We recently held my daughter's wedding and reception (June/2021) here and RFCC exceeded our…read moreexpecattions in every area. My family and our guests were treated with the utmost dignity by every staff member and the membership of this impressive facility. Marsela Dine is a 'one woman phenomenon' in courtesy, responsiveness, and attention to detail. Marsela was the most flexible, supportive, attentive, and professional event planner I've ever worked with. She added many complimentary additions to our event. She made the experience during this diifficult, changing Covid season one of enjoyment. The outdoor atmosphere contributed great beauty for the ceremony. The cocktail hour and reception food was of excellent quality and served with distinct white-glove professionalism. I can't say enough about Marsela for her excellence in providing quality service. The champagne and wines served at each table was of quality selection. In rating RFCC and Marsela on responsiveness, professionalism, quality vendors, attention to detail, quality food, and courteous staff..this place receives a 10 in every area. Though I initially thought it was expensive, the quality of every area exceed our expectations and provided an overall great value. Kudos to RFCC and Marsela for making my daughter's event a found memory for years to come. You gave us your best! J. Damian B.

River Forest Country Club is a private club located in the Chicago suburb of Elmhurst. They have…read morea fantastic chef (Chef Nathan) who is creative and bold, especially for a somewhat "old school" type country club. His fish preparations are outstanding, and if you are fan of BBQ ribs - you need to find a member and get invited.

When we're eating dinner on a Friday night in downtown Elmhurst we like to stop by and visit. It's…read moresuch a cool place and so big. Located downstairs next to the railroad tracks and police department, you won't miss the sign posted. It's home of the Illinois Western Railroad. They have both HO, HOn3, and N scale layouts depicting a nostalgic look at life as it was in the Midwest in the 40's, 50's and 60's. Scenes vary from rolling hillsides and farms to a large steel mill. All the club members are very friendly and love to share their knowledge on model trains. So much attention to detail that you can spend all night down there. Bring the kids and your date...it's free. Kindly leave a donation though. This is similar to the Museum of Science & Industry! Much smaller of course. Look for the Oscar Meyer Weiner mobile! Open Friday nights & Sunday afternoons.

I was a "social member" of the Elmhurst Model Railroad Club (EMRRC) for a few years, accompanying…read moreregular members and their operations. Although the train layouts are excellent, the attitude of the Board of Directors and "key monitors" were horrible. Unfriendly, arrogant, and a sense of making visitors feel like imbeciles was present every time I was there. When I spoke with some of the Board, I was told to pay up, or get out. If I didn't like it, there were plenty of other train clubs out there, so go find one (which I did). It's really too bad, because there is a potential for camaraderie, fellowship, and good faith, none of which have been exhibited any of the times I was at EMRRC. Only reason I didn't give them 1 star is because they have the potential of being a great organization with excellent facilities. They just need to clean up the upper echelon, and remember that what they do reflects the rest of the Club and its posture. My close friends who had been long-time members of EMRRC, have recently refused to renew their dues, and have moved on to friendlier clubs in the immediate area.

Nami is a great help for any one that has a diagnosis or is having a crisis. They have a raspy…read moreplace for the crisis so if someone is having a mental meltdown you can come here and you can stay here for few days until you get stable and medicated. They have tons of support Group family group or individual support groups. This place is a safe haven for anyone that needs support. Come here or spread the word that this is a good place for adults and young adults

NAMI dupage has a great program called the living room. The living room is a great program led by…read morepeers who are in recovery from mental illness. It is a great alternative to e.r. NAMI dupage also has access to social workers and doctors on site.

They have a wide range of classes and activities here, which is nice. My major issue is with the…read morecleanliness and staff. Cleanliness: there are no locker rooms for the gymnasium. You're expected to wait with your little one out in the hall connected to the older part of the building. Of course, the rules are no shoes in the gym so parents are prepping kids in this hall nonstop between classes. However, for over a month, there has been a giant ant infestation. So kids are getting tons of ants all over themselves and their clothes. Staff: I've mentioned it several times and the first few were met with concern "we are working on it" and now it's "oh, yea. Ok". Actually, it's not ok. It's disgusting. And it's not fantastic to have a bunch of preschoolers with ants all over them. I've had a nice front desk employee or two, but for the most part, they aren't exactly brimming with happiness. Again, the amount of classes offered here is nice. But the facility is obviously old and I worry about overall sanitation.

