Smart Living Weekly May 23, 2018

Smart L iving Weekly Your Better Quality of Life Magazine • Rockford Region/Beloit 95¢ • May 23, 2018

™

Right in Our Region

25th Garden Fair at Klehm Arboretum

See Page 16

Before You Buy a Car: What to Know How to Stay in Your Home Longer Hybrid Dining at Capital House Tons of Upcoming Fun Events!

FREE WIN!

2 Passes to Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens

Pg. 28 Details

Best of Life Information for Our Region’s Residents & Visitors Proudly Serving the Needs of 326,000 Neighbors - For Your Home, Health & Fun!

Smart Living Weekly

Issue 1

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In This Issue Right in Our Region ........................Cover & p. 16 Klehm Garden Fair Turns 25 Years Old Your Money ................................................ ..... 11 Before You Buy a Car: Things to Know Inspiration & Worship ......................................12 Our Creed

SATURDAY 9 - 5 | SUNDAY 9 - 4 100 VENDORS LIVE MUSIC LOTSA FOOD BEER TENT FREE PARKING SHUTTLE SERVICE

Presented by

$8 Admission (good both days)

Members and Children 12 and under are free!

Advance tickets available at Klehm, local garden centers, and florists.

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Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden PRESENTED BY See klehm.org/gardenfair2018 for complete list.

2715 S. Main St. | 815-965-8146 965 8146 | klehm.org

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden

2715 S. Main St. | Rockford, IL | 61102 klehm.org | 815-965-8146

Your Health .................................................. .... 23 How to Stay in Your Home Longer Your Fun ................................................... ......... 25 Restaurant of the Week ................................... 26 Capital House Dining Locally .......................................... ........ 26

Smart L iving Weekly ™

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Bill Hughes

Executive Editor/Web Editor Chris Linden Managing Editor Lindsey Gapen Assistant Managing Editor Jermaine Pigee Editor Emeritus Janine Pumilia Graphics Director Blake Nunes Graphic Designer Samantha Behling Contributing Writer Peggy Werner, Paula Kalivoda Furniss General Sales Manager Brent Hughes Sales Manager Brad Hughes Advertising Sales Representatives Brian Hughes, Jeremy Jones, Nita Lasky, Kendra Green Administration & Circulation Manager Lisa Hughes Website www.SmartLivingWeekly.com Published by Hughes Media Corp.

222 Seventh St., Rockford, IL, 61104 (815) 316-2300, Fax: (815) 316-2301 lhughes@northwestquarterly.com Smart Living Weekly.

Copyright 2018 by Hughes Media Corp., 222 Seventh St., Rockford, IL, 61104. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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Be Happier S

ummer Solstice isn’t until June 21, but warm weather sights and sounds are waking up and stretching like kittens after a long nap. Here are a few favorites.

• Dinner on the Docks has resumed each Thursday night at Prairie Street Brewhouse with live music, tasty fare and house-made brews. We all need a “town square” in which to gather and this is one of our best. A man named Jonathan Peacock first brewed beer here in 1849 – and set a good thing into motion.

Wouldn’t he be surprised to see it today?!

• The Tuesday Evening in the Gardens music series at Anderson Japanese Gardens begins next week with major fan favorite Miles Nielsen. (I had breakfast with a friend there last week and don’t know what was better – the explosion of blooming azaleas or the pulled pork breakfast tacos now on the menu. Yum.) Bring your picnic basket or buy food on site.

• Rockford City Market is back each Friday night, 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. in our downtown.

Live music, local food, street shopping … it’s a wonderful thing, as are the farmers markets throughout our region. Find a list at gorockford.com.

• I felt really proud of Midway Village Museum last Saturday, during Urban Farmgirl’s Main Street Market, as I showed off the Victorian Village to my niece, Hannah, who’d never seen it. She was amazed. There are too many events at Midway Village to list here, but you don’t need a special reason to visit or take a guided tour of the village.

• The Klehm Garden Fair at Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden is a personal favorite event of mine and is coming up June 2 & 3, as our cover story explains. The rare collection of trees on Klehm’s grounds, planted by William Lincoln Taylor around 1910, is serenely beautiful. Learn more in our cover article on p. 16.

• I’ve run out of space before expounding on Starlight Theater and other wonders of our region, but you get the point. We have a lot of great assets, but they don’t do us much good if we don’t go enjoy them.

