Flavors of Downers Grove

The restaurateurs redefining suburban hospitality, one concept at a time By Julia Mazurek Restaurateurs Todd Davies and Tim Canning have been a driving force behind redefining the dining scene in Downers Grove.  Eight years after opening Cadence Kitchen, their restaurant group has grown into a collection of hospitality concepts in Downers Grove and well beyond.…

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‘Like Watching Pro Tennis’

Timothy Christian’s Tseng impresses as state champ By Jeff Vorva Timothy Christian sophomore tennis star Hudson Tseng made an impression on his teammates even before he entered the Elmhurst campus his freshman year. As an eighth-grader, he had a chance to work out with members of the Trojans, and he had some of the older…

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Lambert Legacy

The invention of the first gasoline automobile, six generations later By Julia Mazurek | Photos courtesy of Jen Lambert On a summer weekend in a small Ohio town, a bright red 1908 Lambert Roadster rumbles down Main Street. At the wheel of the crank-start car is Hinsdale resident Jen Lambert, accompanied by her daughters, Evelyn…

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Small, Local and Sustainable

How an Oak Brook couple curated a premier destination for makers, artists, and small businesses By Julia Mazurek On an early June weekend at Oakbrook Center, well over 100 artisan vendors lined the lawn and walkways of Oakbrook Center, in what has become a favorite semi-annual shopping event and destination. Thousands of shoppers meet and…

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Rising Star

Ellie Banke’s journey from small stage to stadium tour By Valerie Hardy | Photos courtesy of Ellie Banke Downers Grove-based singer-songwriter Ellie Banke has held Ed Sheeran as her “greatest inspiration” since she was 12 years old and saw him open for Taylor Swift at Soldier Field. Banke is about to have a “full circle”…

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Rustic Elegance2

Luxury treehouses for those in search of an outdoorsy, upscale getaway BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN  Downers Grove resident Mike Ambrose is a lifelong tree house expert. “My dad was a carpenter, so my buddies and I were always building forts in our yards using the odds and ends of wood he didn’t need. One actually had…

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