Annual Conference

Cheezborger, Deep Dish, Ribs, and a Little Bit of Attitude on the Side

Chicago is a great restaurant town, where you can spend a whole lot for a great meal. It's also a great town for cheap eats. These four Chicago culinary institutions will fill you up with delicious chow and a healthy serving of local lore without emptying your wallet. On a per-person basis, a rack of ribs at the Twin Anchors is the most expensive offering available at any of these places, and that’s just $19.95.

The Billy Goat Tavern
430 N. Michigan, Lower Level
(312) 222-1525

"Cheezborger! Cheezborger! No fries, cheeps! No Pepsi, Coke!" This is the joint that inspired the "Saturday Night Live" routine and whose long-ago mascot is responsible for the Chicago Cubs’ decades of frustration. The Billy Goat serves basic bar and deli fare; order the most expensive item on the menu and you’ll still get change back from a five and a one. If you’re in the mood for a cheezborger, go ahead and get a double.

Located just north of the River under Michigan Avenue. Find one of the stairways on the sidewalk near the Wrigley Building (the landmark structure pictured here) or the Chicago Tribune Towers across the street. Head down the steps and emerge on another lower sidewalk below street level. You can’t miss the Billy Goat from there: look for neon in the window and an old wooden sign out front.

Gino’s East of Chicago
633 N. Wells (at Ontario)
(312) 943-1124

You can get into a heated argument about who serves the best Chicago deep-dish pizza. Or you can just be quiet and stuff your face with Gino’s pizza. It’s not much on décor (unless you count the graffiti wall), but you’ll be more focused anyway on the gooey artistry on your plate. A large pie will serve four, maybe three if you pace yourselves. Those watching their carb intake can opt for… well… pasta.
In River North, near many of the conference hotels.

Twin Anchors Restaurant
1655 North Sedgwick
(312) 266-1616

Ribs are the deal at the Twin Anchors, baby. It’s where Sinatra used to hold court when he was in town back in the day. He came for the ribs—rated world-class in a town that knows from ribs—as well as the oddly nautical décor and the back room that pretty much guaranteed a grand entrance. The menu features sandwiches and so forth, but it would really be a shame to go to the Twin Anchors and miss the ribs.
In Old Town, a short cab ride north of most of the conference hotels.

Ed Debevic's
640 N. Wells
(312) 664-1707

Ed Debevic’s is a diner—a carefully calculated, retro version of a diner that manages to be a hoot even though you know it’s a shtick. The dogs, burgers, meatloaf, pot roast, turkey platter and more are all stick-to-your-ribs genuine, and you get free insults and jokes with your meal. The wise-cracking wait staff lives by the restaurant’s motto: Good Food, Fresh Service. Save room for Ed’s homemade cookie-and-ice-cream sandwich.
In River North, near many of the conference hotels.

For more information on Chicago's dining scene, visit the listings and ratings compiled by The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, and the alternative weekly Chicago Reader.

Photo: Illinois Bureau of Tourism

Chicago Blues at its Most

During the Great Depression, the blues caught a train in Mississippi, got off in Chicago, liked what it saw, and decided to call it home. The blues is now Chicago’s music, and many of the world’s blues temples are located right here. There are dozens of hole-in-the-wall blues joints throughout the city, many in the hard-to-get-to South Side. We’ve highlighted five that ASCDers will find convenient and rewarding to visit. Most have a modest cover charge.

Blue Chicago
736 N. Clark (at Superior)
(312) 642-6261
Blue Chicago on Clark
536 N. Clark (at Ohio)
(312) 661-0100
Young by Chicago club standards, Blue Chicago has only been around a dozen or so years, but has built lots of cred by nurturing local talent. If you’re a blues novice, either venue (they’re just a couple of blocks apart) makes a friendly spot to get an introduction to the art form.
In the River North neighborhood, close by most Conference hotels.

B.L.U.E.S.
2519 N. Halsted
(773) 528-1012
Show up early (before 9:00) or late (after midnight) if you don’t want to wait in line at B.L.U.E.S. This popular venue mostly showcases Chicago’s homegrown blues players, plus the occasional national act. The room is intimate, the music authentic at this Lincoln Park institution that is well worth a cab ride.
Up by DePaul University, a couple miles north of the Conference hotels.

