ML - Michigan Avenue

2014 - Issue 1 - Winter

Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!

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NATIVE CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM: West Loop favorites Virginia Wolff florist and McCormick Gallery; Leslie Hindman's eponymous auction house. 56 Abstract Expressionist artists from the '50s and also sells reasonably priced work by terrific artists like Richard Hunt, the sculptor, whom I really love. The art business gets a reputation for being stuffy, but he's willing to educate people. He's an old-fashioned, brilliant dealer who will take time to talk to people. I was also a big fan of Ina's. I ate lunch there every day. I know Ina Pinkney really well; she's a good friend, and I'm so sad it closed. Every year I dress as the Easter Bunny—everyone in the world knows I do it—and a few months ago I got an e-mail blast from Ina's, and it had a picture of the Easter Bunny. It's obviously me, but she didn't say so. She's a darling woman. The neighborhood is really sad that she has closed the restaurant, and so is the city. When I was in my 20s, I had no money at all and used to get in my green Camaro and drive to a produce store on Randolph Street every Saturday called N & G [which just closed in December]. I'd get a cardboard box and fill it up with apples and oranges and onions and lettuce, and it would cost $3. I was young and poor and working at Sotheby's, and that's where I would go to buy my groceries. Then, I would drive to Bert's Car Wash, which seemed like it was in this little remote area, but it's only about four blocks from where I now work. In those days, nobody ever went to the West Loop. People thought I was crazy. Now the neighborhood is booming." MA Four favorite destinations from auction house owner Leslie Hindman. VIRGINIA WOLFF "A wonderful florist and a good friend." 1332 W. Lake St., 312-226-1777; virginiawolff.com RICHARD'S BAR "A fantastic, classic dive bar." 491 N. Milwaukee Ave., 312-733-2251 LA SCAROLA "Classic Italian food." 721 W. Grand Ave., 312-243-1740; lascarola.com MCCORMICK GALLERY "Thomas McCormick has a great eye and is a wonderful, jovial person." 835 W. Washington Blvd., 312-226-6800; thomasmccormick.com PHOTOGRAPHY BY DATU RAMEL (VIRGINIA WOLFF) continued from page 54 waiters served hors d'oeuvres in paint trays, and she made floral arrangements in pipes. She's so brilliant. Photographer Victor Skrebneski wrote a book about Richard's Bar and took me there. I'm a huge fan. It's a fantastic, classic dive bar and the kind of place that's dying. When they implemented the smoking ban back in 2008, the people who frequent the bar decided to smoke anyway. So they put a kitty—a coffee can or something—on the bar, and if you go in there and decide you want to smoke, you just put money in the kitty. Occasionally the police come in and fine the bar and they just pay them and say, 'Thank you very much,' and people continue smoking and contributing to the kitty, which is great. I like dive bars. They remind me of my younger days. Skrebneski also introduced me to La Scarola. I love it because they serve classic Italian food. I go there whenever my brother is in town from Denver. Owner Joey Mondelli goes from table to table and gives you tequila shots, and he has this great laugh. If he likes you, he'll find a table for you immediately, and if he doesn't like you, you'll end up waiting awhile. I also love the McCormick Gallery. Owner Thomas McCormick is a great art dealer with fantastic taste. He has a great eye and is a wonderful, jovial person. He represents the estates of a lot of LESLIE'S WEST LOOP MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 054-056_MA_SP_Native_Winter_14.indd 56 1/10/14 5:03 PM

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