—Sheldon Kopp
Mahjong Room by White Couch Design. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONICA KASS ROGERS
STYLE THAT
NEWS
5 north shore doings
Your go-to guide for all the latest local events in the weeks ahead
6 north shore sports
Lake Forest High School's boys' lacrosse team gets defensive, overcomes 3-0 deficit to New Trier Township High School in 5-3 win
LIFESTYLE & ARTS
Come visit our showroom and discover timeless furnishings at limited-time prices. Shop exclusive savings on designer floor samples and showroom pieces at 40-75% off ready to take home now.
8
8 #hashtag
Meet Karri Rosenthal of Glencoe and learn more about her latest business venture in storytelling
12 a sort of homecoming
Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows shares the story behind the band’s new album in advance of its Ravinia return
13 man about film
Our critic reviews Thunderbolts, the latest action-packed addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe
14 art in the village
North Shore Art League’s popular juried fine art fair returns to Hubbard Woods June 21 to 22.
16 north shore foodie
This weekend’s recipe pairs house-marinated artichoke hearts with a hot and melty cheese dip
17 happy hour
Our Sheridan Road Summer cocktail is an elegant, citrusy refresher, perfect for beach days
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
18 sunday breakfast
New Advocate Health neurosurgeon Dr. Juan Alzate recounts fascinating journey from his native Colombia to his hometown of 17 years, Glencoe
Thirty-two years of hands-on experience makes Premier Building & Development one of Chicagoland’s leading builders.
NORTH SHORE DOINGS
EDITED BY CHEYANNE LENCIONI THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
NOW THROUGH JUNE 20
“AN OPPORTUNE TIME”
WHERE: Irma Lee Court
This Quiet Dust Ceramics, a ceramics atelier in Lake Forest, hosts its “An Opportune Time” exhibition of paintings by emerging artist Alexandra Barosso. An opening night reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Barosso's work will be featured along with Dubhe Carreño's collection of contemporary functional ceramics. thisquietdustceramics.com
JUNE 1
REQUIEM FOR FAURÉ
WHERE: Nichols Concert Hall Music Institute of Chicago Chorale concludes its 2024-2025 season with Requiem by Fauré and Mass in F. Minor by Josef Rheinberger. This concert is free to attend. musicinst.org
JUNE 3 TO AUGUST 26
SUNSET YOGA
WHERE: Mellody Farm Nature Preserve
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 5
FOOD TRUCK THURSDAYS
WHERE: Ravinia District Food Truck Thursdays return to Highland Park 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. There will be three themed nights on June 12, July 10, and August 14. cityhpil.com
JUNE 5 TO JUNE 22
ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
WHERE: Joffrey Ballet
The Joffrey Ballet closes its 69th season with twotime Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s enchanting and family-friendly production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This show displays beautiful choreography, masterful puppetry, and vibrant stagecraft. joffrey.org
JUNE 6
ANNE SMITH STEPHAN
WHERE: Vivid Art Gallery
Wilmette artist Anne Smith Stephan's work will be shown at Vivid Art Gallery throughout June. A First Friday opening night reception will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Stephan’s paintings invite the viewer to contemplate the power of our experiences and the unknown. vividartgallery.com
JUNE 6
FIRST FRIDAY
WHERE: Hubbard Woods
From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., participating Hubbard Woods businesses will be open for after-hours shopping, live music, and complimentary seasonal sips and bites. Mingle with neighbors and local creatives, browse stylish summer collections, and enjoy cocktails and mocktails as you explore. shophwdd.com
JUNE 7
CELEBRATING COMMUNITY GALA
WHERE: Winnetka Historical Society
The Winnetka Historical Society will celebrate community and the incredible life of Jim Hansen. The Celebrating Community Gala will go from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the historic Community House. winnetkahistory.org
JUNE 7
MATTHEW SCHAEFER
WHERE: Open Studio Project
From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. enjoy the opening of Matthew Schaefer’s show at Open Studio Project in Evanston. The exhibit runs from June 7 to June 30. openstudioproject.org
JUNE 8
SCULPTURE SCROLL
WHERE: Market Square
Join Deer Path Art League from noon to 4 p.m. to admire stunning sculptures. Take a leisurely stroll through Lake Forest and immerse yourself in the beauty of these unique artworks. deerpathartleague.org
JUNE 8
ALUMNI CABARET
WHERE: Actors Training Center
Enjoy a night of songs, support, and stories featuring alumni of Wilmette’s Actors Training Center, starting at 6:30 p.m. Celebrate talented alumni including Nathan Salstone. actorstrainingcenter.org
JUNE 12
SIT & KNIT
WHERE: Northfield Public Library
Spend the afternoon with fellow knitters in the Community Room at Northfield Public Library. From 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. adults of all experience levels of are welcome. Basic supplies will be provided and library staff will be present to assist. Registration is required. wnpld.org
JUNE 12 TO 14
CHILDREN’S BOOK SALE
WHERE: Lake Forest Library
Browse and purchase a wide selection of gently used bargain-priced children's books just in time for the Library's Summer Reading program and your
