Bill Terlato bought his turn-of-the-century, English-style manor almost 20 years ago. But standing on the Lake Bluff manse’s lush green lawn, he notices a set of stone stairs leading to a grove of trees for the first time. “I literally did not know that was there,” he says. That’s because when Terlato is at the Tangley Oaks estate, he’s not there to relax — he’s there to work. The sprawling property serves as the headquarters for Terlato Wines International and as home base for Terlato, who oversees all aspects of his nearly 70 brands. 

There’s no shortage of steakhouses in Chicago, which meant that Matt Moore and David Flom had an added challenge when opening Chicago Cut in 2010. So the steakhouse vets immediately set themselves apart, serving steaks dry-aged and butchered in-house in an upscale yet unpretentious setting. Three years later, they’re differentiating themselves once again with a new executive chef, Travis Strickland (above), and a menu focus that goes beyond the beef to highlight seafood and local products.

Eight years ago, Heather Korpella was ready for a change. She gave up her career as a broker’s assistant at the Chicago Board of Trade and started waiting tables at Merkle’s Bar & Grill (3516 N. Clark) in anticipation of moving to California. But Korpella’s plans went out the door when AAR Corp. Sales Director Ben Wollitz walked into the bar.

Dear Jenny, Have you ever been dumped by someone you really loved? How did you handle the heartbreak? — Anonymous

Unlike the rest of the working world, Perry Farrell very rarely comes down with a case of the Mondays. Instead, the rock ’n’ roll icon and founder of Lollapalooza charges into each new week armed with an arsenal of ideas for brainstorming sessions, dubbed “Monday Morning Meetings.”