Twenty-two restaurants, bars, and specialty food shops in Highwood will be in the spotlight when the Highwood Chamber of Commerce presents its first Eat. Drink. Highwood. Something special will be happening at each of those venues from Feb. 3-7.
“I think there’s going to be a really good mix of offerings with each business leaning into what they do best,” said Jennifur Condon, Executive Director of the Highwood Chamber of Commerce. “We are packed with restaurants and bars and specialty food shops.”
Condon observed that people are looking for connections, and Highwood is the place to get that.
“In Highwood, dining is very personal,” she said. “You’re seen, you’re welcomed, and you’re remembered. So, each experience feels very human.”
The goal of the event is for people to form connections with the Highwood businesses and their owners, Condon emphasized. “This isn’t just a one-week adventure,” she said. “It’s about building long-term relationships between the diners and the businesses — and that really is possible in Highwood. Every time I walk into a restaurant, the owners are always at the tables speaking to the people, suggesting they go somewhere else after their meal.”
Condon noted that Eat. Drink. Highwood is offering opportunities for collaboration. She referred to the children’s book series, “Frog and Toad are Friends.” Based on that theme, people are being encouraged to try two places during one visit, Froggy’s French Café and the Toadstool Pub.
Highwood resident Joseph Nebolsky De Ochoa is the owner of The Merchant, a beverage store at 122 North Ave., with his wife and daughters. He opened the business in June of 2025.
Nebolsky De Ochoa said they chose to locate the business in Highwood because, “We love the vibe in Highwood. The beverage and hospitality kind of tone are incredible assets to the North Shore. We thought that was a perfect location for our business model, where we have both unique beverages and artisanal spirits and the exploration of wine.”
Nebolsky De Ochoa described the business as a “hybrid hospitality model.”
“One night, people can come in and have a great seat at the bar and enjoy live music,” he said. “Or come in another night and just have a glass of wine. Or come in and just need a bottle to go.” He added that you can even order food from any of the local restaurants that are willing to bring it to The Merchant.
For Eat. Drink. Highwood, the business is going to collaborate with local restaurants.
Each night, they will be doing tastings—either spirits, whisky and bourbon, sparkling wine, or beers from around the world. Those beverages will be paired with food from local restaurants.
It will be a ticketed event.
“It will range from $20 to $25 a ticket, which includes three to four beverage options that they’ll get to sample, as well as pairings of food with the beverages,” Nebolsky De Ochoa said.
Executive Chef Thierry Lefeuvre has been creating amazing food for the 45 years that Froggy’s French Café at 306 Green Bay Road has been in business.
Lefeuvre has a simple explanation for the success of the restaurant. “We are stubborn,” he joked.
He believes Highwood is an ideal location for the restaurant. “It’s in the middle of the North Shore — Lake Forest, Highland Park,” Lefeuvre noted, adding, “We pull from all over. People come from the inner city, too.”
He decided to participate in Eat. Drink. Highwood. “To be part of the team,” he said. “It will bring in new people, too.”
For the event, “We will do a different cocktail, and then we’ll have a special menu meant to be really affordable,” Lefeuvre said.
Diners will get a choice of soup or salad and an entree from which they can choose from coq au vin, beef Wellington, scrod, vegetarian plate, or several other selections. That will cost $34; $42 with dessert.
Nicholas Pignatari has been working at Disotto at 310 Green Bay Road. since 2023 and has served as general manager since 2024. The restaurant has been in Highwood since 2014.
He described the restaurant as “kind of a throwback to an old school Italian rustic style. The name Disotto translates to below or underneath.” That refers to a wine cellar.
To achieve that look, there is exposed brick and mortar to emulate the look of a wine cellar, Pignatari explained.
“The menu is more rustic Italian,” he said. “Our dishes tend to be very straightforward, nice hefty portions.”
Pignatari said they wanted to include Disotto in Eat. Drink. Highwood. because “It’s a great way to engage with the community. It’s a fun way for us to try to get some new ideas out there — showcase what our kitchen can do outside of our regular menu.”
Disotto will also be offering a prix fixe menu for the event, which will include several options of an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert, with the option of a wine pairing
“It’s going to be delicious,” Pignatari promised.
Watch for details on Eat. Drink. Highwood. at highwoodchamber.com/events.
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
