Stunning location for your next event! From weddings to formal dinners, you cannot do better than…read morethis beautiful historic Armour Estate.

The Armour House is everything you and your guests would expect from a luxury level wedding venue…read more If you want to celebrate your big day in elegance it's the perfect setting. My couples love exchanging wedding vows in the outdoor garden then posing for pictures on the grand staircase. This is a wedding venue like no other! - Rev. Michael Vargas

Had never been to this small size farm and Café/Farm market in Lake Forest. Went for breakfast and…read moretook a nice walk around the property. You can sign up to hang out with the goats, and there are also chickens and ducks. The food and my lavender latte were yummy. I will definitely be back over the summer just to walk in the beauty of nature.

Went to Elawa Farm for a community dinner; truly farm to table. Chef Lee prepared a delicious…read morechili, green pepper/onion/rice, jalapeno corn bread and a plum cobbler. This was the first chili I had made without tomatoes and beans. Local meats were used. The green peppers were picked this morning. Elawa Farm has the best community dinners. They also do cooking demonstrations. Highly recommend looking into this amazing place.

Great community center! I had an office here for about 10 years and ran a non profit and watched…read morethe center grow from well appointed but not fully utilized community center into a bustling hub of classes, shows, private events, parties for the town. Rents are reasonable for private events. Shows are very reasonably priced. Classes are well attended.

I wasn't aware this place existed, as it's a bit out of my usual distance for going to events. But…read moreI saw an instagram ad for Michael Cavanaugh and couldn't pass up the opportunity to see him (Movin' Out is one of my favorite Broadway shows). The location is very convenient to the Metra, and there's free parking in the lot for the building, which is always appreciated. The venue itself is nice -- intimate and a community-based feeling (there was a community band of some sort rehearsing in a room outside the theater when I left, which is charming). The theater itself isn't elaborate, but it's a nice space. It's great for this type of event. The show itself was great -- he's a fantastic performer, and I loved the set list and how interactive he tried to be with the audience (more on that later). I also loved that I was able to get a discounted seat because I bought a single seat in between seats that had already sold, so it was half price. (I don't know if they always do this, or if it was just because there were still quite a few seats left at the time I bought my ticket 2 weeks beforehand. Regardless, my frugal self appreciated it. I wish more places did that.). There were a few times during the show that the house lights randomly came on during a song, and it didn't seem like it was intentional. Maybe it was the light board operator hitting the wrong thing, or maybe a house manager bumped a switch. It was a little odd though and it happened a few times, which kind of took me out of the performance and made me think something was going on. But oh man, the crowd itself was an interesting experience from a people-watching perspective. It must be a Lake Forest thing? 96% of the audience seemed to think they were in the waiting room of a dentist office waiting for a root canal, and about 1% of the audience thought they were at Coachella (including the three 55-65 year old women next to me, who I'm pretty sure were drinking vodka out of a water bottle because they were getting progressively more wasted during the show despite only drinking from a clear water bottle lol. No judgement. We've all been there...I just haven't been there since I was 21 and trying to sneak my own alcohol into a street festival because I was cheap and not going to pay for overpriced drinks. But hey, you do you. YOLO!). The other 3% were like myself and wanted to get into it, but because everyone else seemed like they were afraid to move, we were holding back (because we didn't want to be "those people", like the ladies next to me...although honestly they seemed like they had a GREAT time, by the way they were grooving and had their hands up in the air even though not another soul in the theater did lol. I can only hope I'm that carefree when I grow up. I'm certainly not at this stage in my life). I almost feel bad for Michael, because I assume he wanted the audience to be a bit more into it than they were. He asked people to clap along a few times and he would start it and then as soon as he put his hands back on the piano to play, people stopped clapping (then he would start clapping again to try to get people going, and they would until he went back to playing. My dudes....he wanted you to clap along to the beat during the song. That's literally how that song works). I tried to keep it going but it was awkward (and bless the people next to me...they tried to clap but the alcohol was definitely impacting their ability to find and stay on the beat. I was fighting a losing battle trying to guide them haha). Also, the crowd here could stand to learn a few things about technology to avoid annoying everyone around them. Obviously people are going to take videos and photos, which is fine. I did too. But it seems like no one knew to turn down their screen brightness in a dark theater so you don't blind the people around you. It was super distracting and headache-inducing to see super bright phone screens out of the corner of my eye every few minutes (maybe it was just the section where I was seated). It would be nice if the ushers or house manager could've said something to folks or reminded people at the beginning not to let their phones be distractions. I was a house manager out in the western suburbs for a similarly sized theater while I was in grad school, and I worked at a theater that held concerts like this in high school, so I've worked at (and attended) hundreds of concerts just like this. This was definitely the strangest experience of an audience I've ever encountered. Apparently this is par for the course, though, because I made an IG story post describing my people observations during intermission and my friend asked me if I was at Gorton Center...I asked her how she knew and she said it was because of the audience description I gave lol. I'd go back and I'm glad I went. I'd just need to prepare myself so I'm not so jarred by the bizarre audience vibes.

