3 fun places to find that gotta-have toy

On the go
If you have toys to buy,
but need a break from
the toy superstore scene
this season, these three
Chicago-area places offer
cool atmospheres to
capture Christmas magic.
Berwyn’s Toys
and Trains Train
whistles echo throughout
this building that once
was a Chevrolet
showroom on Route 66.
The family-owned shop
teems with Playmobil,
Breyer and Thomas the
Tank Engine wooden
railway lines (from $30).
Local train lovers buy the
Chicago-style El train and
Metra commuter cars
(from $19) (708/4844384; berwynstoy
trains.com).
Chicago Toy and
Game Fair Members
of the public can preview,
play and purchase the
newest, hottest toys and
games at Navy Pier
(November 21–22
this year). Fuel up at
the Star Wars
breakfast on
Saturday (and get free
toys from Hasbro and
Cartoon Network), then
check out 100 exhibitors’
booths and talk to toy
inventors about their
creations. Admission
charged (847/677-8277;
chitag.com).
GepPetto’s Toy
box This Oak Park shop
specializes in toys from
around the world,
including Grimm artisan
wooden toys for toddlers
and Schleich’s full Elfin
and medieval knight
collections. Older kids
love Uberstix building
sets (from $15).
Imaginative gifts for
under $20: Arterro felt
wearable art kits and
Ravensburger puzzles.
Free gift wrapping, and
the shop will hold
parents’ purchases until
Christmas Eve to help
keep the secrets safe
(708/445-9906;
geppettostoybox.com). Photographs: (toys) Marty baldwin; (Kids, From Left) todd
wright/getty; image source/getty; karin dreyer/getty
3 fun places to find
that gotta-have toy
Wisconsin’s
winery finery
“Shh…wine is resting,” reads the sign in
Wollersheim Winery’s cellars, where 250 oak
barrels of fragrant, aging wine reside in an
1858 limestone building. But upstairs at the
Ruby Nouveau Tasting on November 21,
guests will undoubtedly make a little noise as
they sip the first fruits of 2009 vines
harvested from the Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin,
winery’s 27 acres. The newly bottled Ruby
Nouveau, plus Prairie Fume, Chardonnay and
Blushing Rose, will star that day, along with
Wisconsin master cheesemakers’ products.
The winery is 175 miles northwest of
Chicago, just northwest of Madison.
“Ruby Nouveau celebrates the harvest’s
end and is a taste of what the vintage will
bring,” says winemaker Philippe Coquard,
who is originally from Beaujolais, France, and
owns Wollersheim Winery with his wife, Julie.
France celebrates Beaujolais Nouveau
(when fresh-pressed wine makes it to market
for the first time) on November 19. Wollersheim uncorks its Ruby Nouveau on
November 21, which coincides with the
opening of a nine-day gun deer-hunting
season. “Many Midwesterners travel that
day, so they stop in to buy wine for
upcoming holiday dinners and to stock their
cabins for the season,” Julie says, adding
Ruby Nouveau pairs well with venison,
turkey and ham.
The winery plans a second event for
November 28—a festive Vintage Christmas
tasting event that pairs seasonal foods with
Prairie Fume, Domaine du Sac, Prairie Blush,
Dry Riesling and dessert wine River Gold.
Holiday lights twinkle on evergreen swags,
and local choral groups sing carols while staff
members share tips about pairings.
Both tasting events are free and include
special winery tours (10 a.m.–4 p.m.).
The rest of the year, Wollersheim Winery is
open daily for tours and tastings ($3.50).
Visitors like to start in the vintner building set
in the rolling hills of the Wisconsin River
Valley near the original cave cellar, dug in the
1840s and expanded years later. The modern
production facility has 4,000-gallon
stainless-steel vats. Wines age in barrels in
the underground cellars, while snow dusts
the vineyard’s gnarled branches.
Wollersheim Winery (800/847-9463;
wollersheim.com). Midwest Living December 2009 CHICAGO
INS7
on the go
Photograph: marty baldwin
Tie up your
shopping
These days, it’s tough justifying a lot of cash
for a tie for your guy. The choking costs of
stylish men’s ties motivated Chicago
attorneys Greg and Gina Shugar to launch
The Tie Bar, a Naperville-based, online
neckwear boutique, five years ago. More
than 500 department store-quality,
100-percent-silk ties cost just $15 each (with
a $5.99 flat shipping rate per order). Greg
designs them all.
Click on the site’s tabs to select tie type,
pattern and suit color. Ties pop up that
coordinate with your preferences (all come in
extra long). Choose from traditional stripe
and polka dot to contemporary paisley and
geometric patterns, plus shirts and cuff links.
You also can buy and print out gift certificates, even on Christmas Day.
Celebrity clients include former Arkansas
Gov. Mike Huckabee, baseball legend Ernie
Banks and Chicago broadcaster Mark
Giangreco (thetiebar.com).
Get ready to
tap and clap
Santa’s reindeer clattering on rooftops aren’t
the only ones hoofin’ it this Christmas.
Chicago tap dancer Reggio McLaughlin and
his crew will pound out a rhythmic twist on
Tchaikovsky’s classic The Nutcracker. He calls
it The Nut Tapper.
In its 11th year, this lively family holiday
show at Chicago’s Athenaeum Theatre on
December 13 features the Nut Tapper and his
funky Hip-Hop Soldiers. When they defeat
the Mouse Queen’s rat squad, the stage
explodes with a celebration composed of
Latin rhythm, Spanish gypsy flamenco,
Mexican zapateado, Appalachian clog and
American swing tap.
“People love the unexpected fusion of
diverse international dance styles to tell a
classic holiday story,” says Reggio, who
started tapping in Chicago’s subways for
coins, and now teaches African-American tap
at Old Town School of Folk Music.
Admission charged (800/982-2787;
ticketmaster.com). n
Wr it t e n b y Kit B e r n ardi
Midwest Living December 2009 CHICAGO
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