Glen Ellyn

By
January 2021 View more

As a longtime Glen Ellyn resident and business owner, there’s nothing Jill Foucré likes more than talking about what the west suburban village has in store for visitors. Downtown Glen Ellyn is definitely the village’s pride and joy, says Foucré, who owns cooking school and boutique Marcel’s and gourmet market Marché, opened in 2011 and 2015, respectively. “If you’re just passing through, downtown Glen Ellyn is easy to miss. If you’re driving down Roosevelt Road or North Avenue, you’re not going to see it,” she says. “It’s such a little gem, whether for restaurants or shopping. And there are some really interesting stores that do unusual things,” Foucré says.

Yarn boutique String Theory (477 N. Main St., 630.469.6085, stringtheoryyarncompany.com) and quilting shop A Different Box of Crayons (439 Pennsylvania Ave., 630.793.9321, adifferentboxofcrayons
.com) are destinations for crafty types. “You’ve got Common Good Cocktail House, which is from guys who worked for [Chicago restaurants] Mott St. and Longman & Eagle who came out here and opened a shop.” The bar specializes in envelope-pushing craft cocktails offered to-go for curbside pickup (560 Crescent Blvd., 630.474.0932, commongoodcocktailhouse.com). The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn (475 N. Main St., 630.469.2891, bookstoreofge.com) is also a favorite. “We are so lucky to have a thriving independent bookstore in our town,” Foucré says.

Tucked into a residential area northeast of downtown, Lake Ellyn (645 Lenox Rd., gepark.org) is also a claim to fame. “If you don’t know it’s there, you’re not going to stumble across it,” she says. “There’s a boathouse and you can go fishing in the lake. It’s a great place to go for a walk and take your kids to the park.” In the winter it’s a destination for ice skating, and come spring, you can scan QR codes displayed on trees and plants to learn more about each species.

In warmer weather, the Village Links of Glen Ellyn (485 Winchell, 630.382.8426, villagelinksgolf.com) draws golfers with rolling nine- and 18-hole courses filled with water features. Glen Ellyn is also home to College of DuPage’s McAninch Arts Center (425 Fawell Blvd., 630.942.3008, atthemac.org), which has shifted gears to livestream virtual concerts, dance performances, and more until it’s safe for audiences to gather in its theaters once again. In January maestro Muspratt conducts New Philharmonic and four soloists in “An Intimate Night of Opera and Broadway.”

Culinary Connections

Pandemic shutdowns have been challenging for Jill Foucré’s businesses: culinary school and boutique Marcel’s (490 N. Main St., 630.790.8500) and gourmet shop Marché (496 N. Main St., 630.790.8890). But the pandemic spurred two experiments that have proven so popular they’re here to stay: online shopping on Marcel’s website (marcelsculinaryexperience.com) and virtual wine and cheese tastings from Marché (marche496.com).

Photos courtesy String Theory and Jill Foucré