A truly un*fork*gettable experience!…read more To kick off our foodie adventure, we boarded a school bus for a short shuttle ride to McDonald Farm. Already giddy with anticipation, I was like a kid en route to a field trip -- practically dancing in my seat with excitement! Upon arrival, we were welcomed with a delightful puff pastry topped with a flavor-packed tomato jam and filled with a surprising fresh cow cheese "quark" (akin to cottage cheese). And amused my bouche was after just a taste - especially when paired with Chateau Chantal's "Tonight" (a light, sparkling wine). We hadn't even begun the tour, and already I was marveling at the farm's beauty - a perfect marriage of elegance and casual simplicity. From the repurposed wood barrels (posing as cocktail tables!) and dozens of glowing tea-lights...to the charming paper-bag-lantern pathway...and the acres and acres of picturesque land - it was an amazing backdrop for the beautiful evening ahead. The tour opened with some insight into the farm's history and their partnership with The Conservation Foundation (dedicated to preserving open space) and Green Earth institute (committed to promoting healthy eats and sustainable farming), before leading us onto the field for (drumroll) - picking our own cherry tomatoes! It was quite awe-inspiring to harvest my own little tomato and enjoy it in its most fresh state - right off the vine! Sweeter and less acidic than their store-bought counterparts - these were truly the best tasting tomatoes I've had the pleasure of enjoying! Though I could have easily spent hours sitting in the field, popping cherry tomatoes like candy - we were ushered into one of the dining tents. With the candlelit tables (via tea-lights in mason jars!) and romantic string-lighting - it could just as easily double as a wedding reception venue. A couple did actually exchange vows on-site today, and enjoyed the meal as their wedding dinner (genius!). And now...the meal! Everything down to the honey topping the dessert was locally sourced - which is sure to be appreciated by your taste buds! We kicked off the feast with an apple-onion soup (served as an apple-sauce-y puree) topped with gruyere croutons and crispy bacon pieces. A truly inventive and delicious dish! I opted for the wine pairing (as opposed to the beer) - and the Pinot Blanc complemented the soup wonderfully. We were then treated to a gorgeous mix of arugula, pickled cucumber and radishes - topped with shaved goat cheese and a sprinkling of pepitas. No exaggeration - THE BEST salad ever! Non-existent was the slight bitterness that I've come to know with store-bought arugula - these greens were delightful! The pickled cucumber had all the flavor of a good 'ol dill, but with a freshness that you'd be hard-pressed to find in a jar. Though I was skeptical about the radishes - these were unlike any I've ever had. Perfectly crunchy, with a clean (and slightly spicy) taste - I was surprised at how much I liked them. Another testament to the powers of fresh, organic, sustainably-farmed produce I'm sure! And as my wine accompaniment, the Proprietor's Reserve Trio - a full-bodied blend of merlot, cabernet franc and pinot noir (a must-try for red wine enthusiasts). Now, when reading the description for the next menu item - I was doubtful that I would be a fan: "Roasted Beet, Eggplant and Fennel with Mixed Pears and Creamed Tatsoi." Another pleasant surprise! Though on its own, the beet, eggplant, and pear mixture was a bit overpowering - the addition of the creamed tatsoi (a cross between spinach and bok choy) was the magic ingredient which brought the entire dish together. And the Malbec (a deep red wine) was so visually pleasing alongside this dish! For our main course we were served a heaping plate of honey roasted pork, thin-sliced and cooked to a juicy perfection. As a pop of flavor amongst the pile of pork - a cheery yellow candied jalapeno squash. Loved this - it was like sweet yellow pepper flavor meets the snappiness of a fresh zucchini. And as a nice contrast to the heaviness of a meat dish - the lighter Proprietor's Reserve Pinot Gris. And finally, the piece de resistance - the dessert! When the "Brown Butter Berry Tart" finally arrived - I knew it had been worth the wait. Made with unbelievably fresh berries - and with a tartness that rivals even the most sour-face-inducing desserts I'd had in the past - this was a happy way to end the meal. Topped with a honey-basil yogurt and a balsamic-infused caramel - it was simply divine. And as my final wine pairing, a pleasantly sweet Riesling to complement the berry tart -- a fabulous closing toast to an excellent night! A sincere THANK YOU to Candice G. and Yelp for honoring me with the chance to partake in the Farm to Fork experience! As a result, I've decided that I now want to either (1) own a farm; (2) live on a farm; or at the very least, (3) continue to support such initiatives (probably the most feasible :)

