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 ...

This stylish and welcoming addition to Park Ridge offers an impressive array of chef-driven Italian favorites and creative seasonal options By Trent Modglin 608 W. Touhy Ave, C2 in Park Ridge
 (224) 985-9990
 FireAndWine.net Hours: Monday-Wednesday: 4-9 p.m.
 Thursday: 4-10 p.m.
 Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
 Sunday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. The background: Hard to believe it’s ...

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 ...

Harp & Fiddle’s French onion soup By Trent Modglin French onion soup at Harp and Fiddle There are lots of worthy options to warm you up at Harp & Fiddle, but we find it tough to pass up a bowl of their Guinness French onion soup on one of those cold, blustery days. This is ...

By Trent Modglin Di Marko’s All-Day Cafe 120 Main Street in Park Ridge DiMarkoCoffee.com Background: Dimitri Markos was meant to own his own coffee shop. Just ask him yourself. “All my life I’ve been working in this industry, since I was 16 and mopping the floor. God sent me to do this,” he says with ...

By Trent Modglin Elia Café 90 N Northwest Hwy. in Park Ridge Elia-Cafe.com Background Owners (and brothers) Billy and Taso Pyroulis are well versed in the hospitality industry. Billy spent time with Lettuce Entertain You and then served as GM at the acclaimed Roka Akor in Chicago for nine years. Taso earned his stripes at ...

Chef’s Cut steak boards at Fire + Wine An elevated steakhouse experience awaits at the beautiful new Fire + Wine in Uptown. Their Chef’s Cut steak boards are available Friday and Saturday nights and focused on exceptional cuts, bold flavors and refined pairings. A sample steak board includes a choice between: *Flavorful, hand-cut 14-ounce prime ...