West Suburban Living October 2017

 END OF LIFE PLANNING

 TREATING SPORTS INJURIES

 SPOTLIGHT ON LISLE

OCTOBER 2017 WEST SUBURBAN

WHERE TO GET YOUR KICKS

LIVING

ON

• ROUTE 66’S LEGACY VOL.

THE HISTORIC HIGHWAY’S

22

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• NUMBER

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Editor & Publisher | Chuck Cozette Managing Editor | Anne Knudsen Assistant Editor | Sarah Astra Art Director | Rachel Switall Contributing Writers Laurie Barton, Joni Hirsch Blackman, Buzz Brandt, Jay Copp, Suzanne Corbett, Denise Linke, Lynn Petrak, Diana Santos, Sara Pearsaul Vice, Michele Weldon and Tom Witom Contributing Photographer Ed Ahern Advertising Sales Pam Loebel, Susan Reetz Accounting Jennifer Cozette Circulation Coordinator Ken Cozette Reader Advisory Board Laurie Barton (Glen Ellyn) Linda Cassidy (Campton Hills) Mary Ellen Coombs (Wheaton), Joan Hoff (Elmhurst) M Grace Grzanek (Batavia), Liz Hunka (Wheaton) Nancy Jensen (Batavia), Holly Jordan (Wheaton) Mary Ellen Kastenholz (Western Springs) Kate Kirkpatrick (Naperville) Molly Livermore (St. Charles) Pamela Peterson (Burr Ridge) Diana Santos (Woodridge), Darla Scheidt (Darien) Jean Stawarz (Oak Brook) Marilyn Straub Garazin (Winfield) West Suburban Living is a publication of C2 Publishing, Inc. 5101 Darmstadt Rd., Hillside, IL 60162 630.834.4995 / 630.834.4996 (fax) wsl@westsuburbanliving.net subscriptions@westsuburbanliving.net www.westsuburbanliving.net No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission of C2 Publishing, Inc. Any views expressed in any advertisement, signed letter, article or photograph are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of West Suburban Living or its parent company.

West Suburban Living (Vol. 22, No. 9 OCTOBER 2017; ISSN No. 1532-6705) is published monthly, except for July/August and November/December issues (10 times a year) by C2 Publishing, Inc., 5101 Darmstadt Rd., Hillside, IL 60162, 630 834-4995, fax 630 834-4996. Periodicals postage paid at Elmhurst, Illinois and additional mailing offices.

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

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Contents |

October

|

2017

Photo courtesy of the Lisle Park District

West Suburban Living

Home&Garden

44

Spring Ahead!

It’s time to plan and plant for spring flowers

Health

48

60

when play hurts

Local physicians raise the bar in treating sports injuries

Town Focus Photo courtesy of the Westin Chicago Northwest

60

52

52

LISLE

A village with deep roots winds a natural path toward suburban growth

SPECIAL FEATURE Meeting Planning & Special Event Guide How to make your next event extraordinary

 Features 34

MOTORING OUT FROM CHICAGO ON RT 66

40

America’s historic byway through the burbs and beyond

Nearing Life’s End Love, respect, understanding — and planning — in the final days

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Departments October

|

DANADA FALL FESTIVAL

2017

12

Photo courtesy of Marty O’Donnell

|

Photo courtesy of Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

West Suburban Living

Photo courtesy of Andrew’s Garden

MARTY O’DONNELL

19

16 Around the Towns

Perspectives

6

15

80

FOREWORD

Making the most of a typically all too fleeting fall

10

BY THE NUMBERS

12

Q&A

18

LOCAL AUTHORS

LOOK TO THE WESTERN SKY

West suburban candy makers on a quest to make this Halloween even sweeter LAST WORD

The fine art of noticing the little things in life that can make a big difference

78

16

19

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

Intriguing numerical tidbits

with video game music composer Marty O’Donnell

New book releases from west suburban writers

Dining

67

SCENE & SEEN

A photo gallery of recent notable charitable events

Style&Fashion STOPS & SHOPS

68

NEW RESTAURANTS

Altiro Latin Fusion in Oak Park; Miller’s Ale House in Aurora and Schaumburg; and Wild Onion Tied House in Oak Park REVIEW: The Bavarian Lodge

in Lisle

New stores and hidden gems

70

REVIEW: Pub 47 in St. Charles

Out&About

76

CHEERS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

When worlds and vines collide

The best in music, theatre and other area events

32

Haunted Houses

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editor’s Note Making the Most of an All Too Fleeting Fall

“When one door closes, another opens; but

A

we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.”

- Alexander Graham Bell

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”

- Albert Einstein

“Success is not final, failure is not final. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

- Winston Churchill

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”

- Ernest Hemingway

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

s I write this, it is a beautiful Indian Summer type of day, unseasonably warm, but welcomely so. The weather has been so pleasant the past few months, I can’t help but believe it is not likely to continue. I truly hope I’m wrong, because fall — my favorite season — is all too short, even when the weather is good.

But when the cold northern winds come prematurely — and invariably mixed with rain — much of the beauty of the season can be lost in a matter of a few blustery days. Worse yet, a fleeting fall makes winter seem to drag out all the longer.

While the weather is obviously beyond our control, this year we challenge you to get out and truly savor the season, however short or long. For me, that means, among other things, continuing a longtime tradition of going apple picking. With our kids all grown, this once much-anticipated family outing has admittedly turned into somewhat of a dutiful pilgrimage for just my wife and me. However, once we get to the orchards, we are always glad we made the trip. Just being out in the countryside is refreshing, and since we always go to the same orchard, the visit never fails to elicit great memories from past trips.

One year, at our kids’ pleading request, we adopted a puppy born to one of the farm dogs. That pup turned into a really great dog. Another time, one of the local farmers had put together a rather large potato slingshot. Once you loaded the potato, to stretch the elastic band you had to pull while walking backward. After taking several steps back, the band would get taut, and when released, the potato would rocket 50 to 100 yards through the air. The farmer had a couple of corn bins way out in the field and if you could fire a potato into one of the bins, you won a

- James 1:2

free pumpkin. We won two that day. But alas, when we went back the following year, the potato slingshot was no more — the farmer lamented that when his insurance guy found out about it, he told him either it had to go or he’d have to raise his rates. Somewhat understandable, but still very disappointing.

In any case, in addition to the simple joy of actually picking apples right from the tree, fall trips to the country can yield all sorts of unpredictable yet memorable experiences. If you are looking to start your own tradition, check out our list of pumpkin farms and corn mazes on page 31.

For those looking for another kind of old-fashioned fall fun, how about a retro roadtrip on the old Route 66? The once famous highway from Chicago to California runs right through the western suburbs. And as you will see from our cover article on page 34, many parts of the route still retain the old-time, all-American feel of the era when it was the major byway for folks traveling west.

Whatever you choose to do in the coming month — and we challenge you to do something fun and out of the ordinary — we hope you have a truly wonderful fall.

And as always, thanks for being a reader!

Chuck Cozette, Editor & Publisher chuck@westsuburbanliving.net Correction: In the article Wasted Youth in the September issue, Michael Savastano was inadvertently mis-identified as Michael Albright. We apologize for the error.

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THE

AROUND TOWNS |

STOPS & SHOPS

|

LOOK TO THE WESTERN SKY

|

LOCAL AUTHORS Photo courtesy of Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Q&A

Corn Harvest At Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago October 21 & 22

W

hat better way to encourage young children to appreciate the glories of fall than to get them out in a field of corn, ready to be husked? At Kline Creek, families can take a horse-drawn wagon ride in the cool autumn air out into a sea of corn. This 200-acre working farm provides the opportunity to glimpse life in the 1890s.

Guests are invited to load up the wagons and the corn crib, while learning how the crop grows and how it is stored to feed the farm’s cows and sheep over the winter. Next, stop by the farmhouse to help shuck the corn — and make corn-husk dolls to take home. To find out more about this free event, call 630 876-5900.

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THE

BY NUMBERS

2

6,758

Is the number of steps it

takes to run a 5K — and improve a life.

. . . varieties of Midwestern apples are ripe for the picking at Kuipers Family Farm in Maple Park, less than an hour’s drive from Naperville and a shorter hop from the Fox Valley suburbs. Eight October favorites are Ida Reds, Pink Ladies, Honey Gold, Candy Crisp, Cameo, Mutsu, Honey Gold and Granny Smith. Head out to the 160-acre orchard to hand-pick a peck of perfect apples (weekends only), or simply step up to the Apple Bar, where fresh-cut slices are ready to sample. Stock

On Oct. 7, Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove hosts the 11th Annual Giant Steps Walk for Autism, benefiting the Giant Steps educational center in Lisle. A 35 percent increase over 2016, this year’s goal is to raise pledges and donations to $150,000 — one giant step at a time. Visit www.mygiantsteps.org.

up on apple cider doughnuts, home-baked pies and preserves, too.

Check out West Suburban Living’s list of 20 area pumpkin farms on page 31 for more autumn harvest adventures.

6.5 MILLION

78 ft Built 215 years ago and 4,000 miles away

In the wake of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, countless family pets in Texas, Louisiana and Florida have been displaced and seek new homes. Fortunately, there’s

in Sandefjord, Norway, the Viking, is on public display

an app for that, created by Naperville

just 12 days a year at Good Templar Park in Geneva. Sailing

software developer Mark Wade. Each

via the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes into Chicago for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition, the hand-crafted ship is a full-size replica of Norway’s 9th century Gokstad. It measures 78 feet from head to tail, is 17 feet wide, and runs 6 1/2 feet from the bottom of the keel to top of the gunwale.

Sixteen tapered planks per side are fastened with thousands of iron rivets. Sea speed? 10 knots — or 11.5 man-powered miles per hour, as supplied by 32 oarsmen, a sail and a good tailwind. Thanks to a $52,000 grant in 2007, the preservation of the ship is in good hands. There are three

year, 6.5 million cats and dogs enter animal shelters nationwide. About half are adopted, but 1.5 million are euthanized.

Wade thought technology could help draw down that statistic. The mobile app WoofRescue makes it easy for animal lovers to search 3,000-plus shelters across the country, filtered by breed, size and

opportunities to take a tour before year’s end — Oct. 21

other preferences to zoom in on the

from 1 to 4 p.m. and Nov 11 & 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

purr-fect pet. Readers can download the app at www.werescue.pet.

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Q&A

Marty O’Donnell/ Techno-maestro behind the music for popular video games like HALO and DESTINY Photos courtesy of Marty O’Donnell

n Let’s begin with how you got

interested in music.

MO: I started piano when I was as young as I can remember. My mother was a piano teacher and my father was an actor and director. We had a very creative family.

I learned classical piano, but when I got into junior high and high school, I played in pop bands, took up flute and joined choir, all that stuff. I was pretty musical, so I took some workshops at the Conservatory in Wheaton, and then decided I wanted to go there for college. I started out as a piano major, but I was 19 and in a band.

The drummer we had at the time noticed that I was the one who was always figuring out the different parts and teaching the others, so he said, Why don’t you try writing?

When Marty O’Donnell AttENDED Community High School in West Chicago, the video game industry was barely out of its infancy. Not that it mattered to O’Donnell, who had learned piano as a kid and played keyboard in a friend’s band.

Following his passion, O’Donnell attended Wheaton College’s Conservatory of Music, then headed out to southern California, where he earned a Masters of Music degree. After a career as a composer and as a film and audio producer in Chicago, a chance meeting led O’Donnell into the then emerging world of high-fidelity video games. Soon, he was on the creative team behind HALO, a game that elevated the player experience, smashed sales records and won multiple awards.

After the equally successful sequel, DESTINY, O’Donnell parted ways with developer Bungie Studios, by then owned by Microsoft. His exit resulted in a lawsuit related to creative control of intellectual property. O’Donnell prevailed, and moved on to found Highwire Games. The start-up is on the cusp of releasing its debut game, the virtual reality-driven GOLEM, created for PlayStation.

Q&A

n After Wheaton, you picked up and

moved across the country?

MO: Yes, I went to University of Southern California, and I got my Masters of Music — in composition. My wife was also a musician, a piano major. We lived in California for four years. Then we had a baby in late 1981, which was amazing (whistles). Basically, we looked around . . . we didn’t have family there. We had a lot of friends but, looking forward we didn’t think we wanted to raise a family in Southern California. I had what I thought was an opportunity to work back in Chicago at the American Conservatory of Music, as it was then. So we moved back.

of film production. Then a producer I was working with who knew I had a music degree asked me, ‘Marty, why don’t you write music for films or TV?’ I actually said that I didn’t want to prostitute my art! That was pretty much the lesson I’d learned from all those years of education. But the next day the director offered me $500 to score the movie we were working on.

And I said, Absolutely! [laughs]. I changed my mind on a dime, a literal dime. No one had actually offered me money before — as soon as I had it, I thought, well gosh, this is better than gripping. n And where did that lead?

MO: I jumped into it. I went to my friend Mike Salvatori who had a studio in his home out in Wheaton. I said, ‘Hey Mike, I’ll split this money with you if you help me record some stuff. So then we got together and the rest is history. We did a little music for a Sears point-of-purchase film. While we were working on that, another client — from Marshall Field’s — overheard some of the tunes I was playing. He immediately said, ‘We want to use that!’ He picked it up and put it in a TV ad that was shown during a Chicago Bears’ game that very Sunday. That was 1982 — way, way back there. Then Marshall Field’s decided to use the same music for a whole campaign.

We lucked into it — our first real break. It wasn’t as easy as that, we got the taste for it and we decided, let’s keep going.

n What happened next?

MO: That job fell through. I ended up as a “grip” on a film set — someone who runs lights and cables. We’re the worker bees

RAPID FIRE

n Didn’t you write jingles at that time?

MO: The Flintstones ad! It came up two years later, around 1985. We started getting

and staff paper or at a computer?

Best book you’ve read lately? I’ve

Again, both. I always have pencil

been reading a biography of Paul

and paper nearby, but for video

McCartney by Phillip Norman. He

Favorite music to listen to? Oh,too

Traditional piano or electric

game music especially, I find it easier

wrote one on Lennon, too.

many. The Beatles, Gentle Giant,

keyboard? Both. I have a Steinway

to work on the computer.

Best places to go when you’re

Jethro Tull, to name a few.

at home but I use a keyboard for a

What is your personal favorite

back in the west suburbs? Portillos!

Composer you admire most?

lot of my studio work.

video game? The Legend of

Especially the original one in Villla

It’s got to be Leonard Bernstein.

Do you compose using a pencil

Zelda series, from Nintendo.

Park. There’s nothing like it.

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A screen from GOLEM by HighWire Games with soundtrack album by Marty O’Donnell

our name around town, doing music scores and producing industrial films for some of the big companies around Chicago. Then we pitched an idea for a jingle for Flintstones Vitamins. We did a free demo, but it was so successful that some version of that jingle has been on the air ever since — We are Flintstones kids, 10 million strong . . . and growing (sings). My daughter was five and she sang the “and growing” line. The other big jingle we did was an update for Mr. Clean — and that one’s still going, too. n What made you transition into video games?

MO: I was a player, I liked computers.

We had always had a computer in the office and when the Nintendo system came out, I got one for the home — quote, unquote, for the kids. But of course I ended playing more than them. Then, in 1993, the son of a radio friend of mine in Chicago, a guy named Rick Staub, came out to visit my studio. He was 18 and really interested in music. He saw that I had games on my shelf and told me he and some friends were working on a game out in Spokane, Washington. Well, that kid was Josh Staub, who is now an Academy Award-winning animator for Disney, which is really cool. He showed me a version of a game he was working on — MYST. I started playing and said, ‘I need to meet your friends and work with them.’ In 1993, we started working on RIVEN, a sequel to MYST with Josh’s company, Cyan. n What was so different about Cyan?

MO: Well, up until then, I wasn’t all that interested in the music in video games. It was kind of low fidelity. The sound effects were what we called 8-bit manufactured sounds. The games might have been fun,

but the music wasn’t anything I thought was compelling, at least not for me. But by ‘93 we started to hear real music, real actors in the games. So instead of, chintzy sounding music, we could actually record real singing, real voice acting. Everything that Mike and I were already doing as directors and producers, we were able to do for games. The technology was more sophisticated, too. Think about how much storage space there was on computers in the mid ‘90s compared to what we have today. I still remember the first little videos that were playable on computers — scratchy little postagestamp size videos — and that was cool.

That was as much as you could do. Now, we have beautiful 4K, high-def, full screen resolution. And since the technology has advanced we have full-fidelity music and sound effects. n Was there anyone doing the same type of work in Chicago?

MO: Yes. Bungie Studios was making a game named MYTH. That was the first game Mike and I worked on for Bungie. We did music and voices — as freelance suppliers.

By 2000, Bungie was getting bigger and bigger and sort of started taking over our company. So Mike took over commercial production while I worked on the gameaudio side only. One of the projects was HALO, which really took off. At a trade show in 2013 Microsoft, which was in the middle of developing the Xbox, needed a big game. so they bought Bungie lock, stock and barrel — and moved us all out to Seattle. I said goodbye to Mike, I’ll be back in a year [laughs]. I really thought I’d just finish HALO and come home. But the game became the flagship title for the entire industry — a huge hit. I decided to stay, and I worked on HALO games for the next 10 years.

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Q&A n What is so different about composing

music for video games?

MO: With games, the player, who is our audience, is interacting with everything on the screen. The player has choices — what to do, where to wander and what to look at. The music has to score the player’s experience, but it also has to be able to adapt to whatever the player chooses to do. That’s different from writing linear music — music for a movie, for instance, where you know exactly what the piece is going to be from beginning to middle to end. For a game, we have to write music that can expand, contract or adapt in some way to the choices that the player makes. I’m always interested to see if I can figure out a way I can emotionally guide the players, without manipulating them. The player is not really aware that they are making choices in what they’re hearing. I want players to feel as though they’re the star of the movie, and that everything about the music helped score their emotional journey. That’s my goal. n Tell us about your time working

with Paul McCartney MO: That was just one of those amazing things. We had finished HALO and started a new project, DESTINY. I had worked with some amazing musicians like John Mayer, Incubus and Steve Vai — probably one of the best guitarists in the history of man. But HALO had been so successful, someone suggested I work with Paul McCartney.

I thought, that’s just crazy. It’ll never happen. Why would Paul be interested in working with me? But we set up a meeting in Los Angeles. It was supposed to be short, about 20 minutes, but he was interested.

We talked about composing and about kids and bands and music. Two hours later, he was absolutely on board. We worked together for over two years in Los Angeles and Chicago and at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Working in collaboration with Paul McCartney

started playing some of it. He noticed that I hesitated, so he put his hand on my arm and said, ‘Hey Marty, there’s just the two of us here, no cameras, there’s nobody listening. What’s the hang-up?’ I said, ‘Well, you’re one of the greatest collaborators in the history of music and an incredible solo artist and I guess I’m not sure how you want to work with me.’ He said, ‘I want to collaborate. I love that I give you my melody and you put it with your music and it becomes our music.’ As soon as he said that, I knew he wasn’t going to be precious about things and I could take his stuff and incorporate it into our work to come up with something new. He was happy with that. Music of the Spheres is an amalgam from me, Mike and Paul. n Any advice for musicians interested in video game development?

MO: Learn as much as you can. Formal training helps, but there are a lot of people who write music from the gut, from instinct (laughs). Get together with friends, and work on it together. You need someone who knows computers, because there’s a whole lot of new technology you’re going to need to understand in order to work.

n Who contributes what to the music?

MO: I had already started a soundtrack for DESTINY called Music of the Spheres.

I had shown it to Paul and he started sending me stuff — ideas and musical themes. I wasn’t sure how he wanted to work with me. We were sitting in the studio at Capital Records, just the two of us. He asked about Music of the Spheres so I

n Talk about your new project, GOLEM.

MO: It’s with Highwire Games, designed

by Jaime Griesemer. It has a magical, mystical quality, but the player still gets to create and control some incredible huge stone creatures. There’s a prequel album coming out on vinyl as well as on CD and digital. I’m excited for it to happen.

n

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TO THE

LOOK WESTERN SKY

By Joni Hirsch Blackman

Of Skittles and Candy Corn West suburban candy makers on a quest to make this Halloween even sweeter

D

espite the ever-earlier retail décor of red and green, it’s not even Halloween yet. And that’s a key day for national candy companies with west suburban roots.

The clock-towered Wrigley Building has reigned at the north end of Chicago’s Michigan Avenue bridge since 1921.

But Wrigley — now a division of Mars, Inc. — has been making candy in a modern bright-blue-and-white Yorkville factory since 1994. Just last year, the plant completed a “$50 million, 145,000-sq-ft expansion, which included the addition of 75 new, full-time jobs,” says Factory Director Brian Pardo of Naperville.

This “fruity” growth was prompted by the need to produce more Skittles, the country’s #1 non-chocolate confection and a Halloween staple.

But nothing is more popular on trickor-treat day than candy corn. Seventy-seven percent of buyers choose Ferrara’s Brach’s brand, said Brandon Sagotz, senior manager of customer marketing and trade relations.

That’s the highest loyalty rate for any nonchocolate candy and has made Ferrara the largest maker of candy corn in the country.

While candy corn is made in Mexico, Ferrara Candy factories in Forest Park and Bellwood manufacture gummies, Lemonheads, chocolate-covered raisins, Chuckles and more. Ferrara boasts an “anchor brand” for each season. Besides Halloween candy corn, there’s Bob’s candy canes for Christmas, Conversation Hearts for Valentine’s Day and Brach’s jelly beans for Easter. Reaching out to local candy lovers, Ferrara recently re-opened its Forest Park factory store, filled with bulk and packaged treats. And to share the sweetness, the company sponsors

Brookfield’s “Boo at the Zoo” trick-or-treat event each year.

Our farther-west sugary treat is popular year-round. Skittles originated in the UK in 1963, and were originally called Glees.

In 1974, Galaxy Candies’ Skittles Fruit Chews were first exported to the U.S.

“

size. According to Mars’ candy gurus, every bag of Skittles has 371,292 potential flavor and color combinations.

Before the Yorkville expansion, American Skittles were manufactured only in Waco, Texas, where Starburst and Snickers are produced. Yorkville’s

Reaching out to local candy lovers, Ferrara recently re-opened its Forest Park factory store.

And to share the sweetness, the company sponsors Brookfield’s “Boo at the Zoo” trick-or-treat event.

They were designed to be a fruit version of M&Ms. In Yorkville, Micah Bosley of Oswego is the key point person in charge of a team that produces Skittles literally 24/7, with two night and two day shifts.

It all starts in the kitchen, where ingredients are combined in five large mixers to create the signature five flavors.

Every Skittle goes through a “panning” process to add its color, which takes a lot longer than your average baked dessert — four to six hours.

From the mixing station, groups of pieces of each color travel on a conveyor belt to the panning station, where the many separate colors combine to become the well-advertised “rainbow.” In fact, Skittles’ tag line, “Taste the Rainbow,” is celebrated throughout the factory with ceiling beams painted each of Skittles’ five colors as well as a mural with the Skittles logo that says, “Make the Rainbow.”

Next, Skittles are pushed through tubes into a packaging machine based on pack

plant also makes Life Savers candies, as well as Doublemint and Juicy Fruit gum.

The Yorkville team is breathing a small sigh of relief as their busiest season winds down a bit. During late summer they geared up for the Halloween demand of fun-size Skittles and the year-old Skittles Cauldron — Halloween-themed Skittles with names like Bogey Berry and Lurking Lemon.

The plant kicked off a new product this fall: Skittles Trick Plays, a special NFL edition. The football-field decorated bags are filled with Skittles which are incognito — the colors on the outside don’t necessarily match the flavors inside.

So in the Trick or Treat spirit … some trivia: Though known in these parts as Ferrara Pan, Ferrara Candy Company is now the firm’s official name. “Pan” comes from the panning process through which many of its candies are made.

Out in Yorkville, the question most people ask Pardo and Bosley is: “Do you get to eat all the Skittles that you want?” The answer? Yum. (That’s yes in candy-land.) n

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Stops&Shops



Photo by Laurie Barton

Photo by Diana Santos

Photo courtesy of Andrew’s Garden

Hidden Gems & Longtime Favorites

andrew’s garden

MAISON RUSSE

bIRD ON A WIRE STUDIO

Rose petals on the sidewalk beckon

motivated by A love of their

this delightful shop is bursting

customers inside, where a flower and gift shop inspired by European open-air markets appeals to multiple senses. Touch, see and smell flowers sourced from countries as far away as Holland and Ecuador.

Lenten Roses, Nigella Pods, Kangaroo Paw and several varieties of Kale flowers assure that each arrangement is anything but ordinary.

The cozy consultation area is a perfect spot to plan floral décor for a wedding or any special occasion with owner Andrew Parravano, an expert in ornamental horticulture.

Gift items for men include Mr. Masculine soap from Oswegobased Mia’s Wish and Pré de Provence No. 63 shaving products.

Meanwhile, women might enjoy the Barr-Co Fine Shea Butter lotion or the dried lavender grown in northern Michigan. Hand-made glass art by Michigan artist Sue Long makes another impressive gift.

Andrew’s Garden is located at 131 W. Wesley St., Wheaton (630 456-4689).

— Laurie Barton

homeland, Paul Shukin and his family

with clever gifts and one-of-kind creations. The original concept was to provide materials, work space and help for customers to drop in or gather for project days or parties. Guests noticed owner Kathryn Alcocks’ hand-crafted jewelry in leather, gold and sterling, as well as items from local and national artists. A gift shop emerged.

A best seller is the silk-screened mini infinity scarves in dozens of colors, priced at $24. Just as popular are whimsical coasters made at the store. Ring dishes from New Mexico win praise, as do decorative towels from California, Gabriel John candles, Freshie & Zero jewelry, and soaps and lotions from Greenwich Bay Trading Co. Chicago-made soy candles have themes specific to Glen Ellyn.

These imaginative, creatively displayed selections make Bird on a Wire at 9492 N. Main St. in Glen Ellyn (630 790-1200) a fun place to explore.

— Laurie Barton

are curators of Russian art, antiques and rarities. Lisle’s Maison Russe (1720 Ogden Ave., 800 778-9404) is a testament to their commitment to share the culture of Russia and the talents of its artisans.

Shukin has an extensive inventory of one-of-a-kind creations, reasonably priced for gifting or for personal indulgence. Traditional hand-painted nesting dolls are expected, but Maison Russe also features a variety of other authentic items. Intricate filigree tea glass holders are works of patience as well as art. Delicate cobalt net porcelain and hand-crafted lacquer boxes are a feast for the eyes.

Antique jewelry and carved figurines showcase the talents of artists who crafted them, while handmade wooden toys hearken back to a time well before video games.

A selection of unique greeting cards, appropriate for framing, are available, as well as antiques, collectibles and vintage Russiathemed books.

— Diana Santos

New Store Openings Following is a sampling of new shops that have recently opened in the western suburbs or will be in the near future.

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

A Different Box of Crayons Opening in midOctober. Quilting studio and fabric shop in a historic building. 439 Pennsylvania Ave., Glen Ellyn.

Blonde Boutique Fashions for women and

children, plus jewelry by local artists. 494 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn. 630 474-9258 Bonobos Menswear On-trend fashions for men, plus style advice. 165 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook. 630 601-8303

Homegrown honey boutique Edgy boho fashions from California.

214 S. Main St. (2nd floor) Naperville. 630 453-5377 The Collective + Makery Hands-on painting, crafts and creativity workshops,

plus gift items and home decor. 4724 Main St. 1S, Lisle.

331 903-6158 Victoria’s on Main Boutique with mix of home decor, artisan gifts and jewelry. 116 N. York St., Elmhurst. 331 642-0116.

Also operate Main Street Candy & Toys, 123 N. York St. Shinola Outlet Store Luxury watches, leather goods and accessories for men and women. 1650 Premium Outlet Blvd, Ste 570, Aurora. 331-200-3275

16 OCTOBER 2017 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

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9/22/17 12:07 AM

Local Authors

By Anne Knudsen

Wicked, Immoral, Utterly Bad! A gloriously graphic, risqué read for every Chicago theatre-goer

I

n vintage sepia tones and hand-tinted color photographs, this entertaining history digs down to the roots of Chicago theatre, tracing its evolution from the antics of a fireball-eating ventriloquist on an early makeshift stage.

A cast of charismatic characters includes James McVicker, a touring vaudeville actor who settled in Chicago to build its first true playhouse. One of his hires was John Wilkes Booth, whose role as assassin of Abraham Lincoln lives in infamy. French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt made her Chicago debut in the same theatre before it was reduced

to ashes in the great fire of 1871. Pictures, maps and playbills record its rise and its tragic demise.

A chapter of this curiosity-filled picture book is dedicated to Joseph Jefferson III, memorialized today by Chicago’s Jeff Awards. There are antique photos in his most celebrated role, Rip Van Winkle, which he played on stages around the world for 40 years, as well as in an 1896 silent movie.

As the century turns, photos capture the destruction-by-fire of the Iroquois theatre, killing 600. Other images bear witness, as low-brow vaudeville makes way for more serious dramatics at “Mr. Goodman’s Theatre.”

Subsequent chapters dance readers though the jazz age, march into the New Deal and celebrate theatricals in times of war and peace, leading to the cementing of Chicago as a world leader in stage, music and comedy.

Picture by story-telling picture, Wicked, Immoral, Utterly Bad! lays bare both the seedy underworld and the artistic triumphs of one of the greatest theatre cities in the world.

Born and raised in the west suburban village of Wayne, Pete Blatchford is a veteran of Chicago theatre as both a playwright and respected actor.

depth of lies

the death gap

ThE TallGrass Prairie

On a Clear Night

by E.C. Diskin of Oak Park

by David A. Ansell, M.D.

by Cindy Crosby of Glen Ellyn

by Marmie O. Mamminga

Still waters run deep, as Kat

of Oak Park

A career steward of grasslands

of Batavia

Burrows discovers when her

As senior vice president for

across the Midwest including

In a second collection of Essays

comfortable suburban life is

Community Health at

the Morton Arboretum, Crosby

from the Heartland, Mamminga

upended with the presumed

Chicago’s Rush University

shares her passion for prairie

creates deeply personal and

suicide of her longtime friend.

Medical Center, Dr. Ansell has

landscapes and the native

often humorous vignettes of

Shocked into action, Kat delves

witnessed the widening income

plants to be discovered there.

people who live, work and love

below the surface of her orderly

disparity between rich and

Writing for nature lovers and

in the heart of the country.

world, uncovering shame, lies

poor in America and its impact

armchair travelers, she explains

Though everyday moments

and betrayals that lead her to

on mortality rates. Here, Ansell

how to use the five senses to

— watching the Cubs at Wrigley

question the assumptions her

analyzes factors that have

identify and appreciate plant

Field, holding hands with an

own life is built on. In her third

given rise to the national health

species. Part field guide and

aging parent or listening for

novel, E.C. Diskin again delivers

crisis and outlines a vision that

part natural history, the book

loons under a starry sky — the

mind-bending drama inside

can provide a foundation for

also tells stories of the human

stories help us appreciate the

a page-turning thriller.

a healthier nation — for all.

experience of the prairies.

simple beauty of home.

18 OCTOBER 2017 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

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MUSIC

|

THEATRE

|

COMEDY

|

ART

|

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

|

HOME & GARDEN

|

AND MUCH MORE

Gabrielle Union

Photo by Michael Lavine

OUT&ABOUT

October 26 Celebrated actress and star of the movie The Birth of a Nation debuts her book, We’re Going to Need More Wine at the Hilton Lisle/Naperville.