Through the Yelp contest held by Candice G., and won by my lovely wife, I had the chance to partake…read morein a truly wonderful experience and dinner held at the McDonald Farm in Naperville. After parking in the nearby Kingsley Elementary school lot, we were whisked away via magic school bus a half mile away to the farm. Stepping off the bus steps, we were met with the familiar odor of campfire. We followed our noses to the crowd gathered around an outdoor lobby area where diners mingled and sipped on beer or champagne and nibbled on the amuse bouche, a Puff Pastry fill with Cow Cheese Quark topped with tomato jam. The Quark is very similar to cream cheese. Alcohol by Chateau Chantal and Two Brothers Brewing were Tonight Champagne and the specially made Pale Ale, just for Farm to Fork. Lucky us! After warming up a bit we were led into the fields where we learned about the Conservation Foundation and the Green Earth Institute from farmer Martin Lemos. We were allowed to pick some of the cherry tomatoes right off the vine and eat them! Careful not to overeat we were led into one of the greenhouses which were converted into dining areas. String lighting and white tablecloths, you couldn't have guessed that a dinner this elegant was happening here. We were shown to our seats and the parade of food started making it's way through. The food was lovingly made by Valerie Bolon, who has quite an impressive resume, having been through the kitchens of Emeril's, Gordon, and MK, one of my favorite restaurants! Our first course was an Apple Onion Soup, with Gruyere croutons and Bacon as garnish. I would never think to pair those two together as a soup base, but it works very well, neither flavor overpowering the other. The meaty bacon and salty croutons also helped to balance the sweet/salty profile. Since I went with the beer pairing, Cane and Ebel was the accompanying pour. Sweet, creamy, latte-like. this was one of my favorites. Salad course was Arugula, Pickled Cucumber, Radishes, Goat Cheese and Pepitas. The best salads I've ever had in my life contained arugula, and this was no exception! So many flavors on one plate, peppery, sweet, acidic, nutty, sweet, and explosion of taste. So good. Paired with this was Prairie Path, a blonde ale. Sweet and minorly bitter finish and sort of light, it was almost citrusy. Vegetable course was a Roasted Beet, Eggplant and Fennel with Mixed Pears and Creamed Tatsoi. At first when I saw this on the menu, I thought it said Roasted BEEF. Score! Bonus! Negative. It was Roasted Beet. With a T. But it was okay actually. I take it back, it was good, considering I'm not the biggest fan of beets. The fennel did surprise me though, I've never had fennel as crisp as this, since I usually eat it cooked. With a light licorice flavor, lighter than I expected. The creamed tatsoi also helped to add balance to the sweet flavored vegetables. Tatsoi is kind of a cross between bok choy and spinach. Domaine Dupage was served with this course. Smelled almost like iced tea, this beer did. Tart and caramel flavored. The meat course! And my favorite meat, PORK. Love pork. Honey Roasted Pork with Candied Jalapeno Squash? Thank you sir, may I have another? Perfectly roasted pork renders enough fat out that you don't feel like you're eating something too unhealthy, and still leaves enough fat to push the flavor. THIS WAS PERFECTLY ROASTED...The squash was good too, but it was the second fiddle to that pork GOOD GOD. I regret that I couldn't clean off my plate due to the shrinking capacity of my stomach during an epic meal as this was. Outlaw IPA was the beer, starting to get buzzed was I. Citrus and pine scented, medium to full body, I wasn't sure if it was this particular beer or just all the beer I drank that was getting me full. Oh yeah, and the food too. I don't know. AND THE BIG FINISH! Brown butter berry tart with Honey Basil Yogurt and Balsamic Caramel. Talk about everything in balance! I'm a libra, this must be why I'm obsessed with everything balancing. When I first looked at the dish, I saw the yogurt and thought someone accidentally put tzatziki sauce on my tart. And then I forked a bit of it and tasted it. HOLY MOTHER NATURE! You know when you're finished with dinner and you don't even finish your dinner, then you see dessert and think, "I don't have room" but you demolish your dessert with reckless abandon? That was me. Stuffed to capacity, I somehow found the space to fit this in, along with the beer, the Ebel's Weiss. Unfiltered and very strong banana flavor, at this point, I can't tell if I'm smelling or tasting it. I smashed it. The things I loved about going to this event/dinner was the fact that all components of the dinner were locally sourced within 125 miles and we shared a table with people from all walks of life, had great conversations with everyone and thoroughly enjoyed everyone's company. Farm to Fork is a great thing, support sustainable agriculture!

