Happy New Year

A hidden gem in Hoffman Estates, our favorite Chicago suburb restaurants, and January events

Author

Joe Arendt
January 02, 2025

Happy New Year! We hope everyone is feeling refreshed and excited to kick off an amazing 2025. We are excited to be back this week with some exciting new spots across the Chicago suburbs, our attempt at curating the top 40 restaurants, and a great roundup of upcoming events.

Heads up, we are launching a new interview series soon where we chat with local entrepreneurs and tastemakers about their favorite spots across the suburbs. Know someone who would be a great fit? Send them our way!

Weekend Routine

Weekly highlights from the Burbs Explored team and community on where they eat, drink, shop, and play across the Chicago suburbs.

  • Before we signed off for the holidays, I grabbed coffee and worked at World’s Fair by Fairgrounds in Bell Works (Hoffman Estates). A hidden gem and one of my favorite places to work. They offer everything from coffee and breakfast to great lunch options and a full-service bar.

  • We had dinner at Giostra in South Barrington, the latest restaurant from celebrity chef Fabio Viviani. Might be our new favorite Italian spot. I went with the Caesar salad and Fusilloni pasta, followed by the Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert. Ideal for a date night but we brought the kids and they were super accommodating.

  • A lunch date at Elawa Farm Cafe (Lake Forest) where we ordered the chicken salad sandwich and roasted squash panzanella. Excited to come back for one of their upcoming dinner events soon.

- Joe Arendt

Weekly Updates

  • Looking for an indoor farmer’s market? Check out Woodstock, The Dole (Crystal Lake), Palatine, or Batavia

  • The Arboretum of South Barrington will welcome two new restaurants in the coming months with Tangled Roots scheduled to open in January (link) and The Greggory in February (link)

  • A new Whole Foods will be opening soon in downtown St. Charles (link)

  • Have you ever wanted to be on a game show? Check out Oak Brook’s Great Big Game Show for a fun outing with friends or family (link)

  • A new brewery will be coming to Mundelein in 2025 (link)

  • Michael Jordan finally sold his Highland Park mansion after 12 years — for a 67% discount (link)

  • A great list of Chicagoland’s free museum days (link)

  • Chicago Botanic Garden released their 2025 classes including yoga, photography, and art classes (link)

We’re kicking off 2025 by sharing our favorite restaurants across the Chicago suburbs. This list will evolve throughout the year as we discover new places to include. Our goal to highlight a diverse mix of cuisines, price points, and towns. We’ve included iconic spots that have been around for decades alongside exciting newcomers redefining suburban dining. While we know there are countless other fantastic spots (which we try to highlight across our other lists), this is our attempt at curating our top 40. Check out the list and reply with some of your favorite local spots.

Upcoming Events

FEATURED EVENT: Chicago Culinary Kitchen’s BBQ, Beer, & Bourbon Class

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