This week, Laura and Sara are joined by Olin Eargle otherwise known as Mr. Andersonville. Olin, an @properties real estate agent is ranked as one of Chicago’s top brokers citywide and is celebrating 10 years this year. According to one testimonial, “he is a hustler and a veritable real estate surgeon.” Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, contact Olin at olinsellschicago.com for all of your real estate needs.

Olin Sells Chicago at Midsommarfest 2018 – Olin is on the left

“If you find a property that is 80 percent what you love, 10 percent what you can change over time, and 10 percent what you can live with, that becomes your perfect property.”

• Olin was born in South Carolina and lived in North Carolina from 8th grade to college graduation from Appalachian State. He holds a degree in Communications Advertising and a minor in theatrical arts. He moved to Chicago two weeks after graduation and now has been living here for almost fifteen years.
• When he first moved to the city, Olin worked for HARPO—Oprah’s production company—as the executive assistant to the director of media and public relations. Everything media-related went through his boss and he was there for support at all times.
• Because of his Carolina roots, he did have an accent. This is no longer thanks to his HARPO position. As someone taking direct calls and answering questions for clients he was asked to learn to speak more eloquently and pronounce things differently. He did, however, meet some amazing people and form some great relationships.
  
  

  Olin Sells Chicago at Midsommarfest 2018

• Real Estate was a natural step after HARPO, as Olin had always had a passion for living spaces. As a kid he designed layouts with legos, he was a resident assistant in college, and his first job in college was as a leasing agent for an apartment complex. He had always enjoyed the work and was excited to get into it.
• Olin has worked as a real estate broker for 10 years, and currently works at @properties, a real estate agency spread throughout the Midwest. Olin has been doing this for quite a while, and has found that the best advice he can give to anybody is to ask all of the questions they have on their minds.
• Olin also suggests going through all of the steps of purchasing a house in the proper order: if you need a loan, contact your banker and make sure you have the money to make the purchase, then contact your broker. They will show you houses and help you find what you want where you want—this could be a week long process, or it could last three to four months. Your realtor will work with your mortgage lender, attorney, and inspector to make sure that everything runs smoothly. According to Olin, purchasing real estate is not as daunting as it turns out to be if you start at step one and go through each one in the correct way.
• However, it is also wise going into this process with the mindset that no property will be 100% perfect. So, Olin suggests the 80-10-10 rule: if you find a property that is 80% what you love, 10% what you can change over time, and 10% what you can live with, that would be an ideal situation.
• In order to ease the process Olin also has a master list of vendors he works with including  attorneys, mortgage lenders, inspectors, interior designers, and others on a frequent basis.
• Another way to ease the homebuying process is to interview an agent before you agree to work with them. Asking questions like how long they have been in the business and how much they have sold in the past year could lend good insight into who they are and whether or not they have the motivation to help you find your dream home.
  
  

  The Mr. Andersonville team

• Olin—a long-time resident of Andersonville—describes it as a charming corridor with a small-town feel.
• Olin also performs with The Cabaret Project as a form of artistic outlet. He and a few others started the band the Feathered Beaus in 2018 as a sort of cabaret and burlesque fusion. They have performed in Missouri, Wisconsin, and are travelling down to Mexico soon. Locally they’ve performed at the Drake Hotel, the former Green Dolphin, and in Mary’s Attic. They also do private shows.
• If he were not working in real estate, Olin would definitely want to perform on Broadway. His dream role is Mark in RENT.
• If Olin could swap with any Andersonville business for a day, he would choose either the Swedish American Museum (5211 N Clark)—Karin’s team is excellent and, seeing as he got married there, he would love to be part of someone else’s big day—or The Wooden Spoon (5047 N Clark) because he loves to cook and it would be a fun and interesting experience.
  

Learn more about Mr Andersonville on the following platforms:
Online: olinsellschicago.com or mrandersonville.com
Facebook: facebook.com/olin.eargle
Instagram: @olinsellschicago
Twitter: @OlinSellsChi

Today we are joined by Ann-Louise Haak, Executive Director of First Slice Pie Cafe. First Slice is all about good food for good people and as a nonprofit organization provides high quality meals to people living on the margins of society. Proceeds from purchases at each of their three locations on the northside of Chicago and one in Evanston, go toward providing healthful, farm-to-table meals to Chicagoans experiencing homelessness. You can find First Slice here in Andersonville at 5357 N Ashland.

