Frank Brichetto

Chicago Correspondent

It certainly is Summer, so it’s time to take our monthly escapades to brand new heights, as well as spend plenty of time outdoors. So, friends and readers, check the weather, make sure that you’ve reserved the necessary tickets or reservations, and let’s get going.

Every day is a good day for pizza, so let’s start the month today, Saturday, June 6^th, with an early lunch at Robert’s Pizza. Robert Garvey makes his unique sourdough crusts from a recipe developed by trial-and-error over twenty years. This place has been winning awards; they were recently named one of the “50 Best Pizzerias” in the world, and 6^th Best in America, by PQM Pizza magazine, https://www.pmq.com/roberts-pizza/; presented with the “Summit Restaurant Award” at this year’s Summit Chicago,  https://www.thesummitchicago.com/; and, perhaps most importantly, named by Chicago native, Bill Murray, as “possibly the best pizza he’s ever had”.

With recommendations like that, we have to visit and try it out. Robert’s Pizza, https://robertspizzacompany.com, 465 N. McClurg Ct., along the Ogden Slip, bakes thin crust pizza from their own sourdough, and I can’t wait to bite into a slice of Cali Italia, topped with asiago, fresh mozz, gorgonzola cheese, fig jam, prosciutto di parma, balsamic glaze, shaved parmigiano reggiano, evoo. Perhaps you would prefer the Duck Prosciutto with calabrian chili peppers, fresh mozz, shredded mozz and red sauce? Don’t worry, there is plenty to share.

After lunch, we’re heading to Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., for one of the very best of Chicago’s many events, The Chicago Blues Festival, www.ChicagoBluesFestival.us/. With four stages, and music from noon until 9:00pm, we will have ample opportunity to hear both old masters and new, laying down awesome Blues well into the evening. At 1:00pm, I’d like to hear the group from Nicholas Senn High School, playing in the Wrigley Square area, and then at 2:00pm Melody Angel will take the Rosa’s Lounge Stage. After that, you can pick out one of your favorites, and then we’ll wander between the stages, taking in one or two tunes from the acts at every stage.

Tonight’s finale starts at 7:45pm on-stage in Pritzker Pavillion: “75 years of Billy Branch, with Kenny Neal and Ronnie Baker Brooks”. That is a trio that’s not to be missed and their live music will not soon be forgotten.

Today, Thursday, June 11^th, we’ll be starting the weekend early by attending “Rockin’ in the Park” a free Thursday evening concert series at Rosemont Parkway Bank Park, 5501 Park Place, Rosemont.  “American English” is in concert, and we don’t want to miss it. If you’re not familiar with them, this Beatles tribute show will take you through each of the different musical and costume styles that the Beatles made famous as they toured the world. They have won the sound-a-like contest at Beatlefest® three times and been voted “number one” by many thousands of fans. Named the “Illinois Entertainer of the Year”, American English has shared the stage with The Neville Brothers, Three Dog Night, The Ides of March, Eric Burdon, The Buckinghams, and Gary Sinise’s Lieutenant Dan Band, among others. It’s an excellent show, with perfect vocals and musicianship; there’s even a fireworks show at the end. How cool is that? Please join us.

The Scottish Highland Games are fascinating, and today, Friday, June 12^th, we’ll get the chance to experience them in person. The Chicago Scots, https://chicagoscots.org/festival/, Illinois’s first and oldest non-profit, is welcoming everyone to the 39th Annual Scottish Festival & Highland Games, and that includes us. The festival runs all weekend, but tonight we’ll arrive about 5:00pm, hungry and thirsty.

Apparently Scottish culture is much brighter and more vibrant than the usual depiction from movies or TV.  Highlights of this very family-friendly festival will include the largest bagpipe band championship in North America, the infamous heavy athletic events such as the caber-toss, and displays of highland dancing. We’ll be tasting fine Scotch whisky, of course, along with good food and a variety of other drinks. There’s a “Dogs of Scotland” show, a kids area complete with a Scottish petting zoo, and even a classic British car show.

The Scottish band, Skerryvore, are headlining, bringing their contemporary Scottish sound – which fuses folk, trad, pop and rock influences (a lot different than the bagpipe bands, I’m expecting) – to the Main Stage. All proceeds from the weekend will benefit the Chicago Scots’ principal charity, Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care in North Riverside. This is a charity event, so get tickets in advance and join us.