vacations and staycations. The Book Sale is hosted by The Friends of Lake Forest Library. lakeforestlibrary.org
JUNE 14 TO 15
IKEBANA
INTERNATIONAL SHOW
WHERE: Chicago Botanic Gardens
From 10 a.m. to 4: 30 p.m., the Ikebana International Chicago Chapter will provide educational opportunities to learn about the mechanics and techniques of Ikebana. This event will take place in Chicago Botanic Garden’s Burnstein Hall. chicagobotanic.org
JUNE 14 TO 15
SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL
WHERE: The Lake Bluff Village Green Artists on the Bluff will celebrate its 25th anniversary from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 20 curated local and regional artists will participate in a show that features watercolor and acrylic paintings, pencil drawings, jewelry, sculpture, ceramics, photography and more. Admission is free. artistsonthebluff.org
JUNE 18
AUTHOR SASH BISCHOFF
WHERE: Lake Forest-Lake Bluff History Center
At 7 p.m., author Sash Bischoff will join Executive Director Carol Summerfield for an interview about her debut novel Sweet Fury—a
twisty, thought-provoking novel of construction and deconstruction in conversation with the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald and told through the lens of the film industry. The event is free but a $10 donation is encouraged. Registration is required. lflbhistory.org
JUNE 19
IN-STORE DISCUSSION WITH LANEY KATZ
WHERE: The Book Stall
Join author Laney Katz from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. to discuss her new book In the Family Way. Registration is required. thebookstall.com
JUNE 20 TO 21
TASTE OF HIGHLAND PARK
WHERE: Downtown
Highland Park
Taste of Highland Park returns to the downtown area June 20 to 21. From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., you can sample dishes from more than a dozen Highland Park food and beverage vendors and enjoy live music from hip-hop tribute band Too Hype Crew on Friday and Queen tribute band Queenflash on Saturday. cityhpil.com
JUNE 21
AUTO SHOW
WHERE: Lake Bluff History Museum
From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., see classic cars and beautifully vintage vehicles at Lake
Bluff History Museum’s annual family-friendly auto show. Free parking is available for guests at the Lake Bluff train station. lakebluffhistory.org
JUNE 24 ART JOURNALING
WHERE: Northfield Library
Enjoy a morning of coffee and camaraderie. From 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., adults can create free form, mixed media entries. Registration is required. wnpld.org
JUNE 25 INFERNO FEST
WHERE: Everts Park
Celebrate Highwood proudly presents its annual Inferno Fest from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Enjoy an array of the spiciest and hottest foods and beverages for fearless food enthusiasts. celebratehighwood.org
JULY 25 TO 27 SUPERBLOOM
WHERE: Chicago Botanic Gardens
The Seldoms present a weekend of dance, live music, animation, and costume and lighting design at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Watch five dancers in a multimedia performance about radical beauty, wildness, and wildflowers. chicagobotanic.org
To submit your event for consideration, please email events@nsweekend.com.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
BY BILL MCLEAN THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE PFOERTNER NORTH SHORE SPORTS
School (LFHS) boys’ lacrosse team trailed host New Trier Township High School (New Trier) 3-0 in the second quarter of the squads’ regular-season finale last week in Northfield.
LFHS—the reigning Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state cham pion—got Steely and struck for five unanswered goals and exited Robert Naughton Field as a 5-3 winner on May 22.
REDOUBTABLE THOMAS
Goalkeeper Thomas Walsh, formidable ‘D’ shine in Lake Forest High School’s 5-3 defeat of New Trier Township High School in a boys’ lacrosse showdown.
“We settled down,” said Scouts coach David Hone after his crew improved to 18-2 and before it began its first state-title defense earlier this week.
“We had guys in new positions. We reset. Our players did a good job of getting com -
“You saw a lot of skill out there on the field, but mental toughness played a big role in the outcome,” he added.
So did some clutch saves by junior goalkeeper Thomas Walsh, a first-year varsity starter. He stopped seven shots and blanked the perennially powerful Trevians (14-5) in the final 31 minutes, 14 seconds, with plenty of help from resolute defenders in front of him.
“We know we’re the best team in the state,” Walsh said of what allowed the Scouts to stay positive after New Trier senior attack Trevor Martay’s goal gave the Trevians a 3-0 lead with 7:14 left in
“And nobody got nervous.”
LFHS senior middie and North Suburban Conference Player of the Year Lucas Kroner, a Lafayette College recruit, tallied the visitors’ first goal of the night with 5:51 remaining in the first half.
Scouts senior reserve Gianni Meucci pared New Trier’s lead to 3-2 at the 2:20 mark of the second quarter, firing a man-up goal past New Trier senior keeper Graham Stuart (10 saves) off a feed from senior attack Brayden Thiergart, who would finish with a game-high two assists.
Neither team found the back of the cage from that point until intermission.
And neither team’s intensity waned an iota in the second half.
“It’s Lake Forest-New Trier,” Hone said after his club avenged last year’s 6-3 home loss to New Trier. “These games are always gritty and fun. New Trier dug in and played a great game.”