Sara, Andy, Ann-Louise, and Laura met at Transistor to record episode 50 of #AlwaysAndersonville: The Podcast

“Haters gonna hate, burglars gonna steal, and dang it,
First Slice is gonna keep making pie and feeding folks who need to be fed”
-Ann-Louise Haak

• Ann-Louise grew up on the East coast. She grew up with the Amish in Lancaster, Pennsylvania until she was ten, then her mom remarried and relocated to the suburbs of Washington DC. She originally came to the Midwest for college, and hasn’t left since – her twentieth anniversary of Midwest living is coming up this fall!
• Unbeknownst to many, Ann-Louise is actually an ordained member of the clergy as well as a Baptist minister. Though she can officiate weddings, she chose not to for a long time because she was unable to give the same blessings to all couples. She lead ceremonies without signing licenses for a while, but her mindset shifted when she was married to her partner a few summers ago. Though she is more willing to encourage the married lifestyle now, does make her couples do premarital counseling before their big day.
  
  

  Believe it or not, First Slice has desserts that are not pie. Who knew?

• First Slice was started by Mary-Ellen Diaz, a classically trained French chef and mother of two. When she was on maternity leave for her second child, she realized how difficult it was for her, a professional chef, to get dinner on the table most nights. She came up with the idea of a meal subscription to help ease the dining difficulties of others. It launched in 2004 and is still available.
• How it works:
  • You sign up for the subscription.
  • A new menu is released every Friday.
  • Subscribers pick three entrees, each menu has a set list of sides – and a pie of course – to accompany the meals.
  • First Slice cooks, packages, and freezes the meals; you stop by your local cafe (5357 N Ashland if you’re in Andersonville) to pick up the food at your leisure.
  • You are free to mix and match sides all week long; all you need to do is warm it up and dig in!
• Currently, there are an estimated 75 households participating in the subscription program.
• Another facet in First Slice’s mission came from Mary-Ellen’s experience volunteering at local soup kitchens. It was through this work that she realized two things: first, the meals they were serving at the kitchens, though helpful, were filled with starches, fats, and, while filling, had very little nutritional value. Second, her cooking skills were appreciated far more in the soup kitchens than at her place of work – people that don’t have access to good food regularly appreciate it far more than those that do not have to worry.

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Our other favorite #SocialEnterprise and pretty much bestest friends in the whole world at this point #FirstSlice sent over more #pie this week. We love them! #EatPieAndBeMerry

A post shared by StreetWise (@streetwise_chi) on Oct 10, 2014 at 10:10am PDT

• When people hear “first slice,” they usually assume that the cafe’s award-winning pies are the inspiration for the name – this is not the case. First Slice is a name inspired by their mission: “…Our commitment [is] to give the first slice – the best cut – to folks who are hungry and in need rather than just giving them what’s leftover at the end of the day.”
• First Slice feeds about 700 people per week through partnerships with local nonprofits and patrons that come into the cafe. Food insecurity is a very immediate need; First Slice is working to lessen that need with good, quality food.
• One of the many perks of signing up for First Slice’s meal subscription service is that some of that money goes towards providing meals to the hungry. First Slice saves money when they cook in bulk. So, if they were to prep chicken parm for 100 subscribers for a particular week, it would be just as easy and just as expensive to make 150 portions. The extra meals 50 meals they are able to make for the same price go to the hungry.
• First Slice works with several local nonprofits for their outreach work:
  • StreetWise: Likely First Slice’s biggest outreach partner, they provide a free, hot meal to all vendors during the week. Whenever they go to the office to participate in the program, meet with a social worker, or update their resume they know they’ll have something to eat.
  • The Crib: A nighttime drop for street-based youth. First Slice provides warm dinners to kids staying there.
  • Broadway Youth Center: A daytime drop in for street-based youth. First Slice brings lunches there.
  • Common pantry: On Wednesday nights, Common Pantry opens their doors to people in the midst of food emergencies. The neighboring church, Epiphany United Church of Christ, also opens up its doors and serves First Slice food so people can bring their families to do their shopping and eat dinner together.
  • Lakeview Presbyterian Church: First Slice works with Lakeview Presbyterian to provide lunches to low income or economically unstable senior citizens during the week.
    
