Let's start with a request. My friend Sabin is a 33 yr old photographer, now living in Las Vegas. We played indoor soccer together for years, he's an incredibly talented individual and one of the geniunely nicest people I've come across. On June 24th, Sabin suffered a stroke. He's working on what everyone hopes is a full recovery, but since the original cause of the stroke is still undetermined there's a high risk that it could happen again. Sabin has gone to numerous doctor visits, and he recently spent a few days at the Mayo Clinic to undergo more testing. Always one to push the envelope, he set up a website to track his progress -- please visit it at Sabin's Stroke of Genius.com to track his progress or to make a donation. As one of several million working Americans without health insurance, the cost of finding an answer has an unfortunate bottom line attached to it.
Chicagoans -- there is a fundraiser on at Kincades on 9/26. See the webpage for details.

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A week late update regarding a Thursday night venture close to where the Lincoln Park Late Night Cowards have been senselessly attacking solo parties (men) after midnight.

Our first stop was Forno Diablo, #113, which is really more restaurant than bar. Dark interior decor, red accents, black & white movies on the television, and thankfully NO CARPET -- this is definitely one of the classier joints in the neighborhood. Our waitress is chipper, the pizza I order is more expensive but also 100x better than the one I ordered the previous Thursday at the Ave Tave. The beer menu is impressive so...(big surprise!) I like this place. While drinking a couple of very intriguing Maredsous Dubbel's, our conversation flows from idiot Cubs fans to the new Sox lineup and ends somewhere around running injuries.
Speaking of idiot Cubs fans...perhaps someone can explain something to me I've never understood. As a Sox fan, I have no problem admitting Wrigley Field is a beautiful place to see a ballgame. The field, that is, the stadium is something else. Anyway, the field, the ivy, the bricks, it's a shrine to baseball and better prose than I can compose has been written about the place. So at this glorious shrine to our national pastime, why is it that Cubs fans, more than any other group I've seen in the US, feel the need to litter the field with garbage when they're unsatisfied with either the umpiring, the opponent, or the perceived slight they feel their players have been given? "This place is gorgeous! Let's throw more garbage on it!" Stay classy, northsiders.

We crossed the street to Duffy's, #114. Duffy's has a huge backroom where the crowded crowd of revelers enjoying the start to an early weekend or simply drinking off their softball wins and losses actually made Rick and I feel old. We had a beer and left. I've enjoyed some days spent at Duffy's, but it's not a place anywhere near the top of my list. It did make me long for the days when I could handle dollar beer night on Lincoln Ave, those days seem to be long gone.

Third, and last stop for the night, is the tiny joint next door to Duffy's, Fion, #115. Technically a wine bar, this small place is well dressed, classy, plays good music and has yet another very very long list of imported beers. The specials for the night were mostly for various wines, but I was sticking to my beer choices. Definitely a spot for chilling out with a small group of friends, I'll be adding this one to the list of usual destinations. The kids can hang out next door, I'll be okay lounging with the adults in Fion.

So a quick 3 up, 3 down, like a good inning from Buehrle, and we're done for the night. No signs of violence on our way home...and thankfully we haven't heard news of more attacks in the neighborhood in the last few days. Hope the mess is over, but be careful out there anyway. Travel in wolfpacks.