LFHS freshman middie Dante Federighi came up big—make that inferno-esque—after the break, scoring twice in a 5:25 span in the third quarter. Thiergart assisted on the first goal, and
Federighi’s high bounce shot secured the Scouts’ first lead, 4-3, with 5:48 left in the frame.
Sophomore attack Cole Pezza’s unassisted goal in the fourth quarter capped the night’s scoring.
“We didn’t possess the ball much in the second half,” said New Trier coach Adam Dickson. “Lake Forest’s long possessions wore us down.”
Senior Danny Van Camp stood out prominently on defense for the Scouts, who killed a two-minute penalty bridging the third and fourth quarters while leading 4-3.
Walsh made his final save 48 seconds shy of the final horn.
“Every game is a big game to us, and every player on this team trusts every teammate,” said Walsh.
LFHS, seeded first in the Antioch Community High School (ACHS) Sectional and now 14-1 in its last 15 games, was scheduled to face eighth-seeded ACHS in an IHSA first-round state playoff game on May 26.
PRIMED FOR PLAYOFFS
Look for tough loss to Lake Forest High School to fuel New Trier Township High School’s boys’ lacrosse team in the postseason.
Another Lake Forest High School (LFHS) vs. New Trier Township High School (New Trier) boys’ lacrosse clash, another low-scoring affair.
For the third season in a row, neither of the state’s highly regarded programs scored more than six goals in the matchup. Visiting LFHS—the reigning Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state champion—overcame a 3-0 deficit and earned a 5-3 victory in the latest meeting on May 22, avenging a 6-3 loss to the Trevians last fall.
LFHS topped New Trier 4-2 in 2023.
“What a battle—two really good defenses,” said New Trier coach Adam Dickson last week at Robert Naughton Field in Northfield. “You’d think, with all the transitions tonight, we’d be talking about an 11-10 final, not a 5-3 one.”
New Trier (14-5) got off to an auspicious start, needing only a quarter and a half to tally the game’s first three goals and delight the program’s Alumni and Youth Lacrosse Night crowd.
Sophomore middie Jake Carrasquillo
scored off a feed from senior attack Shea Kreisa at the 6:33 mark of the first quarter and freshman middie Ben Sullivan doubled the lead a little more than five minutes later.
New Trier senior attack Trevor Martay—who’d recently scored his 100th career goal—made it 3-0 at 7:14 of the second quarter after collecting a lengthy pass from sophomore long stick middie Alex Finlayson and whipping a shot past Scouts junior goalkeeper Thomas Walsh (seven saves).
“Up 3-0, we were confident,” said Trevians senior keeper Graham Stuart (10 saves).
“We’re confident no matter the score because we have a lot of talent.
“Tough loss,” he added.
LFHS (18-2) scored twice in each of the second and third quarters and completed its run of five unanswered goals at 4:31 of the fourth frame.
“Lake Forest,” Dickson said, “chipped away at our lead.”
“We have to get after it,” said New Trier senior defender Ian Schnizlein. “We’re a young team and we’re a very good team,
with an outstanding keeper. We like getting experience in big games, and this was one of those.
“We needed to be more calm and collected on clears than we were tonight.”
Long stick middies Nolan Naggatz, a junior, and Finn Degroot, a senior, provided strong efforts on defense, with each causing a second-half turnover that enlivened the home fans.
But LFHS essentially took control after tying it at 3 and maintained its run of play via lengthy possessions after intermission.
Seeded first in the IHSA New Trier Sectional, the Trevians were scheduled to host eighth-seeded Notre Dame College Prep for their playoff opener on May 26.
A-ONE AARON: New Trier junior middie and faceoff standout Aaron Pressman has committed to play Division I men’s lacrosse at the University of Denver. The starting faceoff man on varsity since his freshman season, Pressman holds the program’s singleseason record for ground balls with 165, set last spring. He’ll likely surpass that mark in
the playoff opener, per Dickson.
HANS HALF GOOD: New Trier senior attack Hans Huber poured in six goals in the Trevians’ 12-2 defeat of Lane Tech College Prep High School on their Senior Day May 17, giving him 34 goals to go with 29 assists this spring and 127 career points (combination of goals and assists). Ahead of New Trier’s projected lengthy playoff run, Dickson noted Huber has an excellent chance to make the program’s Top 10 lists for points in a season and assists in season.
Trevor Martay
Q & A with Highland Park High School senior tennis ace BLAKE GOLD
Highland Park High School (HPHS) senior Blake Gold has his gold thanks to teaming up with Evan Glebov (HPHS, Class of 2024) to win the Illinois High School Association boys’ tennis state doubles title two years ago.
He’ll be on his own at his final state tourney this weekend, having qualified for a singles berth at the New Trier Township High School (New Trier) Sectional on May 23.
“Blake has transitioned well to singles, which is not surprising given the number of tournaments he plays in the offseason, and he doesn’t have to prove a thing to anybody—he’s a state champion,” says HPHS coach John Whitehead. “He’s low-key and laid-back when he competes, so much so that you almost have to check to make sure he has a pulse.
“And, because of how even-keeled he is, you never know if he’s up 5-0 or down 5-0 in a set. That’s an amazing quality to have in a competitive setting.”
Gold, who plans to major in business but not play Division I tennis at the University of Illinois, captured the No. 1 singles championship at the Central Suburban League South Tournament on May 17, skipping to a 6-1, 6-0 triumph in the flight’s final to help HPHS win the six-team event.
Four other Giants entrants also finished first: Max Radom (No. 2 singles); Drew Rosenfeld/Jarrod Cohen (No. 1 doubles); Jack Gordon/Raenier Ampon (No. 2 doubles); Dylan Seiffer/Myles Wexler (No. 3 doubles); and Remy Drexler/Charlie Stone (No. 4 doubles).
Gold’s father, Larry, hit tennis balls for New Trier teams once upon a time. Blake Gold, while standing outside a court at New Trier’s Northfield campus between his sectional matches last weekend, didn’t need his racket to handle a scribbler’s verbal volleys.
Who wins this year’s French Open? (Carlos) Alcarez, because he plays with so much energy and he’s overpowering.
You get to “borrow” a part of someone’s tennis game for a match. That part?
Nick Kyrgios’ serve. It’s massive.
What food tastes the best after a significant win?
Jersey Mike’s ham and cheese on wheat bread. I order it all the time.
Who is the most underrated Giant on your team?
Remy Drexler. I watched him play doubles at last weekend’s conference tournament. He put many shots away.
Is there a high school tennis player who makes you stop and watch?
Okay if I say my former doubles partner (Evan Glebov)? So steady. Evan never missed a backhand.
You have a match point in a huge match. How would you love to win the point?
I’m at the net, a shot goes over my head, I chase it down at the baseline, and then hit a winner off a tweener (with his back to the opponent) to the side. I do practice that shot.
Any memories of your first varsity match as a freshman in 2022?
Singles (No. 1) match against Stevenson. Our match was the last to finish, with everybody watching. I’m pretty sure a tiebreaker decided it (in Gold’s favor).
Your quick thoughts on the state meet?
It’ll be the last time I ever play competitive tennis. I won’t feel any pressure.
#HASHTAG
EDITED BY REDDING WORTH ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL
#ON MY NIGHTSTAND
Knitting needles. I love making things. I feel like the best gifts are ones that are created rather than bought. The last book I read is James by Percival Everett. It’s a really interesting retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim.
#ON
MY MOBILE
I send lots of Instagram reels about healthy habits (cue irony) and parental advice to my kids. I’m pretty sure they never watch any of them, but they should! At a minimum many are quite hilarious. Who are these parents with so much time on their hands to make videos?
#IN MY EARBUDS
I love making playlists on Spotify. I mix up all the songs that I have loved over the years, from childhood to college to whatever caught my ear last week. The last few songs up—“Radioactive” by Kings of Leon, “These Days in an Open Book” by Nanci Griffith, and “Exile” by Taylor Swift and Bon Iver.
Glencoe’s KARRI ROSENTHAL has spent her life in search of the next great story. As a young child, she spent summers at her grandparents’ house in Wichita listening in rapt attention as they laughed, reminisced, and shared tales of everyday life. She took this interest to college, studying children’s theater and anthropology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and continued down the storytelling path by earning her master’s in poetry from Indiana University. She spent years in marketing in New York (telling business stories), and last year her podcast Held—which she wrote, produced, and edited—shot to the top 25 of Apple’s Top Documentary Podcasts Chart. That experience inspired her latest venture, Memories in the Present: Video Interviews to Document Life, a business devoted to capturing families’ stories for posterity. Everyone has a profound tale to tell, and the company exists to draw these stories out, preserve them to enjoy and learn from.
T igre de Tartán’s renegade designs are setting the mahjong gaming world on its ear. The company’s name says everything about its designs: wild, playful, a bit rebellious but with tradition, structure, and heritage still embodied in its creative DNA.
“I’ve always been drawn to beautiful, intentional things that combine art with everyday life in unexpected pairings,” says Tigre de Tartán’s founder Sunny Esler, “like putting fine art on a mahjong mat. So, the company name is a little wink to that blend—a nod to mixing boldness with classic design. And I wanted it to be in Spanish,” she adds, “because I am of Mexican descent.”
Tigre de Tartán’s first mahjong mats launched just last year and quickly vaulted the company into North Shore awareness, partly because Esler’s prints are designed collaboratively with a cadre of talented women. “I work with a small but mighty circle of independent female artists,” she explains, “mostly illustrators and textile designers—many of whom have done work for big brands like Lilly Pulitzer, Goyard, IKEA, and American Express.”
“What I really love is that each designer brings a sense of soul and individuality to everything they create with me,” adds Esler. “These aren’t just anonymous designs—they’re pieces of someone’s story. Our relationship is rooted in respect and collaboration. I treat my designers as true creative partners, not just vendors.”
