We love, love, LOVE Hollywood Palms Cinema! This place has become such a go-to for us--so many of…read moremy kids' friends' birthday parties are hosted here, and it's always a hit. We also love coming here for family time. It's not your typical movie theater experience--you can actually enjoy a full meal while watching a movie. I personally love that I can go beyond the usual buttered popcorn and order something like a fresh ahi tuna salad while still soaking in the fun. The vibe is super family-friendly, the memories made here are always the best, and it's just an all-around great experience every time. Cannot recommend this place enough!

Food is great, service is great, seating is great. Only wish they would ditch the cats with the…read morebells video and the video of the owner (video looks old and odd). We've been coming here since it opened and it has always been great. Light-years ahead of Hollywood Palms (they used to share owners)

The city of Aurora did an excellent job pulling off their first ever Harry Potter Festival!…read more Tickets: This was a ticketed event ($3 cash per ticket - max 5 per person) and required in-person purchase several months prior to the actual event. Even though I arrived a few hours after the ticket purchase start time, I only stood in line for about an hour to get mine. A lot of people had complaints, but it honestly wasn't bad, especially given all of the publicity! The festival itself: They planned it out very well and had multiple events and activities, most kid-focused and friendly, but good for older fans too. Activities included a quidditch workshop, spell book creation, Ollivander's wands (x2), a potions lab, mocktail creations, Herbology, how to plant a Whomping Willow, Care of Magical Creatures, a self-guided Horcrux Hunt, Quiddich playing a, costume parade, a ride on the Hogwarts Express. Finally, there were multiple vendors in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade! Many of the activities required online preregistration, though many crafting events were free and just required you to stand in the queue. It was spaced out enough that the crowds were manageable and the lines weren't too long. Goods vendors in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade included bath bombs (including a House Reveal version - cool!), jewelry, bags, paintings, plants, wall decor, and much more! Everything was really cute and went along with the Harry Potter/Hogwarts theme. There were a few food and butter beer vendors, including 4-packs of bottled butter beer. A lot of the local businesses also got into the spirit of the festival and decorated their storefronts. I spied Wayne and Garth (20th anniversary of Wayne's World!) sporting Hogwars hats - cute! The local Paramount theatre offered four Harry Potter movie showings for $1 apiece, had Harry Potter-themed drinks and candy, and had an awesome 9 3/4 platform in their lobby! Security (and Aurora PD) was posted throughout the event and were friendly and helpful. Port-o-Johns were plentiful and stocked with hand sanitizer. By 2pm, garbage cans were overflowing.. so that's something they can keep an eye on next time. Great job on a really well thought out and organized event, Aurora!

Aurora's inaugural 2017 Harry Potter festival was a hit…read more There was plenty to do and see, and the overall vibe from all of the attendees was overwhelmingly positive, especially considering nothing like this has been held in Aurora before. The Quidditch pitch hosted tons of kids playing Quidditch which was tons of fun to watch. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade showcased tons of local, themed vendors that had lots of cool trinkets and souvenirs to buy. There were tons of fun classes to sign up for and take part in, like Herbology, Potions, and Magical Mocktails. It was also great to see a lot of the local businesses, closed or not, decorate their windows or host themed events related to the event, which definitely added to the overall spirit of the day. Best of all, eagle-eyed visitors spotted a number of subtle decorations that showed that there were true Harry Potter fans behind this event, including a "2nd Triwizard Task Vieweing Area" (overlooking the Fox River), Tom Riddle's grave, and all 7 horcruxes to hunt and find, each with a clever clue that led to the next. I can't wait until next year's event. I'm sure it's going to be even better!

The location was pretty standard and typical for an AMC. We were greeted and tickets were checked…read more We grabbed food and drinks, and headed to find our seats. There were really no lines anywhere, which was great. The bathrooms were clean. All in all, it was a perfectly fine experience. The movie, on the other hand, was phenomenal.

May need a reno or maybe it was just the theatre we were in (9). It's extremely dated with the…read morecloth chairs that don't recline. Surround system was great, quality of image was great too. Bathrooms were disgusting. Pee/water all over the floor, toilet paper hard to find in all the stalls, counters were just as dirty. Parking is easy and it's in a good location. Plenty of things to do before/after catching a movie.

