North Shore Views

Archive for the 'Local gems' Category

Birdhouse Garden in May

I first wrote about this delightful garden back in April, when there wasn’t much to see.

Here it is again in the middle of May, when the tulips were in bloom and other perennials were starting to sprout. And the birdhouses have come out to join the flowers.

Here’s how it looked just one month before:

Tags: gardens, Kenilworth Gardens

North Shore Farmer’s Markets

Hallelujah! Now that spring is here (I think), we can stop eating frozen food and start enjoying nature’s bounty.  At farmer’s markets up and own the North Shore you can buy locally (or regionally) grown fruits and vegetables and locally produced cheeses, baked goods and arts & crafts. They run from late spring through the fall, mostly on Saturdays. Here are dates and times for 2011. The first one to open is the French Market in Wilmette, this Saturday, April 30th.

Evanston

Downtown Market: Corner of University Place and East Railroad Ave.
Saturdays, 7:30 am – 1:00 pm
May 7 – November 15

West End Market: Church St. and Dodge Ave. (Evanston High School Parking Lot)
Saturdays, 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
June 4 – October 29

Central Street Farmer’s Market: Independence Park (Central and Stewart)
Wednesdays, 3:00- 7:00 pm
June 1 – October 26

Wilmette

Wilmette French Market: Downtown Metra Parking Lot
Saturdays, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
April 30 – October

Northfield

Northfield Farmer’s Market: 6 Happ Rd. (across from New Trier High School’s Northfield campus)
Saturdays, 7:30 am – 12:00 pm
June – October 22

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Tags: farmer's markets

A Tour of Winnetka’s Antiques Shops

In my experience the term, “antique” is often used rather loosely to describe anything that’s “pre-owned,” and anyone’s cast-off junk seems to qualify. But if you want to shop for antiques that actually fit the time-tested definition (”An item which is at least 100 years old and is collected or desirable due to rarity, condition, utility, or some other unique feature.”) then a visit to Winnetka’s antiques shops will be worth your while. You won’t find any old coke bottles, Beanie Babies (with or without the tags) or Hummel figurines here. No, this is the good stuff, which is just what you’d expect in a village like Winnetka.

So let’s take a little tour, starting at the southernmost shop and working our way north to Hubbard Woods.

Country Shop

710 Oak St., Winnetka, IL
847-441-8690
Hours: Tues. – Sat. 10:00-5:00

The Country Shop is located on Oak St. between Lincoln Ave. and Maple St., with parking on the street right out front. It is the one store in Winnetka that specializes in Americana. It sells early American antiques and reproductions, as well as gifts and accessories to fit a casual or country decor.

M. Stefanich Antiques

569 Lincoln Ave.
847-446-4955
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10:30-5:00

From the Country Shop, go north on Oak St. a half a block to Lincoln Ave. and turn right. Cross Elm St. and proceed to the end of the block. M. Stefanich will be on your right. You can park on the street for 90 minutes, ample time to browse in both M. Stefanich and Donald Stuart Antiques. M. Stefanich’s specialty is antique silver and fine porcelain.

Donald Stuart Antiques

571 Lincoln Ave., Winnetka
847-501-4454
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10:00-5:00

Right next door to M. Stefanich, Donald Stuart sells English and French furniture, porcelain, prints, lamps and accessories.

Rare Finds

890 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka
847-446-5449
Hours: Mon. – Fri. 11:00-5:00 and Sat. 11:00-4:00

When you leave Donald Stuart, keep driving north on Lincoln Avenue to Pine St. Go left, cross the bridge and turn right on Green Bay Rd. You’ll find the rest of the antiques shops in Hubbard Woods, just a mile up the road.

Rare Finds is the first antique store you come to as you enter Hubbard Woods driving north on Green Bay Rd. It’s a small store on the left, just north of Tower Rd., but it’s packed with beautiful 18th and 19th century antiques from England and France. Some of the more unusual items are the Victorian bamboo furniture, porcelain spirit jugs from old pubs, peat buckets painted with crests, inlaid boxes and antique fireplace furnishings (one of their specialties).

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Tags: Antiques

Old Neighborhood Grill in Evanston

“Anywhere but Corner Bakery,” I replied when my partner, Mo asked where we should go for lunch. I had already been there three times in the last week and needed a break.

“I’ve got a new place and it’s right near here,” said Mo. So we hopped in her car and headed down to Evanston.

Although it’s been there for two years, I had never been into the Old Neighborhood Grill until yesterday. It’s a casual spot located at 2902 Central St. in Evanston. It serves burgers, dogs, sandwiches and a number of Greek dishes like spanakopita, kebabs, souvlaki, Greek chicken, etc. The burgers are made from fresh Black Angus and the Greek dishes are homemade. I ordered the Greek salad, which was so big it overflowed my plate, and Mo had the pork kebobs with tzatziki, which I had to sample if I was going to endorse this place. They were yummy.

Not only was the food good but we were treated like old friends. The owners, John and Theresa Tasiopoulos, have to be two of the friendliest and most welcoming people there are.  John used to have a big corporate IT job with 190 people reporting to him. But he HATED it, so Theresa convinced him to go ahead and fulfill his lifelong dream of having his own restaurant. He did and has never looked back.

We commented on the gorgeous inlaid wood counter top…not the typical Formica type counter you would expect in a place like this. Turns out the counter and all the tables in the place were made by John’s father, Peter, who also happened to be on hand while we were there. When they went to convert the space from a mortgage company to a restaurant, Peter took all the black walnut door casings from the existing space and re-purposed them to make the furniture and counter top. How’s that for green?

The restaurant is open six days a week from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm and closed on Sunday. You can see the restaurant’s full menu here.

And when you go, tell John that Anne and Mo sent you, and you’ll get a 25% discount on any order over $20.00.

Tags: restaurants

North Shore’s Best Chinese Food

Years ago, when we lived in Highland Park and worked in the city, our Friday night ritual was to head directly from the train to Little Szechwan for dinner. Our regular server was Annie and she rolled a mean Mu Shu Pork. I credit Annie with getting me to branch out of my comfort zone and try new (spicy!) dishes. No matter what we ordered it was always tasty and the service was always friendly and attentive. We stopped going only because we moved out of town. A few years later, when we moved back to the North Shore, we landed in Wilmette, and Little Szechwan just wasn’t as top of mind or as convenient anymore.

But last Sunday, my daughter had a late afternoon soccer game at the Bubble in Highland Park, so afterwards we decided to head over to Little Szechwan, hoping it would still be as good as we remembered. We were not disappointed. We ordered some old favorites like Kung Pao Beef and tried a couple new things like Yu Hsiang Eggplant and Szechwan Shrimp.

For my money Little Szechwan is still the best Chinese restaurant on the North Shore.

Little Szechwan is located at 1900 First Street in Highland Park and is open every day.  The restaurant is owned by Chef Simon Lin, who also owns the more upscale (and expensive) Asian Bistro in Lincolnshire. For more information visit www.littleszechwan.com.

Tags: Highland Park restaurants, Little Szechwan, North Shore chinese restaurants

Wilmette’s Antiques Row

If you’re an antique lover Wilmette’s Antiques Row is your destination for an afternoon of serious browsing. Although not an official name, the stretch of Ridge Rd between Lake and Wilmette Avenues has become known locally as Antiques Row because of the collection of stores clustered in those few blocks. Now we have a new one to cement the moniker. Collector’s Corner has moved in to the location at the corner of Lake and Ridge Roads, making it the northernmost stop on the Row. Here’s a rundown of the six shops:

Heritage Trail Mall Antique Emporium

410 Ridge Rd.
(847) 256-6208
Hours: Monday-Friday 11:00-5:30; Saturday 10:00-5:30; Sunday 12:00-5:00

Heritage Trail is the oldest antiques store on Ridge Rd. It was opened in 1993 by owners Joan and Jerry Carlson, who still manage the mall with the help of daughters Lisa Chrisopoulos and Kirsten Carlson. The mall has over seventy dealers and sells just about everything: furniture, jewelry, artwork, light fixtures, glassware, porcelain, books and silver. The dealers’ stalls are packed to the gills with their finds and you can get lost in here for hours (and I have) poking around.  Heritage Trail also has a flea market twice a year, the first Sunday in May and October. (This year’s fall flea market is coming up on October 3rd from 9-5). You can get great bargains directly from dealers in the parking lot and there is also merchandise on sale inside the store.

Pandora’s Box

416 Ridge Rd.
(847) 251-4416
Hours: Wednesday & Saturday 10:00-5:00; and random other times

Pandora’s Box is a two-story treasure trove right next to Heritage Trail.   Jenny Zervas opened the store in 2006 and characterizes her merchandise as “domestic eclectic”. She buys her stuff at estate sales or on Craig’s List and she is always on the lookout for unique or unusual pieces. Most of it is antique or vintage but she’s open to having a few new things if they fall into the unusual or interesting category. She also has a fondness for frames, so there are lots of them displayed around the shop.

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Tags: antiques stores

Fuel Restaurant

If you’re looking for a change of pace from the usual fare at Panera and Corner Bakery, then you should try Fuel Restaurant at 1222 Washington Court in Wilmette (right next to the Metra parking lot). They have some unique and creative breakfast and lunch options made from locally grown ingredients. And they are quite tasty.

Ed and I stopped in for breakfast the other day and both of us ordered the Savory Strata. I got the vegetarian version with spinach and mushrooms and he ordered the one with Italian Sausage. I had never had a strata before but it was a yummy concoction made with Heavenly Hearth French bread, peppers, Crimini mushrooms, onions, low fat yogurt, Gruyere and Parmesan cheese, all topped by a garlic mushroom sauce and sun dried tomatoes. It was de-lish!

Fuel opened almost a year ago. Its owner, Tim Lenon, is an ex-trader and Wilmette resident, who is passionate about supporting local farmers and local businesses. His concept is “farm to table”, meaning that everything he serves is fresh off the farm and comes from within a 100 mile radius. The eggs are from cage-free chickens and the produce is grown using organic farming techniques. Fuel also claims to be the only green restaurant in town, as the space was built using recycled materials.

You can eat outside or in. The interior of the space has kind of an urban feel, not surprising given that its inspiration was some of the places Tim used to frequent in Bucktown and Wicker Park. It has cool colors and clean lines. I overheard one patron describe it as “small and concise.” And it is.

If you’re trying to make a train, or are otherwise in a rush, you can get “Fast Fuel” to grab and go: smoothies, pastries and muffins and breakfast burritos.

Fuel is open Monday – Friday from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 to 2:00. Breakfast entrees cost $9.00-10.00 while lunch runs $8.50-10.00. Kids’ breakfasts are $5.50-7.50.

Tags: Fuel Restaurant

Wilmette’s French Market

On Saturday mornings throughout the summer, a trip to Wilmette’s Metra parking lot will transport you to old world France, where you can stroll through a  Parisian-style open air market and shop for fresh produce, bread and other good stuff.

I always wondered why it’s called a French Market instead of a farmer’s market.  That’s the great thing about writing a blog. You learn a lot of stuff you may not have known about before.  The big difference  is that the French Market has breads & baked goods, meats, cheeses, potted plants, kettle-corn,  pickles, jewelry, scarves, bags and handicrafts, in addition to the fruits and vegetables you would find at an ordinary farmer’s market. Also, instead of separate booths, all of the vendors are under one long red, white and blue awning. Our market  even features live music in the form of a New Trier student who plays the violin for shoppers’ listening pleasure and, of course, tips.

The concept is borrowed from the open air markets in Europe, where people shop for their daily consumables. It was brought to this country by Bensidoun, a French company that manages open air markets in and around Paris and now in several towns and cities in the U.S.

The market is open every Saturday from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm from May 1st through the end of October. Most of the produce and other food items are grown or produced locally (or regionally).

Tags: French Market

Best Gas in Town

I know what you’re thinking. Gas is gas, right?

But this gas is different. Well, maybe not the gas, but the gas station. I’ve never been much of a loyalist when it comes to gas. It’s a convenience thing for me. I get gas wherever I happen to be when my car is on empty.

But a while back I came out of my house one cold morning and my battery was dead. Triple A gave me a jump but told me the battery was basically shot and I should get a new one ASAP. I was already running late that day so I went down the hill to Forrest’s Marathon Station (now owned by Duxler Complete Auto Care) at 1201 Green Bay Road in Wilmette to see if they could help me.

I had no sooner settled in with my newspaper and complimentary cup of coffee when they told me I was all set. The new battery was already installed. I don’t think it took five minutes. After I paid for the battery I realized I needed gas so I pulled up to the pump and started to get out to pump my gas when Ed came bounding up and said, “I’ll take care of that”. I thought he was just being nice because I had just had my car serviced there. But no. Turns out that they actually pump everyone’s gas.  I’ve always been a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to gas, but I have to say that, when it’s 20 degrees out and sleeting, it sure is nice to sit in my warm car and have someone else do it for me.

Today I needed gas again, so I headed down to my new favorite gas station. This time I brought my camera, snapped some pix and talked to the owner, Glenn Moak. Duxler has three other locations (Evanston, Northbrook and Skokie) but this one is the only one that has gas. Glenn says their goal is to put the service back into service stations. They pump the gas and, no, it’s not more expensive than self-serve places; in fact, it’s a bit cheaper. They have a full-service garage and tire replacement operation. They also have the cleanest bathrooms in town. They’ll even top off the windshield wiper fluid in your car and give you a lollipop when they’re all done. You can’t beat that.

ATTENTION LADIES: Thursdays are Ladies’ Day at all Duxler locations. For every oil change, Duxler will donate $2.00 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and you’ll also be entered in a drawing to win a day spa certificate.

So, if you’re sightseeing on the North Shore or touring homes for sale or just driving your kids’ carpools and need to make a pit stop, Duxler’s Marathon Gas is the place to go.

Tags: best gas station, Wilmette

Wedding Crasher No More

What’s the most elegant wedding venue on the North Shore?

Vince Vaughn would tell you it’s the Armour House at Lake Forest Academy. At least that’s where the star of “Wedding Crashers” chose to tie the knot this past weekend. The Armour House was built between 1904 and 1908 at a cost of $10 million by J. Ogden Armour (heir to the Armour Meat Packing fortune). It was purchased by Lake Forest Academy in 1947 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can read more about Vaughn’s wedding here and here.

Tags: Armour House, Lake Forest, Vince Vaughn, Wedding Crasher