Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/553637
photography by Daniel ribar (shapiro); illustration by shutterstock tAStE OF AUtUMN Donnie Madia, managing partner of One Off Hospitality Group and 2015 James Beard Award winner for outstanding restaurateur, shares his favorite ways to savor fall. Buchanan, Michigan: The charming old mill town has a tiny shopping district that's a magnet for home décor and antiques shoppers. And the surrounding rolling hills are dotted with vineyards, many open for tastings and tours. 90 miles east on I-90; buchanan.mi.us DAY-TRIP DESTINATIONS Squeeze in one last trip before the winter hibernation begins. cUrtAiNS Up For new Steppenwolf Theatre Artistic Director Anna Shapiro, fall in Chicago is bursting with potential. Kettle Moraine State Forest, Wisconsin: The 30,000-acre Northern Unit of the forest offers kaleidoscopic vistas of fall foliage, which you can take in on the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive and Lake-to-Lake Bike Trail. Pitch a tent under the stars at one of the campgrounds or head to nearby Kohler Waters Spa for a bit of pampering. 130 miles north on I-94; dnr.wi.gov Geneva, Illinois: Nestled on the Fox River, Geneva has become a playground for adults looking to soak up the fall sunshine: Think canoeing, scenic strolls, tandem bike rentals, and outdoor markets aplenty. The annual Festival of the Vine draws a crowd September 11–13. 40 miles west on I-88; genevachamber.com A lifelong resident of Evanston, Anna Shapiro returned this summer from a year in New York City, directing This Is Our Youth and Fish in the Dark on Broadway. Though she's been a Steppenwolf ensemble member for years, this fall she takes the reins as its new artistic director. "I have two school-aged kids and I'm a teacher, so fall is always the beginning in every aspect of my life," says Shapiro. "For me, this fall is also the beginning of a job I've dreamed of having my whole life. I want to be in every day of September and October and November and feel every moment of the fall season at Steppenwolf. I'm very excited because [former Artistic Director] Martha Lavey chose John Steinbeck's East of Eden to open the season (September 17–November 15, 1650 N. Halsted St., 312-335-1650; steppenwolf.org). "If you're a theater maker or a theatergoer or both, the fall is like opening the first chapter of a book. All of the companies are starting a story that they want to tell you that's going to last all year long. I always want to see anything that the Lookingglass Theatre (821 N. Michigan Ave., 312-337-0665; lookingglasstheatre.org) or Goodman Theatre (170 N. Dearborn St., 312-443-3800; goodman theatre.org) does. But I love the smaller companies, too, like the Griffin Theatre (1624 W. Granville Ave., 773-769-2228; griffintheatre.com) and Steep Theatre (1115 W. Berwyn Ave., 773-649-3186; steeptheatre.com). Outdoor dining at Piccolo Sogno under a canopy of fall colors is a must. Lookingglass Theatre M ost kids might spend autumn afternoons playing baseball or early football, but young Donnie Madia was already immersed in food. The Chicago native spent the breezy early autumn canning tomatoes with his mother. "It was probably not my favorite thing to do as a kid, but I remember picking tomatoes with her in September, and she'd show me how to skin them and crush them," he says. "I vividly remember the taste of her tomato sauce—the best sauce I've ever had in my life—and those are my strongest memories of fall in Chicago. When I crave homemade sauce now, I head to Tufano's Vernon Park Tap (1073 W. Vernon Park Pl., 312-733- 3393; tufanosrestaurant.com). It's been around since 1930, and I worked there when I was young. It's a great red-sauce spot. "Our winters seem to be getting longer rather than shorter, so I try to get as much dining alfresco in before it's gone. Piccolo Sogno (464 N. Halsted St., 312-421-0077; piccolosogno restaurant.com) is an outstanding spot. Because of the foliage in the trees that surround all the tables, it doesn't seem like you're dining out on a concrete slab at all. Chef Tony Priolo has one or two pizzas that change with the seasons, and anything he does is fantastic. My wife and I are both of Italian descent, and our 2-year-old, Bronson, loves pizza, so we can spend a long time here in the fall. "On Sundays, we try to enjoy family days when we're not working—and, trust me, my business partners and I work a ton. I like taking Bronson to the Adler Planetarium (1300 S. Lake Shore Dr., 312-922-7827; adler planetarium.org) during the fall because it has these sweeping views of the city and the lake. You can admire the changing colors of the season outside, and the inside feels cozy despite the museum's size. And noticing the excitement on his face while he's there is the best feeling in the world." 132 michiganavemag.com