Research shows that we’re happier when we get outside and spend time with people in our community. It’s easy to do in our region and that’s smart living! ❚ Janine Pumilia SLW Editor

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Y M

Don’t Be Impulsive When Car Shopping

By Peggy Werner

N

ot many things stir the soul like a brand new car, but the euphoria may quickly vanish if you don’t do your homework, says Matt Lynch, director of marketing for MembersAlliance Credit Union, 2550 S. Alpine Road.

It’s easy to become impulsive when buying a car, but don’t do it, he warns.

“Know what you want to pay, the type of vehicle you want, what features are important to you, and don’t be pressured into something you can’t afford or don’t want. If you’ve done your research and don’t overspend, you’ll likely have more equity built up when it comes time to get another car.”

When purchasing a vehicle, do some online research for ownership history and recalls. Get pre-approved by a lender, inspect the car and give it a test drive. Some people like to have a mechanic go with them to the car lot before making a pur-

chase. You should also consider additional protection like Guaranteed Asset Protection insurance (GAP), debt protection plans, and extended warranties, which are available through dealerships or lenders for both new and used vehicles.

GAP insurance is a valuable protection to have when financing 100 percent or more of the car’s value. The insurance is especially worthwhile if the vehicle is worth less than the loan amount. If the car is totaled an accident, GAP will cover the difference or gap between what the vehicle is worth and what is owed.

“The insurance is fairly inexpensive and yet it offers a lot to the buyer,” says Lynch. Some GAP policies, like at MembersAlliance, even have ADR (Auto Deductible Reimbursement) built in that will reimburse you for up to $500 in deductibles per occurrence, should a car need repairs following an accident, with no limit to the number of claims.

Debt protection may be another valuable add-on to help protect your investment and credit rating by covering loan payments if one of the borrowers dies or becomes disabled.

Learn more at membersalliance.org or any MembersAlliance location, 2550 S. Alpine Road, 6951 Olde Creek Road and inside the Wal-Mart Supercenters on West Riverside and Walton Street, as well as the Rockton Road Wal-Mart in Rockton. MembersAlliance has loan officers at all locations. There’s also an online application center for preapprovals. ❚

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I  W

Our Creed U

nlike most countries, where identity is based upon shared ancestry, our identity as citizens is based upon shared ideals.

We hold a set of beliefs in common – our creed – and it stands independent from any one person.

Our U.S. creed is the Constitution. It, with the rule of law it enables, provides parameters to individuals and government alike. As citizens, we’re expected to know our basic rights and obligations. Ignorance isn’t a legitimate defense for not paying taxes or driving without a license.

Christians are defined by creed, too.

Blood meant everything to Old Testament Israel, but Christ replaced that model with something greater when he invited people of all bloodlines into his family.

Instead of a Constitution, we Christians accept the Bible as our spiritual authority. It tells us what Jesus said and did on earth, how God expects us to behave and what privileges we enjoy as His family members. To ignore the Bible is to ignore God. If we rely solely upon people to explain scripture to us, they may mislead us, intentionally or not.

Jesus was very clear in his expectation that we know scripture and make it our life’s compass, just as he did by example. He quoted it to the devil (Matthew 4) and to his followers alike. And he reprimaded corrupt religious leaders of his day for failing to know and follow it.

Jesus replied: “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29) Many of us are quick to wear the outward badge of “Christian” but slow to conform our thoughts to God’s. We need the words of Jesus (the four Gospels and Acts) and the wisdom of early Christians (Acts through Jude) to understand who we are in Christ from God’s point of view, the only one that counts.

Christians who don’t read the Bible are like Cub fans who’ve never watched a baseball game. What’s the point? …if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding – indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

– Janine Pumilia Proverbs 2:1-6 ❚ 12

Smart Living Weekly

May 23

Memorial Day Weekend 2018

Loves Park City Hall Festival Grounds • 100 Heart Boulevard buttons are $12.00 at the gate or purchase in advance for $8.00 KIDS 6 and under are FREE when accompanied by an adult Sold at Loves Park City Hall,and other select locations IN MACHESNEY AND LOVES PARK button good for all four days • All shows are included with admission

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R  O R

Garden Fair Fun at Klehm Arboretum

By Peggy Werner

T

he 25th annual Garden Fair Weekend at Klehm Arboretum continues to grow each year, thanks to the tender loving care of hundreds of volunteers, gardeners and others who appreciate and want to nurture the earth’s beauty.

Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, the event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 2; and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 3 at the arboretum, 2715 S. Main St. Plants and related items will be sold inside the Visitor’s Center, at the Garden Pavilion and throughout the grounds. Water, soft drinks and ice cream will be available at a “cooling station” inside the air-conditioned Clarcor Pavilion.

Visitors are encouraged to stroll the gardens and paths throughout the 155-acre arboretum.

This year’s fair will include an expanded food court located at the Fountain

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Garden, with a large tent for seating. Cantina Tacos, Pappa’s Dog House, Nothing Bundt Cake, Veebo’s Woodfire Pizza, Zamutto’s, Hey Brothers Ice Cream, Lulu’s Corn, Happy Stix and Wee-Be-Poppin Kettle Corn will offer a variety of food options, along with beer and wine from Prairie Street Brewing Company.

More than 100 vendors selling annuals and perennials, trees and shrubs, vintage goods, garden art and repurposed items, make Garden Fair the area’s largest outdoor marketplace of its kind, says Jim Wojtowicz, Klehm’s special events coordinator.

“This is a great chance to kick off summer, visit the arboretum, purchase a discounted membership and buy things for the garden. It’s still a good time to get things planted and, after the Mother’s Day rush, it’s a chance to pick up

May 23

To advertise call 815-316-2300

additional plants at good prices,” he says.

Musical entertainment on Saturday will include That Gurl from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m and Emma Clark from 2 to 4 p.m.; and on Sunday, Secret Serenade from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Ron Holm from 1 to 3 p.m.

The event is the non-profit arboretum’s largest fundraiser. Each year, about 6,000 people enjoy spending time walking the paths and viewing 500 labeled trees, shrubs and vines. Many of the annual and perennial flowers are labeled as well, including the collection of 75 hostas, 90 daylilies and 72 varieties of peonies.

Sue Grans, formerly on Klehm’s board of directors, has volunteered for years and will be driving one of several golf carts to help people get to their cars with purchases. Pick-up stations will be

R  O R

marked, but people are encouraged to signal if they need a ride from anywhere on the grounds, she says.

Grans knows people come from all over the Rockford area and beyond to attend the Garden Fair.

“Everyone is in a good mood at the Garden Fair,” she says. “Klehm is a real jewel in our community and people enjoy seeing people they know and meeting new friends. Whether or not they’re gardeners, those in attendance love the outdoors, love looking at beautiful things

and love seeing people they know. They enjoy the good vibes of spring in northern Illinois.”

Gardeners and others at the fair are typically environmentally responsible people who care about outdoor spaces.

Rockford was the America In Bloom-winning city in 2015 and evidence of people’s love for gardening is found all around us.

“There are more public gardens in Rockford than people realize, as well as many beautiful ones at private homes,” says Wojtowicz. “Rockford has a long history of being a ‘green’ city with all its parks, forests and gardens. We have more gardeners, demonstrating their civic pride, than most cities our size.”

Renovation of the Children’s Garden, with new water features for kids, including a stream, waterfalls, splash pad, bridge and islands, began last fall and will be completed this summer.

The arboretum began with Landscape Architect William Lincoln Taylor, who established Rockford Nursery on the site in 1910. Many of the rare trees on the grounds are the result of experimental plantings by Taylor.

The Klehm family bought the nursery in 1968 and maintained the land until 1985, when it donated the nursery to the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District, with the stipulation it be maintained as an arboretum.

Garden Fair admission is $8. Children 12 and under are free. Klehm members receive free admission when they show their membership card at the gate.

A $5 discounted ticket is available, in advance, at Broadway Florist, Gensler Gardens locations, J. Carlson Growers, The Landscape Connection, Meridian Nursery, Pepper Creek Flowers & Plants, Rock Valley Garden Center, Highcrest IGA, Didier Greenhouses and Village Green locations. ❚

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Y H

Stay at Home Longer, Properly Equipped

By Peggy Werner

S

ometimes the difference between staying at home or moving to a care facility just comes down to being properly equipped.

