Stealin' the bacon on any given sundae...

I have a friend who incessantly complains about Buffalo Grove.

               And he doesn’t live in the village, which makes it even more annoying.

               However, his office is in the land of the bison, so in his mind, it gives him fuel to whine about things.

               Like, for example, lunch.

               He contends that lunch in Big Animal Grove is not like it was when his office was downtown.  As in Chicago.  As in the Loop.

               OK, tell me something I don’t know.

               His malcontent may soon be coming to a quick end, however, when the village fathers and mother approve variances for the site which currently houses eSkape to accommodate a new venue operated as “Brunswick’s”.  Yes, Brunswick’s -- not be confused with Brunswick, the company that runs bowling alleys and pool rooms.  Don’t be confused because they’re one in the same.

               Brunswick’s promises to be a bit more upscale than its plain, ordinary Brunswick family centers because my guess is Buffalo Grovians want to be more upscale.

               This of course should please my friend because there will be another place for him to dine.  The concept of “Brunswick’s” is a new one and is being tested out not only in Buffalo Grove, but also in the hub of Americana – Georgia.  Seriously.  The folks who gave us automatic pin setters are also working on similar operations in Marietta and Norcross, Georgia.  We’re in good company folks.

               No doubt newly sworn in police chief, Steven Casstevens, is already at work planning changes to the police department’s police vehicle to look more like NASCAR cars.

               If the godfathers and godmother give the OK, Brunswick’s hopes to open in October.  In the meantime, they will no doubt plan an all-out marketing blitz about the upscale menu and the bar inside, cleverly named Tavern 45 (reflecting the year Brunswick was founded, 1845).  For those of you with eclectic palates, you will probably be thrilled to know that a signature item on Brunswick’s menu is, and as Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up – a Bacon waffle sundae.

               Really.

               Or quite simply, gross. I can deal with chocolate, nuts, bananas and licorice on a sundae – but bacon?  Fortunately I can’t eat it.

               Despite finding enough folks who will want to venture into the land of dead pig on a sundae, the folks at Brunswick’s will need to keep an eye on another aspect of business.  Survival.

               That’s not because it seems like the location at the north end of Town Center is as about successful as the Cubs’ bullpen or the Bears’ offensive line, but because as much as the village welcomes a “name brand” facility, it continues to look at improving commercial development in the village – as in instant downtown about a mile and a half away.

               If you recall the original plan that was unveiled in August, much of what the developer envisioned already exists in the village.  So the options for some business may be simple – duplicate or relocate.

               Odds of a developer proposing a second facility like eSkape-soon-to-be-Brunswick’s are slim (maybe), but the village may be between a rock and a hard place as it strives to attract badly needed commercial and retail operations.  On one hand, they want to accommodate potential new businesses.  But on the other hand, how do they tell potential merchants that they’re also working on an instant central business district that may very well pose competition.

               It’s a tough call.  However, there is one thing Brunswick’s will have a lock on.

               Bacon waffle sundaes. 

Board to set to take a hike...

In an unprecedented move, the Village Board, well, most of it, is meeting Friday night.

But wait.  Before you call the states attorney, attorney general or Rob Sherman, take a step back and check it out. A novel idea.

The Board will work as a team.  Literally.  But not to pass resolutions, consent agendas or rezone the entire village into a mega mall.  The Board, along with hundreds of other residents, will be participating in the 2013 Buffalo Grove Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society.

The event begins at 7 p.m. on Friday and is a joint effort between Buffalo Grove and Stevenson high schools.  It will be at Buffalo Grove High School.  The village team, cleverly known as Village of Buffalo Grove, includes Jeff Berman, Jeff Braiman, Andrew Stein, Beverly Sussman, Steve Trilling and Mike Terson.  Bruce Kahn is also a team member as are Steve Trilling, Lester A. Ottenheimer III (whose name will not fit on the back of a T-shirt) and Village Clerk Jan Sirabian.

