West Suburban Living Magazine February 2018

 GREAT WEDDING VENUES

 NEW ADVANCES IN CARDIAC CARE

 SPOTLIGHT ON ST. CHARLES

FEBRUARY 2018 WEST SUBURBAN LIVING • SINGLE IN SUBURBIA VOL. 23

SINGLE IN SUBURBIA

• NUMBER

The challenges of making a romantic connection in the family-oriented western suburbs

FEBRUARY 2018 $3.95

www.westsuburbanliving.net

02

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AWARD-WINNING NAPERVILLE Q&A WITH ROMANCE NOVELIST SONALI DEV

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Valentine’s Gift Guide Bell Sleeve Flare Dress

Perfect for a Valentine’s Day date night, let the artfully pleated bell sleeves turn up the volume on this pink seashell-colored, doubleweave flare dress ($129), for a modern play of proportions.

Ann Taylor Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, 630 573-4825; 55 S. Main St., Naperville, 630 357-7023; or www.anntaylor.com

Hearts of Hearts

With love on the brain, gift this Heart Pendant with a Diamond ($149) from the Michael Hill Infinitas collection and start your forever, today! This beautiful necklace will add elegance to any outfit, day or night, making it the ideal gift for your special someone.

Downtown Naperville Gift Cards

So many places to love in Downtown Naperville! Give the gift that allows them to choose with a Downtown Naperville gift card! For use at more than 150 shops, restaurants and spas in Downtown Naperville.

No fees to purchase. Any amount, you decide. May be purchased in person or online and mailed to you or the lucky recipient.

Available at Michael Hill Jewelers locations in Oakbrook Center, Yorktown Shopping Center, Stratford Square Mall, Woodfield Mall or at www.michaelhill.com

DOWNTOWN NAPERVILLE ALLIANCE, Main Street Promenade, 55 S. Main St., Suite 351, Naperville. 630 544-3372 or www.downtownnaperville.com

S P E C I A L P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E

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Editor & Publisher | Chuck Cozette Managing Editor | Anne Knudsen Art Director | Rachel Switall Contributing Writers Laurie Barton, Joni Hirsch Blackman, Buzz Brandt, Jay Copp, Sara Pearsaul Vice, Lynn Petrak, Lisa Sloan, Michele Weldon and Tom Witom Contributing Photographer Ed Ahern Advertising Sales Pam Loebel, Susan Reetz Accounting Jennifer Cozette Circulation Coordinator Ken Cozette

Convenient Hours: Mon 9am-8pm; Tues 9am-9pm; Wed 8am-8pm; Thurs 6am-10pm; Fri & Sat 6am-5pm

Reader Advisory Board

518 N. Main Street,Glen Ellyn 630.790.8001 • www.lineasalon.com

Linda Cassidy (Campton Hills)

Laurie Barton (Glen Ellyn) Mary Ellen Coombs (Wheaton), Joan Hoff (Elmhurst) M Grace Grzanek (Batavia), Liz Hunka (Wheaton)

Coming in maRCH

Nancy Jensen (Batavia), Holly Jordan (Wheaton) Mary Ellen Kastenholz (Western Springs) Kate Kirkpatrick (Naperville)

GARDENING RESOURCES

THINK SPRING!

Molly Livermore (St. Charles) Pamela Peterson (Burr Ridge) Diana Santos (Woodridge), Darla Scheidt (Darien) Jean Stawarz (Oak Brook) Marilyn Straub Garazin (Winfield)

West Suburban Living is a publication of C2 Publishing, Inc. Suite 412, High Point Plaza, 4415 Harrison St, Hillside, IL 60162 630 834-4995 / 630 834-4996 (fax) wsl@westsuburbanliving.net subscriptions@westsuburbanliving.net www.westsuburbanliving.net

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of C2 Publishing, Inc. Any views expressed in any advertisement, signed letter, article or photograph are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of West Suburban Living or its parent company.

West Suburban Living (Vol. 23, No. 2 FEBRUARY 2018; ISSN No. 1532-6705) is published monthly, except for July/August and November/December issues (10 times a year) by C2 Publishing, Inc., Suite 412, High Point Plaza, 4415 Harrison St., Hillside, IL 60162, 630 834-4995, fax 630 834-4996.

Periodicals postage paid at Elmhurst, Illinois and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: 1 year $15; 2 years $24; 3 years $32. Single copy $3.95; back issues, as available, $7. West Suburban Living assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to West Suburban Living Magazine, P.O. Box 111, Elmhurst, IL 60126. Printed in USA.

2 FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

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Contents |

February

|

2018

Photo courtesy of Vanderploeg Photography

West Suburban Living

Home&Garden

34

GROUND SWELL

A guide to the latest trends in flooring for your home

Town Focus

38

58

Photo courtesy of DeSitter Flooring

44

 Features 30

ST. CHARLES

There’s no shortage of fun things to see and do in this historic and scenic Fox River town

Health TAKE HEART

Advances in cardiac care offer new hope for those suffering from heart-related diseases

SPECIAL SECTION

44

Great Wedding Venues A guide to some of the top settings for weddings and receptions

34

SINGLE IN SUBURBIA The challenges of making a romantic connection in the family-oriented western suburbs

4 FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

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Departments February

|

Mummenschanz: You & Me

2017

Photo courtesy of Shawna Coronado

|

Photo by Marco Hartmann

West Suburban Living

20

Photo by Ed Ahern

lifestyle expert Shawna Coronado

27 21

63 Around the Towns

Perspectives

8 16

72

FOREWORD

In support of suburban singles LOOK TO THE WESTERN SKY

Western Springs bakery continues a legacy of serving cookies with a smile

12

BY THE NUMBERS

14

Q&A

20

LOCAL AUTHORS

70

SCENE & SEEN

LAST WORD

Kind words go a long way — and the compliments are free

18

Intriguing numerical tidbits

with Bollywood-inspired novelist Sonali Dev of Naperville

New book releases from west suburban writers

A photo gallery of recent notable charitable events

Dining

64

REVIEW: D.O.C. Wine Bar in Lombard

66

REVIEW: VinoTHAI’s in Glen Ellyn

63

NEW RESTAURANTS

68

CHEERS

Style&Fashion STOPS & SHOPS

New stores and hidden gems

Out&About

21

westsuburbanliving.net The go-to site for the Best of the Western Suburbs at your fingertips!

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Eden on the River in St. Charles, Amerika’s in Oak Park, and McMae’s on Main in Glen Ellyn

Petit Verdot: A late-ripening yet full-bodied grape, excellent for blending or on its own

The best in music, theatre and other area events

6 FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

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editor’s Note In Support of Suburban Singles

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than

you love yourself.”

- Josh Billings

“Did I offer peace today?

Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I say words of healing?

Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love?

These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life

to come.”

- Henri Nouwen

“Whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen . . . yourself, right now, right down here on Earth.”

- Bradley Whitford

“So now abide faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

I

f I were in my 20s or 30s today, I think there’s a good chance I would never get married. Actually, there was a pretty strong contingent of people who knew me back when I was in my 20s who didn’t think I would get married then, either. But the whole dating thing — to the degree it still exists at all — just seems so much more difficult and complicated now. And as a father of four grown daughters, more than a bit scary, as well.

In theory, technology should be making meeting and getting to know others easier.

With the ubiquity of cell phones and social media, we can be in touch with hundreds or even thousands of “friends” with just a few taps of our fingers. Unfortunately, the whole focus of our increasingly social media-driven world seems to be on the quantity rather than quality of relationships.

That would not seem to be very conducive to finding someone you can trust to walk your dog when you are out of town, much less finding a life partner.

So while editing our cover feature, “Single in Suburbia” by Jay Copp on page 30, I felt a great deal of empathy for today’s single folks. While never easy, meeting quality people with similar values seems as difficult as ever.

That is perhaps all the more true for single people over the age of 40, many of whom are divorced or widowed.

Having been married before, they often have a better idea of the type of person they are looking for, and consequently may be more selective.

Shared interests are always a solid starting point, and the good news, as Jay points out in the article, is there is now an abundance of niche singles groups

organized around common interests — from movie watching, to wine tasting, to rock climbing, to name but a few. The great thing is that participants are out having fun, doing something they enjoy — and if they happen to connect with someone on a more significant basis, all the better.

For those who do find Mr. or Mrs. Right and are looking to tie the knot, our guide to top west suburban wedding and reception venues on page 44 could be a helpful resource. From hotel ballrooms to historic mansions, to golf course clubhouses and more, there really is a variety of beautiful and distinctive settings for celebrating the big day.

As usual, we also have insightful stories on local residents of interest, including award-winning romance novelist Sonali Dev of Naperville (see Q&A on page 14), and the Kirschbaums, longtime owners of the popular bakery in Western Springs (page 16).

As always, we hope you enjoy this issue and thanks for being a reader!

And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to cast your ballot (page 19 or online at www.westsuburbanliving.net) in our annual Best of the West reader poll, the results of which we will share with you in our upcoming March issue.

- I Corinthians 13:13

Chuck Cozette, Editor & Publisher chuck@westsuburbanliving.net 8

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THE BEST OF THE WESTERN SUBURBS...

AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Check Out Our New & Expanded Website at

www.westsuburbanliving.net SUBSCRIBE/RENEW Get a new subscription, renew an existing one, or give a gift to a friend!

FAVORITE FEATURES Check out articles from our latest issue and keep an eye out for special offers.

WEEKEND UPDATES Sign up for our "Best of the Burbs" weekly e-newsletter for hot upcoming events and a chance to win prizes.

THE BEST IN WHERE TO GO & WHAT TO DO Your guide to the best concerts, shows and family activities. Or search for hot new restaurants and great new shops.

SCENE & SEEN Browse our online galleries of recent special events of note.

RESOURCE GUIDE If you need information on what's what in the western suburbs, this is a great first stop.

LIKE US/FOLLOW US Let us keep you connected with the best the western suburbs have to offer via Twitter and Facebook.

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THE

AROUND TOWNS Q&A

|

STOPS & SHOPS

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LOOK TO THE WESTERN SKY

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LOCAL AUTHORS

Fox River Flashback

A moment in time is captured in an iconic painting of Batavia from 1958

I

t was 60 years ago this winter that American artist John Philip Falter, who painted 120 covers for The Saturday Evening Post, happened upon a skating scene on the frozen Fox River in Batavia. At the time, the Post was one of the most widely circulated magazines in the nation. This is one of several snow scenes from the

famed painter who, in his own words, sought to “put down on canvas a piece of America, a stage set, a framework for the imagination to travel around in.”

In early January, dozens of skaters turned out in an attempt to recreate the iconic image on Depot Pond, a free skate area on the Fox River in Batavia.

WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | FEBRUARY 2018 11

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THE

BY NUMBERS

50

Brookfield Zoo’s oldest resident, Ramar, has just reached the milestone birthday of 50 years old.

1°

January 1st ushered in the coldest New Year’s Day temperature on record in the western suburbs. The high was one lonely,

bone-chilling degree Fahrenheit, as recorded at O’Hare Airport. New Years Day 1969 saw temperatures drop to a comparatively mild 5°.

That makes him the 3rd oldest male and the 7th oldest western lowland gorilla in an accredited North American zoo. To celebrate, Ramar shared

60.28.10,000.1 60 years of coaching • 28 Illinois state titles

birthday cake and banana leaves with staff — but no candles.

I

st Concerns about costs,co-pays and

deductibles do nothing but add to the worries of patients seeking treatment.

Edward-Elmhurst Health has an answer.

10,000+ runners • 1 long green mile

10,000+ runners • 1 long green mile

It’s the first Chicago area hospital — and

On January 27, Elmhurst held a memorial to celebrate the life

one of the first in the nation — to provide

of Coach Joe Newton, who died in December at age 88. Over

a 24/7 online cost estimator tool to take

his 60-year tenure at York Community High School, Newton’s cross

the mystery out of the final bill. Follow

country and track teams won more than 2,050 dual meets.

three simple steps:

He led runners to 28 statewide cross country championships

• Enter insurance or self-pay info

and took home 12 runner-up trophies.

• Choose among nine service categories • Opt for any of 114 procedures (and counting)

Newton’s teams were dubbed “The Long Green Line,” and residents who saw them snake through the streets of Elmhurst for early morning practice know why. The moniker was borrowed

Visit www.EEHealth.org/cost-estimator

for a feature-length documentary about his unique coaching

for fast, convenient pricing transparency.

methods. Any given season, 100 boys joined the team — and Coach was known to inspire the back-of-the-pack runners

75th

To celebrate its year, Geneva History Museum will post a story each week in 2018 from the 1943 Geneva Republican Newspaper.

Visit www.genevahistorymuseum.org.

as enthusiastically as he did the title winners.

Rest in peace, Coach Newton. It was a great run.

The Norris Cultural Center in St. Charles continues its 40th season with a 4 for events between now and May. Especially noteworthy is the

40

$40 offer. There are six mainstage

4 for $

Mar. 3 centennial celebration in honor of composer Leonard

$2,000,000

Bernstein, presented by nationally syndicated radio host, Bill McGlauglin.

In addition to the 1,000-seat

Aurora’s Prisco Center, run by the Fox Valley Park District, has been

theatre venue, the center has a 5,000-sq-ft

awarded a $2 million state grant to triple its space to over 5,000 sqare

art gallery which also serves as an event space

feet. The fitness facility serves 60,000 residents living within a 2-mile radius.

for gatherings of 100 to 150.

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Q&A

n

Sonali Dev/ Photo by Vernice Dollar, Studio 16

Bollywood-inspired novelist from Naperville talks romance, ethnicity and women’s agency Mumbai, India. My family for generations has been very educated, very urban, very progressive, and doesn’t conform to the stereotypes people might have about Indian people. My father was a pilot, so we traveled all over the world. But it was also a traditional upbringing in terms of bonding and extended family, things like that. n What brought you to the U.S.?

SD: I came to get a Masters and also to get married. I attended Eastern Michigan University for a degree in Communications.

My bachelor’s is in architecture, so I have an interesting mix. I worked as a technical writer for almost 20 years. n When did you begin writing fiction?

For Sonali Dev, romance is empowering.

The long-time Naperville resident spent her childhood and formative years in Mumbai, and the culture of India clearly informs her books. Part romance, part mystery, they are as rich in character as they are in humor and social commentary — a quality inspired, perhaps, by her favorite novelist, Jane Austen. Dev’s debut novel, The Bollywood Bride, won the American Library Association’s award for best romance in 2014. Her books have starred among Best Reads selections by NPR, the Washington Post, Library Journal and Kirkus. Dev is an active member and presenter at Windy City Romance Writers, a writing clinic serving the western suburbs. With her husband and two teen children, she is often to be found at Naperville Public Library. She lists Anderson’s Bookshop among her favorite places to be. Dev’s third novel, A Distant Heart, is reviewed on page 20. n Tell our readers about your background.

SD: I came to the U.S. when I was 23 — I lived all my childhood and young adulthood in

Q&A

SD: I have always written — it’s probably one of my oldest memories . . . journaling, stage scripts for school shows. I loved to do it. But I was raised to believe you have to have a solid professional career. When I was in school for architecture, I was yelled at by my professor — “Sketches not words, sketches not words” (laughs). I worked for a year as an architect and I thought, oh my god, I need something more fun. I had met someone who was working as an architectural journalist and I thought, well, that’s my dream job — it combines two things I love. One day a friend, who is a Bollywood movie producer, complained about not getting good scripts and we both — famous last words — said,‘Hey, how hard can that be?’ In a few weeks I had written a script! Of course, it was junk, but once I had created characters and lived in their world, I really got into it. It was addictive.

RAPID FIRE

n Was that movie ever produced?

SD: Oh, no, no. When you write a script you’re laying out a story and characters to be colored in by someone else. You don’t really get to explore it. I realized that my interest was in the writing. I went to the library and checked out every book on writing fiction. I took classes at University of Chicago. Once I started to get into it, I realized there was a craft, a structure to writing. I finished my first novel in April, 2010.

n n Did you intentionally set out to write

in the romantic fiction genre?

SD: I didn’t even know what “genre” was!

Growing up, apart from the classics, I read a lot of Sidney Sheldon and Jeffrey Archer — large, mainstream stories that didn’t fit into any genre. I hadn’t ever read mysteries or romance or genre-specific novels, so for me it was like, what do you mean a story has to be only one thing? That was a learning experience (laughs). Along the way, I started to realize that I was zeroing in on the love story part of my writing. That was really what I enjoyed. Stories of love. n What makes for a good romance?

SD: Well, the non-negotiable is that it has to have a happy ending. There cannot be any death or destruction — or if there is, it has to be hopeful death and destruction (laughs). Also, the characters have to end up in a place of wellness. I think of romance as a journey by people who start out not being well and find a way to let happiness into their lives. Another non-negotiable is the love arc — characters have to be ready for love and follow their hearts.

going to Hugo’s Frog Bar tonight!

Best romantic moment? We’ll be

And we love little places like Gin 28

chilling out, playing music, and my

and Shinto. We’re such foodies!

husband and I will dance around

What is your next project? I have

speak? I’m tri-lingual. But I write

How about for Indian food? We

the kitchen. Little things like that.

the next four books sitting inside my

in English. I think in English, too.

like Indian Harvest. And I cook a lot!

What makes for a perfect

head. They have to live inside me for

If not a novelist, what would you

Favorite places close to home?

Valentine’s Day? It’s not about one

a while — they marinate.

be? A professional poker player!

We love the Riverwalk. And The

day. For me, it’s celebrating each

How many languages do you

Best places to dine out? We’re

Morton Arboretum.

other spontaneously every day.

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H S b a I — d n s m i l g T h t o w

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w m S e t t a o k t a t I t A o c t a

y

n What is a “Bollywood-style” love story?

SD: Bollywood is the name for the popular Hindi-language movie industry. To me, it’s a two-pronged concept. On the stylistic side, it’s almost operatic — melodrama, you know, with heightened emotions. And the movies are character-focused. Romance novels are very much parallel. The point is to make you feel. Bollywood’s the popular face of Indian culture — families that are intensely tied, respect for elders, the fact that there is no concept of privacy. And then the little things, the flavor, the clothing.

My books are emotionally very much in the Bollywood style. They’re written to be kind of operatic and cinematic. They also dig deep into the Indian culture. n They’ve been described as “steamy.”

How do you respond to that?

SD: (Laughs) Well, in some ways they are, because they deal with sex. For me as a writer, that sexual agency is important.

It’s a focus of contemporary romance — women living life the way they want to, demanding what they want from life. The narrative is all about female agency, and sexuality is a large part of that. Women — or men — owning their sexuality is sexy. Sex is very important in any love story and I’d like to think of my books as having very good chemistry, which makes them steamy.

That isn’t necessarily a criticism — it’s me hitting the exact note that I want to hit. I think steamy romance works in the middle of a story with social commentary about women finding themselves.

haven’t seen quite enough of this in books.

But it’s how we feel. n Living in Naperville, do you ever feel you are in a cultural “bubble?”

SD: As a family, we feel very strongly about not “bubbling.”As far as friends who we socialize with or the things we do, we’ve always made a conscious effort not to keep it one note. That’s been the best part of living in our downtown neighborhood.

We didn’t love that our kids were the only brown kids in elementary school, but this is one of those “everybody knows everybody” communities. It has been a very interesting experience to try to assimilate into that.

Everybody wants to be accepted, so I think that’s why people tend to keep within their communities. But that has not happened with us and we like it that way. n Do novelists play a role in educating

readers about ethnicity or race?

SD: Absolutely. We need diversity and I feel I am part of that change. I have no immigrant angst because I grew up with a lot of exposure to other cultures. I came here as a fully formed adult, very confident in my identity. It didn’t matter if things about me felt foreign to people. With my children, it’s different. This is their home, but not everyone who looks at them feels that way. It’s personally important to me that that layer of “alien-ness” is taken out. I don’t want it to be there for my grandchildren, even if my children have to deal with it.

Bringing diversity into literature is a huge step toward that.

n Does it surprise American readers,

who may think of Indian women following more traditional roles?

SD: It’s important for me to remove the exotification, remove the stereotypes and to let women — and Indian people — see themselves in the book. I hear from readers all the time that it’s fabulous to see Indians owning their sexual agency. I say,‘But you know there are more than a billion of us in the world having sex, right?’ (laughs) There’s a large part of the older culture that’s trying to hold on, but the urban, more progressive Indian society has moved on in how they think about sex. It’s a culture that’s in flux.

At the other end, I’ve had people who say, oh, Indians don’t have sex like this! What can you do but laugh at that, right? As though we’re all only supposed to have sex a certain way. We’re not a monolith and we

n Are you hopeful things will change?

SD: Absolutely. Over the last year, a lot of feelings about race have come out from under the surface. And in some ways, that’s good — let’s bring it all out and shake it so we can address it. I feel this is a rite of passage if our society if it is really going to become inclusive. In our downtown neighborhood, we live in a very non-diverse part of this diverse city. It’s interesting to see people through different filters now. But I think the good news is that there is voice now. Even 10 or 20 years ago, I think immigrants felt silenced. You kept your head down and you kept being the model minority, so to speak. It’s as though an illness is manifesting and you can’t cure it until you see the symptoms. I’m not happy about where

we are right now, but I’m hopeful.

n

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TO THE

LOOK WESTERN SKY

By Joni Hirsch Blackman

Kindness Baked in at Kirschbaum’s Western Springs bakery continues a legacy of serving cookies with a smile

T

wo grandmothers, a grandfather and a dash of great aunt were the ingredients for Penny Kirschbaum’s baking career.

Penny’s grandmother Wanda Gworek lived in Brookfield and had been a longtime customer at Kirschbaum’s Bakery on Burlington Avenue in Western Springs since 1954.

“She knew I was interested in baking and when she heard there was an opening at the bakery, she thought it would be a nice place for me, coming from a country town,” says Penny, who grew up in Thompson, Ill., population 600.

Three days after high school graduation in 1985, Penny started at Kirschbaum’s.

“Big city” living was a little overwhelming at first, she recalls. “But I learned to love it. I lived with grandma in Brookfield for six months to learn my way around.

After a year and a half, Mike and I had gotten to know each other at the bakery and started dating.”

Though going out with the boss’s grandson was a bit scary, “We fell in love and here we are!” They married within five years, more than 30 years after Mike’s family had entered the bakery business.

Lester and Cele Kirschbaum had bought a small bakery/deli on Hillgrove Avenue in La Grange from Cele’s recently widowed sister. They quickly realized they liked the bakery part of the business better than the deli, so they bought a bakery that was for sale in Western Springs. They lived above it, running both businesses for a year or so before selling the La Grange store.

The Kirschbaums’ son Bob began working full-time at the bakery after attending Dunwoody Baking School in Minneapolis — and after a childhood

of helping out his parents. He met his wife Charlene in college. The couple were running the shop when Penny began as a sales clerk. All five of their kids worked at the bakery at some point.

“Bob and Grandpa taught me to decorate — I’ve decorated hundreds of

“We make our cakes like your grandma would, with butter and flour,” says Penny.

“The Danish and cake recipes are still original.”

Their efforts are rewarded by loyal customers who love to tell the staff their sweet memories — such as how their dad used to bring home Kirschbaum’s coffeecake

“

The Kirschbaums still use the same ingredients as in grandma and grandpa’s day — all from scratch, no mixes.” cakes and pastries,” says Penny, the only decorator since Bob and Char retired 10 years ago. “I thoroughly enjoy it; it’s my creative outlet.”

Ten years ago, Penny invented one of the shop’s most popular Valentine’s Day items — conversation heart cookies.

“It’s a sugar cookie iced in pastels and we write on it with white chocolate — things like “Be Mine,” like the conversation hearts.”

The shop’s longtime trademark has been its smiley-face cookies — a sugar cookie with butter cream icing.

“Grandpa started making them when he came back from the service, to put a smile on people’s faces,” says Penny.

Kirschbaum’s is a “buttercream bakery,” Penny says, no new-fangled fondant for this old-fashioned family of bakers whose motto is “The Taste that Brings You Home.”

Competing with the big superstores takes as much hard work as it did back in their forebearers’ day. The Kirschbaums still use the same ingredients as in grandma and grandpa’s day — all from scratch, no mixes.

every Saturday.

“We’re so fortunate people travel the distance, wait in line and are excited to get our bakery products,” says Penny. “We have the best customers — they are so kind and generous to our sales clerks.”

Penny and Mike continue their family legacy in another way — all of their kids have worked in the shop. The eldest, Steve, is currently working there full time. The younger kids help fold boxes and wash pans.

“It’s a fun place, but lots of work!

Their favorite treats are always changing — brownies, smile cookies, cake cups, eclairs …”

One thing that does not change at the small, old-fashioned bakery are the commitment to its founders’ quality standards and principles of customer service.

“I learned so much from them. A day doesn’t go by when I don’t hear grandma or grandpa saying something in my head,” says Penny. “Grandma used to say, people don’t get that upset over baked goods. If they’re having a tough day, they deserve extra kindness to help them with what they’re going through.”

Good advice from Kirschbaum’s comes with a smile (cookie). n

16 FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

WESTERN_SKY_02_18 FINAL.indd 16

1/22/18 11:27 AM

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12/21/17 8:50 AM

Stops&Shops

Photo by Laurie Barton

Chocolaterie Stam

Re:New Project

The OLIVE MILL

Amsterdam is home to the Stam

While the primary goal OF Re:New

The Best combination of healthy

family, who have made chocolate

at 483 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn (630 547-2176) is to lend a helping hand to refugee women in need, like all acts of kindness, there are rewards for the giver, too. Here, those take the form of beautifully hand-crafted bags, clutches and totes — all designed and created on-site by volunteers.

Chic and high-end yet sturdy and functional, the purses reflect the cultures of the home-countries of DuPage county’s refugees, many of whom have survived war zones in Somalia or the Middle East.

Blankets, pillows and other home items made from fabric and leather make unique and compassionate gifts. The shop employs eight women, and all have learned to sew or improved their skills. This is a community with a purpose. As Production Director Ruthie Seager describes, “Some of these women have stories like nothing you’ve heard before. Truly heartbreaking.” Re:New gives them a safe place.

— Anne Knudsen

at 315 James St. in downtown Geneva (630 262-0210). Free samples of 40-plus olive oils and 40-plus balsamics along with simple, complimentary recipes will inspire foodies to explore the rich variety of a new tasting experience.

Flavored olive oils range from walnut, butter and white truffle to garlic, Tucson herb and Meyer lemon (a hybrid lemon-orangemandarin citrus fruit from China).

Balsamics include peach, coconut mango, chocolate, pomegranate, almond and maple.

Crackers, spreads, salts, spices, olives and tapenades are ready to add to gift baskets that start at $20.

Unique serving bowls and bottles enhance the value. Also available are soaps made with olive oil, which provide great benefits to the skin and are made in a variety of scents.

The warm, woodsy interior and the friendly expertise of the staff make The Olive Mill a delightful destination shop. — Laurie Barton

true to old-world Dutch traditions since 1913. While the company has expanded to the U.S., the Glen Ellyn location at 530 Pennsylvania Ave. is the only store in the Chicago area (331 248-4800).

Best sellers are the signature bon bons — which translates from the French as “good good.” Iowa beehives provide the honey for that variety. Two-toned mocha sticks, medallions and licorice are other favorites. The multi-colored tulips are sweet on the eyes as well as the palette. They can be filled with mousse, gelato, fresh fruit or candies and make a gift for many occasions.

In addition to its creamy, rich chocolate, the elegant European store serves coffees and lattes in flavors from caramel to praline.

Gelato, made on site, is always fresh and tasty. Try the forest berry, orange mascarpone or whiskey cream.

Chocolates can be shipped worldwide to treat sweets-loving out-of-towners, too. — Laurie Barton



Photo by Anne Knudsen

Photo by Jan Goodman

Hidden Gems & Longtime Favorites

and Yummy awaits at The Olive Mill

New Store Openings Following is a sampling of new shops that have opened in the last few months in the western suburbs.

For an extensive list of other interesting shops and boutiques, go to westsuburbanliving.net.

PIes by Fasano Peter Fasano reinvents a family pie-making tradition, with a variety of fresh fruit pies for pick-up, pie truck sales or delivery. 74 S. La Grange Rd. , La Grange.

708 639-4142

Joy’s Boutique Spacious location with women’s clothing and accessories. 76 N. Chicago St. , Joliet. 815 727-5227 Bluemercury Upscale make-up, skin-care and

beauty products, as well as an on-site spa. 42 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville.

630 637-1007 PINOT’S PALETTE Crafts studio where visitors paint, sip wine and share

creative time. 214 N. York Rd., Elmhurst. 630-818-6511 Just pets resale Gently used toys, leashes, beds and pet supplies, plus one-on-one dog training. 121 N. Main St. , Wheaton. 630 580-9596

Brewpoint coffee Workshop & Roastery A community-minded neighborhood coffee shop, roastery and center for local activities, events and live music. 617 N. York Rd., Elmhurst. 224 542-8263

18 FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

Stops&Shops_02_18 FINAL.indd 18

1/25/18 9:56 AM

What Do You Love Most About the Western Suburbs? Cast Your Vote Today!

Best of the West 2018

It’s your turn. Tell us what you like best about the western suburbs — shops, places to go, restaurants, things to do, etc.

ENTER TO WIN GREAT You could win gift certificates to top area restaurants or other prizes. Your answers will also be combined with those from other readers and summarized in a special “Best of the West” feature in our March 2018 issue. Just answer the questions you GIFT want (though you must answer at least 30 to qualify for prizes). Don’t delay. Fill out the survey right now and drop it in the mail.

CERTIFICATES! To fill out the survey online, visit www.westsuburbanliving.net.

DINING

Dining

Activities & Entertainment

Best Steak _____________________________________________________________ n Best Seafood _____________________________________________________________ n Best Barbecue _____________________________________________________________ n Best Burger _____________________________________________________________ n Best French Fries _____________________________________________________________ n Best Hot Dog _____________________________________________________________ n Best Pizza _____________________________________________________________ n Best Chicken Fingers/Nuggets/Etc. _____________________________________________________________ n Best Fish Fry _____________________________________________________________ n Best New Restaurant (opened within the past year) _____________________________________________________________ n Best Italian Restaurant _____________________________________________________________ n Best Mexican or Latin Restaurant _____________________________________________________________ n Best French Restaurant _____________________________________________________________ n Best Irish Pub _____________________________________________________________ n Best Sushi _____________________________________________________________ n Best Asian Restaurant _____________________________________________________________ n Best Middle Eastern Restaurant _____________________________________________________________ n Best Place for Vegetarian and/or Healthy Fare _____________________________________________________________ n Best Deli or Sandwich Shop _____________________________________________________________ n Best Place for Breakfast _____________________________________________________________ n Best Sunday Brunch _____________________________________________________________ n Most Romantic Restaurant (great atmosphere) _____________________________________________________________ n Best Outdoor Dining _____________________________________________________________ n Best Kid/Family-Friendly Restaurant (not fast food) _____________________________________________________________ n Best Restaurant If Money Is No Object _____________________________________________________________ n Best for Place for Ice Cream/Yogurt/Gelato _____________________________________________________________ n Best Doughnuts _____________________________________________________________ n Best Wine Bar _____________________________________________________________ n Best Microbrewery/Brewpub _____________________________________________________________ n Best Margaritas _____________________________________________________________ n Best Cheap Eats (not fast food; good food at reasonable prices) _____________________________________________________________ n Best Neighborhood Bar or Pub _____________________________________________________________ n Best Independently Owned Coffeehouse (not Starbucks, etc.) _____________________________________________________________ n Best Tea Room/Tea House _____________________________________________________________

n

n

Best Festival or Fair _____________________________________________________________ n Best Craft or Art Show _____________________________________________________________ n Best Farmers’ Market _____________________________________________________________ n Best Place for a Girls’ Night Out _____________________________________________________________ n Best West Suburban Venue for Live Theatre _____________________________________________________________ n Best West Suburban Venue for Live Music _____________________________________________________________ n Best Place to Take Your Dog or Pet _____________________________________________________________ n Best Sports Bar (to watch games on screen) _____________________________________________________________ n Best Area Art Gallery _____________________________________________________________ n Best Area Museum _____________________________________________________________ n Best Park or Forest Preserve _____________________________________________________________ n Best West Suburban Historic Landmark/Attraction _____________________________________________________________ n Best Movie Theatre _____________________________________________________________ n Best Place for Live Comedy (suburban or city) _____________________________________________________________ n Best Place to Go Dancing (suburban or city) _____________________________________________________________ n Best Weekend Getaway Destination in the Midwest _____________________________________________________________

sports & Fitness Favorite Chicago-Area Sports Team _____________________________________________________________ n Favorite Chicago-Area Athlete/Sports Personality _____________________________________________________________ n Best Area Golf Course Open to the Public _____________________________________________________________ n Best Ice Skating Rink _____________________________________________________________ n Best Area Bowling Alley _____________________________________________________________ n Best Gym or Workout Facility _____________________________________________________________ n Best Water Park and/or Public Swimming Facility _____________________________________________________________ n Best Running, Biking or Hiking Trail _____________________________________________________________ n

shopping Best New Store (opened within the past year) _____________________________________________________________ n Best Mall or Shopping Center _____________________________________________________________ n Best West Suburban Downtown Shopping District _____________________________________________________________ n Best Bargain Shopping, Discount or Outlet Store _____________________________________________________________ n Best Women’s Clothing Store or Boutique _____________________________________________________________ n Best Place to Buy Men’s Clothes _____________________________________________________________ n Best Place to Buy Children’s Clothes _____________________________________________________________ n Best Place to Buy Shoes _____________________________________________________________ n

Best Local Jeweler _____________________________________________________________ Best Kitchen & Housewares Store _____________________________________________________________ n Best Decorative Accessories for the Home _____________________________________________________________ n Best Place to Buy Appliances _____________________________________________________________ n Best Resale and/or Consignment Shop _____________________________________________________________ n Best Place to Buy Antiques/Vintage Finds ____________________________________________________________ n Most Unique Gift Shop _____________________________________________________________ n Best Nursery/Garden Center _____________________________________________________________ n Best Grocery, Food Market or Gourmet Shop _____________________________________________________________ n Best Area Bakery _____________________________________________________________ n n

services Best Hair Salon _____________________________________________________________ n Best Spa _____________________________________________________________ n Best Pet Service/Supply/Boutique _____________________________________________________________ n Best Wedding or Events Venue _____________________________________________________________ n Best Local Hotel _____________________________________________________________ n

general Best Area Celebrity (currently or previously lived in west suburbs) _____________________________________________________________ Favorite TV Broadcast News Personality _____________________________________________________________ n Favorite Radio Personality ____________________________________________________________ n Best or Most Impactful Local Charity or Not-for-Profit Group _____________________________________________________________ n Favorite Movie in the Past Year _____________________________________________________________ n Favorite TV Show _____________________________________________________________ n Best Book You’ve Recently Read _____________________________________________________________ n Area Town You’d Most Want to Live in Other than Your Own _____________________________________________________________ n n

downtown chicago Best Chicago Event or Festival Open to the Public _____________________________________________________________ n Best Live Music Venue Downtown _____________________________________________________________ n Best Live Theatre Venue Downtown _____________________________________________________________ n

1. Unless otherwise indicated, focus responses on establishments located in the western suburbs.

2. No photocopied entries accepted.

All surveys must be signed with a valid address and phone number to be eligible for prizes. Any organized effort deemed by the publisher as an effort to inappropriately influence vote totals in any category

will result in disqualification of those ballots.

3. We’d love to have you as a subscriber, but no purchase is required to win.

4. Void where prohibited. Must be 21 or older to win. Chance of winning depends on number of entries. Taxes, incidentals and gratuities not included.

Send entry forms to: West Suburban Living, P.O. Box 111, Elmhurst, IL 60126 NAME:______________________________________________________ ADDRESS:_________________________________________________________ TOWN/ZIP:_____________________________________ PHONE #:____________________________________ E-MAIL ADDRESS:__________________________________________ SIGNATURE:__________________________________________________________________ I’D ALSO LIKE TO SUBSCRIBE TO WEST SUBURBAN LIVING (not required for participation): $15 for one year $24 for two years Payment enclosed (and receive an extra issue absolutely free!)

2018 BEST OF THE WEST SURVEY.indd 19

12/21/17 8:54 AM

LOCAL AUTHORS

By Anne Knudsen

The Wellness Garden Willowbrook author shares the therapeutic and life-affirming benefits of gardening

F

ebruary is the best time of year to curl up with a good book — and plan your spring garden. In her latest book, nationally celebrated author and lifestyle expert Shawna Coronado brings gardening wisdom fresh from Willowbrook.

Better still, the focus is gardening for health — not only will you learn gardening techniques that limit physical strain, but you’ll cultivate goodfor-everyone organic vegetables and soulinspiring flowers.

Coronado has first-hand experience with the therapeutic values of gardening.

She details exactly how she learned to use her garden as a key tool in her own battle

with osteoarthritis and other chronic pain issues. Gorgeously photographed and filled with ideas, this book is also highly practical.

There’s advice on growing produce with specific health benefits, building raised beds

for easy access, and choosing ergonomic tools that transform garden chores into healthful exercise. Best of all, you’ll re-invent your garden as a life-affirming space for the quiet contemplation of nature’s beauty and bounty.

THE GIRLS IN THE PICTURE

YOUR VOICE, YOUR CHOICE by Dr. Catherine

A DISTANT HEART

by Sonali Dev of Naperville

BLACK STAR RENEGADES

by Melanie Benjamin of Glen Ellyn

Pesek Bird, formerly of Riverside

Infused with the rhythms of

by Michael Moreci of Oak Park

The New York Times bestselling

Written by a practicing medical

life in her native India, Dev’s

In the tradition of Star Wars,

author shines the light on the

mediator who comes from a

third novel is an exploration

Moreci’s science fiction novel

creative partnership between

family of physicians, this book

of the human heart. It is the story

is a galaxy-hopping space

two of Hollywood’s early female

is a practical yet empathetic

of a girl born to privilege who

adventure about a young misfit

legends, writer Frances Marion

guide to directing a loved one’s

develops an illness that keeps

and his rag-tag band of rebels

and screen goddess Mary

medical care — or your own.

her captive in the ivory tower

and scoundrels. From seedy

Pickford. In 1914, during the

Dr. Pesek Bird reviews care

of her home. A friendship with

bars in one star system to

heyday of silent movies, the

and treatment options for those

a young man hired to wash her

sacred temples in the next,

two women form a friendship

facing life-threatening illnesses,

windows opens her eyes to the

hero Cade Sura is on a quest

that is threatened by their

empowering readers to face

world and teaches her about

to find the ultimate weapon

enormous success and by

difficult choices, enlist the support

courage, loss and second

that has the power to vanquish

the men who dominate the

of family, and create a complete

chances. For more on the

a vengeful overlord and bring

glittering era in which they live.

medical care directive.

author, see Q&A on page 14.

peace to the galaxy.

20 FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

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MUSIC

|

THEATRE

|

COMEDY

|

ART

|

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

|

HOME & GARDEN

|

AND MUCH MORE

Brad Paisley: Weekend Warrior World Tour

Photo by Ben Enos large

OUT&ABOUT

February 24

Dustin Lynch

Chase Bryant

Photo by Ford Fairchild

Photo by Ford Fairchild

Photo courtesy of JJ Images

Allstate Arena Call 847 635-6601

Lindsay ell WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | FEBRUARY 2018 21

O&A Opener_02_18 FINAL.indd 21

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Calendar of Events

Feb 22 -25 51st Annual Elmhurst College Jazz Festival A winter festival featuring some of the top jazz artists and college bands in the country.

Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel, Elmhurst. Visit www.elmhurst.edu

Photo courtesy of Elmhurst College

Out&about

| 33 Variations | Feb 15 − 24, Wed − Sat, 7:30 p.m.

Additional show on Sat, Feb 24, 2 p.m. A play by Moises Kauffman in which a present-day musicologist tracks Beethoven’s obsession with adapting a mediocre waltz and provides insight into a musical genius that spans centuries. Cost: $10. Arena Theatre at Wheaton College, 433 N Howard St., Wheaton. 630 752.5800. | Too Much, Too Much, Too Many | Feb 16 – 23, Fri − Sat, 8 p.m. and Sun, 2 p.m. In this poignant, funny new drama by Meghan Kennedy, a grieving widow learns to break down the walls she has built to protect herself.

Cost: $18/15. Grove Players, Lincoln Center, 935 Maple Ave., Downers Grove. 630-415-3682 | Rose Colored Glass | Feb 16 – 25, Fri - Sat 7:30 p.m., Sun 3 p.m. This play, set in 1938 Chicago, shows the impact of American apathy to the impact of WW2 on European refugees, as reflected in the lives of two women running a delicatessen. Cost: $16/10. Gallery Theater Studio, 129 Main, West Chicago 630 234-5919

THEATRE | Dry Powder | Through Feb 4, Fri − Sat, 8 p.m. and Sun 3 p.m. The Midwest premiere of a biting satire by Sarah Burgess concerns the making of deals in the shadowy world of high finance. Cost: $28/22. Steel Beam Theatre, 111 W Main St., St. Charles. 630 587-8521 | Stella & Lou | Through Feb 10, Fri – Sat, 8 p.m. and Sun, 3 p.m. Additional show on Sat, Feb 3, 3 p.m. A heartfelt tale of friendship and forgiveness as kindred spirits navigate changing times and assuage late-in-life loneliness at their local watering hole. Cost: $18. Village Theatre Guild, 3S020 Park Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 469-8230 | Sex in the Title | Through Feb 11, Thur − Sun, Thur − Sat 8 p.m. and Sun 3 p.m. A contemporary farce where two successful London-based playwrights miss a deadline and end up in a real-life version of one of their own creations. Cost: $18/15. Playhouse 111, 111 N Hale St., Wheaton. 630 260-1820 | Love, Lies and the Doctor's Dilemma | Through Feb 24, Fri – Sat, 8 p.m. and Sun, 3 p.m. A domestic comedy where one little white lie leads to another, identities are mixed, doors are slammed and hi jinx ensue. Cost: $17/15. The Riverfront Playhouse, 11 & 13 S Water Street Mall, Aurora. 630 897-9496 | Women in Jeopardy | Through Feb 25, Wed & Fri − Sat, 8 p.m. and Thur − Sun, 3 p.m.; No show Thur, Feb 1; Also, 4 p.m. shows Saturdays Feb 10 − 24. A fun, flirtatious comedy where three divorced moms seek love — and try to avoid falling prey to a serial killer. Cost: $44/39. First Folio Theatre at Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W 31st St., Oak Brook 630 986-8067 | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | Through Mar 25, Wed − Sun, Wed 1:30 p.m., Thur 1:30 & 8 p.m., Fri 8 p.m., Sat 5 & 8:30 p.m. and Sun 2 & 6 p.m.

Rice & Lloyd Webber's biblically inspired Broadway show of power dreams and destiny. Cost:$62/47. Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Ln., Oakbrook Terrace. 630 530-0111 | Iphigenia Among the Taurians | Feb 1 − 4, Thur − Sat

7:30 p.m., Sat 2 & 7:30 p.m. and Sun 2 p.m. A Greek passion play by Euripides where an exiled princess deals with anger and betrayal — and a reunion with her longlost brother. Cost: $10/8. Madden Theatre, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469

| Zora | Thur, Feb 22, 7:30 p.m. This moving theatrical biography tells the story of Zora Neale Hurston, famed author of 20th-century African American literature in the Harlem Renaissance. Cost: $25. Spartan Auditorium at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin.

847 622-0300

| National Theatre Live: Peter Pan | Sun, Feb 4, 2 p.m.; Also, Thur, Feb 8, 7 p.m. A re-broadcast of the Bristol Old Vic's stage production of J.M. Barrie’s children's tale.

Cost: $24. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000

| Erasing the Distance | Feb 22 - 25, Thur - Sat, 7:30 p.m. and Sun, 3 p.m. True stories surrounding issues of mental health are shared by members of the Dominican community, as professional actors use the power of performance to disarm stigma, spark dialogue, and promote healing. Martin Recital Hall, Dominican University, 7900 W Division St., River Forest. 708 488-5000 . | Working | Feb 23 − Mar 4, Fri − Sat, 7:30 p.m. and Sun, 3 p.m. Based on the Studs Terkel book of interviews with American workers, this musical features new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda and favorites by Stephen Schwartz.

Cost: $20/18. SecondSpace Theatre at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin. 847 622-0300

| Cabaret | Feb 7 − Mar 18, Wed 1:30 & 7 p.m., Thur 7 p.m., Fri 8 p.m., Sat 3 & 8 p.m. and Sun 1 & 5 p.m. A Tony Award-winner, Kander & Ebbs' musical, set in 1930s Berlin, follows a cabaret singer and an aspiring writer caught up in the rise of Nazism. Cost: $64/36. Paramount Theatre, 23 E Galena Blvd., Aurora. 630 896-6666

| Three the Hard Way | Feb 23 – Mar 18, Fri − Sat 8 p.m. and Sun 3 p.m. The Midwest premiere of a comedy featuring three strong sisters who take steps to reconnect, grieve and re-frame their past and future.

Cost: $28/22. Steel Beam Theatre, 111 W Main St., St. Charles. 630 587-8521

| Radium Girls | Feb 8 − 18, Thur − Sat 8 p.m. and Sun 2:30 & 7:30 p.m.; Also, Sat, Feb 17, 2:30 p.m.; No 7:30 p.m. show on Sun, Feb 18. In 1926, radium is a miracle cure and luminous watches are the latest rage, until the girls who paint those watch dials begin to die. Cost: $22/20.

Theatre of Western Springs, 4384 Hampton Ave., Western Springs. 708 246-3380

| Last Night As King | Sat, Feb 24, 6:30 p.m. A family drama suitable for all ages written in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement. Cost: $10. Powerhouse Productions, Maggie Atcher Theatre at Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Ct., Schaumburg. 847-895-3600

| A Piece of My Heart | Feb 2 − 18, Fri − Sat, 8 p.m. and Sun, 2 p.m. An emotional drama in which six women recount stories of the raw trauma of active combat in the Vietnam War. Cost: $18/15. Elgin Art Showcase, 164 Division St., 8th Floor, Elgin. 847 741-0532

| On Golden Pond | Feb 9 − Mar 3, Thur – Fri 7:30 p.m. and Sat 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. A story of aging, love and forgiveness as an estranged family confronts old resentments and creates new bonds at an idyllic summer retreat. Overshadowed Productions, Medinah Baptist Church, 900 Foster Ave., Medinah.

630 634-2100 | Love Spats | Sun, Feb 12, 3:30 p.m. In this Valentine's tribute, professional actors recreate scenes from Shakespeare’s most famous fighting couples. $30/15.

Oak Park Festival Theatre. The 19th Century Club, 168 Forest Ave 167 Forest Ave. Oak Park. 708 445-4440

| I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change | Feb 28 − Mar 4, Wed − Fri 7:30 p.m., Sat 2 & 7:30 p.m. and Sun 2 p.m. This intimate musical comedy explores the taboos and stereotypes of love, romance and modern relationships. Cost: $15/10. Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S Ellsworth St., Naperville.

630 637-7469 | Mummenschanz: You & Me | Sat, Mar 3, 7:30 p.m.

This Swiss mask theater company celebrates 40 years of wordless yet poetic theatrical performance, offering insight into the human condition. Cost: $52/44. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000

22 FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

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COMEDY | Bobby Lee | Feb 10 – 11, Sat, 9:15 p.m. and Sun, 7 p.m. American actor/comedian best known as a cast member on "Mad TV" and for movie roles in “Pineapple Express” and “The Dictator.” Cost: $24. Chicago Improv, 5 Woodfield Mall K120B, Schaumburg. 847 240-2001 | Bret Ernst | Wed, Feb 14, 8 p.m. Comedian featured on “The Late Late Show” and “Chelsea Lately.” Cost: $25 + 2 item min. Zanies Comedy Club, Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E Main St., St. Charles. 630 584-6300 | The Best of the Second City | Sat, Feb 17, 6 & 9 p.m.

Chicago's top sketch team performs its trademark improv, reliving 50 years of Chicago's comedy history.

Cost: $46/32. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000 | Vir Das | Feb 23 – 24, Fri 8 & 10.30 p.m., Sat 7 & 9:30 p.m.

The biggest English-speaking comedian in India brings Bollywood-influenced comedic chops to American audiences. Cost: $25 + 2 item min. Zanies Comedy Club, Parkway Bank Park, 5437 Park Pl., Rosemont. 847 813-0484

| Gospel Extravaganza | Sat, Feb 3, 7:30 p.m. This 30th annual event brings together some of the best gospel choirs in Chicago. Cost: $15/10. Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469 | Hairball | Sat, Feb 3, 7:30 p.m. Vocalists Bobby, Steve and Joe Dandy lead a two-hour homage to some of the biggest arena acts in the world, including Van Halen, KISS, Motley Crue, Queen, Journey and Aerosmith. Cost: $35/20. Rialto Square Theatre, 15 E Van Buren St., Joliet.

815 726-6600 | Akropolis Reed Quintet | Sun, Feb 4, 2:15 p.m. Winners of six national chamber music awards, the popular quintet takes the audience on a high-energy adventure through classical and contemporary selections.

The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. www.mortonarb.org or 630 719-2468 | Brad Stirtz | Fri, Feb 9, 8 p.m. Vibraphonist and professional mallet percussionist who has performed in Uganda, Trinidad and across the US brings jazz and musical improv. Cost: $20/15. Madden Theatre, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469 | The Fab Four: The World's Foremost Beatles Tribute| Fri, Feb 9, 8 p.m. Four seasoned musicians salute every era of The Beatles' ever-changing career, featuring hit songs from multiple eras. Cost: $89/49. Arcada Theatre, 105 E Main St., St. Charles. 630 962-7000

MUSIC | Elgin Master Chorale: The Life and Music of Leonard Bernstein | Fri, Feb 2, 10 a.m. In its 71st season, the chorale presents popular Bernstein repertoire. Cost: $24/19. Blizzard Theatre at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin.www.elginmasterchorale.com

| Andrew & Casey Calhoun | Sat, Feb 10, 7:30 p.m.

Duo of accomplished folk singer and songwriter and his daughter launch the CD “Skeins,” with guest appearance by singer and guitarist Amelia Sweet

Bluebird. Cost: $15. Maple Street Concerts, Maple Street Chapel, 200 S Main St., Lombard. 630 627-0171 | Chicago Gargoyle Brass and Organ Ensemble: Shakespeare Valentines | Sat, Feb 10, 7:30 p.m. With the Oriana Singers and City Voices, the ensemble presents a world premiere of British composer Peter Meechan’s “Love Songs (Shakespeare),” a work for brass, pipe organ and chorus. Cost: $20. First United Church of Oak Park, 848 Lake St., Oak Park. www.gargoylebrass.com | Mojo & The Bayou Gypsies | Sat, Feb 10, 7:30 p.m.

Louisiana/Cajun Zydeco-style band performs rock & roll and blues rhythms from New Orleans. For prices for Mardi Gras dinner, visit www.atthemac.org. Cost: $53/48.

Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000 | Yamato Drummers of Japan | Sat, Feb 10, 7:30 p.m.

Traditional percussion virtuosity infused with original compositions and theatrical singing. Cost: $45/10. Edman Memorial Chapel at Wheaton College, NE corner of Washington and Franklin St., Wheaton. 630 752-5010 | DuPage Symphony Orchestra | Sat, Feb 10, 8 p.m.

Joined by local father-son duo Stefan and Alexander Hersh, the orchestra performs songs from Brahms and Thompson. Cost: $38/15. Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469 | 3 Doors Down Acoustic: Back Door Jam Tour | Sat, Feb 10, 8 p.m. Alternative rock band, best known for hit songs "Kryptonite" and "Here Without You." Cost: $59/34. Rialto Square Theatre, 15 E Van Buren St., Joliet.

815 726-6600

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O&A_02_18 FINAL.indd 23

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OUT&ABOUT

Calendar of Events

| Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest: Folk Tales & Legends | Sun, Feb 11, 3 p.m. One of the nation's oldest community orchestras presents story-themed selections from Bruch, Dvorak, Canteloube and Ravel.

Lund Auditorium at Dominican University, 7900 Division St., River Forest. 708 488-5000 | 10th Annual Explore the Sound X | Fri, Feb 16, 7:30 p.m. Choral and instrumental ensembles perform across genres. Cost: $10/3. Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469

Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake St., Oak Park. Additional performance on Sat, Feb. 17, 8 p.m. at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave, Naperville. www.chicagoacappella.org or 773 281-7820 | Evan Tyrone Martin: Unforgettable — Falling in Love with Nat King Cole| Sat, Feb 17, 7 p.m. Popular Chicago leading man takes the audience on a musical journey. Cost: $30. Blizzard Theatre at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin. 847 622-0300 | Gin Blossoms: 25th Anniversary of New Miserable Experience Tour | Sat, Feb 17, 8 p.m. Jangle-pop and grunge band of the 1980s revives the tour that launched its breakthrough including chart topper “Hey Jealousy.”

Cost: $89/39. Arcada Theatre, 105 E Main St., St. Charles.

630 962-7000

| Shades of Bublé | Fri, Feb 16, 7:30 p.m. This threevoice tribute band performs from the repertoire of the classically trained Italian-Canadian singer, including hits like "Home" and "Haven't Met You Yet" as well as his covers of Sinatra. Cost: $28. Batavia Fine Arts Centre, 1201 Main St., Batavia. 630 937-8930

| Berlin Philharmonic Piano Quartet | Sun, Feb 18, 3 p.m. Classical, romantic and modern repertoire from the chamber music ensemble comprised of three members of the Berliner Philharmoniker and a world-renowned concert pianist. Cost: $30/20. Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469

| Songbook: Steven Page and the Art of Time Ensemble | Fri, Feb 16, 7:30 p.m. Former lead singer of Barenaked Ladies joins forces with the Torontobased group to perform songs from Radiohead, Elvis Costello, Leonard Cohen and others. Cost: $51/24 Lund Auditorium at Dominican University, 7900 W Division St., River Forest. 708 488-5000

| ¡Cubanismo! | Sun, Feb 18, 3 p.m. Founded by legendary trumpeter Jesús Alemañy, the all-star orchestra celebrates the legacy of Cuba and big band sound in dance music from rumbas to cha chas and lesser known rhythms from around the world. Cost: $52/44. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000

Feb 10 CHICAGO GARGOYLE BRASS AND ORGAN ENSEMBLE: SHAKESPEARE VALENTINES Joined by the Oriana Singers and City Voices, the ensemble presents the world premiere of British composer Peter Meechan’s “Love Songs (Shakespeare).” First United Church of Oak Park. www.gargoylebrass.com

Photo courtesy of Chicago Gargoyle Brass and Organ Ensemble

| Little Big Town: The Breakers Tour | Fri, Feb 16, 7:30 p.m. Famed country music quartet headlines the tour that also features special guests Kacey Musgraves and Midland. Cost: $75/25. Allstate Arena, 6920 N Mannheim Rd., Rosemont. 847 635-6601

the recently launched “Songs from the Cellar.” Cost: $27.

Joe’s Live, 5441 Park Pl., Rosemont. 847 261-0392 | Brad Paisley: Weekend Warrior World Tour | Sat, Feb 24, 7 p.m. American country music singer-songwriter, supported by Dustin Lynch, Chase Bryant and multiinstrumentalist Lindsay Ell. Cost: $219/29. Allstate Arena, 6920 N Mannheim Rd., Rosemont. 847 635-6601 | Elmhurst Choral Union: Medley of Melodies | Sat, Feb 24, 7 p.m. A repertoire of choral and solo performances from operatic, Broadway and folk genres. First United Methodist Church, 232 S York, Elmhurst. 630 758-1100 | Daniel O’Donnell: Back Home Again Tour | Sat, Feb 24, 8 p.m. Irish singer and TV presenter who topped the charts in the 1980s performs classic pop. Cost: $125/59.

Arcada Theatre, 105 E Main St., St. Charles. 630 962-7000 | Regina Carter: Simply Ella | Sat, Feb 24, 8 p.m. Known as the foremost jazz violinist of her generation, Carter gives new zest to songs recorded by Ella Fitzgerald.

Cost: $60/50. Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469 | Metropolis Oboe Quartet | Sun, Feb 25, 2:30 p.m.

The chamber ensemble formed a decade ago brings Scott Stevenson’s "Three Quark Pieces," a modern jazz arrangement. Cost: $18. Fermilab’s Ramsey Auditorium, Kirk Rd. and Pine St., Batavia. 630 840-2787 | Tammy McCann: Tenderly Nat King Cole | Sun, Feb 25, 6 p.m. Premier jazz vocalist sings sultry and sophisticated stylings in this "Unforgettable" Valentine's performance. Cost: $35/30. Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469 | Broadway Live! | Sun, Feb 25, 7 p.m. Experience the magic of a nostalgic journey through classic moments on The Great White Way, presented by six popular Broadway artists. Cost: $38/36. Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Ct., Schaumburg. 847 895-3600 | Arrival: The Music of ABBA | Fri, Mar 2, 8 p.m.

Premier ABBA tribute band performs the Swedish sensation's hits using exact replicas of the original staging, costumes and orchestrations. Cost: $85/35.

Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N River Rd., Rosemont.

847 671-5100 | The BoDeans | Fri, Mar 2, 8 p.m. Regarded as one of the best live acts in the business, the 1980s band from Waukesha, Wis., brings classic rock music with everyman lyrics. Cost: $89/49. Arcada Theatre, 105 E Main St., St. Charles. 630 962-7000

| University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club | Fri, Feb 16, 7:30 p.m. Founded in 1859 and considered one of the finest male choruses in the world, the club presents repertoire ranging from Renaissance compositions, romantic anthems, opera choruses, folk songs and contemporary works. Norris Cultural Arts Center, 1040 Dunham Rd., St. Charles. 630 584-7200 | Chicago A Cappella: Love Stories | Fri, Feb 16, 8 p.m. Incorporating a script by Tom Mula performed by two accomplished Chicago actors, the chorus presents a love-drenched program ranging from erotic Renaissance madrigals to sultry jazz standards.

| 51st Annual Elmhurst College Jazz Festival | Thur – Sun, Feb 22 – 25. A winter festival featuring some of the top jazz artists and college bands in the country, with a line-up including the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Jiggs Whigham, Matt Wilson and Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. Visit website for schedule and tickets. Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel, Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. www.elmhurst.edu | Phil Vassar: Crank Up the Sun Tour | Fri, Feb 23, 8 p.m. $27. Country music singer-songwriter who has written or performed with country greats Tim McGraw and Jo Dee Messina performs earlier hits and new songs from

| Bill McGlaughlin on Leonard Bernstein | Sat, Mar 3, 7 p.m. Musician, musicologist, storyteller and nationally syndicated radio host presents a live version of his radio show, “Exploring Music,” in an exploration of American music titan, Leonard Bernstein. Norris Cultural Arts Center, 1040 Dunham Rd., St Charles. 630 584-7200 | Get the Led Out | Sat, Mar 3, 8 p.m. Led Zeppelin tribute band takes the audience on ride through the annals of rock & roll and heavy metal. Cost: $65/20. Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N River Rd., Rosemont.

847 671-5100 | Black Oak Ensemble | Sun, Mar 4, 2:15 p.m. Chicagobased trio of violin, viola and cello plays select classical pieces to celebrate the natural world. Arbor Room of

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Mar 2 ARRIVAL: THE MUSIC OF ABBA Premier ABBA tribute band performs the Swedish sensations' hits using exact replicas of the famous staging, costumes and orchestrations at Rosemont Theatre. Call 847 671-5100 the Thornhill Education Center at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. 630 719-2468

Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000

| Orion Ensemble: Old Meets New | Sun, Mar 4, 7 p.m. In its 25th season, the all-female chamber music ensemble, joined by guest viola Stephen Boe, plays pieces from Bruch, Klein, Huydts and Fauré. Cost: $26/13.

First Baptist Church of Geneva, 2300 South St., Geneva. www.orionensemble.org

| Riverdance | Feb 23 − 24, Fri 8 p.m. and Sat 2 & 8 p.m. The internationally celebrated Irish dance troupe performs as part of its 20th Anniversary World Tour with a blend of dance, music and song. Cost: $75/35. Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N River Rd., Rosemont. 847 671-5100

| The Marshall Tucker Band | Fri, Mar 4, 8 p.m. Forty years on and still rocking, the band plays a mix of classic rock and country, with old favorites and new recordings.

Cost: $49/25. Joe’s Live, 5441 Park Pl., Rosemont.

847 261-0392

ART

| Angela Ingersoll: Judy Garland, Come Rain or Shine | Sat, Mar 10, 7:30 p.m. Award-wining singer captures the power and presence of the famous singer with her renditions of "Over the Rainbow," "Get Happy" and other golden-age hits. Cost: $30/28. Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Ct., Schaumburg. 847 895-3600 | Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra: Water | Sun, Mar 11, 2, 4:30 & 7:30 p.m. Regional youth orchestra performs the music of Bernstein, Bach and others. Cost: $25/14.

Blizzard Theatre at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin. 847 622-0300 | Axiom Brass | Sun, Mar 11, 2:30 p.m. This award-winning quintet performs "Celestial Suite" by local composer, James Stephenson. Cost: $18. Fermilab’s Ramsey Auditorium, Kirk Rd. and Pine St., Batavia. 630 840-2787

DANCE | Dancing with the Stars Live | Sat, Feb 3, 8 p.m. A live rendition of the popular TV show, featuring new ballroom and contemporary dances. Cost: $63/53. Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N River Rd., Rosemont. 847 671-5100 | Dublin Irish Dance: Stepping Out | Sun, Feb 11, 2 p.m.

World champion Irish step dancers, accompanied by an eight-member Irish band and vocalist. Cost: $59/48.

| Differentiating Similarities: Joe Milosevich & Colin Sherrell | Through Feb 21, Mon − Fri 8 a.m. − 8 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. − 5 p.m. and Sun noon − 8 p.m. A joint exhibit featuring Milosevich’s collected vintage objects in elaborate assemblages and Sherrell’s meticulously hand-fabricated minimal and conceptual sculptures made from everyday objects. Oesterle Library Gallery, 320 E School St., Naperville. 630 637-5375 | Rene Lalondé: Art of Love | Through Feb 28, Mon − Sat, 10 a.m. − 9 p.m., Sun 11 a.m. − 6 p.m. Blending the traditions of surrealism, cubism and fauvism, contemporary artist creates imagery that conjures up the security people search for in life. Martin Lawrence Gallery, 5 Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg. 630 954- 3033 | Gertrude Abercrombie: Portrait of the Artist As a Landscape | Through Mar 4, Tue − Thur & Sat − Sun 11 a.m. − 5 p.m. and Fri 11 a.m. − 7 p.m. A collection of 40 surrealist paintings and "psychic self portraits" by 20th century Chicago artist. Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst. 630 834-0202 | The Boomer List: Photographs by Timothy Greenfield Sanders | Through Mar 17, Tue − Fri, 10 a.m. − 4 p.m. A traveling exhibition from Newseum/AARP featuring 19 large-format portraits of people from the influential baby boomer generation. Heritage Gallery in Pre-Emption House at Naper Settlement, 523 S Webster St., Naperville. 630 420-6010 | Michelle Grabner with Tony Tasset, James Welling and Paula Crown | Through Mar 18, Tue − Thur & Sat WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | FEBRUARY 2018 25

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Calendar of Events

− Sun 11 a.m. − 5 p.m. and Fri 11 a.m. − 7 p.m. Led by acclaimed Chicago artist, writer and curator Grabner, this exhibit features multi-media creations that reflect domestic settings. Cost: $9/8. Mies van der Rohe’s McCormick House at Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst. 630 834-0202

Photo courtesy of Allstate Arena

Out&about

Mar 2 - 5 Monster Jam Triple Threat Series Watch world-class drivers as they compete and perform tricks at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.

Call 847 635-660

| Smithsonian Gems | Through Mar 31, Tue − Sat, 10 a.m. − 5 p.m. and Sun, 1 − 5 p.m. Twelve pieces from the National Museum of Natural History highlight American jewelry designers. Cost: $5/2. Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, 220 Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst. 630 833-1616 | Rich Bartow: Things You Know But Cannot Explain | Through Apr 13, Mon, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Tues, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Wed – Fri, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. A retrospective exhibition of paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints by one of the nation’s most prominent contemporary Native American artists. Schingoethe Art Gallery, Aurora University, 347 S Gladstone Ave., Aurora. 630 844-7843 | 1917: Catalyst for the Modern Era | Through July 30, Mon – Fri, 9:30 a.m. − 4 p.m. and Sat − Sun, noon − 4 p.m.

An exhibit shedding light on the catastrophe of WWI and its century-long aftermath. DuPage County Historical Museum, 102 E Wesley St., Wheaton. 630 520-4941 | Faheem Majeed: Unite | Feb 8 − Apr 7, Mon – Thur 11 a.m. − 7 p.m., Sat 11 a.m. − 3 p.m. Majeed’s art is informed by civic-mindedness, community activism, and institutional racism. Cleve Carney Art Gallery, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-2321

FAMILY & GENERAL | Enchanted Railroad | Through Feb 19, Mon – Sun, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Watch ten intricately engineered model rail trains wind their way through miniature scenery and tree collections from around the world. The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. 630 968-0074

Photo courtesy of Downtown Downers Grove

| The Magic of Tony Venetico | Feb 2 − 4, Fri − Sat 7 p.m. and Sun 1 p.m. Magic, mind-reading and mentalism

Feb 9-10 Ice Fest: Downtown Downers Grove Live ice carving demonstrations and displays, plus in-store promotions featuring the Ice Queen and the Ice Princess in Downtown Downers Grove. Call 630 725-0991

in a show meant for all ages. Cost: $15/12. Vero Voce Theatre, 951 State Ave., St. Charles. 630 965-0825 | Global Flicks | Feb 7 - Mar 14, Wednesdays, 1:30 & 7:30 p.m. Foreign movie series, including “The Salesman” (Iran), “Like Cotton Twines” (Ghana), “Monsoon” (India) and“Sweet Bean”(Japan).Playhouse Theatre at McAninch Art Center, 426 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000 | National Geographic Live Series: Exploring the Red Planet | Fri, Feb 9, 2 & 7:30 p.m. NASA mechanical engineer Kobie Boykins shares his experiences and discusses the planet Mars and space exploration. Cost: $36/26. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000

World-class male and female drivers race in the same championship, then face off in the donut, wheelie and freestyle competitions. Cost: $75/25. Allstate Arena, 6920 N Mannheim Rd., Rosemont. 847 635-6601

KIDS | Lambing at Kline Creek Farm | Through Feb 5, Thur – Mon, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Welcome the season’s new lambs — maybe as they’re being born — and learn about the role livestock played on an 1890s farm. 1N600 County Farm Rd., West Chicago. 630 876-5900.

| Ice Fest: Downtown Downers Grove | Feb 9 –10, Fri, 5:30 p.m. and Sat 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Live ice sculpture carving demonstrations, plus in-store promotions featuring the Ice Queen and the Ice Princess. Downtown Downers Grove. www.downtowndg.org or 630 725-0991

| Winter Play | Through Feb 28, Mon − Sun, 11 a.m. − 3 p.m. Come to the Children's Garden for wintertime fun, with activities to complement the weather that day, such as painting snow or building a fort. The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. www.mortonarb.org

| Microfest | Sat, Feb 10, 7 p.m. Annual festival provides audiences with beer and bites as well as The Queen’s Cartoonists, a jazz band that specializes in performing the music of beloved cartoons, and Danger Circus, where a mad scientist, a magician and a juggler perform death-defying stunts. Cost: $26. Blizzard Theatre at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin. 847 622-0300

| Gnome Hunt | Through Mar 31, Sat − Sun, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Explore the Children's Garden by finding all the hidden gnomes. The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. www.mortonarb.org or 630 968-0074

| Disney on Ice: Dream Big | Feb 22 - 25, Thur - Fri, 7 p.m., Sat, 11 a.m., Sun 1 p.m. Pro-skaters interpret the big dreams of Disney’s courageous leading ladies including Ariel, Belle, Jasmine and Cinderella through artistic skating and acrobatics. Cost: $15. BMO Harris Bank Center, 300 Elm St., Rockford. 800 745-3000 | Golden Dragon Acrobats | Sat, Feb 24, 7 p.m. The premiere Chinese acrobatic troupe performs with award-winning acrobatics, traditional dance, costumes, ancient and contemporary music and theatrical techniques. Cost: $38/19. Fermilab’s Ramsey Auditorium, Kirk Rd. and Pine St., Batavia. 630 840-2787 | Monster Jam Triple Threat Series | Mar 2 − 5, Fri 7 p.m., Sat 1 & 7 p.m., Sun, 1 & 6:30 p.m. and Mon, 7 p.m.

| The 13th Story Treehouse | Tue, Feb 6, 9:45 & 11:30 a.m. Based on the #1 international bestselling book series by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, this play shows children the treehouse where magical moments come to life. Cost: $8. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000 | Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream | Feb 7 − 11, Wed − Thur 7 p.m., Fri 10:30 a.m. & 7 p.m. and Sat − Sun 11 a.m. and 3 & 7 p.m. Join Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel, Belle, Moana and Cinderella as they shape — and skate — their own destinies. Cost: $164/36 Allstate Arena, 6920 N Mannheim Rd., Rosemont. 847 635-6601 | Legally Blonde, Jr. | Feb 9 – 12, Fri & Sun 6 p.m. and Sat & Mon 2 p.m. A fun musical romp as Harvard's beloved blonde takes a glittery journey to self-empowerment.

Cost: $17/12. Steel Beam Theatre, 111 W Main St., St. Charles. 630 587-8521

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| Darci Lynne & Friends | Sun, Feb 11, 7 p.m. The 13-year-old winner of “America’s Got Talent” brings her puppet friends for an evening of music, stories and fun. Cost: $97/27. Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N River Rd., Rosemont. 847 671-5100 | Disney's Beauty & the Beast, Jr. | Mar 2 − 11, Fri − Sat, 7 p.m. and Sat – Sun, 3 p.m.; Also, Wed Mar 7– 8, Wed – Thur, 7 p.m. No 7 p.m. show on Sat, Mar 10. Disney's musical retelling of the classic fairy tale. Cost: $15/10.

Theatre of Western Springs, 4384 Hampton Ave., Western Springs. 708 246-3380 | 11th Annual Chords for Kids Concert | Sat, Mar 3, 7 p.m. A concert for children with special needs featuring classical music as well as popular tunes. Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469 | My Heart in a Suitcase | Mon, Mar 5, 10 a.m. When their life in 1938 Germany becomes unsafe,Anne Lehmann and her family struggle with the decision to either separate and survive or stay together. Cost: $6. Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N Chicago St., Joliet. 815 726-6600

HISTORY | Freedom: A History of US | Through Mar 11, Tue − Fri, 1 - 5 p.m. and Sat 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. A touring exhibit of rare items related to America’s struggle for freedom, including a printed draft of the U.S. Constitution, Lincoln’s handwritten speech notes, and letters from veterans from the Civil War and WWI. Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E Park Ave., Elmhurst. 630 833-1457 | Death in DuPage | Through June 24, Mon − Fri 9:30 a.m. − 4 p.m. and Sat − Sun noon − 4 p.m. Explore codes of dress, mourning traditions and how dying was understood by the people of the past. DuPage County Historical Museum, 102 E Wesley St., Wheaton. 630 510-4941 | Military History Fest, Reenacting & Trade Faire | Feb 2 – 4, Fri noon – 7 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. , Sun 10 a.m.

- 2 p.m. An indoor convention for military history buffs, re-enactors, collectors and cultural historians. Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 East Main St., St. Charles. 630 584-6300 | Victorian Valentines | Feb 10 − 11, Sat − Sun, 1 − 3 p.m.

Create Victorian Valentines and learn of their history as treasured keepsakes. For ages 3 and up. Registration required. Suggested donation: $3. DuPage County Historical Museum, 102 E Wesley St., Wheaton. 630 510-4941 | Lincoln the Storyteller | Sun, Feb 11, 1 p.m. Lincoln expert Kevin Wood shares some of the president's favorite stories, anecdotes and jokes. Cost: $10. Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Ct., Schaumburg. 847 895-3600 | The Lincolns Present | Sun, Feb 11, 2 – 3:30 p.m.

Re-enacting the eve of the President's birthday, Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln prepare for his most famous speech, The Gettysburg Address, followed by a Q&A session and crafts for children. Cost: $5. Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E Park Ave., Elmhurst. www.elmhursthistory.org or 630 833-1457 | Portrayal of Maria Callas | Sat, Mar 3, 2 p.m. Portrayed by actress Maria Boundas Bakalis, this Greek-American soprano is known as one of the most renowned opera singers in the 20th century. Cost: $10/5. Glen Ellyn History Center, 800 N Main St., Glen Ellyn. 630 469-1867 WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | FEBRUARY 2018 27

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Calendar of Events

LOVE NEVER DIES

Photo by Joan Marcus

Out&about

HOME & GARDEN | Succulent Day at The Growing Place | Sat, Feb 17, 11 a.m. Learn ways to use succulents in containers and in the garden, then stay for a boxed lunch or bring-yourown lunch and a 1 p.m. session on planting a succulent container. Registration required. The Growing Place, 2000 Montgomery Road, Aurora. 630 355-4000 | Birdhouse Workshop | Sat, Feb 24, 10 – 11:30 a.m. and 2 - 3:30 p.m. Learn about birds and decorate a wooden birdhouse to take home, then take a short walk through the woods to discover winter birds living at the Arboretum. Cost: $13. Visitors Center at The Morton Arboretum. 4100 Illinois Route 59, Lisle. 630 968-0074

Wor th Going Downtown For Rodin: Sculptor and Storyteller Through Mar 4, Fri - Wed, 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thur, 10:30 a.m.

- 8 p.m. This focused exhibition brings together sculptures and drawings from private collections and the museum’s holdings to explore the artist’s creative process and narrative skill. Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S Michigan Ave. www.artic.edu

Elizabeth Cree Sat, Feb 10 and Fri, Feb 16, 7:30 p.m. ; Sun, Feb 18, 3 p.m. World premiere of operatic thriller by Pulitzer Prizewinning duo Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell, inspired by the Jack the Ripper murders in Victorian England. Cost: $145/45. Chicago Opera Theatre, The Studebaker Theater, 410 S Michigan Ave. 312 704-8414

Short Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream Feb 3 – Mar 10. A 75-minute abridged version of the Bard's comedy-romance performed at Chicago's bold new theatre venue.Cost: $34. The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, 800 East Grand Ave. 312 595-5600

Love Never Dies Feb 14 – Mar 4.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel to Broadway phenomenon The Phantom of the Opera takes audiences on a roller coaster ride of intrigue, obsession and romance. Cost: $907/66. Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W Randolph St., www.broadwayinchicago. com or 800 775-2000

Mavis Staples Feb 3, 6 p.m. The gospel music legend and civil rights activist performs from her "If All I Was Was Black" album.

Cost: $ The Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield. 773 472-0449 Judy Collins Feb 4, 8 p.m.

World-celebrated vocalist and songwriter best known for her renditions of "Both Sides Now" and "Send in the Clowns." Cost: $68/55. City Winery, 1200 W Randolph St. www.citywinery.com I Puritani Feb 4 – 28. Bellini’s final opera known for some of the most thrilling vocal music ever written is a sweeping historical drama where young lovers are caught up in a conflict between opposing political factions. Cost: $242/34. Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Dr. 312 332-2244 You Got Older Feb 5 – Mar 11.

A bawdy, irreverant yet touching dark comedy by up-and-coming playwright Clare Barron, directed

by Jonathan Berry. Cost: $89/20.

Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N. Halsted St. 312 335-1650

Chippendales: About Last Night Tour Sat, Feb 17, 6 & 9:30 p.m. Broadway and burlesqueinspired touring dance group known for male striptease. Cost: $85/25. House of Blues, 329 N Dearborn St. 312 923-2000 Cosi Fan Tuti Feb 17 – Mar 28.

An audience favorite, Mozart's romantic comedy explores risk, love and faithfulness. Cost: $299/17. Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Dr. 312 332-2244 Mary Stuart Feb 21 – Apr 15.

The clash between Elizabeth I, Queen of England, and her jailed cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. Cost: $68/48. Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E Grand Ave. 312 595-5600 Steve Winwood Thur, Feb 22, 8 p.m. Grammy Award-winning British rocker, multi-instrumentalist and former member of Traffic brings a mix of rock, rhythm & blues and jazz. Cost: $125/45.

The Chicago Theatre,175 N State St. 312 462-6300

A Day to Remember Sat, Feb 24, 6:30 p.m. Billboard charttopping pop-punk and metal core band is joined on tour by special guests Papa Roach, Falling in Reverse and The Devil Wears Prada.Cost: $43/17.

UIC Pavilion, 525 S. Racine Ave. 312 413-5700 Romeo Santos Wed, Feb 28, 8 p.m. American singer-songwriter, Latin pop sensation and former lead vocalist of the bachata band Aventura makes a tour stop in Chicago. Cost: $145/60.

United Center, 1901 W Madison St. 312 455-4500 Chicago Heroes Event Mar 3 – 4, Sat 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sun 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Meet popular celebrities from several hit NBC series, including “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago PD” and “Chicago Med,” with guests Sophia Bush, Jesse Lee Soffer and others.

Cost: $50. Festival Hall B at Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave. www.oceproductions.com or 800 595-7437 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Revelations Mar 7 – 11.

Celebrated contemporary dance company performs its signature masterpiece, paying homage to African-American culture. Cost: $120/41. Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E Congress Pkwy. www.auditoriumtheatre.org or 800 982-2787 An Enemy of the People Mar 10 - Apr 13. Henrik Ibsen’s master work as directed by Robert Falls concerns the combative struggle of politics and ethics surrounding the contamination of a town’s water supply. Cost: $70/28.

The Albert, Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn St. 312 334-7777

FASHION & BRIDAL | Luxury Bridal Expo and Fashion Show with Monte Durham | Wed, Feb 21, 5 – 10 p.m. Mingle with 90 of Chicago's top wedding professionals for hundreds of ideas to personalize your wedding, then enjoy a couture runway show presented by Monte Durham of TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress.” Cost: $25/10. Drury Lane Theatre,100 Drury Ln., Oakbrook Terrace. 847-428-3320, ext. 225 | Bridal Showcase | Sat, Feb 24, 9 a.m. – noon. Brides and bridal parties will discover a variety of vendors from photographers, videographers and officiants to florists, caterers and bakers to help plan the big day, while the budget savvy can participate in a “Something Borrowed” bridal swap. Shannon Hall, 14 N Van Buren St., Batavia. 630 879-5235. | Windy City Wedding Show | Sun, Mar 11, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. A full day of wedding planning with convenient one-stop shopping for everything bridal, followed by a fashion show of gowns and men’s formal wear. Cost: $20. Embassy Suites Naperville, 1823 Abriter Court, Naperville.949 830-2952

OUTDOORS | Cross-Country Skiing & Snowshoeing | Through Mar 18, Mon − Sun, Mon − Fri 10 a.m. − 4 p.m. and Sat − Sun 9 a.m. − 4 p.m. Rent snowshoes or skis and set off on an adventure among the snow-capped trees. Cost: $17/11.

Visitors Center at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinoiis Route 53, Lisle. 630 968-0074 | Ice A Palooza | Sat, Feb 3, 11 a.m. − 2 p.m. Ice skating, an on-site ice sculptor, a bonfire and a meet-andgreet with Snow Queen Elsa and Snow Princess Ana. Central Athletics Complex Ice Rinks, 500 S Naperville Rd., Wheaton. www.wheatonparkdistrict.com | Wonders of Winter | Sat, Feb 3, 10 a.m. − 1 p.m. Go on a horse-drawn hayride and try ice fishing, geocaching, snowshoeing and other winter activities. Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 31st St, Oak Brook. 630 933-7248 | Ice Fishing for Families | Sun, Feb 4, 1 – 3 p.m.

Equipment and bait are provided to help families with children ages 6 and up try fishing on the ice, if conditions permit. Registration required. Herrick Lake Forest Preserve, Butterfield Rd. 630 933-7248. | Cocoa in the Conifers | Sat, Feb 10 and Sat, Feb 17,

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10 a.m. - noon. Join an Arboretum expert for hot cocoa and a winter stroll through the conifers. Cost: $20/16.

Administrative Building, The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53. www.mortonarb.org or 630 968-0074 | Introductory Curling Day | Sat, Feb 17, 1 - 5 p.m.

Windy City Curling Club leads participants ages 8 and up through throwing a stone, sweeping the ice and basic curling strategy; no skates required. Newton Park, 707 Fairview Avenue, Glen Ellyn. www.gepark.org | Skate with the Greats | Sun, Feb 18, 2 - 4 p.m.

Hockey fans are welcomed to a family fun-filled afternoon skating around the rink with Chicago Blackhawk alums and current player Patrick Sharp.

Cost: $125/75. MB Financial Park, 5501 Park Pl., Rosemont. www.ronaldhousechicago.org/skate

FOOD & DRINK | In Good Taste Restaurant Week | Through Feb 3.

Enjoy Wheaton’s tastiest dining experiences as restaurants offer special menu items, discounts, prix fixe menus, special events and more. 134 W Front St., Wheaton. www.downtownwheaton.com | Naperville Restaurant Week | Through Feb 8.

From fancy to casual, the city's restaurants showcase their menus, offering prix fixe and discounted selections. Various locations in downtown Naperville. www.dinenaperville.com | Chocolate Weekend | Feb 9 − 11, Fri 5 − 9 p.m.

(members only), Sat and Sun, 9 a.m. − 4 p.m. Buy specialty chocolates and treats, sample an array of chocolate and celebrate its deeply rooted tree history.

The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle.

630 968-0074 | The 1836 Event | Fri, Feb 16, 6 – 9 p.m. Celebrate historic downtown Lockport, established in 1836, by attending an evening of cocktails, hor d’oeuvres, wine tastings and a silent auction. Cost: $50. 200 W 8th St., Lockport. www.visitlockport.com | 6th Annual Winter Smoke | Sat, Feb 17, 2 – 5 p.m.

Presented by the Illinois BBQ Alliance and featuring music by Borrowed Time, the afternoon includes drinks and all-you-can-eat BBQ, with proceeds going to support Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief. Cost: $50/40. Joe’s Live, 5441 Park Pl, Rosemont. 847 261-0392

LECTURES | Rick Steves: Travel As a Political Act | Fri, Feb 9, 7 p.m. Host of PBS show “Rick Steves’ Europe, this bestselling author talks about the transformational power of travel to help gain broader perspectives. Cost: $10.

Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel, Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. www.elmhurst.edu | The Martin Luther King Jr. Intercultural Lecture | Wed, Feb 21, 4 p.m. Rev. Dr. L. Bernard Jakes, a public policy consultant on statewide issues asks if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 20th century voice is relevant today.

Cost: $10, Frick Center, Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. www.elmhurst.edu

| Joliet Area Restaurant Week | Feb 18 – 25. Popular area restaurants offer deals and discounts in and around the city. www.jolietrestaurantweek.com

| Joanne Lipman | Mon, Feb 26, 7 p.m. Editor-inChief of USA Today signs That’s What She Said, the story of her journey to the top of a male-dominated industry. Anderson’s Bookshop, 123 W Jefferson Ave., Naperville. 630 355-2665

| Naperville Winter Ale Fest | Sat, Feb 24, noon – 4 p.m.

Bundle up for a fest featuring 150 American craft beers, live music and food from Chicagoland’s favorite food trucks. Cost: $49/19. Frontier Park, 3380 Cedar Glade Rd., Naperville. www.napervillealefest.com

| Vijay Gupta: Street Symphony | Tue, Feb 27, 7 p.m.

A presentation on music and medicine by the founder/ director of Street Symphony and the principal violinist for the Los Angeles Symphony. Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave, Naperville. 630 637-7469

| Winter Wine and Whiskey Fest | Sat, Feb 24, 4 – 8 p.m.

Come out of winter hibernation and warm up with wine and whiskey samples, hors d'oeuvres, live music, then join in meet and greets with the zoo's Animal Ambassadors.

Cost: $85/75. Discovery Center at Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Rd., Brookfield. 708 688-8000

Information is as accurate as possible, but times and dates do sometimes change and events are occasionally canceled. Please call to verify all critical information. To have an event included in this guide, send information two to three months in advance to: Out & About, P.O. Box 111, Elmhurst, IL 60126, or wsl@westsuburbanliving.net.

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Single

in Suburbia The challenges of making a romantic connection in the family-oriented western suburbs

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by Jay Copp

ressed nicely and sipping a beer at the roaring Brauer House in Lombard on a Saturday night, Ally Pierson mingles with others from the Fox Valley Singles Group. Valentine’s Day is not far off, and Cupid’s arrow once struck her but didn’t stick.

Pierson married at 24, but her marriage ended a few years ago

after 17 years. “I never expected to be single. I’m Italian — I thought I’d be married for life,” she reflects.

She dates — but not men from Fox Valley Singles. “These are my friends,” says Pierson, a social worker who lives in Romeoville.

“I’m in a good spot. If it (marriage) happens, it happens.”

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In her 50s, Bertha L. of Darien is brand new to Fox Valley Singles. Her 9-year marriage, her second, ended just a week ago. She almost didn’t come, but her sister convinced her. “She kept texting me, ‘You have to go. Don’t sit at home and cry all night.’”

She is not ready to date. But being alone for the rest of her life is not part of the plan. “I like to think there is someone special out there for me,” says Bertha, who has three children.

Being alone is also something that Rick, a plumber from Aurora, obviously does not enjoy. His wife, Carol, died last month. “I’m just looking to get out of the house and meet some new people,” he says softly.

Rick says he’s not ready to date.

But he’s drawn to Fox Valley Singles, part of meetup.com. He actually met his late wife at a meetup.com event.

Fox Valley Singles epitomizes the new landscape of dating, courtship and just plain socializing in the digital age. It’s easy to find fellow singles in 2018 thanks to digital innovations such as meetup.com, an assortment of hundreds of social groups, many dedicated to a narrow interest such as photography, architecture or dancing. We may be a society that trumpets individualism, but we seek to be with others — especially on a cold, drab weekend night and often ultimately exchanging vows before a minister.

Looking for love is not as challenging as it once was, even in the family-oriented suburbs. But the age-old dramas of heartache and fulfillment, romance and revulsion, and Prince Charmings and not-who-he-said-he-was still play out.

Meet Market In the past, perhaps you needed a pickup line if you were single. Now you just need to pick up Wi-Fi. Meetup.com alone has scores of social groups. Some are specifically dedicated to singles. Others offer the disclaimer that they are a support group or strictly a social group, not a place to prowl.

In the past, perhaps you needed a pickup line if you were single.

Now you just need to pick up Wi-Fi. Isolated among families in Naperville? Try Naperville Singles 30s-50s or Suburban Singles Solution. Further north, the Barrington Singles Group enjoys wine tastings, paint ball and ziplining. The list goes on: La Grange Christian Social Network; West Suburban Divorce Support Group; Glen Ellyn Movies, Dinner and More; and even Chicago-area Herpes Singles Club.

Joel McNabb started Fox Valley Singles in 2011 after he lost his job in California and moved back to the Chicago suburbs, near his mother. “I didn’t know anyone,” says McNabb, 46, a safety manager for a major retailer.

“Once you move away from your college friends, it’s hard to meet people.”

He meets everyone who joins, so he understands that all kinds of personalities sign up. “We get a mix of people —

introverts and extroverts. We’ll introduce new people, if they wish,” he says.

His group has generated 12 marriages so far. Many members, like him, are divorced, and some are leery of dating again. But finding a partner remains the No. 1 goal. “They won’t necessarily tell you about it, but that’s the primary motivation of most members,” he says.

McNabb can point to one person who can wholeheartedly vouch for the efficacy of his meet-up group — himself. He met Gilly through his group, and the two bought a home together.

More Singles, Fewer Marrieds Jim Z. of Glen Ellyn wants to make one thing perfectly clear about I’m Not Dead Yet, 50+, his social group. Most of its 300 to 400 members are single.

They bowl, listen to music at nightclubs, take swing dance lessons, and do whatever else people do in the suburbs. People occasionally pair up and marry. But it’s not a singles group. “We don’t want that kind of environment. That just changes the whole atmosphere,” explains Jim, 70, a widower. “It’s a social group for people looking for something to do, somewhere to go.”

Many members are not single by choice — they are widowed or went through a bitter divorce. But some have embraced singlehood. Jim Z. himself is content with not being married. But you never know. “I don’t rule it out,” he says.

If 60 is the new 50, as people take better care of their health, being single is the new normal, as society becomes more accepting of diverse lifestyles.

Unfathomable today, a few generations

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Single in Suburbia ago not being married was a sign of deviance. In 1957, 80 percent of Americans who were surveyed branded unmarried adults as “neurotic,” “immoral” or “just plain sick.”

The worse fate imaginable for a woman was to be without a mate. In It’s A Wonderful Life poor Mary, doomed because George was never born, was shown to be a lonely, mousy “spinster at the library.” A more modern cinematic take on the desperation of the unmarried was in 1993 in Sleepless in Seattle. “It’s easier to be killed by a terrorist than it is to find a husband over the age of 40,” a co-worker tells Annie (Meg Ryan).

The world was binary then — the married and unmarried. An unbreachable divide separated the two worlds. One was fulfilling and normal and the other was bitter and dark.

Finding a partner, especially in the family-centric suburbs was a Herculean task, even more recently. “It’s a real challenge. Where are all the men?” a Naperville divorcee in her 40s lamented to West Suburban Living in 2002. “When I go out, I meet the same people over and over,” complained a 38-year-old woman from Geneva.

The numbers bore out the plight of the singles in suburbia then. In 2000, 68 percent of adults in Naperville were married, 65 percent in Barrington, 62 percent in Elmhurst, 70 percent in Hinsdale and 61 percent in Wheaton.

Clearly, June and Ward Cleaver still ruled the roost, not Ally McBeal.

Change came. In 2014, it was national news when for the first time there were more single adults in the United States than married adults. (The U.S. Census Bureau, apparently still in the thrall of the agrarian past, has consistently defined “adult” as 16 and over.)

Being single is commonplace today.

In DuPage County, 56 percent of adults are married, 30 percent never married and 13 percent are divorced or widowed, according to the Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey. Kane’s and Will’s figures are similar: 55, 31 and 14 for Kane and 56, 31 and 14 for Will. Despite its enclaves of young adults, Cook County’s marriage rates are not that much different

Finding a partner, especially in the family-centric suburbs was a Herculean task, even more recently. from the suburbs: 44 percent married, 41 percent never married and 15 percent divorced or widowed.

“There is less of a stigma to being single now, if there is any stigma at all,” says Rev. Ken Potts of SamaraCare in Downers Grove/Naperville, who has counseled married people and others for 42 years. “Everyone knows someone not married. So that now seems to be normal. Whatever we’re familiar with tends to be seen as normal.”

The trend is likely to hold. The arrow — Cupid’s arrow, in this case — is definitely pointing down for the next generation. Roughly defined as those between the ages of 18 and 36, millennials are as adverse to marriage as they are to buying homes and settling down in one job. Only 30 percent have ever been married, down from 60 percent of the same age group in 1980.

One theory holds that the fascination or fixation with the digital world is an impediment to building relationships.

So will pre-teens and teenagers eventually

even more sharply advance the trend of non-marriage? Potts casts doubt on that.

“The kids who are sitting at home alone in their rooms with their face in a screen probably would have been the ones home alone in their room 50 years ago.”

Finding Partners It’s OK today to be single. But getting married remains a holy grail, even for seniors.

One of the oldest and most popular singles group in the western suburbs is the St. Charles Singles Club. When it began in 1967, four couples quickly got hitched.

That success is part of the group’s lore — and serves as a quick recruiting tool for curious singles. Currently, more than 300 people from 60 villages and towns, most in their 60s and 70s and quite a few widowed, regularly attend events.

Dues are only $20 annually, and an event is held nearly every day. There are breakfast get-togethers, dinners, card nights at Pottawatomie Park, and outings to music and theater events. But the club’s ace-in-the-hole is its dances. Getting people acquainted is not left to chance because, as anyone who has ever been to a dance in junior high — or any dance anywhere — knows, “the hardest thing to is to ask someone to dance,” says club President Elaine Pihera. “It’s even harder when you are older.”

According to Pihera, 76, a widow for a decade, the club holds two mixer dances in which each participant will meet six people. It’s a hoofer’s version of speed dating. For the 130 people who showed up at a recent dance at Villa Olivia in Bartlett, there were as many as 780 encounters between men and women.

All that mixing does lead to the altar.

The group celebrated a half dozen marriages last year, in addition to a fair

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number of folks who decided to live together. Those who get married can remain as members. They sport a different colored name tag henceforth to announce their marital status.

Pray, Eat, Meet Back in the day, meeting girls and guys was easy. “It was not hard at all. I went to the sock hops at Downers Grove North.

Or the roller rink in Elmhurst,” says Pihera, who grew up in Westmont.

Communities had groups that facilitated making connections: “bridge groups, church groups, gardening clubs,” says Jim Z. “Some of that is over.”

But some remain. On the second Friday of the month, more than 100 singles 35 and older gather at Wheaton Bible Church in West Chicago. There is a Christian-based talk but also food and socializing as well as periodic social outings. The Single Purpose ministry at the church provides a low-key opportunity for mixing with the opposite sex. “Singles groups thrive because people are drawn to others. They feel that there may be someone out there who likes them and maybe who even will love them,” says Bill Brown, pastor of the ministry.

Many of the singles at the church are divorced, and the ministry serves as a lifeline for them. “Divorce decimated their social lives,” says Brown. “They went out as a couple and now it’s just them.”

Brown can draw on his own longtime single status in relating to participants.

“Bill, you’ll be a bachelor until the rapture,” he says other used to kid him.

“I was beginning to doubt myself. Am I bad looking or something?” he recalls.

He finally got married 13 years ago when he was 41. He met Jennifer thanks to his best friend, who worked with his wife’s best friend. They chatted for hours

at Caribou Coffee on their first date, shared a pizza at Gino’s East on their second date and then saw The Incredibles — “Our movie,” says Brown proudly. The moral of his story? “You probably don’t want to listen to them but trust what your family and friends have to say (about dating someone they know),” he says.

The Wheaton Bible Church also sponsors The Table, a singles group for younger adults.

Internet Dating — or Internot The prevailing wisdom is that online dating is a game changer. “The biggest revolution in dating is online dating. Lots of people use it,” says Potts.

Surveys do show a rising use of online romance, once fodder for late-night comics. Only one in 12 U.S. adult singles had tried online matchmaking, according to a poll taken in 1999. Yet in 2016, 22 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds, 21 percent of 35- to 44-year-olds, 13 percent of 45- to 54-year-olds and 12 percent of 55- to 64-year-olds had used online dating.

The share of 18- to 24-year-olds who used online dating nearly tripled from 10 percent to 27 percent from 2013 to 2015.

Use does not equate to success or even satisfaction, however. Just five percent of Americans who are married or in a committed relationship say they met their significant other online.

Some online dating services clearly are better than others. In 2016, Consumer Reports surveyed users and found that free dating sites scored better than paid ones, presumably at least partly because of value (free!). Potts likes what he knows of eharmony, which matches people based on personality traits. Eharmony is “probably the gold standard. It gets the psychometrics right,” he says.

Tales from the front lines of online

romance often paint a different picture.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” says Pierson of Fox River Singles when asked about her online dating. “I know of only one person who got married through online dating,” says McNabb of Fox River Singles. “It’s the pitfalls of online dating — you get the online personality and then the real person.” Says Brown, “There’s the factor of constant evaluation. There’s the shaming aspect. You’re getting only so many looks or views.”

It’s easy to get scammed. Pihera tried online dating several years ago. “I was getting desperate. The men interested in me were 15 to 20 years older,” she says.

The first man she met online supposedly “booked a flight and hotel. He didn’t show up. He ended up asking me for money.”

But for every tale of woe there may be its opposite. It actually worked that way for Pihera. The second man she met online was Rene through match.com. She then met him in person at Panera. Today, they are longtime partners.

Saturday Night The night is still young at Brauer House. Taking the stage soon will be an 80s hair band. “Not my cup of tea,” says Bertha L., who also admits she “feels awkward” about being here. But her ex is already dating, and she knows she won’t find someone unless she is out looking.

Pierson, for her part, likes 80s hair bands and realizes life does not imitate art, or at least, the movies. “It’s not like people meet in the grocery aisle,” she muses. Of course, perhaps people once fixed themselves up before heading to Jewel and scanned more than produce.

Pierson speculates on the reliance on digital technology: “Maybe that’s why people don’t meet at the grocery store any longer,” she says, with a sly smile. n

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Ground Swell Photo courtesy of DeSitter Flooring

A guide to the latest trends in flooring for your home Photo courtesy of Russell Martin Carpet & Rugs

By Lisa Sloan

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hen designing a room, flooring material is a key element — one that can set the stage for the rest of your selections.

It’s also fairly costly and something you aren’t likely to replace for a decade or more, so it pays to choose the best product to fit your lifestyle as well as your decorating style.

To help you get an idea of the top trends in flooring, here’s a rundown of the most popular options along with recommendations from leading west suburban flooring professionals.

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Luxurious Lookalikes For those seeking a product that will stand up to kids and pets but want the look of wood, luxury vinyl planks are a less-costly but high-quality alternative to the real thing.

“It’s the hottest category and is taking a bite out of tile or wood,” says Holthaus. “There is no reason you can’t use it throughout the house; it looks and feels like regular wood.”

“It is not your grandma’s vinyl floor,” says Dean Vitale, marketing manager for Yonan Carpet One, which has locations in Downers Grove, Rolling Meadows and Oak Park. “It is affordable and incredible — it’s deceiving how much it looks like hardwood.”

“It’s the most popular thing at the moment,” echoes Roger Wanshek of Cobalt Flooring in West Chicago, who points out that the wide range of colors, widths and even textures makes it easy to find a style that suits everyone.

Similar to hardwood, luxury vinyl’s most popular looks feature gray tones and rustic textures. Though the material is less expensive than real wood, it does carry slightly higher costs for surface preparation and installation.

In addition to being durable and scratch-resistant, luxury vinyl

Photo courtesy of McDowell Remodeling Photo courtesy of DeSitter Flooring

Wide plank hardwoods and their luxury vinyl lookalikes continue to be a popular flooring choice for the main living areas of the home, from kitchens (above) to living rooms and hallways (opposite page). Area rugs remain popular for adding color, texture and warmth (bottom) while wall-to-wall carpeting is the most common choice for bedrooms (below).

Photo courtesy of Carlson’s Flooring

r Flooring

Hardwood Highlights The comfort, warmth and timelessness of hardwood floors make them an enduring flooring favorite and they are a frequent selection for the main living area of the home.

For a few years, dark hues have been top sellers but — though they continue to be in fashion — they are making room for lighter colors, including gray, gray blends and whitewash or light natural colors in more muted, cooler tones.

“Medium to lighter shades are becoming more popular,” says Lisa Carlson Nelson, owner of Carlson’s Flooring in Geneva.

Wider planks or multiple plank widths, along with handscraped or distressed finishes, give today’s wood floors a distinctive look. “People definitely want a wider plank,” says Ken Holthaus, manager and marketing director for DeSitter Flooring in La Grange and Glen Ellyn. “They are going for 4- to 7-inch (wide) planks with a little character.”

For those who have an existing hardwood floor, refinishing is an option, and will allow for changing the color or finish to a more updated look. Low-luster or semi-gloss finishes are more popular than glossier ones, which highlight dust and scratches.

“Everybody is looking for maintenance free, but nothing is 100 percent,” says Holthaus, noting that accumulation of dust and scratches left by children or pets will, in time, necessitate resurfacing.

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Photo courtesy of Yonan Carpet One

Flooring Trends

is waterproof and can be used in areas where hardwood typically cannot, such as basements and laundry rooms.

“It is great for use in areas where there can be potential water or moisture issues,” says Nelson.

Tile Style Tile continues to be a top pick for bathrooms, however. Porcelain tile, which, like luxury vinyl, is available in fool-the-eye patterns, including marble, travertine and wood, has become a highly sought alternative to natural materials because it is more durable and very low maintenance.

The subway style of tile, with its clean, linear aesthetic, continues to sell well for various applications, including floors. “Subway tile is still going strong, but in different shapes, sizes and textures,” says Nelson.

As in other flooring categories, neutral colors are most popular for tiles, and finishes are often matte rather than glossy, notes Vitale.

Other trends in tile flooring include patterned tiles, such as encaustic or encaustic-look tiles, which are favored for adding a punch of pattern to smaller spaces, such as a bath or laundry room.

When it comes to size of tiles, larger formats, such as 12" × 24" or 18" × 36", are gaining ground over smaller tiles. Installations with minimal grout lines make the tiles appear even more expansive.

Creative Carpets The comfort of carpet is hard to beat, and it also provides an opportunity to introduce additional color, texture and pattern into a room.

For those concerned about wear and stain-resistance, industry advances in fiber technology address those issues.

For buyers preferring natural fibers, wool is a traditional and durable

option that cleans well.

Many homeowners select a hardsurface material for their first floor, but opt for carpet upstairs or in the bedrooms. “We are seeing people choosing higher quality goods for smaller areas, like bedrooms, which take less square footage,” says Holthaus.

Wanshek sees carpeting as making a big comeback in popularity. “There are hundreds and hundreds of different styles, patterns and price points available, and the yarn systems are so advanced that many have lifetime style and stain warranties,” he says.

These higher-quality products have a bigger price tag, however.

“Some people get sticker shock,” says Wanshek. “It’s more expensive, but the quality is exceptional, and the range of colors and patterns is phenomenal.”

When it comes to carpet color, gray still carries the day. Rebecca Martin, showroom designer/manager for Russell Martin Carpet & Rugs in Naperville, says, “It’s a huge color, and it’s not going anywhere, though we are seeing movement away from those cool blue and steely grays to warmer grays and beiges. It’s the new neutral

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Photo courtesy of Yonan Carpet One

and mixes well with other colors.”

While solids are a staple, patterned carpeting is coming into play. Some homeowners gravitate to bold patterns, like diamonds, medallions, and Moroccan tile motifs, while others prefer more-subtle, tone-on-tone detailing.

These tone-on-tone looks are a bit more flexible. “It gives the idea of color and texture without being overbearing,” says Martin, who notes that, while proper installation is key to the performance and appearance of any wall-to-wall carpet, it is especially important when it comes to patterned carpeting, which needs to be matched carefully.

Area Rugs Even as hard surfaces become the top choice in many homes, rugs are still needed to help define areas within a room and add a decorative touch.

“Area rugs are very hot,” says Vitale. “Even if you are going to go with hardwood, you still need something to warm up the space.”

Many local flooring companies have the equipment and capability to create custom area rugs in any size and shape using the carpet selections in their showroom. This allows for a more personalized floor covering.

For example, Russell Martin can fabricate area rugs with borders featuring elements such as wide tape binding, leather or nailhead detailing.

“You can really customize the look and get something totally different from what your neighbor has,” says Martin.

Whatever type of flooring you prefer, there is sure to be something out there to fit your taste and budget.

As Wanshek notes, “There are so many options today — the market is exploding with new items, new styles and new colors.” n WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | FEBRUARY 2018 37

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St. Charles

There’s no shortage of fun things to see and do in this historic and scenic Fox River town

By Lynn Petrak

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lot of towns have catch phrases and slogans, many of which are emblazoned on banners and signs around their respective communities. One term associated with west suburban St. Charles stands out, because it is as apt as it is creative.

“We believe in ‘sight doing’ rather than sightseeing in our hometown,” says Lula Cassidy, executive director for the Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau. The phrase is a take on the bureau’s new promotional campaign — See It. Do It. Live It. “St. Charles is the place to get out, explore and try new things.”

To be sure, there are plenty of things to see and do in this Fox Valley community, whether one is among the city’s nearly 33,000 residents or just visiting for a day. It’s a decidedly scenic place.

A wide swath of the Fox River runs through the town that also features rolling hills and tree-lined streets. Vintage homes and barns hold steadfast amid the decades-long encroachment of new residences and commercial areas.

The downtown area looks like something out of a greeting card or, for that matter, a Hallmark channel movie set in a small Midwest town. Beyond strolling, shopping, dining and being entertained, St. Charles visitors and residents can take part in a number of activities, whether those pursuits tend toward recreation, sport, relaxation or learning.

Just ask some residents, civic leaders or business folks who have put down stakes in St. Charles. Take, for example, high-profile

couple Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg, both celebrated for their work in entertainment and acting.

A few years ago, they were a family looking for a place to call their new home. “The reason I moved here, initially, after living in LA for 20 years, was the Facebook photos my Geneva best friend would post of her and her kids,” says McCarthy. “They looked like Norman Rockwell photos. The neighborhoods, with people smiling and enjoying life, seemed too good to be true. So I took a chance and committed to moving back to Illinois. It was one of the best decisions I ever made, along with saying “yes” to my husband, who fell in love with Fox Valley so much he bought us a house to make it official.

“Usually our imaginations of how things might turn out in our lives don’t live up to our own expectations,” adds McCarthy.

“This community has surpassed anything I could have possibly dreamt of. The warm, kind-hearted people of our city don’t feel like strangers. We are blessed they have welcomed us and proud to call St. Charles our home sweet home.”

Wahlberg has been equally smitten by St. Charles. “Being a city boy, something I dreamed of my whole life was putting down roots in a small town,” he says. “Ironically, I don’t miss any of the big city amenities. Everything I need is here, or close enough that I can get to it with ease.

“My wish now,” says Wahlberg, “is to open a Wahlburgers on

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Photo by Mike Frankowski, courtesy of City of St. Charles

or bike ride overlooking the Fox River Valley or a leisurely breakfast at one of our new restaurants like Brunch Café. Take a class or two, or learn a new form of art at

A Place for Heritage and Opportunity To get the gist of all there is to do in St. Charles, one need only ask the mayor, Raymond Rogina, who has lived in town for the better part of three decades and knows it as well as anyone. “Our mission statement has four words and two of them are ‘opportunity’ and ‘heritage,’” he says, noting that the city and its leaders Music abounds in St. Charles, both outdoors at annual events strive to balance both. “We have to like the Jazz Weekend in September, and indoors at venues like The House Pub. grow and provide opportunities for businesses and residents, particularly in spaces where we can generate tax revenue. But we are also very aggressive in protecting our heritage here. In the not-too-distant future, we’ll be 200 years old.”

Anne Chambers, director of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce, shares that assessment. “St. Charles has a cosmopolitan feel with a deep-rooted, historical sense of community, both from our business partners and residents,” the Fine Line Art Studio. Visit one of many she says. active organic farms to pick out what’s fresh Cassidy paints a picture of the myriad today. See what’s on offer on the dinner options of things to do. “Imagine living menus at our ‘farm to fork’ restaurants. like a local with us, waking up to a walk

After dinner, take in a 70s or 80s rock band playing at the Arcada Theatre.”

To provide a vision for the future to those who live in, visit and work in the community, business leaders and residents regularly collaborate with the city of St. Charles and notfor-profit civic organizations like the Downtown St. Charles Partnership, Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau and St. Charles Chamber of Commerce. The purpose it to make good things happen.

Photos courtesy of Downtown St. Charles Partnership

or close to Main St. It would be a dream to fly our own Wahlburgers ‘W’ sign alongside the Arcada Theater marquee, Hotel Baker’s awning, and the many ‘W’ flags flying in support of the Cubs.”

Dining and Shopping on the Banks of the Fox Situated about 40 miles due west of Chicago, St. Charles straddles DuPage County and neighboring Kane County. It covers terrain that includes historic neighborhoods, new residential developments, shopping centers along busy road ways, open land and forest preserves and a few remaining farm fields. But the center of town — and, arguably, the center of attention — remains the historic downtown that was built up along both banks of the Fox River.

Here, past meets present in scores of shops, eateries and service businesses. “What makes downtown St. Charles the perfect day trip or weekend destination is the mix of unique establishments, along with beautiful scenic

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St. Charles

POTTAWATOMIE PARK

St. Charles Public Library

Total Holdings (non-digital): 333,869 Items Checked Out per Year: 1,452,532 Visitors Per Year: 385,528

Attractions

n Arcada Theatre: 105 E. Main St., 630 962-7000. Live music from 80s and 90s favorites, current artists and tribute acts, with event space and a full bar. n Fine

Line Creative Arts Center: 37W570 Bolcum Rd., 630 584-9443. A hub for regional artists and enthusiasts, with instruction in and exhibition of innovative arts and crafts. n Hotel

Baker: 100 W. Main St., 630 584-2100. Historic grand hotel restored to its 1928 splendor, with luxury suites, event spaces and a long tradition of top-rated live music. n Kane

County Fairgrounds: 525 S. Randall Rd., 630 584-6926.

Home of the annual Kane County Fair, the Kane County Flea Market and year-round festivals and special events. n Norris

Cultural Arts Center: 1040 Dunham Rd., 630 584-7200.

A 1,000-seat performing arts venue, art gallery and event space in its 40th season. n Pheasant Run Resort: 4051 Main St., 630 584-6300. A 250acre resort and hotel with a golf course, a conference centre, a pool and spa, and live music and performances. It is home to Zanies Comedy Club.

n Steel

Beam Theatre: 111 W. Main St., 630 587-8521. Live performances of contemporary plays and musicals, plus youth productions, in an intimate, historic setting.

Museums n Durant

House Museum: 37W700 Dean St., 630 377-6424.

Restored, furnished 1843 prairie farmhouse serving as a living history museum.

n St.

Charles History Museum: 215 E. Main St., 630 584-6967.

Housed in the 1928 McCornack Oil Co. building, the museum uses exhibits, artifacts and photographs to share and preserve the story of the city’s rich heritage.

Recreation n Creek

Bend Nature Center: 37W700 Dean St., 630 444-3190.

Interpretive displays, hands-on exhibits and indoor programs. n Healing

Gardens at Stone Hill Farm: 37W249 Dean St., 630 377-1846. Eight perennial gardens for outdoor exploration, meditation and relaxation. n Hickory

Knolls Discovery Center: 3795 Campton Hills Rd., 630 513-4399. Exhibits and programs that demonstrate and promote sustainability and eco-responsibility. n Otter

Cove Aquatic Park 3615 Campton Hills Rd., 630 513-4377. Outdoor summer fun for the whole family, with a lazy river, a lap pool, a sand play area, tube and body slides and a splash park.

n Pottawatomie

Park: 8 North Ave., 630 584-1885.

Community center with a 9-hole golf course, miniature golf, a bandshell and paddlewheel riverboats, nestled on the banks of the Fox River. n Primrose Farm: 5N726 Crane Rd., 630 513-4370. A 1930s farmstead with barns, livestock, community garden plots and a fruit orchard.

Events

n Festival of the Fox: June event downtown, with dragon boat races, a 40-ton fantasy sand sculpture, water ski shows, live bands and a carnival.

630 296-7683. n Scarecrow Fest: October event downtown, with handcrafted scarecrows, a juried craft show, live entertainment, a carnival and local food and drinks vendors. 800 777-4373 n St.

Charles ArtsFest: A September festival with events in multiple locations, including a juried art show, sculptures in the park, gallery exhibits and music and performing arts showcases. 630 443-3794 n St.

Charles Jazz Weekend: A post-Labor Day event with multiple live acts in various downtown locations.

630 377-4400

n Concerts in the Park: Lincoln Park Gazebo hosts live music, dancing and picnics on Thursdays evenings throughout the summer. 630 377-4400

Photo courtesy of St. Charles Park District

Resources

parks,” says Alyssa Feulner, events and marketing coordinator for the Downtown St. Charles Partnership. “From spas, theaters and cafés and restaurants for every palate to trendy boutiques and vintage shops, we have something for everyone.

You can take a stroll or bike ride along our gorgeous waterfront parks and take in the many art sculptures or even kayak in the Fox River.”

Supporting the something-foreveryone notion, the downtown area is a classic juxtaposition of history and progress, marked by buildings on the National Register of Historic Places as well as construction areas signaling new condos and businesses. There are dozens of stores, ranging from longtime businesses like Swaby Flower Shop that first opened in 1908 to new stores like Wool & Company, a vendor of fine yarns. Blue Goose Market isn’t just a place to pick up groceries, but has unique offerings that have made it thrive for more than 80 years.

Restaurants in and near downtown St. Charles run the gamut of cuisines and formats, from A (Alexander’s Café) to Z (La Za’Za’ Trattoria). Eateries include veritable St. Charles institutions like the Colonial Café Restaurant & Creamery (with its famous Kitchen Sink sundae) and newer spots, like The Finery & Blacksmith Restaurant and the newly opened Eden on the River (see article on page 63).

Mayor Rogina calls out the dining scene as a point of pride. “We’ve become a serious restaurant town, and we have had some great ones that have been added to great places that have been here. People have a number of choices here,” he says.

Whether dining or shopping, one can easily hop from vintage to modern within moments. For example, stroll into the gallery at Mixology Salon to check out artworks inside the hip salon, then walk or drive a few blocks to the Century Corners district of St. Charles, with various unique antique shops and the quaint Town House Books & Cafe, where you can order a tasty sandwich or pastry after browsing the store’s laden book stacks.

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While some of the village administrative offices are located in an art deco-style municipal building right at the edge of the bridge that links one side of town to the other, a new self-serve Visitors Info Center has been set up inside one of the newer developments along First Street, not far from the local Starbucks and adjacent to some new restaurants.

A visitor could also try out some trendy cuisine at Puebla Modern Mexican, then head for a nightcap and live entertainment in the Rox City Grill, inside the historic Hotel Baker across the street. In addition to offering a wine and martini lounge, Rox City serves up its own fare, including steaks, chops, seafood and salads.

Built in 1928 by “Colonel” Edward Baker, recently restored and marking its 90th anniversary this year, Hotel Baker has become an icon, both for overnight or longer stays and as the site for special events and weddings, including the nuptials of McCarthy and Wahlberg.

The boutique hotel is also home to the famous Rainbow Room, where many legendary entertainers played in years past, including Louis Armstrong and Guy Lombardo.

A West Suburban Entertainment Mecca St. Charles is rich in culture.

“Downtown St. Charles is a hub for live music,” says Feulner. “The most well-known attraction is the historic Arcada Theatre, which has entertained residents and visitors for more than 90 years. But you can take a stroll throughout downtown Thursday through Sunday and most likely run into five or six locations with amazing live music,” she says, pointing to spots like Vintage 53, Rox City Grill, McNally’s Irish Pub, The House Pub and The Filling Station Pub & Grill.

To Feulner’s point, Arcada Theatre is indeed a hub for music and other types of entertainment. With a historic facade that lights up Main Street, Arcada features acts ranging from comedians — Dennis Miller recently performed a stand-up

routine there — to upcoming shows

by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (Feb. 11), The BoDeans (Mar. 3) and Michael Bolton (May 4).

The theatre mirrors the St. Charles way of successfully combining beloved parts of the past with current interests, says Ron Onesti, president of Arcada Theatre Entertainment. “As much at it is a place to relive musical memories, it is also a contemporary destination,” explains Onesti. “Most people who are fans of the bands we have here have grown into fans of other styles of music and entertainment, and so we are bringing in more family entertainment, more comedy and more country, among other things.” The free parking, accessible location and proximity to the dining and shopping scene in St. Charles are great bonuses.

Upstairs from the theatre, the Club Arcada Speakeasy and Showroom that opened in 2017 has become a gathering spot for locals and visitors alike. “People have embraced it and love the experience.

We have a variety of entertainers — on any night you could have an acoustic rock performance by Kip Winger to a rockabilly presentation from one of the Stray Cats to a Charlie Chaplin presentation,” says Onesti.

Another popular entertainment venue in downtown St. Charles is the Steel Beam Theatre, housed in a historic building on Main Street. Upcoming shows include Dry Powder through Feb. 4, Three the Hard Way from Feb. 23 to Mar. 18, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change from Apr. 4 to 29 and 4,000 Miles from May 18 to Jun. 10.

Also in town is the Dellora A. Norris Cultural Arts Center. The Norris Center, as it’s more casually known, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year with a slate of programs, including musical performances by the University of Michigan’s Men’s Glee Club on Feb. 16, the Northern Illinois University Steelband on Mar. 23 and classical guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque on May 6. Also appearing will be nationally syndicated classical music radio host Bill McGlaughlin on Mar. 3.

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!

Be sure to fill out your

BESTof the WEST ballot on page 19

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St. Charles

Downtown St. Charles attracts even more people during its many special seasonal events. Among them are the St. Patrick’s Day parade in March, Tri-City Brew Fest in June, St. Charles Cruise Nights on Thursday evenings in the summer, the City of St. Charles Festival in June, Jazz Weekend in September, Scarecrow Fest in September and Holiday Homecoming after Thanksgiving.

The Kane County Fairgrounds and Flea Market Outside the downtown area, there are several other event venues along with a variety of businesses that serve and attract people from within and beyond St. Charles.

The most notable of these is the Kane County Fairgrounds, home to the Kane County Flea Market. Held on the first Sunday of the month (and the preceding Saturday) from March through December, the flea market has been attracting antique and collectible buyers and sellers from throughout the area for more than 50 years. In recent years, a number of antique stores have sprung up in various parts of St. Charles, making the town somewhat of a mecca of for antique aficionados.

The fairgrounds is also home to the Kane County Fair each July, with old-fashioned fun that includes a carnival, livestock, food booths and a wide-ranging entertainment lineup. Other events held at the fairgrounds include the Chicago Home Show Mar. 17-18 and the Chicago Toy Show on Apr. 22. Popular in June is the Windy City Warbirds & Classics show for model airplane enthusiasts, put on by the Fox Valley Aero Club.

Parkland Pleasures The ground may be blanketed with snow or frozen right now, but Pottawatomie Park, at the edge of the Fox River and in downtown St. Charles, is another place that involves as much doing as seeing in the warmer months.

“Pottawatomie Park is the hub of our park district,” says Erika Young, marketing manager for St. Charles Park District.

“It’s our community center, where

Statistical Snapshot Population g July 2016 pop est: 32,717 g Increase from 2000: 1.3% g Median age: 43 g Under 18: 19% g 18-24: 7% g 25-34: 12% g 35-44: 12% g 45 - 54: 16% g 55-64: 15% g 65 and over: 15% g Male: 48% g Female: 52% g White: 89%* g Hispanic: 9%* g Asian: 4%* g African-American: 2%*

Education g High school degree or higher: 94% g Bachelor’s degree

Photo courtesy of City of St. Charles

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g F amily households: 60% gA vg. household size: 2.6 g Median price for detached houses: $303,761

g Owner-occupied

units: 9,083

g Renter-occupied

units: 3,654

g Gross median rent: $1,129

Business/Employment g Residents employed: 96% gR esidents unemployed: 4% gA vg. travel time to work: 30 minutes

or higher: 47%

g Graduate or professional degree: 17%

income: $92,164

Housing g Total households: 13,160

our rec classes take place for preschoolers through seniors. In March, our golf course opens; in May, mini-golf opens; and in June our pool opens. Also in summer, we offer rentals of kayaks and paddleboats and partner with Anderson Enterprises to offer paddlewheel riverboat cruises.”

The park also features trails, a picnic area, sand volleyball and playing fields. It is the site of various special events in town through the year, including the annual City of St. Charles Festival on the Fox in early June and the 4th of July Festival on Independence Day. St. Charles Park District really puts the “park” in park district. In addition to the expansive Pottawatomie Park, it runs several other community and neighborhood parks. In fact, within walking distance of downtown, there are four parks: Pottawatomie Park to the north, Baker Memorial Park to the east, Mount St. Mary Park to the south, and Lincoln Park to the west. In total, there are almost 30 parks within the community, including historic sites like Boy Scout Island and revamped areas like Ferson Creek Park, with new shelters and kayak areas. The latter is a spot that is considered a prime place to the watch 4th of July fireworks.

Income g Median household * Population percentages are based on self-reporting, where individuals may report more than one ethnicity.

Sources: 2015 U.S. Census, City-Data.com and usa.com

According to Young, city leaders and park district officials have worked hard with others to ensure the yin and yang of parks and progress. “We partner with the city to ensure that developers dedicate 10 acres of park land for every 1,000 people.”

The park district also oversees a number of other attractions in the community, including a 9-hole disc golf course within Campton Hills Park, Otter Cove Aquatic Park during the summer months, the Norris Recreation Center, as well as a activities at Primrose Farm, where visitors can go back in time to see a restored farmyard and barn or take classes.

Nature and Nurture St. Charles Park District and the Forest Preserve of Kane County also oversee several natural preserves, woods, and wetlands. Among those areas are Hickory Knolls Nature Area, the Norris Woods Nature Preserve and Otter Creek Bend Wetland Park, to name a few.

“We are very fortunate,” says Young, regarding St. Charles’ vast spaces and natural resources. “Our park board members have been very passionate about preserving open space in our community.”

While these areas are popular in the spring and summer, there are plenty

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of opportunities for winter outdoor recreation in St. Charles. “We have more than 25 miles of trails and in the winter, they often have snow on them so people can get out and use them for cross country skiing. We also have sledding hills and four outdoor ice rinks,” says Young.

Some of the nature centers are indoor attractions as well. “If people are looking for indoor winter fun, they can visit the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center, which has some neat exhibits,” Young continues, citing exhibits of reptiles, rabbits, indigenous Blanding’s turtles and more.

In addition to nature areas operated by the Park District or Forest Preserve of Kane County, there are other places to enjoy or learn about the great outdoors.

In the summer months, one can visit Healing Gardens at Stone Hill Farm to see its perennial gardens and wooded paths, view the Gallery of Nature at Wasco Nursery, or take part in a summertime tour of backyard gardens, ponds and water features through the annual Water & Garden Showcase from St. Charles-based Aquascape Construction.

Pheasant Run Resort Though its name may connote a park or nature area, Pheasant Run is actually a resort and conference center. Set amid a sprawling, country-like 250 acres, for decades Pheasant Run has been a major Fox Valley attraction for vacations, overnight stays, conferences, special events or a morning or night out.

Pheasant Run offers a plethora of activities and services. “We have so many things to do here. We are not just a place to stay — we’re a great place to visit for a day or night out, too,” says general manager France Langan.

The 293-room resort features scenic views of the area and guests can choose to dine in any of four on-site restaurants.

There is an in-house theater and entertainment stage with six plays and 65 shows scheduled this year. Zanies Comedy Club attracts national acts and up-and-coming comedians. Stand-up comic Bret Ernst, featured in the movie

Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show, is the headliner on Valentine’s Day. For those looking for pampering and rejuvenation, an on-site spa provides a variety of services for men and women.

The pool area has been updated — it was actually the first indoor/outdoor pool in the nation to be built, back in the day — and features a new bar area. Other amenities have been added over time.

Recently opened, for instance, are three iPanic escape rooms.

Pheasant Run offers a variety of packages and specials throughout the year, including packages for early spring, a time when residents are looking for “staycation” destinations. Seasonal packages and events also include children and family activities.

History, History, History Befitting a city teeming with history — St. Charles was first inhabited by the Native American Pottawatomie tribe and was named Charleston, later St. Charles, by settlers in the 1830s — this western suburb keeps its legacy alive in a number of ways.

The St. Charles History Museum, located in the former McCornack Oil Company building on Main Street, features permanent and rotating exhibits, a photo archive and a research room. It also has a small gift shop, where customers can browse St. Charles-themed souvenirs and apparel, with proceeds benefiting the museum and its mission.

Other historical destinations include a pair of buildings within the LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve. The Durant Museum, built in 1842, is run by the Preservation Partners of Fox Valley and is open to the public. The museum offers various educational programs, including a series for seniors that focuses on topics like hearth cooking and thenand-now technologies. Built in 1872, Pioneer Sholes School, is a former one-room school that has been fully restored and is open for tours and various activities.

Another historic site is the circa-1850 Beith House Museum that doubles as a preservation study house. n WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | FEBRUARY 2018 43

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A Fine Romance Take a tour of beautiful and distinctive west suburban wedding venues

F

Photo courtesy of St. Andrews Golf & Country Club

ew words in life are as memorable as “I do.” And making that once-inforever moment as romantic as it can be takes special care. Fortunately, around the western suburbs there are many beautiful places — from grand ballrooms to intimate hideaways — where brides and grooms can share their joy with friends and family. Here, experts from venues large and small provide insights into options for the perfect wedding day.

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Riverside Receptions in Geneva Superior service and a riverfront atmosphere make this an exceptional choice for wedding receptions. Nestled along the Fox River, Riverside Receptions offers a beautiful setting, wonderful cuisine and an experienced, knowledgeable staff. The first floor, cradled by the river, provides a warm and cozy atmosphere with its pub-style bar, natural limestone walls and charming fireplaces. The upper level enchants, with spacious elegance and panoramic views. The candlelit room is matched in beauty only by the star-filled skies. riversidereceptions.com 630 262-8371

The Herrington Inn & Spa in Geneva Whether hosting an indoor or outdoor wedding ceremony, The Herrington Inn & Spa blends the elegance and charm of a luxury European inn with award-winning, professional service and exquisite cuisine. Guests will experience the Herrington’s 23-year tradition of excellence, with chic decor, first-class service, gourmet cuisine and a beautiful setting on the waterfront.

The Herrington’s event space accommodates 170 guests for a plated dinner or 225 guests for a cocktail reception. Special services include an overnight stay in an upgraded room, a four-hour bar package, a champagne toast for all guests, house wine during dinner and three courses followed by wedding cake. The dedicated staff is always available to deliver weddings that dreams are made of. herringtoninn.com 630 208-7433

Hilton Lisle/Naperville and Allgauer’s Restaurant in Lisle Bring as many as 400 loved ones together for your once in a lifetime celebration. Weddings have been the Hilton Lisle /Naperville’s specialty for more than 35 years. Staff wedding professionals handle every detail to ensure your wedding exceeds all expectations.

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Crystal chandeliers and double entrance doors add elegant touches to the welldesigned spaces. The services provided to wedding parties are exceptional and produce memories for everyone to cherish.

We invite couples to collaborate with Allgauer’s executive chef to customize any menu to meet preferences or dietary needs.

Expect a wide variety of options made with high-quality, fresh ingredients. Couples may also choose from a vast assortment of wedding cakes or create their own design. lislenaperville.hilton.com 630 245-7627

Chateau Bu-Sché to the chef ’s award-winning culinary creations, the Hilton Lisle/Naperville awaits the opportunity to create your wedding vision.

Choose from three chic ballrooms, including the Regency Ballroom with more than 5,200-sq-ft of versatile space.

Entering the foyer at Chateau Bu-Sché, guests marvel at the magnificent lighting, stunning ceramic flooring, massive fireplace and impressive two-and-a-halfstory ceiling. Accommodating up to 350 guests for wedding ceremonies and receptions, the romantic atriums in the magnificent Crystalane Room and glamorous Tamerlane Room feature silk

drapes, white marble floors, beautiful crystal chandeliers, oversized windows and a glass wall that opens fully for an outdoor ceremony by the Arbor.

Outside, lush gardens, a beautifully landscaped creek walk with benches, flowering roses and the Creekside Gazebo — which can seat up to 200 guests — are the perfect setting for an unforgettable experience.

Dramatic food presentations delight the senses at Chateau Bu-Sché.

Remarkable cuisine, gorgeous sweet tables and delectable hors d’oeuvres are the signature of a truly unique reception site. And the tuxedoed staff provide experienced professional service in the timeless classic style.

Experienced event coordinators are happy to assist in answering any questions or in setting up an appointment to view the many amenities of Chateau Bu-Sché. chateaubusche.com 708 371-6400

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Patrick Haley Mansion Patrick Haley Mansion offers a truly elegant location for wedding ceremonies and receptions. The castle-like, 1890s-era mansion provides a distinctive, upscale atmosphere, highlighted by the lavish conservatory and ballroom, which can accommodate up to 350 guests for plated service. The reception hall is decorated with elegant crystal chandeliers, stunning

marble floors, stately columns, starry-sky accent lighting and sheer billowing fabric lining, while boasting panoramic views into the beautiful lush gardens.

Guests will dine at oversized tables with gold chiavari chairs and gorgeous ivory damask table linens with matching napkins. Dinner is served on classic china with 14k gold and platinum accents and oversized glass stemware.

The professional staff dressed in black-tie will provide butler-passed cocktail service to all guests.

Memories of a lifetime follow as guests enjoy the ballroom, veranda and porches, and the lovely landscaping and grounds. patrickhaleymansion.com 815-726-6800

Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse at the Westin Hotel in Lombard Harry Caray’s combines one of the largest, most elegant event venues with legendary, award-winning cuisine and impeccable service. A team of experienced wedding planners assists with every aspect of the wedding reception — from menu selection to linens, to flowers and beyond. The facility accommodates 350 guests for plated events or the space can be divided for smaller gatherings.

Floor-to-ceiling windows open onto an expansive terrace overlooking a beautiful pond and fountain.

Harry Caray’s can also help families connect with a variety of trusted vendors for audio visual equipment, flowers, linens, entertainment and any other needs. The staff is pleased to help couples book major sports celebrities to participate in wedding events. harrycarays.com 630 953-3400

Elements at Water Street in Hotel Indigo in Naperville Conveniently located along the popular Riverwalk in downtown Naperville, Elements at Water Street offers custom menu planning, wedding coordination, premium full-service bar and personalized tastings. This stunning ballroom boasts an organic, contemporary space with a signature wood ribbon ceiling and offers a separate pre-reception area for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. The ballroom comfortably seats 250 guests. Local art, rustic wood tones and antique touches immerse guests in the history of the Naperville Riverwalk neighborhood, which makes a perfect backdrop for bridal photos.

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The venue’s premier wedding package delivers preferred Hotel Indigo room rates for guests, plus package pricing for the Century Memorial Chapel at Naper Settlement, a perfect location for wedding ceremonies. elementsnaperville.com 630 717-2800

Photo courtesy of Wheaton Park District

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Arrowhead Golf Club

Hotel Arista in Naperville The Arista bride likes to write her own wedding story. The hotel’s expert planners will help create a dream wedding, with all of the personal touches individual couples demand. There are a number of unique spaces and a Grand Ballroom that accommodates up to 350 guests, full-service catering and customized wedding packages. Whatever the happy couple desires, Arista’s team will move mountains to make it happen.

Hotel Arista offers experienced wedding planners and designers, personalized wedding packages and white glove service that features a dedicated

personal server for the bride and groom.

There is a complimentary honeymoon suite for the wedding night, complete with chilled champagne and chocolatecovered strawberries. hotelarista.com 630 579-4100

Naper Settlement in Naperville In the heart of downtown Naperville, this distinctive location lends an historic ambiance to the wedding day.

The splendid grounds present

endless opportunities for a stunning commemorative album, and wedding guests have the opportunity to relax in the beautiful outdoors.

Built in 1864, the charm of the Century Memorial Chapel shines through in its original stained-glass windows. The curved buttresses, dark woods and globe lighting highlight the Gothic Revival style of architecture.

This always-popular wedding venue has seating for up to 175 guests.

Wedding parties have the chapel for a full two hours, plus an hour for rehearsal. There is a spacious carpeted bride’s dressing room with full-length mirror and sofa. Parking is free, and the facility is fully accessible, with a wheelchair lift to the lower level.

Located near the I-88 and I-355 tollways, Naper Settlement is within easy reach of Aurora, Bolingbrook, Downers Grove, Lisle, Warrenville and Wheaton. napersettlement.org 630 420-6010

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Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles This unique facility, beautifully situated on 131 acres of woodlands and savannah is a dream location for a nature-inspired wedding. The combined indoor-and-outdoor experience makes for exceptional photograph opportunities as well as a uniquely tranquil environment.

The 10,500-sq-ft building features a spacious lobby that soars 20 feet high, with floor-to-ceiling windows that perfectly frame views of the oak savannah just outside. This cathedral-like backdrop, with views of rolling hills and prairies creates an awe-inspiring atmosphere, perfect for stand-out ceremonies and receptions. Seamlessly blending contemporary style with elements of rustic charm, the Twinleafs Rooms are designed to break out into two configurations, easily seating 150 guests. stcparks.crg 630 513-4399

Baker Community Center in St. Charles

Check us out online

4

westsuburbanliving.net

Not every wedding budget needs to break the bank, and this venue, housed in an historic building in the heart of the St. Charles community, offers wedding couples both elegance and ease. Newly renovated yet preserving architectural details like the open fireplace, oak flooring and window casements, couples may reserve the spacious Collins Auditorium for up to 150 guests. The beautiful grounds include an outdoor verandah, perfect for ceremonies. There’s also an entrance canopy for welcoming wedding guests with style and greeting the bride and groom. A professionally equipped kitchen welcomes outside catering. stcparks.org 630 584-1055

Barbara Belding Lodge in St. Charles Under the auspices of the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, this charmingly rustic lodge, beautifully situated near Brewster Creek, can welcome 100-plus guests for a natureinspired ceremony and reception. The

Photo courtesy of Vanderploeg Photography

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Herrington Inn & Spa

heavily wooded, 127-acre preserve offers ample settings for wedding photographs or for outdoor nuptials. The recently renovated lodge features vaulted ceilings, wooden beams and a stone fireplace.

There’s also an expansive outdoor deck and a catering kitchen, Friendly and knowledgeable staff can help with all aspects of wedding planning. kaneforest.com 630 444-3064

Hotel Baker in St. Charles There are many good reasons why Hollywood stars Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg chose Hotel Baker to celebrate their wedding. The elegant ballrooms and lush gardens at this historic site are just the beginning. Couples may choose an outdoor ceremony on the Waterfront Patio or in the lovely Rose Garden. Both have picture-perfect river views. The wedding banquet may take place in the spectacular oval Rainbow Room (200 to 300 guests), where Louis Armstrong and Guy Lombardo once held guests spellbound, or in the newly renovated Waterfront Ballroom (100 to 150 guests). Whether for a wedding shower, the rehearsal dinner or the reception, the cuisine is elegant and impeccably served. As icing on the cake, Hotel Baker’s professional wedding specialists deftly manage every detail for a fairy-tale wedding — and memories that will last for a lifetime. www.hotelbaker.com 630 584-2100

Creek Bend Nature Center in St. Charles

Off the beaten path and nestled inside

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Photo courtesy of Vanderploeg Photography

LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve, a gorgeous 1930s home makes for an elegant location for traditional or contemporary weddings. A lush yet perfectly manicured lawn hosts elegant outdoor ceremonies, while the house itself presents options for intimate indoor nuptials and celebrations.

Couples can choose among three reception rooms or may take over the entire facility for the day. Also available are white-tent weddings, as guests celebrate outdoors long into the evening. kaneforest.com 630 444-3064

Cantigny in Wheaton This expansive estate encompasses acres of beautiful gardens, colorful botanicals and tranquil water features, creating an idyllic setting for your special day. Four lavish gardens provide an exclusive sanctuary for bridal couples and their guests. Cantigny offers three distinctive reception venues: Le Jardin at Cantigny Park, the Red Oak Room at Cantigny Golf and, new this year, the Woodside Pavilion at Cantigny Golf.

Whether it’s creating the perfect menu or finding just the right floral arrangements, Cantigny is here to help create a perfectly memorable wedding day.

Against a beautiful natural backdrop, Cantigny’s staff makes certain that each wedding day reception runs as smoothly as silk. cantigny.org 630 260-8145

St. Andrews Golf & Country Club in West Chicago The wedding staff at St. Andrews prides itself on the service provided to guests and will do everything possible to make the wedding day memorable. The St. Andrews Room, with its delightful covered patio, which is perfect for sun and shade. It seats 275 guests and offers a picturesque view of the beautiful golf course and adjacent gardens. The Trophy Room allows 100 guests and offers enchanting views of wooded acres.

The rooms can be combined to create a larger space.

The 19th Hole room, with two walls WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | FEBRUARY 2018 55

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

of windows, offers seating for up to 45, and features an original brick fireplace and rich wood paneled walls. It is perfect for wedding showers or rehearsal dinners.

For summer weddings, the club offers an exquisite lakeside setting, shaded by mature trees.

St. Andrews truly provides a first-class facility and top-notch service, with over 90 years of experience within the wedding

industry. The executive chef works with families and bridal parties to design a personalized menu to accommodate any culinary desires or specific needs for the big day. standrewsgc.com 630 231-3100 ext. 115

Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton

A highly sought-after wedding

venue, the Arrowhead Golf Club offers a charming stone and brick clubhouse set on beautifully landscaped grounds with a manicured golf course, a lake, flowing fountains and lush fairways.

The picturesque site offers spaces for both indoor and outdoor ceremonies and receptions. The magnificent ballroom accommodates up to 300 guests or can be divided into three smaller areas for more intimate receptions. The romantic stone veranda overlooks the fairways and is perfect for cocktail hour. After the main reception meal, guests can dance the night away on the spacious wooden dance floor. Personalized service includes tastings and menu planning, plus a private suite for the bride and groom. arrowheadgolfclub.org 630 653-5800

Chef By Request When it comes to weddings, there is absolutely no margin for error.

Chef By Request is ready to create an atmosphere of unforgettable elegance.

Exquisite cuisine, first-class presentation and impeccable service are the essential ingredients that the catering expert combines to exceed the highest of expectations. Chef By Request has orchestrated countless upscale events in myriad off-premise locations, from Frank Lloyd Wright churches to the chapel and grounds of Naper Settlement. chefbyrequest.com 630 493-4300

Phillip’s Flowers & Gifts With more than 90 years experience and a team of event designers, Phillip’s Flowers makes wedding dreams come true all over Chicagoland. The company buys its fresh flowers direct from around the world for the best selection and value.

An expert will work with you personally to create breathtaking bouquets and reception decor for your vision and budget. From simple to elegant, traditional to high style, Phillip’s does it all. Call to schedule a free consultation. phillipsflowers.com 630 719-5200 n 56 FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

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Take Heart

Advances in Cardiac Care Offer New Hope for those Suffering from Heart-Related Diseases

By Sara Pearsaul Vice

Photo courtesy of Amita Health

F

ew health conditions are as frightening as heart disease, which can seemingly strike at any time, often with fatal consequences.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. About 630,000 Americans die from heart disease each year,� which accounts for one in every four deaths.

Cardiovascular disease, which affects the heart and blood vessels, can take many forms, including stroke, which is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. Common

congenital heart defects, blocked arteries and blood clots, and structural heart defects such as leaky heart valves.

Although cardiovascular disease can be potentially catastrophic, area physicians point to improvements in screening, diagnosis, and treatment that can help people prevent heart disease and lead healthier lives, even after a heart attack.

Know Your Risk Factors heart conditions include heart attack, irregular heart rhythms, heart failure,

When it comes to heart disease, we may be our own worst enemies. Although some risk factors are beyond our control, such as

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Dr. Verghese Mathew in one of Loyola University Medical Center’s Cath Labs Photo courtesy of Loyola University Medical Center

age, gender and a family history of heart disease, it turns out that poor lifestyle choices are among the leading causes of heart disease. Cardiologists point to such major risk factors as smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension.

The American Heart Association recently changed its guidelines for high blood pressure, reducing the definition of a high reading from 140/90 to 130/80, while normal is now 120/80. Patients with high blood pressure often are prescribed medications to lower their blood pressure and are encouraged to make lifestyle changes to decrease their risk of developing heart disease.

“Most people require more than one blood pressure medication,” says Andrew Rauh, M.D., a member of the Chicago Metropolitan Board of the American Heart Association and a cardiologist with the DuPage Medical Group, Edward-Elmhurst Health and Advocate Health. “The real push with the new guidelines is not medications, but making the population healthier.” He recommends following a plan developed by the American Heart Association called Life’s Simple Seven that guides people to address the risk factors related to lifestyle. “All of us are born with good cardiac health,” he states. “By age 50, only one percent of us have it.” He encourages people to adopt a healthy lifestyle for their own benefit, as well as

for their children and grandchildren.

At Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, cardiologist Gaile Sabaliauska, M.D., started a program that is now used in all Advocate hospitals.

It tracks cancer patients receiving certain types of chemotherapy and radiation treatment that may put them at higher risk for uncontrolled hypertension or heart damage.

“We developed a screening protocol similar to what is used at the Cleveland Clinic, which screens whether the patient is at high risk or not, depending on the type of chemotherapy and their risk factors.”

Cancer patients at higher risk are urged to see a cardiologist who is familiar with the possible effects of chemotherapy and

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Photos courtesy of Edward-Elmhurst Health

Take Heart

“Ninety to ninety-five percent of cardiovascular care is on the front end, in prevention,” explains Bharat Samy, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with AMITA Health in Elk Grove Village. He takes a long view of prevention, wishing he “could see all the patients we see in the emergency room ten years before.” He encourages Top: Drs. Tony DeMartini (left) and Timothy Larkin, interventional patients to make incremental cardiologists with Advocate Medical Group and Edward Hospital, changes in their eating and confer during a recent procedure to treat a patient’s chronic total occlusion. Bottom: (from left) Sara Herrerra, a special procedures exercise habits in order to technologist, and Drs. Mark Goodwin and Colm Hanratty take part lead longer, healthier lives. in live satellite broadcasts of treatments for chronic total occlusion.

“It’s all about setting the to continue to be screened after treatment. stage,” he says. “What you do now affects “What we’re discovering from research the rest of your life.” is that heart failure can develop ten years Although new high-tech screening down the line,” she cautions. methods to detect heart problems are enabling earlier diagnosis, he says, Focus on Prevention “With prevention, a lot of it can be Ben Franklin might have been talking done with low-tech means,” such as about cardiac disease when he coined the regular blood pressure tests, cholesterol adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth tests, and blood sugar monitoring. He a pound of cure.” recommends that people see a primary

HEALTH_02_18 FINAL.indd 60

care physician at least once a year after age 35 to 40 to get screened. For patients with specific risk factors, he and other cardiologists recommend getting a coronary calcium scan, which can indicate early plaque build-up in the arteries.

Loyola Medicine has opened a new Cardiac Prevention and Lipid Clinic at the Loyola Center for Health in Burr Ridge, aimed at people at high risk for heart disease, those with heart problems, and those with uncontrolled high cholesterol.

“Everything we do is focused on reducing risk,” says Verghese Mathew, M.D., director of cardiology for Loyola Medicine. The Loyola system offers high-tech screening and imaging tests, including a new fractional flow reservecomputed tomography (FFRCT) scan that reveals blood flow through the arteries to indicate if plaque is restricting the flow.

The test can help cardiologists determine whether bypass surgery or a stent would work best to open up blockages. Mathew says he has seen tremendous progress in the development of medical devices that can lower the risk to the patient and add years to their lives.

Another boost to prevention is that high-tech imaging is now detecting potential heart problems even before symptoms appear. At Northwestern Medicine’s suburban locations at Central DuPage Hospital and Delnor Hospital, Waleed Ahmed, M.D., director of advanced cardiac imaging, sees promise in a number of new technologies that can reveal hidden problems, including cardiac MRI with four-dimensional blood flow and three-dimensional echocardiography. In the hope of expanding the availability of heart screening, he shares that Northwestern is participating in a study of an artificial intelligence system developed by Bay Labs in San Francisco that would enable staff in primary care offices to conduct basic cardiovascular ultrasound scans.

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Photo courtesy of Amita Health

Take Heart Find Advanced Care Close to Home Not that long ago, people with complicated heart conditions felt the need to travel downtown or even out of the Chicago area to access the latest technology and treatments. Now, hospitals throughout the western suburbs are offering the most advanced procedures. According to Paul Silverman, M.D., cardiologist with the Advocate Heart Institute, “Tertiary community-based hospitals are able to provide services that formerly could only be performed in an academic medical center.”

He explains that new minimally invasive treatments allow cardiologists to treat patients without resorting to open heart surgery and its risks, often by using a catheter to reach diseased areas through a blood vessel. “One of the biggest things that has happened in the last few years is with structural heart disease,” he says. He gives the TAVR procedure (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) as one example, where a cardiologist and surgeon work together to insert a catheter through the groin and replace the heart valve. “It’s amazing, almost miraculous.”

Edward-Elmhurst Health is developing a new Cardiac Innovations and Structural Heart Center at the Edward Heart Hospital in Naperville. According to Mark Goodwin, M.D., interventional cardiologist with Advocate Medical Group and system medical director of the new Edward center, the goal is to make it easier on the patient by coordinating care, bringing together a “high end group of doctors and nurses and the latest innovations.” He reports that the center is the only place in Illinois to use the Shockwave Medical Lithoplasty System, a new device that treats blocked arteries.

Other new technologies that Goodwin and other cardiologists say offer effective treatment include WATCHMAN, an implanted device used for atrial fibrillation, which can eliminate the need for bloodthinning medications, the Micra leadless

“Ninety to 95 percent of cardiovascular care is on the front end in prevention. It’s all about setting the stage.

What you do now affects the rest of your life.”

Bharat Samy, M.D., Interventional cardiologist AMITA Health

pacemaker that is “smaller than a small jelly bean,” which can be implanted in the heart, and the MitraClip used to treat heart valve leakages.

For the most severe cases, patients still may need to travel a bit further from home. Those suffering from heart failure, who need a heart transplant, can find those specialized services at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the University of Chicago, and Rush University Medical Center in the city, and in the suburbs at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood and the Advocate Heart Institute in Oak Lawn. Those waiting for a transplant also may be implanted with ventricular assist devices to keep

the blood circulating at those locations as well as at Edward Heart Hospital.

Living with Heart Disease Following a heart attack, surgery or the diagnosis of other major heart problems such as heart failure, patients find that living with heart disease can present immense challenges. At Northwestern in the western suburbs, cardiologist Michelle Montpetit, M.D., notes the importance of follow-up care. “We focus on treating from the hospital to months out and the transition of care,” she explains. At Central DuPage Hospital and Delnor Hospital, a nurse coordinator keeps in touch with heart failure patients to ensure that they are taking the appropriate medications and to monitor their condition. Montpetit, who specializes in heart failure treatment, notes that new medications, such as Sacubitril/valsartan, are helping patients live longer, while a CardioMEMS monitoring device can be implanted to monitor fluid build-up and prevent repeat hospitalizations.

For some heart patients, outside help for recovery comes right to the bedside, in the form of a visitor from Mended Hearts, a national non-profit organization that provides peer-to-peer support for people living with heart disease. At Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, one of the first community hospitals to perform open heart surgery starting in 1972, volunteer and former bypass patient Bill Gronow has been visiting heart patients for about 20 years. In that time, he has seen the number of open heart surgeries decline dramatically, as minimally invasive techniques have been introduced. What hasn’t changed is the impact that heart disease can have on a person’s outlook, often leading to depression. “We’re not medical people and we don’t give medical advice,” Gronow says. “We encourage them and give them hope and support.

With the right recovery, they can live a normal, productive life.” n

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DINING |

REVIEWS

|

LISTINGS

|

CHEERS WINE COLUMN

|

AND MUCH MORE Photo courtesy of Eden on the River

RESTAURANT OPENINGS

RECENTLY OPENED

Eden on the River

N

ew to the riverside location

handed down through generations. An

marinated salmon are among the entrées,

formerly occupied by

enterprising appetizer is the Mezzo Sampler,

and seasoned and spiced kabobs are early

Charleston on the River,

with shareable selections of Mediterranean

diner favorites. All reflect the flavors, aromas

this authentic Mediterranean

favorites, like hummus, falafel, grape leaves

and colors of their eastern origin. Also popular

restaurant serves imaginative

and baba ganoush. One of several signature

are the shwarma sandwiches, with sirloin

salads is the Fattoush, a Middle Eastern melée

or chicken folded into a soft pita. Desserts

of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, black olives,

include Greek baklava and cheese halwa.

cuisine in an equally inspiring setting.

Seated indoors or outdoors at elegantly

set tables that possess a grand view

cucumber and pomegranate molasses,

overlooking the Fox River, guests peruse a

served with oil vinaigrette and a toasted pita.

menu of dishes crafted from family recipes

Prime cut steaks, lamb shanks and spice-

Eden on River, at 1 Illinois St., is open Tue – Thur, 4 – 11 p.m., Fri – Sat, 4 – 11:45 p.m., and Sun 4 – 9 p.m. 630 945-3332 — Anne Knudsen

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Photo by Ed Ahern

GoOd food

By Lynn Petrak

D.O.C. Wine Bar Platters of plenty — plus premium wines — in Lombard

A

leather-bound book sits on the table. Cracking open the spine, the story it tells is of global adventure, part travelogue, part mystery.

Some restaurants have wine lists.

D.O.C. Wine Bar in Lombard offers a veritable wine book, a thick tome that begins with wines by the glass, moves into a host of reds, whites and sparkling wines by the bottle and seasonal or international wine flights, and ends with cocktails, spirits and craft beer. Aficionados may test their knowledge and expand their palates, while others can rely on the book to describe flavor notes and suggest food pairings.

Set in the newer open-air area of Yorktown Center called The Shops on Butterfield, D.O.C. Wine Bar resembles an upscale home dining room or living room rather than a traditional bar. Elegant curtains on the windows, plush leather seats, a caramel-hued hardwood floor and rich stonework and wood trim provide a sophisticated ambiance. Of course, wine bottles are part of the décor, too, embedded in various displays and arranged neatly and artistically in the large but not overbearing wood-lined bar.

The menu is diverse, designed to pair well with the restaurant’s array of wines

and adult beverages. As they imbibe, guests can nosh on a number of starters, salads, butcher boards, flatbreads, and paninis, as well as seven signature entrées ranging from Baja-style fish tacos and Mini Beef Filet Sliders Maryland-style crabcakes, to cedar-plank salmon and a 12-oz. ribeye. spanning traditional charcuterie choices The restaurant aims to put the happy like porcini salami and spicy soppressata, in Happy Hour with its appetizers and as well as a house-cured salmon and a shared plates, offering half-price starters smoked duck breast. from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays with the The cheese selection includes interesting purchase of wine. Among them is a satisfying options like a tasty “barely buzzed” plate of polenta “fries” — parmesan-dusted, combination of espresso- and-lavender crispy polenta sticks served with garlic aioli rubbed cow’s-milk, and a luscious marinated and marinara dipping sauces. There are feta. The menu provides suggestions also veg-centric choices, like the roasted for complementary wine selections, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, tossed and so do the solicitous servers, who with crispy bacon, capers, parmigiana enjoy sharing their expertise. reggiano and lemon, or the edamame For lighter fare, the signature sliders cilantro hummus, artfully arranged with provide just enough sustenance, available warm pita slices, radish and green onion. in Carolina pork, beef filet and sushi While charcuterie plates have become grade ahi tuna varieties, each served with the rage across the dining industry, custom toppings. The pork, in particular, Lombard’s D.O.C. Wine Bar does well by is a standout, enrobed in a sweet-savory the concept. Patrons can build their own sauce and crowned with cilantro slaw. butcher’s plate, choosing a small ($16) or The dessert menu features comfortlarge ($28) board piled with their choice food items like banana beignets and of bruschetta, cheese and cured meats, pineapple upside-down cake. n

Photo by Joe Pellini

QUICK FACTS

D.O.C. Wine Bar

326 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, 630 627-6666 www.docwinebarchicago.com/lombard

Recommended Dishes

Cost

Hours

Extras

Carolina pork sliders;

Appetizers: $7 - $10

Mon - Thur: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.;

Happy Hour with

Charcuterie and

Entrées: $15 - $32

Fri: 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. ; Sat:

half-priced starters

cheese boards

Platters: $16 - $28

noon – 11 p.m.; Sun: noon – 9 p.m.

Extensive wine menu

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DIning NW DUPAGE & UPPER FOX VALLEY

South Barrington NE DUPAGE & NW COOK

Schaumburg Bartlett

Itasca

Bloomingdale

South Elgin

Glen St. Charles Ellyn West Chicago

Geneva

90 294

Elmhurst

Oak Park 290

CENTRAL DUPAGE

Batavia North Aurora

Lisle

Willowbrook

Bolingbrook

SW DUPAGE & LOWER FOX VALLEY Plainfield

La Grange

Oak Brook Hinsdale

355

Naperville Oswego

190

290

Wheaton

88

Aurora

Photo courtesy of Ameriika’s

West Dundee

n n n n Recently Opened

55

Romeoville

Burr Ridge Lemont

294

SE DUPAGE & SW COOK

Amerika’s

Listings Following is a sampling of some of the best dining destinations in the western suburbs, including reader favorites, advertisers and a cross-section of just plain good places to grab a bite. Bon appétit n Central DuPage n Nw DuPage & Upper Fox Valley n Sw DuPage & lower fox valley n Se Dupage & SW Cook n Ne DuPage & nw cook n ADELLE’S: 535 W Liberty Dr, Wheaton. 630 784-8015.

New twists on old American favorites served by seasoned professionals in a stylish ambiance.

Capacity: 160 plus 50 on outdoor patio. Yrs in bus: 14.

Chef’s Choice: White fish. Entrée prices: $18-$34.

Extras: Bar, outdoor dining, banquets, wine room, carry-out, live jazz Th at 7 pm, live music on select other nights, lounge, fireplaces. T-Th 4:30-8:30, F-Sat 4:30-9:30, Sun 4-8. Reservations: Recommended n Allgauer’s: 3003 Corporate West Dr, Lisle; in Hilton Lisle/Naperville. 630 245-7650. American fare with a modern twist, featuring locally sourced, dry-aged steaks, chops and seafood. Capacity: 196 at 44 tables. Yrs in bus: 35. Chef’s Choice: Potatocrusted halibut. Entrée prices: $25- $44; lunch menu $9-$18. Extras: Bar, banquets, breakfast, lunch and seafood buffets. M–F 6:30 am–10 pm. Sat–Sun 7 am–10 pm. Reservations: Recommended. n ANYWAYS CHICAGO RESTAURANT & PUB:

5 E Roosevelt Rd, Oakbrook Terrace. 630 932-9323.

Classic neighborhood pub with American cuisine.

Capacity: 200 at 45 tables. Yrs in bus: 22. Chef’s Choice: Izzy’s jambalaya pasta and Certified Angus burgers. Entrée prices: $7-$15. Extras: Bar, carry-out, banquets, outdoor dining, kids’ menu.

M-Th 11:30 am-1 am, F-Sat 11:30 am-2 am, Sun noon-1 am. Reservations: Yes. Additional location at 304 W Army Trail Rd, Bloomingdale, 630 351-8870. n ARROWHEAD RESTAURANT & BAR: 26W151

Butterfield Rd, Wheaton. 630 510-5070. American fare and premium spirits with panoramic golf course views. Capacity: 120 inside, 60 on patio. Yrs in bus: 11. Chef’s Choice: Barrel Cut Ribeye. Entrée prices: $16-$40. Extras: Bar, outdoor dining, wine list, beer list, private rooms, carry-out, weekly and daily specials, 15 HDTVs. M-Th 11-11, F-Sat 11 am-midnight, Sun 10-9. n ATWATER’S: 15 S River Ln, Geneva; in Herrington

Inn & Spa. 630 208-8920. Eclectic American cuisine

Nuevo Latino cuisine brings a melting pot of flavors to Oak Park

A

n intimate candlelit

relies on techniques learned

of meat and seafood options,

ambiance makes

long ago from his mother in

an early favorite is Pato, a

Amerika’s at 734 Lake St.

Oaxaco, Mexico, yet his

chili-braised duck served with

in Oak Park (708 613‑4254)

cuisine is far from rustic. Starting

couscous, butternut squash

a nice choice for date night.

out as a dishwasher, he honed

and the Mexican herb hoja

his skills in several upscale

santa. Popular vegetarian

plus 10 at a bar that serves

Chicago-area restaurants,

dishes include Coliflor, a

signature cocktails, guests

most recently Libertad in

cauliflower, carrots, almonds

share small plates crafted

Skokie. His forté is adding color,

and manchego cheese

by Chef Armando Gonzales,

texture and spice to familiar

concoction, and Chile Rellano,

who blends the best of his Latin

American ingredients to entice

a poblano pepper stuffed

roots with unique flavors from

depth of flavor.

with wild mushrooms, tofu and

around the world. Gonzales

Among a diverse selection

goat cheese. – Anne Knudsen

With seating for just 44,

with a seasonal menu in a European-style atrium overlooking the Fox River. Capacity: 40. Yrs in bus: 23. Entrée prices: $24-$45. Extras: Bar, outdoor dining, banquets, catering, private dining in gazebo, event space. Breakfast M-F 7 am-11 am, Sat-Sun 8 am-11 am; Lunch M-Sun 11-2; Dinner Sun-Th 5-9, F-Sat 5-10; Brunch Sun 11-2. Reservations: Recommended. n BIAGGI’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO: 2752

Showplace Dr, Naperville. 630 428-8500. Classic and contemporary Italian dining in a casual setting. Capacity: 240. Yrs in bus: 10. Chef’s Choice: Black fettuccine with lobster & wild mushrooms.

Entrée prices: $10-$30. Extras: Exhibition kitchen, bar, kid’s and gluten-free menus, carry-out, catering, private parties. M-Th 11:30-9:30, F-Sat11:30-10:30, Sun 11-9. Reservations: Yes. Additional location at 20560 N Rand Rd, Deer Park, 847 438-1850. n CATCH 35: 35 S Washington St, Naperville.

630 717-3500. A deep and interesting variety of seafood and premium steaks in an uptown atmosphere. Capacity: 192 (including bar seating: 247. Yrs in bus: 13. Chef’s Choice: Chilean sea bass.

Entrée prices: $16-$50. Extras: Bar, private parties, outdoor dining, valet parking T-Sat. Lunch M-Sat 11:30-4; Dinner M-Sat 4-10, Sun 4-9. Reservations: Yes. n CITYGATE GRILLE: 2020 Calamos Ct, Naperville.

630 718-1010. Fine dining, contemporary American fare in a steakhouse atmosphere. Capacity: 220.

Yrs in bus: 8. Chef’s Choice: 20 oz bone-in rib eye in Bordelaise sauce. Entrée prices: $18-$50, Avg: $25.

Extras: Live entertainment, F-Sat, private parties, catering, kids’ menu. M-Th 11:30-9, F 11:30-10, Sat 5-10 (bar open later F-Sat). Reservations: Yes.

n DELL RHEA’S CHICKEN BASKET: 645 Joliet Rd, Willowbrook. 630 325-0780. World-famous fried chicken in a 1940s-style Route 66 roadhouse featuring video gaming. Capacity: 225 at 40 tables.

Yrs in bus: 72. Chef’s Choice: 50/50 burger and breakfast burger. Entrée prices: $10-$20, Avg: $13.

Extras: Carry-out, bar, catering, over 50 craft style beers. Sun-Th 11-9, F-Sat 11-10 n D.O.C. WINE BAR: 326 Yorktown Center,

Lombard. 630 627-6666. Light, contemporary fare plus 300 wines. Capacity: 150. Yrs in bus: 9.

Chef’s Choice: Butcher’s block. Entrée prices: $9-$35. Extras: Full bar, carry-out, lounge, wine flights, retail shop, private dining, daily specials.

M-Th 11:30-10, F-Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-9:30. n EMILIO’S TAPAS BAR: 4100 Roosevelt Rd, Hillside. 708 547-7177. Spanish tapas in an authentic countryside atmosphere. Capacity: 150. Yrs in bus: 29. Chef’s Choice: Paella and datiles con bacon.

Entree prices: $6-$23. Extras: Bar, patio, carry-out, Tapeo bites menu 4:30-6:30 M-Fri, live entertainment Fridays, catering. M 4:30-9:30, T-Th 11:30-9:30, F-Sat 11:30-10, Sun 4-9. Reservations: Yes. n FOXFIRE STEAKS, CHOPS & SEAFOOD: 17 W

State St, Geneva. 630 232-1369. Casual steakhouse with downtown atmosphere. Capacity: 175. Yrs in bus: 14. Chef’s Choice: Bordone New York Strip.

Entrée prices: $18-$46, lunch $9+. Extras: Bar (open later), outdoor dining, daily specials, carry-out, bar menu, wine list. M-Th 11-9, F-Sat 11-10. Reservations: Yes, recommended on weekends. n FRONT STREET COCINA: 112 N Hale St, Wheaton.

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Photos by Ed Ahern

GoOd food

By T.R. Witom

VinoTHAI’s Quality Thai fare and a great value in St. Charles

V

inoTHAI’s restaurant has an enviable record going back to 1990 for pleasing Thai food fans, first in Hoffman Estates and, since 2003, at its present location in St. Charles. High-quality ingredients

and a knowledgeable, skillful staff are hallmarks ingrained in the family-owned and operated restaurant, says Thailand native Bill Vinotai, who has worked in food service for 28 years and counting. His wife Nat oversees the kitchen and their son Pete handles front-of-the-house duty.

The business is an unpretentious presence in Eastgate Common, across from Charlestowne Mall. And though the interior has seating at white linen-covered tables for 60 diners, the dress code is casual. Regular diners recognize the family’s commitment to quality and have come to expect good value for their money.

On VinoThai’s wide-ranging menu, an order of the shareable avocado spring roll is definitely worth trying. Your taste buds will thank you. Other popular starters included potstickers, satay chicken or tofu, and soft-shell crab as well as sweet-and-sour Tom Yum soup, papaya

salad and Thai fried rice.

Two entrée specialties are stir-fried Crazy Noodles and Chicken Curry Fried Rice. A dozen or more noodle dishes called out for our attention during a recent Pad Kang Pah meal. The Drunken Noodle, endorsed by our server, proved exemplary.

It starred perfectly pan-seared wide noodles topped with scallops, mushrooms, baby corn, onion, bell pepper and basil in a light sauce with a hint of garlic and chili.

A tablemate enjoyed an old favorite — Pad Woon Sen. This main-course dish featured stir-fried bean thread noodles, also known as cellophane noodles. The flavorful dish was well-partnered with chicken, egg, broccoli, carrot, napa cabbage, pea pods and onion. Other stir-fried entrée options include broccoli, chicken and asparagus, spicy beef, eggplant and garlic.

A future meal is likely to be pineapple curry with boneless roasted duck in a red curry sauce. Either that or grilled salmon, tilapia curry or catfish ginger.

Diners do well to confer with the wait-staff for guidance on how various dishes are prepared. In most cases, there’s a made-to-order option to control the spiciness to suit a diner’s preference.

The levels are identified as extra hot, hot, medium hot, mild and zero heat.

Upon request, the kitchen can omit eggs, a common ingredient of fried rice and stir-fried noodles.

Dessert choices vary, among them banana wonton ice cream, mango sticky rice and fried banana sundae. The restaurant’s version of a traditional Thai custard came to the table served warm and subtly seasoned.

Bubble tea is available in five flavors — taro, green tea, mango, honey dew and strawberry. Customers may add tapioca for a small upcharge. n

QUICK FACTS

VinoTHAI’s

3825 E. Main St., St. Charles 630 443-8461 www.vinothai.com

Recommended Dishes

Cost

Hours

Extras

Avocado spring roll,

Appetizers: $5 - $8

Mon - Thur: 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Dine in or carry

Seafood Drunken

Entrées: $9 - $10

Fri - Sat: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

out; full bar;

Noodles, Pad Woon Sen

Thai Curry: $11 - $14

Sun: noon – 9 p.m.

online ordering

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DINING 630 668-2837. Mexican cuisine in a festive atmosphere.

Capacity: 125. Yrs in bus: 26. Chef’s Choice: Fajitas.

Entrée prices: $8-$12. Extras: Carry-out, outdoor dining, family friendly, full bar, daily specials. Sun-Th 11-9, F-Sat 11-11. Reservations: No. Affiliated with Front Street Cantina restaurants above.  GIA MIA: 106 N Hale St, Wheaton. 630 480-2480.

Old-world Neapolitan pizza in a rustic restaurant.

Capacity: 120. Yrs in bus: 2. Chef’s Choice: Handcrafted meatballs. Entrée prices: $10-$20. Extras: Bar, TVs, carry-out, large wine menu, local sourcing, brick oven. M-T 11-9, W-Sat 11-10. Reservations: No, but call-ahead seating available. Additional location at 13 N Third St. Geneva, 630 405-5544.  HARRY CARAY’S ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE:

70 Yorktown Center, Lombard; inside the Westin Hotel. 630 953-3400. Classic Italian steakhouse in a sports-themed atmosphere. Capacity: 550.

