Naperville magazine | August 2019

COVERING CHICAGO’S WEST SUBURBS

AUGUST 2019

NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / JANUARY 2019 1

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FEATURES AUGUST 2019

64

RAISING THE RESILIENT Life is hard—will your kids be able to handle it?

70

SCHOLAR SUPPORT

A veteran dad gives sage advice to collegiate parents

74

MEET THE 2019 BEST OF NAPERVILLE FINALISTS

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COVER PHOTO BY OLIVIA KOHLER COVER ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN KENZIE

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DEPARTMENTS

10

Editor’s Letter

12

From the Archives

14

THE 630 Community

20

Books

22

Discover St. Charles

24

Expert Advice Christine Palumbo

26

Move

30

GIVING BACK Humanitarian Warrior Wishes

32

NaperScene Midwest Golf Outing, A Chair Affair

36

Kudos

44

46

Home

48

Market

52

DINE Table for Two The Iron Paw at East Aurora High School

54

Recipe Chow Chow

57

Local Flavor

77

ETC. To-Do List

84

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Naperville magazine (Vol. 15, No. 8, August 2019) is published monthly by Chicago magazine, 160 North Stetson Ave., 4th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60601, a division of Tribune Publishing. Unless otherwise requested, submitted materials become the property of Naperville.

Statements, opinions and points of view expressed by the writers and advertisers are their own and do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. We cannot assume liability for any products or services advertised herein. Naperville magazine assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited materials. Standard class postage paid at Aurora, IL 60504. Subscriptions: $11 for 12 issues. Printed in the USA. All rights reserved.

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The Greenberg Law Firm BEHIND THE STORY After a compelling call for comments to a LinkedIn post asking if college clout correlates with career success, Adam Russo reached out to our editor to have coffee. An hour later, a feature story was born (p. 64). Russo is a passionate defender of oldschool parenting strategies, and he has made presentations to countless school districts. While his positions are provocative, they are driven by decades of data and experience.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Beautiful Glass Doors Endless Possibilities iful Glass Doors Beautiful Glass Doors Endless Possibilities Endless Possibilities Closets • Barn Doors • Room Dividers • Home Offices • Wine Cellars Editor Michelle

•Dividers BarnBarn Doors • Room DividersHome Home Offices • Wine Cellars Dellinger’s children ors • Closets RoomClosets • Home •• Wine Cellars Doors Room Offices Dividers Offices Wine Cellars •

•

•

•

HOME OFFICE

A

ugust is the universal back-toschool month in these parts (kudos to the post-Labor Day districts who delay the inevitable), and this year it comes painfully early.

Our features take a hard look at the primary place of education: the home. Parents are indeed a child’s first teachers, and those of us who have been “homeschooling” for a while are … tired. The job includes an exhausting list of training topics and tasks, and the career path is rough: After tackling potty training and tantrums, you’re promoted to managing middle school crushes and curfew enforcement. Seriously?

My husband and I would be considered “upper management” in our child-rearing careers, and the benefits of this gig are finally starting to kick in.

We no longer punch the 5 a.m. clock on the weekends, and we’re very close to delegating carpool duty forever.

But passing tasks on to adult children also brings with it the terrifying reality that the home training you’ve done is now being tested in the real world.

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I

n her 2010 feature, “School Days,” Tricia Despres interviewed superintendents of both Naperville districts for a look at what was to come for their student populations.

District 203 Superintendent Mark Mitrovich discussed Central’s multimillion-dollar renovation and the construction of the Ann Reid Early Childhood Center, both of which debuted in August of that year (despite a local union strike). If you’ve lived here longer than a decade, you will likely recall the classroom trailers used by NCHS students during the massive overhaul.

Mitrovich also explained technology program plans that would include “a robust data system and parent portal where parents … will be able to see where their children are academically.”

A statement like that, just nine years ago, illustrates how far districts have come in supplying up-to-date academic information to parents today.

Indian Prairie District 204 Superintendent Kathryn Birkett talked about her schools’ financial position back in 2010, and she was bullish on her district’s financial position despite $21.4 million in cuts that needed to be made due to financial turmoil in Springfield.

Metea Valley High School had opened the year previous to our story, and teachers in the district had achieved a record number of National Board Certifications, making Indian Prairie second only to Chicago Public Schools in the state for having staff members with the credential.

There are now over 44,000 students in the two school districts, which are widely known for offering award-winning education. We applaud the past and current success our schools have seen.

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Native actor Henry McGinness.

Right Eric Geil with McGinness in The Book of Mormon.

THE BOOK OF McGINNISS A young actor’s area upbringing spurred his passion for performing

By Mark Loehrke

T

o hear Henry McGinniss tell it, the notion of him becoming a successful stage actor was never in question, once the decision was made.

“When I set my mind to something, I develop tunnel vision and don’t give 14 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

up until I achieve that goal,” he says.

“While I realize I am incredibly fortunate for all of my success thus far, in my mind failure was never an option.”

Still, the idea of an acting career might never have occurred to McGin-

niss—if not for the chain of events that began with his family moving to the Naperville/Aurora area from Rhode Island just before he entered elementary school, and eventually led to the starring role of Tony in the venerable musical West Side Story during his junior year at Waubonsie Valley High School.

“On opening night, at the end of ‘Something’s Coming,’ I remember thinking that I love this more than anything in the world, and that I want to do it for the rest of my life,” he recalls. “And since then, I have done everything in my power to make that dream my reality.”

That moment—that artistic awakening and that relentless drive—have taken McGinniss from Naperville to Chicago to points Midwest and beyond, building an enviable résumé of professional credits. His current high-profile gig in the national touring company of The Book of Mormon will take him from Tempe to Salt Lake City to Dayton this month.

“Mormon is a comedic masterpiece, and so cleverly written,” he says. “I love being able to bring joy and laughter to thousands of people every night.”

McGinniss understands that while luck and good timing have certainly played a role in his rise through the acting ranks, he’s also put in tremendous amounts of thought and effort to get where he is today. From working to develop an online presence to going out of his way to be pleasant and respectful with all of his colleagues, to always looking for new ways to learn and grow in his craft, he remains very cognizant of the fact that success in the arts doesn’t happen by accident and is not guaranteed.

But whatever lies ahead, one thing is certain—he will pursue it with passion.

“Every morning I wake up and have to pinch myself to believe that this is all real,” he says. “So many people dream of being in a hit show of a Broadway musical and I actually get to do it!”

PHOTOS COURTESY HENRY MCGINNISS

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THE 630

Merger provides comprehensive services for victims of domestic violence

By Christie Willhite

T

he first sign of violence Laurie Knight saw in her husband-to-be was his fist slamming into her eye.

The last time he hurt her, she was pregnant and lying in bed with their 2-year-old and her older son, with a daughter in another room. He punched her head and blood sprayed everywhere. He wouldn’t allow a call to 911 until she said she’d lie that she fell. Then he fled before help arrived.

“I wasn’t really trying to make it believable [to the first responders]. I just wanted help,” says Knight, adding that she “came clean” with police when her children left the room.

“I pressed charges and I knew I was finally done.”

But unfortunately, being “done” isn’t as simple as pressing charges and filing divorce papers. When Knight wanted help to end the cycle of abuse that began with her father and continued into a previous relationship and ultimately her marriage, she turned to Family Shelter Services.

SURVIVAL ASSISTANCE With counseling, support, education groups, and temporary shelter, the Wheaton-based agency annually helps about

2,000 DuPage residents experiencing domestic violence. FSS reaches more than 10 times that number through its hotline, community advocacy, and prevention and training programs, says Lisa Horne, domestic violence program coordinator.

Each year, about 285 people move away from their abusers by staying in the shelter for a couple of weeks or even a few months. The shelter, with 41 beds in 11 rooms, welcomes women, transgender individuals, and men, and accommodates families, Horne says. Men typically stay in a separate part of the shelter.

“We can accommodate families of different sizes,” Horne explains. “We work really hard to give families their own space so they can have the privacy to begin healing.”

Family Shelter Services aims to be “first responders,” providing immediate support. If FSS isn’t able to accommodate a client’s needs, staff and volunteers will find the right help, she says. For instance, in the fiscal year that just ended, FSS wasn’t able to take in 1,700 people who sought shelter, up from 1,300 the previous year, Horn says.

“Even if we don’t have a bed, we’re doing the legwork for

FIND HELP Nationally, one-third of women and one-fourth of men will face domestic abuse in their lifetime. If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you can reach out to Family Shelter Services of Metropolitan Family Service-DuPage (metrofamily.org/fssofmfsd) at the hotline staffed 24/7, 365 days per year: 630.469.5650.

16 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

BY THE NUMBERS In 2018, the DuPage County state’s attorney prosecuted:

1,646

felony domestic violence cases

3,594

misdemeanor domestic violence cases

1,644

residents assisted with orders of protection by Family Shelter Services

113

people arrested on domestic violence charges

10,809 nights spent in shelter

8,500

students educated about healthy boundaries and relationships

MERGER AGREEMENT To that end, the local agency merged this spring with Metropolitan Family Services, a regional nonprofit that supports families with behavioral health resources. Starting this summer, the FSS staff began assisting Metropolitan clients with domestic violence issues, while the Metropolitan staff started supporting FSS clients with trauma and substance abuse counseling, Horne says.

“About three years ago, we started noticing clients coming to us with more complex issues,” she said. “The merger allows us to build on what we have and make it stronger.”

Timely, comprehensive support may make all the difference in a client’s life, and that of his or her family. Through support groups, counseling and family programs, Knight says she has the strength to move her life past the domestic abuse she’s experienced and to help her children recover from the trauma of living around violence.

When her ex-husband was released after serving 30 months in prison, he began texting Knight with promises that he would get a job and that they could be a family again.

She never responded.

“I think we all have come out stronger,” she says. “If something good came out of this, that is it.”

DATA COURTESY DUPAGE COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY OFFICE AND FAMILY SHELTER SERVICES

STRENGTH AND SUPPORT

them. We’ll call other shelters to find space or we’ll see if we can work something out,” she adds. “If we provide money to buy groceries, maybe they’ll be able to stay at a friend’s house a few more days.”

Some clients are coping with mental, behavioral, or other health issues, along with healing from the physical abuse.

When necessary, the staff will refer clients to other agencies for help, but Horne says FSS doesn’t want to “send clients away with phone numbers.”

Students play rockpaper-scissors to set their batting order

CLUB CRICKET

Creative parents and teachers support east Indian heritage at Aurora junior high

By Shannon Ryan This story originally appeared in our sister publication, The Chicago Tribune, and is reprinted with permission.

A

fter school on spring Wednesdays, about 50 boys gathered behind Granger Middle School, converting a parking lot into a cricket field, sometimes using chairs as wickets.

It’s not like cricket in Samina Pirzada’s family’s homeland of India, where the sport is played everywhere every day. But it’s an experience she wondered if her son Sameer, a fourth-generation Indian American, would ever have.

“We didn’t have a single opportunity like this,” said Pirzada, who grew up in Portage Park. “In a typical classroom, even in Chicago, I was the only Indian.

They didn’t know much about cricket except it’s loved in India and that’s about it. … Now some of these kids through their parents are bringing it here.”

Sameer is one of the middle school boys who have embraced the club sport since its first season in 2013. “I always like playing it,” said Sameer, a rising seventh grader who started at age 4. “We all talk about it at school. I tell other students, ‘You should play cricket. So many 18 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

kids do it. It’s the thing for our culture.

You should try it and see if you like it.’ ” Cindy Chejfec, a foreign-language teacher, noticed the interest among students when she asked them to share their hobbies.

The demographics in Aurora have shifted over the last decade. About 8 percent of Aurora residents are Asian, up from 3 percent in 2000. The Census Bureau identifies anyone from the Indian subcontinent as Asian.

As of 2017, 10.9 percent of foreign-born residents in Aurora were from India, and another 1.3 percent were born in Pakistan (another country where cricket thrives), according to towncharts.com.

At Granger Middle School, the Asian student population has risen from 21 percent in 2014 to 31 percent in 2018, which mirrors the rise across Indian Prairie School District and is more than six times the state average.

While Granger doesn’t break down student demographics by nationality or

ethnicity, Chejfec says about 20 percent of the students are of Indian descent.

Last year’s cricket club of 48 students included 45 of Indian descent.

It’s not uncommon for Sameer to join his friends a couple of evenings each week for pickup cricket games in their yards. The Bolingbrook Premier League offers the only youth (under 13) cricket league in the Chicago area.

“We saw year after year there are more Indian families moving into the area,” Pirzada says. She pointed to the line of Indian restaurants along I-59 to illustrate the growth in Indian population. “In this community of Stonebridge, the Indian population just multiplied overnight.”

The students at Granger expressed interest in starting a club to play cricket, the second-most popular sport in the world behind soccer. The school realized the club, initiated by a former student, would benefit its changing population.

Initially the principal supervised, but when she left the school, the students were without anyone to oversee the program. That’s when they persuaded Chejfec, who is also a diver at the Shedd Aquarium, to help.

“They’re very persuasive,” she says with a laugh. “ ‘If you can take a risk and swim with sharks, you can take a risk and be our coach.’ What was I to say to that? OK, now what? I knew nothing about the sport. I started researching online.”

At first the club used magnets on the back of a baking sheet to keep score.

It used recycling bins for wickets. Two years ago, the school earned a grant to buy another set of wickets and a portable flip scorekeeper.

Students still share bats and use a tennis ball, which is safer than a standard hard cricket ball. Parents volunteer to bring snacks, while Chejfec and another teacher volunteer as coaches and scorekeepers. Most of the players grew up playing the sport with their families, so Chejfec said all but about five each season know the rules.

The club modifies the sport so every player has a chance to bowl and bat and so the game doesn’t endure for six hours like it can at the highest level of cricket.

Most years, they have enough students to run two games at once for about an hour behind the school.

PHOTO BY BRIAN CASSELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

THE 630

Like baseball, cricket is played with a bat and ball on a large field, called a ground. Two teams of 11 players try to score the most runs. Batsmen can score a run by reaching each end of the field, or score multiple runs by hitting certain boundaries.

“A lot of my friends were doing it and they were talking about it, so I asked them what it was,” says Evan Pelligrini, a rising freshman who had no family or cultural connection to the sport before playing all three years of junior high.

“They didn’t really say anything specific.

As they explained it, it was like, ‘Oh, this is like more advanced baseball.’ I tried it out and it was fun.”

The club drew strong participation despite the school offering other spring after-school activities such as soccer, track, Special Olympics, STEM club coding, and band.

Like other club members, Mann Talati visits India with his family. He meshes easily with other children there through their common love of cricket.

“Usually we come down and you see people on the sidewalk playing and making their own boundaries and rules,” says Talati, a rising freshman. “I’m very excited (cricket) was in this school. Not every school will have this.”

He grew up playing with his family.

His mom, Dhatri Talati, played on India’s national team in the mid-1980s and was thrilled when her son showed an affinity for the sport. She was even more pleased when she learned Granger had a club.

“They took the initiative,” she said.

“I love to see it. I’m so grateful. I love that everybody has open arms and people want to try it. That’s the beautiful thing about it here, the community. …

I am so happy they are keeping (the sport) alive here.”

At the end of a spring meeting, parents picked up their kids and lingered to practice and provide pointers. The students posed together for a photo and raised their index fingers while they shouted, “India!”

The Pirzadas switched Sameer from another nearby school to Granger for a variety of reasons, including academics. But a bonus was the school’s cricket club.

Samina Pirzada said: “I wanted the culture for him.”

VALERIE KRASEVIC, LCPC, CRC Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor

My therapeutic style is individualized. I strongly believe that you are the expert to your life and your experiences, and that therapy takes a collaborative approach to support you by fostering empowerment. Are you experiencing stress in relationships, struggling at work or school, preoccupied with your past? Have you experienced your fair share of loss and want to work through the grief?

