Tour with FunME Events
FOUR FRIENDS
KERNEL'S GOURMET POPCORN
DEKALB MECHANICAL PROVIDING OVER 34 YEARS OF SERVICE
CUATRO AMIGOS VENUE
LEVEL UP.
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Photography:
Cuatro Amigos
DeKalb
FunME Events
Kernel’s Gourmet Popcorn
Shaw Media Staff
Project Manager: Lisa Angel
Writer: Jonathan Bilyk
Layout & Design: Kristin McKenrick
Providing
VIVA ITALIA
FunME Events offer a springtime taste of the ‘Beautiful Country’
By: Jonathan Bilyk
Michael Embrey and FunME Events in DeKalb don’t expect their guests to return home this spring fluent in Italiano. But Embrey said his guests will almost certainly return with some pretty fantastic stories from their sampling of some of Italy’s greatest hits.
“This will feel like a quick trip,” said Embrey. “But when they see the architecture, the old cathedrals, the canals, the domes, the museums, the history, the culture, they’ll say, ‘Oh my God, this is another world.’ They’ll know they made memories of a lifetime.”
For four decades, Embrey and FunMe have taken guests from DeKalb County and elsewhere in the region all around the globe, sampling some of the best the world has to offer amid a wide range of awe-inspiring and often downright fun destinations.
“If you go somewhere you’ve never been, you don’t really know, so you want to do a little everywhere, and experience as much as you can,” Embrey said. “And that’s what we’re doing in Italy with this trip.”
The trip will begin in mid-March, as guests fly into the Adriatic’s Queen City, Venice, to meet up with their tour guide, on the first stop of a weeklong exploration of the highlights of Italy’s past and present.
Recently, FunME guests have been able to explore France’s wine country or cruise across Europe’s northern seas, to destinations including Denmark, Sweden and the Baltic Republic of Lithuania. And while new and more exotic destinations are often on tap, sometimes FunME loves to return to some familiar favorites, taking guests to some spots that are well-traveled, but live up to the hype – places like Italy.
This March, FunME will provide guests with just such an excursion, as Embrey and FunME welcome guests to their 2025 Taste of Italy. In all, the trip will cover just seven days and six nights. But Embrey said his fellow explorers will walk away feeling like it was so much more.
Embrey said this trip is particularly designed for those who either are visiting Italy for the first time or simply wish for a quick breeze through the Bel Paese – Italian for ‘Beautiful Country.’
“This is an opportunity for people to say, ‘Yes, I visited that country,’ and be able to show it,” Embrey said. “When it comes to Italy, we hear people say they talked to their friends, and they say Venice or Florence or Rome or XYZ is the best destination there.”
He noted he certainly has his preferred spots, including the mountainous majesty of Lake Como in the north of Italy near Milan and the deep history and picturesque beauty of the cliffside city of Sorrento along the Mediterranean coast in the south.
But while such stunning locales stand as vacation destinations all on their own, neither would be the image that would spring to mind if you ask a typical American to picture Italy.
Once settled into Venice, FunME travelers will enjoy a scenic cruise around one of the most famous bays in the world, the Laguna Veneta – or, the Venetian Lagoon, in English. The Lagoon historically served as the cradle of Venetian civilization, providing a protected harbor for the Venetian maritime fleet of merchant vessels and warships, which ruled the seas and fueled trade throughout the Mediterranean for hundreds of years following the fall of the Roman Empire and continued through the Renaissance period.
Travelers will tour one of Venice’s famed artisanal glass factories, before visiting the Piazza San Marco, with stops in the Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica. And, of course, guests will take part in the quintessential Venetian experience, gliding along the city’s iconic canals aboard a gondola. From there, guests will spend two days in historic culinary haven Bologna and resplendent Florence, the crown jewel of Italy’s Tuscany region and the birthplace of Renaissance art and architecture.
In Bologna - pronounced “Boh-loh-nyah” – travelers will encounter an ancient city of merchants and scholars, offering medieval architecture, the oldest university in the Western world, and, of course, exceptional dining and cuisine, unlike anywhere else in the world.
The next day, in Florence, travelers will marvel at the city’s deep cultural offerings, including the stunning Duomo de Firenze cathedral and Palazzo Vecchio Museum, while walking the Piazza della Signoria, all in the city center.
And guests will, of course, stop into the famed Accademia Gallery, home of the largest collection of sculptures from the eternally famed artist, Michelangelo, including perhaps his most famous sculpture, known as David. “People just love Florence,” said Embrey. “It never disappoints.”
On Day 5, travelers will head to the Eternal City, Rome, but not before a stop in the scenic town of Orvieto in Italy’s hill country to sample Orvieto’s famed wine. In Rome, travelers will be invited to visit the Colosseum, one of the largest stadiums ever built, an enduring wonder of the ancient world and a marvel of ancient engineering. At its height, the Colosseum held as many as 80,000 spectators. Guests can only imagine the deafening roars of the crowd, as commoners joined with Roman nobles and perhaps the emperor himself taking in gladiator battles, chariot races, dramatic productions, and other events in the Colosseum.
At the ruins of the Forum, the ancient heart of the Roman world, travelers can walk with the ghosts of the Caesars and other Roman figures who shaped world history.
Finally, travelers will end their tour with an exploration of the Vatican, with guided tours of the museums, a walk-through St. Peter’s Basilica, and, of course, soaking in the wonder of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the awe-inspiring ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
While the tour is designed with less experienced travelers in mind, Embrey said even more seasoned explorers will always discover something amazing in such culturally rich and naturally beautiful landscapes as those offered in Italia.
Embrey noted he has personally returned to Italy six times while touring much of the globe. “It doesn’t matter how many times you travel to a place like this. You’ll always find something new or unique you’ve never seen before,” he said. “You’ll always come back with a new story to tell.”
OAKCREST
Four Friends
continue DeKalb’s fiesta ‘vibe’ with Cuatro Amigos Venue
By: Jonathan Bilyk
The four friends didn’t necessarily set out to make downtown DeKalb pop, but in the past few years, the ‘cuatro amigos’ who together own the El Jimador Mexican Restaurant say that has evolved into a clear side benefit of their ventures.
“When we came to DeKalb almost 20 years ago, the downtown was vibrant,” said Ryan Gifford, one of those co-owners. “But that kind of went away for a little bit, and now, it’s a totally different vibe, with new energy. And we are really enjoying being a part of bringing it back to what it once was and making downtown DeKalb pop again.”
So it was in no small part with that goal in mind that Gifford and his three compadres opened the doors on their latest business product, the Cuatro Amigos event venue and banquet room.
For longtime DeKalb area residents, the location at 240 E. Lincoln Highway is more likely to be better known as the former home of the Lincoln Inn restaurant. For nearly four decades, the Lincoln Inn family restaurant welcomed guests to its storefront in DeKalb’s downtown, serving as an anchor for the downtown with its assortment of breakfast, lunch, and baked goods.
However, in 2020, in a bid to keep the business going amid distancing guidelines implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lincoln Inn relocated – temporarily, at first, but then permanently to the Faranda’s banquet facility around the corner, where the storefront has sat empty ever since.
About two years ago, the building was purchased by Gifford and the others who continue to run the El Jimador restaurant, which opened in 2020 at the corner of Third Street and Lincoln Highway in the spacious former home of O’Leary’s restaurant.
The restaurant was the result of a collaboration between Gifford and his three friends, Cristopher Cardenas, Olivia Pachecho, and Rudy Hernandez. As they tell the story, Gifford brought to the team a background in banking and finance, while Cardenas, Pacheco and Hernandez supplied the knowledge of not only running a restaurant, but also the food and drink stylings of Cardenas and Hernandez’s familial home region of Jalisco, Mexico.
For the four friends and business partners, El Jimador has stood as a labor of love, expressing not only their affection for Mexican food and festivities but also for the DeKalb community.
“None of us were born in DeKalb, but this is all a place we fell in love with,” Gifford said.
While the opening period amid the pandemic proved dicey, El Jimador weathered the storm and has since become a key cog in the local dining scene and in helping to fuel downtown DeKalb’s resurgence.
From its start, El Jimador has offered the community not only a taste of Mexico, but also a space to relax and celebrate in their upstairs event space. On busy evenings, the room is used to seat and serve restaurant guests, but it is also available to rent for parties and other functions, offering a full-service bar with ample space for dining, socializing, and dancing, depending on the kind of event.
Gifford, however, said reserving the space for some functions at high demand times, such as Friday or Saturday evenings, can get a bit pricey, as those renting the space would need to also compensate the restaurant for the lost ability to seat restaurant customers.
“We’ve felt for a while now that there was a need for an event space downtown that was affordable, where people can have a party on a Friday or Saturday, and it’s not crazy expensive,” Gifford said. “And when we identify a need, we love to then help fill that need.”
After acquiring the former Lincoln Inn building, the partners spent a year renovating it to fit their vision. The result has been a moderately sized event space capable of meeting a wide assortment of gathering needs for families, friend groups and businesses alike.
When it came time to name the new joint, the four friends settled on a name expressing their continuing commitment to their business venture and to each other: Cuatro Amigos, meaning “Four Friends” in Spanish.
