Autumn. The word itself elicits images of nesting, comfort, and all the cozy feels. We slow down, both in our lives and in our cooking. It’s a time when our thoughts of food transition from the bright freshness of summer to the warm heartiness of harvest. The immediacy of tossed-together salads and quick-grilled proteins transform into deep roasted vegetables and slowly braised meats. It’s a time to reflect, appreciate, and harvest all the beautiful feelings which have ripened over the summer.

At Independence Grove, we are fortunate to watch the changing of the seasons right outside our door. The variegated greens of summer give way to the brilliant oranges, reds, and yellows of autumn. Similarly, on our plate, bright new potatoes mature, becoming deeply caramelized sweet potatoes. Herbed chicken breasts mellow into slow-roasted turkey. Everything about Autumn celebrates the patience of waiting for the last falling leaves and the promise of comforting fare.

(more…)

One of the most rewarding elements of feeding people is eliciting a feeling of nostalgia amongst our clients. As we all know, a reminder of our childhood is always something that brings joy and depth to eating beyond just the flavors themselves. What better way to do that than to recreate a sweet treat that combines an old ice cream truck favorite, diner interaction, and a little whimsy? We give you the build your own Choco Taco dessert experience!

(more…)

The Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Lake County wasn’t always the beautiful 1100-acre botanical garden and recreation space that you may know it as today.

In fact, when Catering by Michaels was first given an opportunity to partner with Independence Grove in 1990, it was still a cement quarry. At the time, Catering by Michaels itself was a relatively young company, having been established only 5 years prior. At the time, we passed up on the opportunity to partner with Lake County Forest Preserves.

But when things are meant to be, they always find their way back to you.

When the development for Independence Grove was finally starting to come together, we were doing a lot of catering for a day camp event. It just so happened that one of the parents was a representative for the Lake County Forest Preserves, who loved our food so much that we were offered a 10-year exclusive partnership deal, which we accepted!

When development for Independence Grove was completed in 2001, we opened our office at the visitor center in January, and hosted our first event in March of the same year.

Summer Events at Independence Grove

Since then, several events, both corporate and social, have been hosted on the event grounds.

Did you know that our grounds are a favorite tourist attraction in Lake County, ranking just behind Six Flags and Great Wolf Lodge (formerly Key Lime Cove), with lots of outdoor activities and attractions, perfect for the warm weather?

This summer, the Independence Grove is hosting a series of outdoor concerts every Tuesday at 7:30pm.

De Hurricane Raggae Band kicks off the concert series, starting June 18. Other bands to look forward to include Rockin’ Fenderskirts, Adam Ezra Group, The North 41, and Rico.

Click here for entertainment schedules and additional details.

The Cafe at Independence Grove

The summer concert series coincides with the reopening of The Cafe at Independence Grove, which closed for the winter season and resumes operations on May 24, 2019. The cafe, which is conveniently located near the beach, offers spectacular views of the water and marina. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a snack after the shows or to refuel after participating in outdoor activities around the preserve.

(more…)

Did you know that Catering by Michaels isn’t just a catering company — we’re also the proud owners of a popular event venue in Libertyville, IL?

The relationship between Independence Grove and Catering by Micheals goes back as far as 1990, when we were first presented with a partnership opportunity. At the time, Independence Grove wasn’t the gorgeous forest preserve it is today — it was still a cement quarry that definitely wasn’t a public hangout!

When we were offered the opportunity to partner up with the Lake County Forest Preserve, we were still quite new as a company — having been initially founded just a few years earlier, in 1985. Knowing that we still too young to justify the big risk involved in this opportunity, we turned it down.

The cement quarry was still in operation for a few more years after this but Independence Grove was starting to come together around it. Looking back, we don’t regret the decision to initially pass on the opportunity as this development took longer than initial estimates. The building that we now operate in began construction on the Visitors Center. This second contact happened as the result of our catering efforts at a beautiful local day camp that hired us to book and cater weekend corporate picnics. The LCFPD representative who we eventually closed a 10 year partnership agreement with was a parent to one of the young employees at the day camp who couldn’t stop talking about our success there and how much they loved our food! How’s that for serendipitous?

In 1999, we began the sales effort to promote the Visitors Center for weekend weddings, mitzvahs and whatever else came along. We did not have a model, but a drawing, floor plan and menus worked, and it was not a “difficult sell”. The venue was completed in 2001 and we opened our office there in January 2001 and hosted our first event in March 2001.

(more…)

Fall is upon us and we couldn’t be more excited to take advantage of the season’s gorgeous colors and delicious fall-inspired cuisine.

From the spectacular fall foliage that surrounds the entire preserve (all 1,100-acres) to the flavorful and unique seasonal ingredients we get to creatively incorporate into our menus — this really is the most beautiful time of year at Independence Grove.

Here’s a sneak peak of Independence Grove’s vibrant colors during fall:

(more…)