To finalize each new print design, “we talk through concepts, color stories, even emotional tones,” Esler explains. “Sometimes I’ll bring a designer a spark of an idea (and a really terrible sketch), and they’ll run with it. Other times, a designer’s existing body of artwork inspires me to build an entire product around it. We work in layers—back and forth—until it feels like something only Tigre de Tartán could make. I love giving artists space to shine, and I think customers can feel that. It’s not mass-produced or generic—it’s personal. And it’s one of the most joyful parts of what I do.”
But why mahjong? Esler didn’t grow up around the game but fell in love with it in 2023 after a friend invited her to a lesson at the Women’s Athletic Club in Chicago.
“I had heard that mahjong was enjoying a renaissance with younger women,” says Esler, “but beyond that and hearing that it was supposedly a fun, beautiful, and addictive game, I walked into the lesson knowing nothing. Mahjong turned out to be so much more layered and complicated than I expected. It felt like learning a whole new language. I was immediately hooked.”
Interestingly, Esler thinks her “outsider’s eye” allowed her to view the design aspect of the game with a fresh perspective, seeing new possibilities. “I noticed right away that the materials didn’t quite match the magic of the game,” she recalls. “The mats were either overly flashy or completely utilitarian and the tiles were often inconsistent. I kept thinking, ‘This deserves better.’”
With that spark as impetus and her degree in design from DePaul as background, Esler took the prints she had been designing as cinchable liners for tote bags and started putting them on mahjong mats. “I didn’t just want to play the game,” she says. “I wanted to reimagine the whole experience through the lens of an artist. To make it tactile, beautiful, and personal.”
After introducing just one design in March 2024, Esler quickly realized there was room to grow. She began releasing new mat patterns every few months—some bold and colorful, others more neutral and textural. Then came the accessories: monogrammable Nappa leather tile bags, slouchy jumbo totes, tile racks, and pushers—even tournamentstyle tile sets. “I wanted everything to feel cohesive, like a curated tabletop experience rather than a hodgepodge of random gear,”
laborating with local artist Martha Nippert on a print with a Gilson Beach motif. “It will have all of the North Shore signifiers,” says Esler. “Loyola sweatshirts tossed over beach chairs … copies of Sheridan Road magazine on the beach blanket … even an empty can of Green River in the sand,” Esler smiles. And for the winter holidays, Esler is working with Lilly Pulitzer designer Paige Spearin on a print with a New York City theme that will run across all Tigre de Tartán product categories, including a mahjong
Esler explains.
Tigre de Tartán now offers a dozen core mat designs, plus limited editions, and custom options throughout the year. But while the Tigre de Tartán’s mahjong collection is currently the company’s most popular category, “the brand is so much more than that!” Esler enthuses. Esler draws from over 100 designs in the print library to make everything from baseball caps, dinner plates, and cocktail napkins to bridge playing cards, with new prints still coming. Recently, Esler launched Tigre de Tartán’s first-ever round mahjong mat, designed in colors matching the game room Liz Sherwood of White Couch Design did for this year’s Lake Forest Showhouse. A percentage of proceeds from that mat’s sale through the Tigre de Tartán website will benefit the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago.
set with elements from Bemelmans Bar. In sum? “I like to say we’re here for the people who appreciate beauty but don’t take themselves too seriously,” says Esler. “Classic, a little cheeky, and always art-driven.”
For summer release, Esler is currently col-
For more information, please visit tigredetartan.com.
MAHJ, BABY! From PG 1
BY MONICA KASS ROGERS
THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
An assortment of products with the Strawberry design
Tigre de Tartán’s Satin Project Bag on Mahjong Gaming Mat, Chinoiserie Bleu
An assortment of Tigre de Tartán’s Mahjong mats
A SORT OF HOMECOMING
We talk to Adam Duritz, frontman for the Counting Crows, who return to Ravinia on June
BY TRICIA DESPRES THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz will never forget his first time.
“I remember walking out there and thinking, ‘oh my God, this place goes on forever,” Duritz says of his introductory visit to Ravinia back in 2010. “It's a beautiful place and of course, I have always loved playing in Chicago.”
Certainly, the Chicago roots are strong for Duritz, as his mom Linda began attending Chicago Medical School in North Chicago when he was just a teen. And since then, the Windy City has served as a homebase of sorts not only for the Counting Crows, but also for the band’s most loyal of fans that currently find themselves devouring the entirety of the iconic band’s new album Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!
“This was by far the fastest we've ever made a record,” Duritz says of the critically acclaimed new album, which serves as the Counting Crows’ first collection of new songs in nearly five years. “The crazy part though is that it took longer than any record on actual time it took to be released.”
And the reasons behind that were many. But at the moment, Duritz can only think of one.
“It's stupidity,” Duritz laughs during an interview with The North Shore Weekend from his New York home. “I sat around for two years on a bunch of songs that are great, because I wasn't sure if they were great. It was the first time I've ever really lost my confidence. The lack of confidence actually blindsided it me a bit. I've never really had to rewrite and go back and work on songs like I did for this album.”
But when Duritz did muster up the confidence to send the beginnings of the songs that would ultimately make up Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets! to the fellow members of the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated rock band that he has fronted since 1993, he was surprised by their reaction.
