For the latest and last installment of our tour of Northwest Highway, the heart of the Northwest Side, we welcome you to the suburb of Park Ridge, IL. Located 15 miles from the Loop, Park Ridge occupies about 7 square miles of prime real estate . We are only concerned, however, with the small area comprising Uptown, starting where Northwest Highway meets Ridge and ending at the intersection with Meachem. Because you have now left the City, the numbers along NW Highway start over, so let’s make the first stop every kid’s favorite breakfast place, 106 S. Northwest Highway, also known as the Original Pancake House. The OPH is a hit in our household not just for their rainbow pancakes (Kidlet’s pick), their Eggs Michael (Mr. Cindy’s favorite) or their omelettes (my choice), but also for their year-round Christmas tree and its always-on train. Get a seat near the tree for the best view!

Next door, through the connected parking lot, is a mini mall with Le Peep, Siam Thai Restaurant and a Starbucks, among some other smaller places (all at Euclid Ave, just off NW Highway and Summitt). Slightly farther along is Venus Restaurant, specializing in Szechuan and Mandarin cuisine at 18 N. NW Hgwy. Next door to that is Maki Sushi and Noodle Shop. Both places offer a slightly fancier menu that most places in the area but they are worth it. I’d love to talk more about the décor of both places, but with a little one who will still can’t get to eat General Tso’s or sushi, we mostly get their take out now (or as they say in Chicago, carry out). Maki’s Sushi Dai, the 9 piece variety entrée, is excellent and a great way to introduce yourself to the different flavors of sushi. (And if you can tell me how to get a toddler to try some, please let me know!). In the same block are two more must-see places, one being Lisa’s Homemade Italian Ice (yes, homemade and all delicious) and the other being the famous Pickwick Restaurant, on the corner with Prospect Ave. For a diner, the Pickwick is fine, but it’s more famous for being home of the Hillary—a sandwich named for the Secretary of State and former First Lady since Park Ridge is her hometown. I am a fan of their tuna melts, personally. And even though it’s just OFF Northwest Highway and not technically part of this tour, don’t forget to visit the old-school Pickwick Theater just down the road on Prospect, across from the fantastic Park Ridge Public Library.

At Northwest and Touhy is an entirely new condo/storefront condos. Inside are two restaurants I have fallen in love with, Noodles and Company and Jason’s Deli. Noodles recently offered a free lunch to me and some co-workers and we had personalized, attentive service with a wonderful meal. Their mac and cheese, by the way, is to DIE for; it’s not just for kids. In fact, don’t waste it on the kids, they can’t appreciate the ooey layers of cheese. Jason’s Deli, rated One of the Ten Best Restaurants in America by Parents Magazine (it came in at number 2), offers a wide selection of organic and HFCS-, trans fat- and nitrate-free products at an affordable price.  (Most kids meals are under $4, and include sides like carrots and organic apple juice.)  Adult meals are just as healthy; you can get a half-order, a trip through the salad bar or baked potato chips.  There are some new shops just opening up in the same center, like the home furnishing store Amphora, so check back often to see what’s coming!

The last stop on the SW side of Northwest Highway in Park Ridge is another small shopping center, housing a Chico’s Clothing store, a Jos. A Bank, and two of my favorite places, Kriser’s Pet Store and Trader Joe’s, both serving healthy food, one for your dogs and one for you.  I find TJ’s inventory limited sometimes, but their customer service is phenomenal, the cashiers are the coolest people on Earth and my daughter loves taking the little cart around the store and searching for Gorilla Joe, often hidden among the pasta or beauty products.  Their prices are much cheaper than another all-natural grocery store I could name, too!

Let’s start on the other side of the street now, at the corner of Summitt and NW Highway.  This happens to be my favorite place for a quick meal: Potbelly’s sub shop.  Their chicken salad is to die for and now they have salads, too.  I feel a little silly ordering a ‘chicken salad SALAD’ so I am sort of hoping they change the redundancy of the name, but they are about the only fast food I eat.  They catered Kidlet’s birthday one year for me and there is nothing like a fresh-from-the-oven meal on a cold winter’s day.  Next door is a locally-owned wine store, WineStyles and next to that is Oberweis Dairy.  FYI there is a free parking lot behind all these shops in Uptown, and the parking lot of the library takes care of the overflow.  So, if you don’t feel like hopping the NW bus, you can easily drive.

