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DINING WITH March 2023

ARACELY’S BAKERY

144 N. 19th Ave. MELROSE PARK, IL 708-345-2261

The employees that waited on me were so nice. This is a small shop where they have coffee and a nice selection of breads, pastries, cookies and treats. I picked up a few brownies, a strawberry Danish, and an apricot pastry. All of those pastries were so fresh. They also sell authentic handmade tamales. I picked up some of the pork tamales which came in a corn husk, they were moist and very well-seasoned.

NEVERIA AROCIRIS • 158 N. 19th Ave. MELROSE PARK, IL 708-731-3932. This place is amazing! It’s a cute shop with colorful tables and décor that is so bright and cheerful. You can sit and enjoy your treat or take it to go. They serve ice cream, signature shakes, and specialty drinks with ice cream and fruit. I ordered a piña colada yogurt drink and I added fresh strawberry and mango fruit to it. You can also add granola. Wow, it was so refreshing and delicious.

OMEGA RESTAURANT & BAKERY • 9100 W. Golf Rd. NILES, IL 847-296-7777. They are family owned & operated and are open 24/7. When you walk in, they have a beautiful bakery case which will definitely get your attention and the products are homemade. The restaurant is spacious and it’s the ideal place to meet for a meal. Their staff, many of them who have been with them for years, are outstanding! They have a bread basket that comes with homemade croissants, breads and muffins. On the menu, they offer homemade soups, breakfast favorites, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, dinner specials and so much more. Everything is consistently delicious.

PASTAFRESH • 3418 N. Harlem Ave. CHICAGO, IL 773-745-5888

They are known for their homemade fresh pasta and sauces. It’s a shop where you can pick up the pasta of your choice along with some specialty items. They also have a nice selection of prepared foods to go. I’ve tried an arancini which is an Italian rice ball, their homemade meatballs in sauce, the lasagna and the vegetable rotollo. It’s easy to prepare, just heat it up and serve. The flavors are spectacular. And, if you need some bread for your meal - they have homemade foccasia.

PF CHANG’S 1819 • Lake Cook Rd. NORTHBROOK, IL 847509-8644. This is an Asian and Chinese restaurant. They have an extensive menu along with a nice selection of beers, wine and cocktails. We started off with an order of lettuce wraps with chicken, always a good choice and from the Dim Sum selection; some steamed pork and shrimp dumplings with a chili sauce drizzle. For my entrée I had the Mongolian beef with white rice; the glaze complemented the meal. My friend ordered a bottle of the Joto Juzu Sake that I had never tried before; it was very tasty. They have numerous locations.

THE SANDLOT • 1120 W. Touhy Ave. PARK RIDGE, IL 847692-1900. This is a great place for a pick up. They have burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, fries and shakes. I tried the 2 N 2 Burger; it has double the meat, double the cheese, lettuce, tomato and Sandlot spread and I also ordered grilled onions. The bun was warm, the meat was juicy, the toppings were plentiful and it was so good. I also got an order of their hand cut fries and a strawberry shake topped with whipped cream and a cherry. There are tables to sit inside and when the weather is permitting, I see they have tables set up on the outside of the restaurant.

By Matthew Lehman

Frozen Food to Hit $404B in Five Years

Increase in purchasing power of consumers in emerging regions, changes in lifestyle and food habits, and rise in numbers of female working population drive the global frozen food market Allied Market Research published a report, titled, “Frozen Food Market by Product Type (Frozen Ready Meals, Frozen Meat & Poultry, Frozen Seafood, Frozen Vegetables & Fruits, Frozen & Refrigerated Soups and Frozen Potatoes) and User (Food Service Industry and Retail Users): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027.”

The global Frozen Food Market garnered $291.8 billion in 2019, and is estimated to reach $404.8 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 4.2% from 2020 to 2027.

25, 2019 a hefty billion dollar settlement expected to land between 5.54 billion and 6.24 billion once it’s finalized. 15 years is a long time for such a saga to play out.

This violation of antitrust laws; specifically Rule 23(b)(3) is in essence about recovering funds that shouldn’t have been paid out to begin with.

Due to their monopolistic practices this is set to be the 2nd time the financial powerhouses have lost a major class action. The first being back in 2013 when substantial sums where never distributed to eligible merchants. At that time an astounding less than 3% of those eligible actually collected reimbursement for the fees as it was never advertised or communicated so most sadly had no awareness. Unfortunately most didn’t realize how easy it would have been to recoup these funds.

As to be expected this was appealed in March 2022. The final resolution is still pending.

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