SMI_Weekender_010221

Weekender NORTHERN

ILLINOIS

YOUR GUIDE TO ARTS & LEISURE IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2021 • ShawLocal.com

TAKE A HIKE Usher in 2021 by exploring Starved Rock State Park / 3

WHAT’S IN STORE? Touching ‘Wally World’ filled with real-life comedy / 4

A SWEET DEAL

Warm up with a hot cocoa creation in the area this weekend / 5

UNCORKED

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An expert taster shares favorite finds to consider adding to your own wine racks.

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 2, 2021

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By JAMES NOKES

Big red wines counter winter’s icy chill Dinner table conversations can be fun at the Eck house.

When Tyler and Rachel Eck get home from their full-time jobs in the wine industry, it’s time to talk about their side project, Dunites Wine Company. For a side gig, the duo has produced some impressive wines from California’s cool-climate sites, whose potential a new generation of winemakers has discovered.

“We do our own thing through the day, and at the kitchen table, it’s fun to have that collaboration,” Eck said. “Whether it’s how to design a label, when to rack a wine, or when and if it needs sulfur, it’s fun to collaborate and important for me to get out of my daily bubble and have her input. Rachel has worked as an enologist and held cellar jobs.

Throughout the growing season, she’s on ground zero when it comes to vineyards.”

With the Dunites Spanish Springs Syrah 2018 ($37.99), Eck crafted a wine with wild, meaty game on the nose that had flavors of dried violets, a deep, dark fruit extraction and gravelly tannins. It’s the first wine that kicks off a winter red feature.

With a fresh blanket of snow covering our area for the first time this winter, the following red wines are perfect for cold nights. Whether you sit next to the fireplace, or cuddle up under a blanket on the couch with a loved one as the snow falls, the following report features a bevvy of red wines – Rhone varietals or blends, Bordeaux varietals or blends, Zinfandel and a wine with a little bit of everything. All are sure to beat the cold.

“It’s such a complete wine,” Eck said. “When you pour a cool-climate syrah, it’s as dark as can be in the glass. But, that darkness also holds a smell that is wild, feral and also fruity. It can be floral, pretty and elegant even with a dark, tannic structure, syrah can be a really pretty wine. In weight, our syrah is lower in alcohol than our pinot noir, but it tastes so much richer and bigger. I like that duality in cool-climate syrah, there’s an elegance with a seriously brooding, dark nature.”

A wine with the enigmatic temperament he described, it’s both robust and bold while clinging to a floral, delicate side. He’s done it from a vineyard in San Luis Obispo

TASTING NOTES ■■ Clif Family Estate Zinfandel 2017 ($60): A

silver bike gear juts out from an otherwise plain bottle, but don’t be fooled by the cool label, there’s a very fun wine on the inside.

Aromas of potpourri, Christmas spice and black and red berries jump from the glass. The mouthfeel is that of a big warm hug, and flavors of wild blackberry and raspberry are generous.

■■ Clos de Betz 2015 ($59): Capture that whiff

of beef jerky on the nose combined with crushed rocks on a summer day and tobacco pipe, and get into the flavors of semi-sweet baking morsels and black cherry on a Bordeaux blend with a silky mouthfeel. 75% merlot, 15% cabernet sauvignon, 10% petite verdot from three different Washington AVAs. ■■ Covington Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc

2017 ($37): Captivated by the funky nose, think blue cheese, wet leaves, mint or green peppers. Each was found by participants at a recent tasting, and none was wrong. There’s also cracked black pepper and thyme flavors on a wine made in a style not often seen, but impossible to turn away from.

■■ Gilbert “Rouge” 2018 ($15): An Australian red

that’s the proverbial kitchen sink in the bottle, and made it work. Shiraz, sangiovese, petite verdot, barbera, pinot noir, tempranillo and Mudgee all combine for a rollicking good time with plum, black cherry, black tea and milk-chocolate flavors.

