Day 25 – Tuesday, July 13 – Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka

Day 25 – Tuesday, July 13 – Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka

After I went to Balley’s gym again, I did laundry at the motel.   Then we began the easy drive east, from Morton Grove, through Skokie, and towards Evanston on Lake Michigan.  Following Sheridan road near the lake, we saw, of course, MORE beautiful homes.  Attempting to catch a road closer to the lake, I inadvertently arrived on the campus of Northwestern University, Evanston.

I always had misconceptions about that place. (Although my thoughts were WRONG, they were very CLEAR to me – like – immaculate misconceptions.)  1. Why was “Northwestern University” located near Chicago? Shouldn’t it be called “North Central University”? I suppose it was our OLD northwest, when the French or Spanish owned half the country.

Also – I thought Northwestern was IN Chicago. This place was above it. On a lake. It looked like a resort, with tennis courts at the water!
Here's an aerial complements of Google Maps:

Northwestern U. in Evanston

Continuing up the coast, the most surprising façade was the Baha’i Worship Center in Wilmette, Ill. I stole the photo from the internet. It pops out suddenly, magically around a bend - large, white, and unique. A real “Wow! What is THAT?!”

We were arrived at 2 pm at Louie’s Greek restaurant and were greeted by his capable manager Hannah.  Avli Estiatorio is inside of a former laundry that now houses several small shops and dining places.  It’s done beautifully, as the website can show you.  www.avli.us  It’s only been opened about a year. 

The courtyard portion of Avli

Previously Louie has managed Greek restaurants in Chicago.  He and wife Maria have long worked in food service, although she now works with large corporations in the motions of conglomerating or spinning off other entities. 

Louie and Maria

Their two young boys are Lefteri, 10 and Costas, 8. Their home is a few blocks from the restaurant and from their school. The couple are strongly committed to spending time with the boys.

Summertime. It's okay for boys to be in a bar.

Renate and I arrived to a deserted place. We were grateful for the attention Louie could give us as food and wine appeared for us. 
Here's some menu descriptions:

Shrimp Tourkolimano
Oven baked shrimp in a tomato sauce with feta cheese and herbs   8
Tiganita Kalamarakia 
Crispy calamari served with lemon, parsley & a spicy sauce   6 or 11
Grilled Octopus 
From the Mediterranean Sea, served with lemon, oregano, & olive oil   8 or 14
Fried Zucchini Chips Served with our garlic-potato skordalia & lemon    7

akos Whole wheat bread rusk, grated and chopped tomatoes, feta, herbs, and extra virgin olive oil     7

Louie is proud of his wine selections and his listing in the "Wine Speculator"

Frankly we were concerned about the place’s emptiness.

Not to worry. We had missed the lunch crowd. And dinner that evening would be packed. Then, Louie would greet most clientele personally, frequently by name.  Probably 100+ were served during the evening, including Renate and me for a second round of food, and now Liz – who showed up around 5:00 after working in Chicago. We got appetizers and shrimp and scallops and desert. Mmmm.

Between our lunch and dinner, Louie treated Renate and me to the Chicago Botanical Garden – located by some quirk of philanthropy – in Highland Park, the 2nd small town north of Winnetka. (One MORE town and we'd be near Doctor Kyran in Lake Forest.

He got us on board the last tram that allowed us a hint of the garden’s size and ambition.

In case two meals weren’t enough, we carried leftovers “home” – to be eaten the next day. I also saved and several times used the quality containers.

Renate leaving Avli Estiatorio

Renate and I are struck by a pattern which was never broken, which the evening news seems to deny: the families we’re meeting are all…families. Loving, and working to better themselves  – parents and children - and their community, culturally, materially, and dare I say spiritually. 


During our visits, we were the beneficiaries of their time and caring attention. We felt treated so special, like royalty. Yet I’m certain it isn’t us that was so special.  It’s them.


What a great trip.