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.

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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!

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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.

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