The Navy Pier IMAX
The Navy Pier IMAX screens visually dazzling 2-D and 3-D documentaries and Hollywood movies. Born to Be Wild 3D chronicles the efforts of animal experts to save orphaned orangutans and elephants, a story that whisks viewers off to the verdant rainforests of Borneo, the savannahs of Kenya, and the roadsides of South Dakota. Eardrums can imbibe the hum of the theater's uncompressed digital sound, which transmits the slightest step of each elephant, the smooth diction of narrator Morgan Freeman, and the whispered syllables of poetry enunciated by each loquacious orangutan. Hungry eyes can nibble on visually delicious 3-D imagES, which evince the powerful storytelling capacity of 70-millimeter film and screens that reach up to eight stories high.
Dental Smile Studio
Dr. Rodrick Ghadimi and Dr. Anna Acopian helm Dental Smile Studio. To keep their patients’ teeth as healthy as possible, they call upon their extensive experience and education—both Dr. Ghadimi and Dr. Acopian graduated from Boston University’s dental school, and they each engage in continuing education to keep their skills sharp. With their expertise guiding them, the doctors perform a full slate of preventative and restorative services, from cleanings and exams to the completion of fillings, porcelain crowns, and the procedure Socrates had to undergo more than 500 times: wisdom-teeth extraction.The Clothing Warehouse
Imagine a million pounds worth of clothing (and feel free to imagine the size of the mythical creature who would wear that much clothing). The team at The Clothing Warehouse doesn't have to imagine it, because each year it sorts through millions of pounds of clothing to find the best vintage garments for its customers. The expansive warehouse empowers its garment gurus to see the critical mass of pieces necessary to furnish a stellar selection for their many stores across the country. That formula unites the variety and scale of large retail chains with the curatorial prowess of a discerningly staffed boutique, but with reasonable prices.
The Clothing Warehouse's systematic approach to getting each individual customer the single jaunty outfit she or he is after means that the company doesn't put anything in its warehouse that it wouldn't sell in one of its stores. So what clothes make the cut? Anything from dresses and Levi's jeans to hundreds of vintage T-shirts, men's and women's cowboy boots, and new and dead-stock sunglasses.
Massages by Tasha
LaTasha White graduated from the Virginia Career Institute and has been a certified massage therapist for more than six years. She renders Swedish, deep tissue, and hot stone massages. LaTasha derives special professional joy from kneading clients during sports massages—which is not when the umpire misses a call because he’s rubbing the catcher’s shoulders. During her sports massages, LaTasha targets areas specifically to augment flexibility and reduce the risk of injury, as well as lessen downtime after workouts.
Maria's Cafe & Italian Restaurant
Usually to get into the hall of fame, you have to hit 400 home runs or crush an opposing quarterback a hundred times. The only crushing likely to be seen at Maria's Cafe & Italian Restaurant, however, is that of helpless garlic. Nonetheless, the Sicilian eatery found itself a recipient of NBC12’s Restaurant Report Hall of Fame Award in 2009. The accolade might be a product of its décor’s Mediterranean-art deco design, or it might be a celebration of the recipes cooked by its Sicily-born owners.
From baked pasta entrees such as manicotti to house specialties like the wild mushroom ravioli, the menu unites classic Italian ingredients. Wraps, pizza, paninis, and calzones complement the core offerings, and a wine and beer menu ensures no one at the table resorts to drinking from their purse—the ideal location for a bag of wine.
A Room of Therapy
At A Room of Therapy, licensed massage therapist Octavia Stevens draws upon her expertise in half a dozen massage traditions to soothe beleaguered bodies. During 30-, 60-, and 90-minute massages, Stevens' hands skate on the surface of your back, boosting circulation and oxygenating muscles. As her customized strokes—in modalities such as deep muscle, sports, and neuromuscular—hone in on high-priority areas, pleasant scents from fragrant essential oils achieve a soothing, therapeutic effect. For an extra fee, Stevens can add on hot towels, hot stones, or hot potatoes.The Gator's Tail
Alligators have invaded Ireland. Or so it seems inside The Gator’s Tail, a pub that serves Irish food and gator bites—fried pieces of alligator tail served with fries and dip, when available. The Irish influences include fish and chips—battered haddock—and Guinness beer. A wide array of burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads, and meaty entrees underscore the culinary cred of the eatery, and desserts such as apple caramel cheesecake punctuate meals.
From an alligator dangling menacingly from the ceiling to live karaoke amusing the crowd’s ears, the atmosphere of the pub is as lively as the menu is long. Flat-screen TVs air hockey games; The Gator’s Tail even offers food and drink specials for every Maple Leaf game.