Very nice atmosphere. The only downside is the wait times if you order a meal while in the theatre…read more We tried ordering at the counter but it seems like there's not that many staff members available to help out. It's definitely a nicer theatre to check out.

visited this theater in what's supposed to be an affluent area south of Barrington with a close…read morefriend and their kids to see Mario on a weekday afternoon. We were the only people in the theater, yet the experience was surprisingly poor. Our orders were incorrect, and it took over an hour and a half for my meal to arrive. When it finally did, there was paper stuck between the cheese, which was completely unacceptable. To make matters worse, after paying, I stopped to grab M&Ms and was told I couldn't purchase candy because everything had to be ordered through table service. That level of rigidity, especially with no other customers around, made no sense. This place has clearly changed and not for the better. Management needs to take a serious look at operations here, because experiences like this will drive customers away. I would not recommend this theater.

We had not been here for many years…read more The theatre and lobby are gorgeous, you can come early for dinner or drinks. The seats in the theatre are comfy and the leg room is great! At least on the main floor in the first 20 rows. I don't know about the ones in the back or in the balcony. I believe Thai also still have brunch or dinner packages that include tickets to the theatre. We went to see Father of the Bride, a cute comedy about a daughter's wedding and all the chaos that occurs.

Here to see Father of the Bride. New seats and new carpet, too. Can't wait to see the performance!read more

The Morton Arboretum is a great place to visit year-round. It is very family friendly with trails…read moreaccessible via stroller. Some of our favorite trails are on the east side, but we have so much more the explore! They have a variety of events that are included with admission as well as events that require an additional purchase. There is a small café that sells drinks and small bites. I have tried a few different lattes and they were good. They also have a restaurant and their food always smells delicious, but I have yet to try anything from there. The restaurant itself has a beautiful view of their lake. I definitely recommend a membership if you live nearby and plan to visit multiple times a year. Another great benefit of the membership is the reciprocity to other gardens throughout the country. A great value!

I last visited the Morton Arboretum when I was a teen and have wanted to make a return trip for…read moresome time. I recently attended a tour of the Arboretum via a small (10 people) van tour from another Chicago metro area community about 45 minutes from the location. Of course, it is very different; there is a sit-down restaurant with very good food, The menu is on their webpage. There is also a carry-out location very near the restaurant. There is also a gift/book shop near the entrance. The choices made by the buyer are truly one of a kind and in the best of taste. There are ample visitor facilities and places to sit down. I do not think that there were any special events taking place and if they do there appears to be ample parking which includes chargers for electric cars. Some of the facilities associated with the Arboretum are not close to the visitors' center but closer to the entrance/exit. The walking paths are do-able for hardy folks as well as those who are not. Lots of kids and parents were present, all having a great time. The tram is highly recommended as it gives a one of a kind look at the Arboretum, its past and its future and our driver/guide was terrific. The cost is $10 for non-members, and well worth it. As I am an infrequent visitor I would not be a good candidate for a membership; if I lived closer to the site and were a frequent visitor the cost-savings for an Arboretum membership would be a nice savings I think. Lastly there was a bit of confusion about the admission pricing for our group; our trip organizers may have been quoted one price, and we were charged another upon arrival at the entrance to the Arboretum. We were paying per attendee not as a group, so perhaps that is where the confusion began. Perhaps pre-payment is preferred here. Group sales for the Arboretum would be able to clarify this I am sure.

Amazing food and drinks. Melissa was our server and great! We got the wagu sliders appetizer, duck…read morefat potatoes and short rib meal. All perfectly cooked! Love the ability to taste wine and walk around great atmosphere.