This is a pretty great hotel. Very clean, very comfortable, nice service, and nothing to complain…read moreabout. The room I had was good to work from, and I loved being right across from the fitness center. Not only did that remind me to get my workout in, they have an ice cold, clean water machine in there that I visited frequently to fill up my water bottles. The bed was very comfortable and the blackout shades truly blackout every ounce of light which is nice. If I could change anything, it would be to add some coffee in the lobby as I exhausted my little Keurig machine trying to wake up each morning. The lobby is a tad small too, so not exactly a place I'd hang out to work from. One more thing this hotel has going for it, based on my quick search, is that there really aren't that many nicer hotels around, so this is a bit of an oasis for business travel in the area. Would definitely recommend!

LOVE LOVE LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE FORESTER!…read more When you first walk into the lobby you instantly feel more at ease - it smells sooo good. Very calming and peaceful which also matched the decor. The entire building is up to date and designed very well. The designs make you feel like 'yeah, this is going to be a nice getaway.' Haha! The staff was very kind, helpful and friendly. They explained the layout of the hotel, where the gym was at and answered all the questions I had. They did a great job of welcoming us and making us feel at home. We like sleeping with low temps and thankfully their AC was able to handle our need of 67 degrees. We slept very well. This place has a top notch standard of cleanliness. Everything was spotless and smelled very good. The rooms look recently updated and they are stunning. I really love the design of them with the blue art pieces, so peaceful and beautiful. The bathrooms are bright and spacious, also stacked with soap, lotion, body wash, shampoo and conditioner. Taking a shower feels like you're at a high end spa. The water pressure is great, strong but not too strong. We really enjoyed our stay, thanks so much for everything!

Never returned my call. I heard it through the grapevine that they are out of business and no…read morelonger a venue that can be booked for weddings. However, they are still being advertised.

Not sure which caterer of the four that Cuneo allows but the food at a recent wedding was inedible…read more We chose the beef medallion option and we couldn't cut the meat. It was like hard rubber. Sadly our whole table left the meal. They served it with broccolini that was steamed plain with no salt or seasonings. The potato patty had so much sage in it that it was inedible. We saw others at different tables having the same issues. We just know the bride and groom had to pay a pretty penny for this unacceptable food. Such an embarrassment for the family. Definitely stay away from the Loyola Cuneo Mansion for a wedding. Hopefully they will make needed repairs and add some fresh paint to the exterior of the building. It must be noted that the ballroom was lovely and the tables were exquisitely dressed.

I wanted to celebrate an intimate 30th birthday with my dearest friends and family and LOFT 329…read moremade my dream celebration come true. First of all, Brenda and Carrie are very accommodating and responsive, they assisted us with all our needs and requests. The space is beautifully curated -- complete, neat, updated, well-equipped and not to forget , the minimalist vibes , was all I was looking for. I am so pleased with our overall experience and my guests loved every single detail of the venue. If you are looking for a venue that can be customized, reasonable price and intimate, I definitely recommend trying out this space. We all had a great time and I absolutely had a perfect 30th birthday party. Thank you so much LOFT 329 for allowing me to celebrate in your beautiful space.

I cannot recommend Loft 329 enough! It is a beautiful transformable space for any intimate event,…read moreshower, or studio session. My bridal shower was hosted just this past weekend in Studio B. It is an absolutely stunning space. Many of my guests walked in and could not stop remarking how great the place was. It is also conveniently located right next to the Highwood Metra, so my guests who came from Chicago without a car could easily come. The space is super flexible regarding vendors and decorating. Carrie, who was our main contact, was communicative and responsive! We found Loft 329 after needing to change the venue last minute from my original one. From day one of reaching out, Carrie was quick to respond, she managed to fit my mother in for a quick tour and booking was super easy. She even went out of her way to try to help us find a rental for some tables and chairs. Definitely do not pass this space up if you're looking for an affordable, flexible and gorgeous event space!

