Monday, May 13, 2013
The popular website for reviewing businesses is venturing offline with a series of free events in Highland Park meant to showcase the city's independent restaurants and services.
The Highland Park business community is getting some help this week from a big-name source: Yelp. The website frequently used to research restaurants and businesses in a community or city has decided to venture offline. Beginning on Wednesday, Yelp will be highlighting businesses in downtown Highland Park and the Ravinia Business District through a series of free events called Passport to Highland Park. Want Highland Park news in your inbox every morning? Subscribe to Patch's newsletter. The kickoff event on Wednesday night will be a Midnight in Paris themed costume party held at the Highland Park Community House. Mireille Hamon, former head make-up artist for Harpo Studio and owner of Mireille's Studio, will be there. Food and drinks will…
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Gyms, studios and fitness centers in Highland Park offer free classes and events this month as part of Let's Move Highland Park, a celebration of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Two Highland Park natives opened a bakery in the Ravinia Business District about three years ago. Now it's one of the only dessert places left in the city. And it's looking to grow.
A week before Baker Boys opened in Highland Park, co-owner Jordan Rappaport turned to his business partner, Pete Rauser, and confessed that he had no idea what kind of sweets he'd be making. Years of talking about starting a business together had finally brought the two men here: to a 750-square-foot space in the Ravinia Business District that was filled with baking supplies, cupcake dough and cookie sheets. Sure, it wasn't perfect: there wasn't a lot of space for customers and they could only use one oven without tapping out the electricity. But they planned to work around that by baking everything in small batches so that everything would always be fresh — a strategy that would prove frustrating to some new customers expecting a more …
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Downtown Highland Park's Benjamin Restaurant closed this month, and will reopen in May as something very different.
On April 4, Benjamin Brittsan wrote an email to Patch to announce the closing of his Benjamin Restaurant, after almost two years in downtown Highland Park. Ten days later, he wrote back with some promising news: instead of closing altogether, Brittsan has decided to re-conceptualize his restaurant. Beginning the first week of May, Benjamin Restaurant will open as Benjamin Tapas. "I want to give the local community something I feel like it has been missing," Brittsan said on Monday. "Some place that's fun and relaxing and not pretentious." The restaurateur spoke with Patch in January about learning from his customers. At that time, he hoped that small tweaks to the restaurant's ambience and menu would make up for what he said was a bumpy …
Monday, April 1, 2013
Readers respond to Yelp's top 10 rated restaurants in Highland Park with their own picks that weren't on the list.
When Patch listed Yelp’s ranking of the top 10 restaurants in Highland Park, readers were quick to point out which of their favorites did not make the list. There were about a dozen restaurants readers put forward that should be on a top rated restaurant list for Highland Park, including Nieto's, Country Kitchen, Real Urban Barbecue and City Park Grill. "Food and service are always great!" writes Michael R. Weiss about City Park Grill. "All price points and huge variety of food choices available in this kid friendly eating spot run by superb restaurant people! Add the nice atmosphere and it's hard to beat." City Park Grill owner Ted Holleb responded to Weiss and other readers that chimed in about their affection for Holleb's restaurant. "…
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The downtown Highland Park nail salon closed on Monday. It will be replaced by a luxury cosmetics boutique.
Update 2 p.m.: The Nail Bar on Central Avenue will be replaced by Cos Bar, a luxury cosmetics boutique, according to Highland Park Business Development Coordinator Carolyn Hersch. She added that some of the other vacancies in downtown Highland Park may not be vacant for long. Blue Mercury, another cosmetics store, is going into the former Corner Bakery storefront. A Panera is still expected at the storefront across from Michael's. And Stashs' property owner is working on a lease with a prospective tenant. "While spaces look like they're vacant, they're actually not," Hersch said. The city's business development coordinator explained that lease negotiations can go on for months or longer, and that often a new business isn't announced until …
Sunday, March 17, 2013
D.H. Mattix Gallery owner Lane Mattix, a Chicagoland native, says he wants to take the intimidation factor out of the word “gallery" with this new, downtown Highland Park spot.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Landmark Theatres in Highland Park's Renaissance Place began renovations on March 8 and expects to reopen at the end of June.
Landmark Theatres in Highland Park's Renaissance Place began renovations on March 8, according to Metzler Real Estate, the asset manager for Renaissance Place. The renovations include space upgrades, a conversion all of its five screens to digital technology and a concessions stand that will likely serve alcoholic drinks to moviegoers. The theater is expected to reopen June 28. Renaissance Place also has a new tenant: DH Mattix, which operates as a retail gallery for the home, with original artwork, furniture, home accessories, seasonal décor and artisan made gift items, according to Metzler Real Estate. This is just one of a few recent changes to Renaissance Place. Royce, a new restaurant concept by John des Rosiers which features …
Monday, February 25, 2013
This March, add a spring to your step and enjoy sales, events and new openings in Downtown Highland Park.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Real Urban Barbecue of Downtown Highland Park recently fed about 400 Navy personnel and their families at the Naval Station Great Lakes USO Center.
Redhead
11:37 pm on Thursday, April 25, 2013
This is a wonderful bakery but if I go in and the shelves are empty, I generally don't have time to return as I work. It is frustrating..... more ›