Danny's Mini Donuts
On Fox40, Danny of Danny’s Mini Donuts demonstrated how he plunges miniature donut circles into a fryer to make the breakfast treats as fresh as possible. Danny calls it “hot on the spot”, and he strives to make flavor the priority rather than the size of the donut. He proudly dishes out batches by the dozen or half-dozen, and they come with strawberries and whipped topping or perhaps a drizzling of caramel. If the donuts are too hot, guests can always cool mouths by sipping fruit smoothies, chugging down root beer floats, spooning a banana split, or kissing the king of Antarctica.
Firkin on Paradise
There are 42 beers on tap at Firkin on Paradise. But the veritable monsoon of Guiness, Bass, and Old Speckled Hen isn’t the only thing rushing through the air: darts, pool balls, and shuffle board pieces fly about in the name of recreation. And the extensive menu of English pub food only makes the beer and games more enjoyable. It features classics like fish n’ chips, BLTs, and even mac and cheese with ham as an inventive kicker ingredient.
Sandra & Company at The Loft
The team at Sandra & Company at The Loft distills more than 20 years of salon experience into each service they render. These stylists specialize in color work and highlights, and their eyebrow wax treatments keep hairs from growing where you don’t want them: the front lawn. They also perform keratin treatments, blow-outs, and haircuts and styles and maintain a comfortably spacious waiting room.Zen Body Bar
As the staff of Zen Body Bar performs skin services and massages, they maintain a friendly demeanor and call upon extensive experience. Their facials heal dry or sensitive skin, while their body scrubs can either hydrate or exfoliate epidermises. The spa’s décor features flowing curtains, lime green walls, and zebra-patterned chairs that gallop away if you try to stand on them.
Aloha Mind Math Reading Writing (Diamond Bar)
Aloha Mind Math Reading Writing (Diamond Bar) helps kids from ages 5–12 flex the sponginess of their brains by teaching them not only important concepts in math and reading and writing, but also inventive techniques for grappling with those important concepts. On the math side, the certified and well-trained tutors teach the abacus method to give first through fifth graders a strong foundation in mental math. The junior math program teaches 5- and 6-year-olds to understand numbers with multiple digits. Meanwhile, the senior math program graduates 12-year-olds with an ability to perform operations such as 914 x 325 in their heads, rather than by making a rectangle with a width of 914 action figures and a length of 325 action figures and then counting up all the action figures.
Alternatively, the reading and writing program helps children make sense of the world of letters. Ninety-minute lessons coupled with supplemental at-home work guide kids through from understanding punctuation and parts of speech in first grade to learning about clauses and conjunctions in fifth grade, imparting a preparedness for middle-school language arts classes. This part of the program also teaches them to read fiction and non-fiction, with such valuable concepts as inference, context, comparing and contrasting, and understanding that author’s view doesn’t have anything to do with J.K. Rowling’s penthouse vista. The reading and writing program also helps children cultivate their own writing skills, advancing them from simple descriptive sentences to persuasive, expository, and story writing at the fifth grade level.
Beauty by DonnyElle Skin Salon
Passion was missing. As DonnyElle followed a traditional course to college and then beyond into jobs such as teaching and waitressing, she craved something more, something that didn’t feel like such a, well, a job. The turning point was an interview with MAC Cosmetics, which pivoted her direction toward freelance makeup art. Strengthened by a newfound passion for her work, DonnyElle eventually became a licensed aesthetician. With her well-developed skills and her love for her trade guiding her, she now serves her own clientele with skincare services at Beauty by DonnyElle Skin Salon. Here, she presents a menu that includes diverse facials, makeup applications for various needs and occasions, and waxing treatments.
In addition to performing the work she loves, DonnyElle finds satisfaction in non-profit work. Through an organization called Glitz & Grace, she strives to improve the self-esteem of young girls.
