The hallowed stacks of Val's Halla Records.
Best known as home to Ernest Hemingway, Frank Lloyd Wright and teetotaling old ladies, Oak Park has worked hard to develop a reputation as a younger, hipper version of its former self. We've picked a few places around the station that'll give you the hip digs you love, in a setting that's totally, and pleasantly, suburban.
Best of the nightlife
Philander's
For a city full of affluent lawyers, doctors and professionals, Oak Park has a surprising dearth of upscale restaurants. Philanders is one of the few spots in the progressive inner-ring suburb where you can score a plate of luxury. Anise-perfumed bouillabaisse holds court with Oysters Rockefeller and Maryland crab cakes. Appetizers range from $4-$23, and entrees cost $22-$40.
Good for groups
New Pot
There's something comforting about watching your food being prepared while you wait. New Pot's open kitchen lets you witness the magic. The huge open space may seem a little over-the-top to some, but most consider the environment casually hip. Service can be a teensy bit slow at times, but once your fried red snapper or spicy curry fried rice arrives, you'll forget about the wait and realize why it took a few extra minutes to prepare. Each dish comes piping hot and prepared nearly perfectly. Fried wontons are a favorite, as well as savory soups and a well-above average pad thai. Parking is a piece of cake.
Cheap eats
Tasty Dog
Re-connect with suburban youth at this Oak Park mainstay, where everything on the menu costs less than a fiver. Hot dogs, cheeseburgers and gyros are among the offerings here, served up in a hurry by the efficient staff behind the counter. The large, clean dining room even includes counter seating for solo dining and six outdoor tables for those who want to commune with nature (or traffic). With so many more sophisticated dining options in Oak Park, Tasty Dog's clientele skews more towards cash-strapped high school students, but the place is so popular that the city's threat to close it in 2001 sparked emotional demonstrations and a petition. Relocated across the street to make way for new development, Tasty Dog's new digs are bright and spacious. If you still feel the need for a little culture with your meal, take a look at the old photos on the walls for a quick lesson in Oak Park history.
Where to chill
Val's Halla Records
For almost as long as there have been hipsters in Oak Park, Val's Halla Records has been providing them with tunes. Val, who has become a sort of local celebrity, has owned the place since 1972 and can still be found among the vinyl on most days. CDs sit in display cases on either side of the narrow store, with boxes of records below and even a few eight-tracks near the back. A room off to the side houses the bulk of Val's rock albums from the past 40 years: everything from ABBA to Zappa. Whether you want to replace your well-worn, scratched Stones album or locate a hard to find REM import, this is the place to be. If you're looking for something specific, you'll love the clearly labeled, alphabetical organization, but if you're just hunting for treasures, you could easily spend hours flipping through Val's inventory.
In-the-know spot
At the Gallery
At The Gallery's tagline, "From Funky to Fine," captures the essence of this store, located smack in the heart of Oak Park's "The Avenue" district. A gallery of mostly three-dimensional arts-and-crafts type works, At The Gallery's inventory includes art glass, ceramics and sculpture by a long list of artists from all over the country. The store sells a lot of functional art, like jewelry, vases, furniture and even menorahs, but also offers more traditional sculptures, oil paintings and prints. This isn't the place to come for cutting edge art, but At The Gallery's selection of original decorative objects will help you fill that empty space in your living room with something outside of the Swedish-superstore genre.
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