MC Mag_September_2018

Feeling at home at Fox Point PAGE 24

SEPTEMBER 2018

Beauties and the

BRISKET THE FOOD ISSUE

County’s culinary leaders

DISCUSS THE ART OF GOOD EATING

PAGE 8

Fall festivals fit for foodies PAGE 15

Apple orchards

A PERFECT PICK FOR AUTUMN FAMILY FUN

PAGE 20

Weekend wanderer DISCOVER DOOR COUNTY’S WINE TRAIL

PAGE 33

Let’s

GROW together!

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Editor's Note For my birthday three years ago, I brought my parents with me to my husband’s hometown in Brazil. We’d been together for 10 years and married for six, and this was the first time our families were meeting.

Just two hours south of the bustling metropolis of Sao Paulo city, is where my husband’s little beach town sits – just on the other side of lush, tropical mountains adorned with cascading waterfalls and sweeping views. The historic fishermen’s village is virtually unknown to international tourists, so English-speaking residents are a rarity.

Much of our families’ interactions were lost in translation, mimicked a bad game of charades or were beset by puzzled laughter and baffled smiles. But meal-time was different. Chopping onions, stirring pots and sautéing fish needed no explanation.

The meeting of our families was a cause for celebration, and it called for hours of preparation and cooking a meal of feast-like proportions. I’ve never known hospitality like I experienced over food with my husband’s family.

Stories were told. Regardless of not being able to speak the same language, we sat there for hours. Eating, drinking, laughing, translating and sharing.

Through food, we experienced connection, appreciation and love.

Food was the bridge between cultural exchange and communication. It brought us together despite our differences, political opinions, ethnic backgrounds, societal influences and language barriers.

The meal also was delicious, yes! And now it’s nostalgic, too. It’s linked to my memories.

The traditional recipes used that night not only united two families joined by marriage, but they also linked past generations with the present.

By sharing a meal you’re sharing yourself. And the best meals in life are the ones where you make a little extra room at the table.

Enjoy our Food Edition, and thanks for reading!

Sitting down to dinner that evening on the front porch of an auntie’s home, about 30 extended family members pulled up chairs to surfaces of varying sizes that were strung together to make one long communal table.

Dishes were passed. Toasts were made.

Kara Silva, Editor

on the

COVER

Published by Shaw Media 7717 S. Route 31, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 Phone: 815-459-4040 Fax: 815-477-4960 www.McHenryCountyMagazine.com

GENERAL MANAGER Jim Ringness 815-526-4614 jringness@shawmedia.com EDITOR Kara Silva 630-427-6209 ksilva@shawmedia.com DESIGNER Allison LaPorta 630-427-6260 alaporta@shawmedia.com CORRESPONDENTS Elizabeth Harmon, Kelsey O’Connor, Allison Horne, Stephanie N. Grimoldby, Jonathan Bilyk, Melissa Rubalcaba Riske, Peter Stadalsky and Kevin Druley PHOTOGRAPHERS Nancy Merkling, From Me 2 You Photography, Missy Donovan

In honor of their late father, three sisters carry on the dining tradition of the Texan Bar-B-Q in Algonquin. Read more, on Page 12.

Salon Services by MARIO TRICOCI IN CRYSTAL LAKE JESSICA CERVANTES (LEFT): Hair - JADE Makeup - STEPHANIE DENISE MADDEN (CENTER): Hair - COURTNEY Makeup - KAT SHELLY GAFFIGAN (RIGHT): Hair - COURTNEY Makeup - STEPHANIE

McHenry County Magazine is available by subscription for $24 a year. If you would like each month’s edition mailed to your home, send payment information and address to McHenry County Magazine, 7717 S. Route 31, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 or via email at subscriptions@shawmedia.com.

PHOTOS BY MISSY DONOVAN

4 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

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INSIDE DINING

HOME & LIFESTYLE

8 WHERE THE CHEFS ROAM

31 AT HOME WITH THE MILLERS

Dining habits of McHenry County’s culinary leaders

12 BEAUTIES AND THE BRISKET Sisters serve up smokin’ Texas barbecue in Algonquin

15 EDIBLE AUTUMN Eight fall food festivals that celebrate the season

18 AROUND THE CLOCK CRAVINGS Crystal Lake restaurant combines tried and true with something new

20 SWEET BOUNTY One-of-a-kind apples and inventive cider-infused treats make area orchards a perfect pick for festive family fun

FAMILY IN FOCUS 24 FEELING AT HOME AT FOX POINT Residents surrounded by ‘family’ at senior lifestyle community

28 SUBURBAN SUPERDAD: Life skills in the century of tech

BUSINESS & CIVIC

Midwest Retro owners share favorite fall décor ideas

TRAVEL 32 THE GLASS-HALF-FULL GUY: Sunday dinners and family reunions

33 TASTING NOTES Satisfying wine-inspired wanderlust in Door County

OUT & ABOUT 36 NEW AT THE NORGE Club spices up September ski jump event with food truck fest

38 CERAMICS MAN For local potter Robert Blue, Woodstock’s annual Autumn Drive is about ‘neighbor helping neighbor’

41 SOCIAL LIFE Locals enjoy brews and views during Great Outdoors Beer Trail

42 CALENDAR See what’s happening in McHenry County in September!

30 A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Shira Greenfield serves as beacon of hope to families in crisis

6 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

www.nwherald.com/magazine

Children Are at Risk of Developing Varicose Veins.

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Where the Chefs roam

The dining habits of McHenry County’s culinary professionals

By Elizabeth Harmon

T

he restaurant industry is a demanding one. Chefs, owners and managers rarely have days off, but when they do, you will probably find them dining nearby or in the comfort of their own homes.

McHenry County Magazine writer Elizabeth Harmon chatted with several of McHenry County’s culinary leaders, from chefs to restaurant owners, about what they’re ordering off their own menus, as well as what they eat and where they dine during their “off-the-clock” hours.

Ziya Senturk

of Crystal Lake General manager | Port Edward Restaurant in Algonquin

Q: How long have you worked in the restaurant industry?

A: I came to this country in 1977 and started working in a restaurant the next day.

Q: What is your favorite dish on Port Edward’s menu?

A: My favorite dish here is the Seafood Tuscany [shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams,

garlic butter, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, artichoke heart, Kalamata olives and white wine].

Q: When you’re not working at Port Edward, where do you like to eat?

A: I’m Turkish, so, when I’m not at work, I like to eat at home because my wife is an excellent cook, and so am I.

Q: What is one of your go-to favorite dishes?

A: Stuffed grape leaves.

Q: Where do you like to drink, and what is your favorite drink there?

A: I like to drink wine with my food, especially pinot grigio. We have an excellent selection here at Port Edward.

8 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

DINING

www.nwherald.com/magazine

Jason Moy of Lake County

Owner/chef | Plum Garden Restaurant in Crystal Lake and McHenry

Q: How long have you been a chef?

A: I grew up in the kitchen, working in the family business.

Q: What is your favorite dish on Plum Garden Restaurant’s menu?

A: It has to be our Hong Kong Chicken.

Q: When you’re not cooking at Plum Garden, what do you like to eat?

A: Mexican food.

Q: What is one of your go-to favorite dishes?

A: There are so many good ones, but I really love enchiladas.

Q: Where do you like to drink, and what is your favorite drink there?

A: I like Jaster’s, which is down the street from our

Crystal Lake location. Great place, great bartenders and I like to have an Old Fashioned.

Francisco Vinas

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Q: How long have you worked in the restaurant industry?

A: I’ve been here five years, and in the industry about

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Q: When you’re not working at Mixteca, where do you like to eat?

A: Tango Sur in Chicago Q: What is one of your go-to favorite dishes/menu items from another restaurant?

A: A nice piece of meat, served Churrasco style.

Q: Where do you like to drink, and what is your favorite drink there?

A: I like to drink Agave spirits, and I like to drink them at Mixteca.

Victor Davila of McHenry County

Cook | M Supper Club in Crystal Lake

Q: How long have you worked in the restaurant industry?

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I love all of our steaks and, if not that, then the walleye. It’s sautÊed, with a Meyer lemon sauce – very savory, with a nice touch of lemon.

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Q: When you’re not cooking M Supper Club, where do you like to eat?

A:

If I’m at home, I love to cook Spanish food. If I’m not at home, I love Asian [food], because of the nuttiness and savory notes. –Continued on page 10

www.nwherald.com/magazine

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MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 9

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–Continued from page 9

Q: What is one of your go-to favorite dishes?

A: Paella Q: Where do you like to drink, and what is your favorite drink there?

A: I’m a big fan of amaretto stone sours, and I like

to get them here at M Supper Club, because our mixologist knows how to make everything.

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Mathew Lucas

of Crystal Lake Chef/partner | Bold American Fare in Algonquin

Q: How long have you been a chef?

A: For at least 10 years.

