Call your crew, line up the sitter, choose the perfect outfit.
It’s time for a girls’ night out.
Shake off the stress of your hectic life, find a restaurant that doesn’t serve chicken nuggets and let the girl-times roll. McHenry County has plenty of great spots that are schedule and budget friendly, but still feel like a splurge.
Check out just a few the county has to offer.
Looking Good
Start by pampering yourself at Julie’s Nails in Crystal Lake or Huntley.
“We have groups of women come in all the time,” says manager Julie Huynh. “They leave the kids at home, and it’s a time for themselves to get away from stress and keep their social life on track.”
Groups of five or more, up to 16, receive champagne and a 10 percent discount on services, which include regular and no-chip manicures, airbrush and nail designs, pedicures and more. The salon’s tropical pedicures last 40 minutes and include a coconut footbath, hot stone massage and lavender exfoliation for feet and lower legs.
The hour-long deluxe and herbal pedicures also include full-foot paraffin treatments. Herbal pedicures are formulated with peppermint and spearmint to rejuvenate, rosemary to cleanse, or eucalyptus to relieve stress.
“If there’s something else they’d like, we can do custom herb blends,” Huynh says.
Julie’s Nails is located at 5150 Northwest Highway in Crystal Lake (call 815-444-9102) and in Huntley Center, at 10428 Route 47, in Huntley (call 847-659-9667). Hours at both locations are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Parties are available by appointment.
Tasting Good
Cozy, casual, creative … and French. What more could you want for a delicious lunch or dinner with friends? Delicious and indulgent dishes, many prepared with local, fresh ingredients? Reasonable prices? Outdoor seating?
You’ll find all of that at La Petite Creperie and Bistrot, located on the downtown Woodstock Square.
“We have a great selection of crepes and bistro dishes, wonderful fresh seafood and our desserts are all made in house,” says co-owner Kathy Cappas.
Her favorite crepes include La Pagnot, with sautéed chicken, ratatouille and goat cheese, La Provencal with grilled vegetables and goat cheese and the Ooh La La dessert crepe with hazelnuts, toasted walnuts and fresh bananas.
To drink, the restaurant offers a selection of wines by the glass or bottle, absinthe and martinis. Check the website for wine and martini specials.
The bistro menu includes a selection of appetizers, salads and entrees, daily specials, a dish of the month and a prix fixe — or multi-course meal with a set price — menu. Entrees feature fresh seafood, and many dishes are made with locally raised ingredients.
“We try to shop the farmers market as much as possible,” Cappas says.
La Petite Creperie is located at 115 N. Johnson St. in Woodstock. It is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; dinner is served from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and Sunday, breakfast is served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with lunch served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Visit www.lapetitecreperie.net for a current menu, special events and more information, or call 815-337-0765.
Feeling Good
If you haven’t had a slumber party since you outgrew My Little Pony pajamas, the time is now.
Woodstock’s Bundling Board Inn Bed and Breakfast is housed in a charming Victorian mansion that’s more picturesque than that old walnut-paneled basement rec room.
And each guest room is named after a woman.
“We’re an intimate B&B, very homey and offer a variety of offerings for women’s getaway weekends,” says innkeeper Merida Johns.
Those offerings include pampering weekends, which feature massages and facials at a nearby spa and salon; craft and scrapbooking weekends, with a special room set aside where guests can spread out their supplies; vintage tea parties; ’50s slumber parties; and “Death by Chocolate” weekends.
Johns’ Monarch Center for Women’s Leadership Development offers a “Life Balance” weekend at the Bundling Board Inn to help women set goals and achieve balance in their personal and professional lives.
Limited to three women at a time, the Life Balance weekend also includes professional coaching.
For women who prefer a more unstructured approach, the nearby Woodstock Square offers restaurants, a first-run movie theater, live music and theater, shopping and more, all within walking distance.
Weekend retreats begin on Friday afternoon and conclude Sunday afternoon. A stay includes homemade breakfast served on vintage china and linens.
The Bundling Board Inn is located at 220 E. South St. in Woodstock. For rates, availability, reservations or more information, call 815-338-7054 or visit www.bundlingboard.com.
Prefer a Girls Night In?
Mix up some fun with these martini recipes, courtesy of Woodstock’s La Petite Creperie and Bistrot.
Cosmopolitan: Mix equal parts vodka and triple sec, finish with a splash of cranberry juice and a lemon twist!
Appletini: Mix equal parts vodka and DeKuyper’s Sour Apple Pucker. Splash with apple cider and serve in a sugar-rimmed glass, garnished with a maraschino cherry.