This is my third year being a CSA member. Not only is the taste of the vegetables amazing, but…read morerecently it's been significantly cheaper than shopping organic at the big box stores. I go to the farm for pickup every week, and I love the variety, that I can pick and choose between over a dozen different herbs and veggies, the extras they often have, the UPick tomatoes and beans and etc. It's also such a relief to know where my food is coming from, that there are no chemical fertilizers or pesticides in it, that it's not downwind a feedlot so no chances of salmonella outbreaks in their leafy greens, that it hasn't been sprayed to ripen -- the peace of mind itself is invaluable. They have three seasons (spring, summer, and fall) that you can sign up for (that often sell out early, especially the summer season), as well as Thursday farmstands in the afternoon. Also, at the beginning of May they sell seedlings, with prices cheaper than The Growing Place, and most of the plants I buy from there thrive in my garden with no additions required (I put compost in the hole and around the base when I first plant them, mulch around the seedlings, and that's pretty much it, by mid-July I'm getting more tomatoes and basil and etc than I know what to do with).

Well-established CSA with a pop-up farmstand on Wednesday nights. Organic produce grown all from…read moreseed resulting in 28 weeks of pickups from Mother's Day to Thanksgiving... wow! Why settle for a grocery store tomato when you can have these beauties??

Here we are another Ald, lol. I've never been to this one. Although I was disappointed in their…read moreaisle of shame (was tiny), the store is large compared to others I've been to. It's modern, bright, clean, and plenty of self checkouts. It seems better managed because the staff can focus on other things.

Pardon my language, but this is a big ass Aldi!…read more As I walked in I was amazed by the size of this particular store. There were more items compared to my usual Aldi. This location also has self check out.

This Walmart location wasn't very super with it's limited selection. I was hoping to find one of…read morethe big Supercenters, but this wasn't it. The prices were the same anyway. Staff was friendly enough, but the "pickers" fulfilling online orders constantly block aisles or rudely step in front of me while I'm shopping. Doesn't matter what store I'm at, either. Maybe Walmart could train them in customer service and politeness?

The cashier did not know how to print a gift receipt when asked but pretended it was the registers…read morefault. The manager comes to help and never introduced himself or said sorry for the inconvenience. He couldn't fix without voiding the entire transaction. I didn't have the extra time, so I asked for a second print out. The person by the door puts his hand out without speaking to me. I asked, can I help you? He mumbled. Please teach the young kids how to properly work their positions and be skilled in their jobs.

While I have shopped at Aldi's for awhile now, never set foot in this one before. They are all very…read moresimilar, maybe except for the "aisle of miscellaneous cr*p". This one was stacked very well with everything we had on our list. Clean as most of them are. As is the standard at the Aldi stores, prices are lower than the major chains. No self check out here, it appears most of the stores have no self checkout, except for a few. However, the lines always move fast, these are the fastest checkout people in the west!

Location is very convenient and close to me. They are usually cheaper than other grocery stores…read more They are priced similar to Walmart Great Value or Target Market brand items. It is only a quarter for a cart and sometimes ppl leave a quarter in there. Keeps carts out of the parking lot. I have no issues finding what I need as they are pretty stocked. I always tend to leave with more as I always find new flavors of the season to try. They have a great selection of cheeses and crackers at a decent price. They have non-dairy items, such as Almond milk, almond or oat creamer, and non-dairy ice cream. I recommend to get your basic milk, eggs, bread, and tortillas. Lots of great items to find for a charcuterie board. Also, they have new household items every week in the ads. Such as back to school or workout season. I really like the Crane brand workout items.

Great experience with Kim and Cakeology. I ordered a cake for my son's first birthday. We got…read moreyellow cake and chocolate mousse filling. The theme was Toy Story. Kim took my vision and brought it to life. I think every person complimented about how delicious the cake was too! It was moist and fluffy with excellent flavor. Would highly recommend and come back for future events!

Kimberly absolutely nailed my wife's birthday cake. I sent her inspo on a sopranos themed cake and…read moreshe absolutely blew it out of the water. 10/10. I cannot recommend her more. She was very detail oriented and had flawless communication and very responsive. She is so talented and I will be going back to her for all my future cake needs. Her pricing is very reasonable and her cake was the highlight of the night. Everyone loved it and had a couple people already reach out to get her contact info. She is the best!

The people working there is helpful and kind. And the bakery was amazing! It is a bit of a drive…read morefor me but I will go and buy our bread there weekly. And the meats were not crazy expensive. The place is clean and organized. I highly recommend this market.

This store is fantastic!!! I came in here for some pan (conchas) for my mother. Their panaderia is…read moreawesome. It is self-serve and you have to put the bread on a tray. Then bring it to the panaderia cash register to pay. I got confused the first time I was here because I didn't know there was a separate cash register. The ladies who work there are always so friendly. Great produce selection. I love all the Mexican products especially the laundry powder (I love just smelling it) and the variety of nopales. My husband went crazy over the fresh chicharones at the hot bar. Haven't tried the tamales but the looked pretty good. Also their refrigerated aisle of Mexican queso holy cow! I am in queso heaven. The girl at the main checkout was so friendly. She spoke Spanish to me and that is always exciting. :)