Participation in the Relay for Life is old hat for some of the Board members.  Take for example Berman who is has been the team’s captain since 1999.  When I found out that Berman was captain, being the Walt Whitman junkie that I am, I immediately thought of Whitman’s classic poem, “O Captain! My Captain,” a tribute to President Lincoln.  Let’s face it, Berman’s no Lincoln.  Lincoln was probably a foot taller than Berman and definitely had more hair.

Whitman and Lincoln aside, Berman’s commitment to the relay has little to do with being on the Village Board.  “I lost my mother to cancer two weeks before my 13th birthday, and her father (my grandfather) two weeks to the day before her. Obviously, I know many others who have been touched by the disease, including three former colleagues on the Board who are survivors,” he notes, adding that his mother-in-law is a multiple-times survivor.

Berman’s connection to cancer is not unique.  If you stop by Friday’s relay, the number of survivors participating as well participants walking to remember someone not as fortunate may overwhelm you.

Attending a Relay for Life is an amazing community event – and not just because there’s on happening in Buffalo Grove.  I attended the Relay for Life in Fort Atkinson, a small town of about 12,300 people.  The Relay for Life becomes a community wide event.  The event typically raises between $285,000 and $300,000, which isn’t the exception – it is the norm

So if you’ve ever wanted to tell the Board to talk a walk – Friday night is your chance because it, along with a lot of residents will be doing the same thing.

Join them.

Vegging out -- village style...

With the village fathers and mother moving to summer hours -- limiting us to only a monthly exposure of municipal democracy -- a bi-monthly feature has been cut in half.

Yes, much in the same way that the sparrows  return to Capistrano, the buzzards to Hinckley and the Cubs bullpen can't hold a lead, residents who attend Village Board meetings can count on Trustee Andrew Stein to pitch the Farmer's Market.  

Neither rain nor snow, nor gloom of night can keep Stein from promoting the Farmer's Market.  But wait, the June meeting is not until this Monday, which is after the first Farmer's Market, truly something that may toss Stein into a vegetative state.

Realizing this potential crisis, I decided to check into the status of the Farmer's Market.  For the record, the event runs from this Sunday (June 16) through Oct. 6 (but not Labor Day).

So what's the attraction to a Farmer's Market?  Vegetables, obviously.  Fruits obviously.   

It's the other stuff that is intriguing.  I happened to stop by the Farmer's Market last year -- for reasons unbeknownst  to me.  Aside from running into a myriad of neighbors and residents, it was fun seeing what else is available at the market -- freshly made basked goods, freshly roasted coffees and other unique stuff -- and I'm not talking gutter guards or siding.

I did not, however, find domesticated live stock, such as goat or yak, so my search will continue.

Beyond the usual items, the organizing committee (time for the gratuitous plug) is planning more than the usual.

Entertainment including Radio Station 104.3, which will broadcast music from the 60s, 70s and 80s.

And what would be a Farmer's Market without, so say the organizers, farm and vendor offerings including gourmet fresh and dried exotic mushrooms, salsas, barbeque and hot sauces, packaged soups and dips, cookies and cake pops, truffles, safflower oil, balsamic vinegars, brownies, marshmallows, caramels, brittles, granolas, pickles, giardinieras, muffulettas, fresh made donuts, kettle corn, snow cones, lemonade, honey, maple products, flowers, organic veggies, artisan cheeses, butter, veggies, fruit, coffee beans/fresh brewed iced and hot coffee, meats including  pork, beef, chicken, and turkey, eggs, jams and jellies, gourmet pastas, mustard, heirloom mini veggies, breads/ muffins/cookies/pastries.

And of course, the ever popular  dog biscuits and treats and knife sharpening will be available.  Seriously,   

On a charitable side of things, visitors to the Farmer's Market will be able to support local food pantries.

And since we're talking growing things, the Buffalo Grove Garden Club will be selling gloves and plants.  Now if they want to make some real money -- how about selling local scare crows.  How about celebrity scarecrows -- modeled after, say, the Village Board.  Talk about scary.

The Buffalo Grove Farmer's Market is at  951 McHenry Road between  Buffalo Grove Road and Deerfield Parkway at Mike Rylko Community Park in front of the Spray 'n Play.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.