Tonight Saturday, June 13^th, will be special indeed. We do hope that you will join us before 7:30pm, at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. This evening the Ensemble Español will once again mesmerize us with the utterly captivating music and dance known as “Flamenco”. Tonight marks the 50th Anniversary for the Ensemble, having started so humbly at Northeastern Illinois University (where they are still in residence). This group has grown their repertoire, broadened their musical skills, brought many extraordinary dancers to the pinnacle of their abilities, and thrilled audiences around the world.

Tonight’s 50^th Anniversary Celebration Program features: “Escenas Villanescas”, the World Premiere of a classical Spanish piece featuring the entire company; “Pasion Oculta”, featuring five couples portraying the hidden passions of love and desire, set to two songs by the all-female electronic string quartet, Escala; “Antecesores/Ancestors”, a Flamenco drama paying homage to those whose lives and efforts built this vivid culture out of the mix of everyday experiences of the Romani, Jewish, Moorish and Andalusian people; and the grand finale, “Bolero”, called “amazing” by the New York Times.

Summer is for fun, and nothing complements a day of fun quite like a good Margarita. So today, Saturday, June 20^th, meet us, please, let’s say about noon, at the Chicago Food Truck Festival & Chicago Margarita Festival collaboration at 2300 S. Indiana Ave. Margaritas and lots of trucks with food. Doesn’t that sound like a recipe for fun? This festival promises to be family-friendly, so let’s invite all our friends, and bring the kids along too. Music will be presented by live DJs, so we can request our favorites before we pick up on some new tunes.

With 25–30 food trucks on hand, the party will host a huge variety of cuisines. The official Chicago Margarita Festival tent will be onsite, and they will be happy to let us choose from a range of refreshing margarita flavors, so don’t forget your ID.

Just two quick notes: We can purchase drink and merchandise tickets in advance, and have them scanned at the Margarita Tent, located at 2400 S. Indiana Ave., for redemption.  Also, remember to bring chairs, as seating will be limited.

Dear friends and readers, today, Sunday, June 21^st, is Father’s Day, and my son and my wife are conspiring to take me to Mountain View Adventure Center, 510 E. Algonquin Rd., Des Plaines, for some mini-golfing. This is ridiculous, of course, as I have no inkling as to how to play this game, but I’m sure we’ll all have a great time. After a few hours of putting little balls around the obstacle course food will be in order, so perhaps a visit to Via Roma, 464 E. Northwest Hwy., Des Plaines, https://viaromadesplaines.com/, will be in order. This small restaurant is truly one of Chicago’s hidden gems, with excellent menu offerings and impeccable service. The bolognese sauce is lovingly made in house and served over fresh fettuccine, and the pollo limone has exactly the right amount of fresh lemon in the tomato sauce.

Dads, I’m trusting that your family will surprise you with your own private adventure, and I hope that you all enjoy it.

Let’s picnic! We can call our friends together and meet today, Saturday, June 27^th, to have a picnic at Gompers Park, where we can park in the lot at 5150 N. Keeler Ave., gather our food, chairs and blankets then spread out beneath the trees on a large grassy meadow. The park has a lagoon with a pier and paved pathways all around, and just downstream are rehabilitated wetlands. Let’s walk the trails and use the interpretive signage to learn about the prairie and riparian landscapes. The area provides nesting and feeding grounds for birds such as great blue herons, red-winged blackbirds, and migratory warblers. Now let’s just eat, tell stories and catch up on our lives before have to attend to weekend chores.

In celebration of Rosemont’s 70th anniversary and America’s 250th anniversary, Parkway Bank Park will debut its first-ever “Rockin’ in the USA” three-day Fourth of July weekend music festival. Meet us on opening night, Friday, July 3: for Boy Band Night / Super Diamond.

Boy Band Night (that’s really the band’s name) plays tribute to popular boy bands from NSYNC, Backstreet Boys and New Kids on The Block, Boys II Men and others, and their songs will have even me dancing and singing along all night.

Super Diamond, as you’d expect, performs with unrestrained enthusiasm as they bring Neil Diamond’s power ballads and up-tempo hits back to life. The set favors songs that will have us dancing and singing along, such as Cracklin’ Rosie, Sweet Caroline, Forever in Blue Jeans and many more.

Today, Saturday, July 4^th, is Independence Day, of course, and for us it’s a family day. So, as you gather with friends and family, please don’t forget to take a few moments to contemplate those brave men who boldly wrote “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal…” in a time when that was absolutely NOT self-evident, especially to a king who believed he ruled by divine right. Then happily eat well, converse enthusiastically, and enjoy the blessings of freedom.

We’ll meet again next month.