Cosmos Déjà Vu Salon
Jack-O-Lanterns have the most radiant faces, but not only due to the fire backlighting their smiles. It’s also because pumpkin packs a salutary blend of Vitamin C, antioxidants, and enyzmes. That’s why the key ingredient in a multi-fruit complex facial and peel at Cosmos Déjà Vu Salon is pumpkin. This inventive approach to skin care is just one of the many ways the salon’s licensed aesthetician, Alison, takes care of her clients’ faces. For her half-dozen facials, she calls upon ingredients such as seaweed and honey to exfoliate and cleanse visages. Alison also performs a full menu of makeup services, including packages for brides on wedding days and special lessons to pass her knowledge and skill onto others.Dezines Hair Artistry
Donna Miller, owner of Dezines Hair Artistry, has styled hair for nearly three full trips to the DMV: three decades. That experience has helped her hone her product-curating skills, and today her salon uses Schwarzkopf, Pureology, Aquage, and Kenra products. With these tress elixirs, she and her staff perform a diverse set of color treatments, haircut and styling services for standard upkeep or special occasions, and aesthetic treatments such as makeup and facials. Like most carpenters and unlike all but the strongest of carpenter ants, Donna’s staff also works with nails.Bella Tuscany Ristorante Italiano
The wines come in reds, whites, glasses, and bottles. The prosciutto which that wine complements comes from outside the U.S. And an outdoor patio means no one has to drink their wine or eat their prosciutto inside, unless they’d like to look at vino-themed artwork or keep their feet firmly planted in plush carpet. The staff cooks chicken or veal marsala, as well as a number of inventive pizzas, Italian flatbreads, and pasta smothered in ricotta, mozzarella, and parmigiana cheese or drenched in house-made marinara sauce. Bella Tuscany Ristorante Italiano has a Sunday brunch, and the staff can accommodate customers’ every need by offering delivery, catering, and carry out.
David&Micah's
The team at David&Micah’s bakes a wide variety of cakes and cupcakes, and they can customize their confections to the dictates of any occasion. Some of their specialties include their queen of hearts cupcakes, red velvet treats covered with a cream cheese frosting and a red heart, and strawberry cupcakes with a pineapple in the center and a strawberry/vanilla swirl frosting. Beyond their small specialties, the staff can whip up wedding cakes as high as four tiers, which is not to be confused with the four tears shed by the average guest at a wedding.
Imagine That Salon
Imagine That Salon’s staff primps clients with hair and nail services, and it has a house color specialist trained by Redken International. Together, the team boasts more than 57 years of experience, which they bring to bear during hair cuts and extensions, facial waxing, and manicures and pedicures rendered with OPI nail and gel polish. Their salon has a clean, colorful look, with pastel yellows and bluish greens going easy on the eyes—unlike letter chart tests at an optometrist’s office. Framed art informs the aesthetic of just about every room, whether it’s the lobby furnished with magazines and a TV or one of the treatment rooms outfitted with a cushy leather pedicure throne.Stars4Cars
The staff at Stars4Cars focuses on three key service areas. They render full car washes, change the oil of vehicles, and protect them from the ravages of rust. The team can also detail the interior and exterior of cars. When they wash cars, they use lotions they describe as soft and mild, just like the best salsa or worst pro wrestlers. Check out the list of car-cleansing services here (link).1st Class Detail
The skilled technicians of 1st Class Detail spruce up not only cars, trucks, and SUVs, but also boats and RVs. They offer various packages to meet the diverse demands of their customers. These packages are all named after neighbors on the Periodic Table of the Elements, from the meat-and-potatoes silver package to the all-inclusive platinum package, with gold in between.To take one, the platinum package includes a cleaning, dressing, vacuuming, shampooing, and guarding and conditioning of the interior, plus an odor treatment, pet hair removal, and a shampoo and spot removal. Then for the exterior, the platinum package features a wash, engine detail, premium wax, and dressing of trim and tires.
Artistik Edge Salon
The sizeable but close-knit staff of Artistik Edge Salon has served clients since 1999. With professional products by brands such as Redken and Wella, colorist render complete color treatments or highlights and lowlights. The hair stylists can also perform extensions, like IRS agents and people with those stretchy kitchen tables. But Artistik Edge Salon also presents nail services—including gel applications—and aesthetic services such as facials and waxing.C'ilk Styling
A mother-daughter team runs the show at C'ilk Styling. If their salon feels much more homey than most salons, it might be because it’s in an actual home. With that asset, Cindy and Candis strive to relax clients as they get ready for their hair treatments. Then, they render cuts and conditionings, as well as full or partial highlights—the duo actually has certifications in different color techniques.Dante Lucci Salon
There are 50 states, so being a top-200 salon essentially means being a top-four salon in your state. Dante Lucci Salon is just that, having earned a spot on Salon Today’s 2010 list of the top 200 salons. Just one of its many accolades, the award attests to the success Dante Lucci Salon has had in rendering haircuts with razor or clipper cutting techniques. But it also underscores the salon staff’s commitment to continuing their education in order to stay abreast of new techniques and the ways in which nuclear physics can be applied to highlights—none so far.Beyond hair work, technicians perform nail services and makeup artists use the preservative-free Mineral Mine line. In that vein, the salon’s awards might also be a tacit approval of the staff’s choice of products, which include those by Morroccanoil, Kevin Murphy, and essie.
