Dawson
Some of the best mornings start with a plain little building you almost drive right past. You walk in hungry, grab a booth, and suddenly the bacon, biscuits, and coffee turn an ordinary trip into a story you keep telling. Southern Illinois is full of these quiet breakfast spots, tucked...
Somewhere in Massachusetts, people put chow mein noodles and gravy on hamburger buns. In Illinois, a sandwich comes buried under French fries and cheese sauce. And in Mississippi, pig ears are a longtime sandwich filling. These aren’t novelty foods created for social media. They’re regional traditions with histories stretching back...
You pedal past cornfields and old rail bridges for miles, legs burning, and then a tiny storefront appears with the smell of fresh coffee drifting out the door. That is the moment Illinois rail-trails turn a simple ride into a real adventure. The old train lines that once carried freight...
The doors at this donut shop never close. Not at midnight, not at 4 a.m., not on Sunday. The fryers keep working while the rest of the neighborhood sleeps. This independent Illinois spot makes its donuts from scratch. The shelves hold a huge lineup of colorful, creative flavors. Think red velvet, German chocolate, lemon drops, and apple fritters, all under one roof.
One Illinois diner will hand you a free meal, a gift card, and a shirt or hat if you finish four 16-inch pancakes. Four. Each one wider than most dinner plates. I love that a pancake challenge like that exists in Illinois. It tells you how seriously some kitchens here take breakfast size.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Our Friends of Sangamon County Animal Control Dog of the Week is a very pretty young girl who loves people. Coraline is a mixed breed girl but there might be some Husky in her because she is very striking with one brown eye and one blue eye. She’s gentle and easy to walk. At our recent outdoor adoption event she was calm and easy going while meeting people including families with kids. This very nice girl is available for foster, foster to adopt and adoption.
There is a tree standing in plenty of Illinois yards that keeps a surprisingly strict social calendar. Show up with tools at the wrong hour, and the whole neighborhood of insects hears about it. Bugs no bigger than a grain of rice are the ones quietly checking the guest list....
Illinois has some seriously good barbecue tucked away in small towns and Chicago neighborhoods, but most people don't realize it's even there.
Bald eagles in winter care about one thing above almost anything else: open water. Below the big locks and dams on the Mississippi, churning water often refuses to freeze, and fish get stunned or pushed to the surface. That turns those spots into all-you-can-eat buffets for our national bird. Illinois...
Some of the best bites in Illinois hide behind plain storefronts with handwritten signs and glass cases fogged from the morning ovens. You walk in expecting a quick coffee and walk out with a box of strudel, sticky fingers, and a plan to come back next weekend. Real strudel takes...
Chief Executive Officer Khalid Jones discusses his recent transition to Allwyn North America.
Madison and Milwaukee both cracked the top 55 foodie cities in America, with Milwaukee coming in ahead of Chicago by one spot.
PAWS, the Protecting Animal Welfare Society, has rescued 18 dogs from an abandoned home and are asking for donations to help with their care.
Fur-Ever Home Friday: Pesto
A small Illinois town on Route 66 just got a very big holiday gift. Carlinville has...
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Introducing Perry!. This purry brown tabby charmer is approximately 14 months old. He arrived as an unchipped stray August 29 and has become a staff and volunteer favorite. This affectionate sweetheart is going to melt your heart upon first meeting, so bring a carrier with you!
Get your tickets before it’s too late…Marbold Dinner and Auction is on Sunday, November 8 at 5pm at Indian Creek Farmstead, located at 19469 Curtis Blacktop, near Petersburg, Illinois. Menu includes roasted pork loin with bourbon and peach glaze and parmesan crusted chicken breast, mixed green salad, cheesy...
The Forge in Joliet is closing its doors after nine years as a go-to spot for heavy music fans, while Chicago's Salt Shed is planning a massive expansion across the street with a new 15,000-seat outdoor stage.
Some of the best meals in Illinois are served in towns with one main street and a water tower you can spot from the highway. Many of these restaurants have been run by the same families for decades, feeding farmers, road trippers, and grandkids alike. This list covers seven of...
