Blue Moon Coffeehouse, 1742 W. 99^th St., is set to open its doors any day. Owned by Caroline Mooney, former long-time Beverly/Morgan Park resident and East Beverly Association board member, the shop has been undergoing extensive renovations to prepare for its launch.

 

Blue Moon Coffeehouse will be open early to serve commuters a full menu of coffee and iced-coffee beverages, as well as chai lattes and frozen drinks, including frozen hot chocolate. Also available will be muffins, scones and pastries baked fresh daily, as well as soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch.

 

Mooney had long been a patron of Café Luna and was disheartened to see it close. Calling on her food service roots, she is blending a cozy atmosphere with prompt, friendly service and a menu of traditional lunch favorites. The smell of fresh coffee to be wafting down 99^th Street again soon.

 

Beverly’s Pantry, 1907 W. 103^rd St., will host Dinner and a Movie Family Nights at 6:30 p.m. on Fridays in July and August. Family friendly menus and films will be selected, and admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children under 12, and includes popcorn, soft drink and dessert. Seating is limited seating. Call 773-238-8550 for reservations and information about the menu and movies.

In celebration of its one year anniversary, Café 103, 1909 W. 103^rd St., will reprise its opening night summer menu and add new twists on Fri., July 11.Dinner guests on July 11 will also receive a small gift in thanks for their support of the upscale restaurant that has been receiving rave reviews since it opened.

 

Café 103 owners Shirley and Blair Makinney are committed to providing a unique and outstanding dining experience, serving contemporary American cuisine using seasonal foods from local producers. Chef Thomas Eckert, formerly of Vermilion and Monsoon, has created outstanding dishes that have garnered a lot of attention from Chicago Magazine, Time Out Chicago, and Food and Wine Magazine, as well as a profile by Channel 7’s food critic Steve Dolinsky.

 

Call 773-238-5115 for reservations and more information about the anniversary, the menu and upcoming specials.

 

Koda Bistro and Wine Bar, 10352 S. Western Ave., will host the second annual Bastille Day for Breast Cancer on Sun., July 20. The parking lot becomes one big party to celebrate the French Bastille Day with a lobster boil and 16 oz. T-bone steak topping the menu. Trocadero will be the bubbly available and French beers, domestic beers and white or red French wine will also be on the menu. Other menu items are: peel and eat shrimp, grilled Black Angus burger, and a grilled chicken sandwich.  Food will be served from 4 to 8 p.m. (food and beverages are not included in admission), and live music and dancing continues until 10 p.m.

 

Last year’s proceeds benefited the Little Company of Mary Hospital’s Breast Care Center and this year Koda is hoping to significantly increase the donation to them. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Food and drink tickets will be sold throughout the evening. 

 

The popular Wine Dinner at Koda be held the Tues., July15, 6:30 p.m. In keeping with the French Independence theme, there will be a six-course wine pairing dinner featuring the wines of France and the cuisine of Executive Chef Aaron Browning. The cost is $95 and the wine is available for purchase at the end of the evening. Seating is limited; call soon to reserve a spot. Single diners are welcome as some tables are set for community dining. On Mon., July 14, Bastille Day, Koda will serve a three-course prix-fixe dinner. Reservations are now being taken for all events.

 

Koda Bustro, celebrating its second year of bringing fine cuisine to the South Side, opened to rave reviews in May 2006 and was named one of Chicago’s Best New Restaurants in the May 2007 issue of Chicago Magazine. Time Out Chicago Magazine named them the Best Tarte Flambée (Thin Crust French Style Pizza) in the city. In addition, on New Year’s Eve, 2007, Pat Bruno, food critic of the Chicago

Sun-Times, put Koda on his list of the bests of 2007 for the delicious French Onion Soup.

The cuisine is traditional French with a unique style of contemporary American, and the menu often changes.

 

Chef Aaron Browning has worked at some of the best French restaurants, including Everest, Le Vichyssoise, Brasserie Jo. Browning lived and worked a year in Lyon, France, and has been influenced by the authentic French style of cooking

 

Koda serves dinner seven nights a week and lunch Monday through Friday. For reservations or information, call 773-445-5632.

 

A Beverly/Morgan Park mother got more than a peek inside the area's new continuing care retirement community when she visited Smith Village at 2320 W. 113th Pl., during the recent BAPA Home Tour. While at Smith Village, Maureen McMahon filled out an entry blank and won a 37-inch high definition television. Daughters Tara, Mary Kate and Hannah are thrilled! For more information about Smith Village, call 773-474-7300 or visit SmithVillage.org.

 

Beverly Behavioral Health, Ltd., 9933 S. Western Ave., Suite 104, opened July 1, specializing in individual therapy, medication management and women’s mental health issues, including postpartum depression, perimenopausal mood disorders and medication management during pregnancy and lactation.  The president of Beverly Behavioral Health, Ltd., Dr. Traci Powell, has been practicing in the Beverly/Morgan Park area for three years. Area residents are invited to meet Dr. Powell and learn more at an open house on Fri., July 25, 4 to 7 p.m. For more information call 773-779-9700.

 

Beverly’s Pantry, 1907 W. 103^rd St., is providing kids with a tasty summer option called Cool Kids Cook Day Camp. The week long camp covers kitchen safety and cleanliness, table setting and manners, and meal preparation – breakfast, lunch and dinner – and on Friday kids invite one adult to enjoy a luncheon they prepare and serve! Beverly’s Pantry owner Shirley Makinney, shown here with last year’s campers, offers Session 1, Mon., July 28 through Fri., Aug. 1, and Session 2, Mon., Aug. 4 through Fri., Aug. 8. Pre-registration is required. Call 773-238-8550 or sign up online at www.beverlyspantry.com.

 

On Thursdays in July and August, seniors are invited to enjoy a free dessert when they purchase dinner at Café 103, 1909 W. 103^rd St. Call 773-238-5115 for reservations and more information.