Kevin Doellman

1 month ago | wgntv.com | Mike Lowe |Kevin Doellman

CHICAGO — Al Scorch is vintage Chicago. He also works in vintage in Chicago at his shop, Apricot Vintage in Irving Park, where he set up a cozy spot for shoppers to hang out. “A lot of people walk in and go, ‘Oh, you left the wood paneling,’” Scorch said. “And I go, ‘left the wood paneling? We installed the wood paneling.”The store is located on Pulaski Road, more than five miles west of the glitzy shops on Michigan Avenue. The shop showcases Scorch’s love of Chicago’s history and its quirks.

1 month ago | wgntv.com | Mike Lowe |Kevin Doellman

DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. (WGN) — On an early spring day in unincorporated Lombard, Robert Lee Fritz needs an extra pair of hands. “The smallest gloves are the far left,” he says to Austin Klot, his grandson and apprentice. Klot has been studying the art of hot glass blowing since he was 7 years old. He’s learned that glass and relationships have something in common: both are strengthened with patience and practice.

1 month ago | wgntv.com | Mike Lowe |Kevin Doellman

DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill. (WGN) — In west suburban Lombard, inside the corner restaurant Gnarly Knots, Funi McLoughlin is hard at work, making soft pretzels. She was raised in suburban Philadelphia and brought her hometown’s signature street food to the Chicago area 13 years ago. “It’s a simple twist,” she said as she flipped the pretzel dough. “I’ve been doing it so long that it just comes naturally.”But there’s another twist to her story: Pretzels aren’t her passion. Art is.