CHICAGO’SFREEWEEKLYSINCE | MARCH CHICAGO’SFREEWEEKLYSINCE The spatial politics of urban gardening Epic houseplant fails The myth of the industry plant Maya Dukmasova 8 Sarah Beckett 19 Leor Galil 27 The Plants Issue THIS WEEK CHICAGOREADER | MARCH | VOLUME NUMBER A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR TR - ­ ­ I KNOW A fair amount about plants, and gar- ethical reasons, because it’s not an easy way to toxins. They are inherently political, and some- @ dening, and the pending environmental disas- eat. But it keeps me alive. And I like it. Making times quite dangerous for cats. John Porcellino ter that we euphemistically refer to as climate cheese out of nuts is a good time! even drew up a “Sunday Strip” (read: full-color) version of Prairie Potholes for the issue, to in- PTB change. In fact, I spent two and a half years Hog butcher for the world, indeed. The lack ECAEM as a small-scale organic farmer in Detroit, of plant-based restaurants in Chicago is an troduce us to a few of his favorite leaf-covered MEPSK and could probably have thrown together a odd blind spot in this otherwise food-focused buddies. Plants are fun, and pretty, and also a MEDKH D EKS good 5,000 words about common household town. Elsewhere such cuisines are easy to complicated pejorative when describing a cer- C LSK substances that not only support your gut find. In Toronto, I dig Planta on Bay Street. tain breed of unusually popular hip-hop artist. D P JR CEAL microflora but will double the size of your In the Detroit area, there’s GreenSpace Cafe They are also extremely tasty. I realize M EPM beets—which’ll prove helpful in preparing in Ferndale. In Vienna, Austria, I’m partial to that extolling the virtues of the world’s vast A EJL SWDI for the next Ice Age. But what I really wanted Simply Raw Bakery. In New York City—not my expansion of fl ora by describing how delicious BJ M S to write about for this issue was my favorite, favorite town, but there are a few solid plant- plants can be when prepared unusually but SWMD LG G DD C local plant-based restaurant. based eateries to choose from. And in LA it properly is a bit like suggesting we save the S MEBW The problem is, Chicago doesn’t have much can be hard, let’s just say, to fi nd a place to eat whales to better preserve the ancient art of M LC LC SC-J in the way of plant-based restaurants—dif- that doesn’t have a wide range of plant-based scrimshaw. But if a plant-based eatery opens F LCP F ferent from vegan places in that they avoid options. So why not here? up here in town someday soon, you’ll see. TA ECS CNB D C gluten and soy products, sugar, and refined It’s a bit of a head-scratcher, and you may fi nd Until then, we have jibaritos. D CLC C C oils, as well as dairy and meat, and use only it even more odd after you’ve read through the (I know I’m getting to be like Ben Joravsky J F SF I GA G minimally processed foods. Turns out I’m a bit Plants Issue. Here you will read about all sorts and his TIFs with those amazing Puerto Rican J H J H IH of a bubble baby, and can hardly eat anything of amazing qualities our rooted friends have sandwiches. By the way, if you want to read DJ MK S K MMBMJRN that most humans consider “food.” It’s not a and foster in others—they are healing, they are Ben Joravsky on TIFs, you can also do that in M O Y P diet folks tend to turn to solely for political or ancient, they cleanse the air and the earth of this issue.) —AEM LP A R KS BS DS AW ---------------------------------------------------------------- D D JD D P E &P IN THIS ISSUE K K O M SNL 32 SecretHistoryofChicago MusicPrewarbluesgreatGeorgia ADVERTISING WhitediedforgotteninChicago -- - @ C @ 36 EarlyWarningsStefChuraWu TangClanKillingJokeandmore SMPF justannouncedconcerts V PS AM FILM 36 GossipWolfKatinkaKleijnand A R 23 ReviewTheOnionCityFilm LiaKohlplaywithcellosina LM-HNS Festivalconveysthedisorientation swimmingpoolSkinGra Records CRMT P CITYLIFE FEATURES oflivinginaneraofgreatchange dropsaChicagovsNewYork NA 03 PublicService 14 ComicsAPrairiePotholeguide 24 MoviesofnoteInfi niteFootball compilationandmore VM G--- AnnouncementSeedlibraries tospringwildfl owersofnorthern focusesontheballTigerMilk preservediversityinthefoodchain Illinoiswoodlands rewindstoadolescenceandThe CLASSIFIEDS JL SB 04 ShopWindow“Farmto table” 16 ReportNeedsomestressrelief? Sowerisabittersweetstoryof 37 Jobs ---------------------------------------------------------------- isn’tjustforrestaurantsanymore It’stimetovisitthehealinggarden sexualscheming 37 Apartments&Spaces DC [email protected] 05 FeralCitizenJustintimefor 17 PhotoessayAsouthsider’slife 37 Marketplace -- springaprimeronweeds revolvesaroundmicrogreensand STM READER LLC sellingplantsonInstagram OPINION BPDRL NEWS&POLITICS 19 