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The Dumpster Diary:Popeye's Sees the Light


I think a lot of us are creatures of habit. You find some items on a take out menu that fits the bill and that’s what you order: every time. Heck, no use being disappointed when you’re starving and too tired to cook. Maybe you have a favorite store you go to on a certain block and that’s the only store you visit; every time.

Well, that’s how it went for years whenever I would get that certain craving that nothing else would satisfy and when my body screams Popeye’s, it just can’t be anything else. And of course that means having it right away and the closest Popeye’s to NOH is on Howard Street just west of the Metra tracks. This particular store was always a compromise for me because for my money, the best Popeye’s is on the northwest corner of Ashland and Irving and I’ve gotten a little spoiled. So up to the door I jog fully expecting to see the impossibly long line that always seems to exist, no matter what time of day it is.

You see, the people who work here somehow, somewhere along the way, have completely forgotten the original concept behind fast food.

But today, there was no line and when I stepped to the register, I realized that…….I was at the register and none of the faces behind the counter looked familiar.
Long story short, there is a completely revamped management team, the food comes fast and correct and the restaurant is getting a revamped roof. I’m not sure if the new roof allowed them to "see the light" at Popeye’s HQ or what but if you happen to like Popeye’s, it might be worth a shot now.

Now that I had this belly bomb resting comfortably and being in an adventurous mood, I decided to walk around this northwest corner part of Rogers Park that I honestly can't remember ever walking before. There never seemed a reason to but that's changed because there are some cool little shops on this stretch of Howard. I turned south on Winchester from Howard and I saw these two blue dumpsters immediately. They are right across the street from one another in front of two, handsome vintage buildings and it appears they are being gutted.

7520-24 North Winchester
When you walk around eastern section of this little off the beaten path neighborhood you'll be reminded of how our city looked B.H.D. (before hyper development); that odd mix of styles I immediately admired about Chicago when I moved here 20 years ago. Handsome and elegant brick 6 flats and courtyard buildings with lots of limestone detailing next to a wooden single family next to a four plus one. There are also some beautiful commercial buildings mixed in.

This neighborhood is bounded by Ridge Ave., Howard Street, Clark Street to the east and the fence on the northern edge of Potawatomi Park. The north- south streets are Wolcott, Winchester, Custer, Damen, Seeley. Elmwood and Hoyne.

7511-13 North Winchester
Just west of Clark are a row of charming little wooden single family homes and my favorite is the one adjacent to the Metra tracks. It has a double lot and a garage that looks like it dates from the 1940's but I'm partial to old houses and double lots.

Start walking west on Birchwood, Fargo and Jarvis and you step back in time. Block after block are stately 3, 6 flat and courtyard buildings that remind you that Howard Street was once a destination spot for all of Chicagoland. There isn't a new building to be seen except for the row of new townhomes at Ridge and judging by the number of dumpsters I found, it appears that isn't about to change.

What's Happening on Howard?

Things are starting to get interesting on this stretch of Howard and what impressed me the most in speaking with the shopowners was the comaraderie and sense of community they share, even though techinically some of these shops are on the Evanston side of Howard. They share information and most go to both Evanston and Rogers Park community meetings. All report a significant increase in police presence since the beginning of the year and a coordinated effort between Evanston and 24th District patrols.

The new shops seem to have opened overnight if you weren't paying attention and I wasn't. My partner actually told me about Apple 2 which is a boutique that offers salsa lessons every Saturday night. There's Nia's Cafe which is owned by Carmel and Angela has open mike on Friday night and live bands on Saturday. Total Access Internet Cafe is totally wired for connectivity and computer training and offers internships to students of Gale Academy.

Gary Fuschi.