“We are all still best friends,” Gifford said.
The Cuatro Amigos venue offers a full bar and the ability to host live bands, DJs and dancing for a variety of functions. In all, the space will comfortably hold about 120 people, Gifford said. Since opening Cuatro Amigos last summer, Gifford said it has proven particularly popular with families looking for space for a wedding rehearsal dinner.
“Those are mostly – though not exclusively – held on Friday nights, so renting out a restaurant room could run up a hefty room charge,” said Gifford. “But at Cuatro Amigos, it’s going to be more affordable.”
The space is also ideal for other fiesta events, including birthday parties; anniversary parties; and after-parties for larger events, like quinceañeras. The space could even accommodate small wedding receptions, with fewer than 100 guests.
The venue can also be ideal for fundraiser gatherings, as well, he said.
“It’s an especially great space for surprise parties, since most people probably won’t recognize what they’re walking into from the outside,” Gifford said with a laugh.
While guests are required to use El Jimador catering in the upper room in the restaurant, outside food can be catered into Cuatro Amigos. Guests can also cater directly from the restaurant two doors down, and often do, citing the convenience, Gifford said. Guests cannot supply their own alcohol.
While Cuatro Amigos fits a niche in DeKalb’s downtown for now, Gifford said he and his friends know the community’s needs continue to grow and evolve. He said they are willing to consider other uses for the space in the future, as well, should the concept help to continue furthering downtown DeKalb’s “whole new vibe.”
“We’re willing to listen if someone comes along with something the downtown doesn’t currently have,” Gifford said.
But for now, he said the four friends are looking forward to welcoming more celebrations to the festive confines at Cuatro Amigos.
7:30am-9:15am
Sycamore
Advanced Registration Deadline: April 12
Park District Resident $10
Nonresident $11
By: Jonathan Bilyk
DGETTIN’ POPPIN’
Kernel’s Gourmet Popcorn brings award-winning flavors to new Sycamore shop
ann Villwock and his treat shop, Kernels Gourmet Popcorn & More, may be new to the Sycamore community. But as Dann Villwock tells it, the relationship between his treat shops and the Sycamore community has almost always been popping.
“We’ve had strong support from Sycamore for a long time,” said Villwock. “We’ve had very loyal customers who would drive from Sycamore down to Geneva, regularly. “So, we knew this was going to be a great fit.”
Last fall, Villwock and his family launched the latest installment in their growing chain of Kernels popcorn and candy shops (the third location), this time just off the well-traveled intersection of Peace Road and DeKalb Avenue (Route 23) in Sycamore.
The Kernels story began more than two decades ago in Geneva. At that time, Villwock, a former options trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, decided to leave behind the world of finance for a chance at a fluffier – and tastier – future.
Villwock said the idea arose from his lifelong passion for popcorn. “I just love popcorn,” he said. “Always have.”
As they prepared for the big transition, Villwock said he and his family spent nearly a year trying all different types of popcorn at home. They then took their work to the manufacturer of popcorn machines, where they fine-tuned the recipes in a test kitchen.
“It’s funny, but the taste can be just so different when you’re popping and making these at home instead of in a commercial setting,” Villwock said. “It takes some time sometimes to get it right.”
But get it right, they did, Villwock said. In March 2003, Villwock and his former business partners opened the doors at a 400-square-foot shop in Geneva they called Kernel Fabyan’s Gourmet Popcorn. The name was a play on the name of one of the most prominent residents in Geneva’s history, Colonel George Fabyan, whose villa remains a prominent historical site along the Fox River. The popcorn proved to be a hit, and the shop soon outgrew its birthplace. In 2011, Villwock’s partners took the Kernel Fabyan’s brand to sell bagged popcorn in stores.
Villwock, however, decided to keep popping kernels fresh, relocated the shop to its current location on West State Street
in Geneva, and changed the name to Kernel’s. In the years since, Kernel’s has continued to grow and expand its customer base and audience size, opening a location in downtown Naperville.
Villwock attributes the success not only to business and marketing savvy, but primarily to the popcorn and the recipes that have won awards and kept customers coming back time after time.
Villwock noted the popcorn sold in Kernel’s stores is popped and flavored fresh daily, only in small batches at a time. The popcorn is always a regionally sourced white kernel popped in coconut oil and salt.
Available flavor choices almost always include the “movie pop” popcorn, caramel, cheese, white cheddar and the combination, also known to many people as the “Chicago mix” popularized by the Garrett’s chain in Chicago, containing caramel and cheddar cheese flavored popcorn.
