Beadniks is one of those places you’ll walk by a thousand times before going in, then wonder why it took you so long. The glint of the jewelry catches your eye as you walk down Division Street, and the rows and rows of beads, chains and other tools invite you in as the friendly staff welcomes you.
Making your own charm jewelry with the guidance of employees is the shop’s bread and butter and the cause of its recent viral success. Thanks, TikTok, for making this a not-so-hidden gem.
First, you’ll get a baggie, a pen and free reign to look over the dozens of charm options. Classics like letters and the alphabet and Zodiac symbols are available, but there are also religious iconography, geometric shapes and tongue-in-cheek designs meant to be worn ironically. You’ll choose the charms you want, and write down the price of each one on your bag.
Now it’s time to choose a chain. The quality varies, so if you’re willing to spend a buck you can get a higher quality metal that won’t tarnish, but there are also more affordable gold- and silver-plated options.
You’ll measure your own chain with the help of the associates (If you’re the type of person who needs a buddy outside the fitting room to tell you what works and what doesn’t — don’t worry, they’ll tell you what looks good.).
The staff will then walk you through how to attach the charms to your chain using tiny pliers made for working with the small pieces. You’ll get a tray for measuring and storing your charms, and you can take your time playing around with the designs of your necklace or bracelet.
Outside of custom jewelry making, the shop sells its own jewelry and gemstones. Take a look around the space and see if anything catches your eye. As you wander around, you’re surrounded by rainbows of beads and silver and gold jewelry representing the latest trends. A few groups of amateur jewelry makers chat as they huddle around their chains and charms, focusing intently on their pliers.
Things to note:
– Plan ahead because Beadniks doesn’t take walk-ins for custom jewelry-making tutorials. Check online for appointment times.
– The price to reserve a spot for custom jewelry making is $9 per person. Pricing of the charms and chains vary.
From Beadniks, you’ll walk east on Division Street and probably add more restaurants to your already long list of places to try. The area is bustling yet quaint, somehow at the same time. On a steamy summer night, it’s full of people looking to beat the heat with a refreshing cocktail or ice cream cone.
You’ll reach Tortello past the intersection of Division and Wood streets. It might be as close as you can get to feeling like you’re in Europe without leaving Chicago.
In the giant front window, an employee diligently rolls pasta into tiny nuggets for one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. It’s almost mesmerizing to watch, and your mouth waters for your entree before you even look at the menu.
Walking inside, the space has a casual feel without sacrificing quality. Strings of various kinds of pasta adorn the walls, and a shelf displays other Italian cooking tools, sauces and oils for sale. The space is open and warmly lit. The patio doesn’t cut corners on ambiance despite being outside — twinkly lights hover above the space and crisp white tablecloths don every surface.
The experience is a hybrid between table service and counter service. You’ll order your initial meal at the counter and pay right away, but servers will bring your food to your table and check in during the meal.
Starting with the focaccia bread served with ricotta and honey is just short of a requirement at Tortello. The cheese and honey mixture is smooth and melted on the pillowy bread, and the cracked black pepper on top brings the dish together in a flawless appetizer for what’s to come.
As for the pasta, it’s simply hard to go wrong. You can tell the pasta is handmade right there in front of your face.
The cavatelli al pesto leaves no pasta groove untouched by basil and pine nuts, with stracciatella generously dolloped on top. The signature dish, tortelli di burrata, provides large cushions of pasta filled with burrata and then topped with hazelnuts, butter and sage. What’s not to love?
For those looking to try your hand at cooking yourself, the restaurant also has handmade pasta for purchase to cook at home. It beats the boxed mac and cheese you’d be making otherwise, that’s for sure.
The restaurant also offers weekly private pasta-making classes from creating a volcano of flour and eggs to creating four different shapes. The classes are designed for four to five people and can be booked on Tortello’s website.
If you go on a weekday in the summer, Tortello hosts live music, adding the perfect level of ambiance to the already-immaculate vibe.
After you’re happily stuffed with pasta, take a short walk back west and cross Wood Street to find Phyllis’ Musical Inn. The diviest of dive bars, the place only accepts cash, and it’ll take your eyes a minute to adjust to the darkness inside.
A whimsical mural of a piano stretches across the back wall, where bands set up for the night. A group of men gathers at the bar, nursing beers and chuckling among themselves.
Order a beer or well drink as a nightcap, sit back and relax while listening to a sampling of the live music that’s featured at the bar on any given day. The acts vary from open mics to established bands, and the atmosphere is lively and loud.
Open since 1954 when accordionist Phyllis Jaskot started the spot as a polka club, it’s easy to tell there have been plenty of beers knocked back to the sound of gritty local bands. Over the years, the live acts have evolved from polka to jazz to now include slam poetry and garage-band types.
And, as part of its charm, the space doesn’t seem like it’s changed all that much since its inception.
For a break from the bustling bar, step outside into the large courtyard. While the inside has its own charm, this is really where the space gets its reputation. Greenery climbs up the walls on either side of the patio, and tables and chairs are scattered along the patio for seating.
An American flag and basketball hoop give the space even more character, and unorthodox decorations dot the space: Two lawn jockeys stare you in the face, and below them a bright yellow sign reads “The (Good) Blues.” The just-thrown-together feel of the place makes the night feel almost like you just met up in a friend’s basement, garage or backyard for a night of music and drinking.
