What’s New

This has been some kind of week for the White Sox. It has been some kind of season for Carlos Rodon.

The Sox learned Monday that star center fielder Luis Robert would miss three to four months after suffering a torn hip flexor the day before, taxing a lineup that’s already missing the powerful Eloy Jimenez. Two days later, Tony La Russa didn’t know that he wasn’t forced to use closer Liam Hendriks as a runner to start the 10th inning, adding to the mounting criticism of the manager.

Then on Friday night in Kansas City, Missouri, against the Royals, Carlos Rodon made his first start in May after a sterling April, during which he emerged as one of the best surprises in baseball with an 0.72 ERA and a no-hitter while surrendering just seven hits. Rodon’s opening start of the month felt like April. He threw six scoreless innings, struck out eight and walked none in the Sox’ 3-0 victory, the team’s sixth shutout.

Rodon was supported by Zack Collins’ home run, Adam Eaton’s RBI single and Jose Abreu’s run-scoring double. His record improved to 5-0, and Rodon continued his resurgence after a rash of injuries.

“It’s rewarding now,” Rodon said. “I just want to keep going throughout this whole season. What’s important is the next start. It’s been fun.”

Another strong outing for their surprise ace was the latest event for the Sox, who pulled into first place, a half-game ahead of the Indians in a bunched-up American League Central. But they were in that position thanks somewhat to Robert.

Before his injury, Robert hit .316/.359/.463 with an .822 OPS. The Sox are a few days into life without Robert, and they announced Friday that he wouldn’t need surgery and that the team would provide another update in eight weeks.

Though the news apparently won’t affect Robert’s timeline, the Sox embraced the development.

“My understanding in being around different injuries over the years is if you can avoid surgery, that’s a plus,” La Russa said. “So it is a real healthy sign for Luis. And what’s good for Luis is good for us, but I do believe that that’s good news.”

Surgery or not, the Sox will have to cope with Robert’s absence. It’s unlikely anybody they bring in will replace his contributions, and the Sox as a whole will have to stay in the race without two-thirds of their starting outfield for the foreseeable future.

They’ll have to get used to playing without Robert quickly because Friday was the first of a 13-game stretch against division rivals, the Royals and Twins. The Sox started the two-week period well, getting a scoreless inning each from relievers Codi Heuer, Aaron Bummer and Hendriks to nail it down.

“It has the makings of the kind of bullpen that Kenny [Williams] and Rick [Hahn] talked about,” La Russa said. “A lot of depth.”

For one night, it also meant less drama surrounding La Russa.

La Russa was scrutinized for having Leury Garcia attempt to steal in the 10th inning of Wednesday’s 1-0 loss at -Cincinnati. But the viral moment was Hendriks’ running when he didn’t have to.

On Friday, La Russa said he was glad he didn’t try to “b.s.” his way through it. He said he told Hendriks not to do anything crazy on the bases and praised the league for making the change.

“It’s a good rule, and I’ve had a few people contact me in the game that were not aware, either,” La Russa said. “I’m sure a lot were, but I admit I didn’t know and it’s a good rule. A very good rule.”

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A 31-year-old man was fatally shot Friday night in Austin on the West Side.

About 10:15 p.m., the man was standing in a gangway between two buildings in the first block of North Menard Avenue when someone fired shots at him, Chicago police said.

He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body and head and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

No one is in custody, police said.

Area Four detectives are investigating.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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Chris and Karen Fisher traveled from St. Louis to the United Center to see the Bulls-Celtics game in person. Chris Fisher may be a lifelong Celtics fan, but he still holds a soft spot for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Sam Glavas and Joe Frantik were excited last year when they became Chicago Bulls season ticket holders for the first time.

But that excitement, like the rest of the state, was shut down by the coronavirus pandemic and the statewide lockdown, which kicked in just two weeks after they bought those tickets.

