Tim "The plate cleaner" J.'s Profile

This is indeed a great dog park. It is larger than most and has many miles of trails. There are a handful of park benches/picnic tables throughout, a tee-pee, and the standard Lake County Park District amenities (toilets, water, sturdy 2-door gates, good parking) that are better than many dog parks I have been to elsewhere.

I consider this a good thing, but it is usually pretty crowded. Most of the people walk their dogs on the trails that are mowed into the savanna or cut through the woods. None of these trails are difficult to walk, though with bad conditions, some of the trails in the woods can go south with heavy traffic. The area around the parking lot can also get muddy. If you are concerned re: this, just enter on the north side of the parking lot.

Yelp's map location for this dog park is wrong. It is northeast, not southwest of the intersection of  176 and Fairfield, with the entrance on Fairfield, 1/5th of a mile north of 176.

I had Dan out to address an issue with my faucet in my older home. He was efficient, friendly, and helpful. He was also kind enough to explain some of the other quirks of my new old house,  and tell me what to watch out for when the ancient pipes and fixtures inevitably start failing.

Five stars for their Enchiladas Bananas. This dish, served with mole sauce is all kinds of delicious. Since there is no meat, etc., it is one of their cheaper items and cannot be topped.

Another plus for Las Palmas is their Mexican beer menu. They have all of the Mexican beers that you could ever want, not just Dos Equis and Corona. They also had quite a few different shrimp items and they serve salsa w/ their tortilla chips that is actually a lil bit spicy- most places give you weak sauce.

The prices here are a little higher than other less-nice Mexican joints, but the atmosphere is much better. It is a great place to bring a date, or a group, and the service when we attended was muy bueno.

In all, this would not necessarily be a 5 star place, especially for the slightly high prices, but those enchiladas were divine.

A more than decent dive bar. Friendly patrons and a well-stocked internet jukebox (put in $5 to get songs at a 'discount'; stick to the 1 credit plays if you want more bang for the buck). The decor is exactly what you would expect in a dive, and the prices are appropriate. I had a lot of fun when I went and intend to return soon.

This is 4 stars for the whole package. The Family Fishery is not the nicest place you will ever set your eyes upon. It is not in a super location, nor are the cashiers always the best (high-schoolers). However, the value here is 5 stars all the way.

The food is high quality: nice pieces of fish, big shrimp, good tasting soups (clam chowder and lobster bisque), and other seafood items such as shrimp egg rolls and the like.

The prices simply cannot be beaten. You are assured to do very well here buying fish by the pound, and they are always having specials and family meals. You can easily feed your family seafood for less than $20. This would also be a great place to take the Little League team, starving teenagers or Ents.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not point out that the french fries here are grease-tastic and are so good that you will hate yourself.

We went here on a Groupon and were treated like royalty! On the Tuesday night we dined, the service at this restaurant was spectacular. All of the staff have vibrant personalities and are very welcoming to new guests. Additionally, their training is superb- these are career servers who have developed their skills over years and likely many, many upscale establishments. Paul the Czech is hilarious, effusive and charming (and he looks like Brendan Gleeson!). The food was spectacular. They have a great selection of fish, but also cover the bases with traditional items cooked in various European styles (mostly French).

Highlights included the creamed spinach sides, the desserts, esp. the cherries jubilee. Their selection of wine by the glass was very strong and I really enjoyed the Russian sparkling wine.

It is true that we were the youngest diners in the restaurant, but usually I take that as a good sign as far as the food goes. This might not be the coolest new hot spot, but neither is Le Vichyssoise in Lakemoor, but it has the best food for miles. The same is true here. The Forge is not the place to see and be seen, but rather the place for a expertly cooked meal served in an atmosphere that admittedly holds the restaurant back- but you wouldn't want this place to get cool all of a sudden, would you?

The very best dog park I have ever been to. Its huge, has trails, mixed savanna/forest, a fenced lake, and a huge parking lot.

This is a great dive bar with a great mix of people. You can carry out sixers and get both man cans and tall boys of all the cheap lagers. Someday I will close this place down. Then I can, and probably will die.

A great local business. They offer (generous) 3 oz. "flight pours" of well-selected wines that you can then order by the glass or bottle. The second is suggested if you go one of the nights that they offer no-corkage fee. Basically, you can enjoy your bottle at register price in a great atmosphere. A very intimate setting with friendly staff. Didn't have any of the food (think heavy hors devours), but it sure looked good. Trivia on Tuesday nights is fun.

This hotel is also reviewed as the "Crowne Plaza Hotel". Its the same place (and the review average is about the same). I would value this hotel during non-prime nights at about $65. If you are paying more than that, and you likely are, there will probably be a shortcoming that makes you feel gypped at some point in your stay. See my review on the other page.