Buddy Guy’s Legends
754 S. Wabash
(312) 427-0333
The rows of drab tables and plastic chairs do not matter. The surprisingly good Southern food does not matter. The constant presence of owner, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and fret master Buddy Guy does not matter. The music is what matters here. Some people call Buddy Guy’s Legends the best blues bar in the world.
In the South Loop neighborhood, very close to these Conference hotels: Essex Inn, Best Western Grant Park, and the Hilton Chicago.

House of Blues
329 N. Dearborn
(312) 923-2000
Blues purists tend to look down at the House of Blues; it’s a little too slick and corporate. The upstairs concert hall is devoted to national touring acts that run the gamut from reggae to blue-eyed soul—diverse and entertaining but not necessarily the blues. On the other hand, the Rev. Al Green holds forth there Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1, and he’s close. The downstairs music hall books local blues acts on their way up. National acts require tickets (call the club); downstairs the music comes with your drinks and dinner.
In River North barely, right on the side of the river and convenient to most Conference hotels.

Lonie Walker’s Underground Wonder Bar
10 E. Walton
(312) 266-7761
How to explain the Underground Wonder Bar? Well, it is underground, and it is a bar, and it is wonderful in a cramped, loud, and sweat-stained sort of way. The shy do not remain that way for long at Lonie’s, and feet rarely stay still there. Blues is the staple, but with at least two acts a night, you’re liable to hear other sounds as well.
On the Gold Coast, just a little north of most of the Conference hotels.

Some friendly advice on club etiquette: Shouting out requests is frowned upon at most blues clubs, especially requests for "The Thrill is Gone," "Mustang Sally," "Hootchie Kootchie Man," and—most of all—“Sweet Home Chicago.” You'll probably hear them without asking.

Photo: City of Chicago / Mark Montgomery

It Wouldn't Be a Party Without Ramona Quimby

Are you already making a list of what to pack for Chicago? May we suggest adding a few of your favorite young adult novels?

You'll need one--a new book for students, that is--to get into this year's Books and All That Jazz Bash, set for Friday, March 31, from 5-7 p.m., in McCormick Place Room S406 A/B. The annual event culls books from Conference sponsors, ASCD staff, members, and Conference attendees. This year, the books will support literacy initiatives at local Chicago Title I schools. 

What book will you bring to the Bash?

After the bash, ease back at one of Chicago's oldest jazz joints--the nearly one hundred years-old Green Mill Jazz Club. Once partially owned by one of Al Capone's henchman, this Prohibition-era club is located in Chicago's historic Uptown district, about 7.5 miles north of the Hilton Chicago, along Lakeshore Drive, just past the Marovitz (Waveland) golf course.

Listen to a recent Green Mill performance.

( Book pictured is The First Book of Jazz, Langston Hughes' young adult primer on Jazz, originally printed in 1955.)

Let's Do the Time Warp

Chicago in April may be chilly, but how about Boston in mid-February?

Check out this announcement for the 1952 Annual Conference that appeared in the pages of Educational Leadership magazine. And get a load of that registration fee! 

Download el_195011_annconf.pdf

My Kind of Town, Chicago Is

In addition to writing about the ASCD Annual Conference, we'll also be devoting blog space to the city that is hosting our little international get-together.

Chicago is truly one of the world's great cities, and we are unabashed fans. Chicagoans have lots to be proud of. And they are. Whether the subject is architecture, food, art, commerce, history, sports, literature, politics, or traffic, you don't want to get them started.

Or maybe you do. The city itself is a favorite topic of those who live here, and people from Chicago will be more than happy to tell you all about it -- with enthusiasm, a welcoming spirit, and a genuine belief that you're going to love it too.

We'll do our best to tell you at least a little about Chicago, with tips on what to see and do in your spare time, how to get around, and even how to dress. (Hint: layers.) Check back often, for between learning and networking, you will want to get to know the place that proudly calls itself the Second City.

Do you know Chicago? Please tell us about it. Tell us what to do here and how to do it. Tell us why you love it. Click "Comments" below.