Content created in partnership with Meet Chicago Northwest.

For years, the area around Schaumburg has drawn me to Chicago Northwest.

There was the shopping (and meatballs) at IKEA, before we had one in Oak Creek, and I’d pick up incredibly priced red peppers and hazelnuts at Valli Produce (now Valli is buying Glorioso’s!).

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Again, before we had one here, we’d make a trip or two a year to the Nordstrom at the sprawling Woodfield Mall.

I saw some great live music at the Guinness Fleadh festival at the old Arlington Park track, and Friends and I would make pilgrimages to The Turntable, a great record store in a strip mall.

Once the kids were born, LEGOLAND Discovery Center was added to our to-do list.

No, the northwestern suburbs of Chicago are not unfamiliar to me ... or so I thought.

That was before Meet Chicago Northwest – a destination marketing organization that promotes Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Itasca, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Schaumburg, Streamwood and Wood Dale – offered to build me an itinerary to explore the area a little more deeply.

Having done this work for more than 40 years, Meet Chicago Northwest knows the area better than almost anyone, because that’s its job: to attract visitors to experience the hotels, restaurants, shopping venues and attractions in the area.

My experience with the area has pretty much previously been all malls, big box stores and six-lane roads. But when I arrived for my visit on a beautiful mid-September morning, my preconceived notions were shattered.

That’s because I started in downtown Arlington Heights.

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Arriving in town, I drove through leafy streets filled with homes dating back to the second half of the 19th century, the sidewalks shaded by towering old trees. This was more Midwest small-town than sprawling suburb.

On the edge of the town center, I pulled into a parking lot ... at the beautiful Metra commuter train station, where dozens of people prepared to board an incoming train headed toward Chicago. The station’s bike racks were crammed full of cycles, it’s free parking lot nearly empty.

A mostly new-build downtown is densely populated but charming and full of shops and restaurants. The streets are closed to traffic for pedestrians and outdoor dining all summer long.

This, I assure you, was NOT what I was expecting.

Neither was the serenity of the Schaumburg Sculpture Park. Nor the farmers market nearby. And as a daily runner who feared he might be doomed to the hotel treadmill, I certainly was not expecting the incredible 3,558-acre Ned Brown Preserve – more commonly known as Busse Woods – with its miles of trails, woods, open fields and lake quite literally across the road from Woodfield Mall.

“People are definitely surprised by what they can find in our area,” says Meet Chicago Northwest Director of Marketing Alyssa Ullo. “We hear it often but it's a welcomed surprise. “Part of visiting new places is exploring it and getting to know it! We look forward to showcasing the unique blend of urban convenience and small-town charm that makes this area special.

“While it's true that our region is often recognized for its shopping malls, big box stores, and broad roadways, there's so much more to discover beyond that first impression. That variety in landscapes and experiences is exactly what makes us special.”

Here are some notes from my trip to get you going...

Where to stay

As you can imagine, near one of the country’s busiest airports and tons of corporate offices, there is no shortage of hotels, but Meet Chicago Northwest pointed me toward the Renaissance Schaumburg, a large hotel equipped with copious meeting space in its own attached convention center.

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Built in 2006 to designs by John Portman, the bright white building has a soaring multi-story atrium and a spacious lobby with numerous seating nooks for different moods.

Jutting out front is a glass rotunda called The Halo with a sweeping double staircase that must make brides-and-grooms-to-be glow at the thought of the photos that will be taken here.

There are multiple food and beverage options, a great fitness center, a pool and whirlpool and clean, comfortable rooms, including some nice suites.

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Parking is free and the hotel is located near Woodfield Mall and Busse Woods and a short drive from most of the places mentioned here.

Where to eat & drink

Scratchboard Kitchen is perfect for breakfast, brunch and lunch, with its attentive staff, lovely dining room, even more lovely patio seating and well-crafted and hearty menu of comforting favorites.

