The Great Escape, Schiller Park: Food by Wind

The Great Escape, Schiller Park: Food by Wind (and, I’m sure, gas)


The phrase “tilting at windmills” was coined from the most influential book of the Spanish Golden Age, The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha. Wikipedia defines the phrase as, “an English idiom which means attacking imaginary enemies, or fighting unwinnable or futile battles.” I believe this to be an apt summary of America’s energy policies.

In this classic great 17th century novel, the hapless protagonist imagines himself a knight-errant, and fumbles about on multiply mistaken quests of chivalry. Hilarities and humiliations ensue.

As a kid, I remember celebrating Jimmy Carter installing solar panels on the roof of The White House. Tax credits were offered to home owners to do the same. Most solar panels you see in your neighborhood are probably from this time, many still operating. One of Ronald Reagan’s first acts was to repeal the credit and had the panels torn down. One step forward two steps back. That was what, 30 years ago? A worthy battle never won.

Only the most cynical and daft could argue against using renewable resources. Still there are those who express that there is no energy crisis, no climate change, nothing to panic about here. I will abide no such company. Even Glenn Beck, though, when off camera has stated link

Glen Beck (interviewed not wrote) wrote:"You'd be an idiot not to notice the temperature change," he says. He also says there’s a legit case that global warming has, at least in part, been caused by mankind. He has tried to do his part by buying a home with a "green" design and using energy-saving products. "I’m willing to do anything but use the CFLs," he says of compact fluorescent light bulbs. "I put them in once and couldn't stand the way they lit up the room."

(I will not beat this dead horse long, reader.)

“Tilting at windmills” is not a perfect metaphor. I like windmills, and don’t want to fight them. There is something romantic and phantastic about them. Dreamy-like. Futility I feel, not at defeat by imaginary monster, but at saddling-up against an all powerful foe. David v Goliath. But David keeps losing. A Sisyphean task.

On an unsightly stretch of Irving Park, a jaunty 1.1 miles west of The Magic Waters of Che-Che-Pin-Qua, and approximately 0.9 zippy miles east of a border to Orchard Field, just east of a prone-to-flood, eyesore railroad underpass, and an intermodal transportation yard, is a welcoming looking restaurant, The Great Escape.



The restaurant / bar boasts that Al Capone and Tom Mix were regulars, in the day, if you know what I mean. The menu is heavy on the falling-off-the-bone ribs and the broasted chicken. The décor is glass on linen. The prices are reasonable. Specials can shine. No destination food, but fully competent, with minor flaws. That’s not the reason I go there though.

Seems the Great Escape got sick of paying their power bill. And took matters into their own hands. You’d think it would be easy after all these years … uhuh ...

As I streak west along Irving, as I’m winding up to Des Plaines River Road, I see it. A beacon, a compelling force, a thing of beauty. A massive wind turbine, spinning proudly and powerfully on the horizon. My jaw drops in awe as I approach, and hear its gentle composed whine of generation. The air seems to crackle with wizardly power.



May the sun bless your hale children, may the wind carry you free, may the seas and seeds feed your bellies, let your minds be wise and at ease.

The Great Escape
9540 Irving Park Road
Schiller Park, IL
847.671.7171

-ramon

Are you sure that windmill is for the restaurant? I always assumed it was Schiller Park itself. In that same spot is the fire station, police station and city hall.

midas wrote:Are you sure that windmill is for the restaurant? I always assumed it was Schiller Park itself. In that same spot is the fire station, police station and city hall.

The windmill is for the restaurant. They have a page about it on their website.
http://www.greatescaperestaurant.com/green

We go there whenever we have to pick up a package at the UPS center on Fullerton and 25th Ave. As Ramon said, it's not destination food. They have decent fish specials, and the ribs and broasted chicken combo is pretty good. I'd skip the pasta dishes though as the red sauce is sickeningly sweet.

Wow. Thanks! We pass that everytime we are getting to 294. I had assumed too, that it was for the village's benefit. You know, windmill aside, the place that always intrigues me is the one a few blocks east of there on Irving Park with a sign about home made 7 course dinners. It's name, I'm sorry, is failing me. Do you know the place, classic coffee shop decor?

Vital Information wrote:Wow. Thanks! We pass that everytime we are getting to 294. I had assumed too, that it was for the village's benefit. You know, windmill aside, the place that always intrigues me is the one a few blocks east of there on Irving Park with a sign about home made 7 course dinners. It's name, I'm sorry, is failing me. Do you know the place, classic coffee shop decor?

When my office was located in Schiller Park, The Great Escape and its predecessor (whose name escapes me) were regular lunch stops. The food was never anything special, but the staff was very nice. The place down the block, Pete's IIRC, was a standard issue Greek diner. They had fairly decent breakfast food.

