Skokie is coming up on a crossroads between the old and the new. With developments in place like the upcoming Skokie Swift train station and the recently opened Sanford-Brown College, plenty of changes are in store for the community. One thing that changes right along with a city is the way it eats. We've seen the effects of our ability to get more done in less time reflected in our diets.  There are always nights when we don't have time to cook, and we've all been saved a few times by quick takeout.  One of the classic forms of takeout dining is the deli, and Skokie features some great ones…

America eats in strip malls.  It's a phenomenon we may not notice much in Skokie because, as part of the greater Chicago area, a good number of our restaurants are set in peculiar spots adjoining parking lots. Makisu Sushi Lounge & Grill at the Village Crossing is no exception to the strip mall rule. Nestled between a Chuck E Cheese and a mattress store, it's an unlikely location for one of Skokie's best restaurants and some of the best Japanese eating in the region. None of that matters to co-owners Mike Myint and David Kim, however. The two are veterans of the suburban sushi scene, and have…

Aesthetics count for a great deal, especially when it comes to restaurants.  People will swear up and down that all they care about is the food, but there's a reason that Charlie Trotter's is in a converted Lincoln Park townhouse and not a shack somewhere on Milwaukee Avenue. The Shack on Milwaukee has reasons to be a shack, too.  And it's hard to argue that if the venue in which we eat doesn't at least enhance the eating experience, it goes a long way toward complementing it.  We like eating in that fancy townhouse and being pampered for the same reason we enjoy standing on the street with …

It's well known that Skokie is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the Midwest. That's more than evident as one drives from east to west on any of the major boulevards. Block after block is home to delis, bagel shops and even combination Middle Eastern-pizza joints. Amidst all this is the Taboun Grill. Formerly located in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, the restaurant is alive and well in Skokie. Unique for it's Israeli spin on Mediterranean dishes, the restaurant is about as kosher as it gets. The waitresses even dress in the traditional, conservative fashion as well as talk…

The nostalgia for the 1950s began almost as soon as the decade ended. It's in our pop culture in such TV shows as "Happy Days" and "Mad Men." It's in our food courts in the form of Johnny Rockets. It's in our restaurants with throwback names such as That 50's Place, That 50's Diner and 50's Cafe. It should come as no surprise that a diner that manages to evoke the '50s in nearly every way has stuck around - Sparky's in Skokie.  Though there aren't any waitresses on roller skates, the small restaurant with the oddly angular architecture would perfectly lend itself to carhops. Inside is where …

One of the best things about North Shore living and being so close to a major urban center is the eating.  There's no denying that, for many of us, it's a major factor in our choice to live here as opposed to anywhere else.  Sure, there are plenty of beautiful towns out west and downstate, but what happens when you've got a taste for real Chinese food?  Or a good bagel?  Out there, your best bet for something like that would probably be a mall food court, and that simply wouldn't do.Or would it?  The flip side of living here and having access to all that great food is that everyone else does …

Yolo opened quietly almost a year ago, but has recently begun to generate a lot of buzz.  With restaurants like Rick Bayless' Topolobampo and Frontera Grill grabbing food section headlines and placing upscale Mexican cuisine into the spotlight, it's no wonder that other restaurateurs want to get in on the action.   Like your stomach when it comes to a good basket of chips and salsa, there's always room for one more, and in Skokie, Yolo fills that 
niche. Located at 5111 Brown St., the small, attractive space is tucked away on a side street just off of Lincoln near downtown Skokie. The dining …

No matter what you're in the mood for, Bar Louie probably has you covered.  Starting with gigantic sandwiches and branching out, Bar Louie has developed a reputation for bar food that goes above and beyond burgers and wings – though make no mistake, burgers and wings atrong showing on the menu. The newest Bar Louie, 5300 W. Touhy Ave., which recently opened at the Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore, stays true to the chain's heritage. Shortly after opening the first location in Chicago's River North neighborhood in 1991, the team behind Bar Louie knew it was on to something. But that's enough …

Venerated in its time, the Skokie Club was known as a "special night" kind of dinner place, and the menu and vibe were characteristic of the era; steaks and seafood, cocktails and pianists, all served up with a few Greek twists as a nod to the Laris brother heritage. After a 40 year-run, the duo closed shop on a restaurant concept that saw its time come and go. The red velvet draped room with gleaming candelabra and porcelain dolls is an engaging curiosity. Unfortunately, if the pair had updated the menu and food style with as much care as was put into the decor, it would have been a grand …