TipsHallucinatingcatsbaby 38 SavageLoveDanSavageoff ers TER 07 Joravsky|PoliticsWoodlawn spidersandmorehouseplantfails adviceondisentanglinglovefrom S J S A-S V getsagrocerystoreandLincoln predation Yardsgetsbillion ARTS&CULTURE CCEB 08 Dukmasova|NewsCommunity 21 Theater DutchMasterstakes COMICSSERIALS ---------------------------------------------------------------- gardensbeautifyurbanspacebut waytoolongtogettothepoint 39 ComicsIndiestarsJohn R ISSN-­ sometransformurbansociety 21 Playsofnote HowtoLiveon PorcellinoMelissaMendesandMike STMR LLC SM SC IL 11 NewsWhyaretheretwotipisin Earthsearchesforinterplanetary Centenoreturnwithyourfavestrips -- themiddleofChicago? meaningTwoPintspaystributeto MUSIC&NIGHTLIFE thepowerofGuinnessandLittle 27 Galil|FeatureHowdidthe C ©C R P C IL FOOD&DRINK ShopofHorrorshasn’tagedwell “industryplant”takeroot? O PR A C R R 12 RestaurantReviewRareTea 22 BookSwapLitrecsforpeoplein 31 ShowsofnoteOozingWound E FE ’ RR T ® Cellarpositionsitselftosupplychefs searchofpleasure KamaalWilliamsEilenJewelland withalltheirculinarycannabisneeds otherexcellentshowsthisweek 2 CHICAOREADER - MARCH ll CITY LIFE Calling All Creative Thinkers and Makers Adult Continuing Education courses for new and experienced artists and designers. Flex your creativity and connect to a new community at a world-class institution. Register Now saic.edu/ace Art, design, and writing courses for adults, teens, and kids. SAIC CONTINUING STUDIES | saic.edu/ace | [email protected] | 312.629.6170 Edgebrook seed library COURTESY CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY Public Service Announcement Growing archive Hyperlocal seed libraries preserve diversity in the food chain. REMEMBER THOSE GIANT but strangely vest, dry them properly, and donate them to juicy and fruitful tomatoes from your grand- the library (giving others the chance to try parents’ backyard garden? Did your moth- out your favorite strain of bok choy). You can er have a prize-winning squash at the county also start from scratch and receive seeds that fair? If your mom or your grandparents are you may not have been able to find at the still around, ask them if they kept any seeds. garden center. The Sulzer Regional Library Seed libraries have been around for centu- has just started their own version, and vis- ries. The structure can be as simple as a few labeled envelopes fi lled with harvested seeds from favored plants. Most seeds last for a C P L Sulzer Regional -- long time if kept cool and dry. Some seeds do Harold Washington -- go bad eventually, so it’s good for seed librari- chipublib.org ans to make sure they have plenty on hand for plants that they would like to continue propa- gating. Archives of seeds preserve diversity in itors can stop by the information desk to the food chain and maintain heritage varieties view and collect seeds. The Harold Wash- of beloved plants. ington Library Center downtown off ers har- Patrons of the Chicago Public Library vested seeds alongside gardening resourc- system will be pleased to find that several es at the Business, History, and Sciences branches have created their own hyperlocal division desk on the fourth fl oor. Call fi rst to seed libraries-within-the-library. To contrib- see if they have started up for the season. ute, save seeds from plants after their har- —S C-J ll MARCH - CHICAOREADER 3 F&F W. Division, -- CITY LIFE www.fieldandflorist.com Field & Florist owners Heidi they think of a fl ower farm,” says Joynt. “It’s a Joynt and wild and largely unmanicured place. It’s a place Molly Kobelt that’s about serious production for us, not cre- JACLYN SIMPSON ating an aesthetic experience for image making. I think there’s a diff erent kind of beauty in that.” Aside from floral arrangements and a unique selection of home goods and gifts, Field & Florist sells local products like mobiles handmade by Curio Curio, ceramics by Angela Vernachik (including the popular “convertible vases,” which adapt to shrink- ing bouquets), and postcards and book bags designed by the Normal Studio. The shop cel- ebrates the high and low: from Italian hand- blown glass to run-of-the-mill garden prun- ers. “We carry luxury candles and fragrances from Regime des Fleurs but will get our hands dirty and pot up an inexpensive house plant for you,” Joynt says. “It’s a place that refl ects who we are.” Field & Florist off ers wedding and event fl o- ral design, special deliveries ($75-$100), and a subscription service, which sends week- ly fl oral arrangements to homes, restaurants, and cafes. The shop also hosts gardening Shop window Joynt says she wanted customers to workshops, such as April’s ranunculus-fo- interact with regional growers who are cused “spring centerpiece” or September’s Slow blooms also designers. “In today’s