News Briefs: DeNucci’s is ready in Highland Park; NSCD grad earns NASA recognition; Kenilworth bird sanctuary reopens

Highland Park’s newest restaurant will seat you now.

DeNucci’s, 1850 Second St., will debut Monday night, Nov. 18, opening its doors to the public at 4:30, according to a social media post from the restaurant.

The restaurant is brought to you by Ballyhoo Hospitality and is the second under the DeNucci’s brand. Ballyhoo opened the original DeNucci’s in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood in 2023.

According to city of Highland Park documents, the restaurant concept “promises an inviting ambiance with old-school Italian charm and a fresh appeal. Guests who dine at DeNucci’s can experience an authentic, approachable, warm, and welcoming environment while enjoying classics like Artichoke Vesuvio, Mozzarella al Forno and Veal Marsala,” Ballyhoo’s proposal reads.

The City of Highland Park drew Ballyhoo’s concept to town with an incentive agreement that includes a a $1.5 million grant to the restaurant operator to support the development of the restaurant.

Ballyhoo first established in 2018 and founded by restaurant industry veterans Ryan and Anna O’Donnell. After the group opened multiple restaurants in Chicago, the company’s first appearance on the North Shore came in 2020 with the debut of Sophia Steak in downtown Wilmette.

Ballyhoo Hospitality has since opened additional eateries: Buck Russell’s bakery and sandwich shop and Pizza by Sal (located in adjacent storefronts) in Wilmette, and Pomeroy, a French restaurant in neighboring Winnetka. A second location of the popular Sophia Steak opened in Lake Forest in 2022.

NSCD alumna Charlize Guillen teams with NU to win NASA honor

North Shore Country Day alumna Charlize Guillen (class of 2022) and her team at Northwestern University won the top honor in NASA’s prestigious BIG (Breakthrough, Innovative, and Game-changing) Idea Challenge.

Guillen and her Northwestern team secured the Artemis Award for their Metal Expandable Technology for Artemis Lunar Structures, or METALS, project. This award is given to the team whose concept best has the potential to enable sustainable moon exploration.

The NASA-sponsored BIG Idea Challenge is an annual design competition that invites university students from around the country to develop innovative ideas and solutions to advance space technology.

According to a press release from North Shore Country Day, Guillen and her Northwestern teammates spent nine months developing METALS, an expandable metal structure technology designed primarily to serve as cryogenic storage, Guillen said.

The Northwestern team was one of six finalists, including teams from California Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, University of Maryland, Arizona State University and Brigham Young University. Each team was awarded a stipend to bring their designs to life, culminating in a final presentation to NASA and industry judges at the BIG Idea Forum in Las Vegas on Nov. 12.

Reflecting on her time at North Shore Country Day, Guillen said, “North Shore encourages students to be innovative and to take risks, those were among the main factors that drove this project and made it successful.

“North Shore helped me develop my creative thinking skills and embrace the meaning of being a team player. All my classes prepared me for this project, whether it was through problem-solving, writing or analytical thinking. However, Dr. Jerry Rietveld’s … classes gave me a taste of engineering and inspired me to pursue a career in this field.”

Mahoney Park ready for visitors

A major rehabilitation of the bird sanctuary in Mahoney Park is complete, according to the Village of Kenilworth.

The Village praised the collaborative effort between local donors, Kenilworth Park District, public works department, the Kenilworth Home and Garden Club, and James A. DiClementi Landscape.

The bird sanctuary is dedicated to former Park Board Superintendent Lou Maggi and his wife.

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