AVONDALE — A half-dozen new participants in the Avondale Restaurant Crawl will bring Italian, German and flavors from the old country to adventurous diners.
Now in its fifth year, the crawl will showcase a number of neighborhood newcomers while also bringing back tastings from several staples of the Avondale foodie scene.
Starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, crawl attendees can walk the route or take the music-filled trolley between a dozen restaurants and entertainment venues stretching from the Prop Thtr, 3502 N. Elston Ave., to Pisolino Caffe, 2755 W. Belmont Ave.
This year, similar to Lakeview's Soup Walk, several restaurants will serve their tastings from inside other businesses, giving the non-food shops like Urban Imaging a chance to shine.
Like on the streets of New Orleans, the Four Star Brass Band will march up and down Elston and Belmont avenues with bright music, while Ginger Jensen dancers will also perform along the route.
A map of the 2017 Avondale Restaurant Crawl. [Facebook/Northwest Arts Connection]
Chief O'Neill's, Prop Thtr, Urban Imaging and Burger King will have performances and arts and crafts throughout the evening, and Flamenco Dance Studio will perform at Belmont, Elston and California.
Brands Park, the crawl's headquarters, will feature an arts and crafts section, a caricature sketch artist, dog training shows and Avondale historians.
Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the crawl. The crawl, organized by the Northwest Arts Connection and the Avondale Neighborhood Association, will take place from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, rain or shine.
As for the food itself, here's a rundown of the participating restaurants, both new and old:
DMen Tap: The rock 'n' roll princes of European street food opened in January in the former Square Bar, 2849 W. Belmont Ave., after two years of running the DönerMen food truck. Specializing in traditional Turkish döner kebabs — made with spit-roasted chicken — and spicy currywurst, DMen Tap provides a fresh spin, serving up the döner meat as a salad or on top of yufka flat bread. For the crawl, DMen will serve up its signature currywurst — bratwurst with fries and curry sauce — or the druidwurst, made with seitan sausage.
Dell Cove: Since 2012, journalist Patricia Beets and her husband David have run Dell Cove Spices after their shared passion for cooking gave them a way to connect while separated in Chicago and California for work. While they operate Dell Cove out of a former barber shop at 4302 N. Pulaski Road in Old Irving Park, they also sell the popcorn seasonings, cocktail garnishes and barbecue rubs online. On Wednesday, Dell Cove will be serving seasoned popcorn at Arts on Elston, 3446 N. Albany Ave. Flavors include buttery garlic and salted caramel.
La Farine Bakery: In its 12-year history, La Farine has hopped from suburban Palatine to Wicker Park to Avondale, continually outgrowing its locations. Now at 2909 N. Milwaukee Ave., the bakery serves up croissants, cookies and sticky buns fresh from the oven, along with lunch items like a rotating soup of the day, a vegan pepperonata panini or a tarragon chicken salad sandwich. La Farine and Brew Brew Coffee & Tea will give away tasting samples at the check-in station at Brands Park.
Mirabella Italian Cuisine: Newly opened in November, Mirabella replaced Mirabell at 3454 W. Addison St., swapping out the well-known German dining to Italian cuisine from chef-owner Arturo Aucaquizahpi. The 20-year veteran of Gene & Georgetti steakhouse has recently infused his menu with summer specials like ricotta and spinach dumplings with brown butter and walnuts and a bright watermelon salad with a cherry-infused vinaigrette and arugula. Mirabella will be stationed at Peterson Picture Company, 2720 W. Belmont Ave. for the crawl.
Paletoria Arco Iris: A prime source for fresh fruit ice pops for both vendors and customers, Arco Iris is one of Avondale's secret gems. From a sweet-and-spicy mangonada to classic paletas, smoothies and elotes, Arco Iris has all the adored Mexican snack food you need, and they'll be at Allstate Insurance, 4044 N. Elston Ave., for the crawl.
Pisolino: After 10 years as a chef in Italy, James De Marte was ready to bring handmade pasta dishes, sumptuous pizza and espresso to the former Pork Shoppe, 2755 W. Belmont Ave. The Italian cafe, which opened in November, specializes in decadent dishes like the rigatoni covered with savory neckbone ragu and hard Italian pecorino cheese to a nipote pizza covered in sausage and wild mushrooms.
Red Apple Buffet: Some of Chicago's best Polish cuisine can be found at Red Apple Buffet, 2121 N. Milwaukee Ave. Buffet options range from $15.99-$21.99, with higher prices for dinner and weekend diners, and the menu rotates regularly. Still, Red Apple always has a variety of pierogi on hand, from the potato and cheese-stuffed pasta to one filled with sauerkraut and mushrooms. Red Apple is also available for catering and carry out. For the Avondale Restaurant Crawl, sample the buffet tastings at Urban Imaging, 3246 N. Elston Ave.
Looking for your tried-and true Avondale favorites? They'll be returning to the crawl, as well. They include:
• Brew Brew Coffee House, serving from Brands Park
• Chief O'Neill's, 3471 N. Elston Ave.
• Honey Butter Fried Chicken, 3361 N. Elston Ave.
• Parachute, 3500 N. Elston Ave.
• Taqueria Traspasada, 3144 N. California Ave.
• Burger King, 2828 W. Belmont Ave.