■■ Gramercy “L’Idiot du Village” Mourvèdre

Photo provided

The Clif Family Estate Zinfandel 2017 is one of the standout offerings. that has two AVAs in Edna Valley and the Arroyo Grande, but doesn’t yet have its own designation.

While he anticipated an AVA for the San Luis Obispo Coast “should be approved pretty soon” to cover all their vineyards, they currently fall under the generic, wide-ranging banner of California’s Central Coast.

Even if it doesn’t have an individualized AVA, Spanish Springs Vineyard has attained an impressive cache of winemakers from Santa Barbara and Paso Robles that are “dropping in.”

“The history is very strong in this region even though we are in our infant stages,” Eck said.

“Looking back, John Alban, Bob Lindquist, Stephen Ross and a number of people have been highlighting it for the last 20 to 30 years.

But now, it feels like momentum from a younger group of producers has come in and reached out to the cooler coastal sites.”

As we dig in for the cold, dreary days of January, there will be a car that needs to be dug out of the snow or a driveway that must be shoveled. It’s time to warm up with a red wine waiting to be uncorked.

• James Nokes has been tasting, touring and collecting in the wine world for several years. Email him at jamesnokes25@yahoo.com.

2017 ($41): Greg Harrington and his wife, Pam, with partner and co-winemaker Brandon Moss, make some of Washington’s best wines. Here they stay true to the varietal, and the smoky cherry shows with a chalky texture; this wine has a big, bold, mouth-coating body.

■■ Gramercy “The Third Man” Grenache 2017

($35.99): On the lighter side, there’s a pretty perfumed nose and the wine is very light in color. Cherry flavors jump from the glass.

■■ Parabellum Coulee 2018 ($44): The wine-

making team behind Walla Walla’s Force Majeure also turns out Parabellum wine; this is 86% syrah and 14% mourvèdre with sanguine, vibrant plum, blackberry and blueberry flavors – the acidity is impressive for a wine with great concentration.

■■ Seabold “Siletto” Grenache 2018 ($39.99):

Perfect for the chance to get a red with structure and fuller flavors but on a lithe frame; the wine is light ruby-colored, there’s sweet cherry, light cranberry and a hibiscus flavor.

■■ Two Vintners Syrah 2017 ($25): There’s green

olive tapenade on the nose with flavors of blueberries and blackberries.

STARVED ROCK COUNTRY

3 SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 2, 2021

Dedicated to growing the awareness of everything the Starved Rock area has to offer

Shaw Media file photos

Hikers stroll pristine, snow-covered landscapes in Starved Rock Country.

Guided hikes explore Starved Rock State Park

By RYAN SEARL

rsearl@shawmedia.com Looking for a socially distant outdoor activity to kick off 2021? Consider ringing in the new year with a guided hike at the beautiful, snow-covered Starved Rock State Park.

Plan a trip this weekend to discover the untouched winter beauty of the sprawling park, with the help of a knowledgeable trail guide who will take you to some of the most scenic locales on the property. On the informative and socially distant guided hike, you may even spot some bald eagles soaring above the tree canopy.

Every year, a multitude of eagles use the lock and dam across the river as a winter fishing spot. The path of the guided hike affords you some of the best eagle-watching vantage points in the park. With the proper weather, you may even see a few of Starved Rock’s famed frozen waterfalls along your trek.

Taking place both Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 2 and 3, the tours will start at 10 a.m. in the Starved Rock

Consider ushering in the new year with a guided hike at the beautiful, snow-covered Starved Rock State Park.

Lodge’s hotel lobby for a socially distant meet-up with your trail guide and fellow hikers. You’ll be given a Starved Rock backpack with a snack, bottled water and a voucher for a small hot chocolate or coffee from the Cafe, to be used upon your return.