Q: What is your favorite dish on Bold American

Fare’s menu?

Beef Smokinoff, a dish I created. It’s our version of beef stroganoff, but made with smoked brisket.

A: Q: GRANITE COUNTERTOPS

When you’re not cooking at Bold American Fare, what do you like to eat?

I like to order pizza from Nancy’s or Sal’s.

CUSTOM CABINETRY

A: Q: What is one of your go-to favorite dishes?

A: At home, I love a peanut-butter-and-jelly

sandwich, with Lays potato chips, a dill pickle and Welch’s grape soda.

Q: Where do you like to drink, and what is your favorite drink there?

A: My favorite drink [at Bold American Fare] is

the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. It’s our version of a Manhattan with a special cherry and Tang powder mixed in, which is where the “Tango” comes in.

Rhonda Howle of Woodstock

Owner | Expressly Leslie in Woodstock

Q: How long have you worked in the restaurant industry?

A: Forty years, but I just took over Expressly Leslie a year and a half ago.

Q: What is your favorite dish on Expressly 920 NORTH SEMINARY AVENUE WOODSTOCK, IL 60098 (815) 338-2110 HEARTHSTONEWOODSTOCK.ORG

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Leslie’s menu?

I love our spicy olives. We’re a Middle Eastern/ vegan restaurant. Our olives are imported from Israel and served in a spicy lemon tomato sauce.

They’re really good.

Q: When you’re not at Expressly Leslie, what do you like to eat?

A: I love Mexican food, and like go to La Placita in Woodstock.

10 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

DINING

www.nwherald.com/magazine

Q: What is one of your go-to favorite dishes?

A: I like Pastor – in burritos or tacos.

Q: Where do you like to drink, and what is your A:

favorite drink there?

I’m a Diet Coke person, and I like to drink it anywhere I can get one.

Colleen Summers of McHenry

Kitchen manager | After the Fox in McHenry

Q: How long have you worked in the restaurant industry?

A: Forty years.

Q: What is your favorite dish on After the Fox’s A:

menu?

Our Oriental Chicken Salad. I love the crispy chicken and honey Dijon dressing.

Q: When you’re not working at After the Fox, A:

where do you like to eat?

I love going with my kids to Panino’s [Seafood House and Bar] in Richmond.

Q: What is one of your go-to menu items?

A: [Panino’s] lobster rolls are phenomenal!

Q: Where do you like to drink, and what is your A:

favorite drink there?

I don’t drink much, but when I do, it’s at After The Fox, and my go-to is Smirnoff and tonic.

Vince Galati of Lakewood

Owner | Galati’s Hideaway in Cary

Q: How long have you worked in the restaurant industry?

A: Thirty-two years Q: What is your favorite dish on Galati’s Hideaway’s menu?

A: That’s a tough question; it’s all good! But

Spinach Rotolo is our most popular dish, so I’d have to say it’s the best.

Q: When you’re not working at Galati’s Hideaway, what do you like to eat?

A: When we go out to eat, we like to try new things.

Q: What is one of your go-to favorite dishes?

A: When I’m at home, I like to cook steaks or eggplant.

Q: Where do you like to drink, and what is your A:

favorite drink there?

I don’t go out to drink, but when I’m at home, I like to have a Tanqueray and tonic.

www.nwherald.com/magazine

DINING

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 11

Beauties In a vintage wood-framed house on Route 31 in Algonquin, Roxy Raddatz and her three daughters are carrying on a local dining tradition that dates back 34 years.

and the

BRISKET Sisters serve up smokin’ Texas barbecue in Algonquin

By Elizabeth Harmon

The family-owned and operated Texan Bar-B-Q restaurant, 101 N. Main St., is known for its brisket, ribs, pork and poultry, smoked to melt-in-your-mouth tenderness over dry hickory wood, in genuine Texas-built smokehouses.

“There’s no gas involved at all in our smoking process and everything is homemade,” says youngest daughter Jessica Cervantes of Algonquin. “All our sauces, our coleslaw, our beans, are from recipes our dad [Glenn Raddatz]

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Other family members, including an aunt and several cousins, worked at The Texan, as well.

When Glenn passed away in 1999, the family rallied together to keep the business running as smoothly as possible.

“Our mom was gone for a while, but we kept it going as it always had been. We never thought of closing,” says Cervantes.

“We know that’s what [our dad] would have wanted,” adds middle sister Denise Madden of West Dundee.

It’s a good thing the family kept their restaurant running, because in 2016, The Texan’s acclaim landed it on WGN’s “Chicago’s Best” TV show in a segment featuring Chicago’s best barbecue.

These days, the sisters and their mother keep the joint running.

Cervantes and Madden share daily managerial duties while eldest sister Shelly Gaffigan of Crystal Lake bakes the Texan’s trademark cornbread muffins from a recipe that she created.

Their mother handles the finances and greets customers in the rustic, yet comfortable, dining room decorated with horseshoes, stars and cowboy photos.

The menu, which also includes soups, salads, tacos and homemade desserts, such as funnel cake (available always), and bread pudding (a special), is largely unchanged from Glenn Raddatz’s original vision.

There are also a wide variety of beers, including

–Continued on page 14 www.nwherald.com/magazine

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DINING

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 13

Lose INCHES with Laser Lipo!

–Continued from page 13 brews from Scorched Earth Brewing in Algonquin and Crystal Lake Brewing in Crystal Lake, and soft drinks, such as Green River, which attracts plenty of customers on its own.

“It’s hard to find outside of St. Patrick’s Day, especially not as a fountain drink,” Cervantes says.

The cooking process hasn’t changed either. Meats are rubbed with The Texan’s custom spice blend and then placed in the smokehouse for up to 14 hours.

“

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“When one person can’t be there, the others step up,” Madden says. “As women running a barbeque restaurant, we’re unique, and a lot of people ask how we manage to work together. But we all get along, there are no issues, and if there are, we figure it out.”

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14 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

“Lots of people don’t realize we do large orders, but we cater business events, parties and weddings,” says Cervantes.

While running a restaurant is demanding, the family makes it work, Madden says.

Laser Lipo does not produce any abnormal effects in the body or damage body tissues such as cells, blood vessels or neighboring nerves or vital organs.

In clinical tests 95% of participants lost 1.6 inches or more around the waist, with the average losing 3.7 inches and 2-3 sizes. Dietary and lifestyle changes will help support and maintain treatment goals.

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1,000 pounds each of pork, ribs and brisket, and more if there’s a catering event. The Texan offers a private dining room that seats up to 40 people, or can serve up to 500 guests off-site.

How does it work?

Fat tissue is targeted using low levels of visible red laser light. This stimulation mimics the physiological response of exercise by draining the content of fat cells.

“

We know that’s what [our dad] would have wanted.

DINING

IF YOU GO The Texan Bar-B-Q 101 N. Main St., Algonquin 847-658-2130 • www.texanbbq.net www.nwherald.com/magazine

Truck Off Woodstock Photo provided Woodstock Harvest Fest and Craft Fair Shaw Media file photo

Edible

AUTUMN Eight fall food festivals that celebrate the season

By Kelsey O’Connor

When the seasons change, so do our taste buds. Cravings set in for apples, cider and pumpkin-spiced everything.

Luckily, there are plenty of local festivals that celebrate autumn’s harvest.

Johnny Appleseed Festival Shaw media file photo www.nwherald.com/magazine

–Continue on page 16 DINING

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 15

You Deserve Healthy, Beautiful Legs for Fall.

Helping achieve wellness in your venous health with individualized treatment plans.

–Continued from page 15

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16 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

Sample fare from more than 30 food trucks featuring lobster rolls, soul food, doughnuts and more. The evening will kick off with a Market in the Park at 4 p.m. featuring wares from local vendors and artisans. The food trucks will roll in at 5 p.m.

The event is free to attend and open for all ages.

For more information, visit the Truck Off Woodstock Facebook page.

Celebrate German heritage during the fifth annual Rauetoberfest in Woodstock. This traditional Oktoberfest celebration will feature traditional German music, food, beer and fun for the whole family. Admission is $5 at the gate and children ages 10 and younger will be admitted free of charge. For more information, visit rauecenter.org.

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DINING

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16 Woodstock Square

Enjoy a day of music, crafts and good eats at Woodstock Harvest Fest. Hosted by Off Square Music, a Woodstock nonprofit folk music organization, the day’s line-up will include a full schedule of local and award-winning bluegrass musicians. The fest will kick off the fall season with craft and food vendors and activities for the whole family. Donations of $10 will be accepted upon entrance. For more information, visit www. offsquaremusic.org.

MCHENRY SUNRISE ROTARY’S OKTOBERFEST

Noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 Petersen Park, 4300 Petersen Park Rd., McHenry

Raise a glass at this year’s community Oktoberfest.

The annual event will feature games, food vendors, beer, wine coolers and live music all day. Tickets cost $5 each and children ages 12 and younger will be admitted free of charge. There also will be raffles and other fundraising opportunities during the event. All proceeds will go toward the McHenry Sunrise Rotary’s key initiatives. www.nwherald.com/magazine

Cider Festival Photo provided

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JOHNNY APPLESEED FESTIVAL 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29 Downtown Crystal Lake

The Johnny Appleseed Festival is Crystal Lake’s largest one-day event. In its 26th year, the festival celebrates the real-life Midwest legend and his favorite fruit.

Thousands come each year to enjoy family-friendly events and activities, including a petting zoo, wagon rides, a scarecrow-decorating contest, craft fair, pumpkin bowling, a mini-Ferris wheel and big slide, live music and dance demonstrations, and more.

There’s also a pancake breakfast, food vendors and an apple-pie-baking contest. For more information, visit downtowncl.org.

WOODSTOCK ALE FEST 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6 Corner of Clay and Newell streets in Downtown Woodstock

Confetti Gourmet Academy is the Northwest suburb’s premier recreational cooking school that offers hands-on cooking classes for all ages. Classes cover a range of culinary technique, styles and cuisines, so there is truly something for everyone! Private parties are also available in our gourmet studio kitchen for up to 24 people, or we can come to you. We have been teaching people the essentials of cooking and baking for over 15 years.

So if you have a taste for something memorable tie on an apron and get ready for the best time you’ve had in the kitchen.

Looking for a fun night of “Cooking Made Simple and Fun” visit our website to purchase classes and check out our ‘Gourmet to Go’ for your dinner solutions. Call our dedicated professional Chefs to help plan your next event.

The fifth annual Woodstock Ale Fest is a celebration of local craft beer (and cider). The fest will feature more than 60 unique beers from 30 craft breweries all within 100 miles of Woodstock. The event will feature bluegrass music, games, custom prizes, food from local vendors and food trucks and various brews to sample. General admission tickets cost $40. For more information, visit woodstockalefest.com.

41ST ANNUAL CIDER FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7 McHenry County Historical Society Museum, 6422 Main St., Union

The 41st annual Cider Festival will feature Civil War reenactors from the 36th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, live music, old-fashioned cider-making, a blacksmith, barn-raising demonstration and an apple bakeoff contest. Apple goodies, kettle corn, books, antique clothing and more will be available for purchase. The museum, the 1843 Gannon log cabin and the 1895 West Harmony one-room school also will be open all day. Admission is free. For more information, visit mchenrycountyhistory.org.

Real Ice Cream

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HOME GROWN MAKER FAIR 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday, Oct. 19-21 All Seasons Orchard,14510 IL Route 176, Woodstock

On Main Street Downtown Algonquin

Meet with local makers and shop their wares at this hyper-local craft fair. The weekend-long events is set in a scenic orchard and features handmade goods and art, food and live music. Makers include Ethereal Confections from Woodstock, Hello Lavender from Woodstock, Martin Maille from Wonder Lake, and Two Fat Guys Gourmet Sauces from McHenry. Food will be provided by veteran-owned Fat Tomato, Inc. SM-CL1570333

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www.riverbottomicecream.com 301S. Main St., Algonquin DINING

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 17

Around the Clock s g n i v ra c

Family restaurant combines something tried and true with something new

By Allison Horne long the Northwest Highway, tucked between chain restaurants and a slew of drive-thrus, flashes a familiar marquee – a red, green and white neon sign that has served as a beacon to passersby for more than 40 years.

Around the Clock Restaurant and Bakery has changed plenty since it first opened on May 1, 1975, but two things have remained the same: the sign out front and the people greeting you from behind the counter.

The Theofanous family has been a staple in the community since emigrating from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus to Crystal Lake in 1969.

George Theofanous started the restaurant with a partner and ran it for six years before his sons – nowowners Steve and Fano, who worked at the restaurant as kids – took over in 1983.

It’s been decades, but the brothers, who can be found in the restaurant regularly, still look forward to coming to work every day.

“We’ve been a part of this community for a long time,” Steve Theofanous says. “We still enjoy coming in and being part of our staff and serving our customers. It’s in our DNA. We can’t get rid of it.”

Even the menu reflects their family roots, as each member of the family has a menu item named after him or her. Fano Theofanous has the club sandwich, with turkey, bacon, avocado, lettuce and tomato.

Steve Theofanous has an omelet named after him with ham, mushroom, onion, green pepper, black olives and cheese, and his middle daughter, Andrea, who loves eating vegetables, has a sandwich named 18 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

after her with eggplant, zucchini, green and red peppers, onion, artichoke hearts and cheese.

While the business itself may be more than 40 years old, the brothers certainly don’t want it to feel that way. Through the years, they’ve regularly updated the restaurant, from expanding the eatery to seat 175 people to consistently changing up the menu.

“We’re always trying to keep it new and fresh and updated so that people feel comfortable,” Steve Theofanous says, noting that the restaurant currently has big renovation plans in the works. “We’re totally renovating the bathrooms and décor, but the basic things will be the same.”

The parking lot resurfacing has already begun, and the servers have adopted new uniforms, but Steve Theofanous expects the full renovation to begin sometime this fall. He plans to close the restaurant for a short period of time to complete the renovation.

“We’re one of the oldest restaurants in McHenry County, but we always want to feel like we’re the newest,” Steve Theofanous says. “By doing these renovations, we’re going to be fresh and new and exciting.”

The brothers may have Around the Clock looking shiny and new in no time, but its old school charm is what people keep coming back for.

“People are not numbers to us,” Fano Theofanous says. “Our customers are real people who we enjoy forging relationships with. Getting to know them and forming friendships is what sets us apart.”

DINING

Many of Around the Clock’s servers have been working there for more than 15 years, and their cook, Ruperto Gutierrez, has been there for almost 30 years. The two managers, Patty Stapleton and Dino Sfondouris, have been there for quite some time, as well.

“The people that have been here for so many years have gotten to know the customers on a first-name basis,” Steve Theofanous says. “It almost feels like ‘Cheers,’ where people come in and you know them by name.”

Another old-fashioned asset that sets Around the Clock apart is its in-house bakery. From apple and pumpkin to French silk and chocolate cream, each pie is made in-house with the freshest ingredients.

Whatever Around the Clock is doing, it seems to be doing it right. The community dining staple has continued to see multiple generations of families walk through its doors on a regular basis.

“It touches me to see the loyalty that we’ve gotten because we’ve been a part of this community for so many years,” Steve Theofanous says. “Our goal is always to be the restaurant the entire community can be proud to call their own.

“That’s what we want to continue to do.”

Around the Clock 5011 Northwest Hwy., Crystal Lake 815-459-2100 • www.aroundtheclockrestaurant.com

www.nwherald.com/magazine

“Welcome!

We’re Glad You’re Here!”

Independent Family-Owned Diner for 43 Years!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE for our daily soups and chef’s features.

PRE-ORDER BAKERY Pre-order pies and pastries Online for in-store pick-up!

Around the Clock Restaurant 5011 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake 815-459-2100 • www.aroundtheclockrestaurant.com Hours: Sun- Thurs: 6:00 am – Midnight • Fri & Sat: 6:00 am – 1:00 am

Sweet One-of-a-kind heirloom apples and inventive cider-infused treats make area orchards a perfect pick for festive family fun

By Kelsey O’Connor

McHenry County has a rich history of agriculture. Many of the area’s first settlers were farmers, drawn by the fertile, rolling prairies and access to the Fox River.

McHenry County, as we know it, began to take shape after World War II, when the population began to boom and rural areas gave way to urban development.

Today, much of the original farmland has disappeared. But the community’s rural roots run deep.

Many local farmers are committed to keeping that heritage alive, and the county’s apple orchards serve as a prime example.

McHenry County is home to almost a dozen orchards. Each offers

20 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

DINING

something unique, from hard-to-find heirloom varieties and freshly-baked apple treats to a one-of-a-kind apple tree maze.

Homestead Orchard in Woodstock offers unique varieties of rare heirloom apples. Many date back to colonial times, such as the yellow Spitzenburg apple that’s said to have been Thomas Jefferson’s favorite apple.

Other varieties at Homestead Orchard include Baldwin apples, which date back to 1740 and are perfect for pie. And Wolf River is a variety from the 1860s that bears massive fruits, famous for being able to fill an entire pie with a single apple.

Another delicious heirloom variety, the Cox’s Orange Pippen, is from England circa 1830. The yellow-andred streaked fruit makes a delicious dessert apple. One of the oldest varieties on the farm is the Snow Apple. First planted in the 1600s, it’s particularly delicious for cider and juice.

The orchard, itself, also is historic.

The scenic spot is located on a site that’s been used as farmland since 1839. There’s a 1880s-era horse barn on the property, where guests can browse handcrafted goods, antiques and honey from the nearby beehives.

“We are a quiet place in the country to pick apples,” says owner Don Burda. “You can sit down under one www.nwherald.com/magazine

It’s apple season!!! Kitchen Outfitters has what you need to cook up the perfect apple dishes! Pies, breads, salads and more! From the beginner cook to the professional chef, Kitchen Outfitters has what you need to whip up a feast.

“We are a quiet place in the country to pick apples. You can sit down under one of the oldest and largest maple trees in the county and enjoy nature.”

– Don Burda, owner of Homestead Orchard in Woodstock

of the oldest and largest maple trees in the county and enjoy nature.”

The orchard welcomes visitors to come wander the rows of trees and pick their own fruit directly from the branch.

“It’s fun to go to a tree and pick your own apple, as opposed to buying them in a sack,” says Burda.

“Some people look for that one special apple that is waiting for them to pick.”

Another local pick-your-own orchard is Cody’s Farm and Orchard in Marengo. The farm began as a humble vegetable stand almost 20 years ago and has since grown into a favorite family destination.

Thousands visit each fall to explore the orchard and stock up on its sweet bounty.

“People love to visit and pick their own apples because so many families don’t have a lot of opportunities to come on a farm,” says Valerie Purdom, who owns the farm with her husband Cody. “Being able to visit a working farm and pick apples from our trees becomes a family tradition.”

APPLE COLESLAW 4 Granny Smith Apples 1 Head of Cabbage ¼ - ½ cup Sunflower Seeds or Crushed Peanuts ½ Lemon

¼ cup Granny Smith Balsamic Vinegar (or Apple Cider Vinegar) ¼ cup Sesame Oil (or Olive Oil of choice) Salt and Pepper to taste

Spiralize the apples and cabbage (drizzle lemon over top to prevent the apples from browning) toss together in a large bowl.

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The orchard features 12 varieties of apples. The most popular is the honeycrisp apple, which comes pre-picked and reaches its peak in mid-September.

Another beloved variety is the Zestar, with their distinct sweet and tangy flavor that make them perfect for snacking.

64B N Williams St Downtown Crystal Lake

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The farm also offers family-friendly activities, a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, and fresh apple

KitchenOutfittersCrystalLake.com

–Continued on page 22 www.nwherald.com/magazine

DINING

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 21

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cider donuts on weekends. And there’s still farm-fresh vegetables for sale, such as sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, squash and more.

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In Harvard, Royal Oak Farm Orchard transforms into an apple bonanza each fall. The family farm, which is home to four generations, features a variety of apple-themed bites and activities throughout autumn.

Over 1,000 knives in stock!

Visitors can try numerous apple-centric tasty treats, including apple cider donuts, apple cider slushies, caramel apples, apple pie, applesauce, caramel apple fudge, apple pie coffee, apple butters, apple barbecue sauces, apple salsa, cinnamon apple French toast, and more.

There’s also the Amaze ‘N Apples apple tree maze – the only maze of it’s kind in the country. The maze covers five acres and 1.5 miles of winding trails, where guests can roam, participate in activities and pluck ripe apples.

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“We wanted a more permanent maze and decided we should do what we do best and plant an apple tree maze,” says manager and co-owner Sarah Bell. “It was unique because no one had done it before.”

Besides the maze, there are three orchards that feature more than 17,000 trees and 30 varieties, including classics like Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Snow Sweet, Empire, and Granny Smith. The farm annually attracts up to 75,000 visitors.

“Apple picking is a long-time fall family tradition,” says Bell. “It gets you out in the peace and beauty of the orchard and allows guests to really spend quality time together. There’s also nothing like the crunch and juiciness of a freshly picked apple.”

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11802 Charles Road, Woodstock www.homesteadorchard.net | 815-338-7443 Apple picking runs through late October: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday

CODY’S FARM AND ORCHARD

19502 River Road, Marengo www.codysfarm.com | 815-568-7976 Apple picking runs Sept. 8 through October: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

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15908 Hebron Road, Harvard www.royaloakfarmorchard.com | 815- 648-4141 Apple picking runs through October: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 7 a.m. Friday through Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

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DINING

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 23

F eeling at

Home

at Fox

Point

Residents surrounded by ‘family’ at senior lifestyle community

By Stephanie N. Grimoldby

A

nne Lesko wears a bright, blue-and-white cropped pantsuit with a white necklace and matching earrings as she exits her studio apartment at Fox Point, a senior lifestyle community in McHenry offering independent and assisted living accommodations.

Even on days like today, when her back is bothering her, the 95-year-old gets dressed and comes downstairs because she doesnít like to miss out on all of the action happening at her home.

That’s what Fox Point is, her home, she says. And her face lights up as she details what she loves about it: the excellent food, friendly and attentive staff, and the light, bright and homey atmosphere.

“Living here, in this place, is like living in the Ritz,” she says. “I not only say that – my family says that.”

Anne Lesko wears a bright, blue-and-white cropped pantsuit with a white necklace and matching earrings as she exits her studio apartment at Fox Point, a senior lifestyle community in McHenry offering independent and assisted living accommodations.

Even on days like today, when her back is bothering her, the 95-year-old gets dressed and comes downstairs because she doesn’t like to miss out on all of the action happening at her home.

By Stephanie N. Grimoldby 24 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

FAMILY in FOCUS

www.nwherald.com/magazine

“The people here are exceptionally pleasant. You feel when you come here, they’re going to make you feel comfortable. And, trust me, they do.”

– Betty Siddons, Fox Point resident

In her younger years, Lesko was an avid golfer who also enjoyed bocce ball and swimming. These days, she enjoys less strenuous – but equally fun – activities, such as happy hour on Fridays, bingo, trivia and enjoying live music, sing-alongs, concerts and more.

“There are so many activities,” she says. “If you want to do them, they’re here … . And I’m learning things here. We’re all old, and you think you’re not going to learn anything anymore. But [playing] trivia, that’s a terrific learning process for older people. You’re always learning something. That’s important. I love it.”

Lesko also loves the library and the nursing staff.

“I’m an RN; that’s how I know they’re good!” she says, adding that everyone knows one another by name.

In fact, there’s not much Lesko doesn’t love about Fox Point.

“I can’t say anything I dislike about this place,” she says. “And, oh my God, they have a beauty shop! You don’t have to go outside.”

It’s a lifestyle While Lesko may have uncovered the secret of a happy retirement at Fox Point, not everyone is aware that such great options are available, says Judy Nordschow, director of sales and marketing.

“There is still that stereotype that independent and assisted living is a nursing home, and it’s really not,” Nordschow says. “Independent living and assisted living is a lifestyle.”

It’s a lifestyle that Karen and Richard Piper have chosen for themselves. The Pipers – one of 14 couples residing in one of the 114 independent and assisted living apartments available at Fox Point – are able to still live together even though Richard Piper requires a bit of assistance while Karen Piper does not.

“We don’t separate assisted living or independent living [residents],” says Nordschow. “They can stay in the same apartment, dine together, go on outings together … . They’re very happy with it. A lot of times the reason a couple comes here is because one is taking care of the other and is wearing themselves out doing it.”

At just 74 and 75, respectively, Karen and Richard Piper are the youngest residents in the Fox Point community, and they’ve both felt welcome ever since arriving in October.

Karen Piper, a former seamstress, quickly made friends with Lesko after she fixed a beloved crocheted bag belonging to Lesko. That’s how she fits in the community – as a helper and motivator for all of her neighboring residents.

“We’re a family now,” Piper says. “We have to work together to make this place how we want it.”

Luckily, executive director Christine Denton feels the exact same way.

–Continue on page 26

“There is still that stereotype that independent and assisted living is a nursing home, and it’s really not. Independent living and assisted living is a lifestyle.”

– Judy Nordschow, director of sales and marketing at Fox Point www.nwherald.com/magazine

FAMILY in FOCUS

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 25

–Continued from page 25 “I always tell residents, if they have an issue, I want them to come to me. I can’t fix things if I don’t know about it,” Denton says. “We are a community and an extended family, so to speak. And we do have to work together. My door’s always open.”

“It’s home to me,” Siddons says simply.

Wendy Pollacci, lead concierge, agrees.

“The people here are exceptionally pleasant,” she says. “You feel when you come here, they’re going to make you feel comfortable. And, trust me, they do.”

“Everybody’s here for the same reason – because everyone cares about the residents,” she says.

“They’re a second family. You treat them like family.”

‘It’s home to me’ For nearly 30 years, Betty Siddons lived in Crystal Lake, while working as a personnel manager at Kmart and Walmart.

Four years ago, she moved to Fox Point, and there’s nowhere else she’d rather be.

The 84-year-old is a people person, and the people at Fox Point make it the wonderful place that it is, she says.

The nurses are on the ball, she says, and the staff is friendly and supportive at every level.

Beyond that, Siddons has found Fox Point to be just like living in a neighborhood, but with everything available at one location. She has a group of friends with whom she regularly dines, but instead of meeting at a local restaurant, the friends simply head downstairs, sit at the same table in the dining hall and gab for hours.