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Explore exhibits, programs, tours, and more at

NaperSettlement.org Summer Season: April through October Tuesday-Saturday: 10AM-4PM Sunday, 1-4PM • Closed on Mondays NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 19

BOOKS FICTION

NONFICTION

All the Forgivenesses

Into the Planet

The Dearly Beloved

Homegrown

by Elizabeth Hardinger (Kensington) After the death of her mother, 15-yearold Bertie Winslow takes responsibility for her younger siblings and her unreliable daddy. Eventually Bertie sends the boys to their brothers, and keeps the girls with her. Then Bertie marries young and moves from Kentucky, but marriage cannot resolve the grief and guilt she carries.

by Jill Heinerth (Ecco) More people have died exploring underwater caves than climbing Mount Everest, and more is known about deep space than about the depths of the oceans. From one of the top cave divers working today, Into the Planet blends science, adventure, and memoir to bring readers face-to-face with the terror and beauty of Earth’s remaining unknowns.

by Cara Wall (Simon & Schuster) Charles and Lily, James and Nan. They couples meet in Greenwich Village in 1963 when Charles and James are jointly hired to pastor the historic Third Presbyterian Church. Against the backdrop of cultural changes, these four friends forge paths through their relationships, each struggling with heartbreak and joy.

by Alex Speier (William Morrow) Arguably the best team in Major League Baseball, the 2018 Red Sox, won 108 regular season games and then romped through the postseason.

This is the inside story of that historic team, as told through the assembly and ascendancy of their talented core—the culmination of a decade of reporting from a respected baseball writer.

See the “To Do” Literary events for upcoming book signings in the area.

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DISCOVER

ST. CHARLES An alderman shares her faves in this historic riverside community

By Lisa Arnett

Fair game St. Charles is home to the Kane County Fairground, which hosts myriad events throughout the year, from flea markets to dog shows.

Foxy city The city slogan is “Pride of the Fox,” a reference to the Fox River Valley, home to 1 million residents. Look for the iconic bronze fox sculptures when walking the bridge across the Fox River.

Celebrity nuptials Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg hosted their wedding at the historic Hotel Baker in downtown St. Charles in 2014, and the couple still resides there.

Bright lights The Arcada Theatre opened in 1926, playing host to vaudeville shows and silent films.

Today, it’s a 900-seat venue for live music, hosting more than 200 shows annually.

MEET RITA PAYLEITNER

A

22 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOS COURTESY RITA PAYLEITNER AND DOWNTOWN ST. CHARLES

s St. Charles’s 2nd Ward alderman and chairperson of the planning and development committee, Rita Payleitner, 61, has a front seat to the new construction that has revitalized the city’s downtown district in recent years.

“I like that St. Charles has a strong history, but yet we are evolving,” she says.

Payleitner and her husband, Jay, are St. Charles High School sweethearts celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this October. “When it came time to buy our first house and start our family, we found ourselves back in St. Charles,” she says. They put down roots in the community they’d grown up in, raising five children and also becoming foster parents for 10 newborn babies over the years.

“To come to St. Charles, and to know St. Charles, is to love St. Charles,” Payleitner says. One of her and Jay’s favorite things to do is visit the downtown plaza and riverwalk. “You can just sit there and see the historical municipal center that is the hub, if you will,” she says.

ILLUSTRATION BY MAEVE NORTON

DISCOVER WORTH A TRIP

Jazz Weekend

Mount St. Mary Park

This park on the bank of the Fox River walkable from downtown St. Charles and is a popular site for city and park district events, including Sculpture in the Park, which runs through September. “You can walk the park and do a little free art sighting,” Payleitner says.

“There are always skateboarders to watch there.

There’s a beautiful playground, and you could just stand there on the river’s edge.”

Prairie St. east of Route 31, stcparks.org

Town House Books & Cafe

This café and indie bookstore hybrid, in operation since 1974, is the Payleitners’ go-to lunch spot, which serves from-scratch soups and sandwiches. “They have wonderful food, and it’s a bookstore worth roaming,” she says.

“They have attentive and community-minded owners and you really get that sense when you go in there. It’s a treasure.”

105 N. 2nd Ave., 630.584.8600, townhousebooks.com

Vintage 53

“This is one of our newbies downtown,” says Payleitner of this cozy, rustic-industrial wine bar. “They have a lovely atmosphere, sometimes light live music, but we can still have a conversation.” Happy hour deals offered daily from 4 to 6 p.m. include $5–$6 cocktails, $8 flatbreads, and daily wine specials. Area musicians perform after 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

162 S. 1st St. , 630.549.0423, vintage53.com

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant

“I gotta represent the 2nd Ward,” says Payleitner of this spacious modern casual restaurant and wine tasting room that opened in 2017 on St. Charles’s northeast side. “If I’m meeting college friends coming into town from other suburbs … that’s a favorite spot.”

3710 E. Main St., 630.212.7898, chwinery.com

St. Charles Public Library

“Our public library is amazing. It’s my favorite to go with my grandkids on a rainy day,” Payleitner says. “Every time I go in there, I learn something new. My husband is an author and my son’s in publishing, so we are a very pro-book family.” Payleitner also appreciates the building’s history: “The original Carnegie library built in 1908 in St. Charles is still a cornerstone and part of the functioning building of our library,” she explains.

1 S. 6th Ave., 630.584.0076, scpld.org

FALL EVENTS

M

ark your calendar for these three events coming up this fall in downtown St. Charles. For more details, visit downtownstcharles.org.

Music lovers will dig Jazz Weekend (Sept. 12–15), a four-day event featuring live jazz performers in the downtown plaza as well as nearby bars and restaurants.

The Scarecrow Fest (Oct. 11–13) is a classic autumn tradition in Lincoln Park (450 W. Main St.) showcasing more than 100 scarecrows created by local residents, businesses, and organizations.

The 34th annual event also features carnival rides, music, and an arts and crafts show.

Holiday Homecoming (Nov. 29–30) is the official start of the holiday season in St. Charles. The weekend begins with the ceremonial Lighting of the Lights on First Street Plaza on Friday, plus holiday carols and an appearance from Santa Claus himself.

Saturday brings a free showing of a holiday movie at the Arcada Theatre and the beloved Electric Christmas Parade, where floats and cars decked out in twinkling lights roll down Main Street.

There’s always something new in St. Charles to try.”

—Rita Payleitner NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 23

EXPERT ADVICE

IT’S JUST LUNCH Building a midday meal that kids crave (and parents can pull off)

By Cara Sullivan

S

earch #lunchboxgoals on Instagram and prepare to salivate over images of midday meals so carefully curated and artistically prepared you’ll forget you’re looking at food intended for sticky-fingered kids.

Down here in the real world, however, packing healthy and satisfying school lunches is all about strategy, not style.

Christine Palumbo, a Naperville resident who is a registered dietitian and nutritionist, breaks it down.

STRIVE FOR FIVE A healthy, nourishing lunch has five components: a protein (meat, tofu, edamame, beans, eggs, or cheese are all great options), a veggie, a fruit, a side or treat, and milk or water. Meet those requirements and you’re off to a great start, as lunch contributes to nearly a third of your child’s calorie and nutrient needs.

PASS ON PROCESSED Just because something is marketed to kids doesn’t mean it’s good for them. Real, whole foods with some crunch are typically well-received—think mixed nuts, popcorn, sugar snap peas, and frozen grapes.

THINK OUTSIDE THE PBJ Sick of sandwiches? Consider adding the following mains to your rotation: DIY nachos Leftover taco meat with beans, lettuce, and cheese, plus a salsa packet and a bag of tortilla chips.

Un-sandwiches Whole wheat crackers, rolls of turkey speared with colorful picks, and hummus for dipping.

Buddha bowl Brown rice or quinoa with cubed meat or beans, with peas, broccoli, or corn.

24 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

For more inspo on great gear for school, flip to p. 48.

ENCOURAGE HEALTHY CHOICES Bring your kids to the store and let them pick their own fruits and veggies—you might be surprised to discover they love jicama or kumquats. To keep things creative, start a “Try it Tuesday” tradition where you offer something new once a week.

Make a sandwich on whole grain instead of white bread, or try a new dip to go with veggies.

PUT YOUR KIDS TO WORK Students should be expected to help pack lunch as early as kindergarten, and take full responsibility by middle school—it’s also about building life skills like independence, organization, and responsibility. To make it easy on them, select a drawer or cabinet for your child’s lunchbox and water bottle, reusable containers, and nonperishables—and designate a shelf in the fridge for the perishable stuff.

LIQUID LUNCH Invest in a good water bottle that your child is excited about, and hydrate with water or milk instead of juice drinks or pop. Forget bulky ice packs—fill and freeze the water bottle the night before and throw it into the lunchbox. It will keep food cool all morning and be ready to drink by midday.

MAKE IT LOOK GOOD No, it doesn’t have to be Instagramworthy, but kids are a lot more likely to eat food that looks appetizing. Invest in a bento-style lunchbox with colorful compartments that keep foods fresh and separated, and drizzle lemon juice on sliced fruit to prevent it from browning.

Colorful and reusable silicone baking cups can segment foods like hummus, and lids with bright colors will appeal to little ones.

HAVE A LITTLE FUN Occasional nonfood surprises—a love note, some stickers, a silly face drawn on a banana—will make them smile just as broadly as a cookie or piece of candy. Assemble bite-sized cheese and cracker sandwiches, or make tiny fruit kabobs on toothpicks. Healthy doesn’t have to be boring.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN JENNINGS

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MOVE

PULLING WEIGHT Push yourself—and pull, too—with this band workout from The Turner Method

By Colleen Turner Resistance band training allows us to target small muscle groups that tend to be under used in activities throughout our day-to-day lives. Resistance bands allow the opportunity to keep progressive tension on the working muscle, while targeting a full range of motion, including concentric (positive) and eccentric (negative) movements.

TRICEP PULL DOWNS

Hang resistance band over right shoulder (like a bag strap) and use left hand to secure band’s position on your shoulder. Push band down with right palm and extend right arm straight down toward right hip, keeping right elbow pressed into your side. Repeat for 18 reps on each side for 3 sets.

GOAL To build long, lean, toned muscularity, focusing on core strength, mobility, and stabilization EQUIPMENT A set of medium to light resistance bands (circle mini band) LATERAL STEPS

Begin with feet shoulder width apart and band at ankle height, keeping constant tension on the band. Take 1 small lateral step to the right with right foot only, followed by 1 small step to the right with the left foot, putting your feet back at the original distance apart. Continue for 8 steps to the right, then switch directions and go 8 steps to the left.

TICK TOCK

With resistance band at ankles, step feet apart until there is resistance in the band and lock knees. From a full upright position, abduct your right leg by bringing your right foot away from your body’s midline with your weight shifted onto your left foot. Bring right foot back to the ground, and repeat on the opposite side, kicking left foot up with weight shifted onto right foot. Repeat for 15 reps on each side.

BICEP CURLS

Secure band under right foot to top of leg. Holding band with your right hand, step back with your right leg.

In the lunge position, hold right elbow at right side and curl arm up to shoulder height, with fingers facing shoulder. Repeat for 15 reps on each side for 3 sets.

LOW AB HEEL DROPS

HEEL TO BUM

Begin with feet shoulder width apart and band at ankle height, keeping constant tension on the band. Shift your weight to the right foot, bring left heel up to meet left glute, and down. Switch weight to left foot, bringing right heel up to meet right glute, and down. Continue alternating for 15 reps on each side.

26 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

SIDE ABS

With resistance band under right foot, hold band with right hand.

Standing in an upright position, with knees slightly bent and your pelvis and core firm, reach left hand down toward left thigh, then back to an upright position. Repeat 20 times on each side.

Wrap resistance band around knees and lay on back, with arms out for support. Raise legs to tabletop position, pressing hips and lower back into the ground. Externally rotate your knees, with inner thighs angled towards the ceiling. Lower right heel to an inch above the ground, and then back up to starting position. Continue for 15 reps, then repeat on opposite side.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY IEVGENII VOLYK

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GIVING BACK OPERATION WARRIOR WISHES Page 30

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Page 36

Sailors manning the rails of USS Gerald R. Ford NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM/ /AUGUST MONTH 2019 29

HUMANITARIAN

WARRIOR WISHES Bringing veterans from the battlefields to the ballfields

By Julie Duffin

C

raig and Matt Steichen have been creating memorable experiences for wounded veterans and their families for the past seven years.

What initially began as a personal goal—to be the first to see a game in all 32 NFL stadiums in a single season— turned into a mission that has touched the lives of thousands of people all over the country, something the St. Charles residents never dreamed would happen.

It all began as a father and son bucket list item to visit every NFL stadium—a task that could have taken them nearly 30 years. However, when 30 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

Thursday night games were added to the schedule in 2012, it suddenly became possible to see a game in every stadium in one 17-week season. The duo spent months planning to be the first to accomplish the task. And, to make it even more meaningful, they decided to take two wounded veterans to each game.

Early in their journey, Craig contacted ESPN on a whim to see if they could tour its studios. Through sheer persistence and luck, he got a hold of sportscaster Chris Berman, who gave them a personal tour and ultimately

changed their lives forever. ESPN ran a story about them on Veterans Day, which led to Mike Ditka offering to fund their trip (they initially turned him down). Letters poured in from vets thanking them for the experience.

“Families were thanking us for the best day their son ever had. As civilians, we didn’t fully understand. To us it was just a football game; to them it was so much more,” Craig explains. They decided to take Ditka up on his offer and use the money to create a 501(c)3 charity so they could continue their new mission into the next year and beyond.

During that first year, Craig and Matt successfully visited all 32 stadiums in a world record time of 103 days.

More importantly, they honored over 65 wounded warriors. A year later the U.S. Army contacted them to see if they would include Gold Star families (those grieving a military loss) in their mission.

PHOTO COURTESY CRAIG STEICHEN

Veterans Sammie Braswell and Todd Myra with Xander (5), Matt, Quinn (2), and Craig Steichen at the Vikings vs.

Bears game on December 30, 2018.

Now known as Operation Warrior Wishes, the nonprofit has evolved to include all sports venues, and even the ESPY Awards. They have taken nearly 700 Gold Star families to events and plan to honor their 5,000th veteran at this year’s Super Bowl. Craig estimates they have hosted between 10,000 and 15,000 people.

“We always allow the vets to bring someone. On the 75th anniversary of D-Day in June, we took eight World War II vets to the Kane County Cougars game and they brought 47 people with them,” he explains. To keep up with demand, they now have ambassadors in several cities to accompany vets to events when they can’t.

What’s especially remarkable is that the Steichens do all this voluntarily, and rarely attend the actual game. “We are at every event 100 percent. We take people to dinner, maybe visit a local attraction, and take them to the game.

But we only go to the game if tickets are donated to include us as well.” Craig spends 200 days a year on the road, and often travels overnight to save money on hotel costs. “I do a lot of overnight bus trips and take advantage of last-minute deals,” he notes. “We’re all about experiences. It’s not just taking them to a game. We get to know them and stay in touch. It’s an experience we hope they cherish forever.”

Aside from relying on in-kind donations, Operation Warrior Wishes sponsors events throughout the year, including a motorcycle ride in August (see box). To nominate a soldier or Gold Star family, visit warriorwishes.org.

2 019 S E A S O N arranmorefarmandpoloclub.com

ONE FEEDS TWO SATURDAY, AUG 3RD When the right people come together, they can become a real force for good. So, we’re combining forces with ONE FEEDS TWO. They are an amazing organization that brings together food brands, nonprofits, and customers to provide nutritious school meals to children living in poverty around the globe. Join us for an evening of Polo, followed by a Concert to benefit ONE FEEDS TWO. All the stars from your favorite CabCab concerts will be performing “All Night Long”.

WINE DOWN WEDNESDAY AUG 7TH | AUG 14TH | AUG 21ST We will host 11 public games for the 2019 polo season; 2 Weekend matches and 9 Wine Down Wednesdays. Bring blankets, folding tables and chairs.

SUNSET YOGA AUG 22ND | SEPT 19TH In partnership with 360 Studios Naperville, Arranmore hosted our first Sunset Yoga in 2017.

Over 500 yogis centered their mats on our polo fields by a setting sun. In 2019 Arranmore will host 4 Sunset Yoga sessions.

