One of Wilmette’s leading business owners, and arguably its most active, is Bob Danon. He settled there in 1996, opening a frame shop at 1126 Central Ave. Two years later he moved into the space next door and turned it into a gallery. In the summer of 2004 he transformed the gallery into Charlie’s Coffee House, named after his dog and featuring a fine array of soups, pastries and sandwiches. A few months after that he started a concert series there that has featured such stars as Ed Holstein, Al Day, Michael Smith, Corky Siegel, Buddy Mondlock, Don Stiernberg and Megan McDonough. He successfully fought the town for the right to serve wine and beer. He started open-mic and comedy nights. Naturally, he has big plans for 2006; the “concert series” is scheduled into May. When we first told you about Danon last year he said of his efforts, “There isn’t anything like this on the North Shore. It’s a throwback to the ’60s and ’70s, just like you and me.” It will warmly remind all of us of a certain age of the Earl, the Quiet Knight, Orphans, Holsteins, Somebody Else’s Troubles and the other great clubs that helped get us through the night.
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