MORNING
Brunch became lunch by the time we sat down at Milk & Honey Cafe (1920 W. Division St., 773-395-9434), a quaint little sandwich shop in Wicker Park. I’m a stout patron of Letizia’s Natural Bakery (2144 W. Division St., 773-342-1011) down the block — partly because it was the site of my first date with my wife, Betsy — but our friend Adrienne persuaded us to try something new. And it worked! We ordered a roast beef sandwich ($7.50), a BLT ($6.95) and pesto pasta ($6), then we opted to sit in the air conditioning rather than at a sweltering sidewalk table.
For the uninitiated, Milk & Honey can be confusing. A line often snakes from the door to the counter where patrons order, then are assigned a table. Water and iced tea are self-serve, adding to the loose, neo-bohemian atmosphere.
AFTERNOON
Across the street is Porte Rouge (1911 W. Division St., 773-269-2800), a table and housewares boutique, where we picked up some amazing, indigo-blue coasters ($20) designed by Lebanon’s Peggy Raphael Dabar.
I know, I know. Not the manliest of shopping sprees but the metal coasters we have are lethal, especially in summer. Metal coasters cling to the bottom of our glasses — a moment before crashing down on our feet. So, it may be unmanly to buy coasters, but it’s far more masculine than bawling in the emergency room with a metal coaster sticking out of your foot.
Down the block, we visit Anjenu (747 W. Division St., 773-469-2212), which carries an array of handmade cards and paper, including custom wedding invitations. The 9-month-old shop is guarded by Molasses, a female mini-dachshund who does less actual guarding than wooing customers to enter.
EVENING
Summer demands a trip to a drive-in movie, especially to places such as the McHenry Outdoor Theatre (1510 N. Chapel Hill Rd., McHenry, 815-385-0144). But arrive early for a good spot, particularly for family fare such as “Spider-Man 3” or “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” ($3 kids, $6 adults). We did show up early, but got kicked out of the front row because — get this — we weren’t in an SUV. So, smaller cars get assigned to the middle of the field while tall, hatchback trucks and vans gobble up the prime real estate and grassy front area.
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At press time, the site manager for the drive-in had not returned my phone call inquiring about the policy.
I’m a big enough drive-in-movie fan to let it slide — and bless Cindy Kottke, president of “C” You At the Movies Inc., for investing in drive-ins — but why can’t early patrons who block no one’s view get a little grass-side seating?