“Men are equal; it is not birth but virtue that makes the difference.” ― Voltaire
DNAinfo ChicagoThe video shows a bicyclist apparently slowly pedaling into the intersection of Halsted and Roosevelt when a car hits him, sending the man over the car's roof and landing several feet away.
The driver of the car, a 22-year-old woman, stayed at the scene and has not been cited in the crash
Read more at https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=995_1500584271#UeqSxFGsIJCZARVJ.99
“Ice-cream is exquisite. What a pity it isn't illegal.” ― Voltaire
My lovely friend and I enjoyed a superb evening at a remarkable destination - Bistro Voltaire at 222 West Chicago Avenue. The getting there was like watching Dunkirk on IMAX.
We began our trip to Bistro Voltaire at 4 P.M. on a hot and sticky Saturday, armed with an umbrella for the much threatened rains. No rain. I decided to take North Avenue from Oak Park to the restaurant, because Taste of River North was getting under way and the expected traffic at Ohio exit of 94 North would be as thick as creme brulee on hot sidewalk.
North Avenue is a wonderful ride east to the hipper environs. You travel through Austin and West ad East Garfield Parks, where my Aunt Nellie Shea and her husband Dinny had an apartment until their moves to Heaven and then Humboldt Park. I turned south at California and we saw old gents playing dominoes in Humboldt Park. We passed the wonderful Flying Saucer diner run by a brilliant Australian lad named Andy and headed east again at Chicago Avenue heading into Ukrainian Village with its magnificent Churches and Museum and finally the bedroom community of the self absorbed.
These hipper environs are noticeable more by its tattooed and tanned denizens pedaling expensive CEEPO Vipers, or the more modest 6061 BLACK LABEL - PEARL WHITE. These people want everyone to know that they are alive . . ., at the moment.
Last week I watched a video (above) of a graceful idiot imitating a bug on a windshield, in DNAinfo Chicago.
Yesterday, I watched no fewer than four such well-accoutred imbeciles sped through red lights at Chicago and Western , Chicago and Damen, Chicago and Ashland and finally at Chicago and Larabee. These death defying morons caused traffic, which was not inconsiderable, to buckle and wane in expectation of meeting between force and matter.
My son lives in Wicker Park, as do many young people brought up with Old World values in the un-hippest of neighborhoods and continue to live accordingly. These young people know what it means to not receive participation trophies, how to wait their turns, have deference for other people and how not to spark a confrontation with their elders and betters.
Living among them are tattooed and tanned spawn of Montessori, Lab and Liberation education.
Free to form, do what they may with creative intensity and speak their little minds.
There were no speeding ninnies observed from Oak Park to Sacramento along Chicago Avenue, it was only at the boundaries of Wards run by Proco Joe Moreno and Brian Hopkins that the Clay-brained people emerged. Always aboard a most expensive set of wheels
Our Lady Blue Divvy bikers tended to their slow pace and themselves.
Once we found on-street parking on Chicago Avenue, we took an amble to the Brehon Pub and caught the pivotal 8th Inning of yesterday's W over St. Louis. My lady had scrumptious baked pretzel as a pre-prandial salivation for the delights awaiting at our 5:30 P.M. reservation.
Opened in 2010, Bistro Volatire is top of the charts. The music is an exquisite combination real jazz, jazz Manouche, Edith Piaff, Michel Le Grande and Ray Charles. The walls are festooned with image of Western literary giants, save the bothersome portrait of career bullshitter Studs Terkel - Volatire, Balzac, Victor Hugo, John Dos Passos, Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Gertrud Stein, Virginia Wolf, Joseph Conrad, Guy de Maupassant, James Joyce and Eugene O'Neill.
The lighting is perfect, the seating cozy-comfortable and the service wonderfully attentive, friendly and pure Chicago homespun at its best.
Our server, James, was a Dubliner and student at UCD enjoying the freedom of our city and working the fresh markets in the same neighborhoods that are home to the Morons sur les bicyclettes of our trip here.
The menu is simple and inviting . We both had the Bistro Salade of crisp and chilled Romaine and endive lettuce, bacon, and a poached egg over a Dijon mustard vinaigrette.
After sampling the driest of white wines and settling on the Chardonnay, the birthday girl ordered the Vivaneau - Red snapper over spinach and parsnip puree.
My only disappointment was they were out of swordfish and I opted for the wonderful steak au poivre. You can not miss this. The Frittes (fries) are seasoned with garlic and pure love of Man. I could cut the steak with a spoon.
Knowing that my lovely guest was celebrating her birthday, the wonderful manager sent over the lady's favorite cocktail Kir Royal and a candle topped Profiterolle ( a pastry puff stuffed with gelato and covered in a sinful chocolate sauce. I got more than few spoons of it.
Bistro Voltaire is the ideal romantic evening, special dinner treat that will put you in solid with the one you love. Get there before James returns to his studies in economics at University of Dublin in September. He is a great entry to the superb entrees at Bistro Voltaire.
I took I 94 to the Ike home - no bikes.
