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Fullerton (Brown/Red)

Fun for the co-eds and co-workers.

Thursday Oct 20, 2005.     By Jennifer Berg

Lifestyle Feed

Head to Fullerton on an autumn day and cravings for the college years will hit you somethin' fierce. Luckily, you can spend hours in a cafe, gorging yourself on java and contemplating Plato. You can pretend that you're young and strong-stomached enough to hit Lincoln Avenue, tumbling tipsily from bar to bar before a late-night greasefest at Taco Burrito Palace 2. But being older has its advantages: Fullerton offers an array of chi-chi shops that sell killer duds the co-eds only dream of. There are upscale bars, exotic ethnic eats and (if growing up is just not your thing) a bakery so adorable and gosh darn delightful it'll bring the kid out of you in a cupcake bite.

Safety rating: Exercise common sense and you'll be just fine.

Panhandler rating: It seems inevitable that every L stop has a few panhandlers lurking around; Fullerton is no exception.

In-the-know spot
Sweet Mandy B's
Okay, so Sweet Mandy B's is about as under the radar as NYC's Magnolia Bakery. But cupcakes this good (and hues of frosting this bright and pretty) just can't be ignored. For the few stragglers who haven't yet popped into the queen "B" of the confection scene, think melt-in-your-mouth, sprinkle-festooned butter cream crowning golden cakes. Dream of home-baked pies, fresh chocolate chip cookies and snicker doodle treats sharing counter space with whoopee pies, rocky road brownies, s'mores and banana pudding cups. In short, ordering anything off the menu here is like taking a waltz with the sugar plum fairy. Expect nothing but pure, saccharine delight.

There is one catch, however: You must try to refrain from gobbling down all that sweetness in one fell bite. Part of the pleasure of Mandy B's is hanging out to bask in the bakery's adorable glow. Enter under the stained-glass, pink-frosted cupcake (sprinkles and all) that tops the front door. Inside, butterscotch yellow gives way to sunny-sky blue. Old-fashioned candy jars nestle in nooks on the wall and painted white flowers decorate the tabletops, begging you to grab a sweet seat.

Where to chill
Bourgeois Pig
You'll feel a bit like Alice in Library-land at Bourgeois Pig: Curious trinkets mingle with heavy tomes that line the space's bookshelves. Beneath crystal chandeliers, old coca cola cartons, hanging washboards and gas lamps lend old-fashioned charm to the cafe. A Singer sewing machine holds beans for sale, and a giant claw foot tub in the bathroom ensures that the down-home detail extends to every corner.

Tea-sippin' profs from nearby De Paul lend an intellectual air (eavesdrop on your table mates if you want to learn something about the Industrial Revolution). Even the Pig's sandwiches and salads seem to have majored in English: the Rueben is called Catcher in the Rye and the goat cheese and cherry salad is a Midsummer Night's Dream. A second level provides cozy and collegiate nooks for reading: Expect deep red and green walls, a fireplace, more chandeliers and views of the neighborhood's rooftops, all set off with a classical soundtrack. In the fairer months, an upstairs patio and sidewalk seating provide perfect spaces for reading Shakespeare and downing lattes in the sun.

Sure bet for shopping
Eskell
In a recently opened ode to girly style, Eskell owners Kelly and Elizabeth stock a slew of hard-to-find frocks and bijoux. Look for intricately adorned dresses and flirty skirts from Judi Rosen, Tamara Catz and Miss Mills alongside collections by Fin and Bilingual, denim by Neves and jewelry from In God we Trust. The front section of the store features designs made by Kelly and Elizabeth, gorgeously crafted pieces that incorporate bits of lace and vintage fabrics.

Eskell has the pleasant atmosphere to back the pretty things dangling from its hangers: The shop smells faintly of vanilla, displays showcase the owners' creative prowess (jewelry hangs off wall-mounted antlers) and the fitting rooms are yellow-hued havens of cheer. The moral of Eskell's story: There's not a drop of Juicy in these pink and lavender walls. Though prices at this boutique compete with the bad-boy retailers of Michigan Avenue, Eskell is worth the trek for unique finds. Dress yourself in these designs to project a savvy, off-the-beaten-rack style that will put you in imminent danger of being asked "Where'd you get that?" every time you turn a corner.

Best of the nighttime world
Gramercy
Streamlined space, uninterrupted expanses of white and touches of Zen (look for water falling on the wall behind the bar and bamboo shoots in the bathroom) single Gramercy out as the swankiest lounge this side of Sunset Strip (or at least the most upscale joint in the De Paul area.) Quite a departure from the noisy, beer-on-tap bars that dominate the rest of Lincoln Avenue, Gramercy is the perfect tranquil, upscale spot in which to get cozy with your date.

The full bar features an extensive martini list (most will cost you $9) that includes a signature drink for those who like their sauce on the sweet side: The Gramercy Martini combines Stoli Vanilla with Blue Curacao, pineapple and orange juice. Also on offer are 11 wines by the glass and an array of bottled beers. Cheese plates, pork chops and shrimp cocktail provide nice things to nibble (all less than $10) as you lounge in the white leather banquettes that line the front room or snuggle into one of the two lounges in back. The sultry Euro soundtrack pulses quietly enough to allow conversation and the crowd of after-work types seems more intent on chilling than guzzling. Although there's no official dress code, you may want to consider letting out your dressy side.

Good for groups
McGee's
I said it when I was, err, 21, and I'll say it as an official too-old-for-college-bars ambassador: There's so much more to McGee's than DePaul students and $1 Bud and Miller bottles. (Though to be fair, the Thursday night special is one excellently priced incentive to haul down to this beneath-the-L-tracks bar). The crowd does contain a fair amount of co-eds, but for every baseball cap you'll find a spiffy dress shirt. Most of McGee's beer-downers fall between the ages of 23 and 30, giving the place a reputation as a stomping ground for young professionals.

The front room's polished wood booths, plate glass windows, green-and-white tiled floors and brass detailing assigns a classic pub appearance to McGee's. The back houses a stage for live bands (look out for performances by local favorite Maggie Speaks) and two additional bars.

McGee's proudly claims more than 60 TV screens for patrons to catch all the Bears, Cubs and Bulls action. During football season, Saturday and Sunday brunch from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. makes the bar the perfect meeting spot for groups to gather and watch games over bloody marys and eggs benedict.