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Summer VIBES

5 north shore doings

Your go-to guide for all the latest local events in the weeks ahead

6 north shore sports

New Trier Township High School senior Will Landwer bedazzles at the state meet, dashing to Illinois records in the 100- and 200-meter events

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

8 are you ready for it

A Taylor Swift tribute band headlines the annual Lake Forest Festival & Fireworks extravaganza

10 hashtag

Debbie Sue Goodman, a multi-talented author, comedian, actress, and vocalist, shares a few of her favorite things

11 weekend film

Our critic reviews Superman, the latest chapter in the DC canon

12 clearly stylish

Eye Magic by Michael Scott offers handcrafted luxury eyewear for a discriminating clientele

14 fantastique froggys

Consistency, quality, and customer satisfaction are key to 45 great years for this legendary Highwood institution

16 ns foodie

This gluten-free Nectarine Almond Upside Down Cake is a great addition to your weekend brunch menu

18 sunday breakfast

Lake Forest College English professor Dr. Benjamin Goluboff shares his speculative approach to poetry

NORTH SHORE DOINGS

EDITED BY CHEYANNE LENCIONI THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

JUNE 28 TO AUGUST 2

"WHERE WE DWELL"

The Art Center of Highland Park, in partnership with Echt Gallery, presents “Where we dwell,” a new group show that explores the interplay between art, interior design, and the natural world. The show runs through August 2. Featured artists include Michelle Peterson Albandoz, Ar lene Byster, and Michael McGuire.

JUNE 28 TO AUGUST 24

OUT OF OFFICE: ON THE TRAIL

Join coach Dave O’Connor at Middlefork Farm Nature Preserve’s George Beach Trail from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. for a private, small-group coaching experience designed for senior-level leaders navigating tradition, burnout, or big decisions. lfola.org

JUNE 28 TO AUGUST 25

FOOD TRUCK MONDAYS

Enjoy food trucks and live music at Kenilworth Assembly Hall from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. kenilworthparkdistrict.org

JUNE 28 TO AUGUST 26

SUNSET YOGA

From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., immerse yourself in the beauty of Lake Forest Open Lands Association’s Mellody Farm Nature Preserve while relaxing into a gentle, restorative yoga session that will incorporate breathwork and mindfulness. All abilities welcome! lfola.org

JUNE 28 TO SEPTEMBER 21

PATTERNED BY NATURE

Celebrate our universal attraction to patterns through

playfully planted gardens and nature-inspired artistic installations that stretch the imagination at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Visitors are invited to explore garden beds and installations throughout the garden that feature dynamic patterns, transformational art, and upcycled fashion. chicagobotanic.org

JUNE 28

BACK THE BOWL BASH

From 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. join the Ouilmette Foundation’s Annual Beach Bash Fundraiser. Held at Gillson Park in W ilmette, the event features bands, food, dancing, and an all-inclusive ticket price (food, drink, entertainment) of $100 for adults. Proceeds support the preservation and restoration of the Wallace Bowl. ouilmettefoundation.org

JUNE 28

BOOK EVENT

Join The Book Stall at 2:30 p.m. as Arlynn Leiber Presser debuts her new non-fiction title, “Your Book of Days: A Compendium of History, Anecdote, Science, and Curiosities.” This free event will include refreshments and registration is required. thebookstall.com

JUNE 29

FORT SHERIDAN TOUR

The Fort Sheridan Historical Society will host several Building Walks. Walking tours are planned for 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. This docent-led tour will highlight the Captains Quarters, Lieutenants Quarters, the Guardhouse, Theater, and the iconic Water Tower. Tour will be offered rain or shine. Tickets are $40 for adults and $30 for FSHS members. fortsheridanhistoricalsociety.org

JULY 1 TO 31

JULIA JENSEN EXHIBIT

See Julia Jensen’s work throughout the month of July at Vivid Art Gallery in Winnetka. Jensen is an impressionist painter who creates

landscapes based on the expansive views she experienced in Vermont and Nantucket. An opening reception will be held July 11 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. which will include work from Jensen and 25 artists on exhibit. vividartgallery.net

JULY 10

FITZGERALD’S MIDWESTERN MUSE

Dive into the research of Sue Hoover Epstein in her upcoming presentation F. Scott Fitzgerald. Explore Fitzgerald’s midwestern muses, the real Daisy and Jordan from “The Great Gatsby.” This Histor y Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Lake Forest-Lake Bluff event begins at 7 p.m. and donations are suggested. lflbhistory.org