Call 630 355-2665

WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | OCTOBER 2017 19

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Calendar of Events

Photo courtesy of Drury Lane Theatre

Out&about Through Oct 15 Rock of ages

At Drury Lane Theatre, this rock musical, nominated for five Tony Awards, features a mix of classic '80s hits by Bon Jovi, Journey, Styx and others, as an aspiring star and his sweetheart fight to save Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. Call 630 530-0111

| Unveiled | Sun, Oct 15, 3 & 7 p.m. In a critically acclaimed one-woman show,Rohina Malik explores themes of racism, hate crimes, Islam and love. Cost: $45/35. McAninch Arts Center Playhouse Theatre, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000 | The Simon & Garfunkel Story | Sun, Oct 15, 7:30 p.m. This acclaimed production chronicles the journey of the folk-rock duo from their humble beginnings to their dramatic split in 1970. Cost: $49/29. Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N Chicago St., Joliet. 815 726-6600 | Wonder of the World | Wed − Thur & Sat − Sun, Oct 18 − 22, Wed − Thur 7:30 p.m., Sat 2 & 7:30 p.m. and Sun 2 p.m. A David Lindsay-Abaire play in which a woman's marriage in upended after uncovering a secret. Cost: $5/3. Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall, 31 S Ellsworth St., Naperville. 630 637-7469

THEATRE

| Miss Holmes | Thur − Sun, Oct 19 − 29, Thur − Sat 8 p.m. and Sun 2:30 p.m.; Additional shows Sun, Oct 22, 7:30 p.m. and Sat, Oct 28, 2:30 p.m. Taking a refreshing look at a classic tale, this play tells the story of Miss Holmes and Dr. Dorothy Watson as they solve crimes in a society where gender roles are rigidly defined. Cost: $22/20. Theatre of Western Springs, 4384 Hampton Ave., Western Springs. 708 246-3380

| Eye Witness | Through Oct 7, Thur − Sat, Thur − Fri 7:30 p.m. and Sat 2 & 7:30 p.m. An original play by Kari Jones and Kendra Jones follows a man on a quest for truth.

Cost: $20/13. Medinah Baptist Church, 900 Foster Ave., Medinah. 630 634-2100

| Million Dollar Quartet | Through Oct 29, Wed − Sun, Wed 1:30 & 7 p.m., Thur 7 p.m., Fri 8 p.m., Sat 3 & 8 p.m. and Sun 1 & 5:30 p.m. A Tony-nominated musical based on the impromptu studio meeting of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins that led to a monumental rock album. Cost: $64/36. Paramount Theatre, 23 E Galena Blvd., Aurora. 630 896-6666

| Communicating Doors | Fri − Sat, Oct 20 − Nov 11, 8 p.m.; Also, Sundays, Oct 29 & Nov 5 and Sat, Nov 11, 3 p.m. This comedy thriller spans several decades and tells of the not-so-ladylike Poopay as she convinces her rivals to help her make things right. Cost: $18. Village Theatre Guild, 3S020 Park Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 469-8230

| Fiddler on the Roof | Through Oct 8, Thur − Sun, Thur − Sat 8 p.m. and Sun 3 p.m. Award-winning musical in which a Russian Jew, the father of five daughters, tries to maintain his religious and cultural traditions as outside influences encroach upon his village home.

Cost: $23/20. Playhouse 111, 111 N Hale St., Wheaton.

630 260-1820

| The Man-Beast | Wed − Sun, Oct 4 − Nov 5, Wed & Fri 8 p.m., Thur & Sun 3 p.m. and Sat 8 p.m.; Also, Saturdays, Oct 21 – Nov 4, 4 p.m.; Show on Thur, Oct 5 is at 8 p.m. rather than 3 p.m. A werewolf tale set in the 18th century French countryside. Cost: $44/25. First Folio Theatre, Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W 31st St., Oak Brook.

630 986-8067

| 42nd Street | Wed − Sun, Oct 26 − Jan 7, Wed 1:30 p.m., Thur 1:30 & 8 p.m., Fri 8 p.m., Sat 5 & 8:30 p.m. and Sun 2 & 6 p.m.; No 1:30 p.m. show Thur, Oct 26. Classic, Tony Award-winning tap-dance musical tells of the rise of a showgirl to star in Depression-era New York City. Cost: $62/47. Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Ln., Oakbrook Terrace. 630 530-0111

| Stage Kiss | Through Oct 8, Thur − Sun, Thur − Sat 8 p.m. and Sun 2:30 p.m.; Additional shows Sun, Oct 1, 7:30 p.m. and Sat, Oct 7, 2:30 p.m. Life imitates art as actors thrown together as romantic leads lose touch with reality when they kiss. Cost: $22/20. Theatre of Western Springs, 4384 Hampton Ave., Western Springs. 708 246-3380

| Machinal | Thur − Sun, Oct 5 − 8, Thur − Fri 7:30 p.m., Sat 2 & 7:30 p.m. and Sun 2 p.m. Inspired by the story of famed murderess Ruth Snyder, this play depicts a woman's struggle against the societal machine that threatens to consume her. Cost: $10/8. Madden Theatre, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469

| Romeo & Juliet | Fri − Sun, Nov 3 − 11, 7:30 p.m.; Also, Sun, Nov 12, 3 p.m. A classic performance of Shakespeare's epic tale of family feuds, revenge and the heartbreaking demise of star-crossed lovers.

Cost: $17. Lund Auditorium at Dominican University, 7900 W Division St., River Forest. 708 488-5000

| The 39 Steps | Through Oct 8, Thur − Sun, Thur − Sat 8 p.m. and Sun 3 p.m. Based on Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 thriller, this Tony Award-winning play follows a murder witness who becomes embroiled in an international spy ring. Cost: $37/35. McAninch Arts Center Playhouse Theatre, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000

| Thark | Thur − Sun, Oct 5 − 8, Thur − Sat 8 p.m. and Sun 2 p.m. Ben Travers’ 1920s farce tells of Sir Benbow who, after an evening alone with a beautiful woman, must think fast as his wife returns home early. For more information, visit www.elmhurst.edu. Mill Theatre at Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. 630 617-3005

| Just Like Us | Thur − Sun, Nov 3 − 12, Thur − Sat 7:30 p.m. and Sun 3 p.m. Based on Helen Thorpe's book, this documentary-style play follows four Latina teens in Denver as their friendships start to unravel due to runins with the immigrations department. Cost: $11/9.

SecondSpace Theatre at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin. 847 622-0300

| Rock of Ages | Through Oct 15, Wed − Sun, Wed − Thur 1:30 & 8 p.m., Fri 8 p.m., Sat 5 & 8:30 p.m. and Sun 2 & 6 p.m. Nominated for five Tony Awards and featuring a mix of 28 classic 80s hits by Bon Jovi, Journey, Styx and others, this rock musical follows an aspiring star and his sweetheart as they fight to save Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. Cost: $52/47. Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Ln., Oakbrook Terrace. 630 530-0111

| These Shining Lives | Thur − Sun, Oct 5 − 22, Thur − Sat 8 p.m. and Sun 3 p.m. Directed by Michael Ryczek, Melanie Marnichi's play tells of four women exposed to radium while working at Radium Dial in Ottawa, Illinois.

Cost: $16/14. McAninch Arts Center Playhouse Theatre, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000

| Sense & Sensibility | Sat, Nov 4, 8 p.m. From the Aquila Theatre comes the classic Jane Austen story of the Dashwoods girls and how they deal with love and loss. Cost: $38/19. Fermilab’s Ramsey Auditorium, Kirk Rd. and Pine St., Batavia. 630 840-2787

| The Drowning Girls | Fri − Sat, Oct 13 − Nov 18, 8 p.m. Both fantasia and social critique, this dramatic play follows three dead women, all married to the same man and all drowned in their bath tubs, as they gather evidence against their womanizing, murderous husband. Cost: $17/15. The Riverfront Playhouse, 11 &13 S Water St. Mall, Aurora. 630 897-9496

| Captain Blood | Thur − Sun, Nov 9 − 19, Thur − Sat 8 p.m. and Sun 3 p.m. After escaping a sentence of slavery on a Caribbean island, Dr. Peter Blood must survive the swashbuckling life of pirate adventures and try to reunite with his love, Arabelle Bishop. Cost: $16/14. McAninch Arts Center Playhouse Theatre, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000

| Theatre Hikes at Morton Arboretum | Through Oct 29, Sat − Sun. Stroll along with actors performing both classic and contemporary plays. For exact schedule, visit www.mortonarb.org. Registration required. Cost: $20/15. The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. 630 725-2066

20 OCTOBER 2017 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

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COMEDY | Harland Williams | Through Oct 1, Thur − Sun, Thur 7:30 p.m., Fri 8 & 10:15 p.m., Sat 7 & 9:15 p.m. and Sun 7 p.m.

Actor-comedian who starred in Dumb and Dumber.

Cost: $24 + 2 item min. Chicago Improv, 5 Woodfield Rd., Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg. 847 240-2001 | Howie Mandel | Fri, Oct 13, 8 p.m. Judge on America's Got Talent and star of Deal or No Deal takes the stage with his comedy and stories. Cost: $125/69. Arcada Theatre, 105 E Main St., St. Charles. 630 962-7000 | Bert Kreischer | Thur − Sat, Oct 19 − 21, Thur 7:30 p.m., Fri 8 & 10:15 p.m. and Sat 7 & 9:15 p.m. Stand-up comic and guest on The Rachael Ray Show. Cost: $33 + 2 item food/bev min. Chicago Improv, 5 Woodfield Rd., Woodfield Mall, Store K120B, Schaumburg. 847 240-2001 | John Caparulo | Fri, Oct 20, 8 p.m. Comedian best known for E's Chelsea Lately and as a guest of Jay Leno and Vince Vaughn. Cost: $25 + 2 item food/bev min. Zanies Comedy Club in Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E Main St., St. Charles. 630 524-0001; Additional shows Sat, Oct 21, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Zanies Comedy Club in MB Financial Park, 5437 Park Pl., Rosemont. 847 813-0484 | Steve Cochran & Friends | Fri, Oct 27, 8 p.m. Former host on WGN Radio 720, Cochran was also the TV weatherman in Grumpy Old Men. Cost: $22 + 2 item food/bev min.

Zanies Comedy Club in Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 E Main St., St. Charles. 630 524-0001; Additional show Sat, Oct 28, 4 p.m. Zanies Comedy Club in MB Financial Park, 5437 Park Pl., Rosemont. 847 813-0484 | Marlon Wayans | Fri − Sun, Oct 27 − 29, Fri 8 & 10:15 p.m., Sat 7 & 9:15 p.m. and Sun 7 p.m. American actor, comedian, and screen writer known for Fifty Shades of Black serves up smart, urban comedy. Cost: $38 + 3 item food/bev min. Chicago Improv, 5 Woodfield Rd., Woodfield Mall, Store K120B, Schaumburg. 847 240-2001 | Dana Gould | Thur − Sat, Nov 2 − 4, Thur 8 p.m., Fri 8 & 10:30 p.m. and Sat 7 & 9:30 p.m. Veteran comic from Parks & Recreation, Seinfeld and Southbound delivers a unique mix of stand-up and personal stories. Cost: $25 + 2 item food/bev min. Zanies Comedy Club in MB Financial Park, 5437 Park Pl., Rosemont. 847 813-0484 | Nick Swardson | Thur − Sun, Nov 2 − 5, Thur 7:30 p.m., Fri 8 & 10:15 p.m., Sat 7 & 9:15 p.m. and Sun 7 p.m. Comicactor from Blades of Glory and Benchwarmers. Cost: $33 + 2 item food/bev min. Chicago Improv, 5 Woodfield Rd., Woodfield Mall, Store K120B, Schaumburg. 847 240-2001 | Frank Caliendo | Fri, Nov 10, 8 p.m. Known for his impressions of Donald Trump and others, Caliendo entertains with impressions and stories. Cost: $60/50.

Paramount Theatre, 23 E Galena Blvd., Aurora. 630 896-6666

MUSIC | An Evening with Alison Krauss & David Gray | Thur, Oct 5, 7:30 p.m. Krauss, a Grammy Award-winning singer on the folk, country and bluegrass charts, and Gray, an English singer known for the album White Ladder, come together for a night of music. Cost: $83/38. Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N River Rd., Rosemont. 847 671-5100 WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | OCTOBER 2017 21

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Calendar of Events

| Ray Chen | Fri, Oct 6, 7:30 p.m. This TaiwaneseAustralian violinist has played with orchestras around the world and in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

For more information, visit www.wheaton.edu. Edman Memorial Chapel at Wheaton College, NE corner of Washington and Franklin St., Wheaton. 630 752-5010 | Blue Oyster Cult & Mark Farner | Fri, Oct 6, 8 p.m.

Best known for chart-topping classics like The Reaper and Burnin' for You, this hard-rock band teams up with the former lead singer and guitarist for Grand Funk Railroad. Cost: $89/59. Arcada Theatre, 105 E Main St., St. Charles. 630 962-7000 | Brian Wilson | Fri, Oct 6, 8 p.m. American composer, guitarist and co-founder of The Beach Boys and earned the moniker The Mozart of Rock, presents music from his iconic album, Pet Sounds. Cost: $150/39. Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N River Rd., Rosemont. 847 671-5100 | Villalobos Brothers | Sat, Oct 7, 7 p.m. A night of singing, strings and percussion in performance of Mexican folk music. Cost: $25/9. Blizzard Theatre, Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin. 847 622-0300 | Enrique Iglesias & Pitbull | Sat, Oct 7, 7:30 p.m. Two multiple Grammy Award-winning global superstars team up to perform their own songs and collaborations.

Cost: $260/60. Allstate Arena, 6920 N Mannheim Rd., Rosemont. 847 635-6601 | Kevin Eubanks | Sat, Oct 7, 8 p.m. Former music director of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno performs from

his albums Duets and Prism. Cost: $60/50. Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469 | Elgin Symphony Orchestra | Sat − Sun, Oct 7 − 8, Sat 7:30 p.m. and Sun 2:30 p.m. The orchestra presents its "I Love a Piano" concert, featuring songs from genres as diverse as classical, pop and jazz. For tickets, visit www.elginsymphony.org. Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. 847 888-4000 | Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest | Sun, Oct 8, 4 p.m. Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, plus soloist Ketevan Kartvelishvili performing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. For tickets, visit www.symphonyoprf.com.

Cost: $28. Dominican University, 7900 W Division St., River Forest. 708 218-2648 | Ricardo Arjona | Sun, Oct 8, 8 p.m. Internationally celebrated Latin American singer performs songs from his album Circo Soledad, draws inspiration from the political world, television and life. Cost: $159/59. Allstate Arena, 6920 N Mannheim Rd., Rosemont. 847 635-6601 | Arlo Guthrie | Fri, Oct 13, 7:30 p.m. Joined by his two children, Guthrie performs country music for the whole family. Cost: $64/37. Blizzard Theatre at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin. 847 622-0300 | The Hit Men: Time Travel | Fri, Oct 13, 7:30 p.m. The band plays hits by collaborating artists, including Three Dog Night, The Young Rascals and The Who Cost: $59/49. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000

| Yuri & Pandora | Fri, Oct 13, 8 p.m. The Mexican Madonna, Yuri teams with Latina trio Pandora. Cost: $116/57. Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N River Rd., Rosemont.

847 671-5100 | Rodney Crowell | Sat, Oct 14, 7 p.m. Performing music for over 45 years, this two-time Grammy Award winner has become a part of the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Cost: $35. Blizzard Theatre at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin. 847 622-0300 | Liv On: Olivia Newton-John, Beth Nielsen Chapman & Amy Sky | Sat, Oct 14, 7:30 p.m. Superstar and multiple Grammy Award-winning singer Newton-John joins Nielsen Chapman and Sky to present a project that grew from the trio’s personal triumphs over adversity.

Cost: $75/54. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000 | Wynonna & The Big Noise | Sat, Oct 14, 8 p.m. An evening of song, including country, Americana, blues, soul and rock. Cost: $60/40. Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E Benton, Naperville. 630 637-7469 | MercyMe | Sun, Oct 15, 6 p.m. Hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Album Charts, this Grammynominated chart-topping band performs songs from the “Lifer” album. Cost: $52/23. Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N River Rd., Rosemont. 847 671-5100 | Croce: Two Generations of American Music | Fri, Oct 20, 7:30 p.m. Performing music by Jim Croce as well as music his father inspired, A.J. Croce plays boogie-

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O&A_10_17 FINAL.indd 22

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Photo courtesy of Paramount Theatre

Out&about

Photo courtesy of Paramount Theatre

woogie and roots rock multi-instrumental music. Cost: $35/29. Blizzard Theatre at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin. 847 622-0300 | The Road Crew | Fri, Oct 20, 8 p.m. Known as America's Route 66 band, this rockabilly group performs songs from rock n' roll era musicians such as Elvis Presley, Rick Nelson and Chuck Berry. Cost: $20. Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N Chicago St., Joliet. 815 726-6600 | Tony Danza: Standards & Stories | Sat, Oct 21, 7:30 p.m. A cabaret act in which Danza combines timeless music with wit, charm, storytelling and a dash of soft shoe and ukulele performances. For more information, visit www.bataviafineartscentre.org. Batavia Fine Arts Centre, 1201 Main St., Batavia. 630 937-8930 | The Best of Broadway Rodgers & Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber | Sat − Sun, Oct 21 − 22, Sat 3 & 7:30 p.m. and Sun 3 p.m. Guest vocalists and the New Philharmonic perform Broadway hits. Cost: $49/47.

Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000 | The Glenn Miller Orchestra | Sun, Oct 22, 5 p.m.

Swing performance by orchestra formed in the 1930s.

Cost: $49/39. Arcada Theatre, 105 E Main St., St. Charles.

630 962-7000 | Janet Jackson | Thur, Oct 26, 8 p.m. Winner of six Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards and numerous others, this entertainer is known for her artistry and iconic pop music. Cost: $95/55. Allstate Arena, 6920 N Mannheim Rd., Rosemont. 847 635-6601 | The Mersey Beatles | Fri, Oct 27, 7:30 p.m. Liverpoolbased Beatles tribute band that has been performing for a decade in 20 countries and selling out shows worldwide. Cost: $55/25. The Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin. 847 931-5900 | Kenny Rogers’ Final World Tour | Sat, Oct 28, 8 p.m.

Grammy Award-winning country music star best known for The Gambler and Lucille. Cost: $59/35. Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N River Rd., Rosemont. 847 671-5100

Through Oct 29 Million dollar quartet The Tony-nominated musical based on the impromptu studio meeting of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins that led to a monumental rock album plays at Paramount Theatre.

Call 630 896-6666

| Richie Kotzen | Sat, Oct 28, 8 p.m. Performing music from his latest solo album Salting Earth, this songwriter, guitarist and vocalist is a member of The Winery Dogs.

Cost: $35/25. Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469 | Yanni | Sat, Oct 28, 8 p.m. Enjoy a night of piano and conversation as this legendary performer provides fans with a closer look into his world. Cost: $225/49. Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N Chicago St., Joliet. 815 726-6600 | Chicago Sinfonietta | Sat, Nov 4, 8 p.m. Presenting “Regresar/Return: A Dia de los Muertos Celebration” concert, the ensemble is accompanied by a 12-piece Mexican folk group. Cost: $60/48. Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-7469 | Kristin Chenoweth | Sat, Nov 4, 8 p.m. A Tony-winner as Glinda in Wicked, Chenoweth also starred in NBC’s "Hairspray Live." Cost: $185/75. Paramount Theatre, 23 E Galena Blvd., Aurora. 630 896-6666 | Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra: Earth | Sun, Nov 5, 2, 4:30 & 7:30 p.m. Award-winning orchestra performing music of Bernstein, Bach and more as a lens to understand organicism, motifs such as DNA and the orchestra as a kind of ecosystem. Cost: $25/14. Blizzard Theatre at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Dr., Elgin. 847 622-0300 | Unforgettable: Falling in Love with Nat King Cole | Sun, Nov 5, 3 p.m. The star of Paramount's recent productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and The Little Mermaid, Chicago leading man Evan Tyrone Martin performs with the velvety vocal stylings of Nat King Cole. Cost: $35. Paramount Theatre, 23 E Galena Blvd., Aurora. 630 896-6666 | Take Me to the River | Sun, Nov 5, 6 p.m. Grammy Award-winners William Bell, Charlie Musselwhite and Bobby Rush journey through the soul of American music and celebrate the intergenerational and interracial musical influence of Memphis. Cost: $65/47. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn630 942-4000 WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | OCTOBER 2017 23

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Out&about

Calendar of Events

Photo by James Prinz

artist influenced by pop culture icons, comic book heroes, Japanese anime and street art pioneers.

Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst.

630 834-0202 | Smithsonian Gems | Through Mar 2018, Tue − Sun, Tue − Sat 10 a.m. − 5 p.m. and Sun 1 − 5 p.m. With twelve pieces from the National Museum of Natural History's gem vault, this exhibit highlights American jewelry designers. Cost: $5/2. Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, 220 Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst. 630 833-1616 | Eric Carbrey: Graphic Influx | Mon − Sat, Oct 2 − Nov 11, Mon − Fri 11 a.m. − 4 p.m. and Sat 11 a.m. − 3 p.m.

Recent works by Chicago painter and graphic artist use abstractions and fonts to create imaginative, modern art. Komechak Art Gallery at Benedictine University, 5700 College Rd., Lisle. 630 829-6320

Through Nov 26 Hebru brantley Contemporary artwork influenced by pop culture icons, comic book heroes, Japanese anime and street art pioneers at Elmhurst Art Museum.

Call 630 834-0202

| Orion Ensemble | Sun, Nov 5, 7 p.m. Performing its "Let's Tango" concert, this ensemble includes pieces from Leonard Bernstein, Ernst von Dohnanya, Erling Patrick Horn and Robert Schumann. Cost: $26/10. First Baptist Church of Geneva, 2300 South St., Geneva. www.orionensemble.org | US Army Field Band & Soldiers’ Chorus | Wed, Nov 8, 7:30 p.m. Nationally and internationally recognized touring band honors U.S. soldiers and veterans. For more information, visit www.wheaton.edu. Edman Memorial Chapel at Wheaton College, NE corner of Washington and Franklin St., Wheaton. 630 752-5010 | Lonestar | Fri, Nov 10, 10:30 p.m. Touring the world for over 20 years, this country band has released several platinum-selling albums and multiple singles including My Front Porch Looking In and Amazed. Cost: $85/75. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000

DANCE | Sones de Mexico and the Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago | Sat, Oct 7, 7:30 p.m. Featuring traditional Mexican folk tunes cleverly mixed with elements of Bach, Led Zeppelin and other composers, Sones de Mexico teams up with Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago to perform a night of Mexican dance and music. Cost: $27/16. Lund Auditorium at Dominican University, 7900 W Division St., River Forest. 708 488-5000 | WOD: World of Dance Live | Fri, Oct 27, 8 p.m.

Interactive 90-minute dance showcases featuring stars and dance icons from YouTube and television, as well as dance troupes and soloists. Cost: $59/34. Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N Chicago St., Joliet. 815 726-6600 | Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl | Fri, Nov 3, 8 p.m. A celebration of traditional Mexican folklorico with colorful costumes, unique music and elegant choreography. Cost: $28/18. Paramount Theatre, 23 E Galena Blvd., Aurora. 630 896-6666

ART | Renee McGinnis | Through Oct 3, Mon − Sun, Mon & Sat 10 a.m. − 6 p.m., Tue − Fri 10 a.m. − 9 p.m. and Sun noon − 5 p.m. View the artist's painted ships and other structures surrounded by topiary gardens, suggesting misdirected beauty or a metaphor for the earth and its fragility. Schoenherr Gallery at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-5375 | Natural Illustration | Through Oct 16, Mondays, 6 – 8 p.m. Learn about drawing and painting tools and techniques with a focus on water-based mediums and inspiration from the natural world. Registration required. For ages 18 and over. For times, visit www.mayslakepeabody.com. Cost: $125. Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W 31st St., Oak Brook. 630 206-9566 | Origami in the Garden | Through Oct 22, Mon − Sun, 9 a.m. − 6 p.m. Large-scale metal sculptures based on concepts and techniques of traditional Japanese paper-origami art, displayed around the grounds among old-growth trees. Free with Arboretum admission. The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. 630 968-0074 | Botanical Arts Summer Blooms | Through Oct 25, Wednesdays. Record plant observations in a sketchbook and develop a finished piece in graphite or watercolor.

Registration required. For ages 18 and over. For times, visit www.mayslakepeabody.com. Cost: $130. Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W 31st St., Oak Brook. 630 206-9566 | Sherri Denault, Alicia Forestall-Boehm & Margie Glass Sula | Through Oct 25, Mon − Sun, Mon & Sat 10 a.m. − 6 p.m., Tue − Fri 10 a.m. − 9 p.m. and Sun noon − 5 p.m. An exhibit of the works of three Chicagoland artists demonstrates mixed media, drawings, paintings and sculptures that spark dialogue surrounding shared inspirations. Schoenherr Gallery at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville. 630 637-5375 | Hebru Brantley | Through Nov 26, Tue − Sun, Tue − Thur & Sat − Sun 11 a.m. − 5 p.m. and Fri 11 a.m. − 7 p.m. Contemporary works by nationally celebrated

| Painting & Wine: 1917 | Fri, Oct 6, 6:30 p.m. Join local artist nick Napier for an evening of painting, appetizers and wine as you create your own 1917-themed masterpiece. For ages 21 and over. Registration required.

Cost: $35. Museum Auditorium at DuPage County Historical Museum, 102 E Wesley St., Wheaton. 630 510-4941 | Carol Brookes | Mon − Sun, Oct 6 − Nov 22, Mon & Sat 10 a.m. − 6 p.m., Tue − Fri 10 a.m. − 9 p.m. and Sun noon − 5 p.m. A series of works made of frame-like boxes constructed of wood and canvas using mixed media materials. Schoenherr Gallery at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E Chicago Ave., Naperville.630 637-5375 | Origami Accordion Books | Wed, Oct 11, 7 p.m.

Award-winning artist Nancy Staszak demonstrates the creation of the origami accordion book. Cost: $10.

Bloomingdale Park District Museum, 108 S Bloomingdale Rd., Bloomingdale. 630 624-9545 | Glass Pumpkin Patch | Wed − Sun, Oct 11 − 15, Wed − Fri 1 − 5 p.m. and Sat − Sun 10 a.m. − 5 p.m. Browse the artwork and meet the artists, watch live demonstrations of glassblowing and pick out your favorite glass pumpkin.

West Lawn at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. 630 968-0074 | Luftwerk: Color Code | Mon − Thur & Sat, Oct 12 − Nov 18, Mon − Thur 11 a.m. − 7 p.m. and Sat 11 a.m. − 3 p.m. Known for art installations using light and color to augment experiences of space and site, this artistic collaboration creates a sixty-foot-long mural that merges the fundamental language of Morse code with that of color theory. Cleve Carney Art Gallery, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-3206 | ClaySpace Pottery Show | Sun, Oct 15, 10 a.m. − 4 p.m.

View the works of the ClaySpace resident artists as they exhibit and sell a variety of functional and sculptural pieces. Visitors Center at Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Rd., Wheaton. 630 668-5161 | Uncommon Threads | Sun, Oct 15, 10 a.m. The annual wearable art show and luncheon with textiles created by local and national artists and features a raffle and fashion show, with runway pieces available to buy. For more information, visit www.fineline.org. Cost: $65. Q Center, 1405 N Fifth Ave., St. Charles. 630 584-9443 | Lapidary Art | Wed, Oct 18, 10 a.m. − 5 p.m.

Demonstrations by artists from the West Suburban Lapidary Club, including beading, silversmithing and cabochon cutting. Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, 220 Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst. 630 833-1616

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| Ramon Nayar | Mon − Sun, Oct 29 − Jan 3, Mon − Fri 8 a.m. − 8 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. − 5 p.m. and Sun noon − 8 p.m.

Through creative writing, photography and film, this artist emphasizes storytelling: compiling words and images together that unlock new ideas. Oesterle Library Gallery, 320 E School St., Naperville. 630 637-5375 | Fine Art of Fiber | Thur − Sun, Nov 2 − 5, Thur 6:30 − 9 p.m. and Fri − Sun 10 a.m. − 5 p.m. View the area's oldest and largest exhibition of fiber pieces including quilts, needle art, knitting, weaving and more. For more information, visit www.fineartoffiber.org. Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe. 847 835-5440 | Nature Artists’ Guild Holiday Exhibit | Sat − Sun, Nov 4 − 5, 10 a.m. − 4 p.m. Enjoy more than 150 works of art celebrating nature and see demonstrations by the artists. Administration Building at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. 630 968-0074

FAMILY & GENERAL | Model Railroad Garden | Through Oct 29, Mon − Sun, 10 a.m. − 5 p.m. A 7,500-sq-ft model train garden features trains running on 1,600 feet of track over intricate terrain, complete with authentic train noises.

Cost: $6/4. Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe. 847 835-5440 | Blacksmithing 101 & 201 | Sat, Oct 7, 10 a.m. & 1 p.m. Learn the basics of blacksmithing with a lecture by staff member Joseph Coleman and a demonstration followed by hands-on experience in the later class.

Cost: $40/8. Garfield Farm Museum, 3N016 Garfield Rd., Campton Hills. 630 584-8485 | Jewelry, Fashion & Accessories Show | Thur − Sun, Oct 12 − 15, Thur 10 a.m. − 5:30 p.m. and Fri − Sun 9:30 a.m. − 5 p.m. View items from different exhibitors offering jewelry, housewares, gifts and more. For more information, visit www.jfashow.com. For ages 16 and over. Registration required. Cost: $10/5. Donald E Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N River Rd., Rosemont. 847 446-8434 | Jym Elders Mentalist Show | Fri, Oct 13, 7 − 8:30 p.m.

The award-winning mentalist/magician has been seen on MTV's "Fame or Shame." Registration required. Cost: $5. St. Andrews Golf & Country Club, 2241 Route 59, West Chicago. 630 231-3100 ex. 114 | Michel Lauziere | Sat, Oct 14, 7 p.m. Bringing his show “Science of Sound,” this humorist, musician and "Master of the Unusual" returns to Fermilab for family fun. Cost: $25/13. Fermilab’s Ramsey Auditorium, Kirk Rd. and Pine St., Batavia. 630 840-2787 | Family Jack O’ Lantern Hikes | Sat − Sun, Oct 14 − 22. Enjoy a family-friendly jack-o’-lantern lit hike to explore the wildlife followed by decorating pumpkins and roasting marshmallows. Registration required. Cost: $19/16. The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle.

630 719-2468 | Martial Artists & Acrobats of Tianjin | Sun, Oct 15, 2 & 6 p.m. Hailing from the People’s Republic of China and performing for over 60 years, this troupe features more than 100 world-class acrobatic and martial arts performers. Cost: $59/49. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn.

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Out&about

Calendar of Events

| Whose Live Anyway? | Fri, Nov 3, 8 p.m. The current cast members of the Emmy-nominated show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" perform improv. Cost: $58/35. Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N Chicago St., Joliet. 815 726-6600 | Family Heirloom or Flea Market Find: What's It Worth? | Sat, Nov 4, 10 a.m. − 3 p.m. Certified members of the International Society of Appraisers examine and put a current market value on treasures. Registration required. For more information, visit www.oprfhistory.org.

Cost: $10. Koehneke Community Center at Concordia University, 7400 Augusta, River Forest. 708 848-6755

KIDS | Disney on Ice: Dream Big | Through Oct 1, Thur − Sun, Thur − Fri 7 p.m. and Sat − Sun, 11 a.m. and 3 & 7 p.m. Favorite Disney princesses skate across the ice toward their dreams. Cost: $60/20. Allstate Arena, 6920 N Mannheim Rd., Rosemont. 847 635-6601 | Trick or Trees | Sat − Sun, Oct 7 − 29, 11 a.m. − 4 p.m.; Also, Mon, Oct 9. Play games, enjoy fall crafts and plant a tree seed to take home. Free with Arboretum admission.