“We try to provide everything someone would need to be able to stay in their home longer,” says Rick Hardman, manager of Rockford’s Integrated HomeCare Services. “More and more people can’t afford the rising costs of moving and there are a lot of things we can do to help them feel more comfortable and functional at home.”

He gives the example of a couple he knows who saved up $40,000 in order to move to a place more suitable for their physical needs. They found $40,000 was not enough. So instead, they purchased two stair lifts, a portable ramp, lift chairs and recliners, and other equipment that helps them to remain at home, “and they

had money left over.”

The business specializes in home medical equipment, such as sleep therapy devices and supplies, oxygen, wheelchairs, beds, walkers and other items often prescribed by a physician following a person’s hospital or rehab facility stay, or after a doctor visit.

Integrated HomeCare Services is a family-owned business that will celebrate its 30th anniversary this summer. It also opened a new store this year, at 2020 Sutler Ave. in Morgan Square, Beloit.

President Mark Hatch says Integrated has always served the Beloit area, but the new location will help meet the company’s goals for future growth in the stateline area. The Beloit location will carry most of the products available in Rockford and will employ four full-time people plus a management team. The Rockford location employs more than 30 people.

Integrated staff members are proud of their fast and personal customer service, which includes billing Medicare and insurance companies, says Hardman.

“When people come into our store, it’s because they need something and they don’t want to wait,” Hardman says. “We can get what people need the same day or next day and we will spend one-on-one time with them to demonstrate how to assemble and operate equipment.” ❚

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Diamonds, Denim & Stars WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2018 | 6 - 9 P.M. @ CORONADO THEATRE

Original players from the All American Girls Professional Baseball League will be at the event signing autographs! Megan Cavanagh, most recognized as Marla Hooch from A League of Their Own, and Kim Ng, MLB’s Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations, will also be at the event visiting with guests and signing autographs. Vintage cars and trucks will set the scene, and ballpark fare will be served at the Tailgate Party outside the theater. This event will also be the launch site of the 2018 Women’s Baseball World Cup – the first time this has taken place in the United States!

Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com, or at the Coronado Performing Arts Center (800.745.3000).

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Y F Autumn just might be the best time of year. The sun is a little lower (and prettier), the air is a little crisper (and cleaner) and the leaves cascade down in colorful splendor. This fall, spend some quality time in the fun, nearby, value-packed Rockford Region. See stunning fall colors at

Real. Original.

SM

Anderson Japanese Gardens, the finest in North America. Visit beautifully spacious Rock Cut State Park. Don’t miss Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden, with more than 500 different species of trees, shrubs and vines, all

ILLINOIS, USA

glowing in autumn’s glory. Indoors, our concert and theater season will be gaining momentum at Coronado Performing Arts Center, a beautifully restored downtown vaudeville house. Plus, our Riverfront Museum Campus will be coming alive for the whole family. Visit gorockford.com today for a full list of autumn special events, festivals, gardens, golf and more.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau NWQ_fall.indd 1

102 N. Main St.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Tourism

Attractions & Events

AE: 'The Woman in Black' Through May 27, Thu.-Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sat. 4 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. A London lawyer hires an actor to help recount a story to family and Rockford, IL 61101 1.800.521.0849 gorockford.com friends that has long troubled him. Cheek Theatre, Rockford University, Rockford, (815) 226-4100, artistsensemble.org.

9/10/07 2:07:37 PM

Klehm Garden Fair June 2 & 3, Klehm Arboretum. See cover story p. 16.

'Shrek the Musical' June 6-9 & July 11-15, Wed.-Sun. 8 p.m. & Sun. 2 p.m. The DreamWorks hit animated film comes to life. Starlight Theatre, Rock Valley College, 3301 N. Mulford Road, Rockford, (815) 921-2160, rockvalleycollege.edu.

'Hair' June 7-30, Thu.-Sat. 8 p.m. The radical musical of the ’60s tackles issues still relevant today, with hits like “Aquarius” and “Good Morning Starshine.” [Usual] Suspects, Nordlof Center, Rockford. Info: rockfordpubliclibrary.org RAM Midwestern Biennial Show June 9-Sept. 30, daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The 75th presentation of RAM’s biennial juried exhibition showcasing multimedia work by contemporary artists across the Midwest.