CABCAB SATURDAY, SEPT 7TH Cabernet Cabaret, affectionately known as “CabCab”, is the event that started it all and continues to be our highly anticipated signature event. This open-air concert is held on the pristine and expansive lawn of Arranmore Farm + Polo Club.

You’ll be treated to an eclectic mix of music performed by our favorite hand-selected local stars, who have come together to form the oneof-a-kind cover band of your dreams.

ARRANMORE POLO CLASSIC

SATURDAY, AUG 17TH

Arranmore Farm + Polo Club’s signature tournament event. Join us for an unforgettable polo event and come watch teams ARRANMORE + SOLMEN OATH battle for the championship.

L A I D B A C K L U X U R Y.

IF YOU GO What Warrior Wishes Ride for Warriors When Saturday, August 17 Where Roadhouse Country Bar & Grill, 1901 South Bridge Street, Yorkville Tickets $30 to ride, $10 per passenger through Eventbrite; includes breakfast, a shirt for the driver, and concert entry Details Registration starts at 9:30 a.m.; kickstands up at 10:30 a.m.

After the ride, hang out with Super Bowl champions Dan Hampton, Otis Wilson, and Steve McMichael, plus enjoy live music from the Chicago 6 and Whiskey Romance.

Send Joy (630) 719-5200 PhillipsFlowers.com

1007 E. Ogden, Naperville

#B015D NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 31

NAPERSCENE 1 First-place winners Huy Doan, Kent Larson, Tim Brickey, and Keith Cade. 2 A golfer tees off. 3 Third-place winners Jett Ashely, David Horowitz, Brian Medina, and Chris King.

4 Brent Bridwell. 5 Second-place winners were Trent Vaden, Jeremy Zupp, and Shawn Novak, as well as Kelly Decker (not shown).

1

Scott Hanna and guest

2

SHOTGUN START Teeing up low-income urban youth for success

By Julie Duffin

32 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

3

4 5

PHOTOS BY ERICK PANTOJA/PANTOJA PHOTOGRAPHY

O

n Monday, June 17, CyrusOne Inc. held its second annual Midwest Golf Outing at the beautiful Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont.

Over 250 guests enjoyed a morning of golf, followed by a cocktail reception, lunch, silent auction, and raffle. More competitive golfers took part in the Corporate 4 Ball Challenge in a battle for bragging rights, trophies, and prizes on the infamous Dubsdread Course.

Proceeds from the event benefited the Midtown Educational Foundation and the roughly 1,100 kids it serves each year. Since 1965, MEF has offered urban youth and their families after-school and summer programs that focus on academics, character, and virtue development, plus physical fitness and mentorship. Youth programs start in the fourth grade and continue through high school graduation. MEF’s class of 2019 was the 20th consecutive set of students to achieve a 100 percent rate of high school graduation and college enrollment.

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At the the Alzheimer’s AssociationWalk Walkto EndAlzheimer’s®, Alzheimer’s®, people carry flowers representing At the Alzheimer’s Association End Alzheimer’s®, people carry flowers representing At Alzheimer’s Association Walk totoEnd people carry flowers representing their connection to Alzheimer’s— —aa adisease diseasethat thatcurrently currently has cure.

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NAPERSCENE 1 John and Alicia Rasnic with Kay and Skip Searcy. 2 Zachary Mestek and Stephanie Price. 3 (Top row) Gail McLaughlin, Dawn Saviano-Kahn, and Mary Barnett with (bottom row) Elizabeth Gretz, Alma Martinez, Talina Thornton, and Pam Saviano. 4 Yesenia Sanchez and Andrea Carradus.

Carolyn and Mark Milligan

2

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BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE

3

Chair art auction benefits homeless

O

34 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

4

PHOTOS BY JEFF BALSEWICZ

n June 13, more than 200 supporters and friends of Bridge Communities celebrated art, community, and philanthropy at the sixth annual A Chair Affair event. Held at the Elements at Water Street event space inside the Naperville Riverwalk’s Hotel Indigo, the event featured 17 outstanding handcrafted pieces of artwork—ranging from chairs and tables to benches and bars, which were sold in live and silent auctions that evening. A Chair Affair also featured raffles, an exclusive Kendra Scott jewelry pull, a client graduate sharing her inspirational Bridge story and more.

Bridge Communities partnered with the Naperville Parks Foundation this year to feature four pieces of artwork made of wood specially harvested from Naperville’s historic Hobson Oak, which was carefully taken down in 2016. Through this partnership, Bridge Communities and Naperville Parks Foundation split the proceeds for these four items, resulting in a donation of more than $2,400 for the Naperville Parks Foundation.

In total, the event raised more than $70,000—the funding equivalent to housing six homeless families each for an entire year in the Bridge Communities Transitional Housing Program. “We are incredibly thankful to our guests, sponsors, volunteers and the Naperville community at large for your support of A Chair Affair,” says Bridge Communities senior director Amy Van Polen. “Because of you, six homeless families will find a safe haven in a Bridge Communities apartment this year and begin recovering from the traumas of homelessness. Thank you for being there when they needed you.”—MD

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By Mark Loehrke a large portion of the gift will be used or Michelle Pierce, the differto help expand Lurie’s MAACC (mood, ence between the scant pediatric anxiety, and ADHD collaborative care) mental health training to which program, in which Pierce and her she was exposed during her residency colleagues have participated for over a and the growing need for such expertise year. The goal of the program is to use in the real world was a clear example of online modules to train pediatricians in what she and her fellow doctors at Chilmanaging pediatric anxiety, depression, dren’s Health Partners in Naperville and ADHD, and to allow those doctors saw as a gaping hole in the pediatric to refer patients to Lurie's health system.

Department of Psychiatry “I think this need has for initial evaluation and been there for quite some a recommended course time—certainly as long as of therapy. For Pierce, the I've been a pediatrician. additional funding means And it’s only become more that the MAACC program critical,” she says. “There will continue to grow, simply aren't enough and that perhaps the gap resources to take care of between what her patients the mental health care need and what she can needs of children.” provide will get just a But thanks to a little bit smaller. charitable donation of DR. MICHELLE PIERCE “The MAACC program $15 million from the The Naperville-based is off to a great start, and Pritzker Foundation to pediatrician has this gift should allow our Ann & Robert H. Lurie received special training in pediatric anxiety, patients to continue to Children’s Hospital of depression, and ADHD. benefit from it as a very Chicago (see below), the helpful resource,” she says. tide of pediatric mental “It gives our doctors and patients peace health care in northern Illinois may of mind to know that the professionals be turning. Among other initiatives at Lurie are being consulted and are in such as recruiting faculty, improving agreement when it comes to something training programs for residents and as important as a child's mental health.” supporting behavioral health research,

PRITZKER CHILDREN’S INITIATIVE A recent multimillion-dollar donation by the Pritzker Foundation funds a major initiative to address the critical shortage of pediatric mental health providers.

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago’s program trains pediatricians—a child’s front-line health care provider—to screen, diagnose, and treat behavioral health as part of each patient’s assessment and care.

As head of the newly named Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Dr. John Walkup is implementing a new model of care across Chicagoland.

“In Illinois, almost 20 percent of children have a mental heath problem before graduating from high school,” says Walkup, “and only half have been in treatment. This gift allows us to ‘work smart’ and to reach more kids.”

PHOTO COURTESY CHILDREN'S HEALTH PARTNERS

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KUDOS

ANCHORS AWEIGH Bartlett native serves aboard nation’s newest floating airport at sea

By Alvin Plexico

A

2008 Bartlett High School graduate is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard its newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. Petty Officer 1st Class Kiara Harris (above) is an aviation boatswain’s mate aboard the carrier homeported in Norfolk, Virginia.

Harris is responsible for directing the planes to land and moving them where they need to be on the flight deck and hangar bay, and she credits her success in the navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in the western suburbs.

“I grew up in a neighborhood with a lot of diversity and different cultures,” said Harris. “This really helped me in the navy, where there are a lot of people with different backgrounds.”

Commissioned in 2017, Ford, or “Warship 78” as she is known by the crew, is 1,106 feet long—longer than three football fields. A true float38 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

ing city, the ship weighs more than 100,000 tons and has a flight deck that is 256 feet wide. Powerful catapults slingshot the aircraft off the bow of the ship. The planes land aboard the carrier by snagging a steel cable with an arresting hook that protrudes from the rear of the aircraft.

The ship is named after the 38th president of the United States, Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr., who was a navy veteran. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ford enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, serving from 1942 to 1946. While serving at Navy Preflight School in 1942 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he taught seamanship, ordnance, gunnery, first aid, and military drill. At sea, Ford served aboard the light aircraft carrier, USS Monterey, which saw action in the Pacific throughout World War II. Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command,

community and career, Harris is proudest of earning Junior Sailor of the Year in 2016 at her previous command.

“I was humbled to be recognized for the dedication and hard work within the command,” says Harris. “It’s nice to be recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty.”

Serving in the navy is a continuing tradition of military service for Harris, who has military ties with family members who have previously served. Harris is honored to carry on the family tradition.

“I have two uncles who served in the navy,” says Harris. “Their names are Timothy Harris and Mark Harris.

I talked to Uncle Tim, who worked on the flight deck, and he told me about his experiences. It sounded really interesting. He was definitely excited when I decided to join.”

Harris and other Ford sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.

“This is a higher calling,” adds Harris.

“Serving something higher than myself offers a great opportunity to travel around the world and learn about other cultures. As a first-class petty officer, I have a responsibility to train and mentor sailors. It’s an opportunity to give back to others.”

PHOTO BY BILL TIERNAN/THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT/AP

The USS Gerald R. Ford is a $12.9 billion aircraft carrier, the largest warship ever constructed.

S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G FE AT U R E

EDUCATION GUIDE 2019

Search this annual guide for K–12 schools, higher education degree opportunities, courses, programs or tutoring services in Chicago’s west suburbs

NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 39

S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G FE AT U R E

KINGSWOOD ACADEMY

133 Plainfield Rd., Darien, IL 60561 630.887.1411 | kingswoodacademy.org KINGSWOOD ACADEMY OFFERS STUDENTS A CLASSICAL BASED EDUCATION WITH PROVEN RESULTS. Kingswood Academy offers students in PreK-3 through 8th grade an environment of academic excellence and character formation through Classical Education. Our Classical Education is the cultivation of wisdom and virtue by nourishing the soul with truth, goodness, and beauty by means of the seven liberal arts. Kingswood offers full and part-time preschool, full-time kindergarten through 8th grade, as well as home school a la carte programs. Private tours and shadow days available by appointment.

Forming intellect and character through classical education

Register for our Open House on October 17th by emailing tammi@kingswoodacademy.org or calling (630) 887-1411.

Open House | October 17 (630) 887-1411

BENET ACADEMY

2200 Maple Avenue, Lisle, IL 60532 630. 969.6550 | benet.org CATHOLIC. BENEDICTINE. COLLEGE PREPARATORY. “Our entire community is called to grow and improve daily. Students, Faculty and Staff work hard every day to move closer to what God calls us to be: scholars and saints. The whole Benet family continually strives for excellence in scholarship, ethics, leadership, technology, athletics and activities.” – Mr. Bill Myers, Assistant Principal of Curriculum

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PRIMROSE SCHOOLS

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MIDWESTERN UNIVERSITY

3450 Lacey Road, Downers Grove, IL 60515 630.743.4500 | midwestern.edu TOMORROW’S HEALTHCARE TEAM

Whether it’s dental check-ups, sports physicals, or vision screenings, Midwestern University Multispecialty Clinic is your family’s home for back-to-school health. Located in Downers Grove, the Clinic offers a comprehensive, patientcentered healthcare experience at the Dental Institute, Speech-Language Institute, Family Medicine Clinic, Physical Therapy Institute, and Eye Institute. At the Midwestern University Multispecialty Clinic, you will receive quality care from a team of highly qualified faculty and students. Learn more at www.mwuclinic.com or call 630-743-4500.

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NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 41

S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G FE AT U R E

AAUW NAPERVILLE AREA (IL) P.O. Box 4662, Naperville, IL 60567 aauwnaper@gmail.com naperville-il.aauw.net | aauw.org

JOIN US TO MAKE AN IMPACT FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS! The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is the nation’s leading voice promoting equity and education for women and girls. Since our founding in 1881, AAUW members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day—educational, social, economic, and political.

To help close the pay gap — AAUW is training 10 million women in salary negotiation

You’re invited to our Fall program and potluck to learn more: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 6:15–9 p.m.

Naperville Municipal Center

salary.aauw.org BRIDGEDALE ACADEMY 6690 S. Route 53, Woodridge, IL 60517 630.796.2505 | bridgedaleacademy.com

BRIDGEDALE ACADEMY

Excellence in Academics and Athletics

SCHOOL FOR ATHLETES | HOCKEY & GOLF 5TH-8TH GRADES | BOYS-ONLY CLASSICAL ACADEMICS “Bridgedale Academy is a private school for serious young athletes, a 5th thru 8th grade sports academy for aspiring golfers and hockey players. We provide the optimal combination of academic, athletic and character/leadership training to our student-athletes during their prime athletic development years. Our goal is for them to realize their full potential: academically, athletically, and as good citizens, to prepare them for their adult lives.” – Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy

42 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

Leadership through Athletics

SUBURBAN BLISS

PHOTO BY NIXPACK PET PHOTOGRAPHY

TRENDS

NIXPACK PET PHOTOGRAPHY Page 44

HOME Page 46

FIRST CLASS Page 48

Pete, a Great Dane puppy NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM // AUGUST MONTH 2019 43

Domino, a mixed breed

PICTURE PURR-FECT This Oswego-based photography studio specializes in bringing out a client’s wild side

By Annemarie Mannion

I

t may take some gentle urging—a treat, a brightly colored toy or blowing some bubbles, but the cats, rats, dogs, ferrets, lizards, parrots, and other animals that regularly visit NixPack Pet Photography in Oswego (nixpackpetphotography.com) are soon ready for their close-ups.

The studio is owned by Naperville resident Claudia Nix, a seventh grade special education teacher at Jefferson Junior High School in Naperville, who is also a part-time pet photographer.

44 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

Nix is mostly self-taught, and used to take pictures of weddings, parties, and people, but found she was always drawn to animals.

“Everywhere I went, if someone was walking their dog … I’d always take a picture of their animal,” she says.

Eventually, doing weddings and other standard photography gigs became too much of a rat race.

“I decided to stop spreading myself so thin,” she says. “I wanted to focus on what I love—animals.”

It’s not easy to get an animal to pose for the perfect shot, says Nix, who often asks clients to bring a special toy or other item that their pet loves.

“You can’t just say to a dog or cat, ‘Hey, look over here and tilt your head,’” she says. “I like the challenge.”

Nix uses a single-lens reflex camera that enables her to control the shutter speed, lens, aperture, and other photography settings.

“You’re controlling it manually so you’re doing things exactly as you want,” she says.

Even with that control, it’s no easy task to get the best shot.

“It takes patience to capture that split second—that perfect moment,” Nix says.

Nix takes photos in her studio or in other settings, like a park or backyard.

A session usually lasts about an hour.

The cost for a Wet Nose session for up to two animals is $125. Clients pay an additional cost if they want prints or a larger, canvas wall hanging.

The first part of a session is set aside for letting the animals roam and get used to her 500-square-foot studio.

“I only let one animal in at a time because it’s kind of intense for them,” she says of her studio. “There are so many different smells.”

Nix keeps the cost of the sessions fairly low because she doesn’t have an assistant; she relies on the owners to help wrangle their pets.

“If the dog jumps off the table they’re going to have to go and get him,” she says about clients. “I always tell the owners that they’re going to get a pretty good workout.”

For cats and dogs, getting a good picture may be about catching a winsome or adorable expression, but for snakes, lizards, and birds—or the tarantula that Nix once snapped—it’s all about capturing their beauty.

“You’re trying to get the lighting really nice to bring out all the details, like the hair on the body of a tarantula or cockatoo spreading its wings and headdress,” she says.

Some people bring clothes for their pets to wear, says Nix, who has taken photos of a bulldog in a tutu and a rat in a cheerleading outfit. Costumes are not necessary for each photography shoot, however.