“We were only able to go to some like family-intro event [for season ticket holders] and that was like it,” Glavas said. “So this whole time we’ve been seeing other markets getting games back and when we were able to finally get games back here, and we were like, ‘Hell yeah, let’s go.’”

The two were among hundreds who lined up Friday night to file into the United Center to watch a struggling Bulls team play the Boston Celtics — the first time fans could attend a Bulls home game in-person since the coronavirus pandemic forced the city to ban mass gatherings, including at sporting events, over a year ago.

Glavas and Frantik agree it doesn’t matter that the Bulls sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings, or that the team has a losing record. What does matter, they say, is sitting in the stands with a cold beer cheering on the team with other like-minded fans.

“I went to the last Blackhawks game at the United Center just before they shut everything down,” Frantik said. “For me, I kind of just want to bookend it here since I started the pandemic here and I think this was a good place to end the pandemic.”

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Nick Damayo and D’Angelo Banda have their own idea of a good place; before each home game, they like to look back on the success the Bulls had over two decades ago.

“We always stop at the trophy case before the game starts. That’s our tradition,” Banda said.

“And not just the trophies,” Damayo said. “We just walk around and soak everything in just before.”

Chris Fisher and Karen Fisher traveled from St. Louis to the United Center to see the game in person. Chris Fisher, despite being a life-long Celtics fan, has a soft spot for Michael Jordan and the Bulls.

“We are just ready to celebrate and get out the house since we are both vaccinated,” Karen Fisher said. “I couldn’t think of a better way to do it than be here.”

For Chris Fisher, it was surreal being in the place where the Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, beat his Celtics time and time again.

“This is my first time here and I just want to see everything,” said Chris Fisher, decked out in Celtics gear. “Do you know where the Michael Jordan statue is at?”

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

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Sound the alarms! Rejoice! The world-famous Chicago Auto Show will return to McCormick Place this July. It will be the first major convention or festival the city of Chicago has seen since the coronavirus pandemic shut everything completely down in spring of 2020.

Event organizers, along with Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot announced Tuesday that the Chicago Auto Show will take place on July 15th to July 19th and will remain in its usual home at 2301 S. King Drive. Mayor Lightfoot also announced the news on Twitter early Tuesday morning.

The @ChiAutoShow is back July 15-19 at @McCormick_Place.

While this marks the first large convention to take place since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we expect to welcome other conventions and tourist events this summer with safety precautions.

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See you there. #OpenChicago pic.twitter.com/w4TfLx9GDY

— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) May 4, 2021

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General information for the Chicago Auto Show can be found on the event website. But, tickets to the auto show will cost $13 for adults, $8 for children ages 7-12 and adults 62 and older. Admission will be free for children 6 and younger as long as they’re with an adult.

The city has been trending towards this for much of the spring. Earlier in the year, the city announced (alongside the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox) that limited numbers of fans may attend games at Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field for the 2021 season. This was the first step, being as they are outdoor events. City officials made it clear just last week that they’d allow conventions again as vaccines have become available to everyone over the age of 16 and subsequent coronavirus cases continue to drop.

The latest news about the upcoming Chicago Auto Show is a good sign for other notable Chicago summer events such as the Taste of Chicago and Lollapalooza. The city’s events commission has talked about budget constraints limiting their flexibility with large-scale events and limited time to plan and coordinate. However, the green light to sell tickets for the Chicago Auto Show is a good sign for other iconic summertime Chicago staples to move forward past this COVID-19 pandemic.

Exciting announcement today! The @ChiAutoShow is returning to McCormick Place for a summertime special edition, July 15-19. Tickets will be sold exclusively online at https://t.co/eDvxvOwIg3. #OpenChicago #autoshow #Carshow #cars #autos pic.twitter.com/CeCOWQmb4W

— Choose Chicago (@ChooseChicago) May 4, 2021

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You should celebrate your mother everyday, but for a little extra love on her most special of days turn to one of these 19 Chicagoland bars, restaurants, dessert shops, etc, for the best Mother’s Day specials this year. Choose between these restaurants celebrating moms: Andros Taverna, BLVD Steakhouse, Farm Bar Lakeview, Farmhouse Evanston, Funkenhausen, Gemini, Nonnina, PB&J, Rainbow Cone, Recess & City Hall, Robert Et Fils, Sepia, Sophia Steak, Stan’s Donuts & Coffee,The Dearborn and The Table at Crate.

Follow our roundup and find the perfect Mother’s Day meal to celebrate the most important woman in your life.

Andros Taverna

Andros Taverna will celebrate moms with brunch and a selection of pastries and whole cakes for pre-order including Tahini Chiffon Cake with Heaven’s Honey Cream, Rosewater Galaktaboureko with raspberries and Chocolate Frappé Cake with coffee ganache. Mother’s Day cakes serve 4 – 6 people. If you’re looking for fun Mother’s Day ideas in Chicago, Moms can dine-in at Andros Taverna and participate in the Philotimo Feast with Border Springs roasted leg of lamb and floral bouquets that are available for pre-order. For pre-order and reservation details visit androstaverna.com.

BLVD Steakhouse

Celebrate mom with a one-day-only brunch at BLVD Steakhouse. In addition to its regular dinner service, the glamorous Old Hollywood-inspired steakhouse will offer a 3-course shared brunch menu for $55 per person on Sunday, May 9. Dish selections include: Cured Salmon Toast with pickled beets, arugula, housemade yogurt and dill; Pain Perdu Brioche French Toast with rum custard, fresh berries and crème anglaise; Shakshuka with an ottoman farm vegetable stew, poached eggs and goat cheese; Chicken & Waffles with buttermilk fried chicken and a house-made Belgian waffle; and Steak & Eggs with a 10oz prime bavette steak, breakfast potatoes and two farm fresh eggs.

Bloody Marys, bottomless mimosas, other specialty cocktails, as well as luxe upgrades, like Seafood Towers and Caviar Service, will also be available. BLVD Steakhouse will be open on Mother’s Day for brunch from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and for dinner from 5-9 p.m. Reservations can be made via OpenTable. For more information, visit www.blvdchicago.com.

El Che Steakhouse & Bar

El Che Steakhouse & Bar in Chicago will celebrate moms with the Mother’s Day Kit this year. The kit will be $175 and include two filets, a bottle of bubbles, alfajores, smoked salt and a Studio Sour bowl. Mother’s Day Kits are available for order online now at exploretock.com/elchechicago.

Farm Bar

To celebrate the queen bees, Farm Bar will serve brunch specials with a complimentary jar of Brown Dog Farm honey and free peach mimosas for moms. Brunch will also include Monkey Bread, Strawberry Rhubarb French Toast and Smoked Trout Benedict. Reservations can be made online with Resy at farm-bar.com.

Farmhouse Tavern Evanston

Farmhouse Tavern Evanston will celebrate Mother’s Day with an all-day menu featuring three courses. Course one will include family-style breads and spreads. Two will feature your choice of an entree including Eggs Benedict, Red Wine Braised Short Rib and Seared Salmon, while course three offers a family-style dessert featuring Strawberry Short Cake and Chocolate Bread Pudding. The three-course menu at this restaurant in Chicago is $38 for adults and $17 for kids. Reservations can be made at farmhouseevanston.com.

Firelake

FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar, the restaurant located at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, is serving a three-course pre-fixed Mother’s Day Dinner May 9 from 2pm – 9pm. Start with a choice of Delta asparagus soup with Blue crab, sherry, and brioche croutons; or Cow’s Milk Burrata with prosciutto, asparagus, and cara cara. For the Main, choose between the Chilean Sea Bass with onion crust, spring vegetables, and English pea sauce; Cabernet braised short rib with spring onion, miso turnip puree, mizuna, and kumquats; or Wild Shrimp Risotto with English peas, bacon, and yuzu emulsion. For Dessert, choose between Tiramisu with Frangelico mascarpone mousse, coffee syrup, milk chocolate, dark chocolate glaze, and salted chocolate hazelnut; or Carrot cake with cream cheese icing, shredded carrots, coconut, pecan pieces, and crushed pineapple. Reservations at firelakechicago.com. $48 per person.