RAM, Rockford, (815) 968-2787, rockfordartmuseum.org.

'Jane Eyre' June 13-16 & July 18-22, Wed.-Sun. 8 p.m. & Sun. 2 p.m. A musical adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s story of the orphaned young girl living with a family who dislikes her. Starlight Theatre, RVC, Rockford, (815) 921-2160, rockvalleycollege.edu.

Klehm Woodsong: Josh Hoyer June 17, 6 p.m. Featured on “The Voice,” John Hoyer & Soul Colossal combine soul, funk and R&B for a high-energy show. Bring a picnic dinner and beverage to enjoy on the lawn of the Fountain Garden. Klehm Arboretum, 2715 S. Main St., Rockford, (815) 965-8146, klehm.org.

'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' June 20-23 & July 25-29, Wed.-Sun. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. This musical comedy features

Rockford Art Museum: Art in Bloom is June 25.

two sophisticated, suave swindlers who decide that the Riviera is not big enough for both of them; the first to extract $50,000 from a rich young heiress wins and the other must leave town. Starlight Theatre, RVC, Rockford, (815) 921-2160, rockvalleycollege.edu.

'Of Mice and Men' June 22-July 8, Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m.

The John Steinbeck classic about two drifters, George and his friend Lennie, a manchild and gentle giant, who work on a ranch until an accidental death changes everything. Pec Playhouse Theatre, Pecatonica, Ill., (815) 239-1210, pecplayhouse.org.

'Clue, The Musical!'

June 22, 23 & 29 at 7:30 p.m.; June 30 at 2 & 7:30 p.m. The world’s best-known suspects invite the audience to help solve the mystery: who killed Mr. Boddy, in what room, and with what weapon? Winneshiek Playhouse. Tickets $15. Call (815) 232-7023 or email tickets@wplay.org or visit uswinneshiekplayers.org.

Rockford Art Museum: Art in Bloom June 25, 6-8 p.m. Wine and hors d’oeuvres preview party; exhibit June 26-29, Tue. & Thu. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Wed. 3-8 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Select works of art from the Rockford Midwestern Biennial are creatively interpreted through flowers & organic material; demonstrations and programs.

RAM, Rockford, (815) 968-2787, rockfordartmuseum.org.

'Anything Goes' June 27-30 & Aug. 1-5, Wed.-Sun. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Come aboard the S.S. American for an age-old tale of boy meets girl, with plenty of Cole Porter music and laughs.

Starlight Theatre, RVC, Rockford, (815) 9212160, rockvalleycollege.edu. ❚

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WDL

Capital House: The First of its Kind

By Jermaine Pigee, assistant managing editor

C

apital House, 308 W. State St., has received its liquor license and opened its martini and wine bar. It offers full-service lunch and dinner, a coffee bar, a casual sandwiches & salads menu plus pastries and breakfast sandwiches. It will soon offer a sushi bar as well.

Capital House is owned by Robin Young of KenDev LLC. She and partner Ted Brothers have long envisioned a hybrid restaurant, meaning multiple menus working together to please a wide variety of people visiting the establishment at various times of day and night.

To see it come to life is exciting, says Brothers.

“Breakfast, lunch and coffee are for people who work down here, mostly young professionals, or people who work in the courts or federal offices,” Brothers says. “Then, at night, we see urban dwellers and those who actually live around here.”

Rockford’s first hybrid restaurant is located in the space formerly occupied by Kryptonite bar. There’s coffee available all day and fine dining dinner entrées.

Among the seafood entree items at Capital House are Alaskan king salmon filet served with lobster risotto, seared diver scallops, Alaskan King Salmon with Lobster Risotto grilled amberjack and Norwegian shrimp pasta with squid ink restaurant like this,” Brothers says. capellini.

“When you go to a big city like Chicago, Appetizer selections include New York or Los Angeles, this is what Maryland crab cakes, crisp pork belly you see in their urban areas or financial and chilled shrimp cocktail. districts.”

The lunch menu offers sandwiches, Look for outdoor dining and live salads and soups such as New England music this summer. clam chowder.

