Winnetka Talk

Edward Jones Ranks Highest

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:56:00 -0500

For the sixth year out of the past eight, financial-services firm Edward Jones ranks highest in investor satisfaction with full service brokerage firms, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Full Service Investor Satisfaction Study. The study measures overall investor satisfaction with full service investment firms based on seven factors: investment advisor, investment performance, account information, account offerings, commissions and fees, website and problem resolution. Edward Jones places its branch offices in the communities where its clients–long-term individual investors–live and work. This practice, which enables its branch teams to provide personalized service to all clients, has helped the firm …

Dick Holliday & Bamboo Gang to perform at Grand Food Center’s 25th anniversary

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:18:00 -0500

The sounds of funky rock, Caribbean rhythms and soulful vocals from headliner band “Dick Holliday and the Bamboo Gang” will be heard this Saturday, May 19, in the parking lot of The Grand Food Center, 606 Green Bay Road. The grocer is celebrating its 25th anniversary with an outdoor market event from noon-4 p.m. The popular band remains a Chicagoland fan favorite after nearly three decades of performing. Two of the band’s members hail from Northbrook and Skokie. “We’re incredibly honored that Dick Holliday & the Bamboo Gang agreed to perform a two-hour set for our shoppers,” says Grand Food …

Value, service continues at Glencoe’s Olsky Jewelers

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:57:31 -0500

Pendants, rings, necklaces and pieces made of combined gold and silver adorn the display cases of Olsky Jewelers in downtown Glencoe. Watches line one part of the wall in the small shop, which has been in the same location for 57 years and is the North Shore’s oldest jewelry store. Howard Bernstein, owner of Olsky Jewelers, said business at the shop is typically a mix of sales and repairs. He said ring sizing is one of their most popular services. “We also design jewelry,” he said, adding that diamond setting is another service they provide. Bernstein said he thinks what …

Expanded Marian Michael builds on history

Mon, 21 May 2012 20:48:51 -0500

Marian Michael, a shopping tradition for generations of North Shore families, is experiencing a rebirth. In the past 10 months, the clothing store has new owners and a new location in Winnetka. Jennifer and Richard Paden bought the store from Jennifer’s friend Kim Chatain in November. The previous July, Chatain had moved the business from 515 Lincoln to the Laundry Mall at Chestnut and Spruce streets. “My husband and I were in the market to buy something,” said Paden, who previously worked as a preschool and first-grade teacher in Kenilworth and Evanston. Chatain, who was busy with other endeavors, had …

Noah’s Ark in Winnetka offering frozen yogurt for dogs

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:13:11 -0500

Noah’s Ark Pet Supply is helping their four legged customers beat the heat this summer. They will be offering frozen yogurt for dogs, by the scoop or by the pint. In addition, they will provide outdoor seating for their two legged customers. Store owner Angie DeMars discovered the product; made by The Bear and the Rat, in Denver after searching for nutritious treats. “We’re the first in Illinois to carry it. It meets our standards of nutrition as well as being palatable, and it comes in four flavors. The Bacon Peanut Barker has real pieces of nitrate free bacon. It’s …

Real estate agencies merge

Thu, 10 May 2012 06:05:42 -0500

Chicago-based @properties is welcoming 10 North Shore real estate brokers in a merger with Chambers Cross & Associates, a boutique Winnetka-based real estate firm that traces its roots back to the early 20th century. Chambers Cross & Associates was established in 1993 when Cheryl Chambers and the late Wendy Cross acquired Continental Realtors of Winnetka, which started out as McGuire and Orr several decades earlier. In 2011, Chambers Cross & Associates was ranked 10th in sales volume in New Trier Township, according to real estate data provider BrokerMetrics. “With @properties, we gain the marketing infrastructure, back-office support and referral opportunities …

Service means staying power for Glencoe’s Lake Shore Travel

Thu, 10 May 2012 04:22:41 -0500

Lake Shore Travel has been on the same block in downtown Glencoe for more than 50 years, with business thriving despite the onset more than a decade ago of online travel services like Orbitz and Travelocity. In fact, says Larry D. Rednour, Lake Shore’s president and chief operating officer, “the trend is moving away from online bookings.” Rednour explained that packaging the right elements for a luxury vacation is something that clients don’t want to trust to an online service. With so many different online services, the trove of information can be overwhelming. “The details get lost on the Internet,” …

Winnetka area Girl Scouts get car talk

Thu, 03 May 2012 04:17:34 -0500

The Girl Scouts in Troop 40272 may not be ready to be mechanics after their visit last month to Hubbard Woods Motors in Winnetka, but they will know how to be road ready. The Scouts from Washburne School and New Trier High School went to Bob Berger’s auto service shop, at 985 Green Bay Road, to earn a badge. But Berger’s and the shop’s general manager Tad Lucas’ mission was to teach the girls the importance of “taking care of this very expensive machine,” Lucas said. “We want to impress on them the importance of maintenance,” Berger said. “If you …

Self-serve wine and more at Winnetka’s Trifecta

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:19:43 -0500

Trifecta’s “21 Club” is a room restricted to people 21 and older because it has self-serve wine dispensers. “It is super cool, I’m trying expensive wines for a fraction of the price,” customer Bridget Tucek said.

O’Neil hits Trifecta with latest restaurant

Sun, 27 May 2012 08:22:21 -0500

Patrick O’Neil knows his way around a kitchen. He has three of them, not counting the one in his Winnetka home. O’Neil’s sister suggested he name his new restaurant “Trifecta,” because it is his third restaurant in Winnetka. O’Neil also owns O’Neil’s and Little Ricky’s. The Winnetka-Northfield Chamber of Commerce named O’Neil its 2012 “Businessman of the Year.” O’Neil started working in the restaurant business when he was 14, bussing tables in the Michigan Shores Club in Wilmette where his family lived. O’Neil thought then he would never want a career in the restaurant industry. “I didn’t want to do …