Billy Goat Tavern – Chicago, Illinois
The genesis of the idiomatic expression “got your goat” which means “to greatly annoy someone” is in dispute with sources …
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Al’s #1 Beef – Chicago, Illinois
Assume the position! It’s been called the “Chicago Lean,” the “Italian Stance” and simply “The Stance.” It’s the time-tested, …
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David Burke’s Primehouse – Chicago, Illinois
By day, my friend James Sorenham was an architect of his business group’s data warehouse and business intelligence strategies. By …
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The Purple Pig – Chicago, Illinois
Poet Carl Sandburg bestowed the nickname “hog butcher for the world” upon the great city of Chicago at a time …
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Frontera Grill – Chicago, Illinois
Not everyone has the relentless drive and impassioned fortitude to parlay their most ardent desires and zealous fervor into a …
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Portillo’s Hot Dogs – Bolingbrook, Illinois
Portillo’s story is the story of the American dream, a rags to riches saga that began with a single hot …
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Gale Street Inn – Mundelein, Illinois
It took 47 years and one visit to the Gale Street Inn to understand why sailing vessels are ascribed the …
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Johnnie’s Beef – Arlington Heights, Illinois
If you think Chicagoland politics are a contentious topic, try debating which restaurant serves up the best Italian Beef Sandwich …
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Apple Haus – Long Grove, Illinois (CLOSED)
In grade school back in the 1960s, such characters as Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed filled my mind with wonder …
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Bacchus Nibbles – Kildeer, Illinois
In Roman mythology, Bacchus was known as the god of wine and ecstasy. A youthful and handsome god with flowing …
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Hackney’s – Lake Zurich, Illinois (CLOSED)
The second city doesn’t take a back seat to anyone when it comes to burgers and if you have to …
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Siegelman’s Restaurant Deli – Arlington Heights, Illinois (CLOSED: 2011)
Who would have thought that a nondescript restaurant in a nondescript shopping center would feature food beyond description–food for which …
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Swedish Bakery – Chicago, Illinois (CLOSED on February 28, 2017)
In New Mexico, which is very proud of its “tri-cultural” heritage, the contributions of Native Americans, Hispanics and Anglo-Americans are …
Read More Weber Grill – Wheeling, Illinois
In 1952, George Stephen invented the original Weber kettle grill and with his innovative design, sparked a backyard revolution. As …
Read More Topolobampo – Chicago, Illinois
A quote attributed to Marcel Marceau, the French mime famous for his sad-faced clown, aptly describes my attempts at describing …
Read More Bob Chinn’s Crab House – Wheeling, Illinois
Over 900,000 customers in 1999 couldn’t be wrong when they spent over $28M, the third largest revenue for the year …
Read More Kimchy Cabana – Niles, Illinois
To the unenculturated, the pungent emanations of Korean kimchy (pickled and fermented cabbage) are malodorous and offensive to the olfactory …
Read More Bobby Q’s – Arlington Heights, Illinois (CLOSED)
I first read about Bobby Q’s on Chowhound’s Chicago board in November, 2003. A newcomer to the Chicago area barbecue …
Read More Graziano’s Brick Oven Pizza – Niles, Illinois
Italian beef, barbecue ribs, deep dish pizza–these delectable delights don’t come close to fully defining the Windy City’s culinary scene, …
Read More Gino’s East of Chicago – Lake Zurich, Illinois
Ostensibly no one knows more about a city’s best dining destinations than the taxi drivers who ferry famished fares there…or …
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Superdawg Drive-In – Chicago, Illinois
Some of today’s Marvel comic book heroes such as Captain America and the Submariner had their genesis in the 1940s …
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