Visiting Fan

[Wandering Spectator]

Coming in for the Penn State game. What are the must see/do/eat/drink things on or near campus? Are there any iconic sculptures or memorials?

I’m not interested in downtown Chicago. We’re staying north of Evanston and will tour the campus and area on Saturday afternoon.

 

[Hkjb]

Bahai temple

 

[Wandering Spectator]

Thanks. Also, can anyone confirm which section on the visitor sideline is around the 50 yard line? It looks like 108 in the maps, but photos look like it might be 109.

 

[Pasadena Bound]

Section 108 in the east stands lines up with the 50 yard line. Have fun this weekend. Go ‘Cats.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Iconic sculptures?

Mustards Last Stand, the hot dog joint next to the stadium, is a longtime institution (only half joking).

Baha’i temple is worth a drive by.

There is a large rock somewhere on campus that gets a fresh coat of paint every week, but it’s not worth a side trip.

The Peckish Pig is a good gastro pub in south Evanston.

 

[TheC]

Also, I'm disappointed that none of my other Wildcat fans here were decent enough to let you know, but there has been some emergency construction needed at Ryan Field this week. As a result, the game is being moved to Soldier Field downtown. Make sure you go straight there so that you are not late for kickoff!

 

[timbfischer]

What is this visitor's "section" to which you refer?

 

[phatcat]

The best way to get to the stadium is to take the shuttle from Midway Airport

 

[NYPurpleFan]

This season Northwestern fans are are piloting their new, super secret, personal stealth technology at games. It will look like they're not even there

 

[Wandering Spectator]

What is this visitor's "section" to which you refer?

The sideline for Penn State players and coaches. I read somewhere that NW can sometimes be on the west side or the east side. But I believe PSU and other visiting teams are on the East sideline.

 

[Darren72]

The visitors section is known as Ryan Field.

But yes, you are correct that Penn State will probably be on the east side. Visitors aren’t always there but that seems to be the recent practice.

 

[elgatoloco]

Evanston is a really good restaurant town, and you can find a fit for just about any budget and taste.

Cheap food institutions are Hecky's (BBQ), Buffalo Joe's (wings), and Dave's Italian Kitchen. If you're looking for pizza, there will probably be a hundred opinions on here about it,

Take a drive along Sheridan Road for some nice scenery. There's the Bahai Temple, of course. A lakefront walk on campus, the south campus near University Hall and Deering Library is nice.

On Friday afternoon the outstanding field hockey team is playing MSU at Lakefront Field.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Evanston is a really good restaurant town, and you can find a fit for just about any budget and taste.

Cheap food institutions are Hecky's (BBQ), Buffalo Joe's (wings), and Dave's Italian Kitchen. If you're looking for pizza, there will probably be a hundred opinions on here about it,

Take a drive along Sheridan Road for some nice scenery. There's the Bahai Temple, of course. A lakefront walk on campus, the south campus near University Hall and Deering Library is nice.

On Friday afternoon the outstanding field hockey team is playing MSU at Lakefront Field.

Buff Joe's has gotten pretty skanky lately. I would say avoid it.

There is a pretty good chicken place in Plaza del Lago called "Cluckers." They have a delivery car with a giant chicken head on the roof.

 

[kaTNap]

Iconic sculptures ... we have this iconic statue of a prowling feline creature in the south endzone that we blatantly copied from some other school.

(At one point in the late 1990s, we also had purple-and-white checkerboard endzones that were blatantly copied from yet another school. I'm surprised we never tried to have a guy with a purple headdress, buckskins, and warpaint on a horse, sticking a flaming spear into the 50 yard line, but of course that's cultural appropriation. It turns out that copying traditions from schools with winning football programs doesn't really give you a winning football program, but who knew?)

 

[JoeWildcat]

Section 108 in the east stands lines up with the 50 yard line. Have fun this weekend. Go ‘Cats.

108 is the 50 yard line. I am on the aisle in 109, and I am at the 42-yard line. 108 is across the aisle from me.

 

[elgatoloco]

Buff Joe's has gotten pretty skanky lately. I would say avoid it.

There is a pretty good chicken place in Plaza del Lago called "Cluckers." They have a delivery car with a giant chicken head on the roof.

That’s too bad about Buff Joe’s. Last time I went, about 10 years ago, I felt like the sauce recipe changed.

 

[timbfischer]

The sideline for Penn State players and coaches. I read somewhere that NW can sometimes be on the west side or the east side. But I believe PSU and other visiting teams are on the East sideline.

Ya, you didn't get it.

 

[HappyNUyear]

Buff Joe's has gotten pretty skanky lately. I would say avoid it.

There is a pretty good chicken place in Plaza del Lago called "Cluckers." They have a delivery car with a giant chicken head on the roof.

South Evanston/Chicago Rogers Park Buffalo Joe's I would dine at if it were the last place. Downtown Evanston is ok by me

 

[Katatonic]

Evanston is a really good restaurant town, and you can find a fit for just about any budget and taste.

Cheap food institutions are Hecky's (BBQ), Buffalo Joe's (wings), and Dave's Italian Kitchen. If you're looking for pizza, there will probably be a hundred opinions on here about it,

Better options for not much more $, esp the more ethnic fare.

Disappointed to hear how BuffJoe has fallen, was one of my go to places back in the day.

 

[Wandering Spectator]

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

My writeup is here.

Cat Fight in Evanston!

Penn State makes their second trip to Illinois in two weeks and we were there for the Cat Fight!

wanderingspectator.wordpress.com

 

[NUCat320]

Better options for not much more $, esp the more ethnic fare.

Disappointed to hear how BuffJoe has fallen, was one of my go to places back in the day.

Is it possible BuffJoe’s was always kinda gross? Wing culture has grown significantly in the 20 years since my last party pan.

(“Suicide wings”: More sauce plus a bunch of pickled jalapeños 🤷🏼‍♂️)

That said, few joys greater than the last few gross cold wings. JUST SAVOR IT.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Is it possible BuffJoe’s was always kinda gross? Wing culture has grown significantly in the 20 years since my last party pan.

(“Suicide wings”: More sauce plus a bunch of pickled jalapeños 🤷🏼‍♂️)

That said, few joys greater than the last few gross cold wings. JUST SAVOR IT.

The thing with Buff Joe’s is they they used to have massive wings. Sauce etc was always very “standard,” but the wings themselves were always good because they were so big (and stayed moist as a result). We used to order a full tray for lunch almost every Friday in HS.

The last few times I had it, the wings were smaller run-of-the-mill stuff that made it pointless. Very disappointing.

 

[jne381]

My last couple years in town I lived in Rogers Park right on the lake on East Lake Terrace. I frequented Buffalo Joe's and I thought is was better than average. The place I miss on Howard is the Fish Keg. People also loved Leona's in Rogers Park, but I could not for the life of me tell you why.