Wisch List

This weekend’s Wisch List newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

The WISCH LIST

By Dave Wischnowsky

In all of Chicago, there’s nothing else quite like it.

Heck, for that matter, you could probably eat your way around the globe and still not come across a place that’s exactly the same.

Such is the uniqueness of the featured fare at Glenn’s Diner, the Windy City’s only restaurant specializing in seafood and breakfast cereal (yes, that’s right). Both now served with a twist of controversy.

In 2005, restaurateur Glenn Fahlstrom left the Davis Street Fishmarket in Evanston, where he was co-owner, in order to open a new eatery in the city that he named after himself. Since then, Glenn’s Diner (1820 W. Montrose Ave.) has become a culinary staple in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood. On evenings and weekends it attracts long lines and has drawn the cameras of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and WTTW’s “Check, Please.”

Located near the Montrose Brown Line station, the quirky restaurant’s brown awning boasts promises such as “Blackboard Specials Daily” and “The Best Food in the World.”

In regards to the former, Glenn’s easily delivers with its vast array of seafood specials handwritten across two enormous chalkboards on either side of the dining room.

And judging by the quality of its entrees, the restaurant just might deliver on the latter claim, as well. According to Glenn’s website (glennsdiner.com), the diner carries more varieties of fresh fish than any other restaurant in Chicago. This fare includes the likes of Gonzo Tiger Shrimp, Alaskan King Crab legs, Hawaiian Ruby Red Tuna, Tasmanian King Salmon, Mako Shark and other fish so exotic that you’d expect to only find them swimming inside Shedd Aquarium, not served on a plate on the city’s North Side.

Continue reading “There’s something fishy about Glenn’s Diner”

Today’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) The Fighting Illini are an imperfect basketball team.

There are concerns about their ball-handling. Suddenly, there are concerns about their three-point shooting. And all season long, there have been concerns about their rebounding.

But by holding their own on the boards against Top 10 foes Ohio State and Minnesota, the Illini showed they can, in fact, rebound. Now, they need to need to show if they can, in fact, rebound.

As in bounce back. Once again.

After the No. 12 Illini were thoroughly thumped 84-67 by No. 8 Minnesota at Assembly Hall on Wednesday night, Illinois coach John Groce said about the Big Ten, “This league’s a monster, it’s a grind. It is what it is, the next one’s coming at you at 1:15 on Saturday.”

That would be this afternoon in Madison when Illinois (14-3, 1-2) squares off with Wisconsin (11-4, 2-0). At the Kohl Center, Badgers are an impressive 178-17 all-time since the joint opened its doors in 1998, including 9-1 this season.

To continue reading, visit CBSChicago.com …

Today’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) ‘Twas the season for coaching changes.

For a few schools, it still is. And for others, it still could be if the NFL ends up snatching their coveted football guru away from them.

During the past month or so, nearly 30 colleges across the country have swapped out the leaders of their pigskin programs. Most of the job openings have come about as a result of someone being fired. Others, however – such as Wisconsin, Northern Illinois and Cincinnati – have emerged after coaches moved on to bigger and better jobs.

Or, at least, ones that pay them more money.

Badgers fans weren’t pleased, of course, to see Bret Bielema bolt Wisconsin’s Dairyland for Hog Heaven in Arkansas. Meanwhile, NIU and Cincy boosters were surely bummed as they watched Dave Doeren and Butch Jones leave for N.C. State and Tennessee, respectively. Nevertheless, as disappointing as those departures might have been for those schools, the fact that the coaches were in demand was a badge of honor, as well.

It meant their teams were successful.

But then there’s the University of Illinois, the sadsack program of the prairie whose last three head football coaches can now be found at Florida International University (Ron Turner), the University of Buffalo (Lou Tepper) and, well, the coaching unemployment line (Ron Zook).

To continue reading, visit CBSChicago.com …

Today’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) The question these days isn’t who are the Chicago Bears interviewing for their head coaching job. Rather, it’s who aren’t they?

So far, the list of candidates for Lovie Smith’s old gig seems to stretch longer than a 4th-and-40 play. According to reports, general manager Phil Emery spent part of Monday interviewing the Bears’ special teams coordinator Dave Toub for the team’s head coaching vacancy on Monday.

In his search to find a monster fit for the Midway, Emery seems to be sizing up every just about every guy who’s worn a whistle around his neck during the past five years. He might interview a referee next. But after watching Alabama make Notre Dame look like a Leprechaun during a 42-14 rout in the BCS Championship Game on Tuesday night, I’m wondering whether Emery should size up yet another candidate.