“At first, I was embarrassed to send these songs to the band, and I think part of the problem was I couldn't play them. I knew what I wanted them to feel like in my head, but they're a little beyond my ability to play them,” remembers Duritz. “But when I finally did (send them to the band,) they flipped out. Everyone was like, ‘what are you talking about…these are fu**ing great. Let's go to the studio.’ A week and a half later, the album was recorded.”
The legendary artist draws in a deep breath.
“You go through things in life sometimes,” Duritz says quietly. “You change and you think about things differently. And every once in a while, you get hit by doubt.”
But those doubts are now far behind him, and there really is no doubt that the groundbreaking songs off Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets! such as its lead single “Spaceman in Tulsa” will ultimately make it to the setlist for Counting Crows’ headlining show at Ravinia on June 13.
Fans will also flock to the lavish Ravinia grounds to hear the songs that Counting Crows has built a career on, including "Mr.
13 with a new album.
Jones," "Round Here," and "Accidentally in Love.”
“These songs were always written to be timeless,” says Duritz, whose iconic band is more than deserving of a membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the years ahead. “We were never chasing what everybody's doing right now, trying to make a sound like this or that. We were just doing our own thing. I don't think ‘round here’ sounds like anything else really. I don't think it did then, and I don't think it does now.”
For ticket information, visit ravinia.org.
THUNDERBOLTS
Marvel’s misfit Avengers try to punch through the ennui in this new addition to its cinematic universe.
BY FELIX MCMILLAN, MAN ABOUT FILM ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL
VERDICT: A slightly moodier patch in Marvel’s cinematic quilt—watchable, intermittently engaging, but unlikely to alter the MCU’s gravitational pull.
There was a time when assembling a super-team meant something. Gravitas, grandeur, the odd Shakespearean soliloquy. But in Thunderbolts, Marvel’s latest entry into the ever-expanding spandex multiverse, we get a government-sanctioned band of emotional strays, trauma cases, and semi-reformed assassins brought together ton ... well, it’s not entirely clear what for, but there are explosions.
Directed by Jake Schreier (a name that suggests subtle indie sensibilities, which the film promptly ignores), Thunderbolts is pitched as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) answer to The Dirty Dozen—if half the dozen were under contract for three sequels and couldn’t die even if they tried. Florence Pugh returns as Yelena, still the only character in the MCU with both a believable backstory and comic timing. She does what she can with dialogue that sounds like it was punched up by a team of brand strategists. Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, mean-
while, sulks with weary contractual obligation, delivering lines like a man who’s seen it all and wished he hadn’t. Wyatt Russell’s U.S. Agent broods, David Harbour’s Red Guardian grumbles, and everyone else takes turns reminding the audience how morally grey they are, in case the dark color palette hadn’t done the job already.
There are moments—fleeting, flickering ones—where the film gestures toward real narrative ambition. Themes of redemption, manipulation, and the ethics of state-run heroism flicker at the edges. But, as with so many Marvel offerings of late, the ideas are background noise to the foreground din of collapsing buildings and ominous mid-credit teases.
Tonally, it’s all a bit like trying to host a therapy session during a fireworks show. Emotional depth is mentioned, even mimed, but never fully felt. The action is solid, the banter is serviceable, and the stakes are ... fine. Just fine.
Over 100,000 Readers Weekly
HISTORIC HISTORIC HOUSEWALK HOUSEWALK
“Timeless Wilmette: Four Homes, Four Styles, Countless Stories”
Join us for the highly anticipated return of the 2025 Historic Housewalk and explore the stories, architecture, and charm of four unique Wilmette homes, each reflecting a different chapter of our Village’s past.
ART IN THE VILLAGE
A popular North Shore Art League juried fine art fair returns to Hubbard Woods for a celebration of community, creativity, and culture. SUNDAY JUNE 29 2025 1 - 4 PM
Hubbard Woods Park in Winnetka will be transformed into an open-air gallery next month as the North Shore Art League (NSAL) hosts its 12th annual Art in the Village juried fine art fair showcasing artists from across the country. Taking place Saturday, June 21, and Sunday, June 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., this boutique event promises a weekend of inspiration in the heart of the charming Hubbard Woods Design District.
Set against a backdrop of shaded green space and surrounded by local shops and cafés, Art in the Village will feature over 70 booths filled with original works—ranging from oil paintings and photography to sculpture, mixed media, and contemporary crafts. A special highlight this year is live portrait painting by NSAL faculty artist Lisa DePinto, who will offer quick oil portraits onsite both days.
Adding to the festive spirit, the event will include a silent auction of select artworks generously donated by exhibiting
artists, as well as a community raffle with prizes from local businesses. Proceeds support NSAL’s mission to enrich the human spirit through art education and exhibitions—a mission they’ve carried forward for over a century.
Founded in 1924, the North Shore Art League is headquartered on the second floor of Winnetka’s historic Community House. Classes take place in a skylit studio designed in 1932 to capture the elusive North Light.
With offerings spanning traditional and contemporary techniques—oil painting, watercolor, mixed media, printmaking, and more—NSAL remains a vibrant force in local arts. Art in the Village is made possible by lead sponsor Byline Bank, along with the Village of Winnetka, the Park District, and the Hubbard Woods Design District.