PHOTOS BY NIXPACK PET PHOTOGRAPHY

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“I prefer to concentrate on the pet,” Nix says.

Nix also offers an Evermore session for a $75 fee, which is for terminally ill animals. Melissa and Jehoshuah Knapp of Morton Grove wanted to have a photograph of their dog, Domino, who passed away in January at the age of 15. He was a mixed-breed dog with a white coat, big black spots, bright brown eyes, pointed ears, and a curly tail.

“Our Domino was a strong, proud pup, and very handsome,” says Melissa.

“The pictures we got were very representative of this.”

The couple also were in some of the pictures with him.

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Nicholas, a domestic shorthair

“Our photos together with him were wonderful and showed the special bond we had with him,” Melissa says.

She adds that Nix was really easy to work with.

“We worked in a forest preserve and backtracked quite a bit to spots that she felt were the best for the time of day to capture my little pup,” Melissa says.

The Knapps purchased 15 photos.

Some are in their wallets and three are hung in their home.

“They are wonderful reminders of the memories we had with Domino,” Melissa says.

As challenging as her job is, Nix says it’s rewarding.

“You can’t take a bad pic of an animal,” she says. “Even if a cat closes its eyes, it is still cute.”

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HOME

The White Attica marble mantle surround and the gray pebble hearth, both from Caesar Stone, are repeated in the kitchen counters for design continuity.

Shanna Swivel chairs ($2,199) from Walter E. Smithe are the perfect place for the Lattanzios to catch the game.

The couple’s “first born,” Murray, is a Goldendoodle who joined the family in 2015.

GAME PLAN

W

hen Patrick and Kelli Lattanzio were ready to build their forever home, they knew just who to call: Michael Buss. “We’ve been working with this family for over 15 years now,” says Buss, who remodeled the couple’s first home, as well as Patrick’s parents’. “It makes the build a little easier if you anticipate the family routines.”

Buss and his team at Michael Buss Architects in Hickory Hills fulfilled the couple’s desire to have a traditional appeal—“We had countless meetings to hone their preferences to make it cute and fun, but timeless”—creating an open-concept first floor filled with conveniences for a growing family, as Kelli was pregnant for the last nine months of the construction process.

“Ultimately, it’s a cool place to be,” says Kelli. “We hope our kids and their friends want to hang out here as well.”—MD 46 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

The couple’s favorite thing about their new home? The lower level. “What I love about the basement,” says Patrick, “is that it feels like a totally different area than the other floors; it’s another world.” Multiple screens allow the couple and their friends to watch sporting events en masse. “We can watch five baseball games at one time—it’s just fun to have.” A custom light from Elk Lighting Industrial hangs over the family pool table, which was moved from Patrick’s childhood home.

PHOTOS COURTESY MICHAEL BUSS ARCHITECTURE

A Hinsdale teardown makes way for a timeless retreat for these sports fans

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MARKET

FIRST CLASS Get schooled with this great gear

For pro tips on packing lunches, flip to p. 24.

Styling by Elizabeth Kennedy 1 Sistema Klip-It Lunch Cube-To-Go Bento Box ($6) from The Container Store. 2 Pom magnets ($13), 3 notebook ($15), 4 holographic journal ($10), and 5 Secret Garden pens ($13) from Paper Source. 6 Full Circle reusable snack bags ($7), 7 Heyday wireless headphones ($60), and 8 water bottle ($15) from Target. 9 Nekoni page markers ($3) and 10 planning journal ($24) from Urban Outfitters. 11 Herschel Nova backpack ($60) from Zappos. 12 Prismacolor colored pencil set ($10) from Dick Blick.

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48 AUGUST MONTH 2019 2019 // NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOGRAPH BY OLIVIA KOHLER

200 E. 5th Ave., Suite 125 | Naperville, IL | 630.428.3300 | grunyklaw.com

MY WORK MAKES A DIFFERENCE

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Named one of the Top 50 Women Super Lawyers in Illinois

INDULGE

NAPERVILLE MAGAZINE’S CULINARY GUIDE

DINE THE IRON PAW AT EAST AURORA HIGH SCHOOL Page 52

CHOW CHOW Page 54

LOCAL FLAVOR

PHOTO BY KRISTIN DOUCETTE

Page 57

Carina Rios with a head of cabbage grown in the school's garden NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM // AUGUST MONTH 2019 51

TABLE FOR TWO

RESIDENT CHEFS District 131 students hone their culinary chops by running the Iron Paw restaurant

By Lisa Arnett

E

ast Aurora High School 2019 grad Joseline Carbajal, 18, became interested in cooking the same way many teens these days do: “I used to watch a lot of Food Network,” he admits.

Unlike most of his peers, however, he’s had the opportunity to compete in cooking challenges and even help run a mock restaurant—much like Restaurant Wars on Top Chef—all through the school’s culinary arts classes.

Students who have completed two semester-long courses in culinary arts can sign up for Kristin Doucette’s yearlong restaurant management class, offered in two levels. One of the classes’ ongoing projects is operating 52 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

a mock restaurant called the Iron Paw, open about twice a month during the school year.

The students are in charge of all aspects of restaurant service. “They will write the menu out. They will cost the menu out. They make a grocery list,” says Doucette, who has taught at East Aurora for 14 years. “They do the spec sheets on what has to be done. They run the front of house and back of house.

Soup to nuts.”

The Iron Paw was run out of the home economics kitchen up until two years ago, when the school upgraded its facilities to include a commercial-grade kitchen space. Now the students

prepare meals there and set up the adjoining classroom as a dining room, complete with themed decorations and table centerpieces. For a Mexican theme, they strung up traditional papel picado banners; for a carnival-inspired menu of pizza, burgers, and funnel cakes, they set up a table with games and popcorn for guests to snack on while awaiting their orders.

Faculty, staff, and parents book a daytime time slot for carryout or dine-in meals, and select their desired menu items, which allows the students to manage who is coming when and what they have ordered.

German Casas, 17, participated in the Iron Paw the past two years. “I started off being a cook … and then eventually I became back-of-the-house manager, overseeing all the orders and all the chefs,” he says. “I would tell my mom [to come dine] and she said she loves the food.”

Meanwhile, Bryanna Perez, 16, took a front-of-house management role and trained fellow students on how to use

PHOTOS COURTESY KRISTIN DOUCETTE

Students Tony Foster, Daniela Herrera, and German Casas with teacher Kristin Doucette (second from right)

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the cash register. “When the Restaurant Management 1 students come in, I explain to them, this is what you do,” she says. “I feel like now if I was ever to work in a restaurant, I would be more prepared. It would benefit me career-wise, as I know I’m learning the basics here.”

In addition to technical cooking skills, students learn the art of thinking on their feet. “There were times you had to come up with something on the spot,” Carbajal says. “Like, OK, we’re running out of this, what can we do to substitute it or change it up?”

Whether or not her students go on to pursue culinary careers, Doucette hopes they will put the skills they learned in her classes to good use.

“Hopefully these kids are not going to be eating ramen noodles when they go to college, or eating from a microwave every single day,” she says. “Even if they’re not using my direct culinary skills, I’m teaching them … the basics of teamwork and working together toward an end result. I believe culinary arts is not just cooking.”

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RECIPE

CHOW CHOW Yield: 5 pints 8 cups cut-off-the-cob corn kernels (about 8 ears) 1 sweet onion, such as candy or Vidalia, diced ½ sweet pepper, such as red bell pepper, seeded and diced ½ cup brown sugar, packed 4 teaspoons kosher salt 1½ tablespoons black mustard seeds 1½ tablespoons yellow mustard seeds 2 teaspoons sweet paprika 1½ teaspoons black pepper, ground 3 cups water 1¾ cups Champagne vinegar In a large pot over medium-high heat, mix the corn, onion, sweet pepper, sugar, salt, black and yellow mustard seeds, paprika, and black pepper. Pour in the water and vinegar, and bring to a boil.

Decrease to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Keep hot.

2

Scald 5 pint jars in a large pot of simmering water fitted with a rack. You will use this pot to process the jars. Right before filling, put the jars on the counter. Meanwhile, soak the lids in a pan of hot water to soften the rubber seal.

3

Ladle the relish into the jars, ensuring there is enough liquid to cover the vegetables in each jar. Leave a 1/2-inch space from the rim of the jar, and check for air pockets, adding more relish or liquid if necessary to fill in the gaps. Wipe the rims with a clean towel, seal with the lids, then screw on the bands until snug, but not tight.

54 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

4

Using kitchen tongs or a jar lifter, place the jars in the pot with the rack, and add enough water to cover the jars by about 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil, and process the jars for 15 minutes. (Start your timer when the water reaches a boil.) Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water for a few minutes.

Remove the jars from the water with kitchen tongs or a jar lifter, and let cool completely.

Recipe courtesy Chef Paul Virant (paulvirant.com): Vie, Vistro, Gaijin (coming soon). From The Preservation Kitchen: The Craft of Making and Cooking with Pickles, Preserves, and Aigre-doux, by Paul Virant with Kate Leahy.

SUMMER HARVEST A spoonful of this chow chow dresses up a warm bowl of chili (pictured). The relish also is great with a classic shore lunch: a Great Lakes tradition of fish fried in a skillet with potatoes, bacon, and onions. Other ideas: spoon onto shrimp tacos; use as a garnish on deviled eggs; or try it on a mixed grill spread of brats, steak, chicken, fish, and veggies. If DIY chow chow isn’t for you, pick up a ready-made jar of Sweet Corn Chow Chow from Chef Paul’s Jar Sessions collection (jarsessions.com).

PHOTO BY REGAN BARONI

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EGGS INC. CAFÉ $ 220 South Washington Street, Naperville 630.171.5555, eggsincorporated.com

J. FLEMING’S ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS $$$ 18 North Cass Avenue, Westmont 630.434.0224, willbeyourchef.com

THE BURGER SOCIAL $$ 108 North Hale Street, Wheaton 630.480.0458, theburgersocial.com CADENCE KITCHEN $$$ 5101 Mochel Drive, Downers Grove 630.422.7631, cadencekitchen.co THE CAPITAL GRILLE $$$$ 87 Yorktown Center, Lombard 630.627.9800, thecapitalgrille.com CARNIVORE & THE QUEEN $$$ 2241 Maple Avenue, Downers Grove 630.541.9951, carnivoreandthequeen.com CATCH 35 $$$ 35 South Washington Street, Naperville 630.717.3500, catch35.com CHINN’S 34TH STREET FISHERY $$$ 3011 West Ogden Avenue, Lisle 630.637.1777, chinnsfishery.com CITYGATE GRILLE $$$ 2020 Calamos Court, Naperville 630.718.1010, citygategrille.com CLUB ARCADA $$ 105 East Main Street, St. Charles 630.962.7000, clubarcada.com COLONIAL CAFE $ 1101 South Washington Street, Naperville 1961 West Galena Road, Aurora 1625 East Main Street, St. Charles 552 Randall Road, St. Charles colonialcafe.com

ELMHURST BREWING COMPANY $$ 171 North Addison Street, Elmhurst 630.834.2739, elmhurstbrewing.com EMMETT’S BREWING CO. $$ 5200 Main Street, Downers Grove 630.434.8500, emmettsbrewingco.com

JIMMY’S GRILL $$ 245 South Washington Street, Naperville 630.548.2500, jimmysgrillnaperville.com THE LANTERN $ 8 West Chicago Avenue, Naperville 630.355.7099, lanterntavern.com

EMPIRE BURGERS & BREW $$ 48 West Chicago Avenue, Naperville 630.355.9000, empireburgerbar.com

LE CHOCOLAT DU BOUCHARD $$ 127–129 South Washington Street, Naperville 630.355.5720, lechocolatdubouchard.com

FOXFIRE $$$ 17 West State Street, Geneva 630.232.1369, foxfiregeneva.com

LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN $$ 204 South Washington Street, Naperville 331.215.5789, lepainquotidien.com

GRAND DUKE’S RESTAURANT $$ 980 W. 75th St., Downers Grove, 708.594.5622, granddukesrestaurant.com

MAIZE + MASH $$ 430 North Main Street, Glen Ellyn 630.547.2540, maizeplusmash.com

GRANITE CITY FOOD & BREWERY $$ 1828 Abriter Court, Naperville 630.544.3700, gcfb.net HAMPTON SOCIAL $$$ 705 Village Center Drive, Burr Ridge 630.219.0009, thehamptonsocial.com HARRY & EDDIE’S $$ 29 East First Street, Hinsdale 630.590.9047, harryandeddies.com

MEATHEADS SERIOUS BURGERS & FRIES $ 2555 West 75th Street, Naperville 630.355.6066, meatheadsburgers.com MELTING POT $$$$ 4931 Route 59, Naperville 630.717.8301, meltingpot.com MORTON’S THE STEAKHOUSE $$$$ 1751 Freedom Drive, Naperville 630.577.1372, mortons.com

HOPVINE BREWING COMPANY $$ 4030 Fox Valley Center Drive, Aurora 630.229.6030, hopvinebrewingcompany.com

MOVEABLE FEAST + COMPANY $$ 112 North Hale Street, Wheaton 630.868.3777, moveablefeastandco.com

COOPER’S HAWK WINERY & RESTAURANT $$$ 1740 Freedom Drive, Naperville 630.245.8000, chwinery.com

HOLY MACKEREL! $$$ 70 Yorktown Center, Lombard 630.953.3444, harrycarays.com

THE NEST BAR & GRILL $$$ 2001 Rodeo Drive, Bolingbrook 630.771.9400, bolingbrookgolfclub.com

CRAFT URBAN $$$ 211 James Street, Geneva 331.248.8161, crafturban.com

HUGO’S FROG BAR & FISH HOUSE $$$ 55 South Main Street, Naperville 630.548.3764, hugosfrogbar.com

OLD TOWN POUR HOUSE $$ 1703 Freedom Drive, Naperville 630.448.6020, oldtownpourhouse.com

DRAFT PICKS $$ 523 Fairway Drive, Naperville 630.904.1111, draftpicksnaperville.com

IKE AND OAK BREWING CO. $$ 6315 Main Street, Woodridge 331.998.2907, ideandoakbrewing.com

PAISANS PIZZERIA $$ 2901 Ogden Avenue, Lisle 630.922.4100, paisanspizza.com

58 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

PARKERS’ RESTAURANT & BAR $$$ 1000 31st Street, Downers Grove 630.960.5700, parkersamerican.com PEANUTS BAR AND GRILL $ 22 West Chicago Avenue, Naperville 630.369.5200, peanutsbarandgrill.com PERRY’S STEAKHOUSE & GRILLE $$$ Five Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook 630.571.1808, perryssteakhouse.com PETE MILLER’S $$$ 3032 English Rows Avenue, Naperville 630.428.4242, petemillers.com PIERCE TAVERN $$$ 5135 Main Street, Downers Grove 630.869.5333, piercetavern.com PIZZERIA NEO $$ 31 South First Street, St. Charles 630.377.8700, pizzerianeo.com PLANK BAR & KITCHEN $$ 120 Water Street, Naperville 331.401.5500, hotelindigo.com/napervilleil PRIMO $$ 29 South Third Street, Geneva 630.232.2280, allchocolatekitechenprimo.com R. URBAN WINE BAR & CAFE $$ 4738 Main St., Lisle 414.909.1583, urbanwinelisle.com RBK AMERICAN GRILL $$ 994 Warren Avenue, Downers Grove 331.251.6780, rbkdg.com RED ARROW TAP ROOM $$ 216 South Washington Street, Naperville 630.536.8739, redarrowtaproom.com SANTO CIELO $$$ 120 Water Street, Suite 509, Naperville 630.323.0700, stcielo.com SEASONS 52 $$$ 3 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook 630.571.4752, seasons52.com

S B O L

H S A B R E T

T ABOU L L A IT’S

THE

IE GRED N I ” E “MAIN

SIXTYFOUR–A WINE BAR $$ 123 Water Street, Naperville 630.780.6464, sixtyfourwinebar.com SOVEREIGN $$$ 24205 West Lockport Street, Plainfield 815.556.8577, sovereigntap.com

NT!