Yrs in bus: 10. Chef’s Choice: Prime steaks, chops and Italian Specialties. Entrée prices: $12-$52.

Extras: Outdoor dining, bar, sports memorabilia, carry-out, private events. Lunch M-Sun 11-5 (bar only); Dinner M-Sat 5-10, Sun 4-9. Reservations: Yes. Additional location at 10233 W Higgins Rd, Rosemont, 847 699-1200.  HOLY MACKEREL!: 70 Yorktown Center, Lombard; in the Westin Hotel. 630 953-3444. Fresh spin on fish house classics in a vintage décor. Capacity: 150.

Yrs in bus: 10. Chef’s Choice: Kasu marinated sea bass. Entrée prices: $9-$46. Extras: Private parties, bar, carry-out. Breakfast M-Sat 6-11, Sun 6 am-noon; Lunch M-Sat 11-4; Dinner M-Sat 4-9. Reservations: Yes.  INDIAN HARVEST: 796 Royal St. George Dr, Naperville. 630 579-9500. Casual and upscale dining featuring vibrant Indian cuisine. Capacity: 160.

Yrs in bus: 19. Chef’s Choice: Tandoori lamb chops.

Entrée prices: $10-$23. Extras: Carry-out, catering, bar, buffet, private parties, outdoor dining, delivery.

Lunch M-F 11:30-2:15, Sat-Sun noon-2:45; Dinner Sun-Th 5-9:45, F-Sat 5-10:15. Reservations: Yes.  IVY RESTAURANT: 120 N Hale St, Wheaton.

630 665-2489. Casually elegant dining featuring steaks, chops and seafood. Capacity: 170, plus 90 on the patio. Yrs in bus: 9. Chef’s Choice: Black pepper shrimp. Entrée prices: Avg: $19.

Extras: Banquets, outdoor dining, carry-out.

M-Th 11-9, F-Sat 11-10, Sun 11-9. Reservations: Yes.  LIVIA: 207 S Third St, Geneva. 630 402-6444.

Organically driven Italian cuisine with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients. Yrs in bus: 1. Entrée prices: $11-$27. Extras: Bar, children’s menu, outdoor dining, carry-out M-Th Noon-11- 10, F 11-11, Sat 10-11, Sun 10-9. Second location at 116 E Schiller St, Elmhurst, 630 402-6195. Reservations: OpenTable  MICHAEL JORDAN’S RESTAURANT: 1225

W 22nd St, Oak Brook. 312 455-8626. Refined American restaurant and bar featuring premium quality and seasonal ingredients prepared in an active, open-view kitchen. Mths in bus: 7.

Chef’s Choice: Chilean Sea Bass in Maque Choux sauce. Entrée prices: $11-$30. Extras: Full bar, TVs, Wi-Fi, catering, carry-out, valet, outdoor seating. M-Th 11-10, F-Sat 11-midnight, Sun 4-9.

Reservations: Yes.

Experience the Finest Selection of Italian Cuisine One-of-a-Kind Gourmet Specialties, Custom Created by Experienced Chefs

 MORTON’S: 1751 Freedom Dr, Naperville.

630 577-1372. An upscale American steakhouse featuring an à la carte menu. Capacity: 175. Yrs in bus: 9. Chef’s Choice: Porterhouse steak and veal chop. Entrée prices: $40-$60. Extras: Bar, free valet parking T-Sat, lounge, private dining, patio. M-Th 5:30-10, F 5:30-11, Sat 5-11, Sun 5-10. Reservations: Recommended. Additional locations at 9525 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, 847 678-5155; and 1470 McConnor Pkwy, Schaumburg, 847 413-8771.

483 Spring Road www.robertosristorante.com

•

Elmhurst

630.279.8486

Mon - Thurs 11 am - 11 pm • Fri 11 am - midnight • Sat 4 pm - midnight • Sun 2 - 10 pm

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cheers

By Buzz Brandt n Parker’s Restaurant & BAr: 1000 31st St,

Downers Grove. 630 960-5700. Casually elegant restaurant serving contemporary American menu.

Capacity: 250. Yrs in bus: 16. Chef’s Choice: Cedarplanked halibut and charcoal-grilled center cut pork chop. Entrée prices: $14-$65, Avg: $32. Extras: Bar, outdoor dining, private dining, live jazz music in lounge Tu-Sat. M-Th 11:30-10, F 11:30-10:30, Sat 4-10:30, Sun 4-8:30. Reservations: Recommended.

Petit Verdot A late-ripening yet full-bodied grape, excellent for blending or on its own

O

ne of the five noble red wine grapes of Bordeaux, the dark-fruited and aromatic Petit Verdot has been traditionally used as an integral yet minor (five percent or less) component of the region’s historic blend. It adds color, tannin, spice and structure to Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot-based wines. Its name, “little green one,” is a reference to the fruit’s small size and late-ripening (or unripe) characteristic. This is problematic since a grape that hangs late on the vine can be difficult and costly to grow, due to unstable weather conditions and the threat of frost. The vines tend to have weak roots and canes. They bud early and are susceptible to rot after spring storms.

By the last half of the 20th century, French vintners had begun to uproot existing Petit Verdot plantings and replace them with easierto-manage Cabernet and Merlot. By the 1980s, the varietal was discovered by New World wine makers, particularly in California, Washington state, South America, New Zealand and Australia (which boasts the world’s largest Petit Verdot acreage).

Warm, dry climates

allow the vines to thrive, producing not only excellent blending wines, but first-rate standalone bottlings as well.

Late-season, warmweather Petit Verdot wines are full-bodied, structured, and mouthgrippingly tannic. They display opaque, inky red-violet colors and offering a concentrated, saturated nose and palate of blackberries, black cherries, plums and blueberries overlaid with notes of cedar, tar, pepper, herbs and spice. Oak aging, if not overdone, can tame the wine’s aggressiveness.

When young, Petit

Verdot can show hints of banana, vanilla, and “pencil shavings,” but as they age, these tonalities morph into notes of violet and leather. Because of their aggressive tannins and firm acidity, these wines are good candidates for long-term cellaring.

Petit Verdot pairs fantastically with dishes that can stand up to its muscular strength — beef and pork dishes; hearty soups and stews; aged cheeses like Grana Padano, Gouda, Pecorino, Cheddar, Stilton and Gruyère; and vegetarian fare such as portobello mushrooms, lentils, beans and wild rice. n

n Patio Restaurant: 7440 S Kingery Hwy (Rt 83), Darien. 630 920-0211. Casual American fare, specializing in BBQ ribs. Capacity: 300. Yrs in bus: 25. Chef’s Choice: BBQ ribs. Entrée prices: $7-$22.

Extras: Carry-out, outdoor dining, catering, drive-up window. M-Th 10:30-10, F-Sat 10:30-11 pm, Sun 10:30-9:30. Reservations: No. Additional locations at 4400 Fox Valley Center Dr, Aurora. 630 820-8800; 151 S Weber Rd, Bolingbrook, 630 226-9696; and 2780 S Highland Ave, Lombard, 630 627-2600. n Plank Bar & Kitchen: 120 Water St, Naperville.

630 778-9676. Upscale bar serving tastes of local food in a rustic modern atmosphere that celebrates the rich history of the Plank Road that led to Chicago.

Capacity: 75-12, 12 at bar. Yrs in bus:1. Chef’s Choice: Fish tacos and flatbread. Entrée prices: $12-$25. Extras: Room service, covered parking, valet parking. Breakfast M-F 6:30-10:30, Sat-Sun 7:30-11:30; Dinner M-Sun 4:30-11. Reservations: Yes. n PRONTO’S: 2260 Bloomingdale Rd, Glendale

Heights. 630 980-7383. Pizza and Italian fare.

Yrs in bus: 12. Entrée prices: $5-$18. Extras: Pastry chef, bar, carry-out, delivery, TVs, live music. M-Th 11-9, F-Sat 11-11, Sun 2-9. Reservations: Accepted. n Roberto’s Ristorante & Pizzeria: 483 Spring

Rd, Elmhurst. 630 279-8486. Italian cuisine served in a romantic, neighborhood atmosphere. Capacity: 250. Yrs in bus: 55. Chef’s Choice: Fish entrées. Entrée prices: $14-$44. Extras: Carry-out, bar, outdoor dining, catering, family friendly. M-Th 11-11, F 11am-midnight, Sat 4-midnight, Sun 2-10. Reservations: Yes. n RoKA AKOR: 166 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook,

630 634-7652. Diners sit around a robata grill in a convivial form of “fireside cooking” featuring prime steak as well as sushi and nigiri. Yrs in bus: New. Chef’s Choice: Omakase personal tasting menu. Extras: Bar, outdoor dining, three private dining rooms. n SEARED FINE DINING: 400 Park Blvd, Itasca;

Expert wine recommendations • Chris Peckat The PRIDE Beer & Wine plus Spirits 1825 Lincoln Hwy., St. Charles (630 402-9026) 2013 Girard Petite Sirah (Calif.) $28.

A redolent nose of blackberries with hints of vanilla and spices opens to a dense core of black fruit, plums, cherries and blueberries.

Nicely balanced with firm tannins and a long finish.

2012 POV Sinskey Vineyards Bordeaux Blend (Calif.) $38.

A Right Bank-

inspired blend from Carneros with aromas and flavors of cherries, black and blue berries, plums, herbs and a hint of chocolate.

Nicely textured with supple tannins and vibrant acidity.

•Jackie Rahn Standard Market Wine Store 333 E Ogden Ave., Westmont (630 366-7030) 2013 Feraud-Brunel Chateauneuf-duPape (Calif.) $37.

A full-bodied Grenache-based

Rhône blend bursting with juicy plum and cherry fruit, along with ripe currants and hints of spice. Big and solid!

2016 Carl Ehrhard Weingut Blanc de Noirs (Germany) $18. A non-sparkling white from the slate hills of the Rhine Valley, with Pinot Noir-driven flavors of strawberry, cherry and cranberry, and nuances of earth and spice. Lots of flowers on the nose and racy acidity with a citrus finish.

inside the Western Hotel Chicago Northwest.

630 773-4000. Elegant and elevated fine dining centered around fresh seafood and steaks in a recently renovated space. Capacity: 67. Mths in bus: 9. Entrée prices: $35-$49. Extras: Private room, full bar. M-Sat 5-11 n Seasons 52: 3 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook.

630 571-4752. Fresh grill and wine bar focusing on low-calorie entrées and farmers’ market-influenced fare. Capacity: 350. Yrs in bus: 5. Chef’s Choice: Caramelized sea scallops. Entrée prices: $16-$25.

Extras: Extensive wine list, live music, private dining.

M-Th 11-10, F-Sat 11-11, Sun 10-9. Reservations: Yes, recommended. Additional location at 1770 E Higgins Rd, Schaumburg. 847 517-5252. n SIXTYFOUR: A WINE BAR: 123 Water St, Naperville.

630 780-6464. Wine bar serving hand-crafted small plates and featuring 64 wines by the glass as well as 64 local and regional craft beers. Capacity: 130.

Chef’s Choice: Grilled Hanger Steak. Entrée prices: $12-$15. Extras: Private events, beer & wine, outdoor seating, expert sommeliers, TVs, Wi-Fi. Sun-Th 11-10, F-Sat 11-11. n Steak + Vine: 37 S La Grange Rd, La Grange.

708 579-0520. Neighborhood steakhouse with USDA prime meat in an urban space. Capacity: 109. Yrs in bus: 1. Chef’s Choice: Prime rib-eye. Entrée prices: Avg: $25. Extras: Bar, over 80 wines, 46 beers and

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Photo courtesy of McMae’s on Main

n n n n Recently Opened

.

McMae’s on Main

T

Pot roast sliders and other tastes of home in downtown Glen Ellyn he newly minted eatery

Filet medallion and pot

in-house private party space.

roast sliders are popular,

A seasonal patio bumps up

Ellyn (630 793-5422) builds

as are burgers with toppings

capacity by another 30.

on the success of McMae’s

like barbecue bacon or Swiss

Tavern & Grill, its flagship bar

mushroom. There’s also a

admired as a restaurant and

at 913 S. Rte. 59 in Bartlett, says

cheddar-stuffed burger.

as a bar,” says McCaffrey.

at 411 N. Main St., Glen

owner Greg McCaffrey.

Other entrée options

“We’re probably equally

“We draw from a broad

to consider are Chicken

demographic, from customers

establishments are essentially

Parmesan, slow-cooked ribs

aged 25 to 75.”

the same. “We do American-

and homemade manicotti.

style sandwiches plus salads

The average meal cost is $12.

The menus at both

and pasta. The emphasis is on fresh, homemade food.”

McMae’s on Main seats 95 customers and has an

The venue is open at noon for lunch. It closes at midnight daily and at 1 a.m. on weekends.

– T.R. Witom

s ciders, craft cocktails, 102 whiskeys and bourbons.

M-Th 5-9, F-Sat 4-11, Sun 4-9. Reservations: Yes. n Sugartoad: Hotel Arista, 2139 CityGate Ln,

M-Sat, Sun brunch 11-2, afternoon tea T-Sat 2 pm, Sun 1 pm. T-Th 7 am - 9 pm, F-Sat 7 am - 10 pm, Sun 8 am - 2 pm. Reservations: Recommended.

Naperville. 630 778-8623. American cuisine with a French touch in a modern décor. Capacity: 80. Yrs in bus: 8. Chef’s Choice: Scallops. Entrée prices: $18-$35 (dinner). Extras: Bar, catering, on-site garden, carry-out, weekend brunch 7-2. M-Sat 6:30 am-10 pm, Sun 6:30 am-9 pm. Reservations: Yes.

n Tallgrass: 1006 S State, Lockport. 815 838-5566.

Modern French cuisine in an elegant, intimate Victorian building. Capacity: 32. Yrs in bus: 37.

Chef’s Choice: Lobster lasagna. Entrée prices: $59, $69 & $79 for 3, 4 & 5 course dinners. Extras: Bar, private parties. W-Sun 6 pm-10. Reservations: Required.

n Sushi House: 830 E Ogden Ave, Westmont.

n Vie: 4471 Lawn Ave, Western Springs. 708 246-2082.

630 920-8948. Sushi, sashimi and Japanese fare.

Capacity: 100. Yrs in bus: 22. Chef’s Choice: Cracker roll. Entrée prices: $10-$20. Extras: Carry-out, catering, delivery, private parties, kid’s menu. M-F 11:30-10, Sat noon-10, Sun noon-9:30. Reservations: Yes. Additional locations at 950 Warren Ave, Downers Grove, 630 968-0088; 1107 Lake St,Oak Park, 708 660-8899; and 281 Rice Lake Square, Wheaton, 630 221-8986.

Seasonal, contemporary American à la carte menu with European influences in an elegant atmosphere.

Capacity: 120. Yrs in bus: 13. Chef’s Choice: Gnocchi.

Entrée prices: $26-$46. Extras: Bar, gluten-free and vegetarian options, private parties. M-Th 5-9, F-Sat 5-10. Reservations: Yes.

n Sushi UKAI: 120 W Calendar Ct, La Grange.

708 354-8899. Modern interpretation of classic Japanese dishes and sushi. Yrs in bus: 3. Chef’s Choice: Fresh sushi rolls. Entrée prices: $14-$27.

M-Sat 11-10, Sun, Noon-9:30. Reservations: No. n Suzette’s: 211 W Front St, Wheaton. 630 462-0898.

Crêperie, pâtisserie, boulangerie, French country bistro and wine bar in a casual setting. Capacity: 88. Yrs in bus: 17. Chef’s Choice: Beef bourguignon crêpe and Suzette’s benedict. Entrée prices: $13-$40. Extras: Wine bar, bakery, carry-out, full bar, outdoor dining, private parties, boutique weddings, occasional live music. Pâtisserie open at 7 am,

n VINTAGE 53: 162 S First St, St. Charles. 630 549-0423.

Small plates, flatbreads and charcuterie plus 100 wines served in a rustic-industrial ambiance.

Capacity: 65, 10 on patio. Mths in bus: 5. Chef’s Choice: BBQ pork belly. Entrée prices: $15-$20.

Extras: Live music, private events, outdoor seating, free Wi-Fi, happy hour. T-Th 4-10, F-Sat 4-midnight. n YORK TAVERN: 3702 York Rd, Oak Brook.

630 323-5090. The oldest, continuously operating restaurant in DuPage County, serving burgers and American fare in a casual pub atmosphere.

Capacity: 60. Yrs in bus: 172. Chef’s Choice: Burgers.

Entrée prices: $6-$20. Extras: Carry-out, bar. M-F 11-1 am, Sat 11-2 am, Sun noon-10. Reservations: No.

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SCENE&SEEN

T

Charitable Events of Note Photos courtesy of Edward-Elmhurst Health

i

Auctioneer David Goodman congratulates Christine Jeffries of Naperville, president of the Naperville Development Partnership, on her winning bid during the live auction.

(Seated, from left) Dr. William Stephan of Glen Ellyn, Dr. Mark Goodwin of Naperville and Dr. Victor Marinescu of Chicago. (Standing, from left) Renee Stephan of Glen Ellyn, Dr. Anand Ramanathan of Naperville, Dr. Sangita Rangala of Naperville, Karolina Marinescu of Chicago and Dr. Timothy Larkin of Hinsdale

Meghan Moreno of Plainfield, executive director of the Edward Foundation; Nancy Nyberg of Naperville, trustee of the Edward Foundation Board; and Deborah Hellermann and Jane Brooks, both of Naperville

Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico and wife Julie Chirico THE EDWARD FOUNDATION RAISED $941,000 at its 27th annual gala, The Big Gig: Fusion, held recently at the Westin Lombard. Nearly 740 people attended the event, which is the Foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year and supports Edward Hospital programs and services that directly impact patients. A portion of the funds raised this year will help fund construction of the Cardiac Innovations

Photos courtesy of Maas Photography

& Structural Heart Center at Edward Hospital.

GUESTS ENJOYED A MAGICAL NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN at the Glen Ellyn Library Foundation’s recent Jungle Book Ball. The Ball raised over $40,000 for the Glen Ellyn Library Foundation and will be used to fund the Glen Ellyn Public Library’s upcoming remodel.

Legacy Society: Judy Wagner, James Markum, Gary Kent, Ginni Kent, Jo Ayo and Judy Markum, all of Glen Ellyn

Michelle Moore Norton and Glen Ellyn Police Chief Phil Norton of Glen Ellyn

Glen Ellyn Public Library Trustee and Vice President Jill Clouse and husband Michael Clouse of Glen Ellyn

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i

K

THANKS TO A POSITIVE OUTPOURING BY THE PUBLIC, Apex CPAs & Consultants in St. Charles raised over $15,000 through items and monies to fill suitcases with personal belongings for children within the foster care system to be given to CASA Kane County, which advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children.

Photos by LeVern A. Danley III

Photos courtesy of Edward-Elmhurst Health

its Luggage of Love initiative to benefit the Geneva-based nonprofit CASA Kane County. Apex asked the public to donate

From left, back row Marilyn and Bill Morrison of Batavia, Jessie Chakires of Geneva, left, front row — Abbey and Lucas of Geneva, of Geneva, and Gloria Kelley of St. Charles Back row:VanDeWoestyne Marilyn and Bill Morrison of James Batavia,Chakires Jessie Chakires of Geneva present sent to Apex through its Luggage of of Love campaign.

Front row: Abbey andmany Lucasdonations VanDeWoestyne of Geneva, James Chakires Geneva, and Gloria Kelley of St. Charles Brad and Lisa Barr with Rick Razum, all of Geneva

Mark and Shani Podl of St. Charles

MORE THAN 400 GUESTS recently celebrated the mission

Photos by Megan Floyd, LOL Photography

Photos courtesy of Maas Photography

Bobbie and Tim Riley of Batavia

of Camp One Step by Children’s Oncology Services at the fourth annual FLIGHT gala, held at the Four Seasons Hotel-Chicago. The gala raised more than $300,000, a fundraising record for the event. Funds are used to send kids with cancer to camp, including the non-profit’s popular Summer Camp, as well as 10 other camp programs. Many of these programs are provided at no cost to families.

Terrell and Danielle Shell of Joliet

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Last Word

By Michele Weldon

Say “Yes” to Small Talk Kind words go a long way — and the compliments are free

I

have changed drastically in the last few months. No, I am not reporting a major weight loss, job relocation, new home, hairstyle or dental implants — however exciting or welcome any of those may be. I have changed my priorities when it comes to conversations, and it is a move both incremental and monumental.

I am now an advocate of striking up innocuous banter anytime, anywhere, with anyone. This has turned out to be a very good thing.

Lest you think I am the person next to you on the Metra into the city or on the plane stalled on the runway who will harangue you about politics or the latest newsworthy outrage, let me assuage your fears. I am recently all about throwing out compliments and positive statements like confetti at a parade. The good news is a compliment does not just make the recipient smile, but I feel better too.

For most all of my life, I have been one of those head-down individuals who avoided eye contact and kept busy reading or checking e-mails on public transportation and in line at restaurants, theaters or anywhere crowds gathered.

The upside is I got a lot done when the flight was delayed, the cashiers were sparse, or the tracks were in use. I could brag to myself that my time was not wasted. Even sitting on the Green Line from Chicago to Oak Park I could get most of a column edited or finish reading a chapter in a book.

My dramatic change came about one recent morning when I faced a 35-minute commute. My phone was not charged and I had left the collection of short stories

“I am now an advocate of striking up innocuous banter anytime, anywhere, with anyone. This has turned out to be a very good thing.”

I was reading at home.

Yes, I could have closed my eyes and taken a little nap. Instead I turned to the woman next to me and complimented her purse. And her young daughter’s barrettes.

We launched into a discussion of the latest colors in fashion and why. We waved goodbye to each other and I felt lighter.

It gave me the courage to compliment other strangers in other circumstances.

I do not go overboard; I do not walk up to people willy-nilly and tell them to have a nice day or that I like their cologne.

I do not interrupt anyone who is busy and I do wait for a politely timed opening.

I smile in line at Target or Mariano’s to the person ahead of me and say something kind. It can launch into a recipe swap, a joke share, new information on a movie or a series on Netflix, or even a review of a nearby restaurant.

This may not strike you as revolutionary, particularly if you have always been a small-talker or an advocate of sharing miniature kindnesses everywhere you go. But for someone who sought neutrality in public spaces, trying not to have a negative encounter, I realize now I was missing out on all the fun.

I think I became a conversation avoider because I witnessed so much irrational behavior by people who became irate at a waitress or belittled a retail worker who

could not provide a quick answer. I have seen far too many videos that have gone viral of people swearing and shouting at strangers. They made me avoid talking to anybody I did not know for fear that engaging may lead to inexcusable raging.

I do know better than trying to compliment an irate person out of a tantrum, but I also know that someone whose anger is building in a long line will shift focus if you start to talk about the weather and can compliment his shoes.

I now see compliments as powerful ways to avert negative interactions, maybe pre-empt them, and give everyone a break. I smile at strangers instead of pray they do not address me and engage me in a real conversation. I don’t pry, ask personal questions or nag. I make positive statements that would be nearly impossible to misconstrue — nothing with a double entendre and nothing that can be taken the wrong way. And it’s going very well.

In the last few months, I have not only met people in airports and on trains who have turned into business network connections but, most importantly, I have walked away knowing that even if I never see that person again, I have helped make him or her smile, if just for a moment.

I used to think life was too short for making small talk. Now I believe life is too short not to. n

72 FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

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