For details or to donate, visit northshoreartleague.org or call 847-446-2870.
Special thank you to this year’s sponsors:
de Giulio
HOUSE-MARINATED ARTICHOKE HEARTS WITH HOT + MELTY CHEESE DIP
BY MONICA KASS ROGERS FOOD EDITOR THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
Artichokes amaze. They look almost prehistoric with their tough green skins, prickly heads and spiky stalks, and yet their flavor is so mild and earthy. More than once, I’ve imagined standing in a flowering field of them, nose level to purple blossoms that stretch as far as the eye can see. But that’s pure fantasy, because although artichokes are actually flowers in the thistle family, we harvest and eat them before they bloom, benefitting from antioxidant levels that make them a superfood. Next to beans, the USDA has ranked artichokes as the number one vegetable in antioxidant count, with close to 8,000 total antioxidants per cup. Artichokes are also low in calories, and high in fiber, vitamins C and K, potassium and magnesium.
After learning that the commercial preservation techniques used to make marinated artichokes shelf stable for stores can diminish some of these health benefits, I started poaching and marinating them from fresh at home. The process takes a bit of time, but this recipe, adapted from chef Amanda Freitag, yields beautifully tender, not-too-pickle-y results. The finished marinated heart pieces taste delicious added to salads, pasta dishes and pizzas. And we especially love them in our hot and melty cheese dip, also included here.
YIELD: 1 QUART MARINATED ARTICHOKE HEART PIECES; DIP RECIPE SERVES 8 INGREDIENTS
FOR THE MARINATED ARTICHOKES
• 6 lemons, washed well and halved
• 8 large fresh artichokes
• 3 Tbsp kosher salt
• 2 whole heads garlic, halved through the center of the cloves
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 1 bunch fresh tarragon
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 cups olive oil plus 2 Tbsp.
FOR THE HOT & MELTY ARTICHOKE CHEESE DIP
• 1 ½ cups marinated artichoke hearts from recipe above
• 1 cup medium-grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 2 cups coarsely grated Jarlsberg Light cheese
• ½ cup avocado mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp white wine
• 1 ½ Tbsp Grey Poupon
METHOD
CLEAN AND TRIM: Fill a large enameled Dutch oven with cold water and the juice from three of the lemons. Place this on your work surface. Using a very sharp knife and great care, trim off and discard the top 1 ½-inch of each artichoke. Chop off the bottom of the stem and pull off and discard the bottom leaves. You will now have a flat top on each artichoke with the center purple “choke” exposed. Snip off the spikes at the tip of each leaf making the artichokes easier to handle. Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise from top to stem. Cut each half into quarters, and then into eighths. Under cold running water, dig out the feathery “choke” from the center of each piece, rinsing well until all the feathery bits and some of the loose purple spikey petals have rinsed away. Flip each piece over and trim off the leaves until you are left with the white artichoke heart with just a bit of remaining purple petal at the top. Immediately place each in the pot of lemon water. Continue until you have placed all of the artichoke heart pieces into the lemon water.
POACH: Add enough water to ensure the artichokes are covered. Add the 3 Tbsp of kosher salt. Place Dutch oven over medium heat and simmer for 20 minutes until hearts are quite tender. Pour contents of pot into a colander to strain off water. Cool. Slice tender hearts into equally sized wedges and place into a large bowl. Set aside.
PREPARE MARINADE: Return Dutch oven back on stove top. Add 2 Tbsp of the olive oil to the pot. Turn heat to medium-low. Place halved garlic heads in the pot, cut side down, and cook until seared to a golden brown, about 4 minutes. Squeeze the juice from the remaining three lemons into the pot and add the squeezed lemons. Add the wine and the herbs. Increase heat to high and boil until liquid has reduced by half; about five minutes. Add the remaining three cups of olive oil to the marinade and bring back to a boil. Turn off heat. Pour hot marinade, lemons and garlic over the artichokes in the large bowl. Transfer to canning jars or an airtight container. Once cooled for an hour, refrigerate. Marinated artichoke hearts will keep in the fridge for 10 days.
MAKE THE DIP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend mayo with white wine and Dijon mustard. Set aside. In an ovenable small casserole dish, combine cheeses with artichoke heart pieces. Stir in mayo/wine/mustard mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until browned at the edges and hot and bubbly. Serve hot with toast points or crackers.
SHERIDAN ROAD SUMMER
An elegant, citrusy refresher for those long golden afternoons by water.
Ingredients
• 2 oz Aperol (or substitute with blood orange liqueur for extra depth)
• 1 oz bourbon or dry vermouth (optional, for a kick)
• 3 oz chilled black tea (strong and unsweetened)
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz simple syrup (adjust to taste)
• Garnish: lemon wedges, rosemary sprig, and plenty of ice
TASTING NOTES:
Method
• Fill a tall glass with ice and a few lemon wedges.
• In a shaker, combine Aperol, tea, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Add bourbon if you’re feeling bold.
• Shake gently and pour over the ice.
• Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a thin lemon wheel for style.