Children's Garden at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. 630 968-0074 | Hairspray Jr. | Fri − Sun, Oct 13 − 22, Fri − Sat 7 p.m. and Sun 6 p.m. When Tracy Turnblad uses her determination and rock n' roll moves to land a spot on a local dance television program, she must challenge the program's reigning princess, close racial divides and win the affections of Link Larkin. Cost: $15/10. Vero Voce Theatre, 951 State Ave., St. Charles. 630 965-0825 | Family Fall Fest | Sat, Oct 14, 10 a.m. − 2 p.m. Trickor-treat around Safety Town, enjoy the inflatable corn maze and watch the magician amaze onlookers.

Wild Meadows Trace, South & York Streets, Elmhurst.

630 993-8900 | Rockin' Jewelry for Kids | Sat, Oct 14, 1:30 p.m.

Create your own gemstone jewelry and learn how to work with jeweler's tools at this beginners class. Cost: $10/3. Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, 220 Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst. 630 833-1616 | High School Musical | Fri - Sun, Oct 20 - 22, Fri 7 p.m., Sat 2 & 7 p.m. and Sun 2 p.m. Elmhurst Children's Theatre presents pop-meets-basketball musical with young love and teen rivalry thrown into the mix. Cost: $8. Timothy Christian High School, 188 W Butterfield Rd, Elmhurst. www.elmhurstchildrenstheatre.com | Disney Live! Mickey & Minnie’s Doorway to Magic | Fri − Sun, Oct 20 − 22, Fri 7 p.m. and Sat − Sun 11 a.m. and 2 & 5 p.m. Join Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and 25 other Disney characters unlock surprises with each turn of the magic doorknob. Cost: $75/15. Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N River Rd., Rosemont. 847 671-5100 | Boo! at the Zoo | Sat − Sun, Oct 21 − 29, 10 a.m. − 4 p.m. Enjoy children’s Halloween-themed activities such as crafts, a play zoo, hayrides, a corn maze and more.

Brookfield Zoo, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. 708 688-8000 | DuPage Children's Museum Fall Festival | Sat − Sun, Oct 28 − 29, Sat 10 a.m. and Sun 1 p.m. Come in your favorite costume and enjoy fall-themed activities.

For more information, visit www.dupagechildrens.org.

DuPage Children’s Museum, 301 N Washington St., Naperville. 630 637-8000 | Boo Bash | Mon, Oct 30, 10 a.m. Costumes, Halloween crafts and treats can be enjoyed at this spooky festival for children. Registration required. Cost: $10. Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Rd., Wheaton. 630 260-8162 | Doktor Kaboom | Wed, Nov 1, 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.

See the fun side of science with this educational show featuring electricity, conductive energy, Tesla and more. For tickets, visit www.rialtosquare.com. Paramount Theatre, 23 E Galena Blvd., Aurora. 630 896-6666 | Marvel Universe Live! | Thur − Sun, Nov 2 − 5, Thur − Fri 7 p.m. and Sat − Sun 11 a.m. and 3 & 7 p.m.

Marvel’s greatest superheroes join forces to defend the universe from evil, with characters ranging from Spiderman and Black Panther to Black Widow and Captain America. Cost: $125/20. Allstate Arena, 6920 N Mannheim Rd., Rosemont. 847 635-6601

HISTORY | By All Accounts: The Story of Elmhurst | Ongoing, Tue − Sun 1 − 5 p.m. and Sat 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. An innovative, interactive exhibit that shows how Elmhurst has changed and grown over the past 165 years.

Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E Park Ave., Elmhurst.

630 833-1457 | Inside & Out: Geneva's Faces, Places & Spaces | Through Nov 4, Tue − Sat 11 a.m. − 4 p.m. An exhibition highlighting the people who designed, constructed and lived in some of Geneva's homes and buildings. Free for members. Cost: $3/2. Geneva History Museum, 113 S Third St., Geneva. 630 232-4951 | Disco Demolition: The Night Disco Died | Through Dec 31, Tue − Sun, Tue − Fri & Sun 1 − 5 p.m. and Sat 10 a.m. − 5 p.m. Inspired by a book commemorating the 1979 event by radio host Steve Dahl, journalist Dave Hoekstra and photographer Paul Natkin, the exhibit uses video footage, artifacts, interviews, memorabilia and photos to examine the culture, music and conflict that came to a head when disco met its demise.

Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E Park Ave., Elmhurst.

630 833-1457 | Cemetery Walks | Saturdays, Oct 7 & 21, 2 & 4 p.m.

Learn the meanings of symbols on tombstones and listen to the stories of prominent settlers from the area.

Registration required. Cost: $10/5. Oak Hill Cemetery, Rt 25, Geneva. 630 232-4951 | The Essential Edgar Allan Poe | Sun, Oct 15, 4 p.m.

Relying on dramatic storytelling and story readings, William Pack exhumes the tragic life and remarkable writings of Edgar Allan Poe. Cost: $10/7. Century Memorial Chapel, 523 S Webster St., Naperville. 630 420-6010 |Inherit Chicago: Migration Stories of Inheritance| Tue − Sat, Oct 21 − Nov 4, Tue − Fri 10 a.m. − 5 p.m. and Sat 10 a.m. − 3 p.m. In collaboration with the Turkish American Society and Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago, this exhibit shares cultures through stories of migrations, history and heritage. Trickster Art Gallery, 190 S Roselle Rd., Schaumburg. 847 301-2090

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HOME & GARDEN | Annual Bulb Sale | Through Oct 31, Mon − Sun, 10 a.m. − 6 p.m. Purchase bulbs for the spring garden. The Arboretum Store at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. 630 968-0074 | Weed Ladies Winter Sale | Thur − Sun, Nov 2 − 5, Thur − Sat 10 a.m. − 4 p.m. and Sun 1 − 4 p.m. A winter sale featuring holiday-themed floral arrangements and accessories. Daniels House at Naper Settlement, 523 S Webster St., Naperville. 630 305-5289 | Mums Flower Show | Mon − Sun, Nov 4 − 26, 8 a.m. − 6 p.m. A beautiful seasonal mums display. For more information, visit www.epd.org. Wilder Park Conservatory, 225 S Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. 630 993-8900

FESTIVALS & FAIRS | Hofbräuhaus Chicago Oktoberfest | Through Oct 29, Mon − Sun. Enjoy authentic nightly Bavarian entertainment, freshly brewed "Oktoberfestbier," daily food specials and more. For more information, visit www.hbchicago.com. Hofbräuhaus Chicago, 5500 Park Pl, Rosemont. 847 671-2739 | Harvest Days | Sun, Oct 1, 11:30 a.m. − 4 p.m.

Celebrate the fall season with demonstrations, music and food. Cost: $6/3. Garfield Farm Museum, 3N016 Garfield Rd., Campton Hills. 630 584-8485 | Batavia Oktoberfest | Fri − Sat, Oct 6 − 7. Enjoy live music, food, beer and more. North River St., between Wilson & Spring Streets, Batavia. www.downtownbatavia.com | Naper Settlement Oktoberfest | Fri − Sun, Oct 6 − 8, Fri 5 − 10 p.m., Sat noon − 10 p.m. and Sun noon − 5 p.m.

German beer and cuisine, live music, family activities and more. Free for members. Cost: $15/10. Naper Settlement, 523 S Webster, Naperville. 630 305-4044 | Fall Bulb Festival | Fri − Sun, Oct 6 − 8 p.m., 10 a.m. − 4 p.m. Enjoy live music, a harvest market, cider, wine and beer and many different kinds of bulbs for sale.

Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe.

847 835-5440 | St. Charles Scarecrow Festival | Fri − Sun, Oct 6 − 8, Fri − Sat 10 a.m. − 9 p.m. and Sun 10 a.m. − 5 p.m.

Hand-crafted scarecrows, craft show, carnival, petting zoo, food and more. Downtown St. Charles. 800 777-4373 | Fall Festival | Sat, Oct 7, 10 a.m. − 4 p.m. Enjoy a variety of activities including a craft show, music and hayrides. Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Rd., Wheaton.

630 260-8162 | Pumpkin Palooza | Sat − Sun, Oct 7 − 8, Sat 9 a.m. − 5 p.m. and Sun 11 a.m. − 5 p.m. Join in a day of children's activities, pumpkin painting and hayrides. For more information, visit www.thegrowingplace.com. The Growing Place, 2000 Montgomery Rd., Aurora. 630 820-8088 | Danada Fall Festival | Sun, Oct 8, 11 a.m. − 5 p.m.

An annual family-friendly celebration of horses with hayrides, crafts, pony rides, face painting and more.

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Calendar of Events

SCHOOL OF ROCK

Photo by Tristram Kenton

Out&about

| Cider & Ale Festival | Sat, Oct 21, 1 − 5 p.m. Sample ciders and seasonal beers from local favorites to new craft drinks, listen to live music and take home a souvenir tasting glass. For ages 21 and over. Registration required.

Cost: $70/15. The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. 630 725-2066

SEASONAL | Autumn Hayride | Tue, Oct 3, 10 a.m. − noon. Join a hayride around the estate. Visitors Center at Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Rd., Wheaton. 630 260-8162

Wor th Going Downtown For Lincoln Park Zoo Fall Fest Through Oct 29, Fri – Sun, 10 a.m.

– 5 p.m.; Also, Mon, Oct 9. Enjoy a Ferris wheel, a corn maze, a hay mountain and live entertainment. For more information, visit www.lpzoo.org. Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark St., Chicago.

312 742-2000 Les Misérables Tue – Sun, Oct 11 – 29. Tony Award-winning Broadway musical based on the novel by Victor Hugo explores social injustice, faith and final redemption. Cost: $172/52.

For tickets and showtimes visit: www.broadwayinchicago.com.

Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W Randolph St., Chicago.

800 775-2000 Jim Gaffigan Thur – Sat, Oct 12 – 14, Thur 7:30 p.m. and Fri – Sat 7 & 9:30 p.m. Grammy-nominated comedian, New York Times bestselling author and multi-platinumselling father of five. Cost: $90/40.

Chicago Theatre, 175 N State St., Chicago. 312 462-6300 Imagine Dragons Wed, Oct 18, 7:30 p.m. Known for hit songs Radioactive and Believer, this multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning band performs as part of its "Evolve" tour. Tickets: www.unitedcenter.com. United Center, 1901 W Madison St., Chicago. 312 455-4500 Joffrey Ballet Oct 18 – 29.

Performing ballet classic Giselle, Chicago's leading dance company dance the story of a young woman who descends into madness upon discovering that her lover is betrothed to another. Tickets: www.auditorium theatre.org. Cost: $159/34.

Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E Congress Pkwy., Chicago. 800 982-2787

Trevor Noah Fri – Sat, Oct 20 – 21, 7:30 & 10 p.m.; Also, Sat, Oct 28, 7 p.m. Internationally celebrated comedian and popular host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show." Cost: $75/35. Chicago Theatre, 175 N State St., Chicago.

312 462-6300 Zeds Dead Sat, Oct 21, 6 p.m.

In its first official on-tour concert in Chicago, this Canadian electronic music duo is joined on stage by Ghastly, Ghostface Killah and Eprom and Diskord.

Tickets: www.navypier.com. Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave., Chicago.

800 595-7437 Katy Perry Tue – Wed, Oct 24 – 25, 7 p.m. Bringing special guest Noah Cyrus, this popular vocalist performs songs from the Witness album. Cost: $201/31. United Center, 1901 W Madison St., Chicago. 312 455-4500 Giordano Dance Chicago: Fall Series Fri – Sat, Oct 27 – 28, 7:30 p.m. In celebration of its 55th anniversary, this company presents world premieres from award-winning Broadway dancer and choreographer Ray Mercer. Tickets: www.harristheaterchicago.org.

Harris Theater, 205 E Randolph Dr., Chicago. 312 334-7777 Travis Wall's Shaping Sound: After the Curtain Sun, Oct 29, 6 p.m. In this contemporary piece, the choreography relates the struggle of a man fighting to find his creative voice after the death of his soul mate. Cost: $85/25. Chicago Theatre, 175 N State St., Chicago. 312 462-6300 Arcade Fire Mon, Oct 30, 7:30 p.m. Canadian rock band known for hits like Everything Now and Ready to Start is joined

on stage by alternative rocker, The Breeders. Cost: $85/26.

United Center, 1901 W Madison St., Chicago. 312 455-4500 Hillary Clinton Mon, Oct 30, 7:30 p.m. Clinton on her book What Happened, her life as a woman in politics and her experiences as a Presidential candidate. Tickets: www.HillaryClintonBookTour.com.

Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E Congress Pkwy., Chicago. 800 982-2787 David Sedaris Wed, Nov 1, 8 p.m. Known as one of America's preeminent humor writers, Sedaris delivers an evening stories, comedy and social commentary. Cost: $69/54.

Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E Congress Pkwy., Chicago. 800 982-2787 School of Rock Tue – Sun, Nov 1 – 19. Based on the movie starring Jack Black, this musical follows a wannabe rock star posing as a substitute teacher who turns a class of straight-A students into a mind-blowing rock band. Visit: www.broadwayinchicago.com.

Cost: $95/24. Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W Randolph St., Chicago. 800 775-2000 Dream Theater Fri, Nov 3, 8 p.m.

Announcing the final leg of the "Images, Words & Beyond 25th Anniversary Tour," the band brings its brand of progressive rock to Chicago. Cost: $90/30.

Chicago Theatre, 175 N State St., Chicago. 312 462-6300 Guns N' Roses Mon, Nov 6, 7:30 p.m. Rock music icons known for Sweet Child O' Mine perform the "Not in this Lifetime" tour. Cost: $250/80. United Center, 1901 W Madison St., Chicago.

312 455-4500

| Art on Harrison | Fri − Sat, Oct 20 − 21, Fri 6 − 9 p.m. and Sat noon − 6 p.m. Art showcases, live entertainment and art-related activities at participating galleries.

Harrison St. between Ridgeland Ave. and Austin Blvd., Oak Park. www.oakparkartsdistrict.com | All Hallows Eve | Fri − Sat, Oct 20 − 21, 6:30 − 10 p.m. Two nights and 12 acres of haunting creatures and eerie entertainment as the historic buildings of the settlement are transformed into haunted houses.

Free for members. Cost: $20. Naper Settlement, 523 S Webster St., Naperville. 630 420-6010 | Horse-Drawn Hayrides | Sat − Sun, Oct 21 − Nov 5, 1, 1:45 & 2:30 p.m. Enjoy 30-minute weekend horse-drawn hayrides. Free for children under 5. Cost: $5. Kline Creek Farm, 1N600 County Farm Rd., West Chicago. 630 876-5900 | Morton Arboretum Mystery Dinner | Thur − Fri, Oct 26 − 27, 6:30 p.m. Don your 1950s garb and join in a mystery dinner, where guests help solve a crime. Registration required. Cost: $90/85. Ginkgo Restaurant at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. 630 725-2066 | Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns | Thur − Sun, Oct 26 − 29, 6:30 − 10:30 p.m. View more than 1,000 hand-carved pumpkins, LED-lit jack-o’-lanterns and more along the festive, paved pathway. Cost: $16/10. Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe. 847 835-5440 | Spooktacular | Fri, Oct 27, 5:30 − 8:30 p.m. Dress up for Halloween, visit a smaze and pet the animals.

Registration required. Free for kids under 3. Cost: $10/4.

Cosley Zoo, 1356 N Gary Ave., Wheaton. 630 665-5534 | Murder Mystery | Fri, Oct 27, 6:30 − 9:30 p.m. Come for cocktails, a gourmet dinner and an interactive murder mystery performance. Registration required. Cost: $110/99. Robert R McCormick House at Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Rd., Wheaton. 630 260-8162 | Annual Ghost Walks | Sat, Oct 28, 2, 4, 6 & 8 p.m.

Walking tours and ghost stories. Cost: $10/5. Geneva History Museum, 113 S Third St., Geneva. 630 232-4951 | Wines in the Wild | Sat, Oct 28, 7:30 − 10 p.m. Sample a variety of wines and liquors from Prestige Countryside Liquors, taste hors d’oeuvres prepared by zoo staff and participate in a silent auction and raffle. Cost: $120.

Brookfield Zoo, 8400 31st St., Brookfield. 708 688-8000 | Boo Breakfast | Sun, Oct 29, 9 a.m. Dress up for Halloween and come for a family to breakfast, complete with favorite costumed characters. For more information, visit www.mortonarb.org. Ginkgo Restaurant at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. 630 968-0074

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Calendar of Events

Photo courtesy of Chicago Zoological Society

Out&about

Oct 21 – 29 BOO! AT THE ZOO Enjoy children’s Halloween-themed activities including crafts, a play zoo, hayrides, a corn maze and more at Brookfield Zoo. Call 708 688-8000

| Wilder Mansion Holiday Market | Fri − Sat, Nov 3 − 4, Fri 4 − 9 p.m. and Sat 10 a.m. − 4 p.m. Over 60 artisans sell one-of-a-kind holiday gifts. Wilder Mansion, 211 S Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. 630 993-8900

| Glen Ellyn French Market | Through Oct 29, Sundays, 9 a.m. − 1:30 p.m. Downtown Glen Ellyn.

630 469-0907 or www.glenellynchamber.com | Hinsdale | Through Oct 9, Mondays, 7 a.m. − 1 p.m.

Burlington Park at 30 E Chicago Ave. 630 323-3952

FARMERS MARKETS

Check us out online

4

westsuburbanliving.net

| La Grange | Through Oct 26, Thursdays, 7 a.m. − 1 p.m. Village Hall parking lot, 53 S La Grange Rd. www.villageoflagrange.com

| Aurora | Through Oct 21, Saturdays, 8 a.m. − noon.

Aurora Transportation Center, 233 N. Broadway; Wednesdays, July 12 − Sept 27, noon − 5 p.m. West Aurora Plaza, 1901 W Galena Blvd. 630 256-3370

| Lisle French Market | Through Oct 29, Sundays, 8 a.m. − 1 p.m. Prairie Lake Pond on Garfield Ave. 630 271-4100 or www.villageoflisle.com

| Barrington | Through Oct 19, Thursdays, 2 – 7 p.m. Park Ave. and Cook St. 847 304-3400 or www.barringtonfarmersmarket.com

| Morris 3 French Hens Country Market | Sat, Oct 14, 8 a.m. − 2 p.m. 123 W. Illinois Ave., Morris. www.3frenchhensmarket.blogspot.com

| Batavia | Through Oct 28, Saturdays, 8 a.m. − noon. North River St. between Wilson and State St. 630 761-3528 or www.downtownbatavia.com

| Naperville | Through Oct 14, Saturdays, 7 a.m. − noon. Fifth Avenue Station parking lot, 200 E. Fifth Ave. 630 369-5638

| Brookfield | Through Oct 14, Saturdays, 8 a.m. − 1 p.m.

Brookfield Village Hall parking lot, 8820 Brookfield Ave. 708 268-8080 or www.brookfieldchamber.net

| Oak Park | Through Oct 29, Saturdays, 7 a.m.− 1 p.m.

Pilgrim Church parking lot, 460 Lake St. 708 358-5780 or www.oak-park.us

| Downers Grove | Through Oct 15, Saturdays, 7 a.m. − 12:30 p.m. Main Street Train Station South parking lot off Burlington Ave. 630 968-8400

| Riverside | Through Oct 11, Wednesdays, 2:30 − 7 p.m. Historic Water Tower, 10 Pine Ave. 708 447-2700

| East Dundee | Through Oct 18, Sundays, 10 a.m. − 2 p.m. The Depot, 319 N River St. 847 426-2822, ext 6902 | Elgin Harvest Market | Through Oct 5, Thursdays, 9 a.m. − 2 p.m. 200 N Grove Ave. 630 488-1456 or www.downtownelgin.com | Elmhurst | Through Oct 25, Wednesdays, 7 a.m. − 1 p.m. York St. and Vallette St. 630 832-4550 | Geneva French Market | Through Nov 12, Sundays, 9 a.m. − 2 p.m. Metra commuter train parking lot between South St and 4th St. 630 232-6060 or www.genevachamber.com

| St. Charles | Through Oct 27, Fridays, 7 a.m. − 1 p.m.

Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 4th Ave & Main St. 630 988-0705 | St. Charles Primrose Farm | Wednesdays & Saturdays until end of season, Wed 3 − 7 p.m. and Sat 9 a.m. − 1 p.m. 5N726 Crane Rd. 630 513-4370 or www.foxtrotorganicfarm.com | Schaumburg | Through Oct 28, Fridays, 7 a.m. − 1 p.m. Trickster Gallery, 190 S. Roselle Rd. 847 923-3855 or www.ci.schaumburg.il.us | South Barrington | Through Nov 1, Fri − Sun, Fri noon − 7 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. − 6 p.m. and Sun 10 a.m. − 5 p.m.

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The Arboretum of South Barrington. 630 271-4100 or www.shopthearb.com

Illinois Route 64, St. Charles. 630 377-8118 or www.nortonsproduce.com

| Villa Park French Market | Through Oct 29, Sundays, 8 a.m. − 1 p.m. Park Blvd., west of Ardmore Ave. 312 575-0286

| Dollinger Family Farm | Through Oct 30, Mon − Sun 10 a.m. − 6:30 p.m. Visit this pumpkin farm with a gift shop, a petting zoo, a four-acre corn maze, and weekend hayrides and train rides. 7420 E Hansel Rd., Channahon. 815 467-6766 or www.dollingerfarms.com

| Western Springs French Market | Through Oct 29, Sundays, 9 a.m. − 1 p.m. Hillgrove Ave. between Lawn Ave. & Grand Ave. 708 414-3219 or www.wsprings.com | Wheaton French Market | Through Nov 11, Saturdays, 8 a.m. − 2 p.m. Main St & Liberty Dr. 630 260-2000 or www.wheaton.il.us | Yorkville | Through Oct 9, First 7 third Saturdays, 8 a.m. − noon. Town Square Park, 301 N Bridge St. 630 553-4357 or www.yorkville.il.us

PUMPKIN FARMS & CORN MAZES | Jonamac Orchard | Through Oct 29, Mon − Sun. Pick fresh apples or pumpkins, jump on a hayride, navigate the corn mazes and enjoy a petting zoo. Visit website for specific hours and activities. 19412 Shabbona Rd., Malta.

815 825-2158 or www.jonamacorchard.com | Richardson's Adventure Farm | Through Oct 29, Wed − Thur 3 −10 p.m., Fri − Sat 10 a.m. − 11 p.m. and Sun noon − 10 p.m. Get lost in a corn maze, climb a 50-ft observation tower, ride a 750-ft zipline and more. Cost: $16/13. 909 English Prairie Rd., Spring Grove. 815 675-9729 or www.richardsonadventurefarm.com | Great Godfrey Maze | Through Oct 29, Fri 6 − 10 p.m., Sat 11 a.m. − 10 p.m. and Sun 1 p.m. − dusk; Park closes at 4 p.m. on Oct 30. A seven-acre maze, haunted maze, a cow train, a hay wagon, a jumping pillow and more. Cost: $6/4. Robert E Glazebrook Park, 1401 Stamper Ln., Godfrey.

618 466-1483 or www.godfreyil.org | Bengston's Pumpkin Farm | Through Oct 30, Mon − Sun. Pumpkins, pig races, pony rides, pumpkin launching, hayrides, a petting zoo, a haunted barn and gemstone mining. For hours, visit website.

Cost: $9.99 – $18.99. 13341 W 151st St., Homer Glen.

708 301-3276 or www.pumpkinfarm.com | Goebbert's Farm & Garden Center | Through Oct 30, Mon − Sun 9 a.m. − 6 p.m.; Also, Tue, Oct 31, 9 a.m. − 3 p.m. Walk through the corn and straw mazes, take a wagon ride, pet the farm animals, watch the pig races and enjoy weekend magic shows. 40 W Higgins Rd., South Barrington. 847 428-6727 or www.goebbertsgardencenter.com | Goebbert's Pumpkin Patch | Through Oct 30, Mon − Sun 9 a.m. − 6 p.m.; Also, Tue, Oct 31, 9 a.m. − 3 p.m. Pumpkin Express train, pumpkin patch, mazes, haunted house, petting zoo, pig races, the Pumpkin Eating Dinosaur, plus wagon, camel, and pony rides. Cost: $15/3. 42W813 Reinking Rd., Hampshire. 847 464-5952 or www.goebbertspumpkinpatch.com | Norton's Hollow | Through Oct 30, Mon − Fri 9 a.m. − 6 p.m., Sat 9 a.m. − 4 p.m. and Sun 10 a.m. − 3 p.m.

Enjoy straw mazes, hayrides, corn tunnels and other activities. Cost $3/1. Norton Farm, 39W369

| Tanner's Orchard | Through Oct 31, Mon − Sun 8 a.m. − 8 p.m. Journey through a corn maze, pick apples and pumpkins, take a pony or wagon ride and pet farm animals. Cost: $7/3. 740 State Route 40, Speer.

309 493-5442 or www.tannersorchard.com | Didier Farms | Through Oct 31, Mon − Sun 9 a.m. − 6 p.m. Pick pumpkins and explore the corn maze and Silly String Asylum, take hayrides, visit the petting zoo and watch the pig races. 16678 W Aptakisic Rd., Lincolnshire.

847 634-3291 or www.didierfarms.com/pumpkinfest | Kuipers Family Farm | Through Oct 31, Mon − Sat 9 a.m. − 6 p.m. and Sun 10 a.m. − 6 p.m. 230 acres of pumpkin & apple picking, a corn “maize,” a peddle tractor derby, pig and duck races, pony rides, and hayrides, Cost: $15/7. 1N318 Watson Rd., Maple Park. 815 827-5200 or www.kuipersfamilyfarm.com | Johansen Farms | Through Oct 31, Mon − Sun 9 a.m. − 7 p.m. Pick pumpkins, pet animals, enjoy train rides, hayrides, an inflatable obstacle course, and an airslide.

Cost: $14/9. 710 W Boughton Rd., Bolingbrook. 630 739-7587 or www.johansenfarmszoo.com | Windy Acres Farm | Through Oct 31, Mon − Sun 9 a.m. − dusk. Four acres of pumpkins, a corn maze, a giant jumping pillow, tractor rides, miniature golf, a children’s petting zoo and live music. Cost: $13/7. 37W446 Fabyan Pkwy., Geneva.

630 232-6429 or www.windyacresfarmstand.com | Patch 22 | Through Oct 31, Sundays, Sat − Sun 10 a.m. − 5 p.m. Thousands of farm-grown pumpkins, corn stalks, hay bales, plus horse-drawn and tractor-drawn hayrides, pony rides and a petting farm. 15900 Kelly Rd., Wadsworth. 847 336-0120 or www.patch22.biz | Abbey Farms | Through Oct 31, Tue − Sun 10 a.m. − 6 p.m. with Night Maze open until 10 p.m. on Saturdays. Get spooked in the Night maze and enjoy pony rides, a petting zoo and more. Cost: $14/7. 2855 Hart Rd., Aurora.

630 966-7775 or www.abbeyfarms.org | Siegel's Cottonwood Farms | Through Oct 31, Mon − Sun 10 a.m. − 6 p.m. Take a pumpkin patch hayride, explore the Haunted Barn with animals to pet and a 15-acre corn maze. Cost: $15/12. 17250 S Weber Rd., Lockport. 815 741-2693 or www.ourpumpkinfarm.com | Sonny Acres Farm | Through Oct 31, Mon − Thur 10 a.m. − 6 p.m. and Fri − Sun 10 a.m. − 9:30 p.m. Explore piles of pumpkins, a Dizzy Zone, a haunted barn and a costume shop, and enjoy carnival rides, wagon rides and a giant slide. 29W310 North Ave., West Chicago. 630 231-3859 or www.sonnyacres.com | Cosley Zoo Pumpkin Fest | Mon − Sun, Oct 1 − 31, 9 a.m. − 5 p.m. Pet farm animals, explore a straw pyramid and a corn stalk tunnel, and pick a pumpkin.

Free for zoo members and children under 18. Cost: $5/4. 1356 N Gary Ave., Wheaton. 630 665-5534 or www.cosleyzoo.org WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | OCTOBER 2017 31

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Out&about



Calendar of Events

Quick guide

Haunted Houses: Where to Get Your Fright On  House Of Torment – Through Oct 31.

Cost: $33/20. 8240 N Austin Ave., Morton Grove. www.houseoftormentchicago.com or 224 888-1031  Insanity Haunted House – Fri – Sun, Oct 6 – 29,

Fri – Sat 7 – 11 p.m. and Sun 7 – 10 p.m.; Also, Tue, Oct 31, 7 – 10 p.m.; Fri – Sat, Oct 6 – 7 is 7 – 10 p.m.

Cost: $25/15. 3800 E Main St., St. Charles. www.insanityhh.com or 630 805-2638  Massacre Haunted House – Through Nov 4.

Cost: $35/25. 299 Montgomery Rd., Montgomery. www.fearthemassacre.com or 708 320-3327

BASEMENT OF THE DEAD

 Basement Of The Dead – Through Nov 4,

Thur – Sun; Additional shows Mon – Tue, Oct 30 – 31, 7 – 10 p.m. Cost: $45/25. 42 W New York St., Aurora. www.basementofthedead.com or 630 896-2466  D.E.A.D. Rising Haunted House – Through Oct 31. Cost: $20/15.13624 S Cicero, Crestwood. www.deadrisinghauntedhouse.com or 708 473-3839

 Fables Fright Night - Fri - Sun, Oct 6 – 29, Fri – Sat 7 – 11 p.m. and Sun 7– 10 p.m.; Also, Tue, Oct 31, 7 – 10 p.m. Haunted laser combat shoot.

Cost: $35/25. 601 Dundee Ave, East Dundee. www.fablesfrightnights.com  Frightmare Haunted House – Oct 6 – 31.

| Tom's Farm Market | Mon − Sat, Oct 1 − 31, 9 a.m. − 6 p.m. and Sun 9 a.m. − 5 p.m. Explore a six-acre corn maze, take tractor rides or hayrides, pick pumpkins, pet farm animals, and more. Cost: $10/15. 10214 Algonquin Rd., Huntley. 847 669-3421 or www.tomsfarmmarket.com | Fox River Trolley Museum | Sat − Sun, Oct 14 − 22, 11 a.m. − 5 p.m. Enjoy the trolley and pick a pumpkin.

Cost: $5/2. 365 S LaFox St., South Elgin. 847 697-4676 or www.foxtrolley.org

SPORTS | Chicago Wolves | Saturdays, Oct 14 − 28, 7 p.m.; Sun, Oct 22, 4 p.m.; and Wed, Oct 25, 11 a.m. Chicago's AHL ice hockey team plays visiting opponents at the home rink in Rosemont. Cost: $38/11. Allstate Arena, 6920 N Mannheim Rd., Rosemont. 847 635-6601 | Windy City Bulls | Sat, Nov 4, 7 p.m. The Chicago Bulls' newest D-league team plays various out-of-town opponents at the home court. Cost: $25/14. Sears Centre Arena, 5333 Prairie Stone Pkwy., Hoffman Estates.

847 649-2270

Through Nov 4, Thur – Sun, Thur & Sun 7 – 10 p.m. and Fri – Sat 7 – 11 p.m.; Also, Mon – Tue, Oct 30 – 31, 7 – 10 p.m. Cost: $25/13. 5520 W 111th St., Oak Lawn. www.midnightterrorhauntedhouse.com  Statesville Haunted Prison – Through Oct 31,

Cost: $12/6. Haunted Trails Family Amusement Park, 7759 S Harlem Ave., Burbank. www.frightmarehauntedhouse.com or 708 598-8580

Thur – Sun, Thur & Sun 7 – 10 p.m. and Fri – Sat 7 – 11 p.m.; Also, Wed, Oct 25, & Mon – Tue, Oct 30 – 31, 7 – 10 p.m. Cost: $45/30. 17250 S Weber Rd., Crest Hill. www.statesvillehauntedprison.com or 877 722-7332

 Haunted Quarry – Saturdays, Oct 14 & 21, 7 – 9 p.m. Cost: $8/6. Not suitable for children under 10. Quarry Hall Beach, 400 S Water St., Batavia. 630 879-5235 or www.bataviaparks.org

 13th Floor Chicago – Through Oct 31.

Cost: $33/20. 1940 George St., Melrose Park. www.13thfloorchicago.com

 Evil Intentions Haunted House – Through Oct

31, Fri – Sun, Fri – Sat 7:30 p.m. – midnight and Sun 7:30 – 10 p.m.; Also, Thursdays, Oct 19 & 26, 7:30 – 10 p.m. Cost: $35/25. Elgin Casket Company, 900 Grace St., Elgin. www.eihaunt.com or 630 634-2858

 Midnight Terror Haunted House

HEALTH & FITNESS

LITERATURE

| Fall Color 5K Run & Walk | Sun, Oct 1, 8 a.m. Race through the trees at the 14th annual run, then relax with live music, recovery food, complimentary beer, and a photo booth. Registration required. Cost: $55/25. The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Rt 53, Lisle. 630 968 0074

| Dan Brown | Tue, Oct 3, 7 p.m. On his first US tour since The Da Vinci Code, Brown presents his new novel, Origin. Cost: $39. Tivoli Theater, 5021 Highland Ave., Downers Grove.

| All Wheels In | Sun, Oct 8, 9 a.m. Choose from two different bike rides: a family ride of 12-15 miles along the Fox River or a Farm Ride cyclist challenge of 38 miles from St. Charles to Maple Park. Registration required.

Sammy's Bike Shop, 602 1st St., St Charles. 630 444-0690 | WOW Summit | Fri − Sat, Oct 13 − 14, Fri 9 a.m. − 6:30 p.m. and Sat 9 a.m. − 5:30 p.m. A healthy living and parenting conference with expert-led seminars and workshops. Cost: $119/39. Eaglewood Resort & Spa, 1401 Nordic Rd., Itasca. www.momsmeet.com/summit17

| Colleen Hoover | Thur, Oct 5, 7 p.m. New York Times best-selling author of It Ends With Us and November 9 brings her newest Without Merit. For tickets, visit www.andersonsbookshop.com. Cost: $19. Anderson's Bookshop, 26 S La Grange Rd., La Grange. 708 582-6353 | Cindy Crosby | Thur, Oct 26; Also, Sat, Oct 28 & Wed, Nov 8. Midwest naturalist and grasslands expert presents her latest book, The Tallgrass Prairie. For locations and times, visit www.cindrycrosby.com

| Cantigny 5K Run/Walk | Sat, Nov 4, 9 a.m. A Veterans Day 5K run or walk. Registration required. Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Rd., Wheaton. 630 260-8167

| Gabrielle Union | Thur, Oct 26, 7 p.m. Celebrated actress and star of "The Birth of the Nation" debuts her book, We're Going to Need More Wine, a moving collection of thought-provoking essays. Hilton Lisle/ Naperville, 3003 Corporate West Dr., Lisle. 630 355-2665

| Ooh La La 5K | Sun, Nov 5, 7:30 a.m. A 5K to benefit St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, with chef Alain Roby of Geneva's All Chocolate Kitchen. Registration required. Cost: $40. Kane County Court House, 100 S Third St., Geneva. www.oohlalachocolate5k.itsyourrace.com

| Lidia Bastianich | Thur, Nov 9, 7 p.m. Best-selling cookbook author and chef on PBS takes the audience through world cuisines and how to enjoy them. Cost: $75/39. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000

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LECTURES | Michael Rezendes | Tue, Oct 3, 7 p.m. Pulitzer-Prize winning investigative journalist from The Boston Globe, the paper that investigated the September 11 attacks.

Cost: $39. Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. 630 942-4000 | Ryan Thoreson | Wed, Oct 11, 4 p.m. Focusing on LGBT children's rights, author and Yale Law School Robert L. Bernstein International Human Rights Fellow talks about his experiences as a social activist. Cost: $10. Founders Lounge at Elmhurst College’s Frick Center, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. 630 617-3390 | Mike Ditka | Thur, Oct 19, 7 p.m. Former leader of the 1985 NFL Champion Chicago Bears speaks about his time as a coach in the NFL and life lessons. Cost: $10.

Hammerschmidt Memorial Chapel at Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. 630 617-3390 | Brent Sopel | Wed, Oct 25, 7 p.m. This former Blackhawks player shares his struggles with a learning disability and alcoholism. Campbell Gym at York Community High School, 355 St. Charles Rd., Elmhurst.

| Dr. Moogega Cooper | Fri, Oct 27, 8 p.m. Hailing from California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Dr. Cooper speaks about Mars 2020 and planetary protection. Cost: $7. Fermilab’s Ramsey Auditorium, Kirk Rd. and Pine St., Batavia. 630 840-2787 | Hussein Rashid | Sun, Oct 29, 7 p.m. Founder of the islamicate L3C, a consultancy focusing on religious literacy and cultural competency, Rashid shares his research on Muslims and American popular culture.

Founders Lounge at Elmhurst College’s Frick Center, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. 630 617-5186 | David Brooks | Thur, Nov 2, 7 p.m. New York Times columnist and presenter on PBS NewsHour, Brooks presents his lecture, “Living a Life of Depth and Meaning,” bringing audiences face to face with today's political and social divides with humor, insight and passion. Cost: $48/31. Lund Auditorium at Dominican University, 7900 W Division St., River Forest. 708 488-5000 | Peter Hawley | Sun, Nov 5, 2 p.m. Filmmaker and college educator contextualizes the rise of disco music and investigates the influence of the genre on Hollywood films of the 1970s, including Saturday Night Fever and Thank God It's Friday. Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E Park Ave., Elmhurst. 630 833-1457

Photos by Graham Webb

| Jack Moline | Thur, Oct 26, 7:30 p.m. Chicago native and rabbi emeritus of Agudas Achim Congregation in Virginia presents. Founders Lounge at Elmhurst College’s Frick Center, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst. 630 617-5186

DINING GETAWAYS

LINEA

Information is as accurate as possible, but times and dates do sometimes change and events are occasionally

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| Physics Slam VI | Fri, Nov 10, 8 p.m. Scientists and students from the Illinois Math & Science Academy team up to present ideas and theories, all battling for the top prize. Cost: $7. Fermilab’s Ramsey Auditorium, Kirk Rd. and Pine St., Batavia. 630 840-2787

MUSIC

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

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Box 111, Elmhurst, IL 60126, or wsl@westsuburbanliving.net.

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RT 66 Motoring Out from Chicago on

B

Photo courtesy of Heritage Corridor

America’s Historic Byway Through the ‘Burbs & Beyond

By Suzanne Corbett

ack in the day, summer vacations were defined by where the main drag could take us. For decades that main drag was Route 66, linking small towns and big cities from Chicago to San Bernardino, California. And while the song first made famous by Nat King Cole promotes experiencing the entire route, more often than not, most everyone gets their kicks closer to their home state. When you motor west out of Chicago, chances are you’ll zoom right through plenty of Route 66 roadside attractions that are more than worth a pit stop.

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Photo courtesy of West NewsMagazine

Get your motor runnin’...

Highway-bound at Berwyn

Gemini Giant Berwyn Rt. 66 Car Show

Photo courtesy of Berwyn Rt 66 Car Show

Die-hard Route 66 enthusiasts will want to begin their trip where it all began — on East Jackson Boulevard near Lake Shore Drive, but I recommend starting just west of the city limits on Odgen Avenue in Berwyn. Known as the Old Plank Road in the late 19th century, Ogden Avenue’s broad width made it perfect for business to boom along the route. It soon became dotted with gas stations, early drive-in eateries and over a dozen auto dealerships.

Berwyn — a town with Swedish roots founded in 1908 which came into its own in the 1920s to 1940s — has managed to retain its mid-century Main Street charm.

The town claims the area’s best assortment of Chicago-style two-story bungalows, many beautifully preserved, with stained glass windows, intricate brick patterns and clay tile roofs. A few Victorian painted ladies dot the streetscape, too.

Of course, Berwyn is also home to one of the best car shows not only in Chicagoland but along the entire Mother Road. Classic cars, those that would have been sold in those dealerships that once lined Ogden Avenue, are now the stars of the Berwyn Route 66 Car Show, held the last Saturday in August. Berwyn’s car show is the area’s biggest, with 500 plus

Photo courtesy of www.historic66.com

Photo courtesy of Heritage Corridor

Berwyn RT. 66 Car Car Show Show Rt 66

vintage and custom cars, trucks and motorcycles. Highlights of the free event include live music, automobile flamethrowing and a dragsters “cacklefest,” so named for the crackle and fire of mighty engines at full power. All are unforgettable experiences for car enthusiasts.

While there is no longer a Route 66 museum in town, you’ll find a gift shop stocked with memorabilia within Superior Awards at 7005 Ogden Ave. As you drive west, you’ll encounter many such roadside museums presenting an eclectic mix of roadway history, aerial photos, vintage signs and souvenirs. In addition to free maps and travel tips, a stop here will give you a taste of the adventure that lies ahead.

Speaking of tastes, that’s half the fun of a Route 66 trip. Before leaving town, you may want to satisfy your appetite at Berwyn’s White Castle, the oldest operating White Castle found along the entire route. It’s been serving up its signature sliders at the same site since 1939.

Not hungry for Castles? Try Paisan’s Pizzeria & Bar or Michael Anthony’s Pizzeria & Bar, both providing culture along with cuisine. Paisan’s décor is complete with custom motorbikes and a dragster, while Michael Anthony’s

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Blues Brothers

OLD Joliet Prison

Gardner two-cell jail

Photo courtesy of www.historic66.com

boasts fresh-made family recipes — and an assortment of “legal” gambling machines.

Another neighborhood staple is Cigars & Stripes BBQ Lounge. The Route 66 mural on the west side of the building is painted by owner Ronnie Lottz.

About a 45 minute drive to the southwest, look for the big rooster at Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket, located at I-55 and Route 83 in Willowbrook. Del Rhea’s has been frying chicken since 1946. It’s considered an American culinary roadside icon and travelers still flock to it. Thanks to the National Park Service and the Illinois Scenic Byway Association, this venerable roadside diner recently won a matching funds grant to restore it’s 71-year-old landmark sign.

Back on the route follow the historic brown markers designating the route’s Illinois alignments along with their service dates — 1926-1930, 1930-1940 and 1940-1977. Once a brown sign is spotted, you’ll want to keep a sharp lookout for another sign indicating the nearby locations of Illinois’ Route 66 Wayside Exhibits. These interpretive displays begin in Berwyn and feature stories of classic eateries, gas stations and attractions.

Or you can keep it simple and download a free Route 66 tourist map at www.illinoisroute66.org. Good maps will outline cutoffs and exits to the drivable early alignments as well as highlight small town main streets and roadside curiosities.

Head out on the highway...

Riding the Red Carpet to Joliet Illinois divided a portion of the route into two segments, the Illinois Red Carpet Corridor (www.il66redcarpetcorridor.org), a 90-mile stretch beginning at Joliet and ending just short of Bloomington, and the Blue Carpet Corridor (www.bluecarpetcorridor.org), which picks up after Springfield.

Ride the red carpet along Joliet’s stretch of Route 66, stopping at the Route 66 Park and Rich & Creamy, an ice cream

Photo courtesy of www.historic66.com

Route 66

Photos courtesy of Heritage Corridor

Getaways

DELL RHEA’S CHICKEN BASKET

shop with a difference. The retro parlor is hard to miss, with life–sized figures of Jake and Elwood Blues (aka The Blues

Brothers) dancing on the roof. The shop marks the official start of the route made famous in the movie. Here’s where it pays to get out of the car and walk the park’s path to the overlook and take in the prison view. Colorful signage in all directions invites you to “Get Locked Up… At the Old Joliet Prison,” as a huge steel and barbed wire entry sign beckons you into a park unlike any other.

More than 25,000 visitors come through Joliet on Route 66 tours in a given year. The Joliet Area Historical Museum will quickly get you acquainted with the cars, culture and people of the roadway through interactive exhibits and touch screen displays. The museum hosts fun events throughout the year, including a rooftop summer concert series.

Joliet is also the Midwest’s capital for NASCAR and dragway racing. Held in mid August on the dirt track at the Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway, the Ultimate Good Ole Days Event is the D’Arcy Route 66 Classic.

The event salutes vintage Route 66 hot rod culture, including drag racing and a classic car cruise-in. A recent addition to this annual event is Vintage Faire, an outdoor market filled with kitschy collectables.

Go-karts more your speed? Check out Trails Raceway at Haunted Trails Amusement Park. It’s Halloween all year round, with rides like the Monster Hop or the Bone Shaker. And if you decide to stay overnight in Joliet, be sure to get tickets for a show at the Rialto Square Theatre, deservedly dubbed the Jewel of Joliet.

The 1926 Vaudeville-style theatre hosts shows and concerts year round. Yet to come in 2017 are The Simon & Garfunkel Story and concerts from Yanni and The Road Crew — billed as America’s Route 66 Band.

In and around Joliet there are all the diner and drive-through options you could wish, including Chicken-N-Spice (251 N Chicago St.), Joliet Route 66 Diner (22 W. Clinton), Merichka’s, famed for family-run East European eats since

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1933 (604 Theodore St.), or Home Cut Donuts, serving up fresh made coffee and donuts daily for the past 50 years (815 W. Jefferson St.).

Lookin’ for adventure...

Onwards to Pontiac The stretch of Route 66 southwest of Joliet is pure nostalgia. Continuing down the Red Carpet Corridor, you’ll find stop-and-see attractions like the Gemini Giant. It’s a must stop for a roadside selfie with Wilmington’s most famous resident, one of the route’s remaining roadside Muffler Men. These oversized fiberglass statues were designed to entice drivers to pull off the road and shop, gas-up or dine.

Gemini Man served as the sidewalk maître d’ for the late Launching Pad Drive-in, where he remains, welcoming all who motor by. Take time to drive through Wilmington’s quaint downtown, shopping at mom-and-pop stores like Two Hounds Antiques (202 N Water St.) for truevintage memorabilia.

After 25 miles of open road, you’ll hit the breaks again in Braidwood for the Polk-a-Dot Drive-In, a photo-op with full-size, full-action figures of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Betty Boop. A couple of miles further along is Gardner’s tiny Two-Cell Jail, welcoming unhappy guests from 1906 until the late 1950s. Gardner used to be the site of The Riviera Roadhouse, an Al Capone hang out, that sadly burned to the ground in 2010. A 1930s street car that once served as a diner stands on the spot, recently restored as a Route 66 landmark.

Next up is Ambler’s Texaco Gas Station in Dwight. For 66 years, this was the longest continuously operating gas station on Route 66. Closed in 1999, it has now been meticulously restored and operates as a Visitors’ Center — one more opportunity for photos, memorabilia and kitsch.

Roadside rubbernecking takes on new meaning when tooling through Pontiac, home of the Murals on Main Street.

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Pontiac MURALS

More than 20 drive-by murals depict local commercial and cultural history — the largest can be found on the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum. They were painted by the Walldogs, a group of highly skilled artists who travel small-town America and came to Pontiac in 2009.

They painted for food and overnight stays.

According to route warriors and historians, anyone who travels the route will learn of Route 66 folk artist Bob Waldmire and his school bus. The Bob Waldmire Experience is a featured exhibit at Pontiac’s museum complex. Parked outside is the school bus he retrofitted into a hippie land yacht, complete with a second floor and back porch. The bus served as the artist’s home and studio for 15 years. Pontiac’s museum complex boasts four museums in one building, including the popular Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum, a mecca for Trans-Am and Firebird fans.

Twenty miles south of Pontiac is Lexington, another one-mile blast from the past with a restored section interpreting 1940 era billboards and Burma shave signs. It’s open year-round as a walkthrough exhibit site, but drivable only during Route 66 festival weekends, or when the gate has been left opened.

And whatever comes our way Find a little Lincoln

Check us out online

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If history is your passion, try a different take on Route 66 beginning with the Cruisin’ for Lincoln on Route 66 Visitors Center located in Bloomington/ Normal. Housed in the McLean County Museum of History on Bloomington’s Main Street, Cruisin’ for Lincoln is a free exhibit allowing 21st century tourists to compare their travels with those of the country’s 16th president. As a bonus, the suggested road trip emphasizes retro dining and lodging along the route.

The Finding Lincoln road trip culminates in Springfield, Lincoln’s hometown where his law offices, home and neighborhood street are preserved.

To see everything from Abe to Z, the city’s center for tourism, Visit Springfield, recommends taking advantage of area presidential packages offered at local hotels or motor inns, which combine lodging and attraction tickets. Or plan your own itinerary and discover destinations often overlooked, such as the Lincoln Bedroom and gardens at the Illinois Executive Mansion. Mansion tours are free and available mornings and afternoons on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and on Saturday mornings.

While the Lincoln sites are Springfield’s star attractions, there are still plenty of roadside diversions and Route 66 landmarks to visit. Look for Big Abe, located on the Illinois State fairgrounds. No matter if the State Fair is running, visit the 30-ft-tall statue of a clean-shaven, rail-splitting Abe anyway.

He stands guard at the fairgrounds main gate — ­ another selfie op. It’s worth the drive by — as is The Railsplitter Covered Wagon (touted as the world’s largest), with Abe in the driver’s seat, of course.

It’s located a few miles outside Springfield in neighboring Lincoln, Illinois.

Springfield is the place foodies traveling the route stop — making a pilgrimage to Cozy Dog, the birthplace of the corn dog, the original hotdog on a stick, located at 2935 S. Sixth Street.

It’s an obligatory destination for hot dog aficionados. Not hungry for dogs, then head to the Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop, 118 N. Pasfield Street and order up a loose meat sandwich. Springfield’s Maid-Rite has been a route favorite since it opened in 1921, listed on the National Register of Historic Places

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Photo courtesy of West NewsMagazine

Route 66 Photos courtesy of Heritage Corridor

Getaways

Photos courtesy of www.historic66.com

Photos courtesy of Heritage Corridor

Photo courtesy of West NewsMagazine

A little extra history cozy dog drive-in

and considered the world’s first drive-up window restaurant.

Another Springfield specialty Route 66 riders crave is The Horseshoe, an open-face sandwich layered with ham or burgers, french fries and cheese-sauce. The Horseshoe, created in 1928 at the old Leland Hotel, appears on countless area truck-stop menus.

Officially, Route 66 no longer exists.

It was an inadvertent victim of demand for improved roadbeds and speedier routes, which was achieved in part by bypassing rural towns. It was decommissioned in 1985 — a mere technicality for retro travelers who still seek out the route’s original roadways.

Today, the route’s original concrete and brick roadbeds are kin to the Oregon Trail’s wagon wheel ruts, preserved and still drivable, located along Hwy 4 between Chatham and Auburn, south

of Springfield.

The 1,277-ft link of the original 1921 Portland cement road is found west of Alpha Road between Hwy 4 and Curran Road. A treat for hard-core route riders is the 1.4-mile surviving 1931 brick roadway — the Brick Road ­— just a few miles north of Auburn and west of Snell and Curran. Curran Road serves as a connector, which curves south reconnecting with Hwy 4. Just another Illinois site where you can get your kicks on Route 66. n Suzanne Corbett is a national awardwinning writer based in St. Louis. She is a contributor to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, West NewsMagazine and AAA Midwest Traveler. Suzanne is also a successful cookbook writer, radio host and media producer — as well as a frequent driver of the stretch of Route 66 between St. Louis and Chicago.

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Nearing Life’s End Love, respect, understanding — and planning — in the final days

O

By Jay Copp

n a glorious fall day in tree-lined Naperville, it’s the time of year when leaves of maples and oaks turn and burst into color, a harbinger of the bare trees of winter yet also of new life in the spring. Blocks past North Central College, where young students hurry to class and amble ever so slowly toward adulthood, jobs, families and full lives, sits sprawling Edward Hospital and, a silent neighbor, historic Naperville Cemetery, with its aged tombstones. At this moment, at the hospital, life hangs in the balance for a few patients. Often expectedly, but sometimes most unexpectedly and bitterly, the scale of life tips the wrong way.

Death never ceases.

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It’s a grim subject, made grimmer when life ends terribly.

Yet it does not have to end nearly as badly as it often does. With forethought, planning and a steady supply of human kindness and love, death can be gentle, both for the one dying and loved ones. West Suburban Living has pulled back the curtains on death and dying and talked to nurses, chaplains, counselors and people in grief to offer a seasoned perspective on the most universal experience. We don’t mean to be morbid. But to face death with peace and dignity requires confronting it beforehand to lessen its bitter sting. = Kathy Plakovic, a palliative care nurse at Edward Hospital in Naperville, has seen a broad range of emotions and experiences in her many years of caring for seriously ill patients. As a loved one — ­ tethered to tubes and wires — ­ lies in a hospital bed, often after a lengthy series of healthcare crises and medical procedures, ­emotions can run raw.

“I’ve had to referee — step in between loved ones ready to hit each other,” says Plakovic. Recently, after she gently told a daughter that her mother was dying, the daughter took a long, hard look at her and asserted, “I don’t believe you.”

We tiptoe around death, and when it nears, we still insist on averting our eyes. “We live in a death-denying culture,” Plakovic says.

Television medical dramas do not do us any favors. On TV, death is like an irksome fly you can swat away. On TV, 75 percent of CPRs save the patient, according to Plakovic. In real life, the save rate is a paltry three percent.

Palliative care handles serious illnesses. Some patients recover.

Some never leave the hospital. Time and time again, with patients at risk of dying, patients and families are not clear on their long-term recovery. Or lack thereof. “The patient expects the doctor to bring it up. The doctor expects the patient to talk about it. There is never a discussion,” says Plakovic.

Plakovic and others at Edward do have that discussion.

“Patients always ask me how much time they have left. I never say this many days or weeks or months. I say ‘weeks’ or ‘months,’” she explains. “I have an idea based on patients in the past.”

So some patients die sooner than they expected, before they can patch up relationships, arrange financial affairs or take a final trip to a beloved place. “People have regrets. They have unfinished business,” says Plakovic. “It’s a terrible situation.”

Modern medicine leaves families in a quandary. Their loved one often can be kept alive. But to what purpose? Federal law requires hospitals to inform admitted patients about advanced healthcare directives. Unfortunately, the process often ends there. The spirit of the law — to get patients to make their wishes known — is typically not heeded.

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Nearing Life’s End

Even families that plan in advance often regretfully discover their planning was woefully inadequate. A husband will have completed a healthcare power of attorney. He designated his wife. But, surprise, “They’ve never talked it over,” says Plakovic. So the wife does not know what measures doctors should take as his condition worsens.

Plakovic’s daughter, not her husband, has her power of attorney. Her husband is “too emotionally invested” to discontinue medical intervention. “She knows my end-of-life wishes. It’s dinner table conversation in my household. I know her wishes,” she says.

“Families have to have the conversation.

It’s not morbid. Talk about it when the family is together. What do you want done if you are in intensive care?” says Plakovic.

Death can be impossibly bitter. “You see a lot of emotional distress. They’re not ready to die. They want to see someone one more time. Their daughter is getting married,” says Plakovic. “It’s hard to predict beforehand how someone will handle it. Someone with a longtime, chronic illness who understands their health is failing tends to do better. They’re more ready. The hardest is younger people.

They’re not ready to go.”

Death for residents in affluent areas such as Naperville can be surprisingly wrenching. After a long life of economic security and excellent healthcare, elderly couples often find themselves alone. Their children, taking good jobs, have moved far away. Now an 89-year-old woman, frail herself, looks after her ailing 87-year-old husband. Hospice care amounts to a few hours a week. “The physical needs (of a sick spouse) are tremendous. You’re on your own 23 hours a day,” says Plakovic.

A death that is gentle, both for patients and their families, requires communication beforehand, intelligent planning and an

abundance of love, forgiveness and forbearance on both sides of the bed.

“The patient’s symptoms have to be well-controlled,” says Plakovic. “The patient and family need emotional and spiritual support. And the family needs the resources to take care of their loved one.”

Oddly and ironically, death can be a brand-new — very short, of course — chapter in life. Plakovic watched as a mother and son grappled with his fatal illness, brought on by AIDS. The religious mother was estranged from her son. But she put aside her judgment in his final days. Her son loved music, and she hired a therapy musician, who played Amazing Grace. “As she sang the last line, he took his final breath,” says Plakovic, fighting back tears in recounting the scene.

= The Rev. Karen Swiderski has counseled hundreds of patients and their families in her 25 years as a hospital chaplain. So in September when she hurried to Wisconsin to be with her very ill 94-year-old father-in-law, she knew exactly what to say. Right? Actually, she knew exactly how to listen and how to respond to his needs. There are no magic words at the bedside of a terminal patient.

But there is magic in understanding that patients need to lead the way.

“It’s not knowing what to say. It’s knowing to give him space. What does he want to talk about? You need to empower him, to let him decide on what he needs,” says Swiderski, the manager of spiritual care services at Edward and Linden Oaks Hospitals. “He needs to go at his own pace. You need to walk with him on his journey. You need to be fully present. It’s not doing things for people; it’s being with people.”

Formerly a Lutheran, Swiderski is an ordained minister for the American Baptists USA. Her father-in-law is a devout Catholic. “His faith is very important

to him. “He’s ready to go,” she says. “It’s very ‘holy’ ground that we touch when we walk with someone facing the end of life.”

People near death may want to talk about their faith. Or, “they may want to talk about sports. Or cookies,” says Swiderski. She’s known her father-in-law for 52 years, since she was a 9-year-old in Logan Square. “He’s a World War II vet. He likes to talk about defending his country,” she says.

Respecting the dignity of the person is paramount throughout the dying process, says Swiderski. “It’s very important to always ask for permission. You may want to help them. Ask them, ‘Can I move your arm?’ Don’t assume you can do something.

They may be physically uncomfortable,

but they still may not be comfortable with you touching them.

“People who are sick feel they have lost control. They’ve lost control of making decisions. They’ve lost control of their body,” explains Swiderski. “Don’t presume to know what they are feeling.”

One family’s exceptional handling of a parent’s illness and death still stands out in Swiderski’s memory. The nine children “were so good to one another. They were the nicest family I ever met.” But it was what their mom did before she died that enabled them to deal with her death so magnificently. For each of them, she had left a letter to be opened in her later years.

They opened the letters as she lay in intensive care. In the letters she told them she never wanted to be a burden for them as her health declined. “That provided such relief. All the tension went away,” says Swiderski.

Rarely will it occur that a loved one leaves behind such a specific missive, so Swiderski stresses the absolute need to talk about end-of-life issues with loved ones to know want they want in case they become incapacitated. That was borne out in her own life.

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“My father believed he would never die. He never wanted to talk about it,” she says. Then came the phone call in January 2000. Her father, who was living in Arizona, had an aneurysm. He never regained consciousness. Her mom was a wreck. For 14 days, he lay on life support.

She and her mom drove 60 miles to see him over and over and often returned suddenly when his condition seemed

irritation rise to the surface,” she says.

Families need a neutral party such as a neighbor or friend to serve as a buffer between them. Hospice, which can be at home, in a hospital or at a hospice center, also serves as a pressure-release valve. “It’s a neutral space where families can figure things out,” she says.

Lucinda also has advice for our encounters with the grieving. We bump

“Families have to have the conversation.

It’s not morbid. Talk about it when the family is together. What do you want done if you are in intensive care?” to change. Swiderski finally had to decide to end the life support.

“People joke about it. Put me in an envelope. Put me in a boat. But you need to tell your loved ones what your wishes are,” says Swiderski.

Her mom, who had dementia, died in August 2016. She was in hospice, which was a godsend.

“They knew what to do, what to say, where to begin. They let her keep her dignity. They kept her comfortable. They cared for her compassionately, and they cared for me, too,” says Swiderski. = Joy Lucinda, a counselor in Lisle, also is an advocate of hospice. “People wait too long to go to hospice,” she has observed. Here’s the deal with illness and grief ­—those trying stages of life exacerbate long-standing personal tensions.

If life were a Hallmark movie, families would set aside differences when mom or dad falls gravely ill. But often tensions mount. “The dynamics of siblings and parents don’t change because someone is dying. The level of function or dysfunction doesn’t change. Anger and

into those in mourning at the grocery store or at school. It’s awkward, and most of us botch the brief social exchange. “The two biggest mistakes: ‘Let me know if there is something I can do for you,’ and ‘How are you doing?’” They don’t want to talk about the heavy stuff. They might not be doing so great. And asking them what they can do is putting the pressure on them.

“It’s much better to be more specific. If you’re a neighbor, you can ask, ‘Can I cook a meal for you?’ If you leave it open-ended, you’re increasing their stress level.” = Kathy Clarke of La Grange was with her dad that night in May at RML Hospital in Hinsdale. It had been a long five months since her father, John “Dan” McGrath, had a stroke. There had been an emergency surgery, conversations with doctors who doubted his survival, months in the hospital, minor improvements in health followed by serious setbacks and heartfelt family meetings. The uncertainty surrounding her father was difficult. “The hardest part was that we didn’t know what to do. We weren’t sure what it would take to keep him alive,” she says.

Clarke is one of six children of Peggy and Dan McGrath. He had been a football star at Leo and then in the Big Ten at Indiana. Peggy was a cheerleader, his high school sweetheart. Clarke’s father loved watching the Bears and Cubs, regaling the family with his stories and ­— perhaps surprisingly for a big, tough football guy — seeing theatre shows with his wife.

Clarke was no stranger to death in the family. When she was 14, her 16-year-old brother died in an accident. She discovered something about herself then. “I never realized how important my faith was to me, how much strength it gave me,” says Clarke, the mother of four sons.

This year Clarke traveled to New York to see her mother-in-law one last time. She died in March surrounded by almost her entire family. “It was just the most spiritual passing,” says Clarke. “We were praying.

She looked up, smiled and passed.”

Before that night in May, Peggy and her children had a meeting. They realized that her husband and their father was dying. They decided on hospice for him.

“Everybody’s advice is look to hospice sooner. What that means is wanting to accept that the person will not survive and to make them as comfortable as possible,” says Clarke.

Her father loved to jitterbug and loved singers like Streisand, Sinatra and Nat King Cole. So on that May night, Clarke played their songs on her iPhone and held her father’s hand, as if to dance. She then noticed something when she stretched his arms, as she did routinely. “It was very heavy, stiff,” she says. “I knew he would pass that night.”

He died a few hours after she left.

“The doctors — they’re in the business.

They know that all this is something families need to process. He’ll live as long as the family needs to come to terms with it,” Clarke says. “That’s pretty much what happened.” n

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Spring Ahead!

It’s Time to Plan and Plant for Spring Flowers

By Sara Pearsaul Vice

Designing a Spring Garden When planning for a spring garden, it helps to think of spring as an entire season. Different spring bulbs and perennials bloom at different times, from early spring when the snow is still on the ground to late spring when you can begin planting annuals. Even one type of flower, such as tulips, offers varieties that bloom early-, midor late-season. For a continual show, you’ll want to select plants that bloom

successively throughout the spring.

When designing a garden bed, bear in mind the specific needs of each type of bulb or plant, its size and its bloom time. Does it need sun or shade, dry or moist soil? Put plants with the same needs together in the right spot.

“When planting a perennial bed on a fence line, put plants that are low in front and high plants in the back. If the bed is out in the open, put the high plants in the middle and lower plants in front so that everything cascades down to the edge,” advises Richard Hentschel, horticulture educator for University of Illinois Extension in DuPage, Kane and Kendall counties. To avoid a lonely row of tulips or daffodils, he suggests planting in masses. “Plant in odd numbers in groups of three, five or seven,” he says.

“For a perennial bed, you want all these groups to grow together. Otherwise, you’re forever weeding.”

Some spring bloomers, such as columbine and bleeding heart, are ephemeral, meaning they die back quickly. “They don’t live all summer,”

says Hentschel. “That’s just their nature.

They are going to go away.” It’s best to pair ephemerals with plants that will last longer in the garden. “Early spring ephemerals are native plants like bloodroot, trout lilies and Virginia bluebells,” says Samantha Peckham, perennial garden supervisor for Cantigny Park in Winfield.

“They bloom very early and then go dormant. They are nice companion plants for hostas and grasses.”

The Cantigny gardens are undergoing a major renovation this fall, which should result in an amazing display of flowers come late March or early April, depending on the weather. “We will be incorporating a lot of bulbs,” Peckham says. “We will have a long perennial border that we will plant this fall with crocus and daffodils and another section with a big planting of tulips and perennializing bulbs.” Bulbs that multiply naturally are “great for home gardeners. You only have to plant them once.” She favors grape hyacinth for their “pretty, bright indigo blue clusters, which can naturalize in a lawn area,” as well as “scilla and glory of the Photo courtesy of Cantigny Park

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s autumn arrives, the gardener’s attention typically turns to mums, pansies and other fall favorites. But this is also the perfect time to plant spring bulbs and spring-flowering perennials. In fact, spring bulbs need to go through the cold winter weather in order to bloom in the spring. If you’ve had problems with pesky squirrels eating your tulip bulbs, or visions of a springblooming garden that didn’t work out as planned, local experts have the solutions.

TULIPS

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Photo courtesy of Cantigny Park

Spring Ahead! snow, which work really well under mature trees.”

The Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe will also have a massive bulb display in the spring. “We have thousands of bulbs in the Bulb Garden and plant thousands more every year,” says Helen Bartlett, assistant horticulturist in the Bulb Garden. The best time to visit to see spring bloomers will be April and May into early June.

Although bulbs are the stars of the spring garden, Bartlett acknowledges that they can be quite difficult. “In my own personal experience, I would consider them annuals.” In other words, if you want to make sure you have tulips in the spring, don’t depend on last spring’s bulbs, plant new ones. Another option she suggests is to select a “species tulip,” which is a smaller version of the flower with a propensity to bloom for several years running.

When to Plant October is a good time to plant bulbs.

“The soil is still warm and you want bulbs to produce some roots,” says

CROCUS

Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. “We usually don’t have problems with top growth of bulbs. If the soil is cold, the plants may not get established.”

The same holds true for springflowering perennials. “There are two schools of thought on planting perennials in the fall,” says Karl Batschke, global products manager for Darwin Perennials, a subsidiary of West Chicago-based Ball Horticulture. “With the cool night temperatures and better rains, it’s a good

Inspiration and Resources for Spring Blooms Annual Bulb Sale

Nov. 12, 1 - 2 p.m. Free.

The Morton Arboretum, Lisle

Call 630 377-6288 to register.

Sept. 30 to Oct. 31, while supplies last,

See how to plant a beautiful bulb

10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Dozens of varieties of

container for spring blooms and

Dutch bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils,

learn how to force bulbs indoors

alliums, crocus, fritillaria and more

and care for them over the winter.

will be on sale in the Arboretum store.

Educational Resources Fall Bulb Festival

University of Illinois Extension

Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe

Visit web.extension.illinois.edu

Oct. 6 to 8, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Some

and search on spring bulbs or

280 varieties of spring bulbs will

call a Master Gardener for help.

be available for purchase, including

Cook County: 773 768-7779

hard-to-find varieties, mums, asters,

DuPage County: 630 955-1123

amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus,

Kane County: 630 584-6166

along with live music, a harvest market,

Kendall County: 630 553-5823

activities for kids and 20 local vendors of food and other goodies.

The Morton Arboretum Plant Clinic Visit or call 630 719-2424 for help

Bulb Container Demo

with selecting plants or identifying

Heinz Brothers Greenhouse, St. Charles

gardening problems.

time for new plants to get established,” particularly lawns, shrubs and trees.

Planting perennials, however, can be “hit or miss. When they go to sleep for the winter, they go completely dormant.”

He suggests buying larger perennial plants in two- or three-gallon containers, rather than smaller plants, which have “a lot less root support.”

For spring 2018, Darwin Perennials will be shipping a variety of perennial candytuft, an early spring flowering plant with white blooms, which will have a “longer than typical flowering time.”

He also points to Darwin’s Rose Marvel salvia as a spring bloomer with “larger flowers in a deep, rich rose color.”

Hentschel recommends a number of spring-blooming perennials for our area, including rock cress, bergenia, creeping phlox, lungwort and hellebores, otherwise known as Christmas or Lenten rose.

This fall, garden centers will be discounting perennial plants as the growing season draws to a close, so you may find some great bargains.

If you have included perennials in a container planting for the summer, you can replant them in the ground so that they have a better chance of making it through the winter.

For spring planting, when the supply of spring-blooming perennials at garden centers will be larger, Batschke says, “I’ve always used April 15 as a starting date” for planting perennials. “When they see perennials in the local garden center, they’re able to plant them.”

Care and Feeding To fertilize or not to fertilize is the question. “When planting for the first time, it’s the one and only opportunity to amend the soil and provide nutrients,” says Hentschel. “Adding organic matter as you are planting is very helpful.”

Some people like to put bone meal in the ground when planting bulbs, which may not be absolutely necessary.

“A bulb contains everything it needs: energy, foliage, flower and root,” he says. “A rule of thumb is the bigger

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Photo courtesy of Ball Horticulture Photo courtesy of Chicago Botanic Garden

Rose Marvel salvia

Crocus chrysanthus Photo courtesy of The Morton Arboretum

the bulb, the deeper it goes. Two to three times the diameter of the bulb is the depth it should be planted for permanent plantings.”

“When planting late in the season, it’s important to do a good job with mulch and watering,” advises Peckham.

“I really like to use composted leaf mulch.”

Perhaps the biggest threats to spring bulbs are chipmunks and squirrels, which find tulip and crocus bulbs too tasty to resist. “One trick I learned is to get the bulbs in as late as possible, which will help to deter some of the critters,” Peckham says. “I like to use an organic fertilizer, Milorganite. Rodents don’t like the smell.” She suggests digging a hole for the bulb and mixing in Milorganite with the soil, followed by another layer of Milorganite on top of the soil.

Some gardeners go so far as to put chicken wire underneath the soil or a wire mesh on top of the soil to discourage critters from digging down to the bulbs.

Colorblends, a wholesale flower bulb company, suggests using cheap window screens on top of the soil, which can serve the same purpose without all the fuss.

Use rocks to anchor the screens, keep them on until the ground freezes hard and then remove them. Any type of barrier needs to be removed before spring to allow the plants to come up through the ground.

Fall is a good time to divide and replant perennials that have become overgrown, as well as naturalizing bulbs like daffodils and plants that grow from corms, tubers and crowns, such as peonies and iris, which have gotten too crowded.

“The most important thing is watering,” says Yiesla of fall plantings or transplants. “You need the roots to be established.”

In the spring, it’s important to keep the foliage on the bulbs until they have bloomed and died back completely, as that process provides the nutrients needed for the next spring’s blooms.

When properly designed, planted and maintained, your yard can put on a magnificent spring flower show year after year. n

Clematis ‘Evione’

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When Play

Hurts

Local Physicians Raise the Bar in Treating Sports Injuries

By Denise Linke

I

t happens nearly seven million times each year across the country.

One second an athlete is racing up the court or down the field, fueled by the thrill of chasing the ball, making the play and winning the game. The next second, that same athlete is on the ground, clutching an injured joint or a pounding head, gasping with pain and wondering how it all suddenly went so wrong.

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As Americans turn to sports for fitness and recreation, more of them end up in medical clinics and emergency rooms with serious sports-related injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Fortunately, sports medicine practitioners are rising to the challenge, coming up with new techniques to repair injuries and new protocols to prevent them.

For example, baseball pitchers from Little League to the major leagues will soon know when to step off the mound before they damage their shoulders, thanks to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Pietro Tonino, director of sports medicine at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.

Tonino is collaborating with a team of Italian orthopedic surgeons to develop the XBus Kit, a computerized tracking system that detects signs of fatigue in working pitchers before they become visible to coaches’ eyes. A recent study of the portable system using Chicago-area college pitchers proved its effectiveness at reducing injury risk.

“Baseball pitchers are the ‘poster child’ of preventable shoulder injuries,” says Tonino. “When a pitcher gets tired, his scapular-humeral (shoulder blade-upper arm) rhythm is disrupted, which puts strain on the shoulder, elbow and wrist.

Coaches are looking to improve their pitchers’ performance through sheer repetition, but for some players that just disrupts their scapular-humeral rhythm faster and makes them more likely to sustain joint damage, usually at the shoulder.”

Until the XBus Kit hits the market — and becomes affordable for amateur leagues and schools — Tonino recommends that coaches pay careful attention to even slight changes in the way their pitchers’ arms and shoulders move while pitching, and not respond to complaints of pain by telling them to “work through it.” If a pitcher reports post-game pain bad enough to disrupt sleep, not being able to lift his pitching arm above his head, or soreness that lasts more than two days, it’s time for him to let his shoulder heal.

“These are life-lasting injuries that

can affect people’s health,” Tonino says.

“Even the best surgical procedures don’t restore young athletes to the status they had before their injuries. It’s much better to take preventive measures that avoid the injuries to begin with.”

When rest and physical therapy alone won’t restore lost function after an injury, sometimes patients must resort to surgery.

Even then, new techniques and technology can give them more hope for an active life than they could have expected even five years ago. Dr. Vishal Mehta pioneered a cutting-edge cartilage regeneration procedure at Fox Valley Orthopedics’

— a human-produced protein that forms scabs over cuts and scrapes to promote healing — gives the new cells a scaffold to keep them aligned with neighboring cartilage cells.

“This is similar to the way coral grows,” Mehta says. “The mesh and fibrin give the grafted cells something to grow into, like new coral develops on dead coral branches.” It has worked so well over the past two-and-a-half years that surgeons are now using it to regenerate cartilage in the foot and ankle, and are studying how to apply it to hip cartilage injuries.

Unfortunately, most patients who

As Americans turn to sports for fitness and recreation, more of them end up in medical clinics and emergency rooms with serious sports-related injuries.

Geneva clinic in 2014 that is now being performed on hundreds of patients throughout the world.

“The cartilage layers that cover the ends of the upper and lower leg bones are smoother than two ice cubes rubbed together,” the orthopedic surgeon explains.

“When they get damaged, even just a small crack, they can wear each other down, causing more damage and knee pain.”

While surgeons can replace damaged cartilage layers with grafts from cadavers, the waiting list is long because the donor layers must exactly fit the recipients’ bone contours, Mehta says. So he worked with AlloSource, a nonprofit donor bank whose board he sits on, to develop an alternate treatment.

Cartilage regeneration works by replacing damaged sections of the patient’s existing cartilage with a mixture of live cartilage cells from cadavers and growth factors, such as vitamins and hormones, that stimulate the cells to reproduce. Small holes poked into the bone end underneath the cartilage let stem cells rise into the affected area to help fill in the gap, and a laser-etched fine mesh coated with fibrin

request the procedure don’t qualify for it.

“I spend more time talking people out of this surgery than I spend performing it,” says Mehta. “It’s only meant to treat focal cartilage lesions in otherwise healthy cartilage tissue. If you have arthritis in your knee, it’s not going to work and you’ll only be in more pain.” To benefit from cartilage regeneration, patients must be younger than 50, at or near normal weight, and have no abnormalities in their ligaments, he adds.

Sometimes children destroy their anterior cruciate ligaments so thoroughly that they can’t continue in their sport without surgery. In the past that usually meant waiting until their late teens, after their leg bones had finished growing and the growth plates had fused to the bones.

Dr. Steven Chudik, though, has developed a surgical technique to replace torn ACLs that spares the growth plates so that children can get the knee stability they need to keep developing as athletes.

“I started developing this procedure over 10 years ago, and I’ve had lots of good success with it. The youngest patient I’ve replaced an ACL for was age eight,” says Chudik, an orthopedic surgeon

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When Play Hurts with Hinsdale Orthopedics.

The technique works, Chudik says, because he tailors it to each patient’s physiology. “When I make a new ligament, I make sure I place it exactly where the old one used to be,” he explains.

“I make tunnels in the bone and insert the ligament ends in them so that the bone heals around them. That keeps the ligaments in the proper alignment and protects the growth plates.”

Now Chudik is working on a way to attach the ligaments without tunneling into the bone. “Tunnels cause more pain and longer rehabilitation times, and they might complicate future surgeries,” he says. “Instead of 18-month recovery times, patients could recover in six months. That’s a big deal for young athletes, especially if they’re trying

to get athletic scholarships.”

As more people of all ages opt for ACL replacement surgery, more of them are experiencing post-surgical arthrofibrosis, in which an excessive amount of scar tissue at the surgery site makes moving the joint painful and difficult.

“Arthrofibrosis is a fancy way of saying that someone has a stiff joint,” observes Dr. Vijay Thangamani, an orthopedic surgeon with DuPage Medical Group.

“It’s relatively uncommon, but when it happens it can cause a lot of other problems if we don’t control it.” Without treatment, arthrofibrosis can weaken leg muscles, shorten the tendon that holds the kneecap in place and damage the kneecap itself, requiring more surgery to let the patient walk normally.

The first step in sparing patients the

Concussion Repercussions On a bitterly cold January afternoon in 2016, 15-year-old “Geraldine” was walking home from her suburban high

pain and disability of arthrofibrosis is teaching doctors and physical therapists how to recognize it. “The sooner we know that it’s there, the faster and better patients will recover from it,” Thangamani says.

The American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons presented a seminar on arthrofibrosis at its May conference.

Patients at risk of developing arthrofibrosis after knee surgery should start physical therapy as soon as possible, Thangamani recommends. “We want to break up the scar tissue before it forms,” he explains. “We try to get patients into therapy the same day as their surgeries.

An anesthesiologist gives them a nerve block that lasts 24 to 36 hours so they can start their therapy with little or no pain.”

One recently examined preventive measure to avoid injuries on the playing

get to him, he’s fine. Other kids barely get bumped and they have horrendous symptoms that last for months.”

Once commonly described as a bruising of brain tissue,

school when she slipped on the icy sidewalk and fell

concussion is now defined as “a traumatic brain injury that

backward, hitting her head. While she thought she was fine

affects your brain function,” according to the Mayo Clinic’s

at first, by the time she arrived at her evening volleyball

website. Some researchers postulate that sharp impacts

practice, the club’s athletic trainer immediately recognized

to the skull sometimes break or damage nerve connections

the early signs of concussion — dizziness, fatigue, slurred speech and acting dazed. He called her parents, who took her to the emergency room, where a doctor confirmed the diagnosis.

What that doctor couldn’t tell

within the brain, rendering segments of the brain inaccessible until those connections are rebuilt. Whatever damage the brain sustains from a concussion, most treatment plans focus on giving

Geraldine or her family was how severe

the body enough time and rest

the concussion was or how long it would

to heal the brain itself. For years,

take for her brain to heal. “It’s hard

that meant that patients were

to manage people’s expectations

commonly restricted to lying in

about their concussion or their children’s concussions because there’s no good way to tell at first how serious it is,” explains Dr. Larissa Pavone, a pediatric physiatrist at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Center in Wheaton. “There’s a

a dark room, sometimes for weeks, to avoid stressing the brain with visual images. Recent research, though, shows that helping patients ease back into school or work sooner helps speed their recovery, says

lot of research now focusing on what concussion actually

Dr. Nathaniel Jones, director of Loyola University Medical Center’s

is and how best to treat it. We’re still trying to define what

new multidisciplinary concussion treatment program. “We

we’re seeing.”

try to get kids back to school earlier, even if they can’t fully

Dr. Julio Gonzalez agrees. “Most doctors don’t grade concussions anymore,” says Gonzalez, a sports medicine physician with DuPage Medical Group. “From a clinical

participate yet, because it helps prevent psychological issues that interfere with healing,” he explains.

While Geraldine wasn’t ordered to bed for weeks, her

perspective, it’s not useful because it doesn’t accurately

recurring headaches and sensitivity to light kept her home

predict patient outcomes. Sometimes you see a kid take a hit

from school for nearly a month. “She spent a lot of time in

and you think he’s not going to be conscious, but when you

the basement ‘listening’ to TV with a blanket over her head,”

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field flies in the face of what coaches and doctors have been telling athletes for decades.

“People hear all the time that when they’re exercising or playing a sport that they should drink lots of liquids so they don’t get dehydrated. But over-hydration is a much more dangerous situation than dehydration,” says Dr. James Winger, a Loyola sports medicine doctor who co-wrote the latest international sports hydration guidelines, recently published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.

Over-hydration dilutes the blood, which harms the body in two ways.

First, it drops the average level of sodium in the blood to dangerously low levels.

Symptoms of mild hyponatremia (abnormally low blood sodium) include dizziness, lightheadedness and nausea;

“We try to get patients into physical therapy the same day as their surgeries. We want to break up the scar tissue before it forms.” the more advanced stages add vomiting, headaches, mental confusion, seizures and coma.

As the condition progresses, the excess water separates from the blood and leaks through the thin walls of small blood vessels. Once outside the circulatory system, the water floods permeable organs, particularly the brain and the lungs.

Without emergency medical treatment, the soaked organs shut down, sometimes killing the athlete. At least 14 athletes have died of exercise-related hyponatremia in the recent past, according to Winger.

Competitors in endurance sports like rowing, marathons and football run the

reports her mother, “Marie.” When Geraldine’s doctors did

highest risk of hyponatremia, Winger’s studies show. But all athletes can protect themselves by following one simple rule.

“Drink only when you’re thirsty,” he advises. “If you don’t feel thirsty, don’t drink water or sports drinks just because you’re playing or training and you think you should. The medical risks of dehydration are very, very few for healthy athletes, and it’s easy to drink something and rehydrate. The medical risks of over-hydration can be fatal, hard to treat and hard to catch early. Unless you have a sodium meter in your pocket, you won’t realize you’re over-hydrating until you’re in trouble.” n

By that time, the A student had only a few weeks to make

approve her return to class, she was still not allowed to do

up more than a semester’s worth of work in her honors STEM

homework or take tests because she was not symptom-free.

program. “She was making up her first semester finals just a

“Whether to send a child back to school is a very delicate

few weeks before taking second semester finals. It was quite

balance,” maintains Pavone. “An early return is not necessarily

stressful,” Marie recalls. “We hired a math tutor, as her math

a bad thing if the patient’s symptoms are properly managed.

teacher emphasized how important it was that she really

But sometimes that requires compromises, like letting a child

learn the material and required Geraldine to make up every

attend class and be with friends without letting him or her use

homework assignment, quiz and test. Fortunately, to give her

electronics like computers or phones.”

extra time to catch up the therapist didn’t clear her for gym

When Geraldine was still experiencing balance problems two months after her fall, her school’s athletics trainer

at all so she could go to a special study hall instead.”

Despite the challenges Geraldine’s recovery presented,

recommended that she try vestibular therapy to restore the

she finished the school year with her A average intact and her

link between her eyes, inner ear and cerebellum. Disrupting

place in the school’s competitive STEM program secure. And

that link interferes with the brain’s ability to sense how the

she didn’t even object to sitting out the rest of her volleyball

body is oriented in its surrounding space, which in turn

club’s season — unlike many other high school athletes and

prevents proper balance.

their parent who resist giving up the chance to pursue a coveted

At Marianjoy, vestibular therapy begins with an exam by a neuro-optometrist, says physiatrist Dr. Sara Padalik. “A blow

college athletic scholarship.

“Before returning to sports, a child has to be asymptomatic,”

to the back or the side of the head can weaken one or more

Pavone asserts.“There may be a lot of pressure (from parents

of the ocular muscles [which control eyeball movement],”

or coaches), but if a child can’t make it through the school day

she explains. “Even a small change in how the eyes move

without symptoms, he or she doesn’t belong on the playing field.”

can confuse the brain because the images it gets from the eyes aren’t quite right.”

In most cases, vestibular therapy retrains the brain to

“We tell parents that the most important thing is to make sure their child’s brain is fully recovered before the child resumes participating in sports, and seeing how well the child

correctly interpret the visual and inner ear clues it needs to

handles school helps us gauge how his or her recovery is

maintain balance. The process involves a series of orientation

progressing,” Gonzalez adds. “A lot of emotional issues arise

exercises and, sometimes, a new eyeglass prescription,

when a patient is cut off from sports and social activities,

Padalik says. Geraldine spent about six weeks in vestibular

but we don’t know all the long-term effects of concussion

therapy before her balance was restored and she was allowed

yet. We’re talking about your brain and the rest of your life,

to fully resume her life.

so it makes sense to be cautious and go slowly.”

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Make Your Next Event

Extraordinary

By Sara Pearsaul Vice

W

hether you are planning an intimate dinner for 10 friends, a shower or a family reunion for 50 guests, a business meeting or fundraising gala for 200 or more people, or a wedding celebration for your entire social circle, a special event is all about creating a memorable experience for everyone in attendance. Area experts share their insights into what makes an event of any kind extra special.

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Grand ballroom

y

Photos courtesy of Hilton Lisle/Naperville

Focusing on the Experience If there’s a trend in event planning, it is the emphasis on the experience.

“When people walk into an event, all of the senses should be intrigued, with uplifting décor, the aroma of the food, and what you are seeing, tasting and touching,” says Bonnie Buckley, senior catering manager for the Hilton Lisle/Naperville in Lisle.

She and her team have created elaborate themed parties for the executive administrators who are some of the hotel’s best clients. One year, an Alice in Wonderland theme took guests on a trip to Wonderland, from the teacup place cards at registration to an over-the-top tea party in the ballroom, presided over

by Alice and the Mad Hatter, otherwise known as the hotel’s general manager.

At another event, the Wizard of Oz theme was reflected in the ballroom’s decorations of Munchkin Land, the haunted forest and the Wicked Witch melting on table centerpieces with flying monkeys overhead.

“We give ourselves a day to put it together, but we spend months on it.

Theme parties are always fun,” Buckley says. She acknowledges that most hosts of private parties have neither the time nor the budget to create such extravagant set-ups, but themes can be conveyed in less expensive ways, such as the use of a color scheme or a special backdrop.

According to Rowena Felix Salas, general manager of the Hotel Baker in St. Charles, the vintage atmosphere of the hotel’s 1928 architecture lends itself to Great Gatsby and other period themes, including weddings where the bridesmaids’ attire reflects the Roaring 20s. At one Halloween wedding, even the guests came in costume. “It was fun.

It was wild,” she recalls.

Even without a theme, special touches can make memories. Salas

At the Westin Chicago Northwest in Itasca, the hotel’s recently renovated spaces — to the tune of $14 million — are being used in creative ways for special events. Diane Howard, director of sales and marketing, notes that the wide-open atrium area is a good spot for silent auctions for fundraisers or as a unique environment for entertaining.

“We’ve seen our atrium re-created into a Paris street scene, with backdrops, lighting, color and sound,” she says.

Outdoor spaces are also popular for special events. The Westin offers a year-round outdoor tent overlooking Hamilton Lakes, which can be used for formal events, such as cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at a black-tie party, or casual cookouts held in conjunction with 5K races.

Mixing Business with Pleasure

Wizard of Oz theme at Hilton Lisle/Naperville

observes that Millennials like to offer a specialty cocktail at their events, while others offer special attractions, such as an artist creating a painting during a fundraising event, which will be auctioned off for charity at the end of the evening.

Jenna Sayers, event sales manager at St. Andrews Golf and Country Club in West Chicago, notes that the days of DJs and recorded music are fading. “A lot of people are going to live music,” she says.

A 50th anniversary celebration at the club featured a harpist, while Sayers is seeing more three-piece ensembles for wedding ceremonies.

While business meetings are not usually associated with having fun, now the most serious meetings are making the experience more enjoyable and interactive. According to Tamara Roberts, manager of meetings for the American College of Surgeons, “Even though it is a scientific, educational meeting, we are creating elements of fun.”

The 120 events that the association holds each year range from small committee meetings to the annual Clinical Congress, where as many as 15,000 people attend. To encourage attendee interaction, meeting planners are employing social media and creating gathering spaces “where people can really have more face-to-face time.”

For example, they may feature a keynote speaker in a coffee-break area, where people can ask questions and the interaction can be streamed live to devices and screens throughout the convention center. “It’s an opportunity

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Photo courtesy of the Westin Chicago Northwest

Photo courtesy of Hotel Baker

Special Events, Galas and Celebrations

Elegantly appointed banquet spaces at Hotel Baker in St. Charles (top) and the Westin Chicago Northwest in Itasca (bottom) can accommodate a wide range of special events.

for attendees to feel like they are part of the meeting,” Roberts says. The organization also has added an evening reception with a Taste of the City theme, which celebrates the location of the event each year. In Washington, D.C., attendees could get their photos taken at a replica of the Lincoln Memorial, take flamenco dancing lessons in the Embassy Row section, or sign the College of Surgeon’s Pledge of Membership.

At west suburban hotels, business meetings are often combined with fundraising efforts for the community, team-building programs and activities like golf or fitness events. The Hilton chain has rolled out a “Meet with

Purpose” initiative that encourages business clients to hold meetings that are mindful of the environment, offer healthier food choices, and provide breaks with time to regroup.

Developing Custom Menus Perhaps the most important element of a successful event is the food. While venues offer a set menu for banquets and weddings, they also are willing to customize the menu to meet the needs of the guests and the party hosts.

“A really big trend right now is managing food allergies,” Sayers observes.

When people ask for gluten free foods, she wants to know whether a person

is dealing with celiac disease or if they are just watching their carbohydrates.

In order to accommodate all guests, the catering manager needs to know of such concerns ahead of time, especially when it comes to peanut allergies, which require special sanitation measures. At St. Andrews, she says, “Everything is customizable. We have a scratch kitchen.

It doesn’t hurt to ask” for exactly what you want, adds Sayers.

Local venues such as the Hotel Baker are seeing a move toward events that feature heavy hors d’oeuvres rather than plated dinners. Although the food costs are similar, Salas notes that a “grazing environment” allows people to mingle and makes room for more people in the venue, since the set-up usually involves fewer tables and chairs.

At the Westin in Itasca, Howard is seeing more interest in holding social events in restaurant settings, rather than conference rooms. Their sports bar and fine dining restaurant both have private dining rooms that can seat up to 20 people, and the entire restaurants can also be rented out for the evening.

Taking Tips from the Pros The real secret to a successful event is advance planning. Venue managers suggest planning your event several months or more ahead of the date.

Nailing down a date and a venue is especially important at busy times, such as the holidays or during wedding season.

Roberts advises, “Be flexible with the date. You may be able to be placed in a hole in the hotel’s schedule,” which can save considerably on costs. “Be sure to ask a lot of questions upfront, such as, ‘Are there exclusive vendors?’”

Understanding the venue’s policies from the outset can avoid surprises down the road.

When negotiating with a catering manager on a special event at a hotel

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or restaurant, it is important to come prepared with both a budget and a list of must-haves for the event. “If people have a vision, it really helps,” Buckley says. “You really have to be open. Some people think that sales people are in it to sell, sell, sell. But their budget is their budget.” She says they can work with people whether they want to spend a little or a lot on the meal. For example, a regular house salad can be served instead of a seasonal salad to save money that can be used on something more important to the host, such as a special dessert.

Of course, fundraising event planners have to manage the budget so that donations can be maximized.

“Committee members who are volunteering for an annual gala want it to be big and fabulous, but we know there is a budget,” says Howard.

“Catering works closely with novice planners on their price point and what the chef can do.”

At the Hotel Baker and other venues, the catering staff helps with the overall event planning. “We become the event coordinators,” Salas says. “We make sure everything is detailed out.” She notes that some hosts hire independent event planners, particularly for weddings, to coordinate both the venue and the vendors involved. For those who prefer to plan the event themselves, the Hotel Baker and other venues can provide a list of local, preferred vendors who are familiar with the venue.

Sayers advises event hosts to look for attention to detail, and “#1 is customer service, how they are being treated,” before choosing a venue.

Above all, says Buckley, “Rely on a professional to be your trusted advisor.

Establish a relationship so you become partners in the success of your event.

Whether it is large or small, you care about your event, and so do we.” n WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | OCTOBER 2017 55

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A Sampling of Top West Suburban Venues for

Special Events, Galas and Celebrations Venue

Largest Event Space Size/Seating

ABbingTon Distinctive Banquets 15,000 sq ft; divides into three 3S002 IL-53, Glen Ellyn 630 942-8600 www.abbingtonbanquets.com

ballrooms/1,300 seated

Additional Spaces

Hotel Rooms

North/South ballrooms (350), Center ballroom (225), Foyer, Patio, Bridal Room

Not on site (within 1 mile)

Description Sophisticated ambiance, with gorgeous table settings, dazzling chandeliers, marble bar and gleaming maple wood dance floors.

Arranmore Farm & Polo Club 34 Rance Rd, Oswego 630 884-8271 www.arranmorefarmandpoloclub.com

Outdoor space, featuring Blue Peak event tents in multiple sizes/ 50 – 600-plus seated

Arrowhead Golf Club

5,305-sq-ft ballroom/ 275 seated

Clocktower (40), Champions Room (40), Sun Room (30), Conference Room (20)

Not on-site; shuttle provided

A stone and brick clubhouse with panoramic views, three balconies, French glass doors, picture windows, vaulted ceilings, a hardwood dance floor and a cocktail reception area.

Grand View banquet hall/ 80 seated

Outdoor Event Tent (150) with 22-ft ceiling, windows and walls; only available April to October

None

Elegant and picturesque Grand View banquet room offers lovely views of Boughton Ridge Golf Course with state-of-the-art audio visual equipment, a full bar and an outdoor patio.

230 seated

Open-air verandah available for receptions or ceremonies (180 standing)

Not on site; shuttle provided

A rustic yet elegant and traditional ballroom featuring an outdoor veranda and scenic pond views with fountain and lush landscaping.

Bloomingdale Golf Club

Banquet room (divides into three spaces)/ 200-plus seated

Veranda and outdoor cocktail reception area

None

A sophisticated venue featuring large windows and an outdoor reception area with sweeping views of the golf course.

Bolingbrook Golf Club

8,025-sq-ft grand ballroom (divides into smaller ballrooms)/ 900 seated

Rose Garden outdoor venue (300)

Two luxury bridal suites

Elegant ballroom spaces with customizable wood dance floors. Access available to verandas and Hearth Room with two-story fireplace.

Discovery Center houses two banquet facilities/300 seated in Savannah Room; 80 seated in Founders Room; Bocaditos banquet room with hardwood dance floor and stunning balcony views/150 seated

Riverside Lobby reception area (150 standing); tented outdoor space in The Pavilions (500, 200 or 150 seated in three pavilion spaces)

None; several options within 10-mile radius

A tranquil setting in lush grounds, with the unique experience of Cocktails with the Animals, photos in the sculpted gardens with zoo animals, live entertainment, a dance floor and outstanding food.

Chicago Marriott Naperville

7,108-sq-ft Grand Ballroom/ 600 seated; 4,100-sq-ft Naper Ballroom/225 seated Both rooms can be divided

Foyer, 2 pre-function rooms (330/140 standing); 2 boardrooms; Multiple meeting rooms

Yes; block booking available

Beautifully landscaped grounds and extravagant ballrooms equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows in the Naper Ballroom and 18-ft ceilings in the Grand Ballroom, perfect for dancing and dining.

Chicago Marriott Southwest at Burr Ridge 1200 Burr Ridge Pkwy,

Grand ballroom/ 500 seated (900 standing)

7 salons (44 –100); 3 conference rooms (30 – 60); 2 boardrooms

Yes; block booking available

Unique spaces, including an outdoor pavilion and several pre-function options. Executive chef creates memorable culinary experiences.

26W151 Butterfield Rd, Wheaton 630 653-5800 www.arrowheadgolfclub.org

Ashbury’s at BougHton Ridge

335 E Boughton Rd, Bolingbrook 630 783-6604 www.boughtonridgegolf.com

Bartlett Hills Golf Club and Banquets 800 W Oneida Ave., Bartlett

630 213-3103 www.bartletthills.com

181 Glen Ellyn Rd., Bloomingdale 630 529-6232 www.bloomingdalegc.com

2001 Rodeo Dr., Bolingbrook 630 771-9400 www.bolingbrookgolfclub.com

Brookfield Zoo 8400 31st St., Brookfield.

708 688-8355 www.czs.org

1801 N Naper Blvd., 630 505-4900 www.chicagomarriottnaperville.com

630 986-4100 www.marriott.com/chisw

By arrangement with Farmhouse and clubhouse spaces Hotel Indigo, located for corporate retreats or small events; five Kentucky-style horse 11 miles away in Naperville barns for photo opportunities

Situated on 300 pristine acres, this stunning blank canvas transforms to accommodate one-of-a-kind events from May to October.

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Venue

Largest Event Space Size/Seating

Additional Spaces

Hotel Rooms

Description

9,000-sq-ft space divides into 3,800-sq-ft ballroom/220 seated; 2,700-sq-ft ballroom/180 seated

Five additional function/meeting rooms; spacious hotel lobby

119 rooms and suites

Hotel offering two large ballrooms in a modern and sophisticated atmosphere.

384-sq-ft Atrium (250 seated)

Smaller spaces include a deck, living room, dining room and porches

None

Historic house on a beautiful 780-acre farm, featuring tile flooring, a wooden dance floor, state-of-the-art lighting, climate control and gorgeous views.

The Drake Oak Brook HOTEL

11,300-sq-ft flexible space/ 600-plus seated; divides into Nagle Ballroom/300 seated, Three Oaks and Flower Room/300 seated, and Colonial Room/120 seated

2,000-sq-ft outdoor patio

84 rooms and suites

Elegant function spaces featuring a lighted dance floor, natural lighting through large windows, easy access to golf courses and fine dining options.

Eaglewood Resort & Spa

7,120-sq-ft ballroom/588 seated

Function rooms, pavilion, patio, rooftop terrace

285 rooms and suites

Spaces range from regal ballrooms to a rooftop terrace, all against a stunning backdrop of rolling greens, majestic trees and sparkling lakes.

Harry’s Ballroom 6,105-sq-ft/ 350 seated; divides into 10 breakout spaces

Foyer, banquet lobby and outdoor terrace

500 guest rooms in Westin Hotel

Ballroom with dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows and a neutral color palette make it a premier wedding and special event venue. The space also features state-of-the-art audio visual capabilities, 15-ft ceilings, room darkening shades and themed uplighting.

Crowne Plaza Lombard Downers Grove 1250 Roosevelt Rd. 630 629-6000 www.cpglenellyn.com

Danada House

3S501 Naperville Rd., 630 668-5392 www.danadahouse.com

2301 York Rd. 630 571-0000 www.thedrakeoakbrookhotel.com

1401 Nordic Rd, Itasca 630 773 1400 www.eaglewoodresort.com

Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse Lombard

70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard 630 953-3400 www.harrycarays.com

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Special Events, Galas and Celebrations

Venue

Largest Event Space Size/Seating

Additional Spaces

Hotel Rooms

3,075-sq-ft, divisible into three spaces/150 seated

Luxury spa; meeting rooms

61 rooms

A boutique hotel that blends the elegance and c harm of a luxury European inn with exceptional service and exquisite cuisine. A large banquet room, featuring exposed brick and stunning water views, can be divided for more intimate events.

10,000-sq-ft Twinleafs Rooms, designed to break out into three configurations/150 seated

Outdoor picnic pavilion with fireplace; spacious lobby

None

A unique faciily on 138 acres of woodlands and savannah and featuring 20’ floor-to-ceiling windows plus beautiful outdoor settings.

Over 10,000 sq ft, with flexible indoor and outdoor options/60-90 seated, depending on space

Three on-site restaurants and bars; small event rooms (10-20)

308 rooms

A stunning 260-acre property just 14 miles from O’Hare Airport combines hospitality with a natural setting in the vast landscape of Midwest prairie.

5,300-sq-ft Regency Ballroom/ 360 seated

23 meeting rooms, additional ballroom

309 rooms

Award-winning hotel only 27 miles from Chicago offering exquisite dining in a tranquil suburban location just a short drive from O’Hare and Midway Airports.

Two ballrooms and multiple event spaces available for private parties.

Hotel Arista

15,000 sq ft including 4,844 sq-ft Grand Ballroom/ 300 seated

Santorini Room (120), Cyprus Room (40) and Athens/Mykonos (50)

Yes; room block booking available

Award-winning hotel with spaces for receptions and other functions, with green event specialists, catering, additional outdoor space, Executive Chef-driven menus and state-ofthe-art AV, lighting and digital technology.

Hotel Baker

Rainbow Room

Rose garden; boathouse, waterfront ballroom and patio

53 rooms and suites

Charming historic hotel offers the epitome of all things luxurious with elegant guest rooms and suites, state of the art amenities, distinctive dining and lounge venues and a beautiful riverside view.

Hotel Indigo

4,158 sq ft/ 400 seated

Elegant lobby; luxury spa

158 rooms/37 suites

Boutique hotel offers timeless charm in the vibrant Riverwalk neighborhood, with connections to Naperville’s history. Wedding ceremonies are available through Naper Settlement’s Century Memorial Chapel.

47,000 sq ft of indoor and outdoor event spaces including 5,100-sq-ft Prairie Ballroom/300

Grand Oaks Pavilion (200), 1,000-sq-ft Q-Room (60); spa, fitness areas, volleyball court and jogging trails

218 rooms

Perfect for intimate gatherings or a grand banquet, the Hyatt Lodge offers wedding and event professionals, a wide array of catering menu options and elegant venues for all events.

Old Central Church (500 seated), Victorian Ballroom (300 seated)

Mansion Drawing Room (90), Mansion Courtyard (140), Outdoor tented ballroom (300)

None

National historic landmark features old Victorian charm and furnishings as well as a variety of meal and entertainment options.

Main restaurant (300 seated)

Pavilion (330), 8 private dining rooms, patio

None

Mansion offering eight elegantly decorated dining rooms featuring oak beams, lace curtains and original architecture as well as lushly landscaped grounds.

Century Memorial Chapel (175 guests)

Beautiful outdoor museum grounds with unique historic architecture

None

Non-denominational chapel built in 1864, highlighting the Gothic Revival style of architecture.

Herrington Inn & Spa

15 S River Ln, Geneva 630 208-7433 www.herringtoninn.com

Hickory Knolls Discover Center 3795 Campton Hills Rd, St. Charles 630 513-4345 www.stcnature.org

HIlton Chicago Indian Lakes 250 W Schick Rd, Bloomingdale 630-529-0200 www3.hilton.com

Hilton Lisle/Naperville 3003 Corporate West Dr., Lisle 630 505-0900 www3.hilton.com

2139 City Gate Ln, Naperville 630 579-4100 www.hotelarista.com

100 W Main St., St Charles 630 584-2100 www.hotelbaker.com

120 Water St., Naperville 630 778-9676 www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/

Hyatt Lodge at McDonald’s Campus 2815 Jorie Blvd, Oak Brook 630 568-1234

Jacob Henry Mansion Estate 20 S Eastern Ave, Joliet 815 722-1420 www.jacobhenrymansion.com

Mesón Sabika

1025 Aurora Ave, Naperville 630 983-3000 www.mesonsabika.com

Naper Settlement

523 S Webster St., Naperville 630 420-61010 www.napersettlement.org

Description

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Venue

Largest Event Space Size/Seating

Additional Spaces

Hotel Rooms

Ballroom (400 seated)

Auditorium (180); atrium (300), computer labs, breakout rooms and meeting rooms

None

College offering flexible set-ups in modern, sun-lit meeting rooms and auditoriums as well as IACC-certified spaces designed for learning.

Flexible reception hall divides into two unique spaces: The River Room and The Upper Level/270 seated

Outdoor courtyard Private bridal room

Available at nearby Herrington Inn & Spa

Historic building combined with beautiful views and quaint dĂŠcor in a warm and welcoming environment, featuring distinctive cuisine available through the culinary team.

St. Andrews Golf & Country Club

St. Andrews Room/275 seated (expandable to 375 when extended to Trophy Room)

Trophy Room (100), 19th Hole Room (45)

None

Beautiful banquet and reception halls overlooking the picturesque 32-acre wooded golf course and equipped with fireplaces, original hardwood floors and a large covered outdoor patio.

Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center

The Great Hall /200 seated; Starved Rock Room/120 seated Canyonside Cabin/30 seated is ideal for intimate ceremonies

Outdoor Sunrise Shelter (200) Four meeting or function rooms, seating 12 – 60, depending on room choice and layout

69 rooms plus additional cabins

Flexible banquet, special event and meeting spaces, custom catering, team-building activities, and indoor/outdoor recreation and relaxation at this year-round venue.

9,600-sq-ft Grand Ballroom/ 700 seated

31 meeting rooms with banquet seating for up to 1,100, Lakeside Pavilion with terrace

408 rooms

Recently renovated hotel perfectly situated in the beautiful grounds of Hamilton Lakes featuring impeccable service and superb comfort in renovated guest rooms.

Northern Illinois University Naperville Conference Center, 1120 E Diehl Rd, Naperville 815 752-8990 www.niu.edu

Riverside Receptions and Conference Centers

35 N River Ln, Geneva 630 232-1330 www.riversidereceptions.com

2241 IL Rt 59, West Chicago 630 231-3100 www.standrewsgc.com

K2668 E 873 Rd, Oglesby 815 667-4211 www.starvedrockstatepark.org

Westin Chicago Northwest

400 Park Blvd, Itasca 630 773-4000 www.westinchicagonorthwest.com

Description

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LISLE A village with deep roots winds a natural path toward continued growth

By Lynn Petrak

W

alking through downtown Lisle, one comes across a curved path of quaint pavers, lined with perennial plants, bushes and trees.

Set between retail and restaurant buildings and across the street from a new development under the din of construction, the garden path leads from a charming fountain to the scenic Dragonfly Landing and PrairieWalk Pond. The path links commerce and nature, and on another level, it reflects Lisle’s connection to the land, the history and future of which attracts residents and visitors from throughout the Chicago area.

Another symbol that embodies the spirit of Lisle is the tree. Home to the 1,700-acre Morton Arboretum, which draws upwards of a million visitors a year, Lisle is known as The Arboretum Village. This community has strong roots, a steady, sturdy trunk of neighborhoods, businesses and services, and branches and leaves that provide a sheltering canopy to those who venture here.

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Main Street USA: Downtown Lisle From a development and commercial standpoint, Lisle’s downtown district, which begins at Ogden Avenue and Main Street and runs through the area around the railroad tracks, may be smaller than, say, Naperville, but it’s growing and includes new businesses created by those most vested in the community.

One example is a recently opened

The Morton Arboretum is a vast outdoor retreat and also offers year-round exhibits, like the current Glass Pumpkin Patch.

Photos courtesy of Morton Arboretum

“People can grow up, work, go to college, marry, buy a home, downsize, retire and never have to leave Lisle.

We cater to all seasons of life, and people here are friendly, down-to-earth and just want to be ‘Lisle’,” says Catherine Schuster, director of marketing and communications for the Village of Lisle. This community is true to its green roots, too. “Lisle supports sustainability, and that is in line with our brand.”

Analogies aside, Lisle is both old (the first permanent settlement in DuPage County, dating to 1832) and new (officially incorporated in 1956).

It bridges larger suburbs like Naperville and Downers Grove, but boasts its own attractions and character. In addition to the arboretum, there’s a university, several faith-based institutions and schools, a popular annual hot air balloon festival, various corporate headquarters, an expanding downtown and plenty of green spaces.

“Lisle is a unique village — we have so much here, and it’s relatively small, with a population of around 23,400,” says Diane Homolka, executive director of the Lisle Convention and Visitors Bureau.

It is also a convenient place to live, work and visit. “We are equal distance from both Chicago airports and we are at the crossroads of I-88, I-55 and I-294,” Homolka says, adding that the Metra tracks conveniently cut through downtown Lisle.

store The Collective + Makery, billed as a retail store and a creative workshop experience. Its Peony Lounge is a relaxing meeting space for private parties, craftmaking or quiet retreat. The store is run by longtime Lisle residents Jennifer Rizzo and Autumn Geist.

“We love Lisle. We believe it is a hidden gem and that it needed a shop that is curated locally,” says Rizzo.

Indeed, Lisle’s homespun spirit is evident in the non-cookie-cutter nature of its stores, restaurants and entertainment options. Crème de la Crème is a gift and accessories shop that features clothing and jewelry for babies through adults. Pixel Blast Arcade and 4A Song Vinyl and Jukeboxes are distinctive businesses, as is Tu Bella, which provides solutions for hair loss.

The many independent stores in downtown Lisle are reminiscent of main street communities across America, such as Flowers of Lisle, Past Presence Custom Framing, Leo’s Cleaners, Tony the Tailor and, in an It’s a Wonderful Life kind of way, the Lisle Savings Bank, which has been in town for 100 years.

While downtown Lisle doesn’t stretch as far or wide as some other suburban downtown districts, there are eateries for a range of palates. Looking for a sweet treat?

Stop into The Nook for candy, ice cream, coffee or other snacks, and be welcomed with a friendly smile from the proprietor.

Have a hankering for authentic Mexican fare? Yerbabuena Mexican Cuisine serves up authentic dishes, and when it’s nice enough to sit outside, opens a second-level deck. For those who like good hometown grub, The Fox Restaurant on Main Street is known for its food and for the decorative foxes placed here and there throughout the diner-style interior. A newer spot, NWB (Next Whiskey Bar) touts whiskey on both the food and drinks menus and features a host of American comfort-food classics.

Another distinct eatery is Euro-Crêpes and Pizzeria for sweet and savory crêpes, plus pizza with fresh toppings.

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Lisle

As 2017 wanes, ongoing growth is projected for downtown Lisle. Marq on Main, a premier apartment development, is slated to open in the fall of 2018. For the longer term, in 2016 the village facilitated a Downtown Lisle Master Plan to serve as a blueprint for growth over the next decade.

Beyond the downtown area, there are more dining and shopping choices. Along Ogden Ave, for instance, spots like The Bavarian Lodge (see related article on page 68) attract crowds, as do places like Country House, Apolis Greek Street Food and John’s Rib House. Rayme’s Steak and Fish House on Lincoln evokes a Wisconsin supper club with its American-style menu, while Evviva! Bar & Eatery on Front Street is known for Salerno’s pizza.

For those that like to dine with a view, Wheatstack, located inside the clubhouse at River Bend Golf Club, sports a deck overlooking the greens. And Allgauer’s, inside the Hilton Lisle/Naperville hotel, has been a popular fine dining and Sunday brunch destination for many years.

Downtown Lisle reflects the community’s link to the natural world in its layout and features. The natural fountain near the garden path is based on Frank Lloyd Wright’s famed Falling Water development. “Downtown Lisle is refreshingly different — it is filled with grasses and flowers, Frank Lloyd Wrightinspired designs and open areas. The sidewalks are in the soft colors of the

prairie and resemble a Wright window,” says Schuster, citing the district’s natural grasses and leaf imprints in the crosswalks.

Nature’s Wonderland: The Morton Arboretum If the businesses in Lisle represent one side of this village, The Morton Arboretum represents the other. This majestic wilderness is dotted with woodlands, wetlands, prairies, lakes and meadows. The arbors are the proverbial star of the show here, and accordingly, there are numerous species of trees.

Such a treescape, of course, makes this an especially popular place in autumn.

“There’s really nothing like fall at The Morton Arboretum. Walking through the woods on a sunny day immersed in a sea of vivid yellows, oranges and reds is truly a spectacular experience,” says Anna Cosner, director of retail and events.

In addition to blazing fall foliage, The Morton Arboretum is a source for education and enrichment. “Because we know how stunning the grounds are at this time of year, we’ve designed a full slate of programs for people to take part in,” says Cosner. “Whether it’s shopping the amazing glass pieces on display at the annual Glass Pumpkin Patch, trying some local brews at the Cider and Ale Festival, or visiting the Children’s Garden for autumn-themed drop-in activities as part of our Trick or Trees program, there are many fun and festive ways

to explore the changing seasons.”

For the upcoming holidays, The Morton Arboretum lights it up with events like the annual holiday lights experience, “Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum,” a holiday wine tasting, and a classical concert series.

There’s also Breakfast with Santa, Supper with St. Nick and a gingerbread tea party.

Throughout the year, visitors can take any number of classes and workshops.

There’s something for all ages, as young as 18 months through adults and seniors.

Popular among first-time visitors are the guided hikes and tours, including a tram tour of the grounds.

As an outdoor museum, the “Arb” as it’s affectionately called, has a gift shop and eatery. The Arboretum Store carries an array of home décor pieces, books and other merchandise. The Ginkgo Restaurant & Café has a breakfast and lunch menu. “You can even purchase an Arboretum beer to enjoy during your visit,” adds Cosner.

Lisle’s moniker as The Arboretum Village extends into village life.

“The Arboretum is committed to reaching out to Lisle and the entire Chicago region to share resources and tools that enable communities to improve the health of their trees. It’s all part of our mission to create a greener, healthier, more beautiful world,” says Cosner, citing resources like the Northern Illinois Tree Selector, which shares tips and

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programs to care and advocate for trees in communities and schools.

Like the newly planted trees in its care, the Arboretum continues to grow.

October marks the completion of a new curatorial and operation center, designed to expand the ability of horticulturists to maintain the grounds.

“The Morton Arboretum’s attendance is ever-growing, having welcomed one million annual guests in 2015 and in 2016,” says Cosner.

The Green Scene: Dragonfly Landing and PrairieWalk Pond The influence and legacy of The

Morton Arboretum has spurred natural growth of the village of Lisle. For example, on the other side of the pathway from Main Street is Dragonfly Landing and PrairieWalk Pond, a 4.5-recreational area with a pond, preserve and native plants and grasses.

As well as being a place of respite, this

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g 2 017 pop – 23,440 g I ncrease from 2000 – 7%% gM edian age – 37.2 g 1 9 and under – 23% g 2 0-24 – 7% g 2 5-34 – 16% g 3 5-44 – 13% g 4 5-54 – 16% g 5 5-64 – 11% g 6 5 and over – 13% gM ale – 49.9% g F emale – 50.1% gW hite – 77.8% gA frican-American – 6% gA sian – 11% gH ispanic – 10%

Education gH igh school degree or higher – 96%

Photo by Ed Ahern

Population

Housing g Total households – 9,170 g Family Households – 59% g Avg. Household Size – 2.3 g Mean Price for Detached Houses – $390,953

g Owner-occupied units – 5,410

g Renter-occupied units – 3,760

g Gross median rent – $1,121

Business/Employment g Bachelor’s degree or higher – 56%

g Graduate or Professional degree – 23%

g Residents Employed – 98% g Residents Unemployed – 2%

g Avg. Travel Time to work – 28 min

Income g Median Household

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

Income – $74,041

natural area is a model of sustainability.

Created with assistance from a grant by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the pond is a storm water retention basin that also serves as a wetland.

There is a recreational aspect to this space, too. A children’s splash pad and play area make it a family hot spot in the summer months. Runners and walkers take advantage of the walking trails.

Rec and Respite: Lisle Park District Other open natural spaces abound in Lisle, situated as it is on the watershed of the east branch of the DuPage River.

The Lisle Park District, for its part, maintains 500 acres within the community, more than 100 acres of which is in the aptly named Community Park, both a hub of activity and a gathering spot.

Community Park offers pond fishing, sledding hills and trails, as well as an indoor fitness center and the Sea Lion Aquatic Park. Like the Arboretum, the park is especially lovely this time of year.

“It’s pretty well known in town as a great place to just walk or visit, and it’s really pretty in the fall,” says Tiffany Kosartes, marketing and communications specialist for the Lisle Park District.

The Lisle Park District also oversees

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

the River Bend Golf Club on Route 53, one of the top-rated nine-hole courses in the area. The golf course is scenic, too, with greens complemented by wetlands and water features.

History Meets Education: Museums at Lisle Station Park The Lisle Park District operates another village attraction ­— the Museums at Lisle Station Park. While there is green space here, this park is known for its historic structures where guests can learn about early agricultural life in the area. People can even take classes on blacksmithing at the on-site blacksmith shop.

Other buildings here include the Netzley-Yender Farmhouse built in 1855, the Beaubien Tavern/Inn that was located on Old Plank Road (now Ogden Avenue), a train caboose car and a station depot first constructed in 1874 and moved in the 1970s.

Various special events take place at the Museums at Lisle Station Park throughout the year, including Depot Days held in September, where visitors can check out a blacksmithing demo and take classes, in addition to enjoying food and drink. During the holidays, the Park District presents Once Upon a Christmas here.

What’s Up? Eyes to the Skies and Other Events While The Morton Arboretum draws a million visitors a year, Lisle also attracts crowds for its special events. The biggest of these is the annual Eyes to the Skies Festival around the 4th of July, featuring hot air balloons floating over the festival grounds. In addition to balloon launches, the multi-day event includes a large craft show, carnival and fireworks show. Last year, more than 70,000 people attended the festival, which is run with help from a large corps of local volunteers.

In the fall, there are a variety of special events hosted by various community groups.

The Chamber of Commerce, for example, offers the Lisle Ale Fest at the end of September, trick or treating in October and an “Uncorked” wine-tasting event at the Hilton of Lisle/Naperville on Oct. 27.

The Lisle Park District has planned a Creature Double Feature Movie night, an author series at the Museums at Station Park, and a Monster Madness event at the Recreation Center. The district’s River Bend Golf Club has its own seasonal events, including a turkey shoot in November.

The holidays are bustling in this ‘burb.

A shining example is the Lights of Lisle event in December, where people can enjoy the sight of lit-up Christmas trees and luminaries and the sounds of carolers as they amble through village streets.

According to Schuster, that event, too, has had some It’s a Wonderful Life moments. “A man proposed to his girlfriend during the beautiful Lights of Lisle Festival in front of the Main Street fountain, surrounded by thousands of twinkling lights and sidewalks lined with glowing luminarias. It was like something out of a movie — it was so pretty.”

The Park District, for its part, hosts a Candy Cane Hunt and Cookies with Mrs. Claus, among other programs.

Like many suburbs, Lisle offers a plethora of things to do in summer, such as a concert series by the community band in Community Park, a French Market — open through the end of October —

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and weekly cruise nights and block parties in the downtown district.

People come to Lisle for privately organized events as well. One example is Veggie Fest Chicago, said to be the area’s largest vegetarian food and lifestyle festival. It’s held on the grounds of Benedictine University, and is sponsored by the Science of Spirituality Meditation Center based in Lisle.

Education and Entertainment: Benedictine University Founded in 1887 as St. Procopius College by the Benedictine monks of St. Procopius in Chicago, Benedictine University offers a wide range of degree programs for its more than 3,300 undergraduate and nearly 3,000 graduate students spread across multiple campuses.

The university hosts numerous events that are open to the public and its facilities include several noteworthy attractions. Visitors can browse the Fr. Michael E. Komechak OSB Art Gallery. Fr. Komechak collected more than 4,000 pieces over 40 years, and donated them to the university upon his passing, to engage the school and the community in the arts.

The Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum is another unique spot that is free and open to the public. The museum’s collection encompasses more than 10,000 items, highlighted by a coal exhibit and several animal exhibits, including a whale skeleton.

“The museum has an intimate atmosphere and unique flair with its ‘cabinet of curiosities-style’ exhibits,” says spokesperson Elizabeth Brown.

“We offer guided group tours, hands-on workshops and a variety of other free programs. From a tiny gnat to a baleen whale, there is something for everyone to learn more about the diversity of life and the beauty of nature.”

In 2004, the university built a sports complex in partnership with the Village of Lisle, where the school’s football, men’s and women’s soccer, baseball, softball, and track and field teams compete. At WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | OCTOBER 2017 65

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Photo courtesy of Benedictine University

Resources

BENEDICTINE UNIVERSITY

Lisle Public Library District

Total Holdings: 166,333 Items Checked Out per Year: 520,494 Visitors per Year: 193,206

Attractions

n The Morton Arboretum: 4100 Illinois 53, 630 968-0074. 1,700 acres of natural areas with hiking trails, gardens, a store, a restaurant, a visitors’ center and a plant clinic. n PrairieWalk Pond & Dragonfly Landing: 925 Burlington Ave., 630 271-4100. Natural area featuring recreational activities, a nature-themed children’s play area and a certified Monarch Butterfly Waystation.

Education

Benedictine University: 5700 College Rd., 630 829-6545.

Catholic university founded in 1887 offering doctoral programs, graduate and undergraduate degrees.

n

n Benet Academy: 2200 Maple Ave., 630 969-6550 Established in 1887, Benet is a four-year, college prep, co-ed, Catholic high school with 1,333 students drawn from a five county area.

Museums

n Museums at Lisle Station Park: 921 School St., 630 968-0499. Lisle Depot Museum, Netzley/Yender Farmhouse, Beaubien Tavern, CB&Q Waycar and Blacksmith Shop featuring historical exhibits.

n Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum: 5700 College Rd., 630 829-6546. Natural history exhibits with more than 10,000 specimens ranging from a tiny aphid to a whale skeleton.

Recreation

n Chicago Bulls/Sox Academy: 6200 River Bend Dr., 630 324-8221. Facility providing athletic programs, batting cages, strength and conditioning courses and basketball courts.

Community Park: 1825 Short St., 630 964-3410. Basketball courts, ball fields, tennis courts, soccer fields, nature walking trails, fishing ponds, sled hills, bike paths, outdoor amphitheater, picnic shelters and band shell.

baby pool, sand area, zero depth pool and a water playground. n Tee Time Golf Range: 1400 Maple Ave., 630 852-1001.

Outdoor driving range practice area, golf lessons and more.

Village of Lisle/Benedictine Sports Complex: 5700 College Rd., 630 829-6000.

On-campus facility with a football arena seating 3000 and a 1,100-seat baseball stadium. n

n

n Four

Lakes Ski Area: 5750 Lakeside Dr., 630 964-2550.

Skiing, snowboarding, lessons and trails open during the winter season. n Recreation

Center: 1925 Ohio St., 630 964-3410. New building with Gentle Learning Preschool, senior center, administrative offices and recreation services for those with learning disabilities.

n River Bend Golf Club: 5900 S Rt. 53, 630 968-1920. PGAapproved public nine-hole golf course featuring wetlands and bent grass tees. n Sea Lion Aquatic Park: 1825 Short St., 630 964-3410.

Award-winning water park featuring four waterslides,

Events

n Depot Days: Museums at Station Park campus, 921 School St., 630 968-0499.

Hayrides, a craft fair, demonstrations and more at this annual fall event to celebrate the history of Lisle. n Downtown Lisle Cruise Nights & Block Parties: Downtown Lisle, 630 964-0052.

Annual summer event featuring unique cars, music, food, beverages, prizes, raffles and more.

Eyes to the Skies Hot Air Balloon Festival: Lisle Community Park, 1825 Short St., 630 541-6095. Summer event featuring a carnival, craft fair, children’s area, concerts, balloon launches, fireworks and more. n

n Lights

of Lisle: Downtown Lisle, 630 271-4100. Trolley rides, Tree Lighting Ceremony, holiday treats and a Holiday Market at this annual holiday festival.

one point, the complex was the home field of the Chicago Red Stars women’s soccer club. Today, it’s also used by local high schools for football and soccer games.

The Sporting Life: Attractions for Athletes As snow season approaches, Lisle will become a destination for skiing and snowboarding at Four Lakes Ski Area.

Lessons are available and guests can rent skis, snowboards, boots and poles. Also in Lisle is The Bulls/Sox Youth Academy offering year-round training and coaching for youngsters in basketball, baseball and fast-pitch softball. Walker Athletics is another sports complex with courts and facilities — along with training and camps — for basketball, baseball, volleyball and badminton, among other athletic endeavors.

Other Notes from the Lisle File • Lisle Cemetery is one of the state’s oldest registered cemeteries.

• Lisle is corporate home to SunCoke Energy, Molex and Navistar. It’s also the headquarters of the Region III Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

• The Lisle Library District, in addition to offering a wide array of materials and resources, hosts local art exhibits at its Gallery 777.

• Lisle is served by Lisle Community Unit School District 202, and part of the area falls within the Naperville District 203.

In addition to Lisle High School and Naperville North High School, in Lisle there are elementary schools, two middle schools and the parochial St. Joan of Arc elementary school (pre-K to 8th grade).

• Benet Academy, founded by monks of the Benedictine order, is a private high school serving students throughout the western suburbs. For higher education, in addition to Benedictine University, there is a Lisle campus of National-Louis University.

• Villa St. Benedict, a senior living community with ties to the Benedictine order, is on lush grounds that include gardens, walking trails and a stone grotto.

• Three major hotels are located in Lisle, including facilities run by Hilton, Hyatt and Sheraton. n

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DINING |

REVIEWS

|

LISTINGS

|

CHEERS WINE COLUMN

|

AND MUCH MORE Photo courtesy of Altiro Latin Fusion

RESTAURANT OPENINGS

RECENTLY OPENED

Altiro Latin Fusion

C

hef-owner Roberto Avila

Inspired by Spanish, Mexican and

arborio rice. Diners will find taco entrées —

continues to build on his

Peruvian cuisine, Altiro has a tapas-style

four per order — priced from $11.50 to $13.50,

success as a restaurateur

menu, with diverse small plates served one

while tapas dishes range from $12.50 to $17.

with the opening in early

after another that are meant to be shared.

September of Altiro Latin

Avila says early customer feedback indicates

The Oak Park location seats 88, offers full bar service and accepts reservations.

Business hours are Monday through

Fusion at 107 N Oak Park Ave., Oak Park

that pan-seared lemon herb chicken with

(708 434-5077).

creamy poblano rice tortillas on the side is

Thursday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m.;

among the most popular dishes. Another is

Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 10 p.m.;

restaurants in Geneva and Chicago

paella — pan-seared tilapia, salmon, mussels,

and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4

and Al Chulo Restaurant in West Chicago.

ahi tuna and shrimp in a creamy tomato

to 10 p.m.

The new arrival joins other Altiro

— T.R. Witom

WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | OCTOBER 2017 67

DINING_OPENER_10_17 FINAL.indd 67

9/20/17 10:40 AM

By Lynn Petrak

Photos by Ed Ahern

GoOd food

Bavarian Lodge The real deal for authentic Oktoberfest meals in Lisle

I

t’s got schnitzel. It’s got spätzle. It’s got schwarzbier. And it definitely has an Old World spirit.

Welcome to The Bavarian Lodge, a literal and figurative taste of Germany in west suburban Lisle.

The timber-lined restaurant, pub and “beer bar” on Ogden Avenue looks as if it’s been plunked down in the Chicago area from a wooded hillside in Germany.

Inside, cozy woodwork on the walls and floor, heavy glass pendant lights and shelves lined with steins suggest a place as authentic as it is welcoming.

Open a menu and you’ll quickly discover a host of German dishes at this family-owned eatery, which first opened in 1986 and draws a crowd all year long, especially during Oktoberfest season.

The chef and culinary team butcher meats in-house, make their own sausages and create stocks and sauces from scratch.

Accordingly, patrons can find unique dishes here, in addition to popular and known-in-America items like wiener schnitzel, roast duck, sauerbraten, knackwurst, sauerkraut and dumplings.

The Bavarian Rouladen is one example, a traditional beef flank steak rubbed with seasonings and mustard, wrapped around

a filling of smoked sausage, bacon, onion, pickle, carrot, celery and hard-boiled egg and baked in a peppercorn gravy. Another specialty is Schwein’s Hax’n, a pork shank cooked in vegetable stock and served with pan gravy, with the option for The Braumeister’s Platter a crispy skin (go for it).

For those who struggle with picking bar is stocked with all kinds of German one entrée, The Bavarian Lodge offers beers, often served in a glass bearing the combination meals, including a createbeer’s name. There are at least 36 drafts your-own combo, in which guests are on the menu — including signature served two or three different entrées, a Trappist ales from Belgium, The potato and a vegetable. Like the entrées, Netherlands and Austria — along with sides span traditional German favorites, 150 bottled beers. Mead, a fermented such as dumplings, mashed or boiled honey drink with a history dating back potatoes, spätzle egg noodles, German centuries, is served in 20th century potato salad, Bavarian spinach, braised varieties like bourbon barrel-aged mead, red cabbage and good old applesauce. chili pepper mead and pomegranatenectar mead. The wine list features Another way to mix, match and get German classics like Riesling and a taste of different dishes is to start with appetizers, which range from potato Splatlese. Those looking for cocktails pancakes, to a platter of duck wings served can choose from single malt scotches, with orange horseradish marmalade, cognacs, cordials, bourbons and draftto a “wurst platter” — slices of smoked distilled spirits. sausages accompanied by ramekins If you have room, don’t pass up the of horseradish sauce and mustard.

German staple of apple strudel that is, of course, made in house. n Befitting a German restaurant, the

QUICK FACTS

The Bavarian Lodge

1800 Odgen Ave., Lisle 630 241-4701 www.bavarian-lodge.com

Recommended Dishes

Cost

Hours

Note

Bavarian Rouladen,

Appetizers: $6 – $12

Wed - Fri: 4 p.m – midnight

Kitchen closes at 10

Homemade schnitzel,

Entrées: $12 – $25

Sat: Noon – midnight

p.m. Wed to Sat and

Sun: Noon – 10 p.m.

at 8 p.m. Sun

Spätzle egg noodles

68 OCTOBER 2017 | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | WEST SUBURBAN LIVING

REVIEW2_10_17.indd 68

9/22/17 5:04 PM

DIning Listings Following is a sampling of some of the best dining destinations in the western suburbs, including reader favorites, advertisers and a cross-section of just plain good places to grab a bite. Bon appétit n n n n n

Central DuPage Nw DuPage & Upper Fox Valley Sw DuPage & lower fox valley Se Dupage & SW Cook Ne DuPage & nw cook

n ADELLE’S: 535 W Liberty Dr, Wheaton. 630 784-8015.

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

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

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

Extras: Bar, outdoor dining, banquets, wine room, carry-out, live jazz Th at 7 pm, live music on select other nights, lounge, fireplaces. T-Th 4:30-8:30, F-Sat 4:30-9:30, Sun 4-8. Reservations: Recommended. n ALL BLUE ROTARY SUSHI: 2950 Finley Rd, Downers Grove. 630 519-3539. Fresh variety of Japanese cuisine delivered on a moving conveyer belt. Capacity: 100. Mths in bus: 2. Chef’s choice: Snow White roll. Entrée prices: $1.50-$6.50. Extras: Delivery, catering, beer and wine. Lunch M-Th 11-2:30, F 11-2:30; Dinner M-Th 5-9:30, F 5-10, Sat 11:30-10, Sun noon-9. Reservations: Yes. n Allgauer’s: 3003 Corporate West Dr, Lisle; in Hilton Lisle/Naperville. 630 245-7650. Classic American fare with a modern twist, featuring locally sourced, dry-aged steaks, chops and seafood. Capacity: 196 at 44 tables. Yrs in bus: 35. Chef’s Choice: Potato-crusted halibut. Entrée prices: $25- $44; lunch menu $9-$18. Extras: Bar, banquets, breakfast buffet Mon-Sun, lunch buffet M-F, seafood buffet Fri. Breakfast M-F 6:30 -11, Sat 7-11, Sun 7-9:30; Lunch M-Sat 11-3; Dinner M-Sun 4-10, F seafood & prime rib buffet 5:30-8:30, Sun brunch 10:30-2:30. Reservations: Recommended. n ALTIRO LATIN FUSION: 308 Anderson Blvd,

Geneva. 630 232-7717. Tapas restaurant combining flavors from Spanish and Latin cuisine. Capacity: 50 + 40 outside. Yrs In bus: 3. Chef’s Choice: Altiro tilapia tacos. Entrée prices: $8-$12. Extras: Full bar, carry-out, catering, patio. Lunch T-Sat 11-3; Dinner M-Th 4-9, F-Sat 4-10; Brunch Sun 10-2.

Additional location at 107 N Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, 708 434-5077. Affiliated with Al Chulo, 1400 S Neltnor Blvd, West Chicago, 630 520-0615. n ANTONINO’S: 701 W Hillgrove Ave, La Grange.

708 579-9191. Northern Italian and Sicilian fare in an intimate atmosphere. Capacity: 40. Yrs in bus: 29.

Chef’s Choice: lemon chicken and baked lasagna.

Entrée prices: $8-$17. Extras: Carry-out, outdoor dining, daily seafood specials, beer and wine, delivery. T-Th 4-9, F-Sat 4-10. Reservations: Yes.

n ANYWAYS CHICAGO RESTAURANT & PUB:

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

Classic neighborhood pub with American cuisine.

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

M-Th 11:30 am-1 am, F-Sat 11:30 am-2 am, Sun noon1 am. Reservations: Yes. Additional location at 304 W Army Trail Rd, Bloomingdale, 630 351-8870.

WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | OCTOBER 2017 69

DINING_10_17 FINAL.indd 69

9/22/17 1:52 AM

By T. R. Witom

Photos by Ed Ahern

GoOd food

Pub 47 Fresh yet familiar flavors elevated in St. Charles

P

ub 47 has done well during its two years in Huntley. So management’s decision to open a second location was something of a no-brainer — even though the site selected on Main Street in St. Charles is one that has seen several restaurants come and go in relatively rapid succession.

So far, so good for the new Pub 47, which opened in May. A recent midweek dinner demonstrated that the venue is on the right track. By 6 p.m. the place, with a seating capacity of 100 or so, was packed.

Good service, reasonable prices and a menu of familiar favorites elevates the dining experience. Visit the premises only once and you barely scratch the surface.

Diners have plenty of choices. Our meal started with a rave-worthy savory bacon-and-cheddar soup made with Beach Blonde, a golden lager from Crystal Lake Brewery.

Other appetizers included boneless chicken wings — lightly seasoned — ­­ and fried rock shrimp, a hummus platter and a skewered beef tenderloin. Twenty sandwiches, including the Reuben, a grilled portabello and an Italian beef, are also available, as are pasta entrées, such as

blackened chicken Alfredo, baked penne and steamed mussels and pasta. Executive Chef Gamaliel Rivera cites barbecue pulled pork, battered cheese curds, wild berry salad and beer nuggets as popular dishes.

Shrimp and Chicken Jambalaya More than a dozen burgers made with grass-fed beef come Another popular choice is one of accompanied by a choice of fries, house Pub 47’s specialty pizzas. The Sicilian is salad or coleslaw. The best way to sample topped with Italian sausage, sweet roasted a broader range of the fare on offer is to peppers, twice-baked crunchy pepperoni order a combo of three sliders ­— chicken, and garlic herb tomatoes with a blend of mozzarella, parmesan and romano cheeseburger and pulled pork ($11). cheeses. Diners also like the build-yourIf your burger requires condiments, own pizza as they can select the size inform the waitstaff as we did and the and type of crust: thin, double dough request will be quickly addressed. or deep dish.

Another substantial dish sampled was the southwest chicken wrap served in a There are a handful of desserts. But sun-dried tomato tortilla. It came with chances are at this juncture you’ll be fully charbroiled chicken, black bean and corn sated. Don’t feel guilty if you take a pass. relish, applewood pepper bacon and Pub 47’s bar leans toward craft beers, mixed greens with a ranch dressing. although it also stocks a selection of wines Half of this dish went home for the next and the fixings for cocktails. A happy day’s lunch. hour, when patrons can order various Check out the various entrée options, half-off appetizers, runs Monday through such as slow-roasted prime rib, beef Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. stroganoff and pan-seared, horseradishFamilies with children were present encrusted salmon. early on, but not later in the evening. n

QUICK FACTS

Pub 47

1890 W. Main St, St. Charles 630 945-3066 www.pub47grill.com

Original location: 10400 N. Illinois Rt. 47, Huntley 847 669-7755

Recommended Dishes

Cost

Hours

Extras

Southwest chicken

Appetizers: $5 – $19

Sun - Thur: 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.

Microbrew beers,

wrap, combo sliders,

Entrées: $16 – $19

Fri - Sat: 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.

take-out, delivery,

specialty pizzas

Specialty pizza: $18 – $25

Kitchen closes at 10 p.m.

catering

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REVIEW1_10_17.indd 70

9/22/17 4:47 PM

DINING  ARROWHEAD RESTAURANT & BAR: 26W151

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

 ATWATER’S: 15 S River Ln, Geneva; in Herrington

Inn & Spa. 630 208-8920. Eclectic American cuisine with a seasonal menu in a European-style atrium overlooking the Fox River. Capacity: 40. Yrs in bus: 23. Entrée prices: $24-$45. Extras: Bar, outdoor dining, banquets, catering, private dining in gazebo, event space. Breakfast M-F 7 am-11 am, Sat-Sun 8 am-11 am; Lunch M-Sun 11-2; Dinner Sun-Th 5-9, F-Sat 5-10; Brunch Sun 11-2. Reservations: Recommended.  AUTRE MONDE CAFÉ: 6727 W Roosevelt Rd, Berwyn.

708 775-8122. Mediterranean-infused fare in an urban setting. Capacity: 85, 75 patio seating. Yrs in bus: 6. Entrée prices: $13-$24, small plates $6-$15.

Chef’s Choice: Fresh pastas and flatbreads. Extras: Patio, private parties, catering, Sun brunch 10-2.

T-Th 5-10, F-Sat 5-11, Sun 5-9. Reservations: Yes.  BABCOCK’S GROVE HOUSE: 101 W St. Charles Rd, Lombard. 630 613-8920. Midwestern comfort food for all ages served up in a historic space.

Capacity: 50. Yrs in bus: 1. Chef’s Choice: Chicken schnitzel sandwich and smashed potato burger with beer-battered cheese curds. Entrée prices: $9-$12. Extras: Seasonal menu, wine and local craft beers, outdoor seating, family friendly, carry-out.

T-Th 11-9, F-Sat 11-10. Reservations: No.  BARREL + RYE: 477 S Third St Suite 184, Geneva.

630 402-0647. American bistro featuring a wide range of whiskey and craft cocktails, salads, burgers and shareable plates. Capacity: 50, 20 at bar. Yrs in bus: 2. Chef’s Choice: Southern fried chicken sandwich. Entrée prices: $10-$17. Extras: TVs, full bar, carry-out, selection of scotch and bourbon, patio. Sun-Mon 11-11, Tue-Th 11am-12 pm, F-Sat 11 am-1 am.

 BASILS GREEK DINING: 4000 Fox Valley Center Dr, Aurora. 630 692-1300. Award-winning Greek/ Mediterranean restaurant with a modern flair.

Capacity: 240. Yrs in bus: 7. Chef’s Choice: Oven roasted lamb shank. Entrée prices: $21-$49. Extras: Bar, banquets, outdoor dining, catering, carry-out.

M-Th 11-10, F-Sat 11-11, Sun 11-9. Reservations: Yes.  THE BAVARIAN LODGE: 1800 Ogden Ave, Lisle.

630 241-4701. Traditional, home-cooked German food and a world class beer list in a cozy, European atmosphere. Capacity: 269. Yrs in bus: 31. Chef’s Choice: The Braumeister’s Platter. Entrée prices: $10-$25. Extras: Full bar, 200+ beers (39 on tap), carry-out. W-F 4-midnight, Sat 12-midnight, Sun noon-10 (bar open later). Reservations: No.

 BEERHEAD BAR & EATERY: 100 N York St, Elmhurst.

630 433-2337. Craft beer and eatery serving small plates, pizzas and sandwiches, plus 50 beers on tap and 500 beers from breweries. Capacity: 120, additional outdoor seating. Mths in bus: 2. Chef’s Choice: Goodfella pizza. Entrée prices: $11-$15.

Extras: Bar, live music, carry out, kids menu. Sun-Th 11am-midnight and F-Sat 11am-2 am. Reservations: No. Additional location at 641 E Boughton Road Suite 110 Bolingbrook, 630 739-3000 and 888 N Meacham, Schaumburg, 847 517-8300.

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

 BIAGGI’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO: 2752

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

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

483 Spring Road www.robertosristorante.com

•

Elmhurst

630.279.8486

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

WEST SUBURBAN LIVING | WWW.WESTSUBURBANLIVING.NET | OCTOBER 2017 71

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DIning n n n n Opening Soon Photo courtesy of Miller’s Ale House

n THE BURGER LOCAL: 577 S 3rd Suite 102 St, Geneva. 630 232-2806. Locally sourced beef burgers served in a casual, family-friendly rustic environment. Capacity: 100. Yrs in bus: 1. Chef’s Choice: Double Diner or Hawaii burger. Entrée prices: $11-$15. Extras: Carry-out, full bar, outdoor seating, TVs. Sun-M 11-9, Tu-Sat 11-11 (bar open later). Reservations: No. n CAFÉ K’TIZO: 1915 N Gary Ave, Wheaton.

630 702-9461. Cultural arts café offering over 120 teas paired with soups and sandwiches. Capacity: 76. Yrs in bus: 3. Chef’s Choice: Melting Pot panini or Great Pyramid wrap. Entrée prices: $6-$8. Extras: Free parking, drive-thru, special events online, carry-out, free Wi-Fi. M-T 8-6 pm, W-Th 8-9, Fr-Sat 8-6. Reservations: No. n CAPRI RISTORANTE: 324 Burr Ridge Pkwy, Burr

Ridge. 630 455-4003. Authentic Italian fare served in a warm and elegant setting. Capacity: 150. Yrs in bus: 12. Chef’s Choice: Homemade rigatoni with vodka sauce, with soup or salad. Entrée prices: $15-$40. Extras: Full bar, carry-out, catering, outdoor dining, private parties. M 11:30-2 & 4-11, T-F 11:30-11, Sat 4-midnight, Sun 2-9. Reservations: recommended.

Miller’s Ale House

n CARLUCCI: 1801 Butterfield Rd, Downers Grove.

630 512-0990. Rustic Italian restaurant serving Tuscan cuisine. Capacity: 300. Yrs in bus: 14. Chef’s Choice: Linguini bobonato. Entrée prices: $12-$33. Extras: Carry-out, private dining, outdoor dining, bar open later, live music. Lunch M-F 11:30-3; Dinner M-Th 3:30-9:30, F 3:30-10:30, Sat 4:30-10:30, Sun 4:30-9. Reservations: Recommended. n CATCH 35: 35 S Washington St, Naperville.

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

Entrée prices: $16-$50. Extras: Bar, private parties, outdoor dining, valet parking T-Sat. Lunch M-Sat 11:30-4; Dinner M-Sat 4-10, Sun 4-9. Reservations: Yes. n CHATFIELD’S: 1400 Corporetum Dr, Lisle; in the Hyatt Hotel. 630 852-1234. American cuisine and comfort food in a business-casual atmosphere with soft lighting and elegant décor. Capacity: 92. Yrs in bus: 25. Chef’s Choice: NY Strip Steak. Entrée prices: $11-$30. Extras: Bar, banquets. Breakfast M-F 6 am-10 am, Sat-Sun 7 am-11 am; Lunch M-Sun 11-2 pm; Dinner M-Sun 5:30-10. Reservations: Yes. n THE CHEW CHEW: 33 E Burlington St, Riverside.

708 447-8781. Daily-printed menu offering eclectic American cuisine in a comfortable space. Capacity: 110. Yrs in bus: 20. Chef’s Choice: Fresh seafood and steaks. Entrée prices: $10-$30. Extras: Bar, carry-out, happy hour, outdoor dining. T-Sun 4-10. Reservations: Yes. n CINE MODERN TAQUERIA: 29 E First St, Hinsdale.

630 590-5655. Contemporary Mexican restaurant serving quality Latin fare. Capacity: 150. Yrs in bus: 3. Chef’s Choice: Chicken Alambre. Entrée prices: $16-$30. Extras: Outdoor dining, carry-out, delivery, daily specials, full bar, live entertainment on Th, free kids’ tacos on Sun. Lunch T-Sat 11:30-2:30; Dinner Sun 5-9, T-Th 4-9, F-Sat 4-10. Reservations: Yes. n CITYGATE GRILLE: 2020 Calamos Ct, Naperville.

630 718-1010. Fine dining serving contemporary American fare in a steakhouse atmosphere.

Capacity: 220. Yrs in bus: 8. Chef’s Choice: 20 oz bone-in rib eye in Bordelaise sauce. Entrée prices: $18-$50, Avg: $25. Extras: Live entertainment, F-Sat, private parties, catering, kids’ menu. M-Th 11:30-9, F 11:30-10, Sat 5-10 (bar open later F-Sat).

Reservations: Yes. n CHINN’S 34TH STREET FISHERY: 3011 W Ogden Ave, Lisle. 630 637-1777. Seafood, steaks and pasta served in a casual maritime setting. Capacity: 200 at 46 tables. Yrs in bus: 22. Chef’s Choice: Dover sole and king crab legs. Entrée prices: $15-$49. Extras:

Sports bar serving burgers, brews and “Zingers” in Aurora and Schaumburg

M

iller’s Ale House is in

87 locations, including 50 in

— boneless chicken tenders

growth mode, with its

Florida,” says Rachel Kroll, a

with a choice of 15 sauces.

newest outlet scheduled

manager at the company’s

Offering daily lunch, dinner

to open in early October

Lombard site. Miller’s traces

and cocktail specials, Millers

at 778 N. State St., Aurora.

its roots to Jack and Claire

also has more than 40 beers

Another location will open

Miller’s first venue in 1988 in

on tap. The menu and hours

in November just south of

Jupiter, Florida.

are the same at each outlet.

the southwest corner of

Miller’s is known for a wide

Meacham and Remington

variety of freshly prepared

to Thursday from 11 a.m. to

roads in Schaumburg.

dishes, from filet mignon and

1 a.m.; Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.

“We’re a casual restaurant

original pasta dishes to fresh

to 2 a.m.

and sports bar operating at

salads and signature Zingers

Bar, carry-out, private parties, kids’ menu, family friendly. M-Th 11-9, F-Sat 11-11, Sun 3-9.

Reservations: No, but call-ahead seating available. n Clara’s: 6550 S Rt 53, Woodridge. 630 968-8899.

Fresh homemade pastas and sauces, fresh seafood, handmade wood stone pizzas, veal and beef dishes.

Capacity: 275. Yrs in bus: 29. Chef’s Choice: Shrimp Ersilia. Entrée prices: $8-$35, Avg: $12. Extras: Bar, patio, catering, carry-out, family friendly. T-Th 4-9, F-Sat noon-10, Sun noon-9. Reservations: Yes. n COOPER’S HAWK WINERY & RESTAURANT: 510 Village Center Dr, Burr Ridge. 630 887-0123. Upscale, yet casual dining featuring award-winning wines from Cooper’s Hawk’s winery. Capacity: 375. Yrs in bus: 8. Chef’s Choice: Gnocchi Carbonara. Entrée prices: $10-$30. Extras: Outdoor patio, bar, wine club, tasting room, retail boutique, private parties, live music Th-Sat. M-Th 11-9:30, F-Sat 11-10:30, Sun 11-9. Reservations: Recommended. Additional locations at 100 W Higgins Rd, South Barrington, 847 836- 9463; 1740 Freedom Dr, Naperville, 630 245-8000; and 950 Lake St. in Oak Park. n COTTAGE HILL STATION: 122 S York St, Elmhurst.

630 279-3130. Family restaurant and sports bar in an 1843 building serving contemporary bar food.

Mths in bus: 5. Chef’s Choice: Fish tacos. Entrée prices: $9-$14. Extras: Carry-out, live entertainment, full bar, happy hour, outdoor seating, catering, TVs, Wi-Fi. Sun-Th 11 am-1 am, F-Sat 11 am-2 am.

Reservations: Accepted. n COUNTRY HOUSE: 2095 S Kirk Rd, Geneva.

630 208-8181. Steaks, burgers, seafood, salads

Business hours are Sunday

– T.R. Witom

and pasta in a casual, rustic setting. Capacity: 240 at 30 tables inside, 70 outside. Yrs in bus: 40. Chef’s Choice: Country Cheeseburger. Entrée prices: $9-$20, Avg: $12. Extras: Carry-out, bar, kids’ menu, outdoor dining, catering, banquets. Sun-Th 11-10, F-Sat 11-11; bar open until 1 am. Reservations: Yes. Additional locations at 241 55th St, Clarendon Hills, 630 325-1444; and 6460 College Rd, Lisle, 630 983-0545. n DAVANTI ENOTECA: 800 W Hillgrove Ave Suite 100, Western Springs. 708 783-1060. Italian fare served in a rustic wine bar setting. Capacity: 130 plus 40 on a seasonal patio. Yrs in bus: 4. Chef’s Choice: Focaccia di Recco, Burratta Salad and Davante Burger. Entrée prices: $11-$24. Extras: Brunch Sat 11-2 and Sun 10-2, bar, Bloody Mary bar, M-F rotating sandwich menu.

M-T 11:30-9, W-Th 11:30-9:30, F 11:30-10, Sat 11-10, Sun 10-9 (bar open later F-Sat). n DELIRIO: 5 W Jackson St, Naperville. 630 904-3354.

Casual urban restaurant serving globally inspired American and Latin tapas. Capacity: 160, 40 with seasonal rooftop. Yrs in bus: 1. Chef’s Choice: Peppercorn crusted skirt steak. Entrée prices: $5-$14 small plates and $14-$28 large plates. Extras: Bar, outdoor seating, carry-out, catering, Wi-Fi, TVs,craft beers. M-Th 11:30-9:30, F-Sat 11:30-10:30, Sun 11:30-9.

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

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

Extras: Carry-out, bar, catering, over 50 craft style beers. Sun-Th 11-9, F-Sat 11-10

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n DEVON SEaOOD + STEAK: 17W400 22nd St, Oakbrook Terrace. 630 516-0180. Sleek venue serving fresh seafood and steak. Capacity: 237.

Yrs in bus: 5. Chef’s Choice: Maple Plank Salmon Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes. Entrée prices: $21-$58, lunch $14-$25. Extras: Private banquet room, vegetarian and gluten-free menus, wine list, happy hour M-F, full bar (open later), half-priced wine bottles on Sundays. M-11-9 T-F 11-10, Sat 4-10, Sun 4-9. Reservations: Yes.

n DITKA’S: Rt 83 & 22nd St, Oakbrook Terrace.

630 572-2200. Fine dining steakhouse offering fresh seafood, burgers and sandwiches in a hospitable and vibrant atmosphere. Capacity: 350. Yrs in bus: 9.

Chef’s Choice: Da Pork Chop and Pot Roast Nachos. Entrée prices: $13-$50. Extras: Awardwinning wine list, full bar, private rooms, breakfast on Sat & Sun 9-2, complimentary valet parking, gluten-free options. M-Th 11-9:30, F-Sat 9 am-10 pm, Sun 9-9. Reservations: Yes. n D.O.C. WINE BAR: 326 Yorktown Center,

Lombard. 630 627-6666. Light, contemporary fare featuring more than 300 wines. Capacity: 150. Yrs in bus: 9. Chef’s Choice: Butcher’s block.

Entrée prices: $9-$35. Extras: Full bar, carry-out, lounge, wine flights, retail shop, private dining, daily specials. M-Th 11:30-10, F-Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-9:30. n EDDIE MERLOT: 28254 Diehl Rd, Warrenville.

630 393-1900. Upscale contemporary steakhouse with a lighter ambiance and known for its wine.

Capacity: 260. Yrs in bus: 5. Chef’s Choice: Prime aged steaks and wagyu. Entree prices: $23-$51.

Extras: Extensive wine list, outdoor dining, lounge with drink specials. M-Th 4-10, F-Sat 4-11, Sun 4-9.

Reservations: Recommended. Additional location at 201 Bridewell Dr, Burr Ridge. 630 468-2098 n ELLYN’S TAP & GRILL: 940 Roosevelt Rd, Glen Ellyn. 630 942-0940. Casual American fare and craft beers served in a comfortable, family friendly environment. Capacity: 123. Yrs in bus: 8. Chef’s Choice: Burgers or Italian beef egg rolls. Entrée prices: $8-$17. Extras: Jukebox, bar, kids’ menu, carry-out, daily specials, trivia night on Wed, weekend brunch. M-Th 10:30 am-1 am, F-Sat 10:30 am-2 am. Sun 11am-1am. Reservations: Yes, for 8 or more. n EMPIRE BURGERS & BREWS: 48 W Chicago Ave, Naperville. 630 355-9000. Craft beers and burgers in an urban atmosphere. Capacity: 650. Yrs in Bus: 1. Extras: Carry-out, full bar, whiskey selection, live music, outdoor seating, happy hour. M-Th 11 am-1 am, F-Sat 11 am-2 am, Sun 11-10. Reservations: No. n EMILIO’S TAPAS BAR: 4100 Roosevelt Rd, Hillside. 708 547-7177. Spanish tapas in an authentic countryside atmosphere. Capacity: 150. Yrs in bus: 29. Chef’s Choice: Paella and datiles con bacon.

Entree prices: $6-$23. Extras: Bar, flowered patio, online reservations, carry-out, Tapeo bites menu 4:30-6:30 M-Fri, GrubHub and Yelp Eat 24, live entertainment Fridays, catering. M 4:30-9:30, T-Th 11:30-9:30, F-Sat 11:30-10, Sun 4-9. Reservations: Yes. n EVERDINE’S GRILLED CHEESE CO.: 24 W. Jefferson

Ave, Naperville. 630 544-6626. Comfort food with a unique twist in downtown Naperville. Capacity: 29. Mths in bus: 7. Chef’s choice: Al Pa-cheeso and Maui Wowie. Entrée prices: $5-$9.25. Extras: Carry-out.

T-Sun 11-8. Reservations: No.

n THE FINERY & BLACKSMITH BAR: 305 W Main St,

St. Charles. 630 940-2380. Contemporary fare with an ode to the American table in a bistro-like atmosphere. Capacity: Yrs in bus: 2. Chef’s Choice: Country Pheasant and Flat Iron Steak.

Extras: Artisan cocktails, craft beers, Happy Hour, carry-out, Sunday brunch. T-Th 4-10, F-Sat 4-11, Sun 11-3 and 4-9.

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DIning n FIORA’S: 317 S Third St, Geneva. 630 262-1317.

n n n n Recently Opened Photo courtesy of Wild Onion Tied House

European-American cuisine served in one of Geneva’s historic landmark buildings. Capacity: 120 inside, 100 outside. Yrs in bus: 8. Chef’s Choice: Boneless short rib. Entrée prices: $25-$35, Avg: $24.

Extras: Indoor and outdoor bars, live music, private dining, wine cellar, kids’ menu, catering, carry-out, wine list, lounge, outdoor dining. Lunch T-Sat 11:30-2; Dinner T-Sat 5:30-9. Reservations: Recommended only indoors. n FIRE + WINE: 433 N Main St, Glen Ellyn.

630 793-9955. Rustic and inviting restaurant with modern Italian flair, serving small-plate fare, authentic Neapolitan artisan pizzas and classic pastas in a family-friendly atmosphere. Capacity: 135. Yrs in bus: 5. Chef’s Choice: Hanger Steak and Grilled Romaine Salad. Entrée prices: $9-$19. Extras: Bar, carry-out, wine list, craft beer, kids’ menu, private event hosting, specials. T-Th 4-10, F 4-11, Sat 3-11 and Sun 3-9 (bar closes 1 hour later).

n

Elmhurst. 630 758-0808. Garden-to-table cuisine and dishes made fresh from scratch featuring, small plates and menu items in a casually upscale atmosphere. Capacity: 130 for dining and up to 190 for private events. Yrs in bus: 8. Chef’s Choice: Grilled flank steak. Entrée prices: $7-$22. Extras: Private parties, 120 scotches and whiskeys, 40 craft beers with rotating tap, seasonal menu, vegan and vegetarian options, gluten-free menu, outdoor dining, full bar, live music on W & F. T-Th 3-10, F-Sat 3-11; bar open until 1 am. Reservations: Yes.

630 955-0022. Brazilian steakhouse known for churrasco style of cooking meats over an open fire in a warm, contemporary atmosphere.

Capacity: 200. Mths in bus: 7. Chef’s Choice: Cordeiro and Picanha. Entrée prices: Avg: $32/$49.

Extras: Full bar, valet, seasonal patio, Sat and Sun brunch. Lunch: Sun-F 11-2; Dinner: M-Th 5-10, F 5-10:30, Sat 2-10:30, Sun 4-9. Reservations: Yes. Additional location at 5460 Park Pl, Rosemont, 847 678-7200. n FOURTEEN SIXTEEN: 14 W Calendar Ave, La Grange.

708 469-7896. Contemporary American menu with an eclectic flair served in a rustic-industrial interior.

Yrs in bus: 1. Capacity: 102, 44+ outside. Chef’s choice: Whitefish. Entrée prices: $5-$29. Extras: Rooftop patio seating, full bar, carry-out, live music.

M-Th 5-10, F-Sat 5-11. Reservations: Yes. n FOXFIRE STEAKS, CHOPS & SEAFOOD: 17 W

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

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

n Fuller House: 35 E First St, Hinsdale. 630 537-1653.

Craft beer and bar food in an industrial, rustic setting. Capacity: 140. Yrs in bus: 2. Chef’s Choice: Buffalo shrimp or brisket grilled cheese. Entrée prices: $11-$20. Extras: TVs, sidewalk seating, full bar, carry-out, beer garden in The Backyard. M-Th 11-11, F-Sat 11-midnight, Sun 11-10. n Gatto’s Restaurant & Bar: 5123 Main St,

Downers Grove. 630 515-6400. Italian comfort food served in a rustic setting. Capacity: 145. Yrs in bus: 8. Chef’s Choice: Chicken carmine. Entree prices: $8-$24. Extras: Private parties, banquets, bar, catering, carry-out. M-F 4-10, Sat 4-11, Sun 4-9.

n Geneva Ale House: 319 W State St, Geneva.

