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This Old-School Illinois Butcher Shop Still Cuts From Hanging Cattle And Makes Over 80 Sausages

A carved wooden pