Did you know that women do most of the wine shopping? Although that fact is true in my family . . . I was still surprised to hear it. I was told that by Joe Alter, co-owner along with Amy Lafontant of The Bottle Shop in Wilmette, and it's one of the reasons that the store came into existence.
Amy, with a background in insurance and finance, felt that the "big box" wine and liquor stores were run for and by men and that they didn't cater to her and her friends. She was inspired to open the Bottle Shop in December 2005 with the thought that it would be a niche store. To that end it's been a success and sets itself apart from the larger stores by offering handpicked wines, small selections, unique wineries, and by choosing wines they like as opposed to wines that have high scores by anonymous judges.
The store has a clean, open space and all wines are organized by 
grape as opposed to by region. Most of the wines are priced under $30 with the average bottle being $15. They carry wines from all over the world and . . . . taste every wine before they buy it! Whereas the larger stores can carry an inventory of 1500 to 3000 different bottles of wine, the Bottle Shop carries approximately 300 products. Chances are they might not carry the brand that every grocery store carries, but they can order anything and are experts at suggesting something else that is comparable.
But there's more to just buying a bottle of wine at The Bottle Shop in November of 2008 they received an additional license for an on-premise wine bar in Wilmette. They serve glasses of wine priced between $7 and $15 for a hefty 5 oz pour, and offer an array of small snacks such as a cheese plate, charcuterie plate, hummus and crackers, and grilled cheese. I am thinking this is a wonderful idea for myself and my husband as empty-nesters, or for moms' night out, or book club groups. After your snack, you can treat yourself to a gelato or coffee.
The wine bar is open evey night until 11:00 pm except Sundays when it closes at 8:00 pm. Store hours are: Mon-Fri 11-11, Saturday 10-11 and Sunday 12-8. They also offer open house wine tasting samples on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons. For private or corporate functions, they can do your wine catering.
It all about relationships, Joe told me. They get to know you and your wine preferences just like the saleswoman at the local clothing boutique knows your dress size. So go in and get fitted! And you will discover that Amy and Joe are not wine snobs - as their business cards attest:
Amy Lafontant - Director of Everything
Joe Alter - Vine Jockey
Cheers!
Another view of the wine display
Co-Owner Joe C. Alter - knowledgeable and friendly
My Kind of Wine!
Wine Bar Seating
In another life, Ellen Holthaus made a living as a nurse. But about five years ago she did an about face and took a part time job at Multiple Choices in Winnetka. The mother of two who lives in Glenview ultimately purchased the store in January of this year and renamed it Ellen's on Elm.
Multiple Choices has been a gem of a gift store for many years and a staple in downtown Winnetka. Winnetka resident Pat Horne opened the store in 1985 at 841 Elm St. and in 2001 she opened a second store in Lincoln Park which continues to operate as Multiple Choices by her daughter. But when Pat Horne suddenly decided to retire, Ellen seized the opportunity to buy the Winnetka store.
Ellen's approach to running her new store has been to "keep the best of Multiple Choices while bringing in new, fresh items that customers want." People who have come into the new store comment that it feels different, a little more bright and lively. Ellen is planning some fun promotions in the coming months to stir new interest and keep customers engaged and excited. You can sense her excitement as she discusses her ideas. 
And in spite of opening her new store in January 2009 in the midst of our current economic downturn, business has been good. Ellen's on Elm, as Multiple Choices before, has always had a nice range of price points from as little as $25 up to $200. I never fail to find the perfect gift at Ellen's partly because of the wonderful variety including pottery, platters, pitchers, tableware, soaps, candles, children's items, clothing, decorative items and more unique items than I can ever list here.
Her biggest selling and most popular item is the Mariposa line, followed by a great line of plastic dinnerware that my eye could not tell from the real thing and would be a perfect item to take to Ravinia for your next outdoor picnic. She decided to keep the Vera Bradley line, not because we old gals like it, but because it's so popular with the 'tweens. Groups of girls come in after school and crowd around the Vera Bradley display, checking out all the offerings before finally deciding which ones to buy.
A new line that Ellen brought in is Johnnie-O, a traditional, casual line of shirts, shorts, belts, and accessories primarly for men. The company was founded by local actor Chris O'Donnell's brother and has proven to be a good seller.
Ellen Holthaus, owner of Ellen's on Elm (left) and her store manager, Judy Riley.
Dried flower display (left)
Aluminum giftware (right)
Children's Line (left)
Johnnie-O Casual Clothing (right)
Ellen's on Elm is open Monday through Saturday from 10 to 5:30 and is closed on Sunday duirng the summer months (it will be open after Labor Day on Sundays from 11-3)
841 Elm St, Winnetka, IL. 847-441-5244.
No Man's Land - Wilmette on the Lake - is a traingular shaped strip of land along the northern border with Kenilworth. The unincorporated land was annexed in 1942 after much legal wrangling, and new zoning laws eventually allowed tall condo buildings to be built along the lakefront.
The original Spanish Court with its marquee Teatro del Lago was redone to become the present day Plaza del Lago. Both the theater and surrounding structures of the Spanish Court were built in Spanish Colonial style, including red tile roofs and buff stucco facades and this Mediterranean look was kept intact during the remodel. An earlier post discussed some of the great shopping available there: The Cage in Wilmette.
