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: […]
Update Feb. 14, 2017: Marigold Maison is now located at 900 N. Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire. Bannockburn isn’t exactly on my destination restaurant radar, but now that I’ve been to Marigold Maison, I might just have to adjust my thinking. Suburban restaurants in strip malls aren’t generally my cup of tea, but the warm colors—marigold […]
The smell of a freshly mown lawn and the feel of that grass under your bare feet are summer staples. So are treats we can heat over a fire and those that will cool us back down. Warm weather is the time for desserts so messy that they demand to be eaten outside. S’mores and […]
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 […]
When co-founder Sebastián Koziura started FRÍO Gelato in Evanston, he was looking to recreate the gelato experience of his South American childhood in Argentina. Gelato is big there, both as sweet treat and social pastime. FRÍO’s gelato base is made in-house with hormone-free milk and all natural ingredients; the South American influence is obvious in […]
Northbrook is now the primo destination for some of the best ice cream around. Graeter’s, founded in 1870 in Cincinnati, has opened its first Illinois store, and it’s an unqualified success. The fourth generation of the Graeter family has brought in some new ideas—gelato, low-glycemic flavors, fruit smoothies—but their core dedication to the French-pot, small […]
One of downtown Chicago’s favorite fast-casual places has made it up to the northern suburbs: Freshii has opened in Evanston. Locals can be found lining up for the über-fresh juices (the Green Refresher, filled with kale, green apples, celery, cucumbers and lime, is a favorite), smoothies, soups, salads, bowls and wraps. Vegetarians, vegans and pescetarians […]
Now that school and the cold streak are finally ending, everyone is looking for ways to enjoy the summer sun. One classic way to get family and friends outside is with the promise of a picnic. Too often, however, we get stuck in the rut of standard pasta salads in plastic tupperware. Check out these […]
It’s Saturday night and you have choices to make. You’d love to see a good show but don’t have tickets. You’d love to try out a new restaurant but don’t have reservations. No need to stress, because we have a roundup of venues in and around Chicago that offer live music, great food and fun […]
The new Cocoa + Co. was born of owner Kim Hack’s obsession with chocolate. Hack, a longtime food industry professional, feels that cacao beans—like grapes—have a distinct terroir, a sense of place. At her new Old Town store, you’ll find freshly baked creations from celebrity chefs Malika Ameen and Gale Gand; the work of 35 […]
