Karen "Grease is Gross" B.'s Profile

There's a lot to like about this gym.  

1) It's quiet; there's no music playing in the background and the machines are all relatively new.
2) It's not that crowded.  This is important, since there aren't many machines and the facility is not that large.
3) It's pretty clean.  People tend to wipe down the machines and put away the free weights.  Occasionally you'll see plates left on bars, but for the most part everything gets put away.
4) The new owners (as of Dec 2011) are very friendly.  I have talked to Pat a few times, and she has always been very accommodating.
5) There is practically never a wait for cardio machines.  There are 4 Arc Trainers and 4 (or is it 5?) treadmills, all of which face 4 TVs with satellite channels. I usually go between 5 and 6pm on weekdays, and since I joined 5-6 months ago, I have only seen all of one type taken once. The TV remotes are easy to find, but to hear the TV volume you must tune your own radio to a particular station.  Closed captioning is usually on, though.
6) They invest in new equipment often and take good care of their existing equipment.  In the last 5-6 months, I've seen the Smith machine replaced with a Jones machine, the single cable machine replaced with two newer styled ones, new smaller weights. I've never seen a machine sit with a broken sign on it.

There are, however, a few drawbacks.  The facility is rather small, as I mentioned.  There is no water fountain (I read a note somewhere about the landlord not letting them get one), though there is a sink in each bathroom and a powerade-y vending machine.  There are no showers (there simply isn't room) or towels (other than paper).  In the weight area, you may find yourself waiting to use a machine or a bench if you go at a popular time.

The best part about this gym is it is included in my Blue Cross Blue Shield Fitness Program.  It costs $25 to start and $25 per month with no contract.  This membership includes a few area gyms, not just Snap Fitness.

My friends and I have rented a pontoon boat from here twice, and it is a relatively nice place. The boats are kept fairly clean despite inclement weather and the variety of people who rent the boats.

The first time you rent a boat from them, they may require that you have driven a boat before. We were told that a driver's license would be sufficient, but when we arrived they asked one of the potential drivers if he had driven a boat before, and upon his answer of no, he was told he wouldn't be allowed to drive it.

The pontoon boats we have gotten both had radios with an aux in port for iPods and the like. You may want to bring your own cable (one time we were offered one, the other time we weren't). There are life jackets on board, but I highly recommend bringing your own floatation devices and a rope to attach them to the boat. The rope allows them to stay in the water unattended and allows you to float without worrying you'll get too far from the boat.

The staff is accommodating, as well. We had reserved a boat weeks in advance only to find that it was raining at our reservation time. They called us and preemptively asked if we'd like to move our reservation time back another hour, as the weather was predicted to clear up by then. We did so, and it worked out well. Our four hour reservation was filled with 3 hours of sun and an hour of overcast clouds, which was much better than having an hour of that be rain.

The rates are high, but this is Lake Geneva after all.

In my opinion, the biggest advantage that Ruby Tuesday has over any other restaurant is the healthy spin on their menu.  It proves that there are, in fact, healthy things you can eat that taste good.  Most other restaurants' attempts at this idea are half-hearted, but Ruby Tuesday makes a full offering so you're not stuck eating the same thing every time if you want to eat on a calorie budget.

Ruby Tuesday is probably most famous for its salad bar (called the Garden Bar for reasons that I can't decifer).  It is pretty much the same anywhere you go; there are four types of lettuce leaves, including spinach and romaine.  They offer a variety of toppings, anywhere from grated cheese, bacon, and boiled eggs to carrots, broccoli and green pepper.  There are some pasta salads, and the apple-based one is particularly tasty.  Additionally, you'll find a ton of options for dressing, though the only ones I can remember off the top of my head are honey mustard, italian, thousand island, french, and lite ranch.  At the end of the bar, don't forget to look for the croutons, crackers, and sesame seeds.

What really impresses me about Ruby Tuesday, however, is the variety of vegetable sides on their menu, which include calorie counts.  I have died and gone to heaven.  I'm impressed that they not only have mashed potatoes but also mashed cauliflower.  You will also find things like asparagus, zucchini, brown rice pilaf, portobella mushrooms, sugar snap peas, sun dried tomatoes, broccoli, green beans, and "spaghetti squash" (which I don't recommend).  They prepare them in ways that are cooked until they're soft but seasoned fairly plainly, and I prefer them that way.  The zucchini, for instance, is flavored with what appears to be soy sauce, and the sun dried tomatoes have a lightly applied balsamic dressing on them.  