Funkenhausen

Funkenhausen, the West Town beer hall, will offer free mimosas. Reservations for the patio and indoor dining can be made through their website at funkenhausen.com/make-a-reservation.

Gemini

Nestled in Lincoln Park, Gemini will offer specialty brunch and dinner options for Mother’s Day. Guests can enjoy Lobster Caesar Salad for $28 and their usual brunch options. Dinner options include Lobster Bisque, Alaskan Halibut with morel mushrooms, sweet spring peas, petite salad, and meyer lemon Beurre Blanc, and Fried Chicken Dinner. All day dessert includes Strawberry Shortcake for $12. Additionally, Gemini will partner with a local flower shop so diners can pre-order mini bouquets for Mother’s Day with their reservation. Guests can also request a bouquet by calling any Ballyhoo location when booking their reservation.

Nonnina

To help celebrate moms all weekend long, Nonnina will offer complimentary prosecco to moms when they dine on Saturday, May 8. Reservations are available with OpenTable at opentable.com/r/nonnina-chicago.

PB&J: Pizza, Beer, & Jukebox

This Mother’s Day, PB&J will feature  specialty brunch menu items such as a Lemon Ginger Souffle served with strawberry rhubarb jam, Milk Crumbs, and Mint Fizz. Additionally, PB&J is celebrating moms by giving them a free glass of Champagne and  rose upon arrival. Guests can make reservations at https://pbjwestloop.com

Rainbow Cone

All moms will receive a free small Rainbow Cone with any purchase. For more information, visit https://www.rainbowcone.com

Recess & City Hall

City Hall, located adjacent to Recess in the same historic West Loop building, will open for a special family-style Mother’s Day Brunch on May 9. Enjoy live music from a female-only band. Recess will offer a la carte brunch options as well.  For more, visit http://thecityhall.com/ and https://chicagoinrecess.com/

Robert Et Fils

In honor of Mother’s Day, Robert Et Fils will offer diners a “Mother’s Day Picnic Kit” that is perfect for the whole family. The kit is $160.00 and serves up to four people. The kit includes fresh juice, a bottle of wine, fresh bread, preserves, hand picked wild vegetables, Salade Maison and a Whole Roasted Green Circle Chicken stuffed with lemon, picholine olives, and breadcrumbs. For dessert, guests can indulge in a Seasonal Tarte and more. To prepare for Mother’s Day, guests can order on Tock and schedule their pick up for Sunday, May 9th between 10:00am and 2:00pm. For more information, visit https://www.robertetfilsrestaurant.com/order-online.

Sepia

Sepia will offer an at-home Mother’s Day Meal Kit. The meal kit, which feeds two people, is $80 and includes Toasted Almond Bostock and Blueberry-Lemon Muffins, Vanilla Yogurt, Arugula Salad with dried cherries, candied hazelnuts and goat cheese and the Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich in two variations. Add-on items include Pimento cheese with Lavash Crackers, Smoked salmon rillettes with a toasted baguette and Strawberry-rhubarb pie. For more, see sepiachicago.com.

Sophia Steak

Located on the North Shore, Sophia Steak will feature the ultimate Mother’s Day Brunch. Sophia Steak is partnering with a local flower shop so diners can pre-order mini bouquets for mom with their reservation. Guests can also request a bouquet by calling any Ballyhoo location when booking their reservation. For more information, visit http://sophiasteak.com

Stan’s Donuts & Coffee

To celebrate the opening of their new Hyde Park location, Stan’s Donuts will host a Stan’s Van popup for Mother’s Day. The popup will be at 5225 S Harper Ct, Chicago, IL 60615. Find more details at stansdonuts.com.

