The Elgin area, once home to a famous watchmaking institution, is quite the place to have a good time.
Much to my delight, I successfully tested this theory with my two pre-schoolers recently. The only trick was to survive my wife’s One Fine Dare — make it back home in time to deposit said kiddos with a baby-sitter and enjoy an intimate dinner.
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MORNING
Unlike those too-loud chain stores that try to be all things to all musicians, Fat Cat Guitars (2271 Randall Rd., Carpentersville, 847-844-8844) does guitars and amps, period. And it excels: The shop is small, but Kate Darling Bond and her husband, Scott (an ace guitarist and repair whiz), have packed in more hipness per square foot than just about any shop in Chicago’s outer suburbs. The walls beckon with many stringed things Scott has custommade.
AFTERNOON
The kids are hungry, so it’s off to Famous Dave’s (113 S. Western Ave., Carpentersville, 847-428-9190) for some rip-roaring barbecue. To mix animal metaphors, my half chicken was enough to stuff a pig: It came with a corncob, corn muffin, green beans, fries and a mess of savory meat. The kids colored away, then added unexpected shades of chocolate to their drawings when a huge fudge brownie dessert emerged from the kitchen. To ensure it was kid safe, Daddy taste-tested it.
Not far away, the Randall Oaks Park and Barnyard Zoo (17N350 Randall Rd., West Dundee, 847-551-4310) is closed for the season. But you can wander the grounds and see cows, geese and stubby little goats that will lick your hands through the chain-link fence. This delighted my 2-year-old daughter Genevieve, who called out, “Herrrrrre buddy buddy!” Which is fine, except we’re not getting a pet goat.
EVENING
Jim Oberweis knows how to make a mean milkshake, so we stopped at Oberweis Dairy (1493 Randall Rd., Algonquin, 847-458-6075) for some frozen treats. Sufficiently sugared up, we sped back to Chicago, making it just in time to meet the sitter at the door.
My wife, Amy, and I then headed to Feed the Beast (4300 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-478-9666), a Lincoln Square spot that thankfully has escaped the notice of the neighborhood trendinistas. Feed the Beast excels at all things meat and has an artsy atmosphere that isn’t haughty. The Beast’s take on a Philadelphia cheese steak was not at all like the fare of my home city, but the ribeye-and-baguette confection is excellent.
A glass of draft cider in hand, I stared into my sweetie’s eyes. She was positively glowing. A day not having to wrangle kids will do that to you.