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Alden, IL · Food & Drink

unearththevoyage.com

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Drivers Cross State Lines for Old-School Sunday-Supper Fried Chicken at a Gas Station in Gurnee, Illinois

Some of the best meals hide in places you would normally drive right past. I pulled off a busy highway in northern Illinois expecting a quick snack and a tank of gas, and instead found fried chicken that tasted like a family Sunday supper. The crunch, the steam, the warm...

Gurnee, IL · 1d

Secret Chicago

publisher · 7.1K followers

Chicago’s crown jewel of pan pizza just earned another national nod—thanks to its legendary caramelized crust

Chicago hardly needs another reason to defend its pizza credentials. But we’ll happily take this one. Pequod’s Pizza—the local favorite known for that exquisite ring of caramelized cheese —has been named Illinois’ pick in Food & Wine’s “50 States of Award-Winning Pizza.” And while the national recognition is nice, the real draw is waiting around the edge of the pan. What makes Pequod’s crust so special? At Pequod’s, you don’t leave the crust behind. As Food & Wine explains, t he pizzeria places a ring of mozzarella around the inside edge of the pan. As the pizza bakes, that cheese caramelizes, creating the signature rim that sets these pies apart . A deeply browned cheese surrounds a generously topped Chicago-style pizza. The menu starts with a cheese pizza, with toppings available so you can build your own order. Sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, giardiniera, and more are among the options—but that caramelized edge is something you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished the meal. Why Food & Wine picked Pequod’s Food & Wine assembled its state-by-state guide using existing accolades, including international pizza competitions, restaurant rankings, local journalism, and readers’ choice awards. For Pequod’s, the magazine points to two major wins:

Chicago, IL · 6d

takemetotn.com

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This Cash-Only Illinois Tavern Has Been Serving Giant One-Pound Burgers For Decades

A full pound of beef on one bun. That’s the standard burger here, not some dare written on a chalkboard. The smaller version is the half-pound option, which tells you a lot about this place. There are no fries on the menu either. You get chips instead, and somehow that quirk feels just right.

Lemont, IL · 3d

allamericanatlas.com

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5 Best Restaurants in Schaumburg, Illinois You Need to Try Before Everyone Else Finds Them

Schaumburg, Illinois — a place where the prairie wind still whispers through the maples, where glass towers rise beside old farmhouses, and where every block hums with the stories of families who’ve called this place home for generations and newcomers drawn by the promise of something better. Here, the laughter of children echoes from sprawling parks, the scent of barbecue and biryani drifts through neighborhoods, and the city’s heart beats in the rhythm of festivals, shopping sprees, and the quiet pride of those who built something from nothing.

Schaumburg, IL · 10d

fox32chicago.com

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Free turkey giveaway begins at five Chicagoland McDonald's locations

CHICAGO - A holiday food giveaway is bringing support to families at five McDonald’s locations across the Chicago area this week. The Black McDonald’s Operators Association of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana is holding its 26th annual Food for the Body & Spirit giveaway from Tuesday through Saturday. The...

Chicago, IL · 3d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Old-Fashioned Illinois Candy Shop Still Makes Its Own Fudge And Caramel Apples In A Nostalgic Little Shop

Caramel apples come with a choice of fruit at one little Illinois candy counter: tart Granny Smith or sweet Honeycrisp. That decision alone could stall a family for ten minutes. Then you spot the bear claws, the cheese popcorn, and the chocolate-dipped apricots. The fudge is made in house, the...

Riverside, IL · 9d

unearththevoyage.com

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Illinois Families Fill Their Pantries At These 8 Old-School Meat Markets Making Their Own Smoked Sausage

Some of the best food in Illinois hides behind plain storefronts with hand-painted signs and a smoky smell drifting out the door. You walk in expecting a quick errand and walk out with a cooler full of brats, sausage sticks, and summer sausage you did not plan to buy. These...

Illinois · 3d

travelmag.com

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This Illinois Drive-In Is Topped With Giant Hot Dog Statues And Has Served Carhop Burgers And Dogs Since 1948

Two giant hot dogs are hanging out on an Illinois rooftop, and one is wearing a leopard-print leotard. The other rocks a blue skirt and a bow. Fashion week could never. Meet the rooftop duo named after the couple who started this quirky hot dog joint. And trust me, the experience only gets better at ground level.

Chicago, IL · 3d

NBC Chicago

publisher · 127.4K followers

Highly-acclaimed Chicago restaurant opens in Highwood on North Shore

One of Chicago's most beloved Mediterranean restaurants is now open on the North Shore. Avec, from the award-winning One Off Hospitality group, opened its doors at 250 Waukegan Avenue in Highwood Nov. 6. The restaurant, inside a former boxing gym, was transformed by Present Future Architects and Chas Bender Co. over the past 1.5 years into a 95-seat, bleached-oak dining room with exposed beams, a U-shaped bar and an exhibition kitchen customers can see from the street.

