There’s a new fast-casual restaurant in town: The Simple Greek is open in Highland Park. Marcus Lemonis, host of CNBC’s “The Profit,” is a partner in the restaurant, a franchise out of Philadelphia that he first worked with on his show. The Simple Greek emulates the much-admired Chipotle model of an open food assembly line, where […]
Summer in Chicago is short (July, August, occasionally September) but oh, so sweet. The Hampton Social aims to make the feeling last all year long – and largely succeeds. From the moment you step inside (and even before, walking beneath the twinkling strands of white linen globe lights on your way to the door), you […]
Now that fall is truly here, it’s tempting to go full-throttle pumpkin everything. Between pumpkin spice lattes and, well, all of Trader Joe’s, it’s easy to get stuck in a gourd rut. “Maple: 100 Sweet and Savory Recipes Featuring Pure Maple Syrup” (Quirk Books, 2015, $23) is just the cookbook to save the day. From […]
Fall welcomes cool weather and football games. And, who doesn’t like a good tailgate meal before the big game? When our children were both students at the University of Michigan, we were invited to many tailgate parties before games in the Big House in Ann Arbor – and I perfected the art of eating well […]
Evanston is a diverse town with a lot of great ethnic food, but until very recently, Mongolian-Russian cuisine has not been on the menu. Owner Ulzii Hughbanks, who moved from Mongolia to America in 2005, was determined to change that, and we’re oh-so happy that she decided to open The Funky Monk, a small and […]
I grew up in hot, tourist-filled Florida – a place where the seasons are seamless and coat closets house mostly jean jackets. The vista out of my childhood bedroom window was static: Palm trees and dried grass in the winter, palm trees and even drier grass in the summer. I’ve come to especially appreciate Illinois’ […]
Just as the fall is a harbinger for new fashion trends, so is it a time for brand-spanking new restaurants. There’s a lot of news to share: restaurant openings (and closings – sob!), singular food and wine dinners, and special events. Get your stomachs – and wallets – ready. Hot New Restaurants “Top Chef” fan […]
The cold and flu season is nearly upon us, but Lake Forest residents AnneMarie Ranallo and Laura Rukavina are more than ready. They opened LF Juice this summer, and all of their products are made with purely organic ingredients, free of preservatives and artificial additives. These are raw, cold-pressed juices, all hand-crafted for their discerning […]
Back-to-school time can be fraught. On the one hand, the kids are back in school and all is right with the world; on the other, you’ve got nine months of packing school lunches in front of you. And then there’s the guilt. Do you capitulate and pack the lunch box or bag with whatever is […]
Jocelyn Delk Adams grew up traveling between her home in Chicago and the Mississippi home of her beloved grandparents, Sid and Maggie Small (a/k/a Big Daddy and Big Mama), where she spent hours in the kitchen as Big Mama worked her magic. Adams was the “Grandbaby,” and apparently an apt student, because now, at the […]
