Just about everyone was in agreement—there was something missing in Lincoln Square. There were lovely boutiques and well-known restaurants. There were clothing shops, cheese shops and places to take lessons in everything from cooking to ceramics, to playing the banjo. But there was no bookshop. A questionnaire went out to all the neighbors in Ward 47, to find out how they felt about that. The answer was a unanimous yes—Lincoln Square needed a bookshop! Not a chain bookstore, everyone said, but an independent store that fit with the character of Lincoln Square. Meanwhile, Suzy Takacs, now the effervescent owner of The Book Cellar, was thinking the same thing. She was a neighbor who patronized Lincoln Square's small businesses and wished that there were a place to buy books in the area. "I met with Alderman Schulter before I opened the store and found out that all the neighbors wanted a bookstore," says Suzy. "So I said that I'd like to be the one to try it."
 So in June 2004, Lincoln Square finally got its bookstore. And The Book Cellar fit in just fine with the neighborhood. Far more eclectic than a bland chain store, it specializes in wines by the glass (hence, the "cellar" in the name) sold in a cozy cafe, along with a fantastic selection of books, magazines and gifts. It's also an unmistakably Chicago store that promotes local authors and both fiction and nonfiction books that feature Chicago as their subject of interest. Suzy created a warm atmosphere that welcomes everyone, even if wine is not a beverage of choice. "I knew it was tough to survive in the book business," explains Suzy. "I thought that, to be successful, you have to do something different." Wine and books were two of her favorite things, so she decided that pairing them would make a more unique business.
Working with local architects Morgante Wilson, Suzy built the space from a raw concrete shell in the street level of a new-construction condo building on Lincoln Avenue. The result feels a little like part private library, part boutique hotel and part European-style cafe. There are coves where readers can sit on comfy chairs as they browse through books. The shelves become a serene, quiet place to search for your favorite books. It's also a really nice place to eat, and you can immediately see why so many book clubs want to meet here. If you're wrapped up in a fascinating discussion here, you certainly won't go hungry. Little details throughout the store appeal to literature and wine lovers: from the words that welcome you on the front doors, to the wine bottles built into shelves and the bathroom keys, which are attached—of course—to books. Suzy has created a place that is full of panache, yet fits with the accessible vibe of the neighborhood.
Amazingly enough, The Book Cellar is Suzy's first venture into the world of retail. Formerly a nurse practitioner at a practice associated with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Suzy loved her job but was looking for a change. Her husband Alex encouraged her to aim high. "When she talked about making a change, I told her to go for it," he explains. "She was talking about working at a bookstore, and I said to her, 'You shouldn't just work at a bookstore, you should open one yourself.'" Alex was the helping hand who came up with the name for the shop, and spent many nights with her setting up the bookshop after finishing up his shifts as a doctor at Northwestern Memorial. The two of them looked at storefronts around the neighborhood as possible locations, but settled on the new one across from Giddings Plaza. That choice, as it happened, was just the start of Suzy's education as a new business owner. Nick Menegas, a longtime landowner in Lincoln Square, was Suzy's new landlord. He introduced her to other business owners on the street, and encouraged her to camp out in Giddings Plaza at different times of the day to watch the foot traffic in and out of the area, so that she would have a sense of who her customers were. "That was really interesting, because I saw a lot more seniors and strollers than I had expected," says Suzy. "Nick took me by the hand and marched me up and down the street to meet everyone. His help was really positive." Everyone was so happy to have her in the neighborhood, that she got a warm welcome from the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce, Alderman Schulter's office and other organizations that helped her prepare to open the doors.
 Not surprisingly, The Book Cellar is the site of events of all kinds, some sponsored by the shop and others that materialize there because it's such a welcoming spot. Officially, the shop hosts its own monthly book club that reviews both new and old, fiction and non-fiction books like Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine or Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc. Throughout the summer, The Book Cellar hosted the Magic Treehouse book club for kids, as well as a weekly storytime every Friday at 11am with Nili Yelin, The Storybook Mom. Frequent author events such as readings and discussions bring in neighbors and readers from around the city. In September, representatives from Penguin Books and St. Martin's Press will be discussing which new books are best suited for book club readings. Local author Shawn Shiflett will be reading from his book Hidden Place, and Chicago-based Latina writer Beatriz Badikian Gartler will be reading from her new novel, Old Gloves: A 20th Century Saga. August's book club meeting featured guest author Sam Weller who wrote The Bradbury Chronicles: The Life of Ray Bradbury. And as a special treat, Ray Bradbury himself called in to the meeting on a conference call and read a portion of a book he's working on that hasn't yet been published, as well as a passage of Dandelion Wine. Suzy has hosted book release parties, such as one for the new Harry Potter book where kids and adults alike showed up in costume for cake and punch served from a cauldron. The Book Cellar has also been the site of several wine tastings and was part of the Lincoln Square Chamber of Commerce Wine Stroll. For a listing of the latest events, visit www.bookcellarinc.com.
It's a fantastic spot in Lincoln Square to get a bite to eat, whether you're looking for a book or not. The cafe serves light fare like sandwiches, soups, salads and a cheese plate from Southport Grocery, along with sweet treats like cupcakes and cookies that go so well with coffee. Coffee comes from Julius Meinl, the Viennese specialty coffee roasters with a Chicago location at Addison and Southport. Kim and Scott's gourmet soft pretzels are also a highlight, baked by a local couple. A popular pairing is the cheese plate to share with a couple glasses of red or white wine, which patrons can enjoy either by the glass or by the bottle. (The Book Cellar kindly asks patrons to place their wine order no later than 30 minutes prior to closing.)
 And then, of course, there are the books. A heavy emphasis on Chicago-based authors means that there are lots of titles from our local Lake Claremont Press. There's even an autographed book section with titles that have all been signed by visiting authors. "Local authors approach us all the time about having readings here or carrying their books," explains Suzy. "We welcome them here. I think that everyone should have a chance." Local artists are no exception, either. Suzy carries art cards from neighborhood artist MK Czerwiec and handbound journals from a student at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The Book Cellar also sells a number of books from university presses, books from the politically oriented Pathfinder Press, as well as children's books from the whimsical Barefoot Books and Tiger Tail Books. Since Suzy and her staff are all animal lovers, you'll find a lot of animal-oriented titles and gifts. A selection of local and nationally published magazines including underground titles like Love Chicago, Bomb, Bridge, Punk Planet, Violet, Paste and Fervor is available on the fringes of the cafe. If you don't see what you want, Suzy will be glad to special order it for you. There's also a suggestion book at the cash register where you can write in your top requests.
So the missing piece has found its place: The Book Cellar rounds off the Lincoln Square neighborhood and keeps local readers (and wine drinkers) happy. Stop by for some wine, cheese, books, clever gifts or entertainment the next time you're in the neighborhood.
The Book Cellar
4736 - 38 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
773.293.2665
www.bookcellarinc.com
Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday + Saturday
10pm to 10pm
Tuesday and Sunday
12pm to 6pm
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