The Dearborn

The Dearborn will be serving all-day specials for Mother’s Day including Jumbo Shrimp & Lobster Cocktails for $36, Chicken ‘Pot Pie’ Vol au Vent for $25 and The Dearborn Pastry Basket for $30. Reservations can be made online at thedearborntavern.com/reservations.

The Smith

The Smith will be offering two experiences to celebrate Mother’s Day this year, including a specialty brunch and at-home kit. If you’re searching for Mother’s Day ideas near Chicago, the brunch will consist of The Smith’s full brunch menu plus an asparagus toast with burrata and poached eggs special. The Smith will also offer their take-home kit to bring the brunch offerings to you. Brunch is available from 10:00am – 4:00pm.Reservations at at-home kit requests can be made at thesmithrestaurant.com/location/chicago.

The Table at Crate

Chef Bill Kim will offer a special four-course brunch menu that pays homage to three special mothers who have each had profound impacts on his life. Each dish draws inspiration from these women, telling a story through dishes, ingredients and flavors representative of each. The first course, Green Acres Farm Spring Asparagus Sauté, starts with Beth Eccles, the first local farmer who Kim began working within the city and who became like a sister over the last three decades. Chef Bill’s mother is the inspiration for the second course, Mama Kim’s Famous Savory Pancake with soft-boiled farmer’s egg and shrimp, highlighting their Korean heritage through her famous savory pancakes. The third course is a nod to Kim’s mother-in-law Lola and his wife’s Puerto Rican background: Lola’s Salmon Criolla with roasted garlic & Three Sisters Garden white corn grits. Available for $65 per person on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9. https://www.tableatcrate.com/.

Mother’s Day Specials Featured Image Credit: Pixabay

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Mother’s Day remembrance: She encouraged me to seize opportunities that were not available to her

Memories of Mom . . .

It’s been almost 16 years since I said goodbye to my mother.

And there is not a day that goes by I don’t think of her.

I adored her. She was forever and unconditional. I was so lucky.

The woman my Maryland-bred father called his “wild prairie flower” died in Atlanta in 2006 — nearly 75 years after leaving the North Dakota prairie of her birth.

During that time Mom was in charge of packing up and moving our family more than a dozen times keeping up with my father’s climb up the U.S. Corps of Engineers ladder, pausing at an exotic rung in Saudi Arabia before winding up at the Pentagon.

Always pulling up stakes, Mom made it an adventure. New friends, new schools, new stories and a life beyond the locomotion of a one-horse-shay.

Nearly 10 years ago, I wrote a column about my mom on Mother’s Day.

So, in her honor, I repeat these excerpts.

“I don’t remember my mother being an avid newspaper reader.

“She married twice; began to golf in her 60s; made potato salad with Miracle Whip, and introduced me to mincemeat pie.

“Ostensibly named after her birth month, June — my partially farm-bred mother — had a pet duck, snuck her dog Nippy table scraps, read Zane Grey western novels by firelight, loved the song of the meadowlark . . . and regaled us with her recitation of the poem ‘Little Orphant Annie’

“She loved jokes, but didn’t tell them; played with dolls way too long; was called “Olive Oyl” because she weighed 90 pounds at 5 feet 8 inches when she was in eighth grade; and grew into a willowy beauty.

“Unlike my father, who was like the bold reds and oranges of late summer, my mom was the soft pastel colors of spring flowers. Dad was raised on the eastern shore of Maryland, loved adventure, memorized the poems of Omar Khayyam and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his prowess as a turret gunner on a B-17 in the Pacific during World War II.

“While Dad was bombing the Pacific islands of Truk and Emidji, Mom did her duty waiting for my father by working with the war effort in a naval yard in California — until she became pregnant with me.