Is Nick Saban worth a look?

The grim-faced Crimson Tide coach, who doesn’t seem to be happy unless he has something to be mad about, indeed had plenty to be angry about during his first go-around in the NFL.

One year after winning a national championship at LSU in 2004, Saban spent a two-season stint coaching the Miami Dolphins. But during 2005 and 2006 in South Beach, Saban went only 15-17 and quickly bolted back to the SEC, where he’s now led Alabama to an incredible three national titles in the past four years.

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …

My Wisch List newspaper column from Saturday, Jan. 5, editions of The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

The WISCH LIST

By Dave Wischnowsky

Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. The John Hancock Center and the Willis (or Sears) Tower. The Cubs and the White Sox.

And, well, nickels and dimes.

Throughout the country, the Windy City is known for any number of famous pairs. But throughout the Land of Lincoln, it’s also known for its number of ever-creeping fees and taxes that can nickel and dime both residents and visitors to death.

Here in 2013, that rep isn’t changing. Rather, it’s only growing as the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and the city’s parking meters again dig deeper into people’s wallets. The following is a primer to fill you in on when the transportation fare increases go into effect and how they could impact your travel plans to Chicago this year.

Continue reading “Getting around Chicago is getting pricier in 2013”

Tuesday’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) Kirk Herbstreit might want to shoo them out of South Beach, but the Northern Illinois Huskies will nevertheless be playing in a BCS game tonight when they butt helmets with Florida State during the 2013 Orange Bowl.

Most everyone knows that the matchup marks NIU’s first-ever appearance in a major bowl game. But what you might not know is that it also counts as the ninth time a football team from the Land has played in a big-time “BCS” game.

Since 1947, Illinois has appeared in six major bowls (five Rose Bowls and a Sugar Bowl) while Northwestern has appeared in two (the Rose Bowl each time). After a 4-0 start in those games, our local squads have since gone on to lose their last four since 1964.

With NIU having the opportunity tonight to snap the Prairie State’s lengthy losing streak in postseason glamour games, I thought it would be interesting to take a glance back at the blockbusters that preceded tonight’s big Orange Bowl showdown.

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …

… Illinois, meanwhile, does not.

This weekend’s Wisch List newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …

The WISCH LIST

By Dave Wischnowsky

Wish lists are for Christmas.

But Wisch Lists? Well, they’re for New Year’s.

And now that we’ve survived the Mayan Apocalypse without world’s end, I wanted to share with you my year-end column as we prepare to celebrate the first New Year’s Eve without Dick Clark since well, the days of the Mayan Empire.

OK, so maybe it hasn’t been quite that long. But it almost seems that way considering how Clark, who died in April at the age of 82, became as much a part of the holiday as champagne toasts and confetti after hosting his first “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” show in 1972.

ABC has broadcast the show every Dec. 31 since, except for 1999 when it was preempted by “ABC 2000 Today,” which consisted of news coverage of the milestone year hosted by Peter Jennings. However, during that broadcast, Clark still announced his signature countdown to the Millennium. He also continued to ring things in each year after suffering a massive stroke in December 2004.

This time, however, Clark won’t bring 2013 in for us, although ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” will celebrate its creator during the show on Monday. Rest in peace, Mr. Clark. Partying with only Ryan Seacrest just isn’t quite the same.

With all that said, it’s on with the column …

Continue reading “Wisch Lists are for New Year’s”

Today’s column from CBS Chicago …

(CBS) There are more than 20,000 seats inside the United Center.

But Saturday afternoon, when the 12th-ranked Fighting Illini basketball team tips off against the Auburn Tigers, only about 13,000 of them are expected to be filled.

For an athletic department that has declared its designs on becoming “the king of Chicago,” that’s not exactly a crowning achievement for the University of Illinois. But, really, what do you expect when you schedule a game against a 5-6 basketball team from a “football school” that just lost at home to mighty Winthrop?

Fact is, my cell phone set to vibrate creates more of a buzz in Chicago than Auburn does.

Last week, I wrote a column urging Illinois to schedule the Kentucky Wildcats for a series at the United Center. I’ve earlier suggested bringing Notre Dame to the UC as a foe, while others have pushed for Marquette. However, according to reports, neither the Irish nor the Golden Eagles are said to be keen on such a matchup.

So what’s Illinois to do?

Continue reading at CBSChicago.com …