Mom 'n' pop(corn)

Mother Butter's Popcorn and Confectionary offers local charm and Sox park convenience

April 10, 2011|By Rick Kogan | Sidewalks

Tribune photo by Charles Osgood I do not have to tell you about Garrett Popcorn Shops, do I?

I see you lined up at its various Chicago outposts, locals and tourists alike, patiently waiting in lines so long you might think they were giving the stuff away for nothing or offering a free iPad 2 with every purchase.

You obviously love Garrett popcorn and why not? It is very good popcorn.

But let me tell you instead about Mother Butter's Popcorn and Confectionery. It was opened in the shadow of Comiskey… pardon me, U.S. Cellular Field… at 17 W. 35th St., on April 6, 2009 by a very pleasant couple named Tim and Jennifer Donnelly. They live in the South Loop now but are proud natives of Beverly.

Even before they married in 2005 they were thinking about their shared future and nurturing a dream that they might one day own their own business.

He was an electrician and the nephew of the late Therese Fox, who owned Fox's Beverly Pub. He started working there when he was 12 and knew his way around a kitchen.

"We both loved popcorn," says Jennifer. "We spent a lot of time experimenting."

And so it was popcorn — easy to make, hospitable to various flavors — that gave them the idea of opening a store.

Jennifer, who teaches art at the Dawes Elementary School on the Southwest Side, took business classes in her spare time and together the couple started searching "well, everywhere, all over the city and suburbs," before settling on a new apartment building complex.

"We knew we had made the right choice when we opened and a woman came in and, almost with tears in her eyes, said, 'I never thought I'd ever see another store like this in my neighborhood'," says Tim, who works full-time at the store. "She had lived in Bronzeville her whole life and saw things when they were good and when they got bad. She was so happy."

Mother Butter's shares the building's retail space with some other businesses, such as a Starbucks. Though any new business is a good thing for an under-served area, it is non-franchise places such as Mother Butter's that give neighborhoods their greatest hope. (See also Bronzeville Coffee and Tea at 528 E. 43rd St.)

"We wanted to be part of a neighborhood that was growing and grow with it," says Tim.

They have a handsome and colorful shop. Though the store's popcorn has made its way by word-of-mouth into the ritzy Trump Hotel and the store's walls contain the autographs of such notable customers as former Sox pitcher Ed Farmer and Frank Orrall of the band Poi Dog Pondering, this is marvelously a neighborhood spot.

As for the popcorn, they started with five flavors and now have a couple dozen, including Red Pepper Cheddar, Caramel Cashew (an Osgood favorite) and Cheezy BBQ. They make it on site with all-natural ingredients and also carry chocolates made exclusively for them and all sorts of self-serve bulk candy and nuts.

"And, you can take any of our stuff into the ballpark with you," says Tim.

And, yes, the Sox are in town through Wednesday.

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Source: ChicagoTribune

Opening Day for Metra’s Sox stop

Tim Donnelly has been looking forward to today for two years.

For other White Sox fans, the wait has been decades.

Today’s the day that Southland fans can finally ride a Metra train to a Sox game, disembarking at the new 35th Street station that opened last weekend.

As a public service, we at the SouthtownStar want to make sure you rail riders know about some good spots to stop at outside the park. After all, you can’t tailgate at the train station.

When you climb down the stairs or ramps from the station, it’s a short walk to the front door of Mother Butter’s Popcorn and Confectionery, 17 W. 35th St., owned by Donnelly.

“We’ve been waiting for this because you can bring all our products into the ballpark,” he said.

A well-kept secret is that you can bring food into U.S. Cellular Field. If you like popcorn or nuts, Mother Butter’s is a place to visit.

“They’re saving money because they don’t have to pay for parking. They can come in, load up, go to the ballpark,” Donnelly said.

The retail center is also home to Miller Pizza Co., Jimmy John’s and Starbucks Coffee. Heck, you can even tend to last-minute business at the Kinko’s or FedEx.

“The train station is one of the reasons why we moved to the area. It’s good for the neighborhood,” said Donnelly, who grew up in Chicago’s Beverly community.