Vital Information wrote: ...the place that always intrigues me is the one a few blocks east of there on Irving Park with a sign about home made 7 course dinners. It's name, I'm sorry, is failing me. Do you know the place, classic coffee shop decor?

The diner you are referring to is Al & Andy's. Just East of Jay's Beef: Schiller Park -- I believe an original Beef-A-Thon stop. A&A's is fine. Not sure how they count those 7 courses though.

Oh yeah, The Great Escape's wind turbine is lit up in variable colors at night by a solar powered fixture. I like to find interesting perches to stare at it from. Uh-hum.

The Great Escape has really good table bread, warm and crusty. Interior seeming both grainy and light. Wish I had some now.

Al & Andy's Restaurant
9724 Irving Park Road
Schiller Park, IL 60176
847.678.3812

-ramon

I am reviving this thread. I grew up near here and have been there many times..........love the broasted chicken...other food good to okay not destination dining as was previously said. The place itself is very interesting. My mom who lived near here most of her life said formerly it was a "roadhouse" or kind of like a saloon where German descent farmers would pass by taking their goods to Chicago down Irving Park Road from the farms out west. They would pick up a shot or beer (or both) and a boiled egg which they stored on the bar. Later it became kind of a working man's bar for men working on the Soo line railroad. My great grandfather and grandfather both frequented this bar and my great grandfather has been dead since the late 1940's so you know how old it is must be. I believe the original structure was built at or even before the turn of the century. Must check facts.

The original bar is still there made by the Chicago Bar Company. Al Capone's picture hangs there and was supposedly also a hang out of his. The building is steeped in history and is supposedly haunted if you believe in stuff like that. The website features info on the hauntings.

I go to Al and Andy's every now and then, when i am in town.. It's a real dump inside, the type of dump i enjoy. As i was eating lunch there yesterday, i listened to the counter guy have a conversation with a regular.. "Oh yah, she is a real beaut, that one. She has the type of body I can lie around in bed all day with" "You know, 25 years ago, she would be considered fat, but, she has an ass on her, that's a 4 million dollar ass" "I am a smaller guy, so, i don't like em too big, but, she is something" The guy at the counter then started paying out the waitresses, he said, " I pay you girls out by rank and so and has been here for 35 years, so so and get's paid first" So, i gather it's been there for some time..

I watched beautiful waffles come out topped with huge mounds of whipped cream and cherries.. I watched a really beautiful order of fried chicken come out.. I also noticed they had a steak someone was eating that looked like it was from a steakhouse.. I would never had thought to order a steak at a place like that but, it looked awesome.. The guy I was with got a turkey burger that he absolutely loved.. (i mean, who the hells loves a turkey burger) I got a gyro and it was really average. But, in the past, i have ordered things that escape me now, that made we want to come back to this place.. I would advise against the gyro.

All in all, the place is a trip for sure.

This is another good restaurant in my neck of the woods...in schiller park..down the street from the new Mantra Indian Restaurant.

you are saying, Al and Andy's is another good restaurant? Or that Mantra is a good restaurant.. i have yet to go to Mantra.. I have gone to Maharaja and had a good meal there a couple years back.

funny you should mention the counter guy, who I think is the owner at Al & Andy's. I was there for breakfast a few weeks ago and he's talking in a loud voice about the size of his "member" to some regular. I turned around and looked at him and cleared my throat loudly. He shut up quick!

The breakfasts are good, but that guy needs to learn to use both discretion and his inside voice. There were kids in the restaurant!

I stopped by last week for lunch. Had the mustard encrusted fish. It was bland. the entire meal was bland. The salad was good.. with real chunks of blue cheese. There were many older people there on a week day...

The bar is very unique and interesting... This is not destination dining. In fact a lot of people I know have had their memorial luncheons here which is odd. I have gone to more luncheons after funerals than anything else.

I don't know if I will go back. Probably not.

Ramon wrote:

Vital Information wrote: ...the place that always intrigues me is the one a few blocks east of there on Irving Park with a sign about home made 7 course dinners. It's name, I'm sorry, is failing me. Do you know the place, classic coffee shop decor?

The diner you are referring to is Al & Andy's. Just East of Jay's Beef: Schiller Park -- I believe an original Beef-A-Thon stop. A&A's is fine. Not sure how they count those 7 courses though.

Oh yeah, The Great Escape's wind turbine is lit up in variable colors at night by a solar powered fixture. I like to find interesting perches to stare at it from. Uh-hum.

The Great Escape has really good table bread, warm and crusty. Interior seeming both grainy and light. Wish I had some now.

Al & Andy's Restaurant
9724 Irving Park Road
Schiller Park, IL 60176
847.678.3812

-ramon

So all these years driving past from Oak Park to 294, Sophie and I decided to try Al n Andy's. I think all I gotta say on the matter is there aint any 7 course meals anymore.