On the guided hike, you’ll visit popular sightseeing and photo-op-

portunity spots like Wildcat Canyon, Eagle Cliff and even the Lover’s Leap overlook. Participants are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather, including proper footwear. Masks are required on the park trails. Capacity for the popular hikes is limited; call 815-220-7386 to make reservations.

Looking for something a little less

chilly? Take a narrated trolley ride to see some of Starved Rock’s best winter wildlife in their natural habitats. The trolley bus tour will depart from the Lodge at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Jan. 2 and 3, taking you on a tour through nearby Buffalo Rock State Park to visit three live bison up close and personal. The trolley then will travel to the Illinois Waterway Visitors Center observation deck to see if the group can spot a few bald eagles nesting above the lock and dam.

The whole tour will be narrated with history and legends of the region, creating an entertaining and educational trip you’ll be sure to remember for years to come. Each ticket includes a sack lunch as you board the trolley.

The meal includes your choice of a turkey or veggie wrap, a bag of chips, granola bar, piece of fruit and bottle of water. Masks are required on the trolley at all times. No restrooms will be available on the tour. Capacity for the trolley tours is limited; call 815220-7386 to make reservations.

Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center is at 1 Lodge Lane in Oglesby.

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 2, 2021

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Photo provided

Steppenwolf NOW presents a radio play production of “Wally World.”

Steppenwolf hits home with ‘Wally World’

I

n Steppenwolf NOW’s second virtual streaming production, playwright Isaac Gómez admits his protagonist is inspired by his mother’s experience working her way up through El Paso’s superstore Walmart in Texas. His richly evocative, refreshing play titled “Wally World” is the result.

It’s festive, touching and full of real-life comedy familiar to any shopper.

The radio play’s setting is Christmas Eve, the day before the 24-hour store is to close for the holiday. Manager Andy is trying to keep the store and her employees in line, not to mention her co-managers and sales associates.

Andy is passionate and proud and has a lot to face.

The first act opens with spitting walkie-talkies (and totally realistic) conversations. There’s humor and pathos and understandable anxiety. One of the co-managers has quit without notice, there’s an unexpected random merchandise delivery, not to men-

REVIEWS Regina M. Belt-Daniels tion a grocery zone in total mess, the threat of a possible strike, HR issues, exhausted overnighters, and frantic, last-minute shoppers.

Co-directors Gómez and Lili-Anne Brown kept the pacing active and descriptive. This is a fine example of a radio play – images will legitimately fill your mind; you’re engaged. The entire cast is appealing.

Sandra Marquez is Andy, who leads from her gut; she’s efficient, protective and firm. She is not here to make friends, she is here to run a business.

She worked herself up from cashier to store manager. Marquez is just superb.

Another standout and one of my favorite Steppenwolf actresses, Audrey Francis, plays Amy, an overworked, exhausted, experienced overnighter.

IF YOU GO ■■ WHAT: Steppenwolf NOW radio play

“Wally World”

■■ COST: $75 membership for six vir-

tual plays through August 2021 ■■ INFORMATION: Steppenwolf.org/ now, 312-335-1650

You can hear the frustration in her voice.

Cliff Chamberlain is Mark, who is so well-portrayed I’m not sure I like him at all. He is pedantic, is always telling others what to do, and is hitting on his boss, Andy.

I also greatly admired Jacqueline Williams as Estelle, a strong, substantive, adamant character.

But let’s be honest. Everyone in this cast is stellar and there’s no disputing characters and relationships. I just have to applaud Sydney Charles, Kevin Curtis, Karen Rodriguez, Mar-

vin Quijada, Danny Bernardo and Leslie Sophia Perez. They have chemistry.

Aaron Stephenson’s sound design is terrific – holiday music intermixed with store sounds – perfectly paired.

The two-act play runs two hours and 20 minutes.

Gómez calls his “Wally World” the “Walmart Chekhov,” and I have to agree – excellent word choice, hidden life and sensory information. Although the ending is not a cliffhanger, it is dramatic and almost anticipated.

I enthusiastically recommend that you give a listen to this radio play.

• Regina Belt-Daniels has been involved in theater since Sister Justia cast her as a rather bossy Mother Goose in the first-grade play. After 50 years with shows (directed, acted, stage managed, theater boards) at the Woodstock Opera House, RCLPC, MCC, Independent Players, and the Raue, she hopes to continue a life in the theater.

5 SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 2, 2021

A CUP OF COMFORT Warm up this winter with hot cocoa creations from area shops

By KEVIN DRULEY For Shaw Media

T

here’s no sweeter way to support local than with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, so check out these delicious options.

Sarika Singh may be the owner of Hey Sugar, but she doesn’t forget the influence many customers have had on advancing one of the spot’s signature offerings.

Suppose five socially distanced customers are preparing to place an order while standing inside the dessert shop in downtown Geneva. Many of their palates are about to shift, and they hardly even know it.

That’s because the current line leader just requested an Adventurous Hot Chocolate, one of eight flavorfully ornate concoctions – admittedly “over the top,” Singh says – that more closely resemble an ice cream sundae than a nondescript, warming drink in a cup.

Ooooh? What’s that? It looks delicious.

Why, it appears to be a destination drink for people seeking a scrumptious cup of hot cocoa this holiday season.

“You eat with your eyes, right?”

Singh says. “So, it’s a very visual experience. So a lot of times, we’ll make extra hot cocoa just so people can see what it looks like, and nine out of 10 times, it’ll sell.”

Singh and Co. create Hey Sugar’s cocoa from a mix of fine Belgian chocolate and a handful of other secret ingredients.

Brewrista and the Bean owner Abby Myers is up front about her hot chocolate mix, which she serves at the trailer she operates in Hinckley from April through October. She purchases it from renowned chocolatier Ghirardelli, but encourages customers to add their own toppings, with mint or raspberry syrup being among her suggestions for the holidays.

First, though, it’s all about that rich, ultra-chocolaty base. “I never use a little bit. I just use like a whole, entire (helping). Probably four tablespoons,” Myers says. “I try to make it flavorful.

Because you can get hot chocolate. You can make it at home, so it’s really hard to stand out with your hot chocolate.

So it’s like, ‘How much are you going to use that will make them walk away happy with a hot chocolate [they] just bought?’ ”

AREA HOT CHOCOLATE DESTINATIONS Various establishments in the area serve up delicious hot chocolate creations. Here’s a look: 124 W. Park Ave., Elmhurst 224-542-8263 www.brewpointcoffee.com “The all-time classic comfort-in-a-cup,” as it’s called on the Brewpoint website; sizes include kids and 12, 16 and 20 ounces. Customers also can choose salted caramel or spiced hot chocolate for some variation on the classic.

Prices range from $2 to $4.25.

www.grahamschocolate.com While there are worse vantage points than sipping on a hot cocoa while sitting in downtown Geneva or Wheaton, customers also can bring the goodness home without having to worry about the warmth wearing off. As with the original Graham’s location in Geneva, the quaint retail shop in Wheaton also sells homemade marshmallows ($2.98), tins of homemade hot chocolate ($13.98), and an assortment of both ($16.96). Instructions on the store website suggest adding three spoonfuls of the cocoa mix to warm milk. Stir and enjoy.

CONSCIOUS CUP COFFEE ROASTERS

HEY SUGAR

BREWPOINT COFFEE

5005 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake (along with three other locations) 815-356-0115 www.consciouscup.com Conscious Cup offers classic hot chocolate – which is to say, hot – as well as a frozen option, which entails ice-blended hot chocolate with whipped cream.