JULY 10 & JULY 24

SIT & KNIT

Spend the afternoon with fellow knitters from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Northfield Public Library. Basic supplies will be provided and library staff will be present to assist. Registration is required. wnpld.org

JULY 10 & AUGUST 14

FOOD TRUCK THURSDAYS

Food Truck Thursdays return to Highland Park’s Ravinia District from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. More than a dozen food trucks will service food accompanied by live music and a family-friendly atmosphere. cityhpil.com

JULY 11

FIRST FRIDAY IN HUBBARD WOODS

Come out to Hubbard Woods for an evening of style and creativity. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., participating locations will be open late for afterhours shopping, live music, and complimentary seasonal sips and bites. Mingle with neighbors and local creatives, browse summer collections, and enjoy cocktails and mocktails as you explore. shophwdd. com

JULY 12

CORINNE IMBERSKI PERFORMANCE

Join the Women’s Club of Wilmette for Meier Awardwinning dancer and choreographer Corinne Imberski’s performance at 1 p.m. Her ethereal choreography will be accompanied by music. This performance is free to the public.

womansclubofwilmette.org

JULY 12

HISTORIC TRIANGLE PARK WALK

Join the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff at 10:30 a.m. in the Triangle Park neighborhood to learn about its unique history. A 90-minute tour will show many iconic churches, homes, and schools. Tickets are $25 for members and $30 for non-members. lflbhistory.org

JULY 13

JUNK IN THE TRUNK

Highwood’s Junk in the Trunk vendor spots are officially open for Sunday, July 13. This popular open-air market draws shoppers from across the North Shore eager to discover everything from home décor and seasonal items to fashion accessories, artwork, tools, toys, kitchenware, and more. Spots are limited.

highwoodchamber.com

JULY 13

GALA OPENING CONCERT

Music Institute of Chicago Piano Duo in Residence Claire Aebersold Neiweem

and Ralph Neiweem kick off the institute’s Gala Opening Concert at 3 p.m. at Nichols Hall with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and works by Schubert, Tchaikovsky, and Eric Ewazen. musicinst.org

JULY 16

MARGARITA NIGHT

From 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.,

HAIRSPRAY

come out to Highwood’s Everts Park dressed in your favorite Jimmy Buffet style, Parrothead, and Hawaiian gear and party to the sound of a Jimmy Buffet tribute band. There will be beach balls, flamingos, margaritas, Mexican food, key lime pie, and more. celebratehighwood.org

JULY 25 TO 27

SUPERBLOOM

The Seldoms present a weekend of dance, live music, animation, and costume and lighting design at Chicago Botanic Garden’s “Superbloom” event. Watch five dancers in a multimedia performance about radical beauty, wildness, and wildflowers. chicagobotanic.org

JULY 25 TO AUGUST 3

HAIRSPRAY

The Grand Theater at Highland Park High School presents the high-energy production of the Broadway smash hit, Hairspray. Tickets are on sale now. uptownhp.org

JULY 26 TO 27

CHINATOWN SUMMER FAIR

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., enjoy a unique outdoor event in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood for a celebration of beauty and culture including art, food, and music. chicagoevents.com

JULY 30

CHICAGO CHORALE SING ALONG

The Music Institute of Chicago Chorale offers its annual Sing Along performance conducted by Daniel Wallenberg and accompanied by Gregory Schifrin. Rehearsals are $75 and the sing along is $15. Performers will rehearse on July 8, 16, 22, and 29 at 7:30 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall. The performance is at 7:30 p.m. Audience attendance is free. musicinst.org

AUGUST 9

HISTORY LOVER’S GUIDE TO CHICAGO

From 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Greg Borzo will share Chicago’s unique history at Northfield Public Library. Hear about all of the city’s fascinating nooks and crannies. Registration is required. wnpld.org

To submit your event for consideration, please email events@nsweekend.com

BY BILL MCLEAN

After the New Trier Township High School (New Trier) boys’ volleyball team lost to eventual state runner-up Glenbard West High School in a state quarterfinal in Hoffman Estates on June 6, Trevians coach Sue Ellen Haak fielded a question about her seniors.

She cracked a smile initially but turned reflective and a tad sad shortly thereafter, probably because it had hit her that she would no longer get to work with the upbeat bunch or watch them battle.

“Our seniors made their coaches want to be in the gym because they worked hard and were fun to be around,” said Haak.

Senior libero Keenan Roderick had a match-best 11 digs for New Trier in his final match. We lofted a handful of questions to him afterward.

Where will you be at this time next year?

Lehigh University, majoring in Finance.

Your New Trier volleyball role in 2025?

A captain’s role. I was called our team’s emotional leader.

New Trier avenged several losses en route to earning a spot in the state quarterfinals. Any idea why the Trevians were so good in the rematches?

We did more film work, which I believe gave us a three-to-four-point edge when we faced a team a second time.

Your favorite moment of the 2025 season?

Setting the ball to Charley Tinsley, who hit the kill against Libertyville (High School) that clinched a sectional championship and sent us to the state quarterfinal. Our setter, Sean (Scheppach), had made a great dig moments earlier.

Three words that best describe your coach, Sue Ellen Haak?

Outstanding, caring, inclusive. What makes her such a great coach is her program-building skills. Volleyball at New Trier is a community to her. She knows every kid in the program, and that’s because

New Trier Township High School's Will Landwer flies to a pair of sprint records at the boys' track and field state meet in Charleston.

Will Landwer serves ice cream to customers at Homer’s in Wilmette.

“I’m a coconut guy,” says the recent New Trier Township High School (New Trier) graduate of his favorite flavor.

And a fast guy. The Trevian delivered a pair of treats—minus the sprinkles—to spectators at the Class 3A boys’ track and field state meet in Charleston last month, clocking state-record times in the 100 meters (10.24) and 200 meters (20.87) to fuel New Trier’s first team state title since 1944.

The previous mark in the 100 (10.31) was set in 2018; the former state record in the 200 (20.89) had stood since 1997.

“Electric and unbelievable,” New Trier coach Andrew Schmitt says of Landwer’s remarkable May 31, 2025, a date that will live in brilliancy. “Will came through in the end when it all came down on his shoulders.”

Landwer hadn’t sped to a state medal before 2025. But what made his dandy double as a senior even more improbable

was the number of times—only a handful— he raced as a sprinter in his sophomore and junior seasons.

The 6-footer competed primarily as a hurdler in 2023 and 2024. And then there’s this: Landwer is lean and fit, a dead ringer for a cross country runner. Many elite sprinters are built like muscular defensive backs.

“I ran some sprints my freshman year,” recalls Landwer, who will run sprints for Penn State University as a Finance major next spring. “I was terrible—12.3 in the 100, 25.8 in the 200.”

During the offseason summer and fall months in 2024 he was laser-focused on training and honing his form. Landwer sparkled in front of crowds at the big meets in May because he had toiled regularly and hard all by himself.

“Good genes and an outstanding work ethic helped Will succeed this year,” says Schmitt, who lauded New Trier sprints/ hurdles coach Ulises Silva for the role he

played in Landwer’s development. “But Will also did the right things and made the right decisions before and during the season.”

At one point during his college search, Landwer—the son of a former track athlete (Mark) and an ex-soccer player (Susan)— thought he would have to accept an offer to dash at a mid-major school rather than at a Big Ten university. Then his sprint times kept dropping, sending his hopes skyward.

“For a while there, I didn’t see any sign of a light at the end of the tunnel,” Landwer says. “I felt like my dream was slipping away. You have to push when you don’t see what you want to see.”

Two other New Trier seniors earned a state gold medal last month. Reigning Class 3A boys’ cross country state champion Ben Crane won the 3200 run (8:57.13) and Dylan Benjamin topped the triplejump field with a leap of 14.7 meters.

she starts communicating with kids at a young age. I’ve known her since I was in middle school.

Favorite moment at a practice?

Probably assistant coach (Richard) Dreis making us laugh. He’s got a great dry sense of humor, and he’s very good at engaging all players.

Any memories of your very first varsity practice?

Pre-season last year, I was very nervous. The seniors then had set a high standard right away.

You favorite athlete at New Trier who’s not a volleyball player?

Liam Higgins, lacrosse player (senior middie and member of the state runner-up Trevians). Good friend, great athlete, great guy.

Summer plans?

Q & A WITH NEW TRIER TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR VOLLEYBALL PLAYER KEENAN RODERICK DYNAMIC DOUBLE

Caddie at Indian Hill Club. I’m an OK golfer, a 10 handicap. I do what caddies are supposed to do— show up, keep up, shut up. I also intend to power wash sidewalks as a side gig.

Will Landwer

Keenan Roderick

Now through July 15, the Baird & Warner Winnetka office is hosting a drive to collect essential pantry goods to stock the shelves at the New Trier Township Food Pantry.

The pantry serves the needs of over 200 households per month, assisting members of our community through unexpected life challenges. Every donation can help make a difference to our neighbors in need.

Food Items:

• Pasta and pasta sauce

• Salad dressing and salsa

• Canned vegetables

• Cooking oil and condiments

• Canned fruit

• Cookies, crackers, and granola bars

• Canned chicken, tuna, salmon

• Brown and white rice and rice mixes

Non-Food Items:

• Toothpaste and mouthwash

• Ziploc bags

• Cleaning supplies

You can drop off donations at Baird & Warner - 594 Green Bay Road, Winnetka.

drive is supported by Good Will Works, the charitable arm of Baird & Warner.

ARE YOU READY FOR IT?

BY JANIS MVK THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

The Lake Forest Festival & Fireworks—the biggest summer celebration of the North Shore, hosted by Friends of Lake Forest Parks and Recreation—is coming in hot with a big bang. And this year, it also brings a pop—a pop sensation, that is

The festival returns Friday, July 4, to celebrate its 20th year of patriotic pride, good ol’ community fun, and unforgettable entertainment.

“We are bringing in a fantastic artist who recreates the hottest female music artist in the world,” says Rick Amos, who is the event coordinator for Friends of Lake Forest Parks and Recreation.

Need another hint? “She’s channeled last year’s The Eras Tour experience,” he reveals.

Headlining this year’s festival is a full-scale Taylor Swift tribute performance by Are You Ready for It? A Taylor Experience. Bringing the energy, sparkle, and sound of Swift’s iconic The Eras Tour to Lake Forest, this acclaimed tribute band is expected to draw in thousands of attendees for what promises to be the most exciting musical event in the festival’s two-decade history.

“Each year, our music committee considers various potential performers across a variety of genres,” explains Amos. “We narrow down the list and see which ones may be in our area.

Finding unique performers is much harder now, as many surrounding communities also have music events.”

This particular headliner, however, turned out to be somewhat of a “Love Story,” you might say.

It all began with an idea that sparked in 2007.

“We actually had an offering with the actual Taylor Swift to perform at Festival & Fireworks,” says Amos, adding that at the time, she was a new artist who had debuted her first album with the hit song “Tim McGraw.”

“While we were working out the contract details, she won the Country Music Association award for New Artist of the Year, and her management company told me she was still scheduled to play our event,” explains Amos. “However, the fee was now triple the amount, so we had to pass. So, 18 years later, we’re bringing the next best thing.”

Swifties, take note—the tribute band’s attention to detail won’t go unnoticed. From the spot-on vocals and signature mannerisms to spectacular costume changes straight out of The Eras Tour, tribute performer Traci Marie fully embodies the spirit of Swift herself. This high-energy, theatrical tribute is packed with everything fans have come to expect—

choreography, immersive visuals, audience sing-alongs, and all the era-spanning hits that defined a generation. It’s not just a concert, it’s the ultimate Taylor experience.

“We think this year’s musical performance will attract a larger audience, and we are anticipating 6,000 to 7,500 attendees,” says Amos. “Marie tours the country with this performance, so we were fortunate to get her.”

In addition to Are You Ready for It? A Taylor Experience, the festival features live music, including opening act Hello Weekend, food and beverage vendors, along with a myriad of family activities.

To add even more sparkle, this year’s fireworks will be the biggest display yet, lighting up the night sky in celebration of the festival’s 20th anniversary. Set to patriotic music, the show offers a memorable experience for everyone in attendance.

This year’s event will also feature enhanced safety and security measures, including a strong police presence, an on-site medical station, water stations, and shaded seating areas. For added comfort, the recreation center will be available as a cooling station, if needed. Designated parking and ADA-accessible accommodations will also be provided to ensure all attendees have a convenient and welcoming experience. And Amos offers this

inside tip:

“Patrons can bring in their chairs along with food and beverages,” he says. “We also offer a VIP ticket that is all-inclusive, which includes admission, food and beverages, premier seating near the stage, and even a separate restroom station.”

To help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all, attendees are asked to leave certain items at home. Fireworks, sparklers, grills, open flames, smoking or vaping devices, pets, firearms, tents, tent stakes, and chairs without padded feet are not allowed. These guidelines help protect both the community and the park grounds.

“We want to give special recognition to Lake Forest Bank & Trust, Fields Auto Group, and the City of Lake Forest,” says Amos. “All three play a major role in supporting our organization and contribute to the success of this event.”

Lake Forest Festival & Fireworks takes place Friday, July 4, from 5 to 10 p.m. at Deerpath Community Park, 400 Hastings Road. Proceeds support programs offered by the Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Department. For tickets, visit friendsoflakeforestparksandrec.org

#HASHTAG

EDITED BY REDDING WORTH ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL

Debbie Sue Goodman is a multi-talented author, comedian, actress, and vocalist. She has authored three books: Still Single, Still Dating, and My Husband the Stranger. Additionally, she wrote a comedy script and screenplay titled Dating Dilemmas, which has won several awards. Goodman has written numerous other scripts and has produced and directed several short films based on her work. She has also appeared in many of her comedy and drama films, some of which were screened at theaters in Chicago and at a film festival in Los Angeles. Goodman performs stand-up comedy at various venues, charity events, and for singles and senior groups. Her work has been featured on multiple platforms, including radio and podcast shows, local cable TV programs, and local news channels. In film, Goodman was a “featured extra” in the feature The Up and Comer, playing a barfly. She also appeared as a background extra in the feature films Night Nurse and Love Language. She appeared in the short comedy film The Young Fellas by Draysta Films. Additionally, she is starring in the short film Washed Up, produced by Shytown Sugar Films. Goodman’s short film (currently in post-production), Talk Over Tea, is a drama she wrote based on her experiences with bullying in junior high and high school. As a lyricist, she has written many songs and is collaborating with a musician on a few tracks released this year. Goodman steps off stage to share how she stays on trend.

#IN MY EARBUDS

#ON MY NIGHTSTAND

I have bottled water, a celebrity gossip magazine, notes with some of my comedy jokes for my upcoming comedy shows, and books by Danielle Steel.

I enjoy soft-rock, classic rock, disco, and Broadway show tunes. WLiT-FM, WTMX-FM, WLS FM, and Kiss FM are a few of my main stations. My favorite radio news station is: WBBM 780 AM. I enjoy The Pete and Sebastian Show—a comedy podcast. I also like Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa Podcast.

#ON MY MOBILE

I like to follow Adele and Barbra Streisand. I enjoy listening to their music and watching their concerts on Instagram. They’re both so talented & fabulous!

SUPERMAN

Our reviewer calls this new chapter in the DC canon a reboot with soul, suitable for most families but written with adults in mind.

BY FELIX MCMILLAN, MAN ABOUT FILM

ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL

VERDICT:

Earnest, odd, and occasionally stirring—Superman dares to believe in virtue without irony. A reboot with soul, suitable for most families but written with adults in mind.

The Man of Steel returns again, as he so often does, though this time he’s been to therapy, taken a screenwriting seminar, and bought a record player. Superman, James Gunn’s inaugural chapter in the new DC canon, is not just an origin story—but a reorientation: a film intent on making Superman sincere again, without turning him into a Boy Scout with anxiety.

David Corenswet dons the cape with a retro earnestness that Gunn milks for maximum contrast against a cynical world, and to be fair, it mostly works. This Superman is both slightly square and oddly touching, the kind of guy who rescues cats from trees and quotes Carl Sagan. He’s framed not as a messiah, nor as a martyr, but—refreshingly—as a man trying to be good in a world that often isn’t. A novel concept, in 2025.

Gunn, of course, can’t resist his usual tonal needlework: one minute you’re watching interplanetary genocide; the next, a punchline about kombucha. It mostly balances, though occasionally the banter undercuts the myth. The film is most alive when it leans into the emotional sincerity it clearly wants to

champion. When Superman speaks to a grieving child rather than laser-beaming his way to catharsis, you glimpse the quiet revolution Gunn is attempting.

The villains, plural (Lex Luthor with a smattering of Brainiac), are neither cartoonish nor terrifying, but serve their purpose: namely, to make Superman feel less like a god and more like a symbol whose power lies in restraint, not spectacle. And that’s the film’s thesis, really—that hope, inconvenient and soft-spoken as it may be, is the real superpower.

Visually, the film owes more to Norman Rockwell than Zack Snyder, though a few set pieces—particularly one midair rescue in the arctic—remind you Gunn knows how to stage awe without pounding it into your skull.

Superman is not flawless. It’s occasionally too clever for its own good, and the third act wobbles like a moral TED Talk. But for once, a superhero film tries to save more than just the world. It tries to save the idea that goodness still matters.

The Living Room A free, inviting space for support

Talk to someone who’s been there. Talk to a peer. The Living Room welcomes anyone age 18+ who is experiencing a mental health crisis to receive support in a safe, nonjudgmental space.

Open every day 7 am – 12 am 1779 Maple Avenue, Northﬁeld, IL 60093 Mental health for all.

CLEARLY STYLISH

Eye Magic by Michael Scott offers uniquely tailored luxury styles handcrafted with the highest quality materials.

BY MONICA KASS ROGERS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Optician Michael Scott Friedman steps to the sleek display case of Cazal eyewear at his eponymous Eye Magic by Michael Scott in Highland Park, plucking one of the beautiful bespoke pieces from the collection.

“I love Cazal,” he says. “They do so much inspired detailing.”

Tilting the glittering, hand-beveled glasses in the morning light, Friedman points out the steampunk-inspired side shields and titanium frame and explains that it can take Cazal master craftsmen up to eight months to make each pair—a hallmark of their fine craftsmanship.

“My store has an exclusive partnership with Cazal for the northern suburbs,” Friedman proudly confides, adding that he has similar partnerships with Mykita, Akoni, and Matsuda brands: “Just as the best watches are still made in Switzerland, the best eyewear brands handmake their products in Germany and Japan, which is true of the makers we partner with.”

Close association with the best independent brands is a strategic choice that sets Eye Magic apart from others in the marketplace.

“I align best with independent eyewear manufacturers because they stress the importance of handmade products that use very natural and organic materials,” Friedman explains. “Materials that are non-allergenic, such as titanium and stainless steel.”

In contrast to this, he says there are many well-known brands out there that sell massproduced and machine-made eyewear, where the quality is simply just not there.

“But consumers are becoming smarter eyewear buyers, and they know the difference,” he continues. “They understand the benefits of the products I carry compared with those made from cheap materials that are loaded with chemicals such as petroleum.”

Among trends in eyewear today, performance eyewear is a fast-growing category.

“There is a largely untapped market for prescription wearers who need eye protection while exercising or during sport,” he adds. “We have catered to this by partnering with Rudy Project, an amazing performance eyewear company that specializes in running, cycling, and pickleball eyewear.”

Friedman took ownership of longtime Highland Park business Eye Magic last year, after working more than 15 years in the optical industry. He started during his high school years, answering phones and scheduling eye exams. In the decade that followed, he immersed himself in every aspect of the business— from teaching contact lens how-tos to running a multimillion-dollar flagship eyeglass store for six years.

“It was only a matter of time before I took the leap of faith to ownership,” he says.

Maintaining and improving the level of care and customer service that has been a part of Eye Magic throughout its 36-year history is important to Friedman. Dr. Inna Goldberg, the practice’s optometrist for the last 30 years, will continue in that capacity. The store’s former owner Marla, also still works there, along with Ray, the lab manager who has been with Eye Magic for more than 25 years and is a master of his craft.

“We are keeping our same roots, just putting a new spin on things and adding a little bit of my New York City swagger,” smiles Friedman, who grew up on the East Coast and was schooled at New York City College of Technology (CUNY) where he completed the Vision Care Technology Program.

In addition to offering personalized eyewear, comprehensive eye exams, and eyeglass and lens repair services on premise, Eye Magic by Michael Scott will continue to operate an onsite lab

“Having an onsite finishing lab makes our turnaround times faster and steps up our quality control so that we can make sure that anything that leaves our store is absolute perfection,” he concludes. “Customers are willing to travel long distances for our services and for my stylings because we offer something they can’t find just anywhere. A truly personalized experience built on deep expertise in both optics and fashion. It's a combination of technical precision and aesthetic intuition that people recognize and trust. I don’t just help customers choose glasses, I help them express their identity, enhance their features, and feel confident in their look.”

For more information about Eye Magic by Michael Scott, visit eyemagicbymichaelscott.com.

Michael Scott Freidman PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONICA KASS ROGERS

FANTASTIQUE FROGGY’S

Consistency, quality, and customer satisfaction are key to 45 great years for this legendary French restaurant in Highwood.

BY MONICA KASS ROGERS FOOD EDITOR

More than four decades ago, Chef Thierry Lefeuvre had just finished augmenting an already impressive, globe-hopping, culinary career by studying finance at Université du Québec à Montréal.

“At that moment in life, I needed a break,” he recalls, explaining how he packed up his car and headed toward the Colorado mountains. “I never made it.”

Out of money by the time he reached Chicago, Lefeuvre ended his road trip and began his U.S. restaurant adventure. For that, the North Shore dining public is forever grateful. This year, beloved Froggy’s French Cafe in Highwood—which Lefeuvre owns with partners Bill and Sheri Cartwright, celebrates its 45th anniversary.

Garnering numerous awards, praise from critics, and unwavering customer loyalty, Froggy’s built its success on three things.

“Consistency, quality, and pleasing the customer,” explains Lefeuvre. “People want each experience to be as good as the last one. They come to Froggy’s to be happy, so making them happy is what we do.”

The food at Froggy’s is classically French. Over the years, Lefeuvre has moved to lighter modern sauces and creative plating with more art and

beauty in the composition, but he still has tried and true French favorites on the menu. Things like beef bourguignon, coq au vin, Wellington of beef, pheasant, or boar, coulibiac of salmon ... the list goes on.

“Few restaurants still serve these things,” he says. “With our younger clientele, most have never even tried these dishes. It’s a pleasure to introduce them.”

Looking back over the years, Lefeuvre says one great improvement in the industry has been better availability of quality ingredients.

“You can find everything today,” he says. “That’s an enormous improvement. It was much more difficult to source things when I first came to Highwood and started as opening chef for Christian and Agnes Zeiger Gregg at Alouette in 1978.”

For example, Lefeuvre still remembers when airlines began shipping fresh seafood overnight about a decade ago.

“That’s when we started serving Hawaiian wahoo. It’s a guest-favorite which we serve in a citrus reduction sauce made with shallots, lemon, orange, mustard seed, and a splash of cream.”

Another signature seafood creation still starring at Froggy’s is the lobster with vanilla sauce Lefeuvre first created while personal chef to the governor of Tahiti. Beyond respect for great ingredients, Lefeuvre’s approach to and respect for other humans is key to Froggy’s success. This, the chef says, was inspired by his parents at an early age.

“I grew up in Le Mans, France, where my parents were both working people who taught me that respect for others is the most important thing in life,” says Lefeuvre. “You must be humble in life; never think yourself better than someone else.”

This applies not only to how Lefeuvre approaches his customers, but also, his staff.

“Here, everybody is important, from the dishwasher to the manager,” says Lefeuvre, who as a mentor and teacher, tries to see potential in others. “It’s there within each person—you just have to find it and encourage it, with patience and diplomacy.”

As a result, turnover at Froggy’s has always been very low. Many employees have worked there for decades.

“I have only ever fired two people in 45 years of business,” the chef confides.

LeFeuvre headed to culinary boarding school when he was just 15 years old, loving the idea of cooking and travel. That led to stints in St. Tropez and a palace in Switzerland, plus time in Tahiti, the Canary Islands, and Montreal before landing in the Midwest. Always drawn to beautiful landscapes with water or mountains in them, Thierry did eventually get property in Colorado in addition to his home by Lake Michigan.

Today, as he steps toward the fiftieth year in business, there is only one thing Lefeuvre has on his bucket list for Froggy’s.

“To prepare and do all I can to successfully pass the business on to my coworkers when it comes time,” he says.

Until then, you will find him at Froggy’s, apron on, and mind to the menu.

“Our guests, they travel, they know good food—what I serve, and more,” he says. “So, if they’re just back from France and want a cassoulet that’s not on my menu, sure, I will make it for them. Whatever makes them happy.”

For more information about Froggy’s, visit froggysrestaurant.com.

Dark chocolate and praline mousse cake

Mediterranée Salad: Trévisse and mixed greens, mozzarella, red and yellow bell peppers, cherry tomato, oregano, olives, balsamic vinaigrette

Assiette of Charcutier with house-made seafood terrine, wild mushroom and smoked chicken terrine, and ceviche of shrimp and snapper

Chef Thierry Lefeuvre ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONICA KASS ROGERS

(OFFER

Tom and his team helped us out in a pinch! They were quick and communicative with everything they did and helped us land our dream home. Would highly recommend! - Max C.

Tom was very understanding and attentive to our every need! - Sara P.

Tom is always my go to for mortgage needs. He is always answering questions and taking care of what needs to be done quickly. After working in real estate for 12 years myself, I wouldn’t work with any other broker. - Kim R.

NECTARINE ALMOND UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

BY MONICA KASS ROGERS FOOD EDITOR

Pretty, perky and gluten-free, this one-layer darling of a cake is also versatile and quick. I’ve served it in the morning with coffee, after dinner for dessert, and left it in friends’ vestibules as an afternoon pickme-up. I typically top it with a swirl of perfectly ripe nectarine slices, but peaches, plums, or pears work equally well. To make it, you’ll slice and spiral the fruit into a buttered 9-inch cake pan, drizzle with sugar caramel, and then top with a batter of eggs, butter, sour cream, gluten-free all-purpose flour, and almond flour. The crumb of the cake is supremely tender, and the cake keeps well for service the next day.

SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE:

3 medium-sized nectarines, washed and cut into 1/8-inch slices (no need to peel)

1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 3 Tbsp softened butter (plus more for buttering pan)

1 cup sugar, divided into two ½ cup portions

4 eggs

½ cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla paste

1 cup almond flour

1 cup gluten-free flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

METHOD

PREP NECTARINES: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-inch cake pan. Press a 9-inch parchment round into the bottom of the pan. Butter the parchment. Halve the nectarines, discarding pits. Slice nectarine halves into 1/8-inch slices. Spiral these in the cake pan until the pan is completely covered with nectarine slices. Set aside.

JAMES RYERSON

GREAT IMAGINATIONS

Musing with Lake Forest College English professor Dr. Benjamin Goluboff about his latest “speculative” works and other unverified delights of a mind divided between town and country.

BY BRONTE STARLING ILLUSTRATION BY BARRY BLITT

We know he grew up in Philly. Always wanted to be a writer; can’t remember exactly when or how it all started, though. It could have been junior year in high school when “an inspired teacher assigned Robert Penn Warren’s All the King's Men.”

Maybe. We know he published a short story in 1988 about a guy becoming initiated as a teacher and (though we can’t be sure) he suspects himself of writing some bad poetry during that time. Can’t think of much more than that, though, and he’s sorry.

But Dr. Benjamin Goluboff, today an English professor at Lake Forest College and author of many acclaimed creative and scholarly works, has nothing to apologize for. His words may be minimal, but they are delivered with purpose, delicious detail, and sometimes—as was the case with his 2023 Citizens of Ordinary Time collaboration with fellow poet Mark Luebbers—a brilliant level of imagination that elevates the lives of historical figures into a work of “speculative biographical poetry.”

As explained in the opening to the book, this form of poetry is “narrative verse in which imaginary events are written into the life of a historically verifiable person.”

They are poems, as he and Luebbers write, “that make music from the data of our subjects’ lives even as they amend, extend, or redirect the narrative of those lives. In dialogue with the factual record, but unfaithful to it when it suits them, speculative biographical poems ply a devious course among the particulars of a life.”

It’s the ultimate homage, this collection of imaginings into the lives of poets, artists, and musicians, including Bill Evans, a Goluboff favorite.

“At war with his addictions, at war with the conventions of his music, the only white guy in the classic Miles Davis quintet, Evans is a great subject for Mark’s and my kind of

It’s important to remember that neither Mark nor I claim deep scholarly knowledge about any of these people. We are just making stuff up based on context, inference, windspeed, and direction.

writing,” says Goluboff, who in addition to scholarly articles on a variety of topics in American literature, has published a long string of poems, stories, and first-person essays over the last three decades. “We’re very happy with Citizens. It turned out beautifully and we both had a lot of fun, but writers are often more focused on the next project.”

Goluboff has since gone on to spin similar

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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

speculative poetic imaginings about record executive Moe Asch, and a 1942 photo that caught his eye in Anton Gill’s biography of Peggy Guggenheim.

“I learned about Moe in reading about his father, the scandalous Yiddish-language novelist Sholem Asch,” says Goluboff of his new book, Moe Asch: A Speculative Life in Verse, and Other Poems, scheduled for re-

lease this fall. “When I started to understand the scope of Moe’s recording project at Folkways, I came to see him as chatelaine of the great mansion where Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie and Mary Lou Williams live.”

Coming even sooner (the weekend of July 5) is Group Portrait: Poems on a Photograph by Herman Landshoff, a collection of 15 poems about a single photograph of European artists exiled in Europe.

“I found the photo and was able to convince Mark that this would be a great subject for our kind of writing,” Goluboff explains. “It’s important to remember that neither Mark nor I claim deep scholarly knowledge about any of these people. We are just making stuff up based on context, inference, windspeed, and direction.”

As for his personal life, we know he lives in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood and takes the train to Lake Forest.

“I find the Metra commute between town and country to be very good for the mind,” he says. “My favorite thing about Lake Forest is the woods. I can often be found lurking in Shaw Prairie, Middle Fork Savannah, and the college ravines.”

We also know he leads highly engaging book discussion groups on the North Shore and Chicago’s north side. Were we to follow Goluboff ’s lead, we might be tempted fill in the rest of those missing details—to “ply a devious course” that imagines him befriending descendants of exiled European artists and or merely ordinary citizens in, let’s say, Kelly green Impalas and other yet-to-bewritten scenes along the way.

Maybe.

Like the master, we’re just making it up as we go along.

Benjamin Goluboff’s books are available at Lake Forest Bookstore and other booksellers, including amazon.com. He’ll be reading from his work at the Lake Forest Public Library at 7 p.m. on Oct 20.

John Conatser FOUNDER & PUBLISHER

Jennifer Sturgeon ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Gaven Conatser ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE