Don Juan’s Cantina We asked local chefs and restaurant owners for their favorite dishes that are perfect for fall By Trent Modglin Don Juan’s Cantina — Carne asada à la tampiqueña con un chile relleno 650 N. Northwest Hwy in Park Ridge DJsCantina.com Details: Talk about the complete meal, this one certainly checks a lot of ...

Sketchbook Brewing’s sixth annual Oktoberfest Sept. 18-20 Sketchbook Brewing’s annual Oktoberfest celebration will take place Sept. 18-20 at their Skokie taproom. This free event will boast live music, stein-hoisting and hammerschlagen competitions, a variety of food truck options, giant soft pretzels and, of course, plenty of fresh Oktoberfest beer. 4901 Main Street in Skokie. More ...

Shemroon Kabab House in Park Ridge What you do for a living: We own a company called Midwest Crushing and Screening, which is a heavy equipment dealership that specializes in renting and selling recycling equipment. How long you’ve lived here: We bought our first house in Park Ridge in 2003, and moved a few times ...

Sip n’ Play in Park Ridge What you do for a living: I’m a business owner, but both of my businesses are very much inspired by my background in education. I have a degree in elementary education with a minor in early childhood, which really shaped everything I’ve built. I own STEM Studio Park Ridge, ...

We went in search of some lighter dishes that would be ideal for lunch or dinner on the patio this summer By Trent Modglin Lake Superior whitefish at Zia’s Social Keeping it light: The chicken parm, 8-finger cavatelli or carbonara in a jar usually prove too difficult to ignore here, but when we’re looking for ...

Don Juan’s chicken nachos and margarita What do you do for a living? I am a senior mortgage advisor with Wintrust Mortgage here in town. My main branch is Village Bank & Trust on Cumberland and Touhy, which is a Wintrust Bank location. I’ve been in the industry for 25 years and specialize in structuring ...

By Trent Modglin Beacon burger at The Beacon Tap This lively sports bar in Des Plaines has some of the best daily specials you’ll find in the area, not to mention an alluring patio for summertime. Thursdays happen to be $12 burger night, but trust us, the Beacon burger should be on your radar no ...

Breakfast at Goldy’s Grill What you do for a living: I get to walk into a lot of big life moments — first homes, last homes, and everything in between. On paper, I am a realtor at Baird and Warner here in Park Ridge, but whether I am listing a home or helping to find ...