Love affairs happen suddenly, sparked by a little thing that hooks you forever. And thanks to a lustrous weekend spent doing what we do at home–eating and sleeping–my love/hate relationship with Highland Park now has more of the former and much less of the latter.
Which just goes to show that you think you know your hometown, but sometimes you don’t know a thing.
For instance, we didn’t know that there was a bed and breakfast in Highland Park, something that piqued my curiosity and, yes, my absurdity quotient. Could anything be more unlikely than a getaway weekend in your own hometown? Well, yes. Having a fun, enlightening getaway weekend in your hometown.
It all started by getting lost in said hometown. The B&B, Ravinia Guest House, is nestled on a quiet, three-block-long street. It’s within walking distance of Ravinia, but well, let’s just say that picking it out of the stygian blackness of a Highland Park night was an adventure, one that made me cranky.
But there’s something about a fine B&B that assuages all of that, because such a property feels like home, a quality enhanced by the fact that we had to use a key to get in, since the proprietors were off for a night at the theater. Upon entering the cozy, two-story house and heading up to our room, we encountered the first problem: a hallway table, upon which rested a bowl filled with fresh Goetze’s Caramel Creams, the famous Bullseyes.
Now, I don’t presume to know how the proprietors knew of my fondness–OK, weakness–for these little cream-filled delights, but the bags had barely hit the beautiful, hardwood floor of our guest room before some of these delights found their way into my grinning gob. Visions of a Ray Millandesque “Lost Weekend”–hallucinogenic critters carrying Bullseyes–danced through my head, as the wastebasket filled with wrappers.
“Have you seen how many wrappers there are in the trash can?” asked my wife, upon returning to the room later.
The worst part, given the lived-in cleanliness of our room, that magical state that makes a room feel spotless, yet homey and welcoming at the same time, was that I couldn’t blame housekeeping.
There are three rooms in the Ravinia Guest House, named by color. We opted for the Blue Room and its private bath. Any B&B purports to be a home away from home, and RGH in fact is someone’s home: Fran and Errol Pearlman’s. There’s the living room, with piano, (gap-toothed) harp and organ, a beautiful sunroom, and the inviting formal dining room, where delectable brownies had been set out in anticipation of our arrival.
Suddenly, I was seeing an advertising slogan: Ravinia Guest House, great for the psyche, your waistline is on its own.
Maps, local guides, magazines, brochures and a reassuring certificate trumpeting the approval of the Illinois Bed and Breakfast Association covered the hall table.
Our room in this house, built in 1926, featured details galore, from the antique grooming supplies placed just so on the dresser to fluffy white towels so immense you could almost sleep under them. After ingesting our “welcome” chocolates and demi-liter of champagne (remember that slogan), we settled in, relaxing on the just-right bed. A little TV (basic cable) rests in the corner, with a clock/radio on the bedside table to help you rise in time for the 9 a.m. breakfast, served in the house’s formal dining room.
And speaking of the bed, if I could explain the smell that wafted from the pillows as your head hit them–one that made you expectant of being tucked in with a peck on the forehead–I’d be able to bottle it and make a mint. But I can’t, so I’m writing about how hard it is to describe, but soothing to experience.
Reinforced by a good night’s sleep and spurred by a need to explore these new parts of my hometown, we discovered, near Ravinia Guest House, the 11-acre Rosewood Park and Beach, where we went to watch the sunrise. Drive down to the parking area for uninterrupted views of the horizon. Or you can hike up a short trail, past native wildflowers and rustic ravines, to perch atop the bluff and watch the festivities from there.
Rosewood Park also has a Jens Jensen reflecting pool which, truth to tell, is more noteworthy because it’s by Jensen. But it was soothing and pastoral, yet another thing to induce those contented sighs.
Our strolling ended in time for the Ravinia Guest House breakfast, which consisted of fresh fruit and orange juice, and an apple pancake that was to die for. Gorged and cinnamon-scented, we checked out, which consisted of saying “Bye,” and set off to explore more of Highland Park, a place where we live, but that we don’t really visit much.