MAINE LOBSTER SPECIALS ALL AUGUST LONG Whole Lobsters, Rolls, Tails, and our Award-Winning Lobster Mac & Cheese

CHICAGO 35 West Wacker Dr 312.346.3500 NAPERVILLE 35 South Washington St 630.717.3500

CATC H 3 5 .CO M NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 59

TWO BROTHERS ROUNDHOUSE $$ 205 North Broadway, Aurora 630.264.2739, twobrothersroundhouse.com

An assortment of Jackson Family Wines from The Generous Pour offering at Morton’s The Steakhouse.

TWO BROTHERS TAP HOUSE $$ 30W315 Calumet Avenue West, Warrenville 630.393.2337, twobrothersbrewing.com UP NORTH ALE HOUSE $$ 1595 North Aurora Road, Naperville 630.946.6494 VICTORY MEAT & SEAFOOD $$$ 116 North York Street, Elmhurst 630.359.5599, victorymeatandseafood.com

W

ine Spectator’s annual restaurant awards honor the world’s best establishments for wine, and several suburban eateries made the 2019 list of award winners:

DOWNERS GROVE Parker’s Restaurant & Bar

NORTH AURORA The Turf Room

LOMBARD The Capital Grille

OAK BROOK Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille Roka Akor Seasons 52

NAPERVILLE Che Figata Two Brothers Barrel House Fogo de Chao Morton’s The Steakhouse

WHEATON Suzette’s Creperie

WHEATSTACK $$$ 5900 South Route 53, Lisle 630.968.1920, wheatstacklisle.com WHITE CHOCOLATE GRILL $$ 1803 Freedom Drive, Naperville 630.505.8300, whitechocolategrill.com WILDWOOD $$$ 477 South Third Street, Geneva 630.377.8325, wildwoodsteak.com

ITALIAN ANGELI’S $$$ 1478 East Chicago Avenue, Naperville 630.420.1370, angeliscatering.com AURELIO’S $$ 1975 Springbrook Square Drive, Naperville 630.922.3600, aureliospizza.com

Most received the Award of Excellence, which is the magazine’s basic award level for well-chosen wine lists with an assortment of quality producers. But two restaurants—the Turf Room and Parker’s Restaurant & Bar—received the Best of Award of Excellence, a higher category which signifies a restaurant for serious wine lovers. Kudos to all!

BIAGGI’S $$ 2752 Showplace Drive, Naperville 630.428.8500, biaggis.com

SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE $$$ 244 South Main Street, Naperville 630.305.0230, sullivanssteakhouse.com

BRICKS WOOD FIRED PIZZA & CAFÉ $$ 1763 Freedom Drive, Naperville 630.799.6860, brickswoodfiredpizza.com

THE TURF ROOM $$ 1033 Kilbery Lane, North Aurora 630.906.9300, theturfroomrestaurant.com

BRACONI’S $ 796 Royal St. George Drive, Naperville 630.717.9530, braconis.com

TAP IN PUB & CARVERY $$ 2155 CityGate Lane, Naperville 331.457.5798, tapinpub.com

THIRTY O THREE $$ 3003 Corporate West Drive, Lisle, 630.245.7650, hiltonlislenaperville.com/allgauers-restaurant

CAPRI SOGNO $$ 24102 West Lockport Street, Plainfield 815.733.5815, caprisogno.com

TED’S MONTANA GRILL $$$ 39 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville 630.848.2255, tedsmontanagrill.com

TWO BROTHERS BARREL HOUSE $$$ 16 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville 630.615.7100, thecraftsmannaperville.com

CHE FIGATA $$$ 2155 CityGate Lane, Suite 103, Naperville 630.579.3210, chefigatakitchen.com

60 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO COURTESY MORTON’S THE STEAKHOUSE

WINNERS UNCORKED

WALKER'S CHARHOUSE $$$ 8 West Gartner Drive, Naperville 630.637.6988, walkerscharhouse.net

CLARA’S PASTA $$ 6550 South Route 53, Woodridge 630.968.8899, clarasrestaurant.com

ROSEBUD ITALIAN SPECIALTIES $$$ 22 East Chicago Avenue, Naperville 630.548.9800, rosebudrestaurants.com

QUIUBO $$ 120 Water Street, Naperville 331.702.2711, quiubomx.com

FIAMME $$ 19 North Washington Street, Naperville 630.470.9441, fiammepizza.com

TRAVERSO’S RESTAURANT $$ 2523 South Plainfield-Naperville Road, Naperville | 630.305.7747 traversosrestaurant.com

UNCLE JULIO’S $$ 1831 Abriter Court, Naperville 331.444.1300, unclejulios.com

FIRE + WINE $$$ 433 North Main Street, Glen Ellyn 630.793.9955, fireandwine.net FONTINA'S ITALIAN KITCHEN $$ 1767 West Ogden Avenue, Naperville 630.717.7821, thefontinas.com GIA MIA PIZZA BAR $$ 106 North Hale Street, Wheaton 13 North Third Street, Geneva giamiapizzabar.com FRANCESCA’S PASSAGGIO $$$ 3124 South Route 59, Naperville 630.946.0600, miafrancesca.com GIORDANO’S $$ 119 South Main Street, Naperville 630.428.2111, giordanos.com HARRY CARAY'S ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE $$$ 70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard 630.953.3400, harrycarays.com IL SOGNO $$ 100 North Hale Street, Wheaton 630.682.5900, ilsognoristorante.com LA SORELLA DI FRANCESCA $$$ 18 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville 630.961.2706, miafrancesca.com LIVIA ITALIAN EATERY $$$ 207 South Third Street, Geneva 116 East Schiller Street, Elmhurst liviaitalianeatery.com LOU MALNATI’S PIZZERIA $ 131 West Jefferson Street, Naperville 630.717.0700, loumalnatis.com MAGGIANO’S LITTLE ITALY $$ 1847 Freedom Drive, Naperville 630.536.2270, maggianos.com

TUSCAN TAVERN $$$ 4571 Route 71, Oswego 630.554.9600, tuscantavernoswego.net VAI'S ITALIAN INSPIRED KITCHEN + BAR $$ 916 South Route 59, Naperville 630.453.5200, vaisnaperville.com

MEXICAN/LATIN A TODA MADRE $$ 499 North Main Street, Glen Ellyn 630.474.0969, atmrestaurant.com CHAMA GAÚCHA $$$$ 3008 Finley Road, Downers Grove 630.324.6002, chamagaucha.com CHUY'S TEX-MEX $$ 28250 Diehl Road, Warrenville 512.473.2783, chuys.com EL GRAN AGAVE $$ 1650 Maple Avenue, Lisle 630.541.8959, elgranagaverestaurant.com ESTEBAN’S $$$ 1550 North Route 59, Naperville 630.579.3262, estebansdiningdancing.com FAT ROSIE’S TACO & TEQUILA BAR $$ 47 East Chicago Avenue, Naperville 630.328.0060, fatrosies.com FOGO DE CHÃO $$$ 1824 Abriter Court, Naperville 630.955.0022, fogodechao.com FRONT STREET CANTINA $ 15 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville 630.369.5218, frontstreetcantina.com MAGO GRILL & CANTINA $$ 641 East Boughton Road, Suite 152, Bolingbrook, 630.783.2222, magodining.com

YERBABUENA MEXICAN CUISINE $$ 4732 Main Street, Lisle 630.852.8040, yerbabuenacuisine.com

ASIAN BANGKOK VILLAGE $$ 22 East Chicago Avenue, Naperville 630.369.9757, thebangkokvillage.com BD’S MONGOLIAN GRILL $$ 221 South Washington Street, Naperville 630.428.0300, gomongo.com BLUE SUSHI SAKE GRILL $$$ 123 Water Street, Naperville 630.428.8500, bluesushisakegrill.com DOMO 77 $$$ 4097 Healthway Drive, Aurora 630.692.0032, domo77.com GREEN BASIL $$ 45 East Jefferson Avenue, Naperville 630.922.7700, greenbasil-restaurant.com HOUSE OF EMPEROR $$ 1212 South Naper Boulevard, Naperville 630.983.8284, houseofemperorchinese.com JIN 28 $$ 28 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville 630.848.1828, napervillejin28.com KIKU JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE $$$ 2764 Aurora Avenue, Naperville 630.305.3355, mykiku.com MOSHI MOSHI $ 109 South Main Street, Naperville 630.355.5516, moshimoshisushi.net RAKU SUSHI $$ 850 East Ogden Avenue, Naperville 630.357.7633, rakusushi.com

MIDICI THE NEAPOLITAN PIZZA COMPANY $$ 135 Water Street, Naperville 630.445.8054, mymidici.com

NANDO’S PERI-PERI $$ 6 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville 630.388.0193, nandosperiperi.com

ROCK SUGAR $$$ 2022 Spring Road, Oak Brook 630.320.2641, rocksugarkitchen.com

MOD PIZZA $$ 103 South Washington Street, Suite 113, Naperville, 630.544.3471, modpizza.com

POTTER’S PLACE $ 29 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville 630.355.9165, pottersplacenaperville.com

ROKA AKOR $$$ 166 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook 630.634.7652, rokaakor.com NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 61

SHINTO $$$ 504 North Route 59, Suite 116, Naperville 1739 Freedom Drive, Suite 121, Naperville shintorestaurants.com SUSHI HOUSE $$ 175 West Jackson Avenue, Naperville 630.717.8888, mysushihouse.com THAI MEDALLION $$ 327 North Center Street, Naperville 630.305.0183, thaimedallion.com Chef Mike Bomberger

FARM FRESH FARE

S

everal suburban establishments will come together this month to produce a culinary event with a cause: hunger relief. Livia Italian Eatery chef Mike Bomberger and Charity Blooms founder Robert Vaughan have joined forces to produce a Garden Harvest Dinner at Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry (834 N. Highland Ave., Aurora) from 6 to 9 p.m. on August 17. “Chef Mike and I worked out a garden plan early this year,” says Vaughan, “and he created a fantastic menu featuring vegetables grown on the property.”

The five-course meal includes tomato and mozzarella basil pesto skewers, wild mushroom and pea toast appetizers; kale, beet, and arugula salads; chicken limon with squash, eggplant, fingerling potatoes, and peppers; plus a sweet finale including tiramisu and panna cotta with strawberry preserves. Fox Valley Winery will provide beer and wine pairings for each course of the family-style meal. Tickets ($125 per person) can be purchased through Eventbrite.

62 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

TOKYO BAY SUSHI BAR & GRILL $$ 2775 Showplace Drive, Naperville 630.579.8880, tokyobaysushi.net WOK’N FIRE $$ 120 East Liberty Drive, Wheaton 630.665.1440, woknfire.com YU’S BISTRO $$ 658 Route 59, Naperville 630.848.6998, yubistronaperville.com

SPANISH EL TAPEO $$ 2100 Spring Road, Oak Brook 630.828.2044, eltapeorestaurant.com MESÓN SABIKA $$$ 1025 Aurora Avenue, Naperville 630.983.3000, mesonsabika.com

GREEK BASILS GREEK DINING $$ 4000 Fox Valley Center Drive, Aurora 630.692.1300, basilsgreekdining.com

FRENCH PARIS BISTRO $$ 2835 Showplace Drive, Naperville 630.357.1005, parisbistronaperville.com

INDIAN BAWARCHI $$ 4250 Fox Valley Center Drive, Aurora 630.375.1600, bawarchinaperville.com BOMBAY JOE’S $$$ 462 North Park Boulevard, Glen Ellyn 888.502.5102, gobombayjoes.com CUISINE OF INDIA $$ 1163 East Ogden Avenue, Naperville 630.548.9440, cuisineofindianaperville.com DECCAN SPICE $$ 192 West Gartner Road, Naperville 331.701.7105, deccanspicechicago.com HYDERABAD HOUSE BIRYANI PLACE $$ 4448 East New York Street, Aurora 630.236.0600, hhnaperville.com THE INDIAN HARVEST $$ 796 Royal St. George Drive, Naperville 630.579.9500, theindianharvest.com INDIA PALACE RESTAURANT $$ 242 East Geneva Road, Wheaton, 630.681.8002, indiapalacerestaurantwebs.webs.com JK KABAB $ 572 Weston Ridge Drive, Naperville 630.778.5555, jkkabab.com RUCHI INDIAN RESTAURANT $ 4S040 Route 59, Naperville 630.791.9792, ruchinaperville.com SHIKARA RESTAURANT $$ 1620 75th Street, Downers Grove 630.964.1720, shikaradownersgrove.com SHREE RESTAURANT $$ 1550 Route 59, Naperville 630.538.7000, shreerestaurants.com

IRISH

SUZETTE’S CREPERIE $$ 211 West Front Street, Wheaton 630.462.0898, suzettescreperie.com

BALLYDOYLE IRISH PUB $$ 5157 Main Street, Downers Grove 630.696.0600, ballydoylepub.com

TALLGRASS $$$$ 1006 South State Street, Lockport 815.838.5566, tallgrassrestaurant.com

QUIGLEY’S IRISH PUB $$ 43 East Jefferson Avenue, Naperville 630.428.4774, quigleysirishpub.net

PHOTO BY KELLY VANDERPLOEG PHOTOGRAPHY

SHAKOU $$ 22 East Chicago Ave., Naperville 312 West Main Street, St. Charles shakourestaurants.com

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64 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

RAISING THE RESILIENT LIFE IS HARD—ADAM RUSSO WANTS TO MAKE SURE YOUR KIDS CAN HANDLE IT PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVIA KOHLER

In this excerpt adapted from his book, Unwritten Rules, therapist and author Adam Russo offers four strategies to combat today’s parenting culture—overempathizing with and overprotecting children—that set our kids up for failure as adults.

NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 65

M

ost parents speak about their desire for their kids to be “successful.” For many, this means successfully thriving in academic, social, athletic, or artistic arenas. Parents focus on these things because they are the gateway to what they want for their children in the long term: material wealth and happiness.

But here’s the rub: This line of thinking just isn’t true.

The most successful and happy adults are those who have developed the skills to be adaptive and independent. They are able to control and understand their emotions, align their behaviors with how they feel, and operate freely in many different environments without having to change the core of who they are. But this kind of success is inherently slow and hard to achieve.

Instead, adults are pushing their kids down roads where they believe they will experience success the fastest, with the least amount of hardship, and to be “winners.” Many adults do this, and it’s a complete paradox with no good outcome for the children. We see the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world and say, “Why not my kid?” A billionaire at 23?

That would be a good life, of course. But if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. The reality is that most kids will grow up to be … average.

Yes, average. And our job as parents is to prepare them for their average lives. But we spend more time preparing them for a life of greatness that they will most likely never achieve, instead of preparing them for their average life full of problems and disappointments.

Average isn’t bad—it’s just hard. And because it’s hard, there are character traits that are essential to thrive in a life that will be challenging, exciting, nerve-racking, disappointing, and tragic. Many parents instead focus on preparing their children for a “better life” while looking for the rules to follow in order to guarantee that their kids will be “successful.” But children will inevitably face hardships, challenges, and struggles. The real question is: How equipped will they be to handle them?

Parents have to make a clear choice in their homes—they must answer the question as to whether they should parent for short-term outcomes, or real, long-term success in their professional and personal lives as they enter adulthood.

Embracing the truth of these four parenting strategies, using 12 clear-cut tactics, will help parents best cultivate the perseverance, empathy, and grit that can turn children into truly successful adults.

66 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

STRATEGY #1

DELAY GRATIFICATION While our culture becomes more “instant,” the things that lead to success haven’t changed. It still takes hard work, determination, motivation, failure, and perseverance to be successful. No matter how convenient our culture becomes, or how many barriers get removed in order to streamline processes to make our lives easier, or how many devices are created to help us be productive, being able to delay gratification will be essential to success in any field.

But for some reason, parents now expect that “the best” should happen quickly and easily for their kids—this is the biggest hoax that parents project onto kids today. Hardships are impossible to avoid, yet we raise our kids with the “instant” culture belief system: As long as they say, do, and act in the right ways, they will have no struggles. Parents sell the idea that there is a formula to completely avoid adversity, even when no such formula exists.

