Fayrouz in Chicago
August 3, 2019 8:46 AM Subscribe
I recently moved to Chicago from Boston. Do the equivalents of my favorite Boston places exist here? Three part question.
When I lived in Boston (Cambridge, really), I loved taking classes at the CCAE and Harvard Extension School. Does Chicago have any similar school with cheap classes and a wide range of programs for art and languages?
I also frequented Andala and The Middle East when I wanted to listen to Fayouz outside of my apartment or grab an al-Maza and chat with the bartenders about Lebanon. Are there any places in Chicago with the same ambiance?
Final question: Are there any similar gems of Chicago culture that I should take advantage of while I live here?
When I lived in Boston (Cambridge, really), I loved taking classes at the CCAE and Harvard Extension School. Does Chicago have any similar school with cheap classes and a wide range of programs for art and languages?
I also frequented Andala and The Middle East when I wanted to listen to Fayouz outside of my apartment or grab an al-Maza and chat with the bartenders about Lebanon. Are there any places in Chicago with the same ambiance?
Final question: Are there any similar gems of Chicago culture that I should take advantage of while I live here?
Response by poster: To answer your question - I'm in Lakeview East, so anything north on the brown/red lines would be preferable.
posted by Penguin48 at 9:23 AM on August 3, 2019
posted by Penguin48 at 9:23 AM on August 3, 2019
You want to head northwest to Albany Park for Middle Eastern food. Semiramis, Noon-O-Kabob, etc. Take the Brown Line to Kedzie, walk north. So much good food. Going either direction on Lawrence also brings you to a lot of smaller Middle Eastern restaurants. I only lived over there for a year, but I miss it terribly.
posted by Sparky Buttons at 9:57 AM on August 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by Sparky Buttons at 9:57 AM on August 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
Sayat Nova is a good Armenian restaurant downtown. Outside of the city, the Pita Inn has a couple locations and offers casual dining and good middle-eastern fare at low prices. +1 on the Old Town School of Folk Music (despite the name, there's a wide variety of music genres represented, dance classes, etc.)
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 11:48 AM on August 3, 2019
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 11:48 AM on August 3, 2019
Back in the day, I took fencing and stained glass courses at The Discovery Center. This place has been around forever and is legendary. If you don’t find what you need there, here’s an aggregator: CourseHorse/Chicago.
posted by lemon_icing at 12:39 PM on August 3, 2019
posted by lemon_icing at 12:39 PM on August 3, 2019
Reza restaurant. From what I remember it has great persian food.
posted by shaademaan at 5:08 PM on August 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by shaademaan at 5:08 PM on August 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
Middle East Bakery and grocery in Andersonville.
posted by azalea_chant at 9:41 AM on August 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by azalea_chant at 9:41 AM on August 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
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I don't know about Lebanese bars, but Taste of Lebanon and Sultan's Market are the go-to places in Chicago for Middle Eastern food.
The third question depends a lot on what you're looking for, and it's hard to answer in the general case outside of, go to the Art Institute; skip Navy Pier.
What neighborhood are you in? Chicago is a big place, and there'll be different places available to you depending on where you're living. (E.g. if you're on the south side, Hyde Park Art Center might have what you're looking for instead of Lillstreet)
posted by LSK at 8:58 AM on August 3, 2019 [1 favorite]