At the next corner, the last spot on this tour, is Panera Bread, which has terrific kid-sized meals.  Next to that is the newly-reopened Al’s Beef, and then comes my second-favorite place in the area, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  Now, it’s true that I don’t know what chocolate really tastes like in the Rocky Mountains, but if it is as tasty as what is offered at its namesake shop, I’m in!  RMCF hand-makes its offerings, everything from chocolate dipped frozen bananas to peppermint bark to chocolate covered Oreos.  You will recognize the outside of the shop by the giant stuffed bear sitting near the door, greeting passers-by.  You will recognize the inside by the smell of freshly-made chocolate!

And that wraps up our tour of the northwest side’s spectacular Northwest Highway.  You have my assurance–and now actual proof– that there is indeed life here among the O’Hare noise and post-war bungalows.  Come visit soon!

One thing you may not know about Chicago is that there is life northwest of the Edens/Kennedy split. We didn’t believe that ourselves until we moved to Norwood Park almost 4 years ago, but now we are convinced. In turn, let me take you on a personalized virtual tour of the heart of the northwest side, Northwest Highway, running on a diagonal from Nagle (called Narragansett in the rest of the City) to Touhy Ave in Park Ridge (essentially following the Metra Tracks on the UP Northwest line). This will be a three-part series, one each for Norwood Park, Edison Park and Park Ridge.

First up is Norwood Park. At the corner of Northwest Highway and Nagle is Natalie’s Drive-In (formerly Bill’s Drive In). Don’t worry about any calories you might add after a meal there, because you can walk to Curves just down the street on the left hand side of NW Highway. Or perhaps I can interest you in a townhouse in one of the new Zitella complexes at about the 5900 block.

Starting around Raven Street you will find the famous Abell Animal Hospital and a coming-soon Zitella shopping and condo complex, both directly across the street from the Roden Branch of the Chicago Public Library. Roden is a very small branch without a lot of room for reading, but the children’s department is bigger than that of many other CPL branches and worth checking out. Next to the new complex and Abell is the new and improved Norwood Park Metra Station, complete with Northwest Café. The Café is next to the tracks so you and your child can sit and watch the trains pass by. There are comfy chairs, books and some board games to keep you occupied. Grab yourself a hot cup of tea or a sandwich and pull out your Metra schedule. Just a bit farther northwest of the station is Chill Outz, a new ice cream and shake joint, perfect for those hot summer nights and owned by a Norwood Park resident.

There are also some other local shops right along the Norwood Park Northwest Highway strip, including the Norwood Restaurant, Amish Custom Kitchens and Chicagoland Hobby Inc. You can buy your next car or have your old one serviced at several locations, and do your banking at some of the branches along the way. Get yours nails done at any one of the number of salons and even book your next vacation at Janus Travel.

Just before you hit Harlem Ave, there is the Norwood Park Post Office. I know no one says this, so this might be a first: the staff at the NPPO is fantastic; I have never had anything but prompt, attentive and friendly service there. I recommend them should you ever find yourself in a stamp drought. My only complaint is that they don’t have an outside box to drop off packages being sent via Priority Mail–Powers That Be if you are reading this, it’s just a suggestion that would greatly improve my life with a toddler who doesn’t always like to get in and out of the car on errand days. However, it’s a great end to an errand day when I can stop by the brand new Norwood Park Farmers Market, at the corner of Harlem and NW Highway. It’s located in the parking lot of the Century 21 McMullen condo complex. Starting its inaugural season just last month, the Farmers Market will run the last Saturday of each month, 8 am till noon, through August.

And with that, we come to the end of Norwood Park’s section of Northwest Highway. Next time, it’s Edison Park. Come hungry, this is where restaurants reside.