Fresh Ingredients, Great Customer Service Keys to Casa Bonita's Success

The downtown Libertyville restaurant also offers year-round outdoor seating, 150 varieties of tequila and a brand-new adult root beer.

The weather outside may be frightful, but on the outdoor patio at Casa Bonita in downtown Libertyville, it's a balmy 80 degrees. Thanks to the standing and hanging propane-fueled heaters by each of the patio's 14 tables, diners can enjoy their margaritas and steak relleno in any kind of weather. There are even floor space heaters to keep customers' feet toasty. "People love to sit out there during the snow," said Pat Patterson, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Alicia. It gives people the chance to feel like they're in warm Mexico, Patterson said. The year-round outdoor seating is just one of the many things Casa Bonita is offering to continue to grow its business. Originally founded in Waukegan in 1989 by Patterson's in-laws, Horacio…

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Café Serves Meals Made From Scratch

Venture out to Wauconda for a home-cooked organic breakfast or dinner.

From Scratch Café in downtown Wauconda serves Sunday breakfast and Wednesday evening dinners in the comfortable setting that is Bliss Wine and Gifts at 201 S. Main St. Chief cook and owner Elizabeth English aims to serve high quality foods from whole, local ingredients. At From Scratch, virtually everything is made from scratch, even the bread.  The mainstays of Sunday breakfast include pancakes made from a sour-dough process. Seasonal pancakes are also available; recent special offerings were pumpkin pancakes and eggnog pancakes. Diners can choose to build their own breakfast by choosing from eggs, pancakes, meat, fruit, quinoa or potatoes. There are also specials of the day, often egg-based creations or recently, biscuits and gravy. …

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DiPiero’s: Serving Authentic Italian Dishes for 30 Years

DiPiero’s Ristorante in Lake Zurich offers warm ambiance and signature Italian food.

  Bob Narcisi Sr., owner of DiPiero’s Ristorante in downtown Lake Zurich, believes that everyone’s first experience with ethnic food should be at an authentic restaurant, which can serve as a benchmark for further forays into that type of food. “Whether it’s sushi or Italian food, if you’re not introduced to good, traditional food that represents that style of cooking, it’s an injustice . . . The ingredients in a dish give it identity. You can adjust it, but certain things marry well, like French fries and ketchup. We try to produce food the way it should be produced.” Narcisi has been serving authentic Italian dishes at DiPiero’s for 30 years. It is among the finest in the area for sampling and indulging in perfectly cooked and spiced, …

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Beer and Hockey Fans Rejoice: Light the Lamp Opens Saturday

Grayslake's first licensed beer brewery, Light the Lamp, will hold its grand opening Saturday at its new downtown location at Lake and Center streets.

From the basement to the block, Light the Lamp Brewery has a new home in a downtown Grayslake storefront where patrons can taste and take home a variety of hockey-inspired microbrews. The grand opening will be held at 2:30 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Dec. 1, at Lake Center Place at 10 N. Lake St., Suite 107. Sunday hours will be noon to 10 p.m. Regular hours will be announced Monday. Store capacity is just 49 people, so on opening day patrons may want to call ahead at (847) 752-8489 to make sure there isn't a line out the door! "We're very excited. It's been a long time coming. We've been doing this at home for years," said Don Chatten, who co-owns the "nano-brewery" with friends Bill Hernes, Jeff Sheppard, Dave Cavanaugh and Kurt Engdahl. …

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Two Buds Boutique is a Growing Success

Find the perfect holiday gift for the person who has everything at Two Buds Boutique in neighboring Third Lake.

Big box stores are the go-to for big ticket items like televisions and appliances, but nothing beats a small gift shop for that special item to match a unique personality. Take Two Buds Boutique located on Route 45 in Third Lake, just north of Washington Street between Grayslake and Gurnee. Those in the know have been seeking it out since their June 2011 opening. Others have no idea it's tucked away on the upper level of the Park Place Hand Car Wash & Detail, a gem waiting to be discovered. Owner Gina Muzik started out creating and selling jewelry from home. It was her dream to open her own specialty gift boutique. The name of the family owned and operated business represents the nicknames Muzik gave her daughters, a rose for Kylie, 9, and…

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New Website Makes Car Service Appointments Hassle Free

Repairhub, a new site started by Buffalo Grove resident Garry Rosenfeldt, makes it easier to find local service shops and book appointments.

When your car needs maintenance or a repair, where do you turn? Garry Rosenfeldt wants to take the hassle out of finding reputable service shops and making appointments. The Buffalo Grove resident launched this month Repairhub, a website that makes it easy for vehicle owners to make such arrangements. “It was kind of a no-brainer,” Rosenfeldt said of his venture. “People hate calling around town to find a mechanic.” Rosenfeldt know this because he spent nine years as the director of marketing research at Midas, where he conducted focus groups. He recalls asking participants what they looked for when searching online for auto service shops. Their responses, he said, were always the same, and he took them into account when designing …

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Shop Locally in Grayslake on Small Business Saturday

Start your holiday shopping at locally owned stores during Small Business Saturday.

Black Friday: Must-Shop Locations in Grayslake

What are your favorite stores in and near Grayslake to visit bright and early the morning after Thanksgiving?

The holiday shopping season kicks off in a big way next week when retailers in and near Grayslake officially celebrate Black Friday and more recently, Small Business Saturday. That fabled day after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest sales days of the year for many stores – both national, big box chains and local retailers. It’s also one of the best days to save on items big and small as retailers pull out the stops to offer amazing deals to get customers in their doors. The latter is exactly why we want to help Grayslake Patch readers map out a Black Friday and Small Business Saturday game plan. But to do that, we need your help. What are your “must-shop” Black Friday destinations in the Grayslake area? What are some of the best deals you’…

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A Rich Family History Bottled at Glunz Family Winery and Cellars

The Grayslake winery is part of an industry empire that dates back more than a century in the Chicago area.

At first glance Glunz Family Winery and Cellars at 888 E. Belvidere Rd  appears to be anything but a winery and tasting room. Centered in a brown brick office park, Suite 211 boasts a large sign bearing the business name, but little else. Step inside though and you are steeped in the quaint shop that is the Tasting Room, where you can sample a few varietals, peek in back at the aging barrels of fortified wines, and get a quick lesson on the family legacy that has made this winery a success. A Rich History in Wine Production The Glunz family history is a long and successful one dating back to the late 1800's when Louis Glunz I came to Chicago from Germany. After working for a local brewery, Glunz saved his wages to open his own business in …

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Businesses in Grayslake's Downtown are Striving to Thrive

With 60 businesses in the downtown area, Grayslake’s merchants share their secrets to weathering a tough economy.

From flowers and gifts to books and bicycles, nestled between Lake Street and the railroad tracks in downtown Grayslake, you’ll find a few dozen merchants who are keeping afloat in this tough economy. “It’s hard but it’s worth it,” said Kelly Chase, owner of Entwined at 122 Center Street. The shop has been at its current location for three years, when Chase and her partner Kate Rice purchased the former Barb’s Florist and moved it from around the corner. “We felt we really needed to be more visible to the community,” she said. Next door is This Old Book, a used book shop owned by Dick Navarre. He opened the business 11 years ago after retiring from hospital management. The shop is the only used book store in town. Navarre said many of his …

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