Highwood, IL · 6h

The Takeout

partner publisher · 38.3K followers

The Tangy Dipping Sauce You'll Find At The Best Chicken Shops In Chicago

Chicago may be famous for pizza and hot dogs, but residents also love a sweet, tangy dipping sauce on their chicken. Learn about this Windy City favorite.

Chicago, IL · 5d

takingthekids.com

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People Bring Their Own Jars To Stock Up At This Illinois Bulk Food Store

Half of this little store is candy. The other half holds spices, flours, nuts, teas, and coffee, and you can scoop all of it into jars you carried from home. That detail alone made me want to know more. Shoppers bring clean containers, the staff weighs them, and you pay only for what goes inside.

Westmont, IL · 4h

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Unassuming Illinois Spot Piles Pizzas High With Toppings And Serves Wings Worth Licking Your Fingers For

Sixteen first-place wins at Chicago’s WingFest is a lot of hardware for one modest neighborhood grill. Add four Best of Fest awards, and that shelf starts looking crowded. The place doesn’t stop at wings, either. Homemade tavern-style thin crust pizza comes out of the same kitchen, along with garlic buffalo wings that seem to have their own fan club.

Palatine, IL · 2d

Chicago Food King

user · 11.2K followers

Overpriced Shawarma in Buffalo Grove

When you move to a new neighborhood, one of the most exciting things is discovering the local restaurant scene. My wife and I recently relocated to Chicago’s northern suburbs, and we’ve been eager to explore the dining options around our new home.

Buffalo Grove, IL · 2d

pmq.com

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In the Era of Downsizing, Why (and How) This Pizzeria More Than Doubled Its Dining Room

Photos courtesy of Lantern Pizza Co. In an era where many pizzerias are downsizing versus expanding, Lantern Pizza Co. in Downers Grove, Illinois, recently opened a new dining room, growing to more than 100 seats over its previous 38. The Neo-Neapolitan concept’s new kitchen-view dining room also doubles as a versatile private event space with flexible seating.

Downers Grove, IL · 4d

WBEZ

publisher · 6.0K followers

How a retired Chicago Army veteran found peace and purpose through baking

At 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, with most of Chicago still asleep, Quinton McNair already was in the kitchen. By 9 a.m., the 49-year-old had baked enough cookies, muffins and other treats to fill the display cases at his Hyde Park bakery. And McNair still had the rest of another long day ahead of him.

Chicago, IL · 2d

dairyprocessing.com

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Caputo rolling out burrata in smaller format

MELROSE PARK, ILL. — Caputo Cheese introduced a 2 oz burrata format for retail and foodservice customers, expanding its fresh mozzarella portfolio with a smaller, individual portion. The new product features a fresh mozzarella exterior filled with stracciatella, a mixture of shredded mozzarella and cream. Its smaller size offers...

Melrose Park, IL · 2d

Fox 32 Chicago

publisher · 67.1K followers

List of holiday themed bars and restaurants in Chicago

CHICAGO - It's just about time for holiday cheer to spread across the Chicago area. There are plenty of ways to celebrate the holiday season in the area with several festive bars and restaurants popping up. Chicago holiday bars and restaurants. Local perspective:. All throughout the Chicago region there are...

Chicago, IL · 2d

whatnow.com

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Giordano’s Reopening in Lakeview Closer to Wrigley Field

Those in the neighborhood need not worry about the chain leaving for good. Giordano’s has just broken the news that a new location is on the way to Wrigleyville in the near future. An exact address has not been released, but fans can be assured it is moving closer to Wrigley Field. The opening date will be sometime in 2027.

Chicago, IL · 4d

chicagocrusader.com

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Black McDonald’s Operators Bring Thanksgiving Relief to 3,000 Chicago-Area Families

As families across Chicago prepare for Thanksgiving amid rising household expenses, the Black McDonald’s Operators Association (BMOA) of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana is continuing its longstanding tradition of giving back to communities in need. Through its 26th annual Food for the Body & Spirit initiative, the organization plans to...

Chicago, IL · 10h

WBEZ

publisher · 6.0K followers

From Irish pub to Chicago blues hub: What happened to Biddy Mulligan’s?

In Rogers Park, a block from the lake, weeds are growing in front of a shuttered Irish pub. A sign above the door reads Mulligan’s Cafe, but a marquee above that identifies this closed business by another name: Biddy Mulligan’s. This unassuming storefront was once a hot spot for blues fans on Chicago’s North Side in the 1970s and 1980s.

Chicago, IL · 2d

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