Welcome Back! / Summer Eats

We are now in the 24-25 school year, and with that I gotta start writing these again. Welcome to Thomas's blog (Thomas' Monday Roundup). I'm your writer, Thomas, a sophomore and Urban Studies major/GIS minor from the suburbs of Kansas City. It's been quite some time since we last saw each other, and since then, I've seen much of what this city and its wide variety of foods, sounds, and sights (especially the former of the 3) have to offer. As we go into fall, I'd like to talk about some of the best summer eats near campus, so next time it starts getting hotter and the days start to get longer, we have some references as to where to go. As with all my best lists on this site, these are in no particular order.

1. Hawkeye's Bar

Bar and Grills are, in my eyes, one of the consistent symbols of summer in a cool, northern city like Chicago. When the weather is under 80, and the mosquitoes seem to be less prevalent than usual, you and some friends can go down to the patio at an establishment like this one and enjoy some cold drinks, burgers, and fries. It doesn't get simpler than that, and Hawkeye's is the best example in our vicinity.

2. Mr. Greek Gyros

Another staple of a student's diet is cheap sandwiches, and Mr Greek's reasonable pricing, central location (at least compared to those living in ARC or the many Commons dorms), and variety of dishes, from grilled chicken pitas to patty melts and pizza puffs, combined with its old-school late hours, make it a fan favorite

3. Mario's Italian Lemonade

The longest line I've seen on and near campus hasn't been for the dining hall or the elevators in ARC, or even the line at Dunkin' Donuts; it's been at Mario's, around 8-9 pm, essentially every weekend night in the summertime; even before the school year started. This Taylor Street icon earns its reputation through and through, with its menu, hours, and delicious Italian ices being more or less consistent since it was founded in 1954. If there's one place every tourist, resident, and student needs to go when in Little Italy, it's Mario's.

(all image sources are linked)