It's almost time for the Illinois State Fair and corn dogs and lemon shake-ups. While the lemon shake-up is the fair refreshment of choice, why not indulge in the adult version at Augie's Front Burner? 

Didn’t your mother always tell you to eat vegetables? And don’t you always do what your mother says? OK, sometimes you do. This time you should.

Sometimes pounding a beer with the jukebox blaring is just the thing, and sometimes a little quiet reflection with some sophisticated ambience is what's needed. Stop by Remy's, 225 E. Monroe St. It's just the place for jazz, class and cocktails. It's the kind of place where Marilyn Monroe could hang with her favorite gent. Drop by, soak up the atmosphere and have proprietor Matt Schwartz whip up a Marilyn Monroe martini. It's a little sweet, a little colorful, a little dry and very sophisticated.

Artists through the ages have established their reputations in clay, paint, glass - all sorts of mediums. Paige Meyers and Melanie Dineen are making their reputation in frosting and tasty cake.

That big dinner party is coming up, but a caterer has been hired, so no worries.

The house is clean, family members have been sternly admonished to keep it that way and then catastrophe strikes - the caterer has been called out of town.

If protein is the canvas, then spices are the paint. Chefs can take diners all over the world depending on how they paint the meal.

Great steakhouses have an aura about them. It isn't charm; it's a sort of power.

The Midwest may be known for steak and potatoes, but there are still a goodly number of people who enjoy a vegetarian meal. Springfield’s Holy Land Diner serves a vegetarian buffet every Saturday.

When Jeremy Martin and Cin Cheung opened Osaka Japanese Restaurant in November 2009, they sought to create an entertaining, fine-dining experience in an area they felt would be open to it.