Winnetka Talk

Piano teacher uses digital recording equipment to help students

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:58:36 -0500

Austin Bale began taking piano lessons when he was 7 years old, and no, it wasn’t because his parents insisted on it. “I actually really wanted to play, which is probably the exception,” said Bale, whose passion for the piano has led him to numerous accomplishment in the music field, including Bale Piano & Music Studio, his Winnetka music school for students of all ages and abilities. Bale said playing the piano always came naturally to him. Heavily involved in the music program at Buffalo Grove High School, Bale was a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, performing at …

NorthShore names Saucedo new head of cardiology

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:20:52 -0500

EVANSTON — Cardiologist Jorge Felix Saucedo, M.D., has joined NorthShore University HealthSystem as the division head of Cardiology. Saucedo, 49, comes to NorthShore from the University of Oklahoma Health and Sciences Center Division of Cardiology where he was professor of medicine and the vice chief of Clinical Affairs. “Dr. Saucedo brings a superior level of accomplishment and a rich experience to the Division of Cardiology,” said Theodore Mazzone, MD, Chairman of the Department of Medicine for NorthShore. “We are very fortunate to have him on the team and look forward to incorporating his clinical expertise, research and management skills into …

Restaurant is the ‘evolution’ of French cuisine

Wed, 29 May 2013 12:02:00 -0500

Michael Lachowicz started cooking the age of 13, making 300 pizzas a night in a Chicago neighborhood pizza place. Today, he’s a well-known chef who has studied and worked in restaurants all over the world.

Small businesses can have an IT department too

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:56:26 -0500

Everyone has computer issues from time to time. Viruses and hackers aren’t uncommon, and computer technology is changing constantly.

Northfield chef offers taste of real Mexican tacos

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 06:10:14 -0500

If you ask Freddy Sanchez what year he moved to the United States from Mexico, he won’t say 1985, instead he’ll tell you, “It was the year the Bears won the Super Bowl.” Sanchez is the executive chef and co-owner of the new Mexican restaurant Taco Nano. He came to the states without knowing English, but, what he did know was that he had the ambition to become an executive chef for a top notch restaurant. It was an objective that Sanchez not only achieved, but that he surpassed. “I came from a very small village in Mexico, and I …

Restaurant is ‘date place’ with live piano music

Tue, 28 May 2013 17:56:14 -0500

If you’re walking down Wilmette Avenue on a Friday or Saturday night, you’ll undoubtedly hear piano music coming from the Wilmette Chop House. Inside the dimly lit restaurant, with its warm, cozy décor, diners are enjoying high quality steaks and seafood, as they sing along to the music.

Matchmakers say forget computer dating sites

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:32:00 -0500

The use of online dating websites has exploded in the past few years. Match.com, Jdate.com and eHarmony.com are some of the biggest matchmaking sites, all reaching record numbers of users year after year.

Boutique prides itself on style and being unique

Sun, 19 May 2013 06:11:50 -0500

WINNETKA — Diane McKay will be the first to tell you that customers shop in her Winnetka boutique, Jolie Femme because they want clothing that they won’t see on anyone else.

North Shore native eyes Winnetka for franchise

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:10:00 -0500

WINNETKA Winnetka native Brian Mattingly left the North Shore when he moved to Atlanta as a child, but now that Mattingly is CEO of his own Georgia-based marketing company, he’s eyeing his hometown as a hot-spot to open the next franchised location of his business. Mattingly, a former salesman for a data management company, founded Welcomemat Services in 2003 and today has eight corporate-owned locations in addition to 14 franchises, most of which are based in the southeast U.S. Mattingly still lives in Atlanta today, but calls Chicago his favorite city. Years after leaving Illinois, Mattingly wants to rekindle his …

Mediator offers conflict resolution over trials

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:28:17 -0500

EVANSTON — Ask Brigitte Bell why she became a mediator and she’ll say it’s because she wanted to help people. The mediator and collaborative divorce attorney with offices in the loop and in Evanston said it took being a litigator to figure that out. “I was unhappy doing litigation because I didn’t feel like I was helping the clients,” said Bell, who previously worked at a large Chicago based firm for six years. “I didn’t even meet the clients.” When she told a colleague how she felt, he suggested she pursue mediation. Bell completed a mediation training program that allowed …