3 Generations, 75 Years At Bennison's Bakery

Bennison's Bakery, 1000 Davis St., in Evanston celebrates its 75th anniversary this October. Owner Jory Downer, his father Guy Downer, and Jory's 28-year-old son all still work at the bakery.

When Larry Bennison opened Bennison's Bakery at 1000 Davis St. in Evanston in 1938, he brought a love of dairy from his native Wisconsin, preparing his goods with fresh cream, butter, buttermilk and eggs. As the bakery prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary in October this year, owner Jory Downer believes that emphasis on fresh ingredients is still the secret to Bennison's success. “We try not to skimp on anything when purchasing ingredients," says Downer, who took over the shop from his father, Guy Downer, who bought the bakery in 1967. "Our croissants are all butter. We use a lot of imported chocolate. We respect the process of baking. There are no shortcuts here.” Want more stories on Evanston business? Sign up for our free …

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Photos: Winter Farmers Market at the Botanic Garden

Seasonal produce, herbs, wreaths, handmade pottery, honey, and more available at two upcoming December events.

The Chicago Botanic Garden held it second of four planned Winter Farmers Markets this past Sunday in the center's Garden View Room. The Botanic Garden extends the traditional market season by moving the event indoors and featuring more prepared items and less fresh produce, while there definitely still is some available. This is the fifth year the Winter Farmers Market has been held.  Guests to the market discovered seasonal produce, herbs, wreaths, handmade pottery, honey, and more. A variety of local vendors participate in the event, among them: Xanadu Forests Apiary of Antioch, River Valley Ranch of Burlington, Wisconsin, Faith's Farm of Bonfield Illinois, and Windy City Harvest of Chicago. Two more dates are upcoming in December, one …

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Betsy and Sal

Gardening is for the Birds

It's also for the bunnies. And deer. And chipmunks. Welcome to the number one resort for Highland Park's Wildlife.

Gardening is for the birds. More specifically, our garden is for the birds. And, judging from the traffic I’ve witnessed in the past few weeks, it’s also for the bunnies, deer, chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, insects, grubs, skunks and apparently, some unknown dirt biker. I can’t complain too much though. My husband David and I made a conscious choice to opt for beauty over function when it came to vegetation protection. No fence would obstruct our view of the budding plants as they emerged from the soil. What would stop the hungry predators from taking a turn at our free salad bar? The prayer method would have to do. Planned Gardenhood would not approve. Lovely as our raised stone garden is, a barrier for hungry seed and soft tender root …

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Today: Last Downtown Farmers' Market

Enjoy the last farmers' market of the season.

From the city of Evanston: Friends of Evanston Markets was founded in 2010. It is a not-for-profit volunteer organization. Friends of Evanston Farmers Markets educates the public about the benefits of eating fresh, locally grown foods, and advocates greater access to healthy food for all community members, regardless of means. The Illinois Department of Human Services has approved the use of LINK cards at the Downtown Market and the West End Market. See the Downtown Evanston section below for details about a grant that is providing LINK users with extra purchasing power. - Downtown Evanston Farmers' Market Dates/Time: Saturdays, May 7 through November 5, 2011   7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Location: Intersection of University Place and Oak Ave…

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Botanic Garden Serves Up Farm-Fresh Dinner

Caterer has guests munching on organic foods brought in from nearby Midwest states.

It was a beautiful, breezy evening for those attending the Farm Dinner at the Chicago Botanic Garden on Wednesday night, and the menu wasn't that bad, either. The cocktails were fresh from Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois; some of the main-course herbs were picked right from their stems at the garden; and Chicago-based City Provisions, which caters only the finest in locally grown, sustainable and organic foods, did the cooking. Other food stories: Time Marches on for Grocery Store Owner More than 50 guests, who each paid $200 for the dinner reservations and tour through the fruit and vegetable garden, indulged in bacon- and buttercake-stuffed jalapenos as an appetizer, and portobello mushrooms with kale and bleu cheese over ciabatta bread…

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Matt Klinkert

1:07 pm on Friday, September 9, 2011

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