Days of old

 I have posted about the Orange Garden before.  I came across it when idly wandering through Old Dog's hood and was gobsmacked.  Basically just the appearance of it because it was Monday and the joint was closed.  It was like being in some 1930's movie, back when they were called Chop Suey Joints.  Back when men wore fedoras and dames were tough tomatoes, and likely guys wearing white ties and black shirts spooned up their chow mein while looking around suspiciously for coppers.

I guess that crime connection always gets attention,  I remember being in some Czech joint on Cermak in Berwyn and against the wall there were these cases with Czech mementos like dolls wearing Moravian dresses and one more item down there was Al Capone grinning out of a photograph at me.  Seems like he used to hang out in some upstairs room hiding from the cops or plotting some criminal act.  Nothing really to be proud of, but you know, maybe a little, just for the authenticity.

And Dillinger kind of an everyman compared to Big Al, and good at what he did, and I guess a bit of a hero to the depression era folk who felt betrayed by the banks.  And polite, just like Elvis Presley.

And now the sign is going to hang over a vegan tea house in Highland Park.  So it goes, so it goes.