630 262-3877. Upscale pub fare with regionally produced specialty brews and limited-availability beers. Capacity: 80. Yrs in bus: 7. Chef’s Choice: The Ale House Burger. Entrée prices: $13-$18. Extras: Beer dinners, burger of the month, carry-out. M-Sun 11 am-2 am. Reservations: Call ahead seating.

n

6 s 9 p B F

Wild Onion Tied House

n

Pioneering craft brewery opens new restaurant in Oak Park

“

W

7 u s C $ o 1

e’re proud to be one

overseen by Executive Chef

says, the brewery will release

of the area’s first craft

Josh Wight, offers a seasonally

drago, a strong Russian

breweries,” says Mike Kainz,

adjusted menu featuring free-

Imperial stout-style beer.

founding brewmaster of the

range chicken, skirt steak with

family-owned Wild Onion

smoked truffle onion butter

open Tues. and Wed 3 p.m.

n

Brewery in Lake Barrington that

and pappardelle tartufo —

to midnight; Thur 11 a.m. to

became operational in 1997.

as well as an opportunity to

midnight; Fri and Sat 11 a.m. to

Now Kainz has another

try some of the 17 beers on

1 a.m.; and Sun 11 a.m. to 10

reason to be pleased, with

tap. Diners also can try mac

p.m. The company operates

O a C p 8

the recent debut of Wild Onion

‘n’ cheese, smoked chicken

its bustling microbrewery and

n

Tied House at 1111 South Blvd.

wings and reuben paninis,

a restaurant under the same

in Oak Park (708 628-3553).

among other dishes.

roof at 22221 N. Pepper Rd,

The 146-seat restaurant,

In early December, Kainz

Lake Barrington. – T.R. Witom

1 F C b 1

n Gia Mia: 106 N Hale St, Wheaton. 630 480-2480.

Old-world authentic Neapolitan pizza in a rustic restaurant. Capacity: 120. Yrs in bus: 2. Chef’s Choice: Hand-crafted meatballs. Entrée prices: $10-$20.

Extras: Bar, TVs, carry-out, large wine menu, fresh ingredients from local sources, mobile brick-oven. M-T 11-9, W-Sat 11-10. Reservations: No, but call-ahead seating available. Additional location at 13 N Third St. Geneva, 630 405-5544. n Gibsons Steakhouse: 5464 N River Rd, Rosemont.

847 928-9900. Classic American steakhouse in 1920s art-deco style. Capacity: 260. Yrs in bus: 17. Chef’s Choice: WR’s Chicago Cut. Entrée prices: $12-$52.

Extras: Carry-out, catering, piano bar (open until 2 am), live music. M-Sun 11-2. Reservations: Yes. Additional location at 2105 S Spring Rd, Oak Brook, 630 954-0000. n Glen Prairie: 1250 Roosevelt Rd, Glen Ellyn;

in Crowne-Plaza Glen Ellyn-Lombard. 630 613-1250.

Contemporary American cuisine with a strong emphasis on local Midwest flavors and products, as well as natural and organic ingredients. Capacity: 120. Yrs in bus: 9. Chef’s Choice: Skuna Bay Salmon & Short Ribs. Entrée prices: $11-$32. Extras: Lounge, private dining, “green”-farmed wine list, bar (open later), Wi-Fi, gluten-free and vegetarian options.

M-Th 6 am-10 pm, F 6 am-11 pm, Sat 7 am-11 pm, Sun 7 am-10 pm. Reservations: Recommended.

Wild Onion Tied House is

n Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse: 70 Yorktown Center, Lombard; inside the Westin Hotel. 630 953-3400. Classic Italian steakhouse in a sports-themed atmosphere. Capacity: 550. Yrs in bus: 10. Chef’s Choice: Prime steaks, chops and Italian Specialties. Entrée prices: $12-$52.

Extras: Outdoor dining, bar, sports memorabilia, carry-out, private events. Lunch M-Sun 11-5 (bar only); Dinner M-Sat 5-10, Sun 4-9. Reservations: Yes. Additional location at 10233 W Higgins Rd, Rosemont, 847 699-1200. n Hardware: 2000 W Orchard Rd, North Aurora.

630 299-3977. A sustainable gastro pub & brewery complete with a greenhouse and organic hop farm. Capacity: 220 Yrs in bus: 1 Chef’s Choice: Charcuterie. Entree prices: 14-40. Extras: Private parties, carry-out, 400 whiskeys, local craft beers, extensive wine list. T-Th 11-10, F-Sat 11-midnight, Sun noon-9. Reservations: Recommended. n Heaven On Seven: 224 S Main St, Naperville.

630 717-0777. Louisiana-style restaurant featuring cajun and creole entrées. Capacity: 120. Yrs in bus: 13. Chef’s Choice: Shrimp voodoo over rice. Entrée prices: $9-$20. Extras: Cooking classes, bar, catering.

M-Th 11-10, F 11-11, Sat 10 am -11 pm, Sun 10-9, Sat-Sun brunch 10-3. Reservations: Yes.

n THE HERITAGE: 7403 W Madison St, Forest Park.

708 435-4937. Seasonal, American restaurant with upscale dishes to be shared or personally enjoyed.

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S c s p B E b h F

i fi 1 s p 6 R

n FLIGHT 112 WINE HOUSE: 112 W Park Ave,

n FOGO DE CHÃO: 1824 Abriter Ct, Naperville.

C R E 5

9/22/17 1:53 AM

n

6 d f & S T

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7 d C $ g p b

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8 r a E l n l 6

n

W A q a

Capacity: 54. Yrs in bus: 1. Chef’s choice: Pan Roasted Flat Iron Steak. Entrée Prices: $15-$25.

Extras: Happy Hour, bar, carry-out. T-Th 5-10, F-Sat 5-11; Brunch: Sat-Sun 10-3. Reservations: Accepted.

Choice: Chilean Sea Bass in Maque Choux sauce.

Entrée prices: $11-$30. Extras: Full bar, TVs, Wi-Fi, catering, carry-out, valet, outdoor seating. M-Th 11-10, F-Sat 11-midnight, Sun 4-9. Reservations: Yes.

n Hillgrove Tap: 800 Hillgrove Ave, Western Springs. 708 290-0055. Traditional bar fare with a creative twist in a family friendly neighborhood sports bar. Capacity: 115, plus 50 on a seasonal patio. Yrs in bus: 1. Chef’s Choice: Nacho Bites or Bourbon glazed pork chop. Entrée prices: $12-$19.

Extras: TVs, 24 craft beers on tap, selection of bourbons and whiskeys, carry-out, full bar, happy hour, outdoor seating, catering. M-Th 11-midnight, F-Sat 11-1 am, Sun 11-10 pm. Reservations: Accepted.

n Morton’s: 1751 Freedom Dr, Naperville.

n Holy Mackerel!: 70 Yorktown Center, Lombard; in the Westin Hotel. 630 953-3444. Fresh spin on fish house classics in a vintage décor. Capacity: 150. Yrs in bus: 10. Chef’s Choice: Kasu marinated sea bass. Entrée prices: $9-$46. Extras: Private parties, bar, carry-out. Breakfast M-Sat 6-11, Sun 6 am-noon; Lunch M-Sat 11-4; Dinner M-Sat 4-9.

Reservations: Yes.

n My Way ristorante: 8116 S Archer Ave, Willow Springs. 708 839-1600. Pasta, seafood and steaks served within Tuscan décor. Capacity: 50 plus 140 outside. Yrs in bus: 10. Chef’s Choice: Stuffed banana peppers. Entrée prices: $20-$40. Extras: Outdoor dining, bar, private parties, catering, carry-out, TVs. T 4-10, W-Th 11:30-10, F 11:30-11, Sat 4-11, Sun 4-9. Reservations: Yes.

n Ivy Restaurant: 120 N Hale St, Wheaton.

630 665-2489. Casually elegant dining featuring steaks, chops and seafood. Capacity: 170, plus 90 on the patio. Yrs in bus: 9. Chef’s Choice: Black pepper shrimp. Entrée prices: Avg: $19. Extras: Banquets, outdoor dining, carry-out. M-Th 11-9, F-Sat 11-10, Sun 11-9. Reservations: Yes.

n Niche: 14 S Third St, Geneva. 630 262-1000.

Contemporary American cuisine including in-season, local foods in a warm atmosphere.

Capacity: 72. Yrs in bus: 9. Chef’s Choice: Pumpernickel-crusted halibut. Entrée prices: $15-$30. Extras: Wine list, revolving selection of 100 beers, 200 whiskies, bar. T-Th 5:30-9, F-Sat 5:30-10. Reservations: Recommended.

n Kama Bistro: 9 S La Grange Rd, La Grange.

708 352-3300. Fresh and modern Indian fare with unique tastes served in an upscale and cozy setting. Capacity: 55 plus 20 on patio. Yrs in bus: 6.

Chef’s Choice: Lamb Chop Masala. Entrée prices: $10-$34. Extras: Catering, gluten-free & vegan options, carry-out, delivery, patio. M 4-9:30, T-Th 11-9:30, F-Sat 11-10:30, Sun 11-9. Reservations: Yes. n LéA FRENCH STREET FOOD: 106 N Marion St, Oak Park. 708 613-5994. “Peasant fare” served up in a French bistro setting. Capacity: 60. Mths in bus: 6.

Chef’s Choice: Chicken avocado sandwich. Entrée prices: $10. Extras: Carry-out, beer and wine. T-Th 8-8, F 8-9, Sun 8-2. Reservations: No. n LE Bistro At LE CHOCOLAT DU BOUCHARD:

127-129 S Washington St, Naperville. 630 355-5720.

French-American bistro with classic Paris ambiance.

Capacity: 90. Yrs in bus: 1. Chef’s Choice: Beef bourguignon. Entrée prices: $10-$26. T-Th 11-10, F 11-11, Sat 10-11, Sun noon-8. Reservation: Accepted.

n MAIZE + MASH: 430 N Main St, Glen Ellyn.

630 547-2540. American bistro with an impressive drinks menu, rustic ambiance and contemporary food. Mths in bus: 6. Chef’s Choice: Maize + Mash & Berkshire burgers. Entrée prices: $10-$17. Extras: Sunday brunch, carry-out, bar, TVs, Wi-Fi. Sun-M 11-11, T-Th 11-midnight, F-Sat 11-1 a.m. Reservations: No.

n Maya Del Sol: 144 S Oak Park Ave, Oak Park.

708 358-9800. Casual, yet upscale New World Latin dining. Capacity: 175, 130 outdoors. Yrs in bus: 9.

Chef’s Choice: Carne asada. Entrée prices: $14$36. Extras: Bar, outdoor dining, live entertainment, gluten- and dairy-free options, catering, carry-out, private dining. M-Th 4-10, F-Sat 4-11, Sun 4-9, Sun brunch 9-2. Reservations: Yes. n Melting Pot: 255 W Golf Rd, Schaumburg.

847 843-8970. Traditional and European fondue in a relaxed and romantic atmosphere. Capacity: 131 at 31 tables. Yrs in bus: 22. Chef’s Choice: Fondue.

Entrée prices: $32-$45. Extras: Bar, extensive wine list, ladies night. M-Th 4-10, F 4-11, Sat noon-11, Sun noon-9. Reservations: Recommended. Additional locations at 1205 Butterfield Rd, Downers Grove, 630 737-0810; and 4931 S Rt 59, Naperville, 630 717-8301. n MICHAEL JORDAN’S RESTAURANT: 1225

W 22nd St, Oak Brook. 312 455-8626. Refined American restaurant and bar featuring premium quality and seasonal ingredients prepared in an active, open-view kitchen. Mths in bus: 3. Chef’s

630 577-1372. Steaks and seafood in an upscale American steakhouse featuring an à la carte menu. Capacity: 175. Yrs in bus: 9. Chef’s Choice: Porterhouse steak and veal chop. Entrée prices: $40-$60. Extras: Bar, free valet parking T-Sat, lounge, private dining, patio. M-Th 5:30-10, F 5:30-11, Sat 5-11, Sun 5-10 (bar opens at 4). Reservations: Recommended. Additional locations at 9525 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, 847 678-5155; and 1470 McConnor Pkwy, Schaumburg, 847 413-8771.

n Nobel House: 305 W State St, Geneva. 630 402-0452.

American comfort food, handcrafted cocktails and in-house smoked meats served up at this gastro pub. Capacity: 70. Yrs in bus: 3. Chef’s Choice: Smoked brisket sandwich. Entrée prices: $10-$15.

Extras: Carry-out, full bar, Wi-Fi, TVs, catering, brunch Sat & Sun, kids’ menu, 30 taps. M-T 11-10, W-Th 11-11, F 11-2 am, Sat-Sun 10-2 am. Reservations: No.

n One Fifty One Kitchen + Bar: 151 N York St,

Elmhurst. 630 979-7198. Seasonally inspired and locally sourced menu that highlights Midwestern foods in a relaxed and refined setting. Capacity: 100 in dining room, 50 in bar area. Chef’s Choice: Brie and Porkchop. Entrée prices: $11-$29. Extras: Private dining, weekly specials, outdoor dining, brunch, kids’ menu. Mon-Th 11:30-10:30, F 11:30-11:30, Sat 10-11:30, Sun 10-10:30. Reservations: Yes.

n Palmer Place: 56 S La Grange Rd, La Grange.

708 482-7127. Casual American fare with 35 kinds of hamburgers. Capacity: 220 inside, 260 outside.

Yrs in bus: 39. Chef’s Choice: Sirloin steak sandwich.

Entrée prices: $9-$24. Extras: Bar with 300 beers, kid’s menu, outdoor/rooftop dining. M-Th 11am-midnight, F-Sat 11am-1 am, Sun noon-11. Reservations: No.

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

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

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

n Patten House Restaurant & Bar: 124 S Second

St, Geneva. 630 492-5040. A newly renovated historic landmark featuring a distinctive menu with a Cajun flair. Capacity: 250. Yrs in bus: 2. Chef’s Choice: BBQ Pork Sandwich and Honey Sriracha Glazed Brussel Sprouts. Entrée prices: $18-$30. Extras: Full bar, outdoor seating, TVs. M-Th 11-10, F-Sat 11-11, Sun 10-10.

Reservations: Yes. n Patio Restaurant: 7440 S Kingery Hwy (Rt 83), Darien. 630 920-0211. Casual dining with American food and specializing in BBQ ribs. Capacity: 300.

Yrs in bus: 25. Chef’s Choice: BBQ ribs. Entrée prices: $7-$22. Extras: Carry-out, outdoor dining, catering, drive-up window, online ordering. M-Th 10:30-10, F-Sat 10:30-11 pm, Sun 10:30-9:30. Reservations: No.

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cheers

DIning

By Buzz Brandt

Additional locations at 4400 Fox Valley Center Dr, Aurora. 630 820-8800; 151 S Weber Rd, Bolingbrook, 630 226-9696; and 2780 S Highland Ave, Lombard, 630 627-2600. n Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille: 5 Oakbrook

Hybrid Grapes

Center, Oak Brook. 630 571-1808. Classic steakhouse with premium steaks and fare prepared tableside.

Capacity: 300. Yrs in bus: 4. Chef’s Choice: 14–oz New York Strip steak and Perry’s Famous Pork Chops.

Entrée prices: $26-$59. Extras: island bar, patio, live music M-Sat, carry-out. M-Th 4-10, F 11-10, Sat 4-11 Sun 4-9 (bar open later). Reservations: Yes.

When worlds and vines collide

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oday’s popular varietals, from Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon to Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, derive from the same species of grape, Vitis vinifera, the wild ancestors of which were cultivated around the Black Sea thousands of years before their arrival in central Europe. While vinifera produces magnificent wines, its grapes are finicky about terroir — the genus thrives abundantly, in the moderate maritime climate and gravel-and-limestone soils of Bordeaux, but when transported to the U.S. it fails miserably.

Outside the west coast viticultural areas, summers are just too hot and humid and winters too frigid for the vines to survive, and excessive rainfall can cause root rot and fungal diseases. Early growers like a thoroughly frustrated Thomas Jefferson simply gave up trying to cultivate vinifera here.

In the mid-19th century a solution appeared.

The Vitis genus encompasses over 60 species of grape, most native to eastern and central North America and easily able to endure freezing weather, soaking rainstorms, plant diseases and grapevine pests. In 1860, when the root-sucking

aphid louse Phylloxera laid waste to European vineyards, French vintners turned to America, importing Phylloxeraresistant Vitis rootstocks upon which to graft their time-honored vinifera varietal vines. Hybrids (crosses between two species of the same genus) were born, and the French wine industry recovered.

Soon the concept was adopted by growers on the East Coast and in the Midwest.

Today, dozens of French-American hybrid grapes exist, many engendered in vineyards at Cornell University and University of Minnesota,

producing red wines low in tannin and reinforced by significant acidity. The aromatic, black cherrydriven, dry Chambourcin is one example, as are the cherry-and-black currantladen Frontenac and the medium-bodied, spicy and earthy Marquette.

White hybrids are powerfully aromatic with notes of flowers and citrus and flavor profiles of stone and tropical fruits. They include the bracingly acidic Vidal Blanc, with a palate of grapefruit, lemon-lime, melons and mangoes; and the tart Seyval Blanc with flavors of grapefruit, peaches, bananas, melons and nuts. n

n Plank Bar & Kitchen: 120 Water St, Naperville.

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

Capacity: 75-12, 12 at bar. Mths in bus: 9. Chef’s Choice: Fish tacos and flatbread. Entrée prices: $12-$25. Extras: Room service, covered parking, valet parking. Breakfast M-F 6:30-10:30, Sat-Sun 7:30-11:30; Dinner M-Sun 4:30-11. Reservations: Yes. n PRONTO’S: 2260 Bloomingdale Rd, Glendale

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

Yrs in bus: 12. Entrée Prices: $5-$18. Extras: Pastry chef, full bar, carry-out, delivery, catering, TVs, Wi-Fi, occasional live music. M-Th 11-9, F-Sat 11-11, Sun 2-9.

Reservations: Accepted. n Public Landing: 200 W 8th St, Lockport.

815 838-6500. Traditional American cuisine in a dog-friendly historic setting with limestone walls.

Capacity: 150. Yrs in bus: 28. Chef’s Choice: Aged Black Angus filets. Entrée prices: $12-$49. Extras: Patio, private parties, banquets, chef’s daily lunch and dinner specials. T-Th 11-9, F-Sat 11-10, Sun 11-7.

Reservations: Recommended. n Roberto’s Ristorante & Pizzeria: 483 Spring

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

Reservations: Yes. n SEARED FINE DINING: 400 Park Blvd, Itasca;

Expert wine recommendations • Scott Lawlor Galena Cellars 477 S 3rd St, Geneva (630 323-9463) NV Galena Cellars Viognier (Ill.) $17.

Round and lush, highlighting succulent layers of ripe peaches, pears and honey with delicate aromatics of violets and honeysuckle.

NV Galena Cellars “Eric the Red” Marechel Foch (Ill.) $18. This smooth, medium-bodied red brims with exuberant flavor

notes of cherries, blackberries and plums along with a nice touch of chocolate. The tannins are minimal and the acidity abundant.

•Christina Andersen-Heller Lynfred Winery 13 S Roselle Rd, Roselle (630 529-9463) 2016 Lynfred Vidal Blanc (Ill.) $22.

Pale straw in the glass with an opulent nose of mangoes, honeysuckle

and lychee nuts with currents of lemons, limes, and honeydew melons on the palate. Bone-dry and steely.

2015 Lynfred Seyval Blanc (Ill.) $22.

The Sauvignon Blanc of Illinois, this beautiful white boasts aromas and flavors of grapefruit, pineapples, and pears underscored with hints of thyme, peppermint, and lemon peel, along with a nice minerality.

inside the Western Hotel Chicago Northwest.

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

630 571-4752. Seasonally inspired, featuring fresh ingredients and rustic cooking techniques in a casually sophisticated setting. Capacity: 350. Yrs in bus: 5. Chef’s Choice: Seasonal lobster & fresh mozzarella flatbread; Chilean sea bass. Entrée prices: $16-$25. Extras: Private dining for 10 – 90 guests. M-Th 11-10, F-Sat 11-11, Sun 10-9. Reservations: Yes, recommended. Additional location at 1770 E Higgins Rd, Schaumburg. 847 517-5252. n SIXTYFOUR - A WINE BAR: 123 Water St, Naperville.

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

Capacity: 130. Chef’s Choice: Grilled Hanger Steak.

Entrée prices: $12-$15. Extras: Private events, beer & wine, outdoor seating, expert sommeliers, TVs, Wi-Fi. Sun-Th 11-10, F-Sat 11-11. Reservations: Yes. n STEAMBOAT BBQ: 322 E Geneva Rd, Wheaton.

Southern-style BBQ joint specializing in smoked meats. Entrée Prices: $6-$16. Extras: WiFi, catering.

M-Sat 11-8, Sun 11-7. Reservations: No.

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n Sugartoad: 2139 CityGate Ln, Naperville; in the

Hotel Arista. 630 778-8623. American cuisine with a French touch in a modern, classy décor. Capacity: 80. Yrs in bus: 8. Chef’s Choice: Scallops. Entrée prices: $10-$35 (breakfast/lunch); $18-$35 (dinner).

Extras: Bar, catering, outdoor dining, on-site garden, carry-out, weekend brunch 7-2. M-Sat 6:30 am-10 pm, Sun 6:30 am-9 pm. Reservations: Yes.

n Sullivan’s Steakhouse: 244 S Main St, Naperville.

630 305-0230. Steak, chops and seafood in a Chicagostyle décor. Capacity: 300. Yrs in bus: 18. Chef’s Choice: Seafood and steak. Entrée prices: $30-$60.

Extras: Bar, live entertainment, valet parking. M-Sat 4:30-11, Sun 3-9. Reservations: Recommended.

n Sushi House: 830 E Ogden Ave, Westmont.

630 920-8948. Sushi, sashimi and other Japanese fare. Capacity: 100. Yrs in bus: 22. Chef’s Choice: Cracker roll. Entrée prices: $10-$20. Extras: Carry-out, catering, delivery, private parties, kid’s menu, sushi bar, beer & wine. M-F 11:30-10, Sat noon-10, Sun noon-9:30. Reservations: Yes. Additional locations at 950 Warren Ave, Downers Grove, 630 968-0088; 1107 Lake St,Oak Park, 708 660-8899; and 281 Rice Lake Square, Wheaton, 630 221-8986. n Sushi UKAI: 120 W Calendar Ct, La Grange.

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

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

Crêperie, pâtisserie, boulangerie, French country bistro and wine bar in a casual setting. Capacity: 88. Yrs in bus: 17. Chef’s Choice: Beef bourguignon crêpe and Suzette’s benedict. Entrée prices: $13-$40. Extras: Wine bar, bakery, carry-out, full bar,

outdoor dining, private parties, boutique weddings, occasional live music. Pâtisserie open at 7 am, M-Sat, Sun brunch 11-2, afternoon tea T-Sat 2 pm, Sun 1 pm. T-Th 7 am - 9 pm, F-Sat 7 am - 10 pm, Sun 8 am - 2 pm. Reservations: Recommended. n Tallgrass: 1006 S State, Lockport. 815 838-5566.

Modern French cuisine in an elegant and intimate historic Victorian building. Capacity: 32. Yrs in bus: 37. Chef’s Choice: Lobster lasagna. Entrée prices: $59, $69 & $79 for 3, 4 and 5 course dinners. Extras: Bar, private parties. W-Sun 6 pm-10. Reservations: Yes, required n Topaz CafÉ: 780 Village Center Dr, Burr Ridge.

630 654-1616. Contemporary American dining with steaks, fish and chops. Capacity: 220. Yrs in bus: 9.5. Chef’s Choice: Lake Superior Whitefish. Entrée prices: $16-$38. Extras: Chef’s table, outdoor dining, private parties, gluten-free items, live music, wine list, wine dinners. M-F 11:30-midnight, Sat 4-midnight, Sun 4-8. Reservations: Recommended. n Union House: 0S050 Winfield Rd, Winfield.

630 456-4188. American Farm-to-table kitchen with seasonal cuisine. Capacity: 65 plus 20 on patio.

Yrs in bus: 3.5. Chef’s Choice: Shrimp & grits. Entrée prices: $5-$30. Extras: Full bar with 40 beers, outdoor patio, occasional live music, carry-out, free Wi-Fi. Lunch T-F 11-2; Dinner T-Th 5-10, F-Sat 4-11.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Capacity: 65, 10 on patio. Mths in bus: 4. Chef’s Choice: BBQ pork belly. Entrée prices: $15-$20.

Extras: Live music, private events, outdoor seating, free Wi-Fi, happy hour. T-Th 4-10, F-Sat 4-midnight.

n Walker’s Charhouse And Bar: 8 W Gartner

Rd, Naperville. 630 637-9688. American fine dining amid handcrafted paintings from Naperville artists in a casual setting. Capacity: 90. Yrs in bus: 22.

Chef’s Choice: Charbroiled Steak. Entrée prices: $15-$30. Extras: Carry-out, bar, delivery, kids’ menu, family friendly, daily specials. Sun-Th 11 -9, F-Sat 11-10.

n Weber grill: 2331 Fountain Square Dr, Lombard.

630 953-8880. Meat cooked on charcoal kettle grills in an open kitchen. Capacity: 300. Yrs in bus: 17.

Chef’s Choice: BBQ ribs. Entrée prices: $10-$40, Avg. $21. Extras: Outdoor dining, banquets, bar (open later). M-Th 11:30-10, F-Sat 11:30-11, Sun 11:30-9.

Reservations: Yes. Additional location at 1010 N Meacham Rd, Schaumburg, 847 413-0800. n WHEATSTACK: 5900 S Rt 53, Lisle. 630 968-1920.

Casual dining overlooking the River Bend Golf Course. Capacity: 250. Yrs in bus: 5. Chef’s Choice: Mother’s Pot Roast. Entrée prices: $10-$24. Extras: Full bar, banquet facilities, catering, outdoor dining.

M-Th 11-9, F-Sat 11-10, Sun 11-8. Reservations: Yes. n YORK TAVERN: 3702 York Rd, Oak Brook.

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

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

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

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Charitable Events of Note

Dr. Gastone and Linda Celesia of Oak Brook

Lisa and Larry Mowry (ABC7) of Westmont

Mary Dillon, CEO of Ulta, Fiona Dillon and Kecia Steelman of Bolingbrook

Wynn Schmit, Bob Livingston, and Darcy and Nicholas Ytterdahl, all of Glen Ellyn On September 9 the Women’s Board of the Adler Planetarium hosted its biggest fundraising event of the year, the 2017 Celestial Ball: Solar Flare. The annual black-tie in science and inspires young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

182 golfers took part in

Photos courtesy of Wheaton Park District

Dave and Donna Beering of Wheaton

gala raised more than $1.5 million for educational programming that engages people

Bill Gee and Susan Krother of River Forest

the 34th Annual Mike Williams Cosley Classic Golf Outing, held at Arrowhead Golf Club in August. More than $37,000 was raised for the Cosley Foundation, a charitable organization that supports ongoing exhibit development and animal care at Cosley Zoo.

Paul and Liz Pearson, and Marcelle and Tim Doyle, all of Wheaton

Tracy Smith, Joe Cuttone, Karen and Mark Daniels, all of Wheaton

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a Photos by Bari Baskin and Ron Hume

Photos by Robert (Bob) Carl

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Photos courtesy of John Reilly Photography

LOAVES & FISHES COMMUNITY SERVICES raised more than $320,000 at its third Night to End Hunger at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook in late August. More than 250 guests gathered to raise funds in support of those who seek relief from hunger

Photos by Bari Baskin and Ron Hume

and poverty.

Carol, Nicole and Michael Bilder of Burr Ridge Mike and Neda Bilder, and Laura and Chris Murphy, all of Elmhurst

George Mann, Loaves & Fishes CEO Mike Havala, Julie Mann, Doug Besso, Nancy Besso, and Ken and Nancy Wiersum, all of Naperville Front row from left: Dave Kelsch, Tom and Brenda Harter, all of Naperville; and Ian Nelson of Western Springs. Back: Dawn Kelsch and Lenore Chemers, both of Naperville; emcee Judy Hsu from ABC7; Scott Musil of Hinsdale; and Robert Chemers of Naperville.

MORE THAN 530 OF CHICAGO’S philanthropic, civic and community leaders attended the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s 16th Annual Gala of the Arts at the Navy Pier Grand Ballroom on September 8.

Proceeds from the Gala, totaling $300,000, benefit the Catholic Charities Emergency Assistance Program.

Photos courtesy of the Patrick Spann Foundation

Charlotte Cziperle of Burr Ridge

Photos courtesy of Wheaton Park District

$20,000 WAS RAISED at the Grand Slam Champions Gala for the Patrick

Emcee Judy Hsu from ABC7 and CEO Mike Havala

Spann Foundation, the mission of which is to invest in strategies to prepare girls and low-income children to become STEM leaders and community re-builders.

Gala Chairwoman and member of the Board of Directors for the Patrick Spann Foundation Susan Fredericks with Robert Fredericks of Carol Stream.

Steve Fredericks and Rachael Rayas of Naperville

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Last Word

By Michele Weldon

Pay Attention The fine art of noticing the little things in life that can make a big difference

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he outline of a water lily eventually appeared. What was just a smudge of white in the distance — it could have been a bird or even a piece of waterlogged paper — eventually emerged to reveal what it was.

Here’s the peculiar truth: The more time you spend paying attention to the very smallest details, the more you learn about everything else.

I‘ve spent three to five hours every Saturday for the past few months in an outdoor painting class — en plein air.

Wikipedia describes this as a phrase borrowed from the French, equivalent in meaning to “open in full air.”

The class itself was three hours long, but sometimes I stayed put for a few more hours, long after the instructor and some of my colleagues had packed up and headed home. I stayed because I had not gotten the clouds just right or the reflection of the bridge on the water or the texture of the pebbled path.

Now that October is here, when it is still comfortably warm and not cold, I am itching to venture out on my own and capture the shift in seasons on canvas with just the right color paints.

At the behest of our artist instructor, Laura, each week of class we arrived at a different public park, each with exquisite surroundings — the lake front, the river, a lily pond, a beach. We stood at our easels and painted a scene. Each week, a handful of us converged from different suburbs lugging our supplies, our hopes, and often our humility.

At the same site, each of us chose a wildly different point of view, but struggled with questions that at times were the same.

“Wait, watch and listen long enough and what is really there will come into view. My rushes to judgment, my impatience, rob me of what is possible.”

Is this the correct blue for the water, or is it more green? The lines in those leaves have a pinkish tone, and the brightness of the windows is luminescent. Perhaps if you use a smaller brush, with the finest point, you can make that distinction.

And it would always happen — standing in the same spot sometimes for hours, trying to capture in oil and determination what it feels like to be there, observing the same vista, the same trees, the same bushes, the same sandy shore. Then, as if by magic, something completely new would appear.

That brown shadow is not a rock, but a tree trunk. Beyond those yellow daisies are long grasses that seem browned in spots, and, yes, over there is a small ornament carved in the cement wall.

And of course, each detail had been there all along.

The significance is not lost on me. I know that I miss the details of most every other part of my life. The shyness of a friend, the rush to anger of a child, the strength of a colleague. They are not at first what they seem. Wait, watch and listen long enough and what is really there will come into view.

My rushes to judgment, my impatience, rob me of what is possible.

Having time to paint is a privilege. These past several weeks amounted to the first time I painted in oils in almost 30 years. Work, family, more work — all have earned my full time and attention. So many smaller

details were lost out of the necessity to keep moving forward.

But for now I made my own creativity a priority — and one that was not connected to a paycheck. For now, I was devoting a good chunk of time pursuing something that would earn me or my career nothing more than an ear-to-ear smile.

Yes, I complained. It was all too much trouble — not to mention a major inconvenience on Saturdays when I already have so much to catch up on after a busy work week. I have to go the grocery store, weed the garden, do the laundry, clean, pay bills, catch up on everything I put on hold since Monday. I need to exercise, I need to rest, I need to clean my closets.

And then of course, there was the baggage of self-doubt. I am not as good as any of the other painters in the class.

I will make a fool of myself. I am not a professional artist.

But I painted anyway.

I turned off the cell phone in my purse and gave all of my mind and my heart to the details of what was in front of me. I listened to the instructor’s directions on how to improve the smallest piece of the painting.

What I learned is not just how to give water a sense of movement with a swipe of lighter blue. I learned that I can pay this close attention to every person and every task and every event and instance of my existence.

When I pay attention, I earn a new life. n

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