• Sip slowly. Repeat socially
Bittersweet and herbal with bright citrus notes, this drink is as stylish and laid back as a convertible cruising past lakefront mansions. Slightly bitter, quietly complex—just like your favorite neighbor.
PERFECT PAIRING:
Grilled shrimp, linen pants, and a sunset over Wilmette Harbor.
BRAIN SURGEON’S STORY HAS HEART
Born in Colombia with the drive to succeed in the field of neurology, Dr. Juan Alzate came to the United States 25 years ago and found both a mentor and love in New York.
BY BILL MCLEAN
ILLUSTRATION BY BARRY BLITT
Juan Alzate was 19 and attending medical school in his native Columbia when he discovered the cure-all for his boredom one Friday night.
Head to the hospital.
“I didn’t have much money and I had no social life,” recalls a smiling Alzate, now Dr. Juan Alzate, a Glencoe resident and boardcertified neurosurgeon with Advocate Medical Group. “High school graduates in Columbia, unlike those in the United States, don’t spend four years at a college before going to a graduate school. While in medical school at a young age, I wanted to observe and help out in any way possible at the hospital.
“Long hours there on the weekends excited me.”
Alzate’s journey from violence-ridden Columbia to idyllic Glencoe featured his pivotal email to “larger than life” pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Fred Epstein, the completion of a six-year residency in New York (after his five-year residency in Columbia), and the courtship in the Big Apple with his future wife, Robyn Tavel, a Canadian and serial philanthropist.
“Luck was involved,” insists the 59-yearold Alzate, the seventh of his parents’ eight children and the first among his siblings to complete high school and graduate from college (Universidad Del Valle Medical School). “But my parents told me there are ways to be prepared for luck. You work hard, you beat the odds when you go against them.”
Alzate read Dr. Epstein’s first book, Gifts of Time (1993), in Columbia and was mesmerized in no time. The book details Epstein’s pioneering work in developing treatment techniques for brain and nervous system disorders.
“I chose neurology because it’s complicated,” says Alzate, who arrived in the United
States from Buga, Columbia in 2000 and, one year later, earned a fel lowship before the start of his training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
“I like complicated. I like complex.”
He’s had a career-long interest in minimally invasive spine surgery and complex and minimally invasive endoscopic cranial-base surgery.
According to his online bio at advocatehealth.com, Dr. Alzate’s desire to improve minimally invasive instrumentation and applied neurosurgical techniques that dramatically alter patient outcomes led him to transfer to the
my heroes in medicine,” Alzate says”—and then hope for the opportunity to conduct research with him and work with him in the operating
Hope turned into a meeting with Epstein. An interview followed. So did a fellowship.
“What a wonderful man, what a wonderful doctor,” says Alzate of Epstein, who died from melanoma at the age of 68 in 2006, five years after suffering severe brain damage in a bicycle accident and being in a coma for 26 days. “You should have seen his bedside manner, the hours he’d spend talking with his patients and their families and making sure they understood
something like, ‘Here is what you have. Now, what else do you want to know? Need to know?’ I don’t sugarcoat anything. To me, the patient is the center, always the center. I’ve performed thousands (more than 6,000) of surgeries (brain and spine), and do you know what the most important one to me is?
“The surgery that day,” he answers.
Alzate and Tavel got married in 2003 and welcomed their first child, Zoey (now 17), in New York. Alzate had heard the best environment to raise a family is in the Midwest. Hello, Glencoe.
It has been home for 17 years.
The couple’s second child is Lexi, 15.
For years Alzate worked at the American Center for Spine & Neurosurgery. The center joined Advocate Health Care in late March. Alzate now splits his time between Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville and Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington.
“Advocate Health is a great health system,” he says, adding it’s the largest health system in Illinois and the fourth largest in the U.S. “I care about what we’re doing and what we're able to provide in Lake County. We do a large number of complex surgeries at Condell, which has the only Level 1 trauma center in the area.”
Alzate converted to Judaism in 2012 and attends weekly Torah study sessions. He and his wife are active with the Jewish Community Center, and Robyn has served regularly for the Jewish United Fund and a host of other organizations that change lives for the better.
United States.
A research stint in Washington, D.C., preceded his move to NYC.
One day, figuring he had nothing to lose, he chose to cold-email (cold-call’s delicate cousin) the warm Epstein—“One of
the scenarios.”
Alzate’s bedside manner?
Different compared to Epstein’s, but it also has its reassuring elements.
“I find simple is what people appreciate,” Alzate says. “I’ll show them film. I’ll tell them
Cheyanne Lencioni, Bill McLean, Felix McMillan, Wolfgang Phillip
The good doctor—a much better-thangood handball and water polo player throughout his adolescence in Columbia—is a board member of Amiti, an Israel- and Chicago-based venture capital fund that identifies transformational shifts in deep technologies.
“Everybody has the need in themselves to help others,” Alzate says.
Michelle Crowe, Erin Donaldson, Dustin O'Regan, Kemmie Ryan, Megan Weisberg
FOOD
Monica Kass Rogers
Juan Alzate, M.D.