And this is how our culture perpetrates this greatest travesty on our kids: Rather than teaching that life is hard and challenging, we’re teaching not only that it shouldn’t be, but that there’s a way to beat it.

TACTICS

FOCUS ON THE ENDGAME

Children, parents, teachers, and coaches often focus on outcome: Did you win? What was your grade?

If a child really wants to get an A in a class, the value isn’t in whether he actually gets the A—that’s a result. The value is in the process of obtaining the A. How committed were they? How hard did they work?

Kids who get straight A’s without having to study are at a disadvantage compared with the kids who have to work hard to earn Bs. The hard-working B students are practicing how to deal with and manage adversity without a perfect outcome at the end. This process mirrors life. Kids need to practice managing adversity in their lives. Otherwise, they will be ill-prepared for the future.

Students who are unable to emotionally manage anything less than an A in their classes believe they have fallen short, are scared of the future academic consequences, and struggle to allow themselves to appreciate their hard work and diligence, even though the outcome wasn’t what they

wanted. Many of these kids struggle to manage anxiety, and they believe they really can control outcomes of situations by their hard work. Hard work doesn’t solve all issues, and there must be an acceptance that no matter how hard one may work at accomplishing the right things, the wrong things can and will happen eventually.

LIMIT SOCIAL MEDIA

Technology is now a large part of an adolescent’s life. While the technological advancements in our culture have been great, they create difficulty for many families.

Students are able to connect instantaneously with whomever they would like through all types of messaging apps and social media platforms. Many adults and kids are not prepared for how to manage the downside of these technological advancements.

Parents spend much of their time on social media, and their personal relationships may depend on its use. Because of this, parents may overidentify with their child and not want to set limits on social media for fear of destroying their child’s social life. They fear if they had limits, their social lives may also be destroyed.

Just like everything else, social media can be a good thing, but only if used in moderation. It becomes a problem when people feel like their lives are horrible because they really do believe the “idealized representations” that they see posted.

Further, they then believe everyone else (whoever that is) is doing “better” things than they are—and is “exceptional.” The cognitive distortions snowball to a point to where an individual now has created a reality based on images that they see and posts they read. Young people are especially susceptible to this, which is why panic sets in when they can’t engage with social media. They do not see the average lives that their friends lead, yet “average” is what we all are.

ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENCE

Now that many functions of our day-to-day lives can happen quickly and easily, it’s incumbent on parents to teach kids to … wait.

If your child wants a new video game, do you buy it for them? Or, do you make them earn it through chores? If your child wants more than anything to be a good basketball player, but after practicing for three minutes in the driveway, returns inside sulking because they haven’t yet made a basket, do you only console them? Or do you empathize with the struggle and make sure they go out and keep trying? If your 10-year-old is watching TV and asks if you can get him or her a drink, what do you do?

While it may be not be a big deal for you to get the drink or buy a video game, you should encourage your kids to get these things on their own. Learning how to delay gratification now will be essential to success in any field later.

NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 67

PARENTS HAVE TO MAKE A CLEAR CHOICE IN THEIR HOMES—THEY MUST ANSWER THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THEY SHOULD PARENT FOR SHORTTERM OUTCOMES, OR REAL, LONG-TERM SUCCESS IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIVES AS THEY ENTER ADULTHOOD. ADAM RUSSO STRATEGY #2

TEACH RESILIENCY I’ve given presentations to thousands of parents over the years, and in my presentations I ask, “Who here lives a completely wonderful, anxiety-free, worry-free, stress-free life?” I get laughter in response. So how is protecting our kids from experiencing real-life emotions going to benefit them in the future if we all know that life is chock-full of negative emotions?

We must be real. Life is hard and filled with many struggles. Our ability to respond in effective ways to these struggles is what makes people great. Kids will all have different fights to fight. But if they’re not prepared to manage the negative emotions when these battles come, they’re being set up to lose. As parents, we can’t guarantee their success, but we can ensure that they are best prepared for the fight.

TACTICS

ALLOW EMOTIONAL CONFLICT

As much as we as parents seem very prepared to have kids experience the behavioral consequences of their actions (child spills milk, child cleans up), we tend to want to protect them from the emotional consequences of their actions. Parents work tremendously hard to have their kids not feel feelings like shame, guilt, embarrassment, fear, and anxiety. But there is great value to kids learning these emotions. Through experience, children learn that they don’t want to feel negative emotions, much a like a child who touches a hot stove and gets burned.

68 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

There is a belief that kids “can’t handle” negative emotions. This is simply not true. It’s the parents who can’t handle watching them. Parents want to make the status quo acceptable so they don’t have to make choices that will create tension, conflict, and negative feelings with their kids, even though these things will better prepare their kids to be successful in the future.

FOSTER INTRINSIC MOTIVATION

Virtually all choices people make in life have a behavioral consequence. But people make many of their behavioral choices because they believe the outcome will align with what they want to feel emotionally. If kids don’t understand negative emotions, then is there any decision that they can make that feels wrong? And this is, without question, the most important reason why kids should feel anxiety, guilt, and shame at young ages.

If a child feels shame about a behavior, it’s important for a parent to identify the feeling, but reinforce the positives of the child. Children learning the skill of opposite emotions being simultaneously true (otherwise known as ambivalence), is an essential life skill.

BE CONSISTENT

Parents often let poor behaviors slide out of fear of hurting their child’s feelings. Parents inherently know that challenging their child is the right thing to do as a parent. But because they don’t want to lose the positive relationship that they have with their child, they back off. Then the child continues to repeat the poor behavior and a parent can’t do anything about it.

STRATEGY #3

STRATEGY #4

MANAGE EMOTION

REQUIRE ACCOUNTABILITY

Most kids can’t learn how to manage emotions independently and adaptively—that must be taught. Anxiety is just a feeling that we all have. The ones who are able to keep anxiety in its place are the ones who can learn what this feeling is, how they experience it, and how to best cope with it.

TACTICS

Parents can make many excuses for themselves to in order to let the little things go. But if that’s all they do, then there is no way the child will learn how to be responsible for themselves and cope with the anxiety and frustration they will inevitably face when they enter the adult world.

NORMALIZE ANXIETY

TACTICS

By acknowledging that anxiety exists, that it’s common, and that it’s manageable, parents are able to lay the groundwork to their kids that just because they are feeling something uncomfortable, it doesn’t have to be a catastrophic experience for them.

LIMIT PRAISE

Reality testing is a powerful way to challenge thoughts when kids are anxious. Reality testing simply means asking the question, “What’s the worst that can happen?”

In our imagination? Quite a bit. If we use the example of a 10-year-old who has to give a speech in school, his initial fear is that he’ll perform poorly and other kids will make fun of him. But if we take that fear and break it up into three distinct possibilities, it doesn’t sound that bad:

Over the past 10 years or so, pop psychology made its way into the mainstream concluding that the better kids feel about themselves, the better they will perform in school, the more confident they will be socially, and the less likely they will be to engage in substance use or be sexually promiscuous. When kids have a strong sense of themselves, they are assertive and confident in most all other aspects of their lives.

Culturally, we boiled it down to its most common denominator: Praise kids all the time. This oversimplification and clear lack of examination of its consequences is what has created a problem that exists in many towns and cities across the country—entitled children.

1

BE REALISTIC

TEST REALITY

Best-case scenario: Child will perform very well and be pleased with himself.

2 Worst-case scenario: Child will not do as well as he’d like and have to “fight through” the presentation. But the other kids will not care all that much; they may even feel bad for him.

3 Most-likely scenario: Child will do fairly well, and be relieved when it’s over.

If we can challenge kids to consider that these three scenarios really are the most likely, suddenly their anxiety doesn’t have to feel that powerful. It can help them learn that the overwhelming feeling of anxiety is just that, a feeling. It’s not a predictor of a major impending failure that they are going to experience in their life. This then prepares children to put the emotion of anxiety in context. And that’s the most important part of anxiety: How to use it appropriately in context of what is actually possible given the situation they are (or will be) in.

Constantly reinforcing the positive, without the negative experience, paints a picture of life existing in a perfect vacuum for the child. Because of the way the environment at home works, they believe that all environments should reflect the same way. The kids who grow up receiving constant, positive reinforcement without being held accountable are at a tremendous disadvantage—they haven’t been taught how to adapt and be successful in the real world.

COMMUNICATE EXPECTATIONS

Parents must be relentless in communicating to their children what the expectations are, and they must not be afraid to hold their children accountable to the natural consequences of their actions. By consistently setting clear expectations and holding their children to them, kids can learn how to display behaviors that will help them succeed and adapt well into adulthood.

AVOID INTERVENTION

Children often use their anxiety to get out of something they don’t want to do—it’s a trap that many parents fall into. They see the anxiety and tears that their kids show and immediately empathize with their child.

But through choice or fear, we cannot expect to avoid challenging situations in adulthood. How many adults give work presentations that terrify them? Struggle to manage a situation with their parents or other family members?

Adults can’t avoid situations that are difficult. Giving kids the idea that somehow it is possible for them to accomplish this feat is a tremendous detriment to their ability to grow up to be adaptive and independent.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Adam Russo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and founder of Edgewood Clinical Services.

He lectures extensively on mental health issues in youth, parenting strategies, and other issues that impede child development (including a 2016 TEDx Naperville talk, We Must Teach Kids to Fail).

NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 69

SCHO SUPP SUP A FATHER OF TWO GIVES SAGE ADVICE TO COLLEGIATE PARENTS

BY ROBERT I. CRAIG

Author Robe rt Craig wit h daughter Louise durin g graduati on ceremon at Francisc ies an Univers ity in Ohio.

70 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

OLAR PORT PPORT W

hat is that, you say?

That thunderous sound? The sound of … buffalo? Buffalo stampeding out your door?

Nah, that ain’t buffalo. That’s your kids. They’re charging back to college after a summer pent-up, restless, bored to tears. And now the herd is on the move. What do you say we get out of their way?

And why wouldn’t we? Why wouldn’t we let them go rambling off, entirely on their own, back to that parallel universe called college?

They need room to roam. They need their own space. Just as we, too, could use some space, which

now can include even nouveau-hip Sparrow where, with a bit more wiggle room suddenly in our schedule, we can linger on Water Street over a large coffee, buy a biscotti, nibble contemplatively. Admit it: Space like this never tasted so good.

Times like these come rarely for busy parents. The rarity is what makes them valuable, as with any commodity. And so now with no fires that need putting out, we can rest in our knowledge that the kids off at school are all right, that what we can’t see can’t hurt us.

Can’t hurt us?

Are you kidding me?

No. No kidding. Because, if that parallel universe were to crack,

or refract some weird energy that reaches our antennae, we would arrive in time to intervene. Until then, we look back on this past summer: on how we did as our kids’ friend (on good days), on how we did as our kids’ warden (on bad days), on how we did as a bug under a microscope through which they watch us and learn how to live. They do need us, whether they admit it or not. And we do love them, perhaps now more than ever.

What follows is a list of suggestions for parents of a unique niche of kids—those on the threshold of independence, but who still live under our roofs (occasionally).

NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 71

QUIET, PLEASE

uation brates grad g (left) cele ai Cr gs e in gi bl ag si M . Both g sis Louise University. with her bi Franciscan om fr d te gradua

WAITING FOR THE LOBE When our kids act strangely, let’s remember who raised them.

They’ll grow up. We did (eventually). They just need a little more time to develop a frontal lobe, the part of their brain where they make wise decisions. Until then, let’s be patient. Let’s see the humor in their best efforts. Or just see them as chips off the old block.

LEARN THIS They may not be able to read our minds, but our kids can read our faces. They know when we’re worried. We tend to get quiet. We stare out into the distance.

Please stop. We can’t assume that, overnight, our kids will forget everything we ever taught them.

They have not taken leave of their senses. They have not dropped out and married someone they barely knew. They have, however, given us the opportunity to prove our faithfulness in a power greater than us.

And in them. College is a time when students aren’t the only ones who end up learning something.

72 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

Middle of the night and we’re deep in REM sleep. Our phone goes off.

We enter cardiac arrest. Moments later, hand to heart, we’re asking ourselves: Has hell just frozen over?

The kid’s not calling for money? The kid just wants to say … “Hi”?

No kid does this unless he or she feels safe—safe to speak freely, safe to let it all out, without fearing interruption—from us.

Nothing throws a wet blanket on conversation faster than a parent who’s always butting in. True, our kids might give us a call, but that’s only because they’ve had a bad day.

We can have a bad day. They can have a bad day. But they do sound overwhelmed. And our hearts do want to break. Next day we call back, having spent a sleepless night, and they ask us cheerfully, What are you talking about? Oh, that? That was nothing. This, while we drop to our knees and thank God for a positive answer to frantic prayers. One of the hardest things for parents to grasp is that kids don’t want our dissertation on the claim that the moon landing was faked. They just want us to listen.

GROW NO FORBIDDEN FRUIT Friends are as much a part of our kids as their gastrointestinal tracts.

Which means that if we criticize their friends, then we criticize our kids. So if a friend shows up wearing a bolt through the nose, relax—our kids will catch on in time. Before then, however, we do not make this friend a forbidden fruit. And whatever we do, we don’t criticize any of our kids’ sibs. Somebody’s bound to blab.

So speak kindly to each other and your Christmas break might become a magical month the whole family recalls fondly.

PROBLEM SOLVED

ADIOS, MARGARITAVILLE We might come off as perfect parents to casual observers over the years—then get remembered for what we do on one night. I’m talking parents’ weekend—that one weekend on college campuses when we get to see our kids for the first time since they left that fall.

I recommend we take a little time to prepare ourselves for this reunion. It can come with a lot of emotion. It can come with lot of expectation. It will come with a lot of booze. The activities go all day, and—as if that’s not enough—the parties go all night. Certainly past our bedtime. It’s enough to make us think that we’re the ones in college.

Most people do develop a frontal lobe (see left), and all of us reading this have grown our lobes already.

So, moms: Don’t lead cheers at the football game. Dads: Step away from the mystery punch. And put down that ridiculous red plastic cup. All of us need to remember who we are, that our kids still need a mom and a dad, not a cheerleader, not a frat boy.

Why? Because when summer rolls around and our kids are back at home, we will of course try to enforce some rules. But who’s going to take that seriously? Our kids?

The ones who saw us at parents’ weekend singing “Margaritaville”?

Yes, parenting’s a lot like the Peace Corps. Toughest job we’ll ever love. But better for our kids to remember us as boring. Not as an embarrassment. Ever see Rodney Dangerfield in the movie Back to School? Yes? Before kids? Time for another viewing.

If they’re in imminent danger, then we of course go rescue them. But, short of that, they need to come up with their own solutions to their own problems. How else are they going to learn?

Kids routinely see our example but forget all about it when we don’t let them act—on their own.

They must feel vested, personally, in what they do. Otherwise, if they do succeed, they’ll do so not because of us, but in spite of us.

DAD KISSED MOM (EWW) A unified home front will motivate any kid to take a worthwhile risk.

That kid knows he or she is covered. That kid knows strength in numbers. All the more when Mom and Dad show affection to each other. In the eyes of an attentive child, even a quick kiss can make a lasting impression.

That goes double for the love of a father who puts the needs of his wife first. Double also for the respect of a mother toward the man who’s loyal to her and her children. In other words, when we give our spouse our love and respect, our kids see that marriage is a worthwhile risk—not that happiness in marriage is guaranteed, but that it does exist. Our kids will then look for a spouse who wants the kind of love and respect they witness at home.

YOU FLATTER ME (TOO MUCH) We all want what’s best for them.

But they can’t be the best—not in everything. So let’s be honest. Let’s not say that they’re the best student, best athlete, and the wittiest person you ever met. Sing those praises to your spouse. Lies and half-truths set up kids for disappointment. The message they end up hearing is that we prefer somebody better.

LOVE MEANS LETTING GO —REALLY What a concept: this letting our kids leave the moment summer’s over. We love them more than we love ourselves, and here we are encouraging their independence.

From us.

The ones who bathed them, cried over them, bled for them.