Continuing our tour, since people seem to shop a lot in our fair city, we tried that. But we didn’t find shopping much of a delight, despite the trumpetings of the brochure that labels Highland Park the “Star of the North Shore.” Once you get past the serious places–Saks, Borders, Pottery Barn–the shops feature odd clothing and expensive tchotchkes.
The Highland Park Historical Society was closed for a party. “Try again some other day,” shouted the woman from her car, with a look that seemed to say “Where have you been the previous 311 days of this year?”
So, history-deprived, we sashayed to the new and improved Suburban Fine Arts Center. Having shed the low, unassuming space at 1913 Sheridan Rd., the SFAC’s new, purpose-built place is all aluminum, white walls and wood floors. You can take classes (we didn’t) or look at art (we did), including a fine Dennis Kowalski retrospective, and a not-so-fine exhibition of large-scale outdoor sculpture.
My wife filled me in on some of the HP shopping stalwarts, such at Betty Schwartz’s Intimate Boutique, where the really good bras are behind the counter, and Ross Cosmetics, which is filled with cool stuff that draws the damsels like flies. Then we made the essential visit to Stash’s, for an order of the famous eatery’s perfect french fries.
And then it was dinner time, a path that took us to HP’s northern neighbor, Highwood, which is all fancy now, with new streets, stores, banks, etc. They have very trendy restaurants and actual liquor stores. Highland Park used to be dry, which explains some of Highwood.
In keeping with the laid-back mood of the weekend, we didn’t make any plans, but we wanted a fabulous meal. We headed for Gabriel’s Restaurant, which had just been drooled over in the most current Chicago magazine, which should have made the odds of success at getting a table there about as high as the prospects of a donut salesman at an Atkins Diet convention.
“We’re all filled for the second seating, but we’d be happy to seat you at the bar,” said the maitre d’ with a smile. “Same great food and service.” Almost simultaneous with our nod of acceptance, four place settings were laid at the bar, along with menu’s, and Gabriel’s phone book-like wine list (2,500 bottles). But then, fortune beckoned. Someone canceled, and we were shown to a wonderful table, where we proceeded to eat ourselves insensate.
We’ll leave the food to the restaurant critics, but the experience was an unalloyed delight, including the best creme brulee this side of Paris. The staff at Gabriel’s has perfected the friendly familiarity that verges on fawning, but is always on the right side of the line. It’s like you’re visiting their house for dinner, and they’re really happy you came by.
Gabriel’s was the perfect capper to a weekend sojourn that began with a warm, welcoming B&B, included a beautiful late-fall day and ended with a perfect meal at a warm, welcoming restaurant. Now, we wouldn’t advise traipsing up there, reservationless. But we prefer to think, given the way everything worked out, that it was fate.
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Escape plans
Ravinia Guest House is booked through B&B Midwest Reservations (800-342-2632) or www.BandBmidwest.com. Our one-night total: $147.87.
Rosewood Park is part of the Highland Park Park District, so there are residency restrictions. Technically, cars parked in the lots by the beach must have a city of Highland Park vehicle sticker, or an $80 (good for six months) non-resident seasonal pass. But our car had neither, and nobody said boo. Then again, it was 40 degrees outside. More information is available at www.pdhp.org.
The Suburban Fine Arts Center is at 1957 Sheridan Rd. (847-432-1888, www.sfac.net). Information on exhibitions and classes is available on the Web site.
Stash’s has a Central Avenue address, at 610 N. Central Ave. (847-432-6550), but don’t let that fool you. It’s actually on Second Street, just south of the Walker Bros. Original Pancake House, on the east side of the street. Yes, the fries are every bit as good as people claim.
Gabriel’s Restaurant, 310 Green Bay Rd., Highwood (847-433-0031), or www.egabriels.com, is a bit spendy. Our bill for four, which included three glasses of wine, came to just under $300. And don’t be like us, trusting in fate–make a reservation.
Other information about Highland Park, shopping and other fun stuff can be had from the Highland Park Chamber of Commerce, 847-432-0284, or www.highland-park.com. Highwood has its own deal, via the Highwood Chamber of Commerce at 847-433-2100 or www.highwoodchamberofcommerce.com. Also try the Highland Park Historical Society, 326 Central Ave., 847-432-7090, www.highlandpark.org/historic.
— Kevin Williams