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Opened at the dawn of the pandemic, Scratchboard – located in the heart of the pedestrian-friendly Arlington Heights town center – pivoted quickly to carry-out and drew support from neighbors and not only survived but now thrives. The day I visited, it was the restaurant in the area with the most customers.

The buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy – and two sunny side up eggs on top – are an unbeatable option at brunch, though if you want something lighter you’ll finding nothing fluffier and airier than the whipped yogurt with granola and local sourced seasonal fruit. The yogurt – practically foam – was unlike anything I’ve ever had before.

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For lunch, you’ll rue the day you had the chance to get the fried chicken sandwich and didn’t. I know, it’s a chicken sandwich, right? Wrong. The pimiento cheese, the pickled onions, the brioche bun, the crispy but not greasy breading, the flavorful chicken ... one of the best I’ve ever had.

It’s lunch time and you need sustenance and you’re in Chicagoland. Thus: deep dish pizza.

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Fortunately, Giordano’s is just down Meacham Road from the hotel, across from Woodfield Mall. That flaky, buttery crust and the heaping pile of tasty cheese will carry you through the day.

During my visit I learned that Giordano’s was started by the Boglio family, whose roots – like mine – are in Piedmont and they developed their recipe from the family torta pasqualina Easter pie recipe, though surely with more than a bit of Chicago deep dish influence, too.

At the moment, Giordano’s is offering a Calabrian sweet and spicy chicken sausage pizza that benefits the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Don’t miss the chance to look into the kitchen through the big windows to see the magic being made.

When dinner comes around, keep driving past all the outposts of the well-known chains and choose between the family-owned Chicago Prime Restaurants. Just up from Giordano’s is Chicago Prime Italian and a bit further north is Chicago Prime Steakhouse.

Meet Chicago Northwest included the steakhouse on my itinerary and it did not disappoint. The atmosphere is classy without being stuffy, the service is attentive and personable, and the food top-notch.

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The menu is pretty straightforward steakhouse fare, with a wide variety of surf, turf, salads, classic hearty apps and sides, plus a soup of the day. I opted for the garlic herb crusted Shrimp Dejonge to start, followed by a medium rare New York Strip, which came with a soup or salad – I chose the cream of mushroom, a choice I did not regret – and a side of rich and tasty lobster mac.

There’s a varied wine list, but I couldn’t resist an Old Fashioned from the bar. (whiskey, since I was outside the brandy zone). Afterward, despite feeling pretty satisfied, it wasn’t difficult to talk me into a generous slice of chocolate cake (admittedly, it never is).

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However, as I wobbled out I wondered where I was going to put the beer at the three breweries that Meet Chicago Northwest recommended next, along with a rideshare.

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First up was Mikerphone in Elk Grove Village, which is one I’d been hoping to get to for a while now, because owner Mike Pallen is a southeastern Wisconsin boy who has collaborated with the likes of Milwaukee’s 1840 Brewing and Madison-based nonprofit, Joey’s Song.

Man, the joint was jumpin’ on Thursday night at the music-themed taproom, which has a wall full of vinyl LPs as part of its decor, and a nice patio. That’s because it was trivia night and the crowd was there for it, making for a festive atmosphere at which to grab a flight and try the Oktoberfest and a few other beers, all of which were well-made and enjoyable.

But I couldn’t stay as long as I’d have liked because I had two more to get to. However, I could see Mikerphone being my local if it were, well, more local.

A 10- or 15-minute rideshare away was Church Street Brewing in Itasca, where the beer was just as good, as were the vibes, if there wasn’t quite the same turnout. But there was live music, which always boosts the mood.

I had hoped to try the Rock of Ages “historical” steinbier, but it was out so I tried the Oktoberfest ... ‘tis the season after all.

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While at Church Street, I shared on Facebook this thought that I had: I love the craft beer scene because for every argument over a beer name there’s tons of this… I’m hitting three breweries. At the first one (Mikerphone), there was a guest beer on tap made by the second one (Church Street). At the second one there was a guest tap from the first one and a collab with the third one (Pollyanna).

