We Love Chicago...its vast lake shore, skyscrapers, sports teams and culturally- rich neighborhoods. Our goal is to help you explore the city and take advantage of everything it has to offer.  Each week we are highlighting popular, interesting and undiscovered gems in and around Chicago and suburban areas.  Be sure to check out our Hometown Favorites - many we've discovered on our own and some our members have shared with us.  So, get out and explore!

Do you have a favorite restaurant, boutique, wine shop, salon or even a Chicago neighborhood you want us to know about?  Tell us all about it!  If your entry is selected, we will feature your Hometown Favorite business in our "Spotlight on Chicago" featured business section.  In addition, YOU will have the opportunity to win a $25 Gift Certificate redeemable at your Hometown Favorite business.  One entry per business selected.

Meet Angela Lott, Founder & President of Angela Cakes, LLC.  Angela has been baking since the tender age of eight years old. When the neighborhood kids were outside playing in the summer, Angela was inside baking with her grandmother. By the ninth grade,  Angela decided to forego her music pursuits and opted for an elective culinary arts class. From that time,  Lott has been putting her own unique touch on her custom cakes, cookies, pastries and breads.

After losing her job as a commercial banker in 2009, Angela decided to perfect her craft by taking cake decorating classes. She went on to earn cake decorating certificates and was offered an internship to work with her baking instructor. After completing a cake that resembles a Facebook Page, Angela began receiving requests to make other custom and sculptured cakes.  In June on 2010 Angela decided to embark onto a new career and Angel Cakes, LLC was formed 

The year of 2011 has become a professional turning point. The popularity of her brand grew enormously and dramatically in one fell swoop. Her staff grew from a solo operation to a staff of 4. She has been recognized by the media including, Post Tribune, a television appearance on Windy City Live (ABC) and also received an invitation to be part of the 2012 Bridal Expo hosted by Northwest Indiana Times.  In addition to owning and operating Angel Cakes, Angela is also a proud single mother of a 14 year old son. VISIT WEBSITE

Although mostly self taught, Karyn had many mentors along the way. It was through these interactions that Karyn found the next important step in her path.
She believes it is not enough to simply eat live foods but to cleanse the body of the strong, negative, anti-life foods still in the body. Today, Karyn teaches detoxification classes through the year to give these lessons to others. To facilitate this process of cleansing, she opened a holistic therapy center, Karyn’s Inner Beauty Center. This is where we find Karyn today. A 63 year old woman and “Raw Foodist of the Year” who lives the full, lively life she envisioned giving herself. She is working on a book that gives the voice to the positive experiences of the people she has helped along their own journeys. And this is what, contrary to what she declares, does indeed make her special. She has created an all-encompassing environment of food, health, guidance and care where we can all participate in our own well being. For as Karyn herself questions at the end of every day: “If you don’t take care of this [your body] where are you going to live?”

Karyn Calabrese was awarded the First Annual Raw and Living Foods Golden Branch Award in 2002 for introducing the idea of raw and living foods to the greatest number of people in the mainstream public.

Karyn has appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" as well as numerous national commercials, print ads and on an album cover..  
VISIT KARYN'S RAW, KARYN'S INNER BEAUTY, KARYN'S COOKED & KARYN'S ON GREEN.