Success by day 2: The Doorstep serving food in the Polish Triangle
While some listened to the Blues during Tuesdays at the Triangle, others talked with friends while enjoying The Doorstep tasty food
While The Doorstep officially opened on Monday, the trio of owners, Marie Cinquino, Aaron Feinhandler and Izaac Moran, declared success for their food trailer on Tuesday. In the Polish Triangle, the gateway to four communities: Wicker Park, East Village, Noble Square and Pulaski Park, at Ashland, Milwaukee and Division, The Doorstep is open daily.
During the week, their hours are from 7 to 11 a.m. for breakfast, then from 1 to 5 p.m. for lunch, while the weekend hours are tentatively from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Check their website for hour updates.)
Their patio chairs and tables add to the sense of a European feel with the sounds of water from the Nelson Algren fountain and the swoosh of trees overhead.
Breakfast is not just your ordinary encounter. Offerings include chucks of avocado, aleppo pepper and finger lime atop toast. The standard egg and cheese combination is available with bacon or chicken and sage sausage on a bialy as well as traditional lox and bialy with Nova Lox, cream cheese, tomato, cucumber and red onion.
Lunch on the other hand is more inventive than the standard hot dogs and pizza, which they do not serve. Their sandwich selections are: a Mojo marinated pork shoulder, ham, Swiss cheese, pickle and yellow mustard (Cuban); house-made merguez sausage with harissa mayo, arugula and fresno chilis (The Merguez); a grilled cheese made with a blend of cheeses; soy-glazed checken with jalapeno, pickled carrot and daikon radish, cucumber, siriracha mayo and cilantro (Chicken Banh Mi); and the Caprese, a rustic bread topped with Heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, daikon radish, cucumber, siriracha mayo and cilantro.
Their beverages feature bottled Bowtruss Cold Brew as well as Bowtruss hot coffee and Mighty Leaf tea.
Winterized, the Doorstep is planning to be open for business the rest of 2016. Accessible by foot, bicycle, public transportation and motor vehicle, it is a wonderful way to participate in upping "the game" in the area.
The Polish Triangle Coalition Chair, Mieko Yoshida said how very pleased she and the rest of the Coalition is to have this addition to the small park in the middle of three major streets. For six years, they have been working toward enlivening this public space to be a contributing factor for four communities. This expands their public activities beyond the four years of a 16-week summer series of entertainment with Tuesdays at the Triangle.
They are particularly grateful to Katherine Darnstadt, Latent Design, who, through ActivateChicago!, has been able to make this a reality this year.