A nice little shop in the center of North Utica. On my way in to August Hill there was a sign on…read morethe door saying they'd be back in 10 minutes, and I stopped in after my visit to the tasting room. This gift shop is bursting with interesting items, from locally handmade candles (soy wax), to dishcloths that disintegrate after a few weeks, to pouches and pockets made from paper. There are t-shirts, items for infants, and so on. It's a very small shop. I love the sustainable and environmentally friendly niche it's carved out for itself. The proprietor was welcoming and friendly (chatting with myself and the shoppers as we wandered around). I bought several candles (I really need to stop buying or start burning them, because I have more than I have burned in the past ten years), one of which was the plant parent scent for a friend of mine. It smells so amazing--like having a bouquet of cut flowers right next to you--that I worry I'll talk myself out of it and it won't make it to her birthday. You should pop in when you're in town.

Love this place!! -Jackie is the best!! Small town great community of people. Also has a location…read morein Chillicothe, IL.

My family has bought several pieces of furniture from this store. Absolutely excellent service,…read moreevery time we walked in. Usually, we have found what we wanted (even if we didn't know exactly what we wanted) within 20 minutes of arriving. The owner is easy to talk to, there is no push for anything. I don't believe the owner ever screamed at anyone; sorry, but that first review...hmmm. No issues, ever. I'm typing this as they're about to arrive w my new bed. :)

These are great people. Easy going. No pressure. They people there are happy to help find stuff and…read morecan even do special orders if they don't have exactly what you want in stock. I've purchased a couple mattress sets and a table from them. Oh, and a bunk bed frame! Nice!!

I recently won a fantastic pan on an online auction and made sure to call ahead and have them check…read morefor damages. They assured me the pan sat perfectly flat with no wobble and there were no damages. When I received the pan it was damaged, and the company offered me a refund for my purchase.

A nice little shop in downtown North Utica that sells a host of items: Jewelry, clothing,…read moreaccessories, lotion, and so on. I was greeted when I entered the store and wandered around a few minutes before I stumbled on to the cute little bottles of perfume that are small enough to attach to a keychain like a charm or something. Cute, practical, useful! While there was plenty to peruse, yet it didn't feel cluttered or overwhelmingly crowded. They use ApplePay (and probably other digital wallets, but this is the one I have) which I appreciate because it makes payment so simple! I'd recommend a stop here when you're in town.

This is a quaint women's clothing store that includes shoes, purses, jewelry, dress clothes, and…read morenice everyday clothes. The owner is friendly and polite. I was in today and she had many nice items with wide aisles and little clutter. The store is in the ever-evolving village of Utica. I hope to visit again when I have more time to shop.

I loved this bar. So much room for big events. Had a live band. Multiple full bars. The food menu…read moreis short but it's good food! Will definitely be back here.

Although this establishment is consistently praised in reviews as "dog friendly", my dog was…read moreattacked here by the owner's two dogs. They charged on sight. This was not a mutual dogfight or provoked in any way. We were supposed to be spending a couple of days hiking and enjoying our gorgeous cabin rental. Instead we made the mistake of stopping for dinner here and spending the night in the emergency vet an hour away. When we arrived, it was dead and Louie was the only pooch in the place. The people were friendly and no one made mention of other unleashed dogs being in the building, or that my dog being there might be a problem on that evening. We would have left immediately and taken our order to-go if we had know there would be the potential for problems. We had dinner, chatted a bit, and were getting ready to leave when two large dogs (Cane Corsos) came charging from a side door directly for my dog. The owner realized what had happened and was able to get his unleashed dogs under control. Apparently his teenage son had let them loose without thinking. Once separated, we realized there was a large open gash on my dog's shoulder and a smaller one on his leg. A helpful man at the bar, who I believe was a paramedic, wrapped my dog in bandages and suggested we hurry to the vet as soon as possible. With no emergency vet nearby, the owner did the right thing and took us to an emergency vet in Mokena. He covered the bill for sedation, stitches, meds, etc ... I do appreciate the way he handled the situation afterwards. He also expressed that he wouldn't be allowing the dogs around other dogs without a muzzle after this incident. However, I still believe people need to be aware of this before choosing to potentially put their pets in harm's way. I really don't believe the owner expected this to happen, but his dogs are not dog friendly and his kids make careless mistakes. If my dog had been smaller, he would be dead, not just injured. My dog is now in pain consistently. We cancelled the remainder of our vacation rental (without refund). We didn't even use it, other than a few hours (to sleep) when we finally made it back from the vet. We had several days booked and planned. I am also out my vacation days from work, which I am now spending caring for an injured dog at home. Not to mention time and money spent packing, preparing, driving, etc... All the work that goes into planning a trip. To top it off, I lost my favorite pair of sunglasses in the scuffle. They're not expensive but had sentimental value to me. They were left at the bar but disappeared by the time we returned. I feel so horrible for my dog and am worried that this will change his sweet demeanor towards other animals. He's never hurt another dog nor has he ever been attacked and this can cause long term trauma and behavior changes in animals. I know a lot of my friends hike and go out to dog friendly places in this area. Please steer clear of this place if you have your dog with you.

Driving down highway 178 (Clark street) just beyond the down town business district of Utica Il on…read morethe east side of the street you will find an old western frontiersmen style of store called Mix's Trading Post. Upon waling in through the front door you will either be delighted or intimidated at the decor and style, but do no fret this place is awesome. From 1920's post cards ($1.00 collectors items) to moccasins to Motorcycle Jackets, this place has it all. I stopped in on this particular occasion to look for a new pair of biker boots, I have looked around and I was either unhappy with either the style or prices I found else where then I laid my eyes on some traditional style Milwaukee lace up boots (not those plastic buckle sort of things that look like roller blades) with a nice modern touch dual zippers on the side so you lace them the way you like tie a good knot and you never have to lace them again! Thankfully they take credit cards becasue I was not planning on making a purchase but at $105.00 who could pass this up. The owner is good old guy who checks up on you but does not follow you around and keeps good conversation short. If you are from the area and have not been here what are you waiting for? and if you are just passing buy stop on in and check them out there is something here for everyone.

In 15 years of coming to Starved Rock State Park and exploring the surrounding towns, I've only…read morestopped in twice, the first time in 2002 or so, and more recently just 2 days ago. The place hardly changed (except for a new biker bar annexed to it), and is a welcome sight whenever we visit town, with its familiar storefront and vintage Western style sign. It promises unique treasures inside, and it delivers! The eclectic mix of merchandise includes biker/Native American/fantasy themed tchotchkes. They also sell Minnetonka and Red Wing boots. I saw a whole wall of guns and bullets. My prize finds are vintage Starved Rock postcards and some new old stock glass seed bead bracelets. Prices are inexpensive to moderate. I hope they stay in business for many, many more years!

got the chance to stop in and get some goodies. again i was met by my favorite bud-tender Von. she…read moresuper helpful and great at customer service.

Budtender was a freak.... got so heated so fast. Couldnt…read morehandle the pressure.... need to vet you employees better.