Life + Culture

Old School and Still Serving

Crystal Lake's Dive Bars and Diners that Have Stood the Test of Time Article by Katie Bobrow | Photography by David Bradburn & Katie Bobrow There are plenty of wonderful places to grab a meal or a drink in Crystal Lake, but some establishments offer something a little harder to find: the feeling that you’ve been there before, even when you haven’t. From longtime taverns where regulars know one another by name to diners that have been serving generations of families, these are the kinds of...

Food + Beverage

Let's Get Saucy

Crisp October breezes meet steamy bowls, crunchy bites, spices, and sauces that bring everything together. Article and Photography by Klaudia Burian While late September is the unofficial leap into fuzzy hat and stew season (lovingly dubbed Soup-tember by many chefs and food writers), October is a breezy transition month, the heart of fall, with temperature swings that have fall enthusiasts slipping in and out of their parkas many times throughout the day. When the breeze blows right up that...

Food + Beverage

The Sweetest Plan

Faith, determination and a little sweetness shaped the story of Rosie’s Article by Patti Noble | Photography by Sharmila Taylor Opening a bakery was never part of Pam Strelcheck’s plan. She can’t point to a childhood dream of owning a bakery or years spent plotting a path toward one. She had spent years raising her children and working in marketing and human resources for her husband’s successful chiropractic practice when, seemingly out of nowhere, another idea began tugging at her: She was...

Life + Culture

Elevating the Pub

A seasoned restaurateur brings scratch cooking, bold flavors and fresh vision downtown Article by Patti Noble | Photography by David Bradburn & provided Long before becoming an independent restaurateur, Brian Lupino was the kid pulling a stool up to the counter or stove, watching his Italian-American relatives cook. No culinary-school lessons or formal training—just years of observing, tasting, and learning how ingredients work together. Today, after 35 years in the restaurant business, those...