STOPS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS
Bridgeport of call:
Don’t miss the garlic-mozzarella cheese bread at Polo Cafe, 3322 S. Morgan (773-927-7656,
and if you imbibe too much during the White Sox playoff run, you can always crash in one of the four spacious bedroom apartments ($150-$300) with private baths at the upstairs Bridgeport Bed and Breakfast. Cooked-to-order breakfasts downstairs.
Polo Cafe is open from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. on Fridays; Saturdays 9 a.m.-2 p.m. brunch, reopening 5-9 p.m. Closed Sundays.
It seems like I’ve been going to Morrie O’Malley’s forever, but the city’s best Irish-named corner hot dog stand only opened in 1989 at the corner of 35th and Union in the shadow of the Cell. (773-247-2700; open 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays during ball games.) Like a world championship team, Morrie’s operates March through November. Go against the grain and grab a charred bratwurst. Morrie’s has a nice-sized outdoor patio and spiffy shamrockgreen exterior. The only thing this quaint in the shadow of Wrigley Field is Cozy Noodle & Rice, jam-packed with toys and bobbleheads at 3456 N. Sheffield (773-327-0100;
Shinnick’s Pub, 3758 S. Union (773-376-3525;
is a classic no-frills Bridgeport bar with a sincere White Sox vibe. The monster mahogany Brunswick-Balke-Colander back bar dates back to the late 1800s when the pub was built. George Sr. and Mary (Healy) Shinnick took over the bar after Prohibition in 1938. The bar is going strong in its third generation of Shinnick owners.
Maria’s Packaged Goods, 960 W. 31st St., will feature iconic Chicago DJ and White Sox fan Joe Bryl spinnng soul, funk and underground disco beginning at 8 p.m. Sept. 7 (no cover). The night is billed as “Smokey Joe’s Southside Soul Shack” in tribute to the colorful Smokey Joe’s clothiers at Roosevelt and Halsted (773- 8900588; fan who wants to sit down, hoist a cold one and discuss the essence of a Chicago pennant race.
You just can’t do that around Wrigley Field.