Siddons is known for not only decorating her apartment to the nines for every holiday, but for inviting her neighbors over to enjoy coffee and cookies – just as she would have done at her own residence.

And instead of having to travel to listen to great music, she waits for the local musicians to come to her, during one of the many concerts hosted just for the residents.

“I’m the first one here in the first row,” she says.

Yes, Fox Point is home, she says – and there’s an easy way to explain why.

“No matter where I go, no matter what I do, I can’t wait to get back here,” Siddons says.

“We don’t separate assisted living or independent living [residents]. … A lot of times the reason a couple comes here is because one is taking care of the other and is wearing themselves out doing it.”

– Judy Nordschow, director of sales and marketing at Fox Point 26 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

www.nwherald.com/magazine

embrace

TM

DAY PROGRAM

Activities abound At Fox Point, there’s no shortage of fun ways to spend your time. Here are a few of the different activities offered at the senior lifestyle community: • Visual arts, such as painting and sketching

embrace

TM The award-winning MEMORY CARE Program at Fox Point is proud to bring to you an all-new Day Program for persons with memory loss, featuring specialized classes, outings, and experiences. The

embrace Day Program provides time for you, the caregiver, to rest, relax and rejuvenate while we engage and enrich the days of the ones you love.

• Cooking, such as participating in one of Fox Point’s “Iron Chef” cooking competitions • Music offered year-round • Acting, both of stage and film • Fitness classes, such as Tai Chi, strength training and more • Wii sports, like bowling • Clubs, such as billiards, books and bridge • Technology services, such as learning to post to Facebook • Happy hour, when residents mix and mingle • Gardening • Brain Health University, featuring 30 unique courses designed to exercise the brain

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• State-of-the-art technology • Specially-trained staff • And more

3300 CHARLES J. MILLER ROAD MCHENRY, IL 60050

AWARD-WINNING COMMUNITY FAMILY in FOCUS

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 27

 SUBURBAN SUPERDAD 

Life skills in the century of tech With JONATHAN BILYK

It’s hard to overstate the importance of cable television to the life and childhood memories of one who straddles the dividing line between Gen Xer and Millennial.

In ways that a full-fledged Millennial may find hard to understand, at a time in which we would have puzzled over terms like “World Wide Web,” and “smartphone,” or “Google”, those dozens of channels were a window to the world, helping us learn so much, in so many varied ways, for better and worse.

Of course, while we had dozens of channels to choose from, we usually just spent hours scrolling through the on-screen guide or flipping mindlessly through the channels, until we landed on one of the same two or three we always decided to watch anyway.

For me, this meant the flipping usually ended at either ESPN, the History Channel or The Learning Channel.

And while “Baseball Tonight” and “SportsCenter” consumed far too much of my summer evenings, it was when baseball season ended that the programming on the other two channels often captured my attention, helping me learn a few important facts, while absorbing a large assortment of trivia.

Among the random nuggets, one that still stands out today had to do with the equipment of the colonial British soldier – the classic “Redcoat” – as in “The British are coming!” and tea barrels bobbing in Boston Harbor. (Or, if you’re still loyal to The Crown, the battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo.)

While a discussion of the musket and bayonet drew me in, I soon took note that this infantryman 28 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

of legend also carried a sewing kit and cooking gear.

– along with the knowledge I had done next to nothing to cultivate my own culinary skills.

The 13-year-old version of me, I suppose, had never contemplated the fact that, in addition to shooting and stabbing colonial rebels, Napoleonic French imperial regulars, and other enemies of the realm, the Redcoats also needed to feed and clothe themselves – aspects of soldiering that appeared to make fighting wars a bit easier to manage.

We have since dived headlong into the 21st Century and cut the cable TV cord, yet the Food Network has remained an essential part of this suburban dad’s life, as its online trove of recipes, advice and restaurant recommendations have helped keep the good food flowing.

In that moment, while I had had no real interest in either cooking or tailoring for survival, I decided those would probably be useful skills to develop.

But being a typical American teenager of the 1990s, I decided I also had more important things to do, like watch baseball, be stupid with friends and play endless rounds of board games. Ordering pizza was so much easier than cooking freshly hunted game over an open fire, in any event.

But fast forward a few years, and now I’m married, sitting on the couch on a weeknight, now with my wife by my side – still flipping mindlessly through channels until we land on the same two or three channels we always watch. While I remain a frequent flier on ESPN in moments of solitude, the remote now usually took us to “Trading Spaces” and house-flipping shows (which, as a new property owner, was suddenly more relevant and entertaining), or The Food Network.

And it was there that people like Bobby Flay, Ina Garten, Masaharu Morimoto, Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri and – personal favorite – Alton Brown became familiar company. Amid never-ending streams of “golden brown and delicious,” the memory of that British soldier, sitting against a tree, cooking a meal while sewing his coat, came rushing back

FAMILY in FOCUS

And while the sets of “Iron Chef,” “Chopped” and “Cutthroat Kitchen” aren’t calling my name, and nothing cooked by my hand will ever earn a fist bump from Guy on Triple-D, most dishes have moved from “Hey, it’s hot, and at least we won’t starve” to “This is actually quite good.”

They might even earn a salute from that British soldier – unless, perhaps, he were somehow the ancestor of a certain foulmouthed British celebrity chef, who no doubt would berate even my best dishes as “rubbish,” while dressing me down for not knowing how to properly mend my apron.

 Jonathan Bilyk writes about the triumphs and travails of being a modernday dad who legitimately enjoys time with his family, while tolerating a dog that seems to adore him. He also doesn’t really like the moniker “Superdad” because it makes it sound like he wants to wear his undergarments on the outside of his pants.

(Also, the cape remains on back order.)

www.nwherald.com/magazine

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A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS Shira Greenfield serves as beacon of hope to families in crisis

By MELISSA RUBALCABA RISKE | Photo by FROM ME 2 YOU PHOTOGRAPHY

T

here are no medals, no plaques to hang on the wall and certainly no trophies to mark Shira Greenfield’s work in the community.

She doesn’t keep count of the number of times she’s made herself available for someone in crisis or has assisted a family with an intervention.

professionally gratifying.”

But, with more than 33 years in the mental health field, Greenfield has truly become a beacon of hope to others, providing light in a time of darkness. Whether she is leading a team of crisis responders or providing one-to-one counseling, her work – though difficult to measure – outstretches far beyond what anyone can see.

“She understands every aspect of mental health care and the needs and resources. It is as though she is the thread weaving through all the systems,” says Vedak.

“One of her strongest qualities is her incredible capacity to take on work and to support others,” says Todd Schroll, vice president of operations for Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Hospital.

“Sometimes she is one of the first to respond and, many times, it’s pretty amazing to see her at work.

For a number of years, Schroll has worked with Greenfield, witnessing – first-hand – her ability to serve as a leader to others in the mental health field.

After graduating with a master’s degree, Greenfield joined the McHenry County Youth Services Bureau in 1985 as a fresh face eager to learn. Soon she was immersed in the field, dealing with various issues, such as child abuse, child neglect, runaways and the child welfare system. While some may have succumbed to the weight of these issues, Greenfield says she saw opportunities to understand the systems.

“I had great mentors, and I really learned a lot,” Greenfield says. “Those relationships I developed by asking questions were some of the most

Additionally, Greenfield worked with clients through private therapy counseling, including working for a number of years with psychiatrist Dr. Chandra Vedak, who says Greenfield understands how the mental health systems are all connected.

Today, Greenfield is the clinical manager of Behavioral Health Services at Centegra Health System. She oversees the outpatient mental health program and manages the crisis services and mobile crisis response teams.

Greenfield maintains a private practice, as well.

With a strong knowledge and excellent communication skills, Greenfield contributes to Suicide Prevention Task Force, the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition and, for the last 17 years, she has been a community program instructor at McHenry County College, where she helps parents understand the psychological impact of divorce on children.

Schroll says whether Greenfield is addressing colleagues or parents, she has a way of connecting to the audience and engaging them in the discussion.

“She’s dynamic,” Schroll says.

Perhaps some of her oratory comes from her parents.

Greenfield’s father was a rabbi and cantor, and her mother was an accomplished pianist. Greenfield says her home was filled with music, and – growing up – she and her siblings enjoyed Jewish traditions

“She understands every aspect of mental health care and the needs and resources. It is as though she is the thread weaving through all the systems.”

– DR. CHANDRA VEDAK, PSYCHIATRIST

and holidays.

As a teenager, Greenfield moved to the Midwest with her family so her father could take a job with a Jewish synagogue in Elgin.

Greenfield says the relocation was a challenging transition, as Jewish families were a minority in the area. But that is precisely what propelled her to work with the McHenry County Jewish Congregation and its youth groups. The work helped her to foster strong bonds among the youth, who found themselves in communities where they, too, were living as a minorities.

