Hidden Gem

Antique stores littered downtown St. Charles more than 20 years ago, and the owners of The Filling Station Pub and Grill found a way to capitalize on it.

“The goal was to get (collectors) in here for a sandwich,” says Peter Milligan, who co-owns the restaurant with his older brother, Casey Milligan. Looking to attract antique lovers to the restaurant, the brothers found themselves becoming collectors. Today, hundreds of old photos and beverage signs – that are no longer produced – decorate the walls and ceilings of The Filling Station. An antique gas pump, which is probably from the 1920s and donated by a customer, sits in a corner of the restaurant.

The Filling Station server Julia Clements brings a Packard Caribbean Melt to a table. STAFF PHOTOS BY STEVE BITTINGER

If ever there were a place to get your hair and nails done, partake in a glass of wine, look at art and get a massage, without leaving your parking space, Mecca2 along Park Avenue in Elmhurst is the place.

The building combines Effigy Salon, wine bar Flight 112, Glitch Gallery and Park Ave Wellness into one convenient location in downtown Elmhurst. The quad of businesses, that may get a new building name in the future, were opened in November 2008 by longtime business friends Frank Sibr, owner of Effigy Salon; Visal Kheam, owner of Flight 112; and Brian C. Karwowski, owner of Park Ave Wellness.

Esthetician Cheryl Brankin gives a facial to Iwona Nowakowski of Willowbrook at the Park Ave Wellness Thursday October 22, 2009. Effigy Salon, Flight 112, Park Ave. Wellness & Glitch Gallery are all four businesses within two buildings offering a variety of food, wine, hair and nail salon, and an art gallery as well as a variety of wellness treatments. STAFF PHOTOS BY ERICA BENSON

Five women — known as the Hulagans — sway back and forth in their hula skirts in front of mirrors as the Hawaiian music plays in the background.

Their teacher Renee Page calls out positions to them at The Light Heart Center in Winfield. The subtle movements of the group’s hands, feet, wrists and legs, were doing more for their bodies than it seemed.

“The hula is very healing,” says Page, who has been teaching the dance for several years. 

The Light Heart Center hula instructor Renee Page leads a hula class, including ,center, co-founder Renee Ryan, left, and student Chris Jiskra, right. STAFF PHOTO BY STEVE BITTINGER 

FYI: Uncle Bub’s celebrates its 12-year anniversary today with several menu deals: $1.12 pulled pork sandwiches, $12 for a side of ribs, all side dishes are $1.12 for today only. Read below for the history and future of Uncle Bub's.

Martin Nunez slices brisket in the kitchen at Uncle Bub's BBQ Restaurant in Westmont. STAFF PHOTOS BY BILL ACKERMAN

Uncle Bub’s in Westmont is ready for its close up.

The restaurant, widely known for its award-winning barbecue, is looking to capture the attention of the Food Network television show “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” for 15 minutes of national TV fame with host Guy Fieri. But Uncle Bub’s can’t do it alone.

The Stag’s Head Irish Country Pub in Willow Springs only opened in August, and yet the staff already has chilling stories to tell.

The 1920s-constructed building on Archer Avenue came with its own haunting history, including tales of a person falling out of the building’s third floor window, the second floor once being used as a brothel and claims that it was one of notorious gangster Al Capone’s speakeasies during prohibition. It’s these stories and more that fascinate customers, says manager Anna Parker, and paranormal enthusiasts. The Stag’s Head building will be explored in a December episode of one of A & E’s newest television shows, “Paranormal Cops,” she says.

The Stag's Head Pub bar manager Raymond McKenna pours a Guinness Friday October 23, 2009. Stag's Head serves a variety of food including fish and chips and sheperds pie. STAFF PHOTO BY ERICA BENSON

Sonny Acres Farm in West Chicago grows more than pumpkins. They grow memories.

And its these memories that influenced Sandy Fugate of Winfield to take 9-year-old Marvel of Uganda, Africa to the North Avenue farm for a recent visit.

“When Marvel used to live in the United States, I used to bring her here. It’s a great place,” Fugate says. “The atmosphere is wonderful.”

Joey Seebauer, 3, and his sister Anna, 4, of Winfield, feed the animals at Sonny Acres Farm in West Chicago. STAFF PHOTOS BY STEVE BITTINGER

This Halloween, let your imagination soar with the help of All Dressed Up Costumes in Batavia.

Dress up as a can-can dancer, an old-time baseball player, Colonel Sanders or even a dead prom queen. Whatever you desire to be for the holiday, All Dressed Up Costumes may already have it in store amongst their more than 70,000 theatrical costumes. And if they don’t have it, they’ll work hard to create it.

Costume designer Laura Dwyer works on a dress at All Dressed Up Costume Shop in Batavia. STAFF PHOTOS BY STEVE BITTINGER

A candy buffet. It sounds like something right out of a child’s fantasy, but the notion actually exists at Sweet Street Candies and Goodies in downtown Lombard.

Co-owner of the candy shop Tony DiGiulio says candy buffets are a cheaper alternative to dessert tables at special occasion events. Instead of offering cakes, pies and cookies, an assortment of candy can be served to fulfill guests’ sweet cravings.

Mike Bakatselos looks over his choice of candy at Sweet Street in Lombard Friday October 2, 2009. Sweet Street serves a variety of candy as well as chocolate. STAFF PHOTOS BY ERICA BENSON

Twenty-years in the costume business and Rae Williams, co-owner of Illusions Costume Company in Bolingbrook, knows how customers think when it comes to Halloween costume ideas.

“It all depends on what’s popular in the movie theaters,” she says.

If that’s the case, this year, Williams can expect individuals looking for Army uniforms (“G.I. Joe”), vampire fangs and werewolf masks (“The Twilight” series) and Captain Kirk suits and Spock ears (“Star Trek”), with a vision to portray this year’s movie characters. Whatever the vision, Williams works to cater to each customer’s costume needs.

Bolingbrook's Illusions Costume Co. is jampacked with costumes and masks for Halloween. Many are rental and some are for sale, along with makeup to perfect the costume. Owner Rae H. Williams models one of the many costumes that she has made herself. STAFF PHOTOS BY BILL ACKERMAN

A misconception of Horrorbles, a horror and sci-fi movie memorabilia store in Berwyn, is that the store is all guts and gore.

But that’s not the case, says owner John Aranza. Horrorbles is not meant to frighten, but rather entertain and educate the public on classic horror and science-fiction movies.

The store is as much a nostalgic experience for some, as it is a history lesson for others.

Horrorbles is a treasure trove of horror magazines, DVDs, masks and collectibles; one of Berwyn's Hidden Gems. Maggie, Fela, and Antonello Molina, 2, and Sol Guiterrez, 5, look through the wide assortment  on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009, while owner John Aranza (right) mans the cash register. STAFF PHOTOS BY BILL ACKERMAN