Open in NewsBreak

Buffalo Grove

See all locations
Customize your news
33°F
publisher avatar

Food & Drink

everafterinthewoods.com

website

This Family-Run Illinois Italian Market Still Bakes Its Bread Fresh And Piles Subs High For Under $10

A 9-inch Italian beef from this deli can show up looking more like a 12-inch one. That’s the kind of generous surprise that gets an old-school Illinois sandwich counter talked about across the city. The beef comes from a family recipe, and it can arrive fully dipped and dripping....

Chicago, IL · 8d
article img

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
article img

everafterinthewoods.com

website

Old Italian Grocers Still Slice Mortadella At These 6 Illinois Markets

A single log of mortadella can weigh more than a toddler, and somebody still slices it by hand. That old ritual lives on behind a handful of no-frills Illinois deli counters that still do things the slow way. I find that oddly thrilling, like discovering your favorite song still plays...

Illinois · 2d
article img

Q985

partner publisher · 3.8K followers
article img

These 12 Illinois Restaurants Make The List Of America’s 100 Best

Illinois landed twelve spots on OpenTable's best restaurants in America list, and they're all a road trip away in Chicago.

Illinois · 3d

everafterinthewoods.com

website

Inside A Retro Illinois Pie Shop, Cream Pies And Savory Slices Never Went Out Of Style

A pie called the Fat Elvis sits on the menu at a cheerful little shop in Illinois. Right next to it, you might spot a lamb and apricot hand pie. That combo alone tells you this place plays by its own rules. The chocolate cream pie is considered a house...

Chicago, IL · 2d

unearththevoyage.com

website

Fried Chicken Comes Out In Family-Style Platters At This Old Illinois Inn Off Route 66

Some of the best meals in Illinois hide in places you would drive right past without a second look. Picture a modest roadside building, a gravel-and-asphalt lot, and then a plate of golden fried chicken that makes you forget every fast food stop you ever made. Add warm biscuits, sweet...

Willowbrook, IL · 2d

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

fastfoodclub.com

website

Seven Illinois Pizza Taverns Have Been Cutting Squares For Regulars Since The 7s

Ask anyone who grew up around Chicago how pizza should be sliced, and there is a good chance they will say squares, not triangles. Tavern-style pizza, with its cracker-thin crust and party-cut pieces, has been a neighborhood staple across Illinois for generations, and a handful of family-run spots have been serving it to the same loyal crowds for decades.

Chicago, IL · 3d

Secret Chicago

publisher · 7.1K followers

Bears star D’Andre Swift names his 3 favorite Chicago restaurants—and launches a limited-time Philly-meets-Chicago menu

Caleb Williams has already made it known that his favorite restaurant is Zarella Pizzeria & Taverna, calling his love for it “ the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life. “ Now, fellow Bears star D’Andre Swift is sharing his own go-to Chicago restaurants —and his list offers plenty of inspiration for your next dinner out. D’Andre Swift shares his favorite Chicago restaurants While Williams’ pick might settle your next pizza order, Swift’s shortlist gives you a few more options for a night out: West Loop steakhouse Adalina Prime, Lincoln Park steakhouse & cocktail lounge The Bull Moose , and Asian bistro & nightclub TAO . For something a little more game-day-ready, though, you can try a menu the running back helped create himself. What’s on D’Andre Swift’s menu at Jake Melnick’s? Swift has teamed up with Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap on “Da Swift Picks,” a limited-time lineup that mixes Philadelphia-inspired flavors with Chicago favorites. Here’s what’s on the menu: High Step Hoagie Dip ($12.95): Salami, prosciutto, hot peppers, provolone, and cream cheese, served with fresh Sidewinder Fries. Swift City Wings ($19.95): Long hot pepper-garlic butter, giardiniera rub, parmesan, and a Cooper’s Wiz sidecar. Hometown Fries ($9.95): House-cut fries,

Chicago, IL · 1d

NBC Chicago

website

One of Chicago's best fried chicken sandwiches is French

A few weeks ago, I got a DM on Instagram from a new restaurant. I get about a dozen of those every week, but this one intrigued me. The sender had trained at the Culinary Institute of America and apprenticed at The Inn at Little Washington, one of the country’s great restaurants. He’d spent five years in France (he fell in love with a girl there) before moving back to Chicago.

