Gourmet & Healthy in Streamwood

This bi-flavored Groupon busts out of a kernel and puffs up happy-heated. For $11, you get a two-pack popcorn canister (normally $19.95) from Wells Street Popcorn, the snacky specialist with four flavors of old-fashioned popped corn. Choose caramel, cheese, traditional, or Chicago mix popcorn to fill each 2/3 gallon canister, which weigh about 1.5 pounds when filled with caramel popcorn and has about as much popcorn as would fit inside 5.8 grapefruits, 1.8 cantaloupes, or 2.7 cantafruits.

With four locations speckled across Chicagoland, The Goddess and Grocer pairs the menu of a gourmet deli with the packed shelves of a specialty grocery store. Muffins, scones, and croissants are baked in-house, wafting the scents of melting butter and sugar over a sandwich counter reminiscent of a giant artist’s palette. There, custom sandwiches take shape from 11 breads and wraps, 7 deli meats, 9 cheeses, 12 vegetables, and an assortment of condiments that covers everything from cranberry-tinged mayonnaise to horseradish sauce. A few fixed staples are on hand to simplify decisions, however, including an egg-salad sandwich that Chicago magazine placed on its list of the 50 Best Sandwiches in Chicago, praising it as "a testament to the sheer power of simplicity."

The Goddess and Grocer also assembles bag lunches as well as picnic hampers for patrons looking to enjoy a bite by the lake or to bait a Yogi Bear. To round out these meals, the staff can include high-end, specialty items from the grocery section, including handmade chocolates, artisanal cheeses, mustards and dressings, and wine and beer. Alternatively, they can cater gourmet breakfast, lunch, or dinner for large gatherings and celebrations.

Nestled in Little Italy, Conte Di Savoia has dispensed a curated selection of imported Italian foods since 1948. Crisp checkerboard floors lead to wooden racks that proudly cradle vintage Italian wines, and an aisle devoted to olive-oil varietals, fresh pastas, and canned tomatoes inspires last-minute decisions about dinner and sending lippy cans of Chef Boyardee to boarding school. Fresh Italian sausage and house-made mozzarella peers over a cozy deli counter, which slings sandwiches and salads for patrons to consume at a small cluster of tables situated by the shop's front window. Summertime's amiable weather ushers in the arrival of sidewalk tables and seating, freshly potted herbs, and solar-powered cashiers.

Over the past two decades, Chef Frank Imbarlina has honed his culinary acumen throughout the Northeast, helming a Manhattan catering service and creating several restaurants with lauded menus and concepts. At The Epicure's Palate, Imbarlina employs his gastronomic wisdom to expand beyond the offerings of standard restaurants or catering companies. His staff of personal chefs tailor to each individual’s dietary needs, creating unique menus of natural and organic foods. Wine or beer dinners treat intimate crowds of friends to exotic varietals and craft brews over a personally prepared meal, or the chefs can whip up a wine or beer tasting that spreads the joys of imbibing to as many as 200 people. In-home demonstrations include explanations of techniques and ingredients used in the preparation of artisanal cocktails and exotic cuisines, culled from such disparate locales as Syria, Malaysia, and the neighbor’s kitchen.

Pannenkoeken Cafe's specialty Dutch-style pancakes draw breakfast and brunch eaters to the teeny, brightly lit eatery lined with wooden tulips. Thinner than a buttermilk pancake but still slightly thicker than a standard crepe and abundantly thicker than an unwritten novel about crepes, the café's namesake cakes come in a mix of savory and sweet varieties, such as grilled salami and havarti cheese or apple and ginger marmalade. Freshly squeezed juice and espresso-fueled beverages pair with any of the dozen pannenkoeken options, omelets, and other breakfast fare on the menu.

Conn's Cafe & Catering Inc.'s professionally uniformed wait staff and executive chefs furnish festivities with a comprehensive menu of entrees, buffet packages, barbecue fare, and boxed lunches. The full-service company provides tables, chairs, linens, tableware, and invitations, offering customers reprieve from the stresses of party planning and additional time to perfect their chicken dance. A catering coordinator can counsel guests on décor, entertainment, and locations, and licensed and insured bartenders are available to distribute pours of champagne and spirits. In addition to the standard and seasonal menus, the caterers can also furnish Indian, Thai, Cajun, Middle Eastern and Mexican fare, as well as thematic decorations.