GRAHAM’S FINE CHOCOLATES & ICE CREAM 302 S. Third St., Geneva 630-232-6655

507 S. Third St., Suite E, Geneva 630-262-8200 www.heysugargeneva.com Savor a cup of Hey Sugar’s Belgian hot cocoa or Belgian white hot cocoa, available for $5 each as a 10-ounce pour. Numerous add-ons are available, including lavender and honey, salted caramel, rosemary, gingerbread and pumpkin pie. The more detailed options range in price from $7 to $8, and be advised that they can’t be confined to a lid. Among the choices with a decidedly holiday flair are S’more Fun, Salted Caramel Chaos and Classic Red Velvet.

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 2, 2021

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Redmond’s ‘Older’ sequel as delicious as first

By BETHANNE PATRICK

Special To The Washington Post With chocolate, you can make a dense cake or a creamy mousse or a fluffy souffle – each delicious in its own way. What you choose is based on your preferred texture. Same goes for literary themes, such as feminism or self-discovery. Sometimes, you want a dense, concentrated novel – say, “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

Sometimes you want a rich, creamy saga, such as “The Joy Luck Club.”

At other times, you want something light and airy, and that’s where Pamela Redmond’s “Older” comes in. The sequel to her spunsugar “Younger” finds protagonist Liza turning 50 after two years of quiet.

Fans of “Younger” the book, and its TV series adaptation, know the basics: When Liza’s daughter Caitlin went off to college, Liza wanted to go back to work in publishing. However, she knew the child-rearing gap in her resume could work against her – so she pretended those years never happened, and with the help of good

genes, a wardrobe overhaul and a primer on millennial culture from an artsy friend, she manages to pass for a 20-something. She nails the job, starts dating a very young man she meets at a bar and faces dilemmas, often sexist, sometimes hilarious and always relevant, bringing her to the conclusion that to truly know herself, she needs to meet herself where she is. Hence the two years away.

Like “Younger,” “Older” contains a lot of wisdom between its one-liners (“Your poor little feet look like ‘hooves,’” a celebrity aesthetician cries; “Mom, you’re wearing as much makeup as a Kardashian,” Caitlin observes).

And the dilemmas keep coming: While Liza wants fulfilling work, the now-married Caitlin is pregnant with her first child and begs Liza to stay close to home; while Liza wants a fulfilling relationship, the too-young Josh keeps popping up, trying to get back together. Liza eventually relocates to Los Angeles after accepting a friend’s invitation to help write the screenplay for the (fictional) “Younger.” After a few wacky adventures, like Liza eat-

ing hallucinogenic mushrooms at a party, she quickly realizes that she’s living a fun life, but it’s really someone else’s.

Redmond doesn’t disappoint her readers by making Liza give up on a fairy tale, however. The male lead cast in the television adaptation is Hugo Fielding, the hot, handsome and aging star whose very name is enough to make the women in Liza’s life turn into smitten, middle-school kids. Turns out Hugo has the hots for Liza – but can she trust her own feelings toward him?

“Older” explores what happens when a woman rejects societal expectations, embraces her experiences and trusts her gut. If, while doing so, she happens to have a happily-ever-after moment? Why not? At the end of this tumultuous year, perhaps we can all use a little magic in our reading lives.

• Bethanne Patrick is the editor, most recently, of “The Books That Changed My Life: Reflections by 100 Authors, Actors, Musicians and Other Remarkable People.”

Photo provided

“Older” is the sequel to author Pamela Redmond’s first book, “Younger.”

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By PAM OTTO

SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 2, 2021

GOOD NATURED

Taking interesting dives into the natural world around us, Pam Otto opens new avenues of exploration.

Photo provided

Three white-tailed deer frolic after dark on a park playground. Meanwhile, a mystery creature, indicated by the eyeshine near the top and center of the photo, looks down from a nearby tree.

Whose eyes are shining bright in the dark?

Any way you look at them, our winter holidays really shine. Twinkling decorations shimmer in yards and windows; nights – some of them, anyway – are clear and starry; and right in the midst, on Dec. 30, we were treated to a full moon that – when you could see it – added the luster of midday to objects below.