As you can probably tell from my ravings thus far, my favorite entree to order is the 3 Sides + Garden Bar, which is on the back of the menu.  If you get vegetables and a full plate at the salad bar, you will be full, and experience a variety of tastes.  You can always get more at the salad bar.

The desserts offered are fairly standard, all except for the Berry Good Yogurt Parfait.  Ranked at #6 on the top 24 "Eat This" desserts list (from Eat This, Not That), it is a mere 162 calories.  The presentation is inspired, as it is served in a martini glass with a very yummy looking berry mixture and a sprinkling of granola on top.  Even the people who order the massive, heavy desserts will be jealous of your little yogurt parfait.  

One thing to look out for: they tend to do some really amazing deals on their Facebook page.  In the past, I've gotten a free hamburger coupon (which was good for ANY style of hamburger entree, which started at $10 and included 2 sides) and a free salad bar addon coupon, just from liking them and filling out a small form with my email address.  Like them on Facebook and watch for the deals they announce on their wall.

I went to this winery on a LivingSocial deal, and at first glance it wasn't impressive.  It's located in a strip mall, and the place itself looks like a small but nice bar that also sells wine.

However, the wines did, for the most part, impress me, and that's what really matters.

Things you'll need to know for the wine tasting:
* Time: Any time during normal business hours, reservations are NOT required
* Price: About $8
* Number of Wines: 7, which are changed monthly (per Steve Boyer, the owner/vintner).
* Quantity you taste of each: Approximately 25-35% of a white wine glass; they pour and eyeball the amount.
* Wine Types: Usually a dry white, a semi-sweet white, two or three dry reds, a fruit wine and a dessert wine (per owner).

They give you a piece of paper with the wine tasting info which describes each wine in more detail, and serve them in order of driest to most sweet.  When I was there, they also have a small platter of two cheeses, but it was pretty well picked through and not replenished in the hour or so I was there.  Additionally, there was no seating at the bar, though there were tables with chairs at them.  If you're there for the tasting, expect to be standing the whole time.  I kind of preferred this, as it helped me to gauge how intoxicated I was getting, but I could understand how people who don't like standing for a half hour or 45 minutes would disapprove.

The Princess Red, despite its overly girly name, was a surprising stand out for me.  I don't usually like red wines, but I really enjoyed it.  I think that people who prefer white and don't usually drink red wine would definitely like this one.  It's the ideal wine for when I'm having a girls' night in and want to make it classier, rather than serving mixed drinks or bottled, store-bought alcoholic lemonades.  I ended up purchasing a bottle of the Princess Red and one of their Rieslings with my LivingSocial $30 credit, and only paid a couple of dollars extra.

On a side note, while I was there, a bachelorette party came in, which I thought was a clever idea. It seems like a nice, laid back location for the pre-drinking and gifts.

The service is friendly and the store is well air conditioned on hot days. Also, their strawberry sauce uses fresh, half strawberries. They are the best ones I've had at any of the 3 DQs I've been to in recent memory, and they're certainly better than any strawberries we ever had at my DQ when I worked at one for the summer back in the late 90s.

They have two uncovered picnic tables out front if you want to sit but no indoor seating.

Keep in mind that they usually close for the winter.

I bought a DoubleTakeDeal (Groupon knockoff) for this place.  Unfortunately, despite the big glowing sign out front that simply says "Yoga," it is not anything like traditional hatha yoga.  My boyfriend and I attended one class of our purchased five, and we cannot bring ourselves to come back.  

The class started with five minutes of repeatedly hitting ourselves in the lower abdomen while taking turns counting aloud to ten.  I was tempted to abandon the class there, but we both tried to keep an open mind and remained through the end of the hour.  The hitting of oneself did reoccur intermittently through the class.  Other memorable moments from the class included "vibrating," which was essentially freelance gyrating to primitive drum music, and the repeated mentioning of "life particles."  

There was some stretching in the class, even a version of savasana, but it was not at all the focus.  Instead, the class focus appears to be achieving a mental status of some sort by stimulating chakras (often by hitting them) and releasing tension.

When the class was over, I expected to feel some of the calmness, increased ease of movement and release of tension that I tend to feel with any exercise that allows me to focus on my body for an extended period of time.  Unfortunately, I did not feel any different.

Here are the basics, if you're intent on going.  You will not need a mat; they encourage you to just use the rubbery, yellow vinyl floor.  You will not need water during; there was no sweating involved.  You do not need to worry about wearing loose t-shirts; it is unlikely you will be doing any inverted poses that will cause them to slide up on you.  However, you probably want to wear pants that allow for more movement than jeans do, such as sweat pants or yoga pants.  

For what it's worth, the instructor was very friendly.  Don't be afraid to call them if you have questions.  However, I did not have any luck with email.

It's not for me, and it's not for anyone who is expecting traditional yoga, as I was.

This is everything I want in a restaurant.

There is bocce ball (which is very easy for new players to pick up) both inside and outside, and bowling, both of which provide ample entertainment.  The outdoor bocce court is covered and has removable walls for inclement weather.  If I remember correctly, the bowling lanes offer free socks.

There is a brunch on Sunday mornings that is to die for.  Unforgettable staples are the chocolate fountain, the chicken marsala, the omelet/carving station, and the mimosa (1 is included but you must ask for it).  They also have an excellent selection of hot tea bags.

There is a fantastic dinner menu with dishes that are just as delicious as they are elegant.  The wine menu lead my to my favorite wine of all time, which I have subsequently bought upwards of a dozen bottles of: the Saracco Moscato di Asti, a sweet, sparkling white Italian wine.  Last time I ate there, it was even on sale for half off ($15 instead of $30).

They have a Thursday night ladies' night special with $3 specialty cocktails (read: martinis).  I can't think of any other place, particularly not one this nice, that serves martinis for $3 a pop, even on special.  

When the weather is nice, I long to be sitting around their big bonfire located in the outdoor patio out back.  It is a wonderful environment with ample seating and even heat lamps for when the night turns chilly.  The restaurant serves homemade s'mores.  

The only drawback is it closes a bit early in the evening, probably due to liquor serving restrictions in the town of South Barrington.  Although, that's probably a good thing, because I would stay there all night given the option.

I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough.  It is my favorite place not only for dinner, but for brunch and evenings out with friends.

I came here on a Groupon, and I was not disappointed.  The food was on the expensive side, but it was very good.  The cocktails are a little different (they each have song title names which don't pertain much to the flavor of the drink), and I thought they were nothing special.

The entertainment in the bar area is certainly a nice touch.  I was there on a Friday night when the owners (John and Tony) were playing with their band.  They started a bit late, and the mix was up much too loud on the notably talented vocalist, but the cover songs they did were mellow and inviting.

I'd definitely come here again, but perhaps not sit in the bar area.  The music would probably be easier to enjoy from the other end of the restaurant where it wouldn't be as loud. Show owner comment »

This restaurant has a nice atmosphere, an average level of service, and good food.  The prices are very reasonable.  

I'm always on the look out for healthy food, so I love the Fruit Bowl, which is exactly what it sounds like and includes bananas, strawberries, honeydew, and cantaloupe.  I usually will order a side with it, be it a scrambled egg or oatmeal (served with extra whole milk and brown sugar on the side) or a bagel (cream cheese extra).  

My dad is on the opposite end of the spectrum, and he'll usually order pancakes or crepes.  They tend to not bake the fruit into the pancakes, which is a little disappointing, but they do have a wide variety of fresh and tasty fruit topping options.  Those kinds of meals are huge.

I've also ordered the Chicken Tortilla Soup, which was a soup of the day.  I was very impressed, and am now interested in making it myself.

If you plan on coming here on a Sunday at brunch time (around 11am), expect a 10 minute wait or so.  It didn't use to be this crowded, but I suspect that since they closed the IHOP on Irving Park Rd, they have been getting a lot more business.  Weekdays are, as one would expect, much less crowded.

The sign says "New Concept Coming Soon," so if the location re-opens, it is likely not going to be the same as the previous Nest Cafe.