“Based on my own experiences in youth groups, being a part of a Jewish youth group was important to me,” she says.

2017 Sponsors

30 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

BUSINESS & CIVIC

www.nwherald.com/magazine

AT HOME

with THE

MILLERS Midwest Retro owners share favorite fall décor ideas

By Kelsey O’Connor

C

onnie and Lael Miller know a thing or two about antiques. The couple have been avid collectors for years, filling their East Dundee homes with their favorite finds.

They’ve translated that passion into their beloved vintage store, Midwest Retro.

“We both came out of the corporate world,” says Lael Miller.

“After enough mergers and acquisitions, we decided to do what we always wanted to do, which was to start our own business.”

Today, the shop is a carefully-curated selection of antique furniture, high-quality reproductions and unique home decor.

The inventory changes frequently, depending on the season or what treasures the Millers have uncovered recently.

“It’s a good mix of everything,” says Lael Miller. “We find our customers are constantly surprised. We like finding things no one else has.”

That often means taking their search on the road. The Millers, who have lived in the East Dundee area for 25 years, regularly scour antique shows, auctions and flea markets around the country. That might even include crawling through garages or barns to locate hidden gems.

“We’re looking for well-made products that have that timeless design that will fit in everywhere,” says Lael Miller. “The bottom line is if I’m not going to put it in my house, I’m not going buy it.”

The couple also seek out the best local products. Currently, their selection includes local candles, goats milk soap from Pecatonica, Illinois, and a line of vintage windows turned into wall art from a Naperville artisan.

“We try hard to find those products to bring in to the store and support another small business,” says Connie Miller.

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For those looking to spruce up their homes for fall, Connie Miller offers a few tips on autumn decor: Choose your color palette. The right colors can help make your fall decor subtle and sophisticated – and not like you’re living inside a jack-o-lantern.

Connie Miller prefers to opt for a softer palette with creamy oranges and yellows with hints of rust.

“I never want to get too pumpkin-y orange,” she says. “I like muted colors so that they’re not super bright.”

Play with accents. Sometimes small touches make all of the difference. Adding subtle accents, like a handmade wooden bowl or decorative acorns, are the perfect way to celebrate the season without going over the top. This also makes it easier to store your seasonal decorations during the rest of the year.

“A fun thing we like to do is buy good-quality plaid throws,” says Connie Miller. “Those work great to add some fall touches to your home.”

Experiment with florals. Decorative flowers and plants aren’t just for the warmer months. Good-quality faux florals can bring a touch of autumn indoors and last for years to come.

“We bring in a lot of good quality faux florals,” says Connie Miller. “They’re not the craft-store type of florals, they’re very realistic.”

The store is currently stocked with faux winter wheat and delicate Chinese lanterns that would pair well with any fall decor.

MIDWEST RETRO

207 Barrington Ave., East Dundee 847-844-0848 • www.midwestretro.com

HOME & LIFESTYLE

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 31

The Glass-Half-Full Guy:

TRAVEL AND FAMILY

By PETER STADALSKY

This weekend, I drove up to the woods of Rothbury, Michigan, for my family reunion. We are getting together for the first time in more than 30 years. I never have met most of my relatives from the Dutch side of the family, so it was a giant social of strangers, who remind me an awful lot of myself!

We pieced together family trees, played ridiculous games, told crass jokes, and I heard old stories of my dad being shot at with a shotgun shell stuffed with paper.

Having traveled many parts of the world, one thing I noticed very quickly is how important family is to many cultures, even our own.

When I had returned home from one of my six-month, cross-country epochs I realized how focused on my own priorities I’d become, putting family events on the backburner. Since my brother and I moved out of my parents’ house, everyone naturally dispersed and took interest in their own life’s path.

So, I started to make it a point to visit my parents for dinner, every Sunday, at their home about one

32 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

hour south of my own. It’s become our Sunday tradition, and a very important part of our week.

Our relationship has grown so deep and special over the past four years of dinners, we hardly ever miss a week.

It’s so easy to get absorbed in my career and personal life and not realize I haven’t talked to a certain relative in months, or even years. I noticed this potential for a huge gap in my life, created by years of not making an effort to see family. I see a lot of my peers experiencing the pressure of “being somebody important” in our professions.

It’s not uncommon for us to sacrifice family and friends for our employers.

But I’ve come to the conclusion that for myself, family and friends have to come first. Because work is always going to be there, and when 30 years have past, I don’t want to have missed the best years, and the best people, of my life.

Most of my family is spread out all across the country, so I can’t simply pop in and say “hello.” But I can load my car up with a bag of clothes and hit the road on some weekend for

TRAVEL

get-togethers, whether those are large family reunions, or a weekend crashing on my cousin’s couch. I know that when I’m old, sitting in my rocking chair sipping lemonade, I won’t for a second be rehashing memories of successful business moves or working weekends. Rather I’ll be cherishing moments like these with family, beating everyone in a game of limbo.

The greatest currency we have is time, and it can never be saved, only spent. I must be wise in the ways I spend my time because I only get one chance. I don’t see myself not being a travelholic, but whether I’m on the road or stuck in the grind, I always will make time for the ones I love.

u Peter Stadalsky is an Aurora resident and adventurer. He shares his travel experiences with a “glass-half-full” view of the world.

www.nwherald.com/magazine

Stone’s Throw Winery

tasting

NOTES

Satisfying wine-inspired wanderlust in Door County

By Jonathan Bilyk

O

n a typical day, you might find Rosie Feller on any one of the multiple levels of the Door Peninsula Winery and Distillery, located just north of Sturgeon Bay – one of several towns situated on the Door County peninsula in Wisconsin.

tourism has broken down another barrier. Visitors from northern Illinois, who love to spend at least a portion of their summers on the peninsula, have increasingly been making the rounds at the peninsula’s wineries – a mustdo during any vacation to that region.

But, most likely, Feller, assistant manager at the winery, says visitors will find her at the tasting bar, pouring out samples and shooting the breeze with the swarms of tourists. On a daily basis, visitors – hailing from Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and places much more far-flung – pour through the doors of the Door Peninsula Winery and Distillery, which is one of eight wineries that make up Wisconsin’s Door County Wine Trail.

Feller, for instance, estimated tourism accounts for a little less than half of the business at the Door Peninsula Winery.

“It’s easily my favorite place to be [at the winery],” says Feller. “To get to meet our guests, get to share some laughs and see their smiles as they taste what we make here – there’s no other place or job like it.”

And in the past decade or so, those opportunities have only increased for those, like Feller, who work along the wine trail, as business continues to blossom.

The success of the wine industry in that portion of the country may seem unlikely to some, due – in part – to Wisconsin’s reputation for long, cold winters and reliance on dairy and beer. But in the latter half of the 20th Century, research at the University of Minnesota has broken down the first would-be barrier by producing grape varieties that are able to thrive in colder climates and still produce – with a little bit of diligence and time – some quality wines. And Door County’s heavy reliance on

Door Peninsula Winery Carrie Lautenbach Viste, co-owner of Lautenbach’s Orchard and Winery in the popular Door County town of Fish Creek, says she wouldn’t place a dollar figure on the value of out-of-town guests visiting her family’s operation. Lautenbach’s receives nearly 200,000 visitors each year. And, of those visitors, she says, 75 to 80 percent come from Illinois, Minnesota and elsewhere in Wisconsin.

“It’s huge, obviously,” Viste says.

The history of the wine trail stretches back to the 1960s, when some of today’s local vintners first began exploring the possibility of bottling wines. In the 1970s, Door Peninsula Winery opened its doors, bottling and selling wine that blended locally grown grapes with those acquired from California or elsewhere in Wisconsin.

Lautenbach’s, a family-owned and operated establishment, has a shorter history of producing grape wine, but a slightly longer history on the Door Peninsula, due to the family’s long-running success since the 1950s as an orchard and farm market, specializing in Door County’s signature tart cherries and apples.

In the 1980s, the family dove into winemaking, beginning with varieties of fruit wine. And in the late 1990s, they planted their first vineyards – named after the family’s grandchildren – and began producing, bottling and distributing their own distinct varietals.

Today, Lautenbach’s produces 38 wine varieties.

The list includes 14 cherry wines, part of Lautenbach’s list of fruit wine, which continues to grow thanks to ever-expanding interest in locally-grown products.

Door Peninsula Winery, meanwhile, has grown to become Wisconsin’s largest producer of wine, with their bottles found “in every liquor store in the state,” Feller says, thanks to popular products, such as the winery’s Sunset Splash and Blackberry Merlot.

–Continued on page 34 www.nwherald.com/magazine

TRAVEL

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 33

–Continued from page 33 The wineries continue to adapt and grow, as both Viste and Feller note that their wineries’ have both expanded into also producing ciders.

At Door Peninsula Winery, for instance, Feller notes that the new Cherry Mimosa cider has quickly become one of her top sellers.