    

    The First Slice bake case featuring some long-time favorites: Traditional Apple and Polka Dot Pies

• Outside of the meal subscription service and their outreach, First Slice also serves incredible pies (obviously). The favorite is Traditional Apple – Food and Wine Magazine called it one of America’s best apple pies – but Michigan Sour Cherry is also a popular choice.
• Another outreach event First Slice participates in is Empty Bowls. This national fundraiser is happening on Friday March 8 from 5-8PM; it is a way to help battle hunger in the United States. Ceramic artists throw handmade bowls and donate them, First Slice makes a lot of soup, when guests arrive they get to choose their own bowl, and they eat soup to their heart’s content. When guests are ready to leave a volunteer helps wash out their chosen bowl and they get to keep it forever as a reminder of all the empty bowls they helped fill that night. Tickets are $25, more details are available here.
• Because Ann-Louise in the First Slice team are so involved in the community, they are always looking for extra hands to help out. If you’re interested, the volunteer form is on their website – they need people to serve at their multiple outreach outlets, help at Empty Bowls, work their stand at the Andersonville Farmers Market, and even help in critical administrative activities like marketing and IT.
  

  First Slice mural at the Andersonville location

• Despite two recent burglaries of their Andersonville location, First Slice is still working hard and going strong. Though Ann-Louise wouldn’t recommend it as a team-building exercise, the staff pulled together to see the silver lining and the community rallied around them to support the team and their work.
• If Ann-Louise could swap with any Andersonville business for a day she would choose Women and Children First (5233 N Clark). She has loved the store since she moved to the city and working there was actually her first job after she graduated from college.

Thank you for joining us today and thank you for listening to Always Andersonville: the podcast. For more information about First Slice, please visit firstslice.org. Show notes on today’s episode can be found at andersonville.org.

Visit First Slice on the following platforms:
Online: firstslice.org
Facebook: facebook.com/FirstSlice
Instagram: @firstslice
Twitter: @FirstSlice

This week, Laura and Sara are joined by Martin Cournane of Munster Restaurant Group. Martin is the co-owner of Lady Gregory’s and Octavio Cantina and Kitchen in Andersonville, as well as LG’s Bar in Old Town and Wilde in Lakeview. Lady Gregory’s, an Irish Gastro Pub located at 5260 N. Clark, serves up a delicious menu and proudly boasts over 300 whiskeys.  Located just up the street at 5310 N. Clark, Octavio is a love letter to Mexico and serves modern Mexican food from the heart.

Martin recording in Transistor’s Studio C.

“Dream big, don’t give up, and start with your heart”
– Martin Cournane

Listen to Episode 48 with Martin Cournane!

• Martin hails from Ireland. Having traveled over in 1994, he was one in a late wave of immigrants travelling to America. He came to Chicago with a bag and some money, and slept on a friend’s couch for his first few months in the area.
• He started working in restaurants when he was sixteen years old and has done everything from dishwashing to bartending. Martin’s first Chicago job was Kitty O’ Sheas in the Palmer House Hilton; since then he has worked in a variety of hotels and Irish bars. He also worked as a General Manager at The Kerryman. In this position he made decisions about the menu, chose staff uniforms, and helped put the restaurant together. He learned a great deal about what makes a good restaurant; this was a huge stepping stone to open his own business.
  
  

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  25 taps always rotating! We just put on @originalsincider new Rose Cider on draft. Come check it out!

  A post shared by Lady Gregory's Irish Pub (@ladygregorysandersonville) on Aug 23, 2017 at 10:00pm PDT

• In 2006, Martin started Munster Restaurant Group (MRG) and their first location – Wilde Bar and Restaurant – opened the same year. His business partner worked in construction, and they worked together to create original designs for each restaurant they opened. While working on Wilde, Martin learned a great deal about working with the city and having a flexible timeline.
• Five years later, MRC opened up Lady Gregory’s in Andersonville. Being a constant patron and resident in Andersonville, Martin says that he was always hoping to open something up in the area. Becoming a part of the fabric of the neighborhood was an exciting experience.
  