But driving down a local street one night, I was reminded of another type of shine – one you can enjoy all year round, provided you have a light source and a little luck.

I’m talking about eyeshine. It’s the phenomenon whereby light reflects from an animal’s eyes, creating a bright glow. If you’ve ever tried to take a flash picture of your sweet Fifi or Fluffy, only to have the photo portray them as a green-eyed glowering demon from below, you’ve experienced eyeshine.

In my recent experience, the light source was car headlights, and the animal was a raccoon. It was hard to miss, seeing as it was about the size of a bear cub, and it was crossing Anderson in that quick but lumbering gait raccoons have perfected. I slowed down – not that I’d want to hit it, but my actions were as much to preserve my car’s alignment as the critter’s well-being. It glanced briefly toward my car and its eyes shone brightly

from the front of its bulky, hunched silhouette, then it disappeared into the dark shadows of a yard and was gone.

Eyeshine occurs when light reflects off the tapetum lucidum, a layer of tissue behind the retina in many nocturnal animals. (Neat fact: “Tapetum lucidum” is Latin for “bright tapestry.”) It reflects light back through the retina to the eye’s photo receptors and improves night vision – a handy function for creatures that normally would navigate by stars and moonlight. But our brighter, manmade lights enhance the effect, often to startling degrees.

I remember a warm night one summer. I was in the middle of a nocturnal jaunt of my own and was looking for a familiar shortcut through a small field. The only trouble was I had never walked that area at night, and my human eyes, which are not well adapted to low-light conditions, could not find the narrow footpath.

This small trail, a few hundred feet long, saves literally a mile of walking – when I can find it. I paced back and forth a few times, hoping against hope the rods and cones of my retinas could help my brain discern where to head in. But no luck.

Finally, I resorted to a naturalist’s cardinal sin: I turned on a flashlight.

It was the one on my phone, which I reserve for emergency use only, but that didn’t lessen its effect. The bright blaze of light immediately destroyed whatever night vision I’d managed to build up.

Perhaps more significantly, it showed that I wasn’t alone.

As the light illuminated the field in front of me, I noticed several pairs of eyes shining back at me. Judging by their height from the ground, as well as their quick movements and a faint outline of erect ears, I’m pretty sure I stumbled on a family of coyotes. Mom out with the young’uns, teaching them the finer points of vole hunting, was my guess. Rather than disturb such an important lesson, I gave up my quest for the shortcut and added another 20 minutes or so to my walk. (That “long way around” took me along the side of a very busy road.

I had to once again resort to the light of my phone, this time for my own safety. Human eyes do not have tapeta lucida and do not produce eyeshine in headlights.)

Under some circumstances, eyeshine takes on a color, from red to orange to yellow or green. (“Red-eye effect,” by the way, is a similar occurrence but is not the same as eyeshine.) Some folks say you can use the color to help identify species – in fact,

there are many online guides that list such correlations – but I’ve found that there are too many variables involved. The angle of the light source can affect the color, as can the type of bulb; humans’ individual perceptions of light at night also play a role.

I find that paying attention to other cues is more reliable. Is the animal staying still? Are the eyes a few feet above the ground? Probably a deer.

Are the eyes moving in response to the light? Probably a predator trying to escape detection. Are you near a pond? Eyes shining from atop the water, in our area, usually indicate frogs but down South also can mean an alligator. Are there teeny-tiny eyeshines close to the ground? Yippee, you’ve found spiders!

We’re on the verge of a brand new year – hallelujah! – and with it comes a chance for new beginnings: Lose those extra COVID pounds, quit those quarantine-induced bad habits, focus on health and well-being. But I’d like to suggest one more. Some evening soon, grab a flashlight, head outside, and make 2021 your year to shine – for eyeshine.

• Pam Otto is the outreach ambassador for the St. Charles Park District.

She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, January 2, 2021

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