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Madison/Wabash

Glam and gritty under Madison's tracks.

Monday Jun 27, 2005.     By Heather Blaha

Lifestyle Feed

Descending from the L staircase at Madison, you'll drop into a noisy hub of jewelers, diamond stores and watch repair shops at every turn. Far from glamorous, the area is never what I think of as a hot spot for diamonds and jewels or a location that exudes the cinematic quality of a bejeweled Marilyn Monroe and her "girl's best friend." What you will find beyond the jewelry storefronts and urban malls are a range of some expected chain stores as well as one-of-a-kind eateries and artist cafes. As always, the Madison stop proves that Chicago likes to mix things up between gritty and glam.

Safety rating: The crowds from Marshall Field's, The Art Institute and Millennium Park keep the area busy and relatively safe.
Panhandler rating: Fairly frequent, but not intrusive.

Cheap Eats
Oasis Cafe
Be careful not to miss the little knee-height sign propped on the sidewalk outside the Wabash Jewelers Mall directing you indoors to the Oasis Cafe. Even once inside and among the bustling jewelry crowd and rows of vendors, I felt completely baffled about where or why this Middle Eastern lunchtime favorite existed among the sales of diamonds and gold. Following my gut, I walked directly to the back room to find satisfied eaters in conversation or happily alone, apparently not baffled at all.

Once I made it to the neon Oasis sign and could smell the spices and kebabs, my hunger and intrigue gave way to ordering too much. The lentil soup alone was larger than I could handle and only cost $1.99. Coupling that with the falafel appetizer (which also comes as a pita sandwich or full plate) of deep fried ground chickpeas with a side of tahini sauce would probably have been enough to get me through the day. But I went ahead and ordered a chicken shawerma sandwich as well, a pita so full of seasoned chicken, cucumbers and tomatoes that I barely made it through half. Unfortunately, I had no room left for hummos (rated Best Hummos in town by the Chicago Tribune), Egyptian salad or baklava. Make sure to keep an eye on the daily sandwich ($4.39) and entree specials ($6.39), which include vegetarian combinations, chicken or lamb.

For the artiste
Gallery 37 Cafe
After browsing through the store at Gallery 37 Center for the Arts where works by apprentice artists are displayed for sale and a wall of windows allows you a glimpse into their work space, the Gallery Cafe is the perfect place to kick back and ingest a little more. A great addition to the many programs and training opportunities of the Gallery 37 mission, the cafe opened in the fall of 2004 with the aim of providing quality food from local bakeries, as well as offering students in the Culinary Job Training Program experience in food preparation and with an understanding of natural and organic products.

Your money will be well spent (and well received, with all proceeds benefiting Gallery 37's programming) on an affordable lunch special: a croissant sandwich and small soup for only $4.25. The cafe also offers a selection of juices, coffee, espresso and teas at much-less-than Starbucks prices. The bright and vibrant tabletops, colored glass light fixtures and fresh-cut flowers on each table create a welcoming atmosphere full of youthful energy. Student art is displayed throughout, including an eye-catching still life with peaches and plums and a giant and wonderfully detailed Chicago-style hot dog painting.

Arena for the a.m.
Pittsfield Cafe
A visit to the historic Pittsfield Building, built in 1927, and its first floor deli and cafe by the same name may surprise you with its elaborate five-story atrium and Spanish Gothic Revival details. While you may not expect to find a simple sandwich in typical diner fashion, you'll stumble upon exactly that once you pass through the rich marble and bronze accents in the building's main entrance and atrium. Home to many offices, residences and shops (jewelers, of course), the Pittsfield Building is much grander in scale and decor than its small, simple cafe.

Not the cheap diner you may know and love far from the Loop, here you'll spend between $8 and $10 for a sandwich with (amazing) seasoned fries. For those always in search of the perfect omelet to make the rest of the day seem a little less bleak, Pittsfield's is well worth a stop.

In-the-know spot
My Thai
A favorite for nearby museum-goers from The Art Institute, My Thai is great Thai. Served with Jasmine rice, the entrees run from $6 to $8 and include the standard favorites of ginger chicken, panang curry and pad Thai. Often busy with the lunchtime work crowd, you may want to try My Thai for take-out on movie nights during the Outdoor Film Festival this summer at Grant Park. Bring your own blanket and beer and order up several appetizers such as cucumber salad, fried tofu, spring rolls and chicken satay to create your Thai picnic, keeping you healthy and happy while watching "Annie Hall" at sunset.

Place to be seen solo
The Art Institute of Chicago
In addition to searching for the well-known Impressionist paintings of Seurat and Monet, head straight down the main corridor of the Art Institute to find the Arms and Armor collection, a gallery that never fails to divert my attention from the sights I have set on other galleries beyond the shining armor. From Photography to African and Ancient American sculpture and Indian and Southeast Asian art, the permanent collection's astounding range (spanning more than 5,000 years) moves all the way to contemporary works of the last century from such major figures as Andy Warhol. The Paperweight Collection is a surprising stop worth making, including hundreds of vibrant glass designs displayed for a purely shape- and color-based visual experience.

Visit the museum's Web site often to keep up with the numerous gallery talks, lectures, events and family programs offered to the public. If a "free Tuesday" comes around and you arrive only to realize your mood is not one for crowds or decisions, sitting on the museum's front steps and not venturing past the lion statues remains a great alternative.