  The fire damage at Lady Gregory’s in 2011

• However, six weeks before they were supposed to open, there was a fire. This was a devastating shock; thankfully there was no structural damage. This did set them back a few weeks, and they opened on the Friday of Andersonville Midsommarfest in June 2011.
• Martin and MRG name their restaurants after authors, and Lady Gregory’s is no exception. Isabella Augusta (a.k.a. Lady Gregory) was an Irish theatre manager and playwright specialising in drama and folklore. She also produced several books retelling stories from Irish mythology in common terms. Martin compares her to a woman running a pub in old Ireland: tough, and not to be trifled with. Lady Gregory also inspired several other Irish writers like W.B. Yeats and James Joyce.
• MRG’s fourth and most recent restaurant, Octavio Cantina and Kitchen, is named after poet and activist Octavio Paz. In the back of the restaurant there is a portrait of him by local artist and LG’s bartender Cecilio Garcia. The map mural on the wall is by another local artist, Chris Silva.
• Octavio was a big step away from Martin’s usual repertoire – he had to learn to create an entirely different menu and a fresh, new atmosphere. The result is a beautiful, open concept restaurant with excellent natural light and a homey, welcoming feeling.
  
  

  Octavio Chicken Fajitas are being offered on their prix fixe menu during Andersonville Restaurant Week

• Four restaurants later, Martin is still passionate about what he does. The advice that he wants to give to young entrepreneurs is to start with your heart – ask yourself what you love, and work from there. If you’re passionate about something, the rest will follow.
• If Martin had the opportunity to trade places with any Andersonville business for a day, he would choose Lost Larson (5318 N Clark St) because of the obvious passion they have for their work and the delicious pastries.

Visit Lady Gregory’s and Octavio on the following platforms:
Lady Gregory’s:
Online: ladygregorys.com
Facebook: facebook.com/LadyGregorys
Instagram: @ladygregorysandersonville
Twitter: @LadyGAville

Octavio:
Online: octaviochicago.com
Facebook: facebook.com/octaviochicago
Instagram:@OctavioCantina

In honor of Chicago Theatre Week and the Year of Chicago Theatre, this week Laura and Joelle are joined by six members of Steep Theatre in their newly opened Boxcar venue. Steep is the quintessential storefront theatre and is committed to producing new and under-produced plays that tell the stories of ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Their current sold out production Red Rex is about a small theatre company embarking on an explosive new play with the hope of finally breaking it big and has already been named one of Chicago Tribune’s top 10 Chicago shows for 2019. Located at 1115 W. Berwyn, you can find this intimate theatre just two doors down from the Berwyn El Station.

From left to right, back: Peter Moore, Thomas Dixon | Front: Sophiyaa Nayar, Ryan Kling, Sasha Smith, Kate Platt-Eckert

“Watching other people battle these demons [on stage] helps us understand and work through things without having it be about us.”
– Kate Platt-Eckert

Listen to Episode 47 with the Steep Staff!

• Laura and Joelle visited the Boxcar on-site this week to talk with six employees of the Steep Theatre. Get to know them below:
  • Kate Platt-Eckert: Daughter of a theatre manager and lifelong thespian, Kate found Steep when working as a stage manager in 2006. She took a break from theatre for a few years after that job, then came back to work as the Executive Director five years ago.
  • Peter Moore: Inspired by film, Peter acted in high school and college theatre as much as he possibly could. One of the founding members of Steep, the artistic director, and an actor, Peter has been with the company since 2001.
  • Sophiyaa Nayer: Growing up with the magic of Bollywood film, Sophiyaa has been putting on shows ever since she could remember – the earlier ones had costumes made of pillow cases and an audience made up of her family. She ran into Steep six months ago, fell in love with it, and recently started working as the Program Coordinator.
  • Sasha Smith: Growing up with an actor dad and a comedian mom, Sasha received the full breadth of theatre growing up. Her childhood destined her for Steep, where she has been working for almost two years as an Artistic Curator and an ensemble member.
  • Thomas Dixon: Artistic Curator and Sound Designer at Steep since 2006, Thomas was first inspired by his visits to the theatre with his Grandma. Originally wanting to be in Star Trek, he realized when in college that he also had a passion for sound design.
  • Ryan Kling: As the Bar Manager, Ryan has been helping cultivate a menu with a distinct feel for the Boxcar. He grew up in Chicago, has been working for restaurants for 20+ years, and is excited to be able to work with Steep. He’s often inspired by the magic of production and loves the people that populate theatres.
    
