Memorial Day 2021, Glenview, IL

I'm not saying my hometown is the best hometown in the US of A, but on this day of remembering I wanted highlight something pretty unique I found in the city of Glenview, Illinois. I will say, I've not seen this anywhere else in the US (and I’ve lived in four states), but let me know if you have.

Here a war memorial in downtown Glenview. But they also have this unique addition just around the corner from this… keep scrolling… 

…well, it looks pretty patriotic from the outset, what could it be?!?!?

…  An American flag recycling drop box!!! How cool is this?!

I don’t think I’d ever given this idea much thought, that of providing a safe place to dispose of old flags (you know the disposal requirements are pretty intense, right?). This seems like a great way to help Joe Bagadounts get rid of worn out flags without having to get your own grill in the backyard set-up as a flag-burning receptacle. 

Nice job, Glenview.

The Garage Food Hall, Indianapolis, IN

It seems like many cities have virtually always had these markets or food halls, with the latter option now becoming more popular. I recall grabbing a cheese steak in Philly's marketplace decades ago. Many large cities in other countries have something like this as well. Well, now Indy has stepped-up to the plate and created their own.

To be clear, I don't think you should be visiting Indy without a stop to this new, refurbished former production space. The food hall is in the former "garage" for a historic Coca-Cola bottling plant. From what I gathered being there, this was the spot in Indy where Coke was bottled and delivered by trucks to the entire metro area for a long, long time. I can imagine back in the day that this was a very busy, bustling plant and area. It's now been renovated inside and out as a mixed-use development. In a ~2-3 block area, it already contains this food hall, a hotel, a day spa, retail shops, a really cool duckpin bowling alley/bar, a very nice new movie theater and more. It also has a second phase for residential development in the works. This is going to be one hip, happening spot in no time (if not already).

Since it has this Coke history behind it, that's what I focused on for this post. In reality, there are so many food options that I wouldn't have been able to to them all justice with only my single stomach to partake. Know that it seemed like anyone in your clan would be covered for food options at this place, including: raw oyster bar, Indian, lobster/seafood, tacos, arepas, fish & chips, pizza/Italian, burgers, plenty of beer/alcohol options, and many more food types and spots I'm sure I'm forgetting. It also seems like more are opening everyday.

Many of the art deco buildings are faced with a wonderfully rich, glazed-white terra cotta tiling, with gilded lettering that makes it almost feel like you're stepping back in time. That's a nice way to invite people in and welcome them to a new space. You can read more about it HERE.

Inside the Food Hall, you find relics of the bottling history of the buildings. You can see pumps, historic workwear, Coca-Cola memorabilia, and more. It was all very fun to run into these things as I wandered around trying to pick my perfect food spot for the day. You certainly get the feel for the history that this area and these buildings contain. Many of us know think of soda/pop as a bad thing, but back then, this was a highly in-demand product and many workers would have been very proud to work there and represent this brand in the community. For me, I can feel that as I walked through the spaces.

This is one quote that stuck with me from my short research - "Over the years, the Massachusetts Avenue plant grew into the world's largest bottling plant, with 260 workers who produced 2.25 million bottles of Coca-Cola a week, he said. It thrived until cans took over the market in the 1960s."

I wonder if these was breathable on a hot day, {gulp}... just grab a cold Coke!

This is their first automated bottle "capper". A person would use this machine to cap the bottles.

See the little red Coke bottlecaps?

I already know that I need to go back - for more history lessons and more food options. Again, I don't think this place should be missed if you're in Indy.

Scratchboard Kitchen, Arlington Heights, IL

Who doesn't love a good brunch - Am I right?! 

Coming out (knock on wood) of the pandemic, this was a unique dining experience, especially since we're all sort of relearning how to dine out over again. I think this also applies to the people working in all the restaurants too.

While we did eat indoors, but I've not gotten used to standing in the restaurant and taking pictures of the space and staff. Hopefully that comes back soon. The space is quite long and welcoming inside, with a number of tables set for outdoor dining (and reservations). As you'll see below, I simply took pics of our dishes as they arrived on our table, and before we dove into them.

I went with a sibling and we split a few plates of food, which were in order - pastry board, citrus toast, and short ribs "hash".

This pastry board was the only "off" item of the trio. We cut them up to share and started with the matcha muffin, then the rhubarb scone, then then the cherry "pop tart". The muffin and scone hit us funny and we realized they both had some sort of pork fat flavor in them (like your nose was over a pot of sausage gravy simmering on the stove). This was not a welcome flavor and we chatted with the staff about it. They assured us the pastries are not made with pork fat in any way. Our only guess what that is was near something else being made or rendered and they absorbed the flavor. BUT, the upscale pop tart was very very good and had no off flavors. (Note: SK took this menu item off our bill - thanks). 

After the pastries, I went for the Citrus Toast and my sib went to the short ribs. I think it's fair to say that neither of us quite knew what a citrus toast would be... and perhaps at first glance it looks kind of odd, but it was delicious. They use four different citrus fruits on top, with a mascarpone base. The flavors are vibrant, refreshing and not odd at all. Even the toast used seemed to add something to the dish. I would order this again any day.

Our final dish was a Short Rib hash. The egg was done well, the short rib fell apart, and they added in some potatoes too. Though very rich, as you'd expect from the ingredients, this was a tasty bit of brunch fare. I would order this one again, but copy my sister's choice of having this 2nd and "cleansing the palate" with the citrus toast after.

With a welcoming staff, highly-competent kitchen, interesting menu items, and a fun, inviting space, I think it's fair to say I would recommend this place to any group, family, or couple. If I get the chance before the next move, I will be back in a blink.