Just thinking about it is more than we can bear sometimes. Maybe that’s why we count the days (the hours, the minutes!) until we again wrap our arms around them again.

My daughter once suffered a broken heart over the loss of a friendship. At a break in the action I mentioned a lesson that involved a bar of soap in the shower. To help keep the bar from squirting loose, we hold it loosely in our palm. If we squeeze, we lose what’s important. I thought this lesson was for her.

It was all for me!

Robert I. Craig was a stay-at-home dad of two daughters, two years apart, for two decades. In his previous life he was a public relations writer living and working in Chicago. He and his wife, Ellen, have been married for 35 years.

NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 73

MEET THE 2019 BEST OF NAPERVILLE

SHOPPING & RETAIL

FOOD, DRINK, & HOSPITALITY

Auto Dealer Continental Motors Group Fair Oaks Ford Lincoln Gerald Auto Group

American Hugo’s Frog Bar Jackson Avenue Pub Ted’s Montana Grill

Coffee Shop Lavazza Starbucks Sparrow Coffee

Car Wash Brighton Auto Detailing Delta Sonic Fuller’s Car Wash

Barbecue Gemato’s Wood Pit BBQ Q-BBQ Sharko’s BBQ

Entertainment Venue Wentz Concert Hall Pinot’s Palette Topgolf

Florist Celidan Creations Philip’s Flowers & Gifts Trudy’s Flowers

Beer Bar AUR BAR at Aurelio’s Pizza Empire Burgers + Brew Red Arrow Tap Room

Hotel Chicago Marriott Naperville Hotel Arista Hotel Indigo Naperville Riverwalk

Outdoor Dining Empire Mesón Sabika Potter’s Place

Gift Shop Nona Jo’s Occasions Sara Boo Creek

Breakfast Buttermilk Butterfield’s Pancake House Egg Harbor Café

Indian Cuisine of India Deccan Spice Indian Harvest

Pizza Aurelio’s Pizza Little Italian Pizza Lou Malnati’s

Jeweler Costello Jewelry Company The Diamond Gallery of Naperville Fey & Co. Jewelers

Burger Empire Burgers + Brew Jackson Avenue Pub Ted’s Montana Grill

Italian Che Figata Francesca’s Restaurants Little Italian Pizza

Romantic Francesca’s Restaurants Mesón Sabika Sullivan’s Steakhouse

Japanese and Sushi Blue Sushi Sake Grill Kiku Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Lounge Shinto Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Lounge

Seafood Catch 35 Chinn’s 34th Street Fishery Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House

Men’s Store JoS. A. Bank Dean’s Clothing Trails & Tides Pet Store Dog Patch Pet and Feed Pet Supplies Plus Two Bostons Pet Boutique Women’s Boutique Bri’Zan Couture Evereve Karisma Boutique 74 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

Caterer Chef by Request My Chef Catering SanguCHE Chinese Chinese Kitchen House of Emperor MingHin Cuisine Cocktail Bar AUR BAR at Aurelio’s Pizza Hugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House Zorba Lounge

Live Music Venue Board & Barrel Potter’s Place Wentz Concert Hall

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Basil’s Greek Dining Naf Naf Grill Pita Inn Mexican/Latin Fat Rosie’s Quiubo SanguCHE

Southeast Asian The Bangkok Village Restaurant Pho Thien Vietnamese Kitchen Yum Yum Thai

YOUR VOTES ARE IN! The following local businesses were chosen by our readers as best-in-class finalists in 50 compelling categories. Winners will be celebrated in our September 2019 cover story.

Finalists are listed in alphabetical order.

PERSONAL SERVICES & WELLNESS Specialty Desserts Beans and Sweets Le Chocolat du Bouchard Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery Steak CityGate Grille Hugo’s Frog Bar Sullivan’s Steakhouse Sports Bar Bottoms Up Sports Bar & Grill Crosstown Pub & Grill Tap In Pub & Carvery Special Event Venue Cress Creek Country Club Elements at Water Street Mesón Sabika New categories in 2019

Chiropractic Practice Tilson Chiropractic FamilyCare Elite Recovery Chiropractic Advanced Health of Naperville Dental Practice Gantos Dental Group Innovative Dental Partners Riverwalk Family Dental Fitness Club Beyond Measure Fitness Training Olympus Executive Fitness Center Orangetheory Fitness Full-Service Spa ME SPA Solaia Salon & Spa Zazu Salon & Day Spa Hair Salon Solaia Salon & Spa Studio Luxe Hair Salon Zazu Salon & Day Spa

CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE Massage ME SPA Solaia Salon & Spa Tilson Chiropractic FamilyCare Medical Practice/Group DuPage Medical Group Edward Medical Group Naperville Women’s Healthcare

Builder DJK Custom Homes Eastman Properties Lakewest Custom Homes Landscaper* C.B. Conlin Greenworks Landscaping J&B Landscape Solutions Oak Grove Gardeners

Mortgage Lender Inlanta Mortgage Chase Bank U.S. Bank

Realty Company Baird & Warner Real Estate Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage John Greene Realtor

Photographer Veronica Adams Photography Mike Martin Photography The Zazu Exchange

Remodeler DJK Custom Homes Reliable Home Improvement Strahan Construction

Plastic Surgeon Bryan W. Rubach John Bull Jr. James Ferlmann

*4-way tie for finalist

Investment Adviser Calamos Wealth Management Edward Jones Ledebuhr Wealth Management Law Firm Grunyk Family Law Heather Ryan Law Rosenberg & Parker NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 75

August 30 – September 2, 2019 www.LastFling.org Live Bands - Friday 5pm - 10pm Saturday & Sunday 12pm - 10pm

Better Than Ezra • Friday

Vertical Horizon • Saturday

Big Head Todd And the Monsters•

Sunday

Live Bands - Friday 5pm - 10pm Saturday & Sunday 12pm - 10pm Plus Monday 12pm -8pm

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

HI INFIDELITY

THE BOY BAND NIGHT THE HAIR BAND NIGHT ALT 101 OMT DOUBLE IDENTITY

WEDDING BANNED HELLO WEEKEND GREGORY HYDE BAND BILLY MARTIN BAND AD3 ACOUSTIC TRIO

KASHMIR

LIBIDO FUNK CIRCUS INDIGO

THE HAT GUYS STRUNG OUT THE RUN AROUND

Special Events All Weekend Long!

Labor Day Parade

Spaghetti Eating contest

LF Naperville Magazine Full Page Ad - 7 x 9.875.indd 1

AND SO MUCH MORE! 6/13/19 4:11 PM

Festa Italiana

TO-DO LIST Through August 11 THEATER

JUNIE B. JONES It’s Junie B.’s first day of first grade, and a lot of things have changed for her over the summer. Throw in a friendly cafeteria lady, a kickball tournament and a Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal, and first grade has never been more exciting. All performances will be followed by a Q&A session with the cast. $18. Various times. Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr., Lincolnshire. marriotttheatre.com Through August 18

PHOTO COURTESY STAR EVENTS

EXHIBIT

WORLDS OF WONDER: REMEMBERING CHICAGOLAND’S AMUSEMENT PARKS This new exhibit celebrates Chicago’s favorite destinations for fun and thrills, from early trolley parks and suburban

attractions like Kiddieland, Santa’s Village, and Dispensa’s Kiddie Kingdom.

Learn about the signature rides and iconic venues through rare photos and video, memorabilia, advertisements, and intriguing artifacts. Free. Sunday and Tuesday through Friday 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E. Park Ave., Elmhurst. elmhursthistory.org Through August 18

Through August 25 EXHIBIT

LUFTWERK: PARALLEL PERSPECTIVES This site-specific exhibition uses color and light interventions to activate and interpret the architecturally significant and recently renovated McCormick House. Free with admission. $15/adult, $12/senior. 18 and under are free. Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 College Hill Ave., Elmhurst. elmhurstmuseum.org

THEATER

HENRY V Join the brash Henry V as he invades France to prove himself worthy of the crown. Come experience the greatest of English battles … and see how an English king woos a French princess.

Lawn chairs, blankets, and picnics are welcomed. $25–$40. Various times.

Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook. firstfolio.org

Through September 1 THEATER

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE Ten strangers meet on a clandestine island, and each holds a murderous secret. Who will pay the ultimate price? Penned with cruelty by master of the craft Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None brings together tension, fear, and the macabre to weave

Addresses in event listings are located in Naperville unless otherwise noted. Please verify event details with sponsor organizations; events are subject to change after the press deadline. Email your event for consideration—45 days in advance—to info@napervillemagazine.com, subject line: calendar.

NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 77

SUMMER CARILLON CONCERTS August 6–20 | 7 p.m.

Magic of Motown

Talented carillonneurs from across the country and the world delight concertgoers with an evening of music on Tuesdays.

Millennium Carillon, 443 Aurora Ave. naperville-carillon.org

CALL ME JOE August 7 | 7 p.m.

This local band hits downtown Lisle with acoustic versions of favorite pop, rock, and country songs as part of the city’s Summer Entertainment Series. Lisle Community Park, 1800 Short St.t, Lisle. callmejoband.com

MAGIC OF MOTOWN August 9 | 7:15 p.m.

Get ready for all the hits, costumes, dazzling dance routines, and outstanding musicianship in this live concert. Lakeside Pavilion, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. atthemac.com

FREE FUN

Money is short, but summer is still long. School shoes, fees, vacations and day trips have taken a toll on your budget, but we’ve got you covered with this chronological list of free events. As summer closes, there are still plenty of free things to do: MUSIC

LINCOLN PARK CONCERTS August 1, 8, & 15 | 7 p.m.

St. Charles Park District’s Concerts in the Park series is in full swing in St. Charles’s historic downtown. Lincoln Park Gazebo, Main Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets, St. Charles. stcparks.org

NAPERVILLE MUNICIPAL BAND August 1, 8, & 15 | 7:30 p.m.

Every Thursday join friends and neighbors for an outdoor concert performed by the renowned Naperville Municipal Band. Central Park, 104 E. Benton Ave. napervilleband.org

ROCK BOTTOM SUNSET CONCERTS August 1–29 | 7 p.m.

Thursday night concerts offer a variety of cover bands. Lawn chairs allowed. Food and beverages will be available from Rock Bottom. The Promenade, 631 E. Boughton Rd., Bolingbrook. shoppingpromenade.com

ROSIE & THE RIVETS August 1 | 7 p.m.

A performance of the best danceable music of the 1950s and early 1960s along with some current hits with a retro twist.

Settlers Park, 24401 Lockport St., Plainfield. plainfield-il.org

ROCK THE HILL August 2 | 7 p.m.

Bring a blanket or lawn chairs and listen to OMT play a variety of tunes ranging from rock to country. Rotary Hill, 440 Aurora Ave. napervilleparks.org

FREE MUSIC IN THE PLAZA August 2–23 | 5 p.m.

STC Live! provides summer fun in downtown St. Charles every Wednesday and Friday evening. Entertainment may include a local jazz combo, an aspiring vocalist, a magician, a dance troupe, or an aspiring band. First Street Plaza, 29 S. First St., St. Charles. downtownstcharles.org

WDCB JAZZ CONCERTS August 1 & 8 | 7:30 p.m.

DOWNERS GROVE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES August 6–20 | 7 p.m.

Bring blankets, lawn chair and a picnic and enjoy Chicago Plays the Stones on August 1 and Joey DeFrancesco on August 8. Concessions are available. Lakeside Pavilion, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. atthemac.org

This Tuesday night family-friendly outdoor concert series offers food, beer and wine for sale from local vendors. Veterans Memorial Pavilion in Fishel Park, near Main and Grove Streets, Downers Grove. dgparks.org

78 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

JUSTIN HONIGSTEIN August 9 | 6 p.m.

Justin Honigstein, lead singer of Honeystone and one of the most sought-after acoustic acts in the Midwest, sings rock, soul, folk, and original music. Patio II, Cantigny Golf, 27W270 Mack Rd., Wheaton. cantigny.org

THE VERVE PIPE August 16 | 5 p.m.

Party in the Park continues with the Verve Pipe, an American rock band from west Michigan and the band behind the hits “The Freshmen” and “Photograph and Colorful.”

Chicago Premium Outlets, 1650 Premium Outlet Blvd., Aurora. premiumoutlets.com

GLEN ELLYN JAZZ ENSEMBLE August 21 | 7 p.m.

This local 16-member group plays a mix of your favorite big band tunes. Lake Ellyn Park, 645 Lenox Rd., Glen Ellyn. gepark.org

SEMPLE August 31 | 5 p.m.

Celebrate the end of the summer with a concert by Semple, a Chicago-based band that plays ’70s rock to modern pop and everything in between. Beginning at 7 p.m., local fare and libations are welcomed on the street.

School of Rock opens the show. Downtown Glen Ellyn. downtownglenellyn.com MISCELLANEOUS

PHILLIPS PARK ZOO Ongoing | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Learn about animals and their way of life.

Residents include reptiles, bald eagles,

farmyard animals, gray wolves, cougars, great horned owls, and more. 1000 Ray Moses Dr., Aurora. aurora-il.org

CLASSIC CAR SHOW August 2–30 | 6 p.m.

Enjoy a themed collection of pre-1985 classic cars and live entertainment each Friday night at the Main Street train station. Main St., downtown Downers Grove. downtowndg.org

NATURE DISCOVERY DAYS August 4–17 Enjoy hands-on activities, games, crafts, experiments, and more.

Topics include Butterflies & Bees (August 4–10) and Beetle Mania (August 11–17). Various hours. Knoch Knolls Nature Center, 320 Knoch Knolls Rd. napervilleparks.org

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP August 9 | 8:30 p.m.

Bring snacks and chairs to watch this outdoor movie. Rotary Hill, 443 Aurora Ave. napervilleparks.org

BIKE WHEATON August 10 | 10 a.m.

The fifth annual festival will feature a bike parade and rodeo. Wheaton City Hall Parking Lot, 303 W. Wesley, Wheaton. downtownwheaton.com

ELMHURST KITE FEST August 10 | 11 a.m.

PHOTO COURTESY MCANINCH ARTS CENTER AND BY GLENN KAUPERT

This free event features kids’ kite building, a family fun fly, and a candy drop, plus stunts and tricks by professional flyers—keep all eyes on the skies. Berens Park, 493 N. Oaklawn Ave., Elmhurst. epd.org

HORSIN’ AROUND: TRACTOR DAY August 24 | 12 to 4 p.m.

This fun-filled equine activity day includes children’s activities and up-close-and-personal opportunities.

St. James Farm, 2S541 Winfield Rd., Warrenville. dupageforest.org

CIVIL WAR ENCAMPMENT August 31–September 1 The 10th Illinois Regiment and their families spend the weekend on the Mill grounds, depicting what life was like in a Union military camp. Graue Mill and Museum, 3800 York Rd., Oak Brook. grauemill.org

a tale that captivates until the final curtain. Can you unravel the mystery?

This classic murder mystery play is based on the world’s best-selling mystery and one of the best-selling books of all time. PG-13. $50–$60. Various times. Drury Lane, 100 Drury Ln., Oak Brook Terrace. drurylanetheatre.com Through September 22 SPECIAL EVENT

OAK BROOK POLO Known as one of America’s oldest polo clubs in operation, Oak Brook Polo Club welcomes spectators and fans to experience the magic, pageantry, and thrill of its 97th polo season. Matches are typically held on Sundays. $12/ adult; free for children under 13. See website for themed events, tailgating, and other details. 1 p.m. Oak Brook Polo Grounds, 800 Oak Brook Rd., Oak Brook. oakbrookpoloclub.com Through October 5 EXHIBIT

ARTIST GEORGE SHIPPERLEY Aurora resident and Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame 2014 winner George Shipperley exhibits his new paintings inspired by the poetry of nature, especially trees and how they relate to one another. Free. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Haven Interiors Studio & Gallery, 15 S. 3rd St., Geneva. haveninteriorsltd.com August 2–4 FESTIVAL

DESTINATION ASIA FESTIVAL Celebrate the cultures of Asia’s many countries with food, music, dance and a Japanese floating lantern display on Meadow Lake. Free with admission to West Suburban Symphony

park. $15/adults, $13/seniors, $10/children (2–17). Morton Arboretum, 4100 Rte. 53, Lisle. mortonarb.org August 2–4 FESTIVAL

FESTA ITALIANA Revel in authentic Italian culture, music, and food, at this family friendly festival. The celebrated Zoppé Family Circus and Tina n’ Tony’s Wedding will offer performances all days. $10–$50. Friday, 5 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 12 to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 12 to 8 p.m.

Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St. napersettlement.org August 3 SPECIAL EVENT

ONE FEEDS TWO An evening of polo, followed by a concert to benefit One Feeds Two. All the stars from past CabCab concerts will be performing “All Night Long.”

Enjoy delicious food and drinks from Invicto, Blackwood BBQ, Baker Miller, Pretty Cool, Solemn Oath Brewery, Coopers Hawk, and Mezcal Prolijo. $40–$100. 6 p.m. polo game followed by 7:30 p.m. concert. Arranmore Farm + Polo Club, 34 Rance Rd., Oswego. arranmorefarmandpoloclub.com August 3 MUSIC

WEST SUBURBAN SYMPHONY The symphony presents Dance!, a musical tour from Kodaly’s gypsyinspired Dances of Galanta and toe-tappers from Broadway musicals to Strauss waltzes, Latin American dances, and jazz standards. Founded in 1947 and based in Hinsdale, the West Suburban Symphony is conducted by Music Director Peter Lipari. Picnics are welcome, and blankets or chairs are recommended as seating is on the lawn. Food and drink concessions will be available. Free with $10 parking.

7:30 p.m. Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Rd., Wheaton. cantigny.org August 3 SPECIAL EVENT

WHEATON BREW FEST This annual outdoor craft beer fest features more than 80 unique brews from more than 35 local and national breweries. This year the event will celebrate its ninth year with a ’90s theme. The band Fool House will take the stage from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., with NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 79

two additional bands playing prior. $20–$75. 12 to 4:30 p.m. Memorial Park, 208 W. Union Ave., Wheaton. wheatonparkdistrict.com

Veggie Fest

August 7–28 MUSIC

ARBOR EVENINGS: MUSIC AND MORE Unwind with family and friends on Wednesday evenings at the Morton Arboretum this summer. Enjoy live music and dancing, lawn games, refreshing beverages, and delicious tapas in a green clearing surrounded by beautiful trees. Ticket includes one glass of wine, beer or soda. $12/members, $17/nonmembers, under 21 free.

5:30 to 7:45 p.m. Morton Arboretum, 4100 Rte. 53, Lisle. mortonarb.org August 8 SPECIAL EVENT

August 8 SPECIAL EVENT

THE SPIRITED BOTANIST Enjoy a botanical refreshment in Cantigny’s newly renovated display gardens.

Liz Omura from Cantigny Horticulture will demonstrate a cocktail (alcoholic and nonalcoholic varieties) containing a fruit, vegetable, herb and/or edible flower as the main ingredient. The specially concocted drink will be served with a complementing appetizer. $25 per person, parking included. 6:30 p.m.

Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Rd., Wheaton. cantigny.org August 9–10 MUSIC

SUMMER NIGHTS CONCERTS Zoogoers can enjoy an evening of live music and roaming kids’ entertainment, enhanced dining experiences, a beer and wine garden, fascinating animal encounters, and a spectacular 80 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

laser light show. Concert is included with the purchase of general admission. $21.95/adult, $15.95/child ages 3 to 11 and seniors 65+. Parking is $14.

5 to 9 p.m. Brookfield Zoo, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. czs.org August 9–11 MUSIC

RON HAWKING: THE SONG IS YOU Winner of Chicago Cabaret Professionals’ Windy City Award, Ron Hawking performs songs from His Way, The Men & Their Music, and his Grammy-nominated album, The Song Is You. $55–$65.

Friday, August 9, and Saturday, August 10, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 11, at 6:30 p.m. Cabaret Room at Drury Lane, 100 Drury Ln., Oak Brook Terrace. drurylanetheatre.com August 10 CULINARY

FRENCH PICNIC UNDER THE STARS Enjoy a French-themed picnic (available for prepurchase) or bring your own. The evening includes a 23-foot illuminated Eiffel Tower, music by the four-piece Chicago Sinfonietta Chamber Ensemble, and stargazing. Bring your own telescope, or view the stars and planets through provided scopes.

Special event parking applies at $15 per car (up to four occupants). Order picnic dinners, with or without wine.

6:30 p.m. Cantigny, 1S151 Winfield Rd., Wheaton. cantigny.org August 10 FITNESS

WESTERN SUBURBS ILLINOIS LUPUS WALK The 14th annual walk includes music, food, games, crafts, face painting, a photo booth, and tents providing merchandise and information about lupus.

9 a.m. $25/person online, $30/person day of, $10/child (12 & under). Grand Pavilion, 912 Honorary Sindt Memorial Ct. lupusil.salsalabs.org August 10 FITNESS

JUNIOR TOUR DE NAPERVILLE The seventh annual Junior Tour de Naperville gives kids ages 3 to 10 the opportunity to ride their bicycles, big wheels, or tricycles around the 1.2-mile trail, cheered on by family and friends. $18/resident, $25/nonresident. 9 to 11 a.m. Commissioners Park, 3704 111th St. napervilleparkdistrict.com August 10 FESTIVAL

FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL This inaugural family friendly event features more than 20 of the area’s best food trucks, live DJ entertainment, a beer and wine garden, plus a vendor village

PHOTOS COURTESY VEGGIE FEST AND BY GLENN KAUPERT

WHEATON WINE WALK The fourth annual Wine Walk features more than 40 wines at various location in historic downtown Wheaton. Enjoy 12 one-ounce tastings in a souvenir wine glass, plus promotions from various downtown businesses. This year’s event will feature new tasting locations, an enhanced Paint & Sip experience and discounts or chances to win wonderful prizes from the tasting locations. $35/ person in advance, $40/person same day. 5 to 8:30 p.m. Downtown Wheaton. downtownwheaton.com

featuring local businesses. Hands-on science exploration stations will be offered

by DuPage Children’s Museum. $5–$10.

11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St. eventbrite.com August 10–11 FESTIVAL

VEGGIE FEST Join thousands at this two-day festival featuring a huge international food court; health professionals speaking on diet, lifestyle, and environmental issues; engaging food demos by restaurant owners, chefs, and authors; a children’s tent with face painting, clowns, and crafts; live music from some of Chicago’s best bands; and over 100 vendor booths to explore. Free. Registration encouraged. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Danada South Park, 2701 Navistar Cir., Lisle. veggiefestchicago.com August 11 SPECIAL EVENT

FRENCH CONNECTION DAY Enjoy a daylong festival of music, food, art, and family fun as Cantigny celebrates everything France—all to commemorate the personal history of the park’s benefactor, Robert R. McCormick. (Cantigny is named after the small village north of Paris where Colonel McCormick fought in the Battle of Cantigny in 1918.) Enjoy live entertainment and take a photo with the park’s Eiffel Tower replica.

Free with $10 parking. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cantigny, 1S151 Winfield Rd., Wheaton. cantigny.org August 11 FESTIVAL

INDIA DAY CELEBRATION This fifth annual celebration of India’s independence includes a parade, large decorated floats, classical and modern dance, food, drinks, plus a fashion show and children’s area. Bollywood star Sunidhi Chauhan performs on the main stage. Free. 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Knoch Park, 724 West St. indiancommunityoutreach.org August 11 SPECIAL EVENT

AUCTION & PLANT SALE Hostas and other shade plants will be the main attraction at the Northern Illinois Hosta Society Auction and Plant Sale.

Most plants will be auctioned, but many will be available for sale separately at the bargain table for as little as $5 per plant.

Free. 1:30 p.m. Hinsdale Community House, 415 W. Eighth St., Hinsdale. northernillinoishostasociety.org August 12 FITNESS

SCHOLARSHIP CLASSIC The Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council’s annual fundraiser features a PGA golf clinic, golf tournament, buffet luncheon, casino lounge, awards dinner, and more. The scholarship Fund provides educational scholarships to minority high school or college students. 8 a.m. White Eagle Golf Club, 3400 Club Dr. chicagomsdc.org August 14 FITNESS

SUMMER-CISE Center Circle attendees will be treated to a free Pure Barre class followed by an evening of shopping at Evereve, where guests will receive a 15 percent discount.

Bring a yoga mat and come ready to lift, tone, burn, … and shop. Food trucks and oversized outdoor games, will also be available. 7 p.m. Town Square Wheaton, 271 Town Square, Wheaton. townsquarewheaton.com August 16 LECTURE

HOW TO WALK UP WATER & CLIMB UP WALLS From the incredible efficiency of the wet dog shake to colonies of ants building rafts out of their own bodies, Dr. David Hu—a mechanical engineer who studies the interactions of animals with water—shows how animals have adapted and evolved to traverse their environments. $8. 8 p.m. Fermilab Ramsey Auditorium, Pine Street, Batavia. events.fnal.gov August 16–17 MUSIC

NAPER NIGHTS The last weekend of this concert series features Woodstock tribute band Soundtracks of a Generation on Friday and the The Band band on Saturday.

Students from School of Rock open the entertainment both nights. Free for Naperville residents/members; nonmembers: $15/adult, $10/youth (4–12).

6 to 10 p.m. Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St. napersettlement.org

August 16 MUSIC

HAPPY TOGETHER TOUR A celebration of music from the ’60s and ’70s, featuring original members of bands like the Turtles, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, the Buckinghams, and the Cowsills. $59. 8 p.m. Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. paramountaurora.com August 17–18 ART

WINE AND ART WALK Enjoy live music, sip wine, and shop for unique nature-themed art displayed around Meadow Lake. Browse this juried art show featuring photography, woodturning, jewelry, digital, and traditional painting, ceramics, fused glass, and more from Midwest artists.

Wine and other snacks are available for purchase. Free with admission to park. $15/adult, $13/senior, $10/child (2–17).

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Morton Arboretum, 4100 Rte. 53, Lisle. mortonarb.org August 18 FESTIVAL

OLD NAPERVILLE DAY This annual block party takes place on West Chicago Avenue, between Washington and Main Streets, and features live music, delicious food from Naperville restaurants and plenty of fun.

Proceeds benefit DuPage Pads. Free.

12 to 6 p.m. Downtown Naperville. oldnapervilleday.com August 22 FITNESS

SUNSET YOGA Join other yogis in an outdoor class, followed by a social amidst beautiful surroundings. All levels welcome. $27/person; cash bar. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., yoga starts at 6 p.m. Arranmore Farm + Polo Club, 34 Rance Rd., Oswego. arranmorefarmandpoloclub.com August 23 LECTURE

FIGHT NIGHT WITH DRS. LES & LESLIE PARROTT A fun event filled with humor, fresh insight, and new strategies for relationships. This lively presentation is for everyone—newlyweds, “oldyweds,” seriously dating, engaged couples—anyone wanting to make a good relationship great. Married in 1984, the Parrotts bring real-life examples to their NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / AUGUST 2019 81

speaking platform. Their professional training—Leslie as a marriage and family therapist, and Les as a clinical psychologist—ensures a presentation that is grounded, insightful and cutting-edge. Babysitting is available onsite. $15–$25. 7 p.m. Calvary Church Naperville, 9S200 Illinois Rte. 59. calvarynaperville.org

Zoo’s eighth annual Zoo Brew. Ticket includes admission to the zoo, Zoo Brew tent, three-ounce samplings from over 80 beers and a commemorative tasting glass. 21 and older. $25–90.

3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Brookfield Zoo, 8400 W. 31st St., Brookfield. czs.org August 24 MUSIC

August 23–24 THEATER

JOURNEY ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD Experience what it was like to be a passenger on the Underground Railroad. This theatrical experience begins with a skit in which passengers will meet the legendary Harriet Tubman. $15/adult, $10/child. 6:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Call to make reservations: 630.655.2090. Graue Mill and Museum, 3800 York Rd., Oak Brook. grauemill.org August 24 SPECIAL EVENT

ZOO BREW Enjoy bears and beers, lions and lagers, anteaters and ales—all at Brookfield

POI DOG PONDERING This soul-lifting celebration of life, humanity, and love returns to Aurora, driven through Poi’s one-ofa-kind music. $40. 8 p.m. RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway St., Aurora. riveredgeaurora.com August 25 SPECIAL EVENT

LONG TABLE DINNER Enjoy a signature cocktail, Champagne, live music, and fun in all the stores, followed by a six-course outdoor long-table dinner prepared by the Water Street chefs. Proceeds benefit the Naperville YMCA Strong Kids Campaign and Artful IMPACT. 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Water Street, downtown Naperville. artfulimpact.org

COLIN MOCHRIE AND BRAD SHERWOOD NOVEMBER 23

August 24–25 SPECIAL EVENT

GENEVA CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE Classic car enthusiasts will gather together again this year to view a beautiful collection of antique, classic, and modern automobiles. Special ticketed events on Saturday, August 24; see website for opportunities. Free to the public on Sunday, August 25. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Third Street, Downtown Geneva. genevaconcours.net August 25 SPECIAL EVENT

THE COMPLETE WEDDING EXPO BRIDAL SHOW Visit with over 60 wedding specialists while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar and a designer fashion show.

11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. eventbrite.com August 28 LITERARY

LOUISE PENNY Anderson’s Bookshop welcomes back Louise Penny to celebrate her latest Chief Inspector Gamache novel, A Better Man! A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit the Sounds Good Choir, a local dementia care organization. This is a presentation and Q&A event. Each ticket includes a presigned copy of the new book and admits one or two people. $38–$48. 7 p.m. Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave., andersonsbookshop.com August 29 FITNESS

TWILIGHT HIKE Experience the transition from daylight to twilight, and learn how to use your senses like a nocturnal predator. Ages 12 and up; under 18 with an adult. $5/person. Register online or call 630.933.7248. 6 to 9 p.m. Blackwell Forest, Mack Road, Warrenville. dupageforest.org

THE SUBDUDES MARCH 14

RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET’S “CINDERELLA” FEBRUARY 8

MERCURY: A STORY CELEBRATING FREDDIE MERCURY’S LIFE AND MUSIC SEPTEMBER 14

FESTIVAL

ARTSPOWER’S “CHICKEN DANCE” FEBRUARY 29

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82 AUGUST 2019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL: A TRIBUTE TO WHITNEY HOUSTON FEBRUARY 16

These programs are partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

LAST FLING Make the most of Labor Day weekend with carnival rides, a Family Fun Land for little ones, and a full lineup of live music on two stages. The Last Fling is the Naperville Jaycees’ largest annual fundraiser; proceeds benefit local charitable organizations. Downtown Naperville. lastfling.org

PHOTO COURTESY MORTON ARBORETUM

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ENCORE

BERNADETTE PETERS The Broadway veteran brings timeless songs to the stage in Aurora

By Mark Loehrke

THE BEAUTY OF THE CONCERT HALL In a concert setting, there’s no fourth wall— we’re all there together to go on a journey and to have something wonderful happen.

Sometimes in concert I perform songs from other characters in the shows I’ve done, because I’ve been in the wings listening to them and they sound so beautiful.

LIFE LESSONS FROM BROADWAY At the end of Sunday in the Park With George, my character sings the Sondheim number “Move On,” which is a great lesson about not staying in one place and not getting stuck—it doesn’t matter where you go, as long as you make a move to go somewhere. And at the end of Hello Dolly, Dolly has this wonderful speech where she says, “Money is like manure, it’s not worth a thing unless you spread it around encouraging young things to grow.”

That’s a very timely one there.

August 17 Paramount Theatre 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora Tickets: $49–$99 paramountaurora.com 84 AUGUST MAY 20192019 / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM / NAPERVILLEMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO COURTESY PARAMOUNT THEATRE

A HIGHER PURPOSE One of the things I’m most proud of in my career is that I’ve been able to use my celebrity to serve a greater good with Broadway Barks [a pet adoption charity that she started with Mary Tyler Moore in 1999]. Pets just make our lives so much better and richer—they are truly amazing creatures.

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