Sadly, I posted prematurely. After checking the time, I realized I’d never make it to Pollyanna’s Roselle taproom before its 10 p.m. closing time, so I’ve added that one to my wish list for my return visit. But the sentiment I posted remains the same.

What to do

Of course, it’s worth saying that there’s more than a little shopping to be done in Chicago Northwest, not least of all at Woodfield Mall and the adjacent Woodfield Village Green, but also at IKEA and the countless stores in the area.

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You can also check out some great farmers markets in the area including in Arlington Heights on Saturdays and in Schaumburg, where there’s one that takes place Fridays in the parking lot of the Trickster Cultural Center, a Native American and community arts center.

But, there’s more to life than shopping (there, I said it), and so...

To get outdoors, don’t miss the nearly six-square-mile Busse Woods, which has trails for running, walking and biking, plus a lake that snakes throughout the grounds that attracts fishing and boating enthusiasts and more.

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The landscape is varied and except for the occasional distant building you can see poking above the treeline and the planes heading to and from nearby O’Hare Airport, you’d never know you’re in the heart of the metropolitan area of a major American city.

It’s quiet, it’s peaceful and it’s well-used but not crowded.

There’s even a 17-acre elk pasture that’s home to a herd that got started here with nine cows and one bull in 1925. New males are introduced every few years to help maintain genetic diversity in the herd, which gets regular check-ups from University of Illinois vets.

For a dose of art, head over to the Schaumburg Sculpture Park, created with the Chicago Atheneum art museum. Park in the lot next to the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts and put on your walking shoes. In one direction, there are a handful of sculptures, but also a flock of swans that live on a large pond.

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In the other direction is a sculpture-lined path that is peaceful and contemplative, with a few little wooded side trails that loop back on to the main trail.

There are picnic benches where you can rest and eat lunch, you can bring your dog unless there’s a festival going on and bikes are allowed, too.

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You can find an interactive map of the artwork here.

Don’t forget to take a stroll around Arlington Heights, especially to the north of the town center, where there are gorgeous homes dating as far back as the 1870s.

The neighborhood must surely be among the most desirable in the area for the housing stock, the walkability, the nearness to the Metra station and the downtown shops and restaurants, and for the incredible Arlington Heights Public Library that’s nestled in there, too.

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Across the street from the library is the Arlington Heights Historical Museum, which occupies two historic homes and an old soda factory and coach house, all on the same site.

In the museum, which is housed in the old soda factory, there are historical displays and artifacts from the town’s history and roots in the dairy industry and, of course, soda making.

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The exhibits are varied and extremely interesting. Where else can you see a display of a Civil War diary just a few feet away from a display of photos of The Who taken at an Arlington Heights club gig in 1967?

The two houses are interesting, too. Both were built by the soda factory family and the older one is furnished in late Victorian style, including many objects and furnishings from the original family.

Next door is a stunning Arts & Crafts house built for the daughter of the family and her new husband and it’s all gorgeous woodwork and stained glass windows. If you go, ask to peek in the basement where you can see the impressive remnants of the town’s original switchboard, installed in the house back at the dawn of the telephone era.

Next time

Alas, I wasn’t in the area long enough to see everything and I already have two things on my to-do list for my next visit.

One, of course, is to get to Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling in Roselle. The other is to check out the Paul Schweikher House and Studio, a 1938 home designed by a young architect that was finding his voice in the language of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School.

The house, which is open for tours, is the only site in Schaumburg that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Count me in.

Passport program

A great way to experience Chicago Northwest is via the Passport Program, which offers a variety of themed passes that offer itineraries for pizza lovers, families, golfers, beer and wine connoisseurs, Asian cuisine aficionados and taco fans. In addition to sharing useful information on venues and location, you can also check in and earn points to win prizes.

Find complete details here.