Full O Bull Subs & Pizza
The menu at Full O Bull Subs & Pizza catalogs a straightforward selection of sub sandwiches and pizza. Sandwiches come either hot or cold. The hot half of the menu offers plain steak, barbecue steak, and hot pastrami options, among others. The cold half, alternatively, presents a selection of turkey and cheese, salami and cheese, BLT, and more. Pizza options include a Canadian bacon- and pineapple-coated Hawaiian pie, as well as a veggie pizza and the pizza least likely to be consumed by a vegetarian vampire: garlic chicken.George's Steakhouse
Despite the singular focus of its name, George's Steakhouse presents a diverse range of cuisine. Beyond the top sirloin steak and shrimp entree that headline the dinner menu, the eatery presents a wide range of burgers and sandwiches for lunch. But it also whips up breakfast fare. Five omelets—plus a create-your-own option—engage the savory receptors of palates. But there are also fruit blintzes to slake sugar cravings. These soft pastries are filled with cream cheese and topped with either blueberries or strawberries—which are just blueberries with straws through them.GetModa Designer Consignment Boutique
GetModa Designer Consignment Boutique’s staff serves customers who crave designer style. But by purveying consignment garments, they save those same customers money. After carefully selecting which wares can enter their selection—the team only accepts designer labels that are clean and in excellent condition—they pass on seasonal clothing and accessories to patrons. From Missoni shirts and Paige skinny jeans to Chanel sunglasses and Gucci scarves, the shelves boast both outfit-overhauling pieces and slight but powerful flourishes capable of making a snowman look like a snowman wearing a dashing Alexis Bittar Swarovski crystal cuff bracelet.Hair by KTR
Despite the fact that they’ve been around for thousands of years, human hairstyles still get reinvented every day. Hair by KTR’s staff uses their abundant training to share these innovations with their clients at the full-service salon. To that end, they render haircuts, styles, and perform color applications to splash vivacity onto locks. They can also perform awapuhi treatments or fusion extensions, which are also what most stars ask for in their last years.Hidden Beauty Hair Salon
Deborah Pufahl opened Hidden Beauty Hair Salon in 2004. But the stylist had previously practiced her craft for 16 years, so the transition was as easy as melting butter with F-16 jet exhaust. Likewise, to make the transition from an old hairstyle to a new one easy for her clients, Deborah and staff offer complimentary tea and coffee during hair appointments. That transition might be to a fully or partially highlighted hairdo, or simply to shortened bangs. Beyond haircutting, coloring, and styling, Deborah administers a slate of more than 10 waxing services.ARS Video
ARS Video goes back 25 years. And three generations of its founding family have overseen the company’s growth. What started in 1987 with a room-sized machine continues today on desktop computers: the staff transfers VHS or HI8 footage, slides, pictures, and 8mm and 16mm film to DVDs. They also transfer audiocassettes and reel-to-reel audio to CDs or recover video from hard drives, DVDs, and Blu-Ray Discs. Beyond working with long-ago recorded images, the ARS team ventures out to perform videography and editing services for bat and bar mitzvahs, weddings, and TV pilots—the ones who sit in a TV’s cockpit.