And all along the Door County Wine Trail, Viste, who also serves as vice president of the Wine Trail group, says that visitors can expect to find something different, distinctive and new at each of the eight wineries along the trail.

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“We’re all very competitive with each other, sure, but in a good way,” says Viste. “We all realize how special Door County is as a wine destination, so we all have something unique to offer – something for every palate.”

Eight wineries make up the Door County Wine Trail, which welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests from Illinois and other Great Lakes states each year. Each winery has something distinctive to offer, enticing visitors to stop in for a tasting, a bottle or perhaps a tour.

SUMMER

RED OAK WINERY

JULY 16 - SEPT. 14, 2018

DOOR 44 WINERY

3017 Enterprise Road, Sturgeon Bay While not the farthest south of the wineries on the Trail, Red Oak Winery is the first visitors will find heading north after crossing into Door County on Highways 42/57. The winery produces a variety of wines, including reds and whites from California, and wines made with Door County grapes and local cherry, apple and other fruit wines. The winery offers what they call a “casual tasting environment” in its “famous barrel room.”

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Situated at 44 degrees Latitude – a parallel Door County shares with world-famous wine-producing regions in Europe – Door 44 planted its grapes in nearby Kewaunee more than a decade ago. And in the years since, the winery has boasted an ever-growing list of awards. In 2013, it opened the doors of its winery just north of Sturgeon Bay. In the summer, the winery offers various outdoor events, including dining and concerts at its vineyard, and, in the fall and winter months, events include a Harvest Fest, Grape Stomp and Holiday Open House.

SIMON CREEK VINEYARD

5896 Bochek Road, Sturgeon Bay Billing itself as the “prettiest spot in Door County,” Simon Creek boasts more than 60,000 visitors annually, with many drawn by both the promise of its wine and its ambiance. The wines have won numerous awards “in the stiffest international wine competitions,” according to its website. And visitors are welcome to enjoy a glass of wine – or a whole bottle – on the winery’s deck overlooking the grounds.

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We have a bouquet of

SUMMER SPECIALS for your home.

VON STIEHL WINERY

115 Navarino St., Algoma

Founded in 1967, Von Stiehl stands as Wisconsin’s oldest licensed winery. Located in a Civil War-era building listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Algoma, just south of the Door County line, Von Stiehl offers more than 30 varieties of grape and fruit wines. And visitors are welcome to enjoy their wines on an outdoor terrace with views of nearby Lake Michigan.

HARBOR RIDGE WINERY

4690 Rainbow Ridge Court, Egg Harbor

What’s wine – or Wisconsin – without cheese? At Harbor Ridge, Door County’s newest winery, visitors can enjoy both, with stops at the winery’s tasting room and Wisconsin Cheese Masters right next door. Harbor Ridge offers multiple award-winning wines, while Cheese Masters offers more than 65 different Wisconsin-made cheeses.

STONE’S THROW WINERY

3382 County Road E, Baileys Harbor

Situated between Egg Harbor and Bailey’s Harbor, Stone’s Throw offers wines crafted from California grapes often served with wood-fired pizza, Tuscan-inspired tapas and vegetables harvested from the winery’s garden. Visitors can enjoy a picnic table to themselves, or a game at Stone’s Throw’s bocce ball courts.

DOOR PENINSULA WINERY 5806 Hwy 42, Sturgeon Bay

Serving as Door County’s oldest winery, Door Peninsula Winery offers more than 45 grape and fruit wine varieties.

In the store, visitors can find local Door County foods, including cheese and Fat Louie’s olive oils and balsamic vinegars. For those looking for something a little stronger than wine, the attached Door County Distillery offers an assortment of bourbon, whiskey, gin and vodka, all crafted and bottled on site.

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LAUTENBACH’S ORCHARD COUNTRY WINERY 9197 Hwy 42, Fish Creek

Surrounded by 100 acres of fruit orchards, Lautenbach’s offers more than three dozen varieties of grape and fruit wines, produced from the family’s 100-year-old barn.

Outside, depending on the season, visitors can pick cherries or apples (including Honey Crisp) and tour the vineyards. Inside, visitors, at any time of the year, can sample and buy wines, or buy frozen or dried cherries, apple and cherry juices – including non-alcoholic sparkling juices – and a wide variety of other cherry- and apple-themed products, including cherry and apple donuts and other baked goods. Visitors can also enjoy three annual festivals, including a Summer Fest, Fall Harvest Fest and Winter Wine and Cherry Fest, which also features horse-drawn sleigh rides. www.nwherald.com/magazine

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TRAVEL

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 35

e c i sp

e g e r p o u N Ski Juom r t od

r e b m e

t p Se

Come late September, Morgan Nichols knows people in this part of the country are trying not to think about the snow that will undoubtedly arrive within months.

But that, he says, is part of the allure of the massive annual autumn ski jumping competition Nichols is helping oversee and organize at Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove.

For this event, he says, no snow is required.

“In the winter, we can make our own snow if we need to,” says Nichols. “But the rest of the year, we jump on plastic.”

While there will be no snow, the ski jumping club – for the first time – will offer visitors a wide variety of foods. Several of the region’s best food trucks, serving oven-roasted pizza, slow-cooked barbecue, Mexican fare, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, desserts and more, will drive to Fox River Grove to 36 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

h t i w

please the palates of visitors bearing witness to the athletes who will take flight from the town’s most novel attraction – the Norge club’s 70-meter tall ski jump. And the club will serve its traditional assortment of beer, wine and Jägermeister, as well.

It will be a “nice mix,” Nichols says.

The Autumn Ski Jump and Food Truck Fest will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 22 and 23 at Norge Ski Club, 100 Ski Hill Road, Fox River Grove. Gates will open at 11 a.m.

Now in its 33rd year, the Autumn Ski Jump has become a tradition for ski jumpers from all over the Midwest and elsewhere in the U.S, attracting many of the best junior ski jumpers – participants under the age of 21 – to take part in the first qualifying tournament for the season’s national championship event, which takes place in February in Park City, Utah.

This year, Nichols says, about 50 jumpers will compete.

“We’ll have most of the top junior level jumpers from throughout the country,” says Nichols. “It’s an important seasonal kick-off event.”

A special plastic that coats Norge’s ski hills will allow ski jumping in all conditions, whether the temperature measures 99 degrees or 9.9 degrees below zero.

OUT & ABOUT

f

But while the autumn event is a novelty, Nichols says, it hasn’t quite caught on with the public.

When the Norge club hosts its annual winter jumping tournament, the popular event easily draws crowds numbering in the thousands.

But, for whatever reason, the fall event crowds typically have been significantly smaller, he says.

While the club can’t add snow, Nichols says they’ve decided to try to reverse that trend by adding a bit of “seasoning” to the annual event by incorporating a food truck festival component.

Nichols says the community appears to have responded to the concept, as more than 2,000 people have indicated an interest in attending the festival on the club’s Facebook event page (as of late August).

“We’re hopeful this will be the missing piece to really spice this event up a bit,” says Nichols.

Visitors also will be able to meet Norge Ski Club’s three Olympic ski jumpers, Kevin Bickner, Mike Glasder and Casey Larson, all of whom jumped for the U.S. team during the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea.

Admission buttons for the event are available for advanced purchase online for $11; and at the gate, admission will cost $15. Kids ages 12 and younger will be admitted free of charge. Parking also will be free.

For more information, visit norgeskiclub.com. www.nwherald.com/magazine

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OUT & ABOUT

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 37

CERAMICS MAN For local potter Robert Blue, Woodstock’s annual Autumn Drive is about ‘neighbor helping neighbor’

By Kevin Druley

R

obert Blue operates a pottery studio alongside his wife, Susan, at their Woodstock home.

“Every morning when I get up and dance with the universe – and I do work six days a week – I get to play with the Earth,” says Blue, owner of and the artist behind Blue Eagle Pottery. “What are we all made of? Earth, air, fire and water. That’s what the universe is made of. And I get to use all of those aspects of the universe in order to make something that is useful for human beings to use and to enjoy and look at.”

Blue has honed his passion, and the skills that cultivate it, since taking his first pottery class nearly 50 years ago. His work at Blue Eagle Pottery is sold throughout the country.

And to think that it all stemmed from a dorm room at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

A late-night challenge by a former college roommate concerning who could fare better in an art elective – ceramics – is what ultimately forged Blue’s devotion to his craft and even his eventual spouse.

Blue met his wife, Susan, through pottery. She taught ceramics at McHenry County College for 33 years – and the married couple have two adult children, Shannon and Alex.

“From the very beginning, working with clay and being a potter was second nature to me,” Blue says. “It’s almost as if I was born to do it.”

His penchant for pottery aside, Blue admittedly encountered challenges after establishing Blue Eagle Pottery in the early 1980s, namely on the business side. Bookkeeping and finding dealers to promote and help sell his work proved to be a tedious balancing act at times.

