Colon Blow

Another day, another suburb...

I'm being chastised for not blogging more often, so here's a little something we did the same weekend of the last blog I posted.

Some Saturday evenings when my wife and I have nothing to do and no one else to do anything with (sniff, sniff), we drive into the suburb of Evanston, Illinois. This is something that we have just come to enjoy over the last couple of years. Evanston is located about 30 minutes to the east of our home and has quite a nice downtown area filled with different businesses, churches, restaurants...actually, quite a bit of everything.

In my previous blog, I wrote about spending an evening in Park Ridge, Illinois. What is interesting to point out is how very different these two suburbs are. Park Ridge is a very affluent city, but it is new money, not inherited wealth, that the population has. They seem to be very Protestant, very white and very much seeking a life that is safe, predictable and on the conservative side politically. Remember the concerts in the park I described in my last blog? At the end each symphony concert, the entire audience gets up and sings along with the orchestra's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. That is Park Ridge, Illinois; God fearing and flag waving.

In contrast to this, Evanston, Illinois is probably the place you would want to live in if you felt like burning the old Stars and Stripes. I am probably exaggerating a little, but it does seem to be the antithesis of Park Ridge, very diverse in it's population, money, religions, etc. It is a place that has an active artistic and creative culture, a place where the different is welcomed and the mainstream is shunned.

Why do I bring this comparison to your attention? No special reason, I just find it interesting. But what I find more interesting are the restaurants that are available in Evanston. One that we discovered that weekend is called Tapas Barcelona.

Dinner can be enjoyed in their outside patio area when the weather allows. The night that we went there it was quite warm and crowded, so we dined inside. The inside has an eclectic decor, a little tired and worn, but that is its charm.

They have a huge selection of tapas, the quality and preparation of the food is excellent and best of all, it is very inexpensive. A pitcher of sangria, and four tapas dishes cost us under $45 dollars.

Next time you're in Evanston, Illinois, check it out...and bring your own flag.

posted by Colon Blow @ 2:28 PM