Capital House is open Mon.-Fri. 7 “Rockford has never seen a hybrid a.m.-11 p.m. and Sat. 7 a.m.- 1 p.m. ❚

In the Spotlight

Top Picks for Local Restaurants Baci’s Kitchen  Fast-Casual American and Italian specialties, Giordano’s  Casual/Italian. Stuffed pizza, salads, entrees, dine-in, carry-out. 2990 N. Perryville Road, inside A Perryville sandwiches, desserts. 33 Executive Parkway, Rockford, (815) Place. (815) 329-6922. Open 7 days/wk. at 8 a.m. BkLD. Com- 398-5700. LD Sun-Th 11am-10pm, F-Sat to 11 pm. plete menu at Baciskitchen.com.

GreenFire  Upscale-Casual/American contemporary. SeaBravo Pizza  Italian/American. 376 Prairie Hill Road, South Be- sonal cuisine; local-sourced ingredients; gourmet market; loit, Ill., (815) 624-7900. LD Sun-Th 11am-10pm, F-Sat to 11pm. $. live entertainment. 6795 E. Riverside Blvd., Rockford, (815) Capital House  Fine dining, sushi bar, gourmet coffee (martini 316-3473. BkLD M-F 11am, Sat-Sun 8am. Bar open late. $$$.

bar awaiting liquor license). 308 W. State St., Rockford, (815) 708- Hearthrock Cafe  Restaurant/cafe. Baked goods, coffee, 8989. BLD M-Th 8am-4pm, Fri. 8 am-10pm, Sat. 11am-10pm. breakfast, lunch. Inside Benson Stone Co., 1100 11th St., Closed Sunday. $-$$$.

Rockford, (815) 227-2000. BkL M-F 7:30am-3pm; Sat. 8amCiao Bella Ristorante Upscale-Casual/Italian-American. Dai- 3pm. $-$$.

ly specials. 6500 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park, Ill. (815) 654- Maciano’s Pizza & Pastaria  Casual. Pizza, Italian favor9900. LD M-F 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat. 5-10 p.m. $$ ites, beer & wine. 6746 Broadcast Pkwy., Loves Park, Ill., Costa’s Ristorante  Upscale-Casual/Italian. 133 Blackhawk (815) 633-7500; 5801 Columbia Pkwy., Rockford, (815) 2275577. LD Sun-Th 11am-10pm, F-Sat to 11pm. $$.

Dr., Byron, Ill., (815) 234-4707. LD Daily 4pm. $-$$.

Cucina di Rosa  Italian Bistro/Bakery 1620 Bell School Road, Prairie Street Brewhouse  Upscale-Casual/American. 200 Rockford, (815) 395-5040. BkLD. Homemade gelato, baked Prairie St., Rockford, (815) 277-9427. LD Sun-W 11am-10pm, Th to midnight, F-Sat to 2am. $-$$. goods, pasta, frittatas, more. M-Sat 7am-9pm. $$ Dos Reales Mexican Restaurant  Casual/Mexican. Authen- Taco Betty’s  Casual/Mexican-American. 212 E. State St., tic dishes, lunch menu. 5855 E. State St., Rockford, (815) 227- Rockford, (815) 977-5650. LD Daily 11am-1am. $$.

4979. LD Sun-Th 11am-10pm, F-Sat to 10:30pm. $-$$.

Thrive Café  Casual/Cafe. Salads, wraps, sandwiches, smoothies, cold-pressed juices. Inside Peak Fitness, 4401 Peak Fresco at the Gardens.  Casual/American Café. Fresh, local-sourced ingredients. 318 Spring Creek Road, Rockford, Drive, Loves Park, Ill. BkLD M-F 6am-8pm, Sat 8am-2pm. ❚ (815) 316-2256. BkL Daily 7am-3pm. $$

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Merrill & Houston's Steak Joint

L

ocated at 500 Pleasant St., Beloit, inside the Ironworks Hotel, the restaurant features mouthwatering steaks, along with a full-service menu of fish, chicken and and seafood selections.

Named after the men whose 1858 foundry became Beloit Corp., Merrill & Houston’s Steak Joint celebrates Beloit's rich industrial history.

Many of its components are constructed with repurposed materials salvaged from historic buildings. Leather seats, hardwood floors and many historical photographs lining the walls give the space a rustic feel.

Merrill & Houston's is available for private and corporate events. The main dining room seats 120 and the banquet room can accommodate 200 guests.

Merrill & Houston’s Steak Joint is open daily at 4 p.m. ❚

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