Bookman's Alley, right off the Northwestern campus, is an exceptional bookstore. It's literally hidden in a back alley around the corner from the Orrington Hotel. The storefront is just two French doors covering a hole in the wall. An actual hole in the wall as Bookman's Alley is in fact made out of three old garages, all strung together. It's filled with flags, jackets, model ships, typewriters, maps, and sundry antiques that make everything feel old and rare. And the books. The books. Bookman's Alley specializes in old, rare, and specialty volumes. The selection is mindboggling - stacks upon stacks of decade and century year old books, shoved into whatever space seems available. An expedition can take up to a week. One day to find the store, one day per garage and one day to find your way out.]]> Bookman's Alley gridskipper 2007-05-29T00:43:00-05:00 Evanston chicago books shopping evanston 1712 Sherman Ave Evanston IL 60201 US 42.048616 -87.681696 http://wists.com/gridskipper/location=evanston/8be063edcd53a3529b86133775d2d0c0 add to my Wists

Merle's Smokehouse has something called a Barnyard Platter. For less than $20, you get platters of baby back ribs, St. Louis ribs, chicken, pork chops, and three sides. It is the most food we've ever seen served under the assumption it's all going to be eaten by a single person. They also have a platter of ribs clocking in somewhere between the size of a large infant and a small Volkswagen. The staff is competent and friendly, the food is authentic Texas BBQ, and it seems equally suited to family dining or evening pregaming, events that often enough coincide among the clientele.]]> Merle's Smokehouse gridskipper 2007-05-20T17:45:00-05:00 merles_smokehouse food restaurants location=evanston location=60201 1727 Benson Ave Evanston IL 60201 US 42.048827 -87.683241 http://wists.com/gridskipper/location=evanston/6d81d4040b6d18c4d6dae9dd073d2c4f add to my Wists

Welcome to the newly reopened Hotel Orrington, formerly the Omni Orrington, the only AAA four diamond hotel located in Evanston, Illinois. After completing a $34 million renovation, Hotel Orrington brings a refreshing alternative to the typical Chicago North Shore hotel, joining contemporary style and historic elegance, with impeccable guest service. With its classic modern look and excellent location, Hotel Orrington provides a unique oasis of urban sophistication for the modern traveler:]]> Hotel Orrington gridskipper 2007-05-16T17:17:05-05:00 hotel_orrington hotels lodging location=evanston location=60201 1710 Orrington Ave Evanston IL 60201 US 42.048474 -87.680511 http://wists.com/gridskipper/location=evanston/5ba103e33ac0cd43511c1d18af6835d8 add to my Wists

Most coffee shops with free wifi cater to the morning crowds and afternoon workers. They fill up with students, bloggers, and writers from early morning until they run out of sprout sandwiches at 4 p.m. Ambrosia caters to these types, but it's also a haven for night owls -- they don't close until 1 a.m. Their menu includes excellent paninis and Mediterranean spreads as well as pastries. It's BYOB, but there's a $3 corkage fee.]]> ambrosia cafe gridskipper 2007-04-10T14:12:00-05:00 Evanston cafes chicago chicago_wifi_cafes coffee food restaurants wifi evanston 1620 Orrington Ave Evanston IL 60201 42.047084 -87.681345