But Villwock noted his combo mix should not be confused as some mere attempt to mimic someone else’s product. Rather, Villwock boasts that it is his mix that should be treated as the standard. “We have what we consider to be the best popcorn around,” Villwock said. “And I don’t think we’ve ever lost in a blind taste test vs. Garrett’s,” he added with a laugh.
He said the Naperville shop, in particular, has a continuously growing clientele of customers who travel out to the western suburb from Chicago to snag a bag of Kernel’s popcorn.
Villwock said his personal favorite has always remained the movie pop flavor popcorn.
“Because it’s healthier,” he said. “Every day when I’m working, that’s what you’re going to find me eating.”
Villwock said customers at Kernel’s can also expect to find other seasonal or special flavors monthly, all made with real ingredients and seasonings, including chocolate drizzle, hot cheese and caramel with cashews. He said he and his team are regularly “dabbling” in other flavors, including recipes using garlic, parmesan, pepper and barbecue flavors. But he said
customers shouldn’t expect to find bags filled with dozens of different flavors at a time at Kernel’s shops.
“I know some places have 40 flavors or more to choose from,” said Villwock. “But the problem is they just don’t stay fresh.” And that freshness, he said, is going to be among the biggest differences customers can expect to find when popping into a Kernel’s store, which also sells an assortment of chocolates, candies, and other items.
Kernel’s excellence has been recognized time and again with awards, as well. The shop has consistently received Reader’s Choice awards for the Best Popcorn/Candy Store from the readers of the Daily Herald and the Kane County Chronicle since 2012, including 2024.
As the Naperville shop built up Kernel’s audience from communities closer to Chicago, so, too, did the Geneva shop draw in an increasing number of visitors from other directions, including from Sycamore and DeKalb County, Villwock said. Further, he and his family have personal connections to the region, as well, including a son who “lives just down the street” from the new shop. “We’ve looked at Sycamore for almost four years now,” Villwock said. So when an opportunity presented itself, Villwock said it was “too good to pass up. We couldn’t refuse the offer,” he said.
He and his family spent months renovating the shop at the end of the building in the plaza they share with other popular eateries, including Rosati’s Pizza and Thai Town. Villwock said they achieved the goal of opening in October, just in time for the busiest time of the year for purveyors of popcorn: The Christmas season.
“December, by far, is the busiest month of the year,” Villwock said. On top of large corporate orders, Kernel’s also delivered countless tins of popcorn, as well as other gift items. He noted the tins also carry a bonus, as those receiving them can bring in the gift tins later in the year for a refill, at a 10 percent discount.
Since opening this fall, Villwock said the Sycamore store has enjoyed a warm welcome from the community, as anticipated. “Selling popcorn is the best,” he said. “Most people are really happy to see you. And it’s fun to make people happy.”
DeKalb Mechanical expands HVAC
services, community support, providing expert care for over 34 years
By: Jonathan Bilyk
Started in the early 1990s as the DeKalb area branch of a Rockford-based heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) company, DeKalb Mechanical first forged its independent existence in the early 2000s. In the years since, the company has cemented its name as one of the premier HVAC contractors serving not only the DeKalb area, but all of Northern Illinois and beyond.
“We like to say we are the best stop for anyone looking to get the job done right the first time,” said Kurt Mattson, DeKalb Mechanical’s owner and president.
The company began strictly in commercial HVAC work, installing heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems in businesses, schools, health care facilities, public works, and other large institutional and industrial settings.
DeKalb Mechanical custom builds all of its systems, from scratch. The company operates a full fabrication shop, beginning with raw flat sheets of metal. Mobile welding work is also performed at job sites in the field, Mattson said.
“It’s all of our own material. What we make cannot be bought at a big box store.” he said. In recent years, DeKalb Mechanical has moved into the business of sustainable green energy, drilling and installing geothermal systems for a variety of clients, in residences and buildings of various size. Those installations have been performed throughout the DeKalb County region and beyond.
A geothermal system typically involves drilling wells on the property. From there, water is run in pipes down through the wells, to use the constant 55-degree Fahrenheit temperature of the Earth to help heat and cool a home or other structure, with the aid of mechanical systems.
“It can cost more up front, but the return on investment from energy cost savings and longevity, plus the impact on the planet, really helps to make the decision,” said Mattson.
DeKalb Mechanical has installed such systems for some residences, but primarily at colleges and schools in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri, including at Central Elementary School in Rochelle, the College of Lake County in Grayslake and a private Christian elementary school in Wheaton, among others. There are also grants available for commercial customers to install geothermal systems.
