History in Norwood Park

• Superdawg at 6363 North Milwaukee Avenue, is one of the few remaining drive-in restaurants in the country, and the very last one in Chicago.  It was first opened in 1948 by Maurie and Flaurie Berman, and it remains a family business today.  Maurie and Flaurie are depicted as hot dogs on the roof of the building and, last we checked, both remain alive and well.  Customers drive up and order through a metallic speaker box, and carhops deliver the food on a tray that attaches to the front window (although there's limited counter seating inside and a few patio tables outside).  By the way, it's a "Superdawg" not a hot dog.  It's bigger than most Chicago hot dogs, and it's loaded with condiments, including mustard, relish, chopped onions, and a giant green pickle.  Order a "hot dog," and you'll get an icy stare, as any loyal Superdawg customer can attest.  Oh, and no ketchup.  You want ketchup?  Then put it on yourself.  All sandwiches are served with crinkle-cut french fries and green tomatoes that come in distinctive heat-preserving boxes.

Home of the Eagles, Taft High School at 6530 West Bryn Mawr Avenue was named after the 27th President of the United States, William Howard Taft.  The school's notable graduates include a hodgepodge of personalties.  You might not know writer Jim Jacobs by name, but he wrote about his experience at the school, inspiring the musical "Grease."  Former NFL running back and University of Illinois football radio broadcaster Jim Grabowski was an alumnus too.  Grabowski played for the Packers and the Bears and was named MVP of the 1964 Rose Bowl, when he was at the University of Illinois.  Robert Hanssen, a former FBI agent who spied on the United States for Russia and Soviet intelligence services for 22 years went to high school here.  Hanssen pled guilty to 13 counts of espionage on July 6, 2001, and is currently serving a life sentence in maximum security prison called Supermax, where he spends 23 hours a day in solitary confinement.  Other alumni include guitarist and founder of the band Chicago, Terry Kath; Chicago Bulls general manager, Jerry Krause (they won six world championships during his reign); entertainment reporter and tv host Steve Kmetko; actress Donna Mills, best known for her role as Abby Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner in the soap opera "knots landing;" and former U.S. Secretary of Labor, Lynn Morley Martin.