Nowadays, No Man's Land usually refers to the area along the beachfront that is home to seven large condominium buildings that, with the exception of 1618 Sheridan, all were built in the 1960s. A decade ago there were still the most popular place for seniors to head to when they downsized from their large family homes. They have become less popular since the Hyatt built the Hyatt Classic Residence in the Glen in Glenview. The high assessment fees have also made them more difficult to own, particularly in this economic climate.
The two condo buildings that anchor the strip, the northernmost and the southernmost are co-ops and all the middle buildings are condos. There are currently 38 units for sale at this time from $179,000 up to $1,075,000.
Most of the units offer spectacular views, underground heated parking, pools, exercise rooms, party rooms and 24-hour doormen. Some of the buildings offer guest suites to guests of the residents. Between the beauty of the lake and the convenience of shopping across the street, these units still offer buyers an easy lifestyle. Recently, the 1630 Sheridan Co-Op was officialy made a senior-only building meaning that potential buyers must be over 55 years of age.
Perhaps the building with the best value is 1616 Sheridan shown in the above photo on the right side. The two most expensive buildings are the 1630 co-op and 1420 Sheridan which is set very far back from Sheridan thus being very close to the water. The most recently built building is 1618 Sheridan where a gas station once stood. It's unique along the No Man's Land because each floor is just one unit with 360 degree views. It is shown in the photo above partially obscured by trees and is closest to Sheridan Road. 
Not only is shopping available across the street, including grocery shopping, but the access to the lakefront is nearby at the south end of the strip. Sheridan Road itself has been recently regraded and repaved.
Kenilworth Gardens is not in Kenilworth . . . it's actually in Wilmette! Many of my clients are surprised to hear this, especially since Kenilworth Gardens directly abuts Kenilworth.
The streets that make up Kenilworth Gardens run east -west just west of Ridge Road as it runs through Keniworth and Wilmette.
At the north end is Beechwood and working south, next is Kenilworth Ave., Chestnut, Thornwood, Greenwood, and finally Elmwood. Along the east side is Ridge Road and the west side is a little fuzzier and some feel that it stretches all the way to Illinois Road Kenilworth Gardens gives way to Indian Hill Estates.
Typical Kenilworth Gardens home.
Most of the homes in Kenilworth Gardens are on 50 x 120 lots except for Chestnut St which has deeper lots. In spite of this smaller size, many homes have lovely, landscaped yards that seem much more spacious than the numbers indicate.
Another home in Kenilworth Gardens for sale for $769,000 and located on Chesnut St with a lot size of 50 x 176.
The school that serves the residents of Kenilworth Gardens is Harper School. Located at 1101 Dartmouth, it sits at the west end of Greenwood Avenue where Greenwood dead ends. The school is an elementary school for kindergarten through fourth grade. It is among the few schools in the state of Illinois that have received the distinguished (their words) Great Schools Award rating of 10 out of 10! Harper is one of the most popular schools in Wilmette and has approximately 420 students and a student/teacher ratio of 17 to 1.
Also located in Kenilworth Gardens is Thornwood Park, a beautiful 8.2 acres of playground, tennis courts, and baseball fields. Thornwood Park has a summer concert which was held this year on Sunday, July 9. And as the website claims, it is held regardless of . . . . rain, shine, snow, heatwave. The concert is free but a donation of $40 per family is suggested.
One more thing I love about Kenilworth Gardens is its proximity to Indian Hill Road. What's so great about this? Slip into Indian Hill Road to run, walk, or bike along a quiet, winding street that circles Indian Hill Country Club. It's a 3-mile loop that is so peaceful you can pretend you're in the country.
Scenes from Thornwood Park
Entrance to Indian Hill Road
The Cage inWilmette and Gillson Park, a glorious 59 acres of open lawns, lighted tennis courts, playgrounds, and beach. Most people who live in the CAGE just walk to the beach which is located at the north end of the park.
In addition to the above, the park also offers 
Typically, the park is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The park is ideal for biking, soccer games, volleyball, picnics and many other summer outdoor activities. My favorite memories of the park are when my children were small and we used the fabulously well appointed and built playground. And the Gillson swimming beach is large and feels like a "real" beach with concessions stands and bathrooms.
A fenced dog beach is available at the south end of the beach for dogs with permits. If your dog is not a fan of water, like my border collie, no worries, they all just love to socialize and play.
The Wilmette Park District fleet of Sunfish, Hobie Waves, and Hobie Getaways are available for rental whenever the boats are not being used for instruction. Kayaks are also available for rental. Sailors may rent boats when their experience matches weather conditions on the day of rental. Staff is on hand to help sailors evaluate their skills. Inexperienced people can take beginner's classes before renting boats. 
For outdoor summer concerts, Ravinia in Highland Park is wonderful. But closer to the CAGE is the Starlight Theater at the Wallace Bowl. Concerts are free and seating is first come, first serve or you can bring blankets and chairs and enjoy the music from the lawn.
Also at the south end of Gillson Park is the Wilmette Harbor called Sheridan Shores Yacht Club. The setting is spectacular and has beautiful views of the water and the nearby Bahai Temple. There are about 300 slips for motorboats and sailboats and I understand there is a very long wait list.
Playing volleyball at Gillson Beach.
Playing soccer and picnicing at Gillson Beach.
The main entrance to the park is off Sheridan Road just south of the Bahai Temple and the swimming and sailing beaches are accessed at Lake Avenue east of Sheridan Road.
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