FUN FOR ALL SEASONS: FALL/WINTER Meet the people behind some of Chicago’s most beloved neighborhood shops, attractions, and eateries. BY AMBER GIBSON DUSABLE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY President and CEO Perri Irmer is passionate about telling stories of Black excellence to educate and enlighten a global audience. She tells these important stories through immersive exhibits at the DuSable Museum, the oldest independent Black history museum in the nation. The museum was founded in 1961 by artist and activist Margaret Taylor Burroughs during the civil rights movement, and was named after Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable, the Haitian-born founder of Chicago. The Hyde Park museum is noted for its exhibitions that illustrate critical milestones, such as the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the 1919 Chicago Race Riot. “This museum is an anchor in the Black community,” Perri says. “Our mission is more important now than ever. Black history is American history. Neither story is complete without the other, and we must understand the entirety in order to make good history together going forward.” ONLY IN CHICAGO SPOTLIGHTS DuSable Museum of African American History BATTER & BERRIES Batter & Berries has been a neighborhood breakfast, brunch, and lunch staple in Lincoln Park for a decade. You’ll find owner Craig Richardson at the restaurant nearly every day. He’s the man wearing purple, enthusiastically greeting guests, and ensuring that every diner is enjoying their meal. The restaurant habitually has a line outside the door as hungry customers queue to taste the eclectic flavors of brioche French toast, cheese-crusted hash browns, and house-made maple-chicken-and-apple sausage. “My favorite dish is the French toast flight,” Craig says. “It never gets old! Our flight of lemon, caramel, blueberry, and strawberry French toast is still our number-one best seller, and has helped many folks get through the pandemic.” Batter & Berries 28 choosechicago.com TOP PHOTO: ABEL ARCINIEGA
Chicago Visitors Guide 2022: Page 28