THE MALBECKONING…read more SixtyFour Wine Bar is a winning concept in downtown Naperville. Much like what Tapville Social does for beer, SixtyFour follows the concept of guests having the freedom to pour their own drinks. This place is on Water St in Naperville, near Vasili's and Blue Sushi Sake. Street parking isn't plentiful so the garage is your best bet, especially in the evening. You can build your own charcuterie, but use caution: everything is a la carte and without much effort that cute cheese platter can swell upwards of $40. This happened to us on our 1st visit, I thought "yeah sure, add a $4 honeycomb and seasonal jams, why not" to go with the $9 prosciutto, $7 manchego, and $5 cornichons. More recently, I got the restaurant week pre-fixe ($49) which included a starter, entrée, dessert, and glass of champagne. Each course separately would've added up to $55 (not counting the bubbly), so this option saved a few bucks. Both my wife and I got a pour-your-own wine card, that set us back about $20pp. The wifey got a mix of a dozen west coast & east coast oysters ($36) that came with cocktail sauce and a zippy pomegranate mignonette. The goat cheese bruschetta ($13) was incredible: goat cheese spread on several large pieces of grilled sourdough with roasted tomato and balsamic. We loved this and would get it again in a heartbeat. 5/5 The dates ($13) were a different story, however, as they came with cranberry goat cheese, orange honey, and crushed walnuts. I've been so used to savory dates (wrapped in bacon with a tomato sauce) that this much sweeter iteration caught me off guard. They weren't objectively bad, I just wouldn't order them again. 3/5 For my main course, I chose the short rib ($31) as I've done several times now: tender beef with mashed potatoes, braised carrots, crispy onions, and a red wine jus. This is a delicious entrée that I find myself steering towards every time I'm here, as it pairs perfectly with a Malbec or red blend. 5/5 The gnocchi ($33) were fairly pricey which I attribute to big chunks of lobster in a white sauce. But what SixtyFour did felt like a "bastardization" of gnocchi (my wife's words, not mine) by turning it into a homemade mac 'n' cheese of sorts, cooking it in a mini cast iron skillet topped with toasted breadcrumbs. Say what?! "Breadcrumbs" and "gnocchi" should never be used in the same sentence, unless it's "hey honey I did that grocery shopping, and I got beer, eggs, wine, gnocchi, ice cream, laundry detergent, kitty litter, AAA batteries and a box of breadcrumbs". It tasted fine, but there was absolutely no need to innovate here. 1.5/5 We reached a split decision on the dirty chai crème brûlée ($11). My wife thought it was different but lovely, whereas I found it strayed too far from vanilla custard and the flavor was overpowering, as if I just snorted tea leaves. It was REALLY strong, y'all! 3/5 Bread = 3.5 Circuses = 4.5 Our server Melissa was attentive and let us know about the wine tasting inside near the hostess' stand. We had a couple small pours (1-2oz) which equated to a free half glass, no complaints there. Restrooms were clean and the outside patio has a relaxing ambiance. The vibes are classy, romantic even. * TL;DR * It's fun sampling bold reds, sweet whites, and even rosé in 1oz, 3oz, and 6oz pours. I pity the fool who grabs a glass, sticks it underneath the first tap they see up front and presses 'POUR' without realizing they just selected a 2014 Chateau Haut-Brion ...... which retails for $500 a bottle! A half glass is nearly $75! I'll stick with a $7 Shiraz, thanks. As for the food, it's been mostly great with only a few exceptions. The gnocchi was whack, and the chai crème brûlée was polarizing. Due to the presence of delicate wine glasses literally everywhere, I would keep kids away from here. Leave the little ones at home and come here for date night. SixtyFour lists themselves as a wine bar first and kitchen second, which I agree with. If what you're seeking is a kitchen *and* wine bar, hit up a Coopers Hawk. Both places have solid wine selections, but being able to enjoy wine on-demand is a big plus. I'd happily recommend SixtyFour to friends and family.

Love coming to this place. I've been coming since high school. For the love of all good food please…read moreupdate the menu. The food is always semi warm and not as good as it used to be. Everything else is wonderful. The food and drinks just need to be wayyyy better.

I was there for comedy night. I had a great time. The food was tasty and the comics were…read morehilarious. I can't wait to for the next show.

I love this fair. There are so many talented artists displaying their work. It's truly inspiring. I…read moregot so many design ideas from spending a couple of days here. It spans a couple of blocks on Jefferson and takes place annually in Sept. It's really worth it if you enjoy art and want to support artists There's no security checkpoints unlike the last fling. No entry fees. There are no food or drink venders, but there are porta-potties around if you're desperate enough to use one Check it out! The art is beautiful even if you have no plans to purchase

I've still been coming to this fair for years since it's conveniently located for me, but I agree…read morewith my sentiments from the review some years back. This is definitely the more costly art fair in town, but you will find all kinds of interesting paintings, sculptures, jewelry, fiber art, and more to browse. Saw a few unique things, like moving sculptures from found metal objects, and the really cool "Boxed Music" wooden drums (see video)! I've been some years when it has been beastly hot, and it's on the street so it's pretty punishing; this year wasn't too bad but still pretty toasty. Not a lot for small kids to do, though there were a few kid-oriented activity booths I saw. Dick Blick Art Supplies and the Naperville Art League were also present. Overall, always worth a look for something new, but bring the big bucks.