I was her today for my cousin's baby shower. The room where we were was small and quaint, the walls…read morecovered with art for sale. We arrived late so we missed out on the appetizers but did get to enjoy a 3 course lunch which was excellent. Tomato bisque, greens with grilled chicken and chocolate mouse for dessert. It was all delicious! The staff was attentive removing plates and checking on water or drinks needed. Overall, a very cute place for a small event! There are others areas of the building I saw near the bathrooms so maybe the can accommodate larger groups as well. Highly recommend!

Loved it. We went on a Saturday night, able to get it on the same day. The space is dark and very…read moremuch an art gallery vibe. There is a large quote from Pablo Picasso on the wall. The food is almost all Asian inspired and delicious. They specialize in bao buns, which were very good but not the best we had. We only had appetizers and small plates, sharing everything. The best appetizer is not Asian, but is so good they held it over from the restaurant's previous persona. It's a caviar deviled egg. Try it. Everything else was Asian and delicious. I happen to like more spice than most of my companions, but not one complained of too much spice despite the full flavors. We especially loved the lemongrass chicken, and soy marinated steak bao buns, plus the bulgogi fries. They have a rear patio that we didn't get to see but is likely to be nice in the summer.

Literally the best place to take your child. Everything is laid out so intentionally. Everyone is…read moreso welcoming. It's extremely calm and not overstimulating. It's also a great place to host a party. Jess helped us plan the details and made set up and clean up a breeze. This is the best place to have your children spend time in the northern suburbs.

I first found out about Giggles Play during a Yelp event, and have since been back for their Easter…read moreEggstravaganza event (did I spell that right?! Haha). My daughter (2) has a BLAST every time she's here. It's so nice to have a play space where I can actively engage with my daughter, or, if she's feeling like she needs her own space, she's comfortable enough to go do her own thing because she can see me, and more importantly, I can see her from any spot in the play area. We had my daughter's bff with us the last time, and he's a mega sensory-seeker, and it was nice having a space where he could run around and get his energy out while exploring safely. And because there isn't an overload of primary colors and jumping/climbing/loud play, it was so much easier for him to get back to a calm body to focus on his fine motor play, due to there not being sensory overload to all senses. Love this place, and highly recommend.

Still love this place. Came here again for the Christmas vibes 2 days before Christmas to get some…read morework done. I needed to bribe myself with coffee I didn't make myself and to get out of my house to plow through a bunch of work admin. I took a chance coming here because I know they have some laptop policies, particularly around Christmas. This time it was no laptops after 9am and then none on Friday and weekends during the holiday season. (During the rest of the year it's certain tables that aren't allowed to use laptops and/or certain tables at certain hours). I came in at 7am and it was good motivation for me to knock out a bunch of things efficiently since I have a 9am cutoff lol. They also now put that notice on their front door, which is helpful and was my complaint last year when I came here to do work on a Saturday and found out I couldn't. As always, the coffee was great, and the Home Alone installation is always fun. Their tartines are also always amazing. Definitely keeping this in my regular rotation.

Visiting family again in Wilmette! We returned to Towne and Oak…read more Of course, I got the biscuit again - it was every bit as good as the last time I was here! I brought my own honey to drizzle on it! Next, I thought I'd try the pancakes. They were okay - light but not so fluffy. I'm used to a fluffier pancake - I make them regularly at home. Beating the eggs and letting the batter sit for several minutes enables the pancake to rise and accentuates the 'cake' of pancake.

In today's society, things that are broken are often discarded and thrown away…read more I attended a kintsugi workshop at The Art Center Highland Park. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage. Kintsugi treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object. The broken pieces are mended together then painted with gold, silver or platinum paint. The result is that the broken piece is now transformed and by highlighting the flaws and accepting the imperfections, this is now a completely different and beautiful object. Our workshop was taught by Takahashi, Mami, a skilled teacher from Tokyo (by Ghibli Museum she told us). All materials were provided, even the broken pottery (an advanced student brought their own broken vase). The upstairs studio was open, well-ventilated and set up with all materials laid out in an orderly fashion. I appreciated the knowledge and experience that our teacher had, as a skilled working apprentice under a Grand kintsugi Master. She walked around, demonstrating and providing hands-on instruction. As a philosophy, kintsugi is similar to wabi-sabi, an embracing of the flawed or imperfect. Maybe I can incorporate a bit of this practice myself, and accept flaws or imperfections rather than deeming something less than perfect and thus must be discarded. I've taken classes here before and attended gallery showings. This is a close location to downtown HP, has a parking lot and street parking.

I've lived in north shore sixteen years now and never heard of this place. After moving to Highland…read morePark and becoming aware of it, I recently attended their art sale and what a fun event it was. They do classes, workshops, and you can also rent the space for events. I LOVE a good third place, and this seems like one of them.