Sara Montmorency grew up cooking with her mom and grandma, though she didn’t see it as a career initially. So she pursued a fine arts degree in college and then a master’s in business. But, she’s always loved pie, so she returned to the kitchen. After three years of farmers’ market booths (you might know […]
Lake Forest High School alums Ray Bozic and Jeff Urso have always been close friends – and big pizza fans. In 2011, they opened their first Donati’s Pizza in a tiny Lake Forest location; with success, they expanded the business to Mundelein and Rolling Meadows. Their newest location is in Lake Bluff, Bozic’s hometown, and this […]
There was a time—a long time, actually—when fine dining equaled French haute cuisine. End of story. Of course, that’s in the past, and many of those splurge restaurants have gone the way of the dinosaur. But the American love affair with French food survives, just in a less stuffy form. The Chicago area is filled […]
As if the tiny new corner bakery on Evanston’s Central Street, just east of the Metra tracks, wasn’t adorable enough, it turns out that owner/baker Beth Welch and manager Kate Noble share more than a love of sugar—they’re sisters! They first learned to bake and cook from their beloved grandmother as they grew up fourth-generation […]
Traditional Japanese sushi is a true art. If you’ve seen the documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” then you know that it takes years of training to master the steps needed for perfection. Jiro Ono’s restaurant, located inconspicuously in a Tokyo train station, has three Michelin stars, yet he says he is still learning. The sushi […]
Make It Better’s Best of 2015 drew more than 105,000 verified votes across 10 categories. Share your thoughts with us on social media using the hashtag #MIBBestof2015. Go-To Eats Brunch Ten Mile House (North Shore) This newcomer has won a legion of fans with their sunny morning meal, not to mention the Hangover Fried Rice. 1700 […]
It’s lunchtime in the city, and you need a quick bite to eat. You’re tired of the standard quick-service giants (sometimes, even Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup gets old), but there’s not enough time to sit down at even a casual eatery. What do you do? The solution may be parked right outside of your office: […]
Although great anytime of the year, fried chicken is perhaps best enjoyed outside on a warm night with a cold beer, sitting at a picnic table. Happily, it’s delicious hot or cold. Sure, you’ve got your KFC and Brown’s Chicken, and while they’re consistent—the hallmark of a long-running franchise—they have no personality. These 15 chicken joints […]
When Theresa Lucas opened her original Good Grapes wine boutique in Glencoe in 2008, it was a tiny 170 square feet. In contrast, her recently opened Winnetka store is a spacious 1,200 square feet, with room for all of Lucas’ treasures plus a winekeeper that allows her to sample eight wines by the glass in […]
Summer is heating up in Chicago, and soon we’ll be desperate for ways to keep cool. Our advice: Keep calm and sh-sh-shake off that heavy mid-summer humidity with the best of Chicago’s creamy, cool desserts — milkshakes! Sip ‘em neatly through a straw or scoop ‘em messily with an oversized spoon; go chocolate-y sweet or […]