LOVE LOVE the Elmhurst Pk District. My daughter is in their Lil'Butterflies program at the Wagner…read morecenter and asks about school every day! The staff is nice and so are the kids (reflection of parents) Next year were going to try preschool and coed gymnastics. I'm so excited!

I have been going to the Mosaic School since January 2025 and have taken 3 classes. The teachers…read moreare great, the atmosphere is welcoming, and I tell all of my friends and family about this place! Nowhere else in the U.S. is there an art school that has such a focus on mosaics. I've learned so much -- they provide the materials and the expertise. I've met some really wonderful people and friends and am already signed up for their stained glass class in September!

Just spent the most amazing weekend at the Chicago Mosaic School. I traveled over 500 miles to get…read morethere and it was well worth my time and effort. I felt the atmosphere to be warm and accepting, accommodating those with little experience and those who spend their lives being creative. It was a perfect balance of informational, historical and hands on Glass work. All my questions were thoroughly answered and I left feeling inspired and eager to utilize what I learned. I would recommend this school to any and all. An added bonus is the eclectic neighborhood, warm and charming teacher, Lydia, inclusive atmosphere and creative vibe that persisted throughout the class.

http://www.bridgecommunities.org/ They provide transitional housing for people in the process of…read morebecoming self-sufficient. One of the goals is to keep the children in their same school, because bouncing from place to place is detrimental to kids' academic progress. They are taking part in the Sleep Out for the Homeless this November. Great great GREAT people. Give them your time and $$ - it's worth it.

Bridge communities are the best at helping people change their lives. The organization was…read moreestablished to help those that are need of shelter; however they do so much more. Between the time you call to inquire about the program until the time you successfully graduate from the program you will feel the professionalism, compassion and love. If entered into the program they will partner you with people who will help you with your career, finances, budgeting, education, health and so much more. The amount of volunteers that go out of their way to help others in need are amazing! I highly recommend this program if you need help or want to volunteer and be part of an dynamic organization that is making a difference.

Is it hot in here? Is the roof on fire? We don't need no water, let the muthfuka burn!…read more Five sexy stars for the five alarm event that was going on at Fitz's Spare Keys for the 2012 3rd annual firefighter benefit. It was muy caliente. So hot in fact, that I would have called the firehouse... if its employees weren't already here (and shirtless)! *Takei voice* Oh myyy! For $30 all the single ladies (all the single ladies) and anyone else who wanted to come for a good time and a good cause were granted entry to the event and given wristbands for all-you-can-drink. They also had a sweet spread of bar food with sandwiches, pizza, peppers and sausages, and cookies. I piled my plate high and waited for the bidding to begin. The Date Auction portion was a hot hoot. They had the manly mancakes parade around on stage, take off their shirts, thrust their hips, answer questions, and do pushups. All of them (ages 21-39 this year) were attractive and seemed like great guys to take you on a date. Most of them ended up raking in about $100 for the benefit and they even did a few impromptu auctions for some of the ladies hosting and the owner of Fitz's himself. It was so much fun and you can tell everyone was there to have a good time and help out as much as they could. I didn't bid on any beefcakes, but I took part in the raffle for Split the Pot and the raffle for prizes that were generously donated by local businesses. I ended up winning a $20 giftcard to Famous Dave's with a four pack of sauces. Like I said, I donated $30 just to come to the event and I more than broke even on my investment, but I would have loved this great benefit even if I'd come home with only fond memories and a smile.

Great cause for the American Cancer Society and a great way to thank all the firefighters that risk…read moretheir lives to save others. $30 got you in the door for all you can eat and drink. Unfortunately I can't say that the event was about the food, because the food wasn't all that. They had pizza, sandwiches, sausage and peppers, and a sweets table. Nothing to write home about. The firefighters sure knew how to work the crowd! From taking their shirts off, to dancing, to push ups and even YOGA poses (my favorite). I don't think one fighter fighter left with out a date. Even the owner got auctioned off. The drinks were pouring and lets just say it was very entertaining. Our table had lots of willing ladies bidding for the cause. I will definitely be going back next year. =] Oh and did I mention, the money was raised for the American Cancer Society. Win Win situation!