    

    Laura and Joelle sit and discuss Steep’s history with the staff at the Boxcar Theatre.

• Steep Theatre was founded in 2000 by three actors that banded together to have more creative control over the shows they were in. Their first show – “Life During Wartime” by Keith Reddin – featured about ten actors and a simple set. In total the production was a few thousand dollars. Although it was a small, low-budget production, “Life During Wartime” was a show that lead to the consistent use of ensembles at Steep because “the stage felt alive with so many voices on it.” View all past productions here.
• The Steep ensemble continued to work and find their aesthetic at their first space in Wrigleyville from 2005-2008. As their budgets grew, so did their cast and audience until they expanded into their Boxcar Location on 1115 W Berwyn in 2018.
• It has been the mission of Steep since the beginning to produce theatre that challenges the audience’s beliefs, offers relatability, and ventures into life’s dark, dusty corners without fear. Steep’s staff works to make their work a personal and accessible experience through the shows they offer and their small, intimate space that seats only fifty-five people.
• Theatre is often considered to be “practice for life.” In shows like the ones performed at the Boxcar, people can look at the problems they grapple with through the eyes of the character. Discussing characters and their experiences can help audiences to better understand themselves and their own experiences.
  
  

  From Steep Theatre’s “Red Rex.” Photo by Lee Miller

• This transcendent, vicarious experience can be found in “Red Rex,” which tells the story of a theatre company and their conflicts with gentrification, racism, and ownership. It is very much a story of the theatre scene in Chicago, which generated self-examination for many of the staffers at Steep. Tickets are sold out, but are the possibility of purchase is not lost – there is a waitlist that will put you next in line if there is a cancellation.
• After “Red Rex,” there are two more shows to watch out for in the 2019 season: “First Love is the Revolution,” opening in April, and “Pamona,” which comes out in July. Learn more about the writers, directors, and the stories they are going to tell here.
• The Boxcar was opened thanks to a money-raising campaign. The space features a full bar, cozy seating, and free performances on Sunday and Monday evenings.
• Steep is also attempting to fulfill their mission through non-theatrical performance modes such as music, comedy, storytelling, lectures, and free willing discussions. Local band “The Winchesters” will be playing the fourth Monday of every month until April; there will also be visual artists featured, with a new exhibition coming in every four months.
  
  

  The current visual artist on display at the Boxcar is Ken Ellis. He has worked exclusively with quilts and dye paints for the past thirty years.

• The bar dances on the line of a theatre bar and a neighborhood bar, as their local clientele is steadily building – especially with the free Sunday and Monday performances. They feature local brews, like Empirical beer, and have several craft cocktails on the menu. The special during “Red Rex” is the Red Line Boulevard: a mix of Four Roses Bourbon, Campari, sweet vermouth, orange bitters, and a mist of Ardbeg single malt scotch.
  
• To celebrate the Year of Chicago Theatre, Steep is hoping that every Chicagoan will take the time to see at least one show sometime this year – perhaps during theatre week! There are several shows throughout the city every weekend, and there are very few nights where there is not a show happening somewhere.
• However, if you’re unable to attend a show at Steep or anywhere else, there are other ways you can support the theatre itself: donations are extremely helpful and very appreciated.
• If the Steep Staff could work at any other Andersonville business for a day, they would choose as follows:
  • Ryan: Women and Children First or AlleyCat Comics
  • Thomas: Lost Larson
  • Sasha: Women and Children First
  • Sophiyaa: AlleyCat Comics
  • Peter: Toys et Cetera
  • Kate: George’s Ice Cream & Sweet Treats

“The real magic of theatre is based on humans”
– Sasha Smith

Visit Steep Theatre on the following platforms:
Online: steeptheatre.com
Facebook: facebook.com/steeptheatre/
Instagram: @steeptheatre
Twitter: @SteepTheatre