“I was OK at selling it, but it wasn’t my profession,” Blue says. “My profession was making the pieces and being the creator.”

Networking paid off over time, however, as Blue now describes “a symbiotic relationship” between himself and the dealers with whom he works.

His local connections are rejuvenated around this time each year.

Part of the Blues’ fall itinerary revolves around their participation in the annual Autumn Drive, which Blue calls “a very eclectic show” of artisans in Woodstock and rural Marengo.

A map of exhibitors and attractions for the free event is available online at www.autumndrive.org.

38 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

OUT & ABOUT

www.nwherald.com/magazine

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Blue has lauded the friendly revolving door of handy and artsy neighbors through the years. The event first began with about 12 entrants in the mid-1980s and has since swelled into the 30s.

The weekend event, which will run from Oct. 19-21, involves a self-drive tour of local farms and artists studios, and will feature hayrides, food, petting zoos and other attractions alongside the work of local crafters and artists.

“Autumn Drive is a wonderful thing that some neighbors came together to do 31 years ago,” Blue says. “It always has been and still is neighbor helping neighbor. Some of them are crafters; some of them are artists; some of them are farmers who sell Indian corn, pumpkins and squash; some of them are ‘antiquers’ who refinish antiques.

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OUT & ABOUT

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 39

Photo:Weg Thomas

SOCIAL

Life

BREWS AND VIEWS  On Aug. 18, McHenry County Conservation District hosted its second annual Great Outdoors Beer Trail at the 277-acre Fel Pro RRR Conservation Area in Cary.

More than 435 guests sampled local and regional craft brews and ciders while listening to music in the great outdoors.

Proceeds from the event will go toward offsetting costs for the conservation district’s public programs, as well as making improvements to recreational and outdoor amenities countywide.

Photos courtesy of McHenry County Conservation District

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OUT & ABOUT

MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2018 | 41

CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 2018

OKTOBERFEST AT CRYSTAL LAKE BREWING WHEN: 3 to 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, and Saturday,

Sept. 8

WHERE: Crystal Lake Brewing, 150 N. Main St., Crystal Lake Crystal Lake Brewing will host its fourth annual Oktoberfest event. There will be plenty of beer, food and live music. And the brewery will welcome the release of its traditional Oktoberfest beer, while other brews also will be available at the festival. All brews will be served in a 1.2-liter, take-home souvenir festival mug. For more information, visit crystallakebrew.com.

VINTAGE FINDS OFF ROUTE 14 WHEN: Friday, Sept. 7, through Sunday, Sept. 9 WHERE: Various registered antique and vintage

shops, 8509 Ridgefield Road, Ridgefield

Vintage Finds Off Route 14 is an event that will showcase the many and varied antique and vintage shops along US Route 14 in the northwest suburbs.

During the shop crawl, each participating store will offer its own promotion to welcome guests. Shoppers can enter a drawing to win gift certificates from participating stores at each store visited during the event. For a map and list of participating stores, visit vintagefindsoffroute14.com.

SOUL JAM 2018 WHEN: 1:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8 WHERE: Soulful Prairies, 4706 Alden Road, Woodstock Soul Jam is a day of good music and people coming together for a great cause. This year’s line up will include 10 local bands with headliner Ginger Road.

Attendees should bring a chair or set up their own Ravinia-style spot to enjoy the day. Guests can roam the property, enjoy the farm atmosphere and animals, shop local vendors and enjoy fare from food trucks. All proceeds will benefit The Magnolia Tree Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides education and financial assistance to those affected by the BRCA genetic mutation. Tickets cost $55 for attendees age 21 and older; $45 for attendees age 21 and younger; and kids under the age of 10 will be admitted free of charge. Day-off tickets will cost an additional $10. For tickets or more information, visit soulfulprairies.com/ soul-jam.

HAPPY TRAILS FISHING DERBY WHEN: 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15 WHERE: Jaycee Park, Cary Enjoy a morning of fishing fun during the catch-andrelease Happy Trails Fishing Derby – a free event hosted in Jaycee Park. All ages are invited to start the day at the park shelter to learn about fishing etiquette.

Sunrooms

Conservatories

New anglers will receive a quick fishing lesson. Fishing poles, tackle and bait will be provided or attendees can bring their own. Anyone over the age of 16 must have a current Illinois Fishing License. Raffle prizes, goody bags and information on fishing also are included. Registration is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. The event will take place rain or shine.

To register or for more information, call the Cary Park District at 847-639-6100 or visit www.carypark.com.

RAUETOBERFEST WHEN: 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, and 5 to 9 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 15 WHERE: Beyond Stable Farm, 11129 Illinois Rt. 176, Woodstock

The fifth annual Rauetoberfest will feature live music, beer, traditional German food and fun for the whole family. Admission is $5 at the gate and children ages 10 and younger will be admitted free of charge. For more information, visit rauecenter.org.

CARY MAIN STREET FEST WHEN: Noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15 and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16

WHERE: 100 W. Main St., Cary Cary Main Street Fest will feature two days of live music, food from local restaurants, a marketplace, a steak fry, car show, bags tournament, a singing competition, and a family area with booths, games and entertainment. For more information, visit www. carygrovechamber.com.

HUNTLEY FALL FEST WHEN: Friday, Sept. 21, through Sunday, Sept. 23 WHERE: Deicke Park, Huntley The 13th annual Fall Fest is a community celebration that will feature three days of entertainment, a beer garden, food vendors, a full carnival, fall activities and a fireworks display on Saturday night. For more information, visit www.huntleyfallfest.com.

#SHUTDOWNCANCER MUSIC FEST WHEN: 3 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Sept. 22 WHERE: 2815 Barreville Road, McHenry The Team Carone Foundation was founded in 2014 after a family member, Rick Carone, was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 2013. The #ShutDownCancer Music Fest provides funding for cancer research for Chicago-area hospitals, gifts of love for families stricken by cancer, and scholarships within for student athletes. For more information, visit

Woodstock

Pull on your cowboy boots and best flannel shirts for the “Wild West” Murder Mystery Dinner. There will be a cash bar and silent auction. Proceeds will benefit the Woodstock Old Courthouse. Tickets cost $50 a person. For tickets or more information, visit friendsoftheoldcourthouse.org.

RICHMOND WINE WALK WHEN: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22

(check-in begins at noon) WHERE: Check in at the gazebo, located at Broadway and Main (Rt. 12), in downtown Richmond Guests can explore the scenic historical charm of Richmond while stopping at participating stores to indulge in various wines paired with light bites. Tickets cost $40 and include a wine glass and swag bag.

Limited tickets are available. For more information, visit www.rsgchamber.com.

SHADES OF AUTUMN ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23 WHERE: Stade’s Farm and Market,

3709 Miller Road, McHenry

Stade’s Farm will host the Autumn Arts and Crafts festival, featuring food, shopping, kid activities, u-pick pumpkins and farm animals. For more information, visit stadesfarmandmarket.com.

NORGE SKI CLUB AUTUMN SKI JUMP AND FOOD TRUCK FEST WHEN: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23

WHERE: Norge Ski Club, 100 Ski Hill Road,

Fox River Grove

The Norge Ski Club will host its Autumn Ski Jump and Food Truck Festival. Gates opens at 11 a.m. Attendees will have a choice of oven-roasted pizza, slow cooked barbecue, Mexican food, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, desserts and more. Admission buttons cost $10 if bought at local merchants (list available online); $11 per online purchase; and $15 at the gate.

For more information, visit www.norgeskiclub.com.

END-OF-SUMMER BASH WITH BACK COUNTRY ROADS WHEN: 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29 WHERE: Rush Creek Distilling,

1501 W. Diggins St., Harvard

The End-of-Summer Bash will feature live music, cocktails and food at Rush Creek Distilling. For more information, visit rushcreekdistilling.com.

Porch Conversions

JOHNNY APPLESEED FESTIVAL WHEN: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29 WHERE: Downtown Crystal Lake Thousands of families will attend the Johnny Appleseed Festival to celebrate the season, community and enjoy apple treats. Bethany Lutheran Church will host a Pancake Breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m.

The festival will feature a petting zoo, wagon rides, a mini-Ferris wheel, pony rides, games, a pumpkin train, pumpkin bowling, a moonwalk and giant slide.

There also will be a craft fair, storytelling in front of the Crystal Lake Public Library and an apple-pie baking contest. Food vendors will be available in Depot Park, and live music will take place in the gazebo. For more information, visit downtowncl.org.

815 459 9078

www.northwesternsunrooms.com

Extra Living Space with our PORCH WINDOWS 75% Screened Air Flow Air and Water Tight in Secs 42 | SEPTEMBER 2018 | MCHENRY COUNTY MAGAZINE

MURDER MYSTERY DINNER WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 WHERE: Mia Passione Restaurant, 228 Main St.,

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