LA Hair
LA Hair’s Lucy Araujo has more than a decade of experience as a stylist. During that time, she has primped the hair of celebrities and people who don’t have to hide from cameras and superfast portrait painters. Her training background spans from Miami to Orlando and New York, and she is educated in color lines such as Wella, Matrix, Paul Mitchell, and John Amico. In recent years, Lucy has worked to incorporate organic products into her services; she can perform full or partial color applications using an organic line.Mr. Ed's Bar and Grille
Mr. Ed's Bar and Grille unites disparate American staples, including burgers, philly cheese steaks, and live music. While bands such as Splendid Chaos and Lovesick Radio kick out the jams, guests can drink domestic draft beer and chew the scenery or the grilled corned beef in Mr. Ed's classic reuben. The pub has been perfecting this blend of food for the mouth and food for the ears since 1997.Muscle Science Chiropractic
There was a silver lining to be found in an auto accident. After Brian Hanks underwent chiropractic care and massage therapy in the wake of his car crash, the efficacy of those treatments inspired his eventual career choice, and now he is Dr. Brian Hanks, the chiropractor behind Muscle Science Chiropractic. In this capacity, Dr. Hanks animates a passion for helping others by specializing in functional neurology therapy, diagnosing and treating brain lesions to boost the health of the nervous system. He also uses craniosacral therapy, acupressure, and lymphatic drainage to get to the source of clients’ maladies. Another pillar of Dr. Hanks’s treatment regime is massage therapy, which he renders in modalities such as deep tissue, myofascial, and trigger point.Skin Care by Anthony at ReVive Body Spa
Anthony of Skin Care by Anthony at ReVive Body Spa is a licensed aesthetician. He applies the skills and knowledge he learned at The Milan Institute to focus on skin services for the face, believing in the power of first impressions. With passion guiding him, Anthony renders treatments such as microdermabrasions, chemical peels, and a wide range of facials. His facials can focus on hydrating the skin, making it look younger, or mitigating acne. He can even perform specialty treatments like the chocolate-strawberry enzyme facial, which includes antioxidants and a distinct Valentine’s Day scent.Smitty's Place
A hearty blend of American entrees and Mexican food comprise the selection at Smitty's Place. But it isn’t just the lemon-pepper seasoning on boneless chicken breast that give Smitty’s a lively vibe. Occasional Karaoke nights promote merriment, and a permanent pool table defies parental admonitions that parts of trees don’t belong on the table. Beyond cooking up top sirloin steak and cheesy burritos, the restaurant offers games and drinks. A Speed Master arcade game invites heated competition, while cold beer at the bar brings the thermometer reading back down.Smok'in Joe's BBQ
It’s a barbecue bounty that draws crowds into Smok'in Joe's BBQ. From pulled beef and pork sandwiches to five specialty burgers, the menu drips with enough sauce to float a barge. A highlight from this deluge of zesty flavor is the barbecued striploin steak on a baquette, which melds garlic cream cheese, sautéed onions, and mushrooms with AAA striploin between layers of soft baguette.The Hair Extension Studio
The team at The Hair Extension Studio has cross-trained to handle a wide array of services. They focus on eyelash extensions, sew-ins, Malaysian weaving, strand-by-strand weaves, micro bond, hair extensions, and non-surgical hair replacements. But the team can also perform all basic hair salon services. They can even work their shears on location for wedding prep, but the tiny cost for grooming the tiny people on the cake is extra.The Skin Spa
The Skin Spa’s licensed aesthetician, Kellen Crawford, uses Rhonda Allison skincare products, with which she has extensive training. Kellen didn’t start using this product line by accident. A few years back, when she was frustrated with adult acne, she began trying Rhonda Allison products, in addition to skin peels and microdermabrasions. These were the tools Kellen used to improve her complexion, and she carries the resulting inspiration with her every day as she renders customized facials, vitamin therapy, body treatments, and waxing services, not to mention the chemical peels that she found so helpful.Tropical Tan and Salon
Tropical Tan and Salon specializes in UV and spray tanning. They apply their spray tans by hand to sidestep streaking and ensure there’s no orange tint to the tan. Staffers apply full-body versions of their spray tans in about 10 minutes, and they can last approximately one round trip the moon: 7–10 days.
The salon team also performs waxing, nail services, and massage therapy, all with an emphasis on treating customers like family. In that vein, homey rugs over the hardwood floors, rich green plants towering toward the ceiling, and wicker-and-glass tables sporting beverage fixings give the interior a clean but comforting ambience. Wall art and cushioned couches in the waiting area point the way to a flat-screen TV, and the sunlight pouring through tall windows hints at the tanning going on inside.Veil Studio
The passion that courses through the staff at Veil Studio is visible in their smiles. Their styling philosophy is based on helping women rock whatever look suits them, rather than contort their hair into something TV commercials hawk. The team of skilled shear smiths—plus a nail technician, massage therapist, and a couple of makeup artists—renders a full slate of aesthetic services to achieve that objective. Amid a beach cottage salon, they cut hair, color it, or perform keratin treatments to reduce frizz. They might also grant hot stone massages during pedicures or use shellac to give a mani-pedi as much staying power as any document Thomas Jefferson touched, including his Xbox receipt. Not only to the Veil Studio staffers show their friendly passion during appointments, but they also show it by helping their community in causes such as abating homelessness or assisting the family members of military servicepersons.Twenty-Five
Bowling, laser tag, arcade games, and adults are welcome. Well, there are billiards too, after all. Twenty-Five is the restaurant within Quarters, and its diverse but straightforward selection of Southern-inspired burgers, paninis, and appetizers such as pork and grits parallel the liveliness of the frenetic gaming activity going on nearby. If you happen to roll a basketball down a bowling lane or shoot a bowling ball into a basketball hoop and realize you’re gamed out, blackened shrimp paninis, firecracker shrimp, or boneless wings might be just the way to recharge before heading back out for more games.