A walk to the park

Residents of Beverly, Mokena, New Lenox, Oak Forest, Tinley Park and other towns on Metra’s Rock Island line can now take the train to all Sox home games. It’s about 600 yards to The Cell’s ticket windows on 35th Street.

En route, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet guys selling bags of peanuts and others selling tickets. A reporter making the five-minute walk on Wednesday learned that today’s opener is sold out. If you have $75, you can have a standing-room ticket.

“I can get you in Friday, a nice box seat near home for $65,” said a ticket seller who sported a mustache reminiscent of former Sox reliever Rich “Goose” Gossage.

If you have extra time before the game, it’s worth taking a stroll west of the ballpark to 35th Street Red Hots, a tiny hot dog stand at 35th Street and Normal Avenue. The double-dog with fries for $3.86 is a bargain. The fries are homemade.

Manager Orlando Gonzalez was busy peeling hundreds of potatoes on Wednesday.

“We ordered about two tons of potatoes. It’s going to be crazy. We’ll get a lot of tailgaters coming in here,” he said.

He’s betting on hungry train riders, too.

Outside the hot dog stand used to be the best place near The Cell to find ticket scalpers.

“Not no more. They cracked down. (The scalpers) moved about a block west of here,” Gonzalez said.

If you’re heading that way and also need a new Sox hat, T-shirt or other item, chances are you’ll find it at Grandstand, 600 W. 35th St., which has a mind-boggling collection of merchandise for all the pro teams in town, but mostly the Sox.

“We try to have different things in here,” owner Rosemary Powers said.

Can’t find something? Powers will order it for you.

“We’ve been busy all week, with people getting ready for Opening Day. I think the train stop will help because it’s so convenient for fans to get to the park,” she said. “We’re ready for Opening Day. We’ve been in business for 25 years, 22 years here.”

Another longtime merchant (23 years) is Bob O’Malley, owner of Morrie O’Malley’s Hot Dogs, 3501 S. Union Ave.

“The train? I don’t know it will help us, but it may make it easier on the Sox fans,” O’Malley said.

His clientèle has included Sox reliever Matt Thornton and pitching coach Don Cooper, he said. Tampa Bay manager Joe Madden stopped in last season.

Maybe Madden will stop in today for a pregame dog, but Sox fans would rather he drown his sorrows later at Cork & Kerry at the Park, 3258 S. Princeton Ave.

Co-owner Billy Guide, who owns Cork & Kerry in the 19th Ward, brought a bit of Beverly to Bridgeport when the tavern opened last season. He hopes Southlanders take advantage of the “long overdue” train stop.

He said fans aren’t the only beneficiaries of the new depot.

“What (the Sox) lose in parking, they’ll make up for in attendance and beer sales. You can have two or three more beers if you don’t have to drive home,” Guide said.

Source: SouthTownStar

Enjoy holiday dining, food shopping in local community

December 4, 2010

By Marie Balice Ward

Local restaurants, bar, and food stores offer the finest in holiday dining and cheer. Take a break from the hectic holiday season and enjoy a bite to eat or some holiday cheer right in the community.

PLACES TO EAT

Mother Butter’s Popcorn and Confectionery, 17W. 35th St., (773) 548-POPP (7677), This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , www.motherbutterspopcorn.com. Mother Butter’s Popcorn and Confectionery serves up a variety of gourmet popcorn, chocolates, candy, and nuts. They specialize in corporate gifts, special events, and wholesale. Tim Donnelly and Jennifer Carey Donnelly have a passion for popcorn and decided to put their dreams to the test. Chicago White Sox fans may purchase a variety of gourmet popcorn, homemade fudge, chocolates, bulk candy, and roasted nuts to bring into the games at U.S. Cellular Field. Bananas Foster, Chicago Mix, and Cinnamon Caramel are just a few of the top choices for gourmet popcorn. The popcorn of the month is Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Spice. A new website offers a shopping cart feature. Shipping is free as a limited time offer. Hours: Mon. through Fri. 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sun. when the White Sox are in town 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Source: GazetteChicago