We asked active locals to share some of their favorite businesses and things in the area Who doesn’t love donuts, paczki, pastries, cookies and cakes? I know we do! We started going to Delightful Pastries when they opened in the late 1990s in Jefferson Park. But this isn’t your ordinary bakery. They use natural ingredients — ...

By Trent Modglin Sweet and Tart Shoppe 112 S. Prospect Ave. in Park Ridge 847-518-5555 SweetAndTartShoppe.com When you get Meghan O’Neill and Jamie Kendall together, it doesn’t take long to realize the owners of Sweet and Tart share 26 years of friendship. There’s lots of laughs, lots of honesty and lots of finishing each other’s ...

Shepherd’s pie at Harp & Fiddle Harp & Fiddle Ownership likes to say they have themselves a “modern pub with an Irish flair,” and that’s a pretty accurate assessment. It’s a relaxed, family friendly restaurant that plays host to a wide range of clientele and boasts a spacious, heated tent in their beer garden. Shepherd’s ...