Taste Menu Guide 2010
Peruse sample menus from many of the top
restaurants in the western suburbs.

(View the full menu guide here or see our January/February issue)

Coffee Cafés
Local shops offer the character and community lacking at the national chains — in addition to luscious lattés

By Jay Copp

Admit it. You’re pinching pennies. Nearly everyone is. And you’ve probably heard the argument that if you didn’t spend $4 or $5 on a cup of coffee every day you could retire in five years or buy a second home in Door County. So maybe you prefer to pull out the Folgers can and brew a pot at home. But did you know the western suburbs have some of the best and liveliest coffee shops this side of Chicago and (dare we say) even San Francisco?

Each of the coffee shops here can boast that, like the old sitcom bar Cheers, it’s where everybody knows your name. Or at least the baristas and owners will know you if you darken their doorway just a few times.

Nothing against Starbucks, Caribou and the rest. They also are places to hang and feel at home. But there is something so old-fashioned American, so decidedly a nod toward community and cohesion and tradition, in being a patron of an independent coffee shop. These shops are indeed the “third place” aside from home and work where community happens.

But let’s stop there and leave all that to the sociologists and pundits. The facts are the coffee at these shops is superb, the atmosphere warm and friendly, and the décor homey, kitschy or attractive — and sometimes all three. So go ahead and save your pennies for a rainy day but remember that even in the darkest, gloomiest of winter days and the dark economic times of today, nothing can brighten a day like an hour on a couch in a coffee shop with a latté in hand and a friend at your side.

(For full story, see the January/February issue)

Today's Class Discussion
Do Higher Test Scores = “Better” High Schools?
Do “Better” High Schools = College Admissions?

BONUS: What is the relationship between ACT/PSAE scores and $ spent per student? Years of experience of teachers?

By Jay Copp

Hinsdale Central High School has long been known throughout the area for its excellence on the playing fields, including numerous state titles in swimming, tennis and other sports. Its students don’t perform too shabbily in the classroom either, with an average ACT score of 26.2, the highest of any high school in the western suburbs. Its students fared well, too, on the Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE). The average score was 87.3 percent, also tops in the area.

So do these top test scores mean that Hinsdale Central is the area’s best high school? For that matter, does the sterling performance on standardized tests of Naperville Central students (25.2 on the ACT, 76.7 on the PSAE), Naperville North (24.8 ACT and 79.2 PSAE) and St. Charles North (23.4 ACT, 81.5 PSAE) mean those schools are among the very best as well?

Well, yes. And no.

(For full story, see the January/February issue)

Breathtaking Baths

By Lisa Sloan

In today’s turbulent times, our homes have become a haven where we can retreat and recharge. Since having a soothing space to unwind is essential to recapturing a feeling of well being, it’s no wonder that homeowners are seeking out ways to create baths that are packed with function but also reflect their personal style.

(For full story, click here (pdf) or see the January/February issue)