Wilmette Life

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 …

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 …

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 …

Johnsen’s Sea Foods in Winnetka closes doors, but not business

Sun, 20 May 2012 08:13:47 -0500

People still will be able to buy Johnsen’s fish, but they will be sold from inside Lakeside Foods grocery store across the street, at 800 Elm.

Trade show offers advice on real estate

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:42:28 -0500

If you’re looking for a vast amount of information about real estate — everything from renovation projects to ownership legalities — you should hit the Association of Condominium, Townhouse and Homeowners Associations, aka ACTHA, Spring Conference & Trade Show on April 21 at Drury Lane, 100 Drury Lane, in Oakbrook Terrace. It’s a huge event, because ACTHA focuses on community associations — condominiums, townhomes, HOAs and co-ops in Chicago, Cook, Lake, Will, McHenry, Kankakee and other collar counties throughout Illinois. The group has a far reach and offers knowledge, resources and educational seminars. ACTHA, which is based in downtown Chicago, …

Northfield’s U Dawg U gets top dog status

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:54:15 -0500

Northfield’s U Dawg U has joined an elite rank of Chicago-area hot dog eateries, receiving entry into the Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame last month. “It was a very nice gesture on their part, and they are a nice company to do businesses with,” said owner Rob Mages. Mages and his brother, Jeff Mages, began U Dawg U in Niles in 1989. They were later joined by a classmate, Larry Goodman, and ran locations in Niles and Glenview. Rob Mages has now gone solo with the Northfield location. “U Dawg U will join the ranks of an elite …