“Then she did what all good mothers did back then. She gave up her clerical job and went home to have her baby.

“And when she finally left North Dakota for good to start a new life with my dad, she never looked back — and was glad to leave behind the incessant noise of what is known as the prairie’s zephyr, the incessant blast of wind blowing unfettered across treeless plains.

“But I can still hear my mother’s reassuring voice, her calm counsel encouraging me to do more than she was able to do. To be anything I wanted to be. To take advantage of opportunities not available to her back then. To take chances, but obey the rules.

“It may have been my larger-than-life father who gave me curiosity, but it was my precious mother who gave me courage.

“Mom kept an immaculate house, fixed three meals a day even though she hated to cook, and hugged and kissed us on our way out the door each day until our cheeks were raw.

“In other words, Mom wasn’t just always home. She was home.”

Every morning, while the coffee is brewing, it’s almost a certainty a photo of my mother and grandmother on a kitchen windowsill will ignite my day’s first smile.

It was taken on November 16, 1947, and this four-year-old is in the kitchen watching them light the candles on my incandescent cake.

Next month, on June 8, I plan to visit the Mandan Union Cemetery, where we buried my mother on a sun-dappled day in September 2006, and tell her how happy I am peonies grow nearby.

And I’m hoping no loud prairie wind interrupts this visit.

That would surely be the prairie’s way of thanking Mom for finally coming home.

The Ryan express . . .

Former Illinois governor George Ryan, 87, who issued a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois that later led to its demise, was honored at two book signing parties last week at Carnivale restaurant hosted by his longtime friend, former State Sen. Billy Marovitz.

The event honored the publication last August of Ryan’s first book: “Until I Could Be Sure,” which details Ryan’s lead-up to taking his hand off the “death machine” switch.

It was published in the midst of the pandemic through pre-order on Amazon.

The events, attended by White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, former Illinois Attorney General Neil Hartigan, Gibson’s owner Steve Lombardo, Civic Federation President Laurence Msall; Women’s Business Development Center legend Hedy Ratner and former Teamsters chief Bill Hogan; also included a little dessert served up by Ryan in the former of a vignette.

To wit: Ryan claims one day he was having a corned beef sandwich at Manny’s Cafeteria and Delicatessen when he got a call from his office that South African legend Nelson Mandela was calling and wanted to talk to him.

“Mandela had heard about George’s efforts regarding the death penalty and urged him to declare a moratorium,” said Marovitz.

Sneedlings . . .

Saturday birthdays: Enrique Iglesias, 46; Olivia Culpo, 29; and Kemba Walker, 31. . . . Sunday birthdays: Billy Joel, 72; Rosario Dawson, 42; and Sasha Farber, 37.

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St. Joseph principal Lynne Scheffler has been placed on administrative leave while officials “examine the circumstances” regarding Jeremy Hylka’s employment, the diocese said.

The Diocese of Joliet Friday announced that a former Catholic school teacher charged with child grooming did not meet requirements to be a full-time teacher while he was at the school.

Jeremy Hylka obtained a substitute teaching license in January but was not enrolled in a teacher preparation program, which was required to continue teaching in a full-time position at St. Joseph Catholic School in Lockport, the diocese said in a statement.

Now, St. Joseph principal Lynne Scheffler has been placed on administrative leave while officials “examine the circumstances” regarding Hylka’s employment, the diocese said.

Hylka was fired April 28 after he was hit with traveling to meet a child and grooming charges stemming from an investigation into a Snapchat video that “possibly depicted inappropriate contact of an adult with a minor,” Joliet police have said.

Detectives tracked down and interviewed the person who posted the video, police said. The person is a 19-year-old man who, in conjunction with a group called “Save Our Siblings,” posed as a 15-year-old when communicating with Hylka.

Hylka also taught at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church and the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus, both in Joliet, according to the diocese.

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