The Run Down

This guide takes us to Edgewater for a quick afternoon trip. It starts at a place that's one part pie shop, one part bar, and one part elevated tavern food. Afterward, head across the street to Chicago's oldest antique store. Here are the details.

1. Pie and Beer @ Beard and Belly

2. Shop @ Broadway Antique Market

1. Beard and Belly

Exit the Granville Red Line stop, which is almost as far north as you can go on the Red Line.  A few blocks east, and you’re at the lake. A block in the opposite direction, and you’re at Beard and Belly, where nearly every desire is met: a heated outdoor patio, comfort food, pies, and beer.

There are two connected venues in this space. On one side is Beard and Belly, the craft beer and food tavern. On the other side, its sister café, Honey Pie, is a nationally renowned pie shop with roots in Milwaukee.

Beard and Belly boasts a genuine winter patio, far from some makeshift tent by the roadside. Nestled in the back, it’s sheltered and fitted with wall-mounted heaters during the cold season.

Turning to the fare, Beard and Belly’s menu overflows with refined comfort dishes. Our brunch choice, emblematic of this style, was their breakfast casserole.

The foundation is a layer of flaky buttermilk biscuits. Atop this base sit crispy tater tots, smothered in sausage gravy, sprinkled with cheese, and crowned with bacon. The finishing touch is an over-easy egg with runny yolk cascading down each layer of the bowl.

Their drink selection is vast, encompassing craft beers, wines, ciders, and cocktails. We chose their Bloody Mary, garnished with a spicy pickled egg and bacon bits, a concoction sure to wake your taste buds.

After your meal, a convenient indoor walkway leads to Honey Pie on the opposite side. Should pie be on your agenda, venture there.  

Honey Pie stands apart from the average pie shop. Their pies are frequently found on those on ‘best pies in America’ lists. TimeOut places their banana cream pie second nationwide, while Travel & Leisure includes them in their top 25.

Originating in Milwaukee, Honey Pie, under the guidance of founder Valeri Lucks, spent a decade perfecting their craft before joining forces with Beard and Belly in early 2020 to establish a presence here. More pie shops are a win for Chicago.

2. Broadway Antique Market

Across the street from Beard and Belly is Broadway Antique Market. Head over there to walk off some of that breakfast casserole in one of Chicago’s largest and oldest antique shops.

The first floor is a haven for those searching for random knick-knacks. This space accommodates goods from 75 distinct vendors, divided into long rows of segmented displays.

The arrangement of vendors has no rhyme or reason– one moment, you’re perusing vintage sports jackets; the next, leafing through a 1953 Notre Dame yearbook.

Here’s an example of a booth we came across which focused on vintage posters, newspapers, and ads dating from the early 20th century.

In search of an old paper copy of the NY subway train schedule? You’ll find it here. Close to the entrance, a flight of stairs leads to the second floor.  This entire level is a time capsule of the mid-20th century. It’s mainly furniture, but then you’ll turn a corner and find another trove of random stuff to dig through.

The whole experience is really a treasure hunt with new things to see each visit. And you know what? The same could be said about exploring Chicago.