Chicago, IL · 1d

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

fastfoodclub.com

website

Chicago Has 7 Old-School Italian Red-Sauce Joints Where The Waiters Remember Your Order

Some Chicago restaurants chase trends, and some have been serving the same lasagna and chicken Vesuvio for generations. This list is about the second kind. These are the red-sauce rooms with checkered tablecloths, framed photos, old-world murals, and servers who treat regulars like family. A few have been around since the 1930s, and a couple sit right across the street from each other in Heart of Italy.

Chicago, IL · 1d

unearththevoyage.com

website

For Two Decades, Illinois Families Have Picked Apples and Eaten Cider Donuts at This McHenry Farm

Some of the best days in Illinois start with a simple plan to grab a bag of apples and end with sticky fingers, a full trunk, and kids who refuse to leave. That is exactly what happens at one farm market tucked along a quiet country road. From the outside...

Mchenry, IL · 7d

everafterinthewoods.com

website

This Illinois All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Restaurant Has A Conveyor Belt And Unlimited Rolls

Real truffle on all-you-can-eat sushi sounds like a menu typo. At one new spot in Illinois, it’s the whole point. Plates glide past your table on a moving belt. Special orders zip over on a tiny bullet train, and robot servers roll in to help. I like how this...

Lombard, IL · 1d

everafterinthewoods.com

website

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

MyStateline.com WTVO WQRF

partner publisher · 73.8K followers

Rockford’s Plume named one of Illinois’ 50 best restaurants in statewide ranking

he "50 Best Restaurants in Illinois — 2026 Edition" list published by Travel With Me, a Chicago social media platform with about 1 million followers on Facebook alone.

Rockford, IL · 2d

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

fox32chicago.com

website

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

Secret Chicago

publisher · 7.1K followers

Free turkeys at 5 Chicago-area McDonald’s are here: 3,000 up for grabs, one location per day through Saturday from 8 a.m.

A Thanksgiving turkey giveaway is making five stops across the Chicago area this week. The Black McDonald’s Operators Association of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana plans to distribute 3,000 turkeys , along with gift cards to help families buy additional holiday groceries. The 26th annual Food for the Body & Spirit giveaway runs November 10–14, with a different McDonald’s hosting each morning. Distributions begin at 8 a.m. and continue while supplies last, so organizers recommend arriving early. The first stop took place in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood on Tuesday morning. The remaining giveaways are scheduled for Maywood, Grand Boulevard, Auburn Gresham, and Chicago Heights through Saturday. Where and when to get a free turkey Each restaurant hosts the giveaway on one scheduled day—not throughout the week. Here’s the full lineup: Tuesday, November 10: 5015 W. Madison St., Chicago Wednesday, November 11: 11 N. 1st Ave., Maywood Thursday, November 12: 740 E. 47th St., Chicago Friday, November 13: 8321 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago Saturday, November 14: 19767 S. Halsted St., Chicago Heights All five distributions begin at 8 a.m. and continue until supplies run out. Veterans can use a priority line Veterans can receive VIP line entry by showing proof of military service.

Chicago, IL · 3d

takingthekids.com

website

Customers Swear The Deli Meats At These 10 Illinois Sandwich Shops Are A Cut Above The Rest

One Illinois deli has been slicing corned beef cafeteria-style since 1942, and it still hands you a tray. Another shop has been building Italian subs since 1937. That’s older than sliced bread’s big boom in most kitchens. I love that these counters didn’t chase trends. They stuck with...

Chicago, IL · 21h