Other aspects of the business have also grown and changed through the years. Amid and after the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, demand surged for indoor air purification systems and other services related to indoor air quality. These included the installation of new kinds of air filtration systems, ultraviolet light bulbs and ionizers to “scrub the air” of potential viruses and other pathogens.
The company works to keep up to date with all of the changes within the HVAC industry, from technology and tools to techniques and products. Among the largest technological advances in the business have been the rise of technology and software for estimating project cost and materials, known as takeoffs.
Other significant changes include the rapid rise of computer-controlled heating, cooling and air quality control systems, as well as the changes to more environmentally friendly refrigerants.
DeKalb Mechanical is utilizing its high-level technician knowledge, industry partners, great customer service, and timeliness to place an ever greater emphasis on its residential heating and cooling services that they provide. This spring they will be developing that division as KM
Heating and Cooling which will focus solely on the needs of its residential customers.
The division of KM Heating and Cooling will allow for their residential service offerings to expand by being powered by DeKalb Mechanical, as they install and service an ever-growing number of home furnaces and air conditioning systems, which will allow them to cover everything in the heating and cooling industry. “We can do anything heating or cooling related,” said Mattson, which includes duct cleaning and maintenance on any residential system.
The company offers Preventative Maintenance Agreements (PMAs), an increasingly attractive option for homeowners and business customers, alike. Customers who subscribe to a PMA receive regular maintenance visits, once or twice a year. Should service be needed on the system then or at other times of the year because of a mechanical failure or other need, they receive discounts on that work, as well.
“The goal of the program, though, is to allow us the chance to make sure you’re not having that break down,” Mattson said.
The company will continue to grow and evolve its services based on the skills and interests of the highly trained technicians the company regularly adds to its roster. Currently, DeKalb Mechanical regularly employs about 50 workers, including 12 office staff and 30 technicians. Another 10 technicians work at DeKalb Mechanical’s fabrication shop.
While Mattson said he loves the increasingly rare chances he gets as president of a growing company to get out in the field, in some ways, the guys in the shop can have some of the most fun on the job. Much of the credit for that aspect of the job goes to DeKalb Mechanical’s laser cutting table.
While primarily used for fabricating heating and cooling systems, the laser cutting table also gets regular use making unique custom gift and decor items for homes and businesses in the area. Their team can use the technology to copy and convert any item or digital image into tangible metal treasures.
In recent years, these have included unique wall hangings, signs and table bases, as well as other projects like custom fenders for a customer’s vehicle and a unique stainless steel table on display at the Bayer Monsanto facility in Waterman.
The laser cutter was also employed recently to replicate ‘tin cups and combs,’ similar to items used by U.S. soldiers during World War II. “We were able to get the duplication down to the margin of error,” Mattson said. “If there’s something out there someone wants with any aspect of metal, even a small detail, we love to make it happen.”
In addition to continuing to expand their range of services to homeowners and businesses, DeKalb Mechanical has also continued to give back through the years. The company, for instance, partners annually with Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County, installing HVAC systems in local Habitat homes. Mattson serves on the local Habitat board of directors.
“We’ve always tried to do as much as we can to support Habitat’s mission here locally,” said Mattson, noting that usually involves the donation and installation of a full HVAC system. While that has typically involved working on one home each year, that could increase to two homes per year to help to meet growing demand.
Another endeavor created in recognition of the founder, Steve Doonan, was the creation of an annual $15,000 scholarship for mechanical engineering majors at Northern Illinois University’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET).
Finally, for the local residents, at the end of each year, DeKalb Mechanical has conducted an annual “Furnace Giveaway.” Rather than simply a raffle or contest, the program has called upon the people in the local communities to nominate deserving community members for the donation. Each nomination results in an entry. In early November, those nominees’ names are placed in a hat, and one fortunate name is drawn to determine the “winner.”
Nominees to this point have been limited to those living within about 30 miles of DeKalb Mechanical’s shop, “basically in DeKalb County,” Mattson said. “It’s really started to gain traction out there,” said Mattson. “People are starting to take notice.”
The winner this year was announced as “Glennis from Genoa, a dedicated community member who has lived in Genoa for over 40 years,” who has served in various civic roles in the community, runs a local business and who “for more than 25 years has lovingly made over 200 apple dumplings each year to donate to the (Genoa Kingston) Fire Protection District for their annual chili supper...”
“Glennis truly embodies the spirit of giving and has a heart of gold,” DeKalb Mechanical said on their Facebook post announcing the “Furnace Giveaway” results.
DeKalb Mechanical also donates time and services to support the missions of local schools, FFA Chapters, and chambers of commerce, including in Genoa, DeKalb and Sycamore. Mattson said he hopes to see that program, as well as other community service endeavors, continue to grow, along with the business.
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