Category: Barrington Businesses

173. Welcome the New Season with the Summer Wine Walk

 We have a libation theme going this weekend with a number of beverage-centered specials and events taking place in Barrington.  With the first day of summer only five days away, merchants downtown are getting a jump start on the season by hosting the first ever Summer Wine Walk, a compliment to the well-attended Winter Wine Walk they hosted in March.

The FREE event will be hosted by participating businesses surrounding Cook and Station Streets from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 16th.  Each merchant will have a wine map for you to grab so you can see what’s available for sipping before you move on to your next destination. Participating merchants will be offering a total of 14 wines to sample along with appetizers from Cooper’s Pizza.  And to add a little summer sizzle, Park Avenue Restaurant will feature live music with Brian Saltzman from 3 to 6 p.m.
More merchants have joined the downtown wine walk for tomorrow’s event.  Here’s a look at who’s participating and what you will enjoy as you power your way through the town……

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146. “Get Noticed” with Barrington’s Newest Boutique

 The term “get noticed” has new meaning in Barrington with a brand new boutique that just opened its doors on Cook Street. The shop’s name is “Notice – Accessories for Living” and it’s full of fun and unique clothing, jewelry, handbags, scarves and other special details carefully selected to stand out when mixed with any wardrobe. Barrington is the third location for this 3-year-old family business owned by Mari Barnes and managed by her two daughters, Becky and Hannah. Since they’re a mother-daughter team, they decided Mother’s Day weekend would be the perfect time to roll out the red carpet and host the new store’s grand opening celebration.
The Barnes family developed a keen eye for art and unique pieces as the long-time owners of a custom frame shop, The Custom Framer, in downtown Highland Park. They expanded their scope when they opened their first Notice accessories boutique in Evanston three years ago. They opened another Notice shop on Main Street in Lake Geneva last year to follow with their latest store which opened in Barrington last month……

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134. Barrington EATS with Executive Chef Ted Stay

 Two of downtown Barrington’s hottest restaurants, McGonigal’s Pub and the Park Avenue Restaurant and Wine Bar, share a secret ingredient.  He’s the man behind the menus, Executive Chef Ted Stay, and you’ll find him working overtime, crafting culinary treasures in the kitchen that create raving fans on both restaurant floors.
This dedicated and innovative chef manages to run the kitchen for the two vastly different, but equally popular downtown Barrington fixtures simultaneously. Visit the shared kitchen and you might, like we did, see McGonigals serving up their Soft Pretzels and Beer Cheese or, pub favorite, Fish and Chips……

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131. Sip, Shop & Celebrate Angelina’s 10th Birthday

 There’s a birthday bash happening at one of Barrington’s most beloved boutiques this week.  Downtown Barrington’s eclectic shop, Angelina, is one of the best places to grab a great gift on the go.  So let’s show them some well deserved birthday cheer as shop owner, Katie Kuempel, hosts Angelina’s 10th birthday party this Friday and Saturday with cookies, cake and champagne while you shop!
Angelina is a unique shop with fine jewelry, chic handbags, cute stationary, cards and more.  In honor of its 10th birthday, the shop will be offering 10% off  all items and a free goodie bag valued at $75 when you spend $50 or more on April 13th and 14th.  And there’s more……

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129. Get Hired at Heinen’s Fine Foods in Barrington

 Things have been buzzing over at the Shops at Flint Creek in Barrington where Heinen’s Fine Foods plans to open it’s eighteenth grocery store this August. The 82-year-old, family-owned company has 17 stores in and around Cleveland, but the Barrington location is their first venture outside Northeast Ohio. Construction at the new store is well underway and, for the first time today, Heinen’s is announcing details about their plans to hire up to 110 people locally.

I spoke with Heinen’s HR Director, Judy Galant this afternoon who shared their recruitment timeline. The online application process officially begins next Tuesday, April 10th……

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74. 8th Annual Barrington Taste Fest and Expo

 Once a year in Barrington, the finest local chefs all come together in one place to serve up a special menu of featured dishes for diners to sample. It’s called the Barrington Taste Fest & Expo, it’s happening Thursday night, October 27th, at the Millrose Restaurant in South Barrington and tickets are selling fast, but still available.
The event is organized by the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce as a way to help the community get acquainted with some of the latest offerings made by local restaurants, caterers, bakeries, breweries and wine representatives.
But it’s not just about the food. While you sip and sample, you’ll also be able to mingle with exhibitors representing Barrington businesses in a wide range of categories, including medical professionals, retailers, financial and real estate advisors.  They’ll be sharing the space to feature their products and services while raffling great prizes. And the Chamber puts a fun spin on the event by giving you a passport when you walk through the door……

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68. Spot the Scarecrow to Win a Sweet Prize

 It’s a beautiful fall day, it’s Friday to boot and I’m in the mood for a contest! Who feels like spotting scarecrows this weekend? Businesses throughout Barrington have decorated their storefronts with scarecrows for the Village’s annual community scarecrow design competition and I’ve been out on the streets snapping photos. Today we have a winner from last week’s first ever 365 Barrington Spot the Scarecrow contest and we have another mystery scarecrow for you to identify. Do you know where this artsy scarecrow is chillin’ this fall?

I’m told that the hot pink flower pot will be a dead giveaway, but we’ll see.  If you can tell us what business this straw painter belongs to, you could be our next winner and we have a great prize for this week. But first, let’s talk about last week’s winner and the fireman scarecrow we featured. We had some great guesses and we drew our winner’s name today. We’ll reveal the winner after we take a look at the man behind the scarecrow. He’s Brian Long, the owner of Long and Company Jewelers at 105 E. Main Street.  Brian says he’s pretty proud of the store’s straw man this year who has been decked out in fireman gear, a tribute to the heroes of September 11th.

You’ll find Brian and Long and Company Jewelers right in the center of town, on the southeast corner of Route 59 (Hough Street) and Lake Cook Road (Main Street). He sells gorgeous jewelry, offers jewelry and watch repair, cleaning and appraisal services plus, he’s the exclusive Waterford Crystal retailer in town. The winner who correctly identified the scarecrow outside of Brian’s storefront wins $30 dollars worth of in-store services. It’ll come in handy because they’ll fix or clean your jewelry or put a new battery in your watch while you wait. The store has a great laid-back vibe, too, and was beautifully refurbished by the Longs before they opened for business back in 2006. In fact, as you’ll see by her guess, this week’s winner is already a big fan and her name is……

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67. 365 Barrington "Spot the Scarecrow" Contest

 Barrington’s newest residents have inspired a new contest here at 365Barrington.com.  If you’ve driven through town lately, you’ve surely seen scarecrows hanging around on sidewalks and street corners.  It’s all for the Village of Barrington’s annual scarecrow design competition.  We’re getting in on the fun by teaming up with local businesses to host our first ever 365 Barrington Spot the Scarecrow contest and it’s easy to win.  All you have to do is guess where in Barrington the featured scarecrow is standing and you’ll be in the running to receive great prizes.  So here’s our first photo.  Have you spotted this scarecrow around town?

If you spend any time passing through downtown Barrington, chances are you’ve seen this guy hanging out on his bale of hay. But be careful! Don’t let the reflection fool you. A local business designed this straw fireman to pay tribute to the heroes of September 11th……

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Heinen's Store in Avon, Ohio

59. Heinen’s Fine Foods Store to Open in Barrington

 Staples office supply closed for business in Barrington this week but, as Alexander Graham Bell once said, “When one door closes, another opens.” Heinen’s Fine Foods, a Cleveland-based grocery business with 17 stores in Northeastern Ohio, announced today they’re opening their newest store in Barrington next summer. They’re moving into the space that Staples is leaving at the Shops at Flint Creek. Today I spoke with one of the two Heinan brothers who run the business to learn more about the store and their decision to choose Barrington.
The Barrington move is a bold step for the 82-year-old, family-owned company because it’s Heinen’s first venture outside Northeast Ohio. “It took us 82 years to get to 17 stores in Cleveland, so this is not about being big and fast. This is about being the best.” Jeff Heinen says their plan is that the Barrington location will be just the beginning of a multi-store expansion into Greater Chicagoland. “This will be a huge challenge for us and we’re not overconfident.”
The Heinens say they’ve been considering a move to Barrington for quite some time. Village planners first reached out to the business about a move here in 2007 and the brothers came to town to tour the space last summer.  They considered two other locations, one in Lake Forest and one in another state, before deciding on Barrington.…

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Barrington Cobbler

361. If the Shoe Fits, Fix It!

 I found it! I’ve searched high and low while writing this blog for the past 361 days and I finally found THE SOLE of Barrington. It’s housed in a little shop that you’ve surely passed a million times. One step inside and you’ll be shocked by the sharp smell of shoe polish and the sense that you’ve stepped back in time. A quick ding of the old brass desk bell on the counter reveals one of Barrington’s best kept secrets, as shoe repair man, Leonid Gokhberg, steps out from the back.

Leon moved from the Ukraine to Chicago back in 1979.  Take one look at his hardened hands and you’ll begin to see his story in his black stained fingertips.…

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349. Celtic Fest in Bryan McGonigal’s Own Words

 McGonigal’s Pub is making it easy to be Irish in Barrington this week!  They’re hosting the community’s inaugural 2-day “Barrington Celtic Fest” starting on St. Patrick’s Day morning.  The pub is also celebrating their one year anniversary, so I thought it would be a great time to catch up with owner, Bryan McGonigal.  He’s a busy guy these days, but he took a quick break and found a comfortable seat at the bar.  With the bartender busy in the background and a pint of Guinness within easy reach, Bryan filled me in on the festival details and highlights from his first year in business.

The fest will run tomorrow and Friday from 10AM until 1AM featuring a great lineup of live Irish music, Irish dancers, Corned Beef, Cabbage, a full Irish menu, pints of beer, NCAA basketball tournament watching and plenty of people in green.  Admission is FREE and you’ll find the full festival entertainment lineup below. But first, here’s Bryan’s look at the fest and McGonigal’s first year, in his very own words.…

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Wedding Details

296. Find Ideas for Today’s Top Wedding Tablescapes

 When I go to a wedding, one of the things I most look forward to is seeing how the bride and groom set the mood with all the details, large and small. From the flowers, to the place cards to the way the tables are set, sometimes the little things are what I remember most. Our wedding was right before Valentine’s Day, so we chose red tablecloths and romantic lighting. To be honest, I should disclose that by “we”, I mean my mom and I. Bill was enthusiastically indifferent.
But the one thing I wish I had when planning our wedding, was expert help. Barrington special events planner, Christina Currie would have been perfect for the job.…

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First Annual 60010 Barrington Bridal Connection

293. 1st Annual Barrington Bridal Connection Show

 It’s wedding week here at 365Barrington.com!  The first annual 60010 Barrington Bridal Connection Show is happening this Saturday afternoon at Barrington’s Ice House Mall.  There will be over 50 local vendors available in an intimate and elegant setting to help you or your favorite bride-to-be plan the picture perfect wedding.

An army of Barrington’s wedding experts will all be under one roof from Noon until 4PM to feature their products and answer all of your bridal questions.…

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Holiday Shopping Event on Lageschulte in Barrington

255. "Lights on Lageschulte" Holiday Shopping Event

 Have you ever heard of Barrington’s “SoLa” neighborhood? The nickname is short for “South Lageschulte Street”, it’s a hidden little shopping mecca in downtown Barrington and it’s THE PLACE TO BE to find specials on great Christmas gifts this afternoon. The holiday event is called “Lights on Lageschulte” and it starts today at 1PM.

There are 11 stores and businesses taking part in “Lights on Lageshulte” and the event will offer more than just shopping.…

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NV Clothing in Barrington, Illinois

250. NV Clothing’s 5 Year Anniversary Party

 If your wardrobe needs updating this holiday season, two of Barrington’s finest fashion consultants are hosting a big party at their store tomorrow. Sean and Natalie Viohl, the owners of NV Clothing on Cook Street, have invited all of their most loyal clients and are welcoming the community to come out tomorrow to their big 5-year anniversary celebration.

The Viohls are a true Barrington success story. They met at Barrington High School, graduated in 1997 and started dating when they both attended Purdue University.…

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