I wanted to check out this place for a long time and I thought it was great. The bartender was…read moreawesome and able to give me information about the place since it was my first time. Prices were fair with what everyone was charging in the area. The dance floor is small but everyone in the place was still having a good time regardless and I was dancing as well. The DJ was great and paid great music. I was there on a Julian Jumping Perez day with DJ Q. I didn't order food, but the food is connected to the restaurant in the same area which based on reviews looked great even though I never tried the food. Also, just from the looks out the banquet hall seems large enough to which is also connected which is convenient if you wanted to host like a wedding.

Having never been bere, I planned my husband's birthday party at VLounge on a Saturday when Julian…read moreJumpin Perez was DJ'ing for "Old School Saturday". I called and spoke to with Frank and he was kind enough to reluctantly reserve a couple tables for us, only if I promised to have at least 20 people. He informed me he would charge me if I didn't show with 20 people, which I understood because after all, he could have reserved those tables for other parties and he already had a large party booked for the bar. I started to get nervous about a week before after reading many negative reviews about the place, including reviews stating people were discriminated against, forced to leave, had horrible service from their waitress, etc. I couldn't be happier with the way the night turned out and the way in which we were treated. When we arrived, there was a coat check available and the lobby was beautiful! I was very impressed with the ambience and decor. Our group included many people from diverse backgrounds including black, white, Asian, etc. I didn't feel discriminated against at all and our waitress, although extremely busy, was always checking on us and took care of our needs. She recommended some amazing drinks and despite what other reviews stated, was happy to keep separate tabs for people in our group. One of the men working that night bought my husband a drink for his birthday and at one point the DJ announced everyone's birthdays and the staff brought out a large piece of cake for each of the people there who were celebrating their birthday. I expected an older crowd since I read that VLounge attracted older people but that's what we were looking for since we are not as young as we used to be and would stick out like a sore thumb at any club, yet still wanted a sort of club experience. The crowd was a bit older than I even expected but everyone was nice and there to have a good time. We didn't experience anyone being rude and the dance floor was poppin'! I was pleasantly surprised! I have nothing but good things to say. The drinks were priced reasonably with a good amount of alcohol in them. The calamari was absolutely amazing! The ranch dressing, which one reviewer stated was disgusting, was one of the best I've had. I was happy they actually had ranch dressing because most Italian places do not have ranch. You can tell it's homemade, too and it was the perfect dipping sauce for their calamari. The calamari came out nice and hot and crispy and there were no ro rubbery pieces or weird looking pieces (like usual) that nobody wants to eat and are just left on the plate as waste. The place was PACKED, so of course our server was not able to keep up with the empty glasses and plates on our table but that did not impact our night in any way. I read one negative review stating that the empties were not removed from the table fast enough. I think sometimes people just look for something to complain about because it was completely understandable, considering the amount of people our waitress was serving and how hard it was to move around in the room. The bathrooms were clean but at one point in the night, there was a girl in the stall next to mine throwing up and it was all over the floor, including splashing all the way over into my stall and onto my shoes. It was pretty disgusting but when I exited the stall, I was happy to see staff in the restroom trying to take care of the situation. I believe many of the negative reviews I previously read were unfortunately from people who wanted to come for the free entertainment and were too cheap to spend any money on drinks or food or were not dressed appropriately. Furthermore, any reviewer claiming discrimination...it is my opinion that the reviewer must have been rude or had to have done something to warrant a negative response from the employee. I do not feel any if the employees were discrimanatory. Either that or it was an isolated situation and thankfully, we didn't have that experience! I do wish the staff had nametags so I could have known my server's name or I could have met Frank, considering I was speaking to him on and off the few weeks prior to our event. It also would've been nice to know the gentleman's name who was working the room when we were there and interacting with our group, since he was extremely cordial and professional. All of our guests told us what a fun time they had and what a nice place VLounge was. We don't get out much these days due to our children being young but I do hope we get a chance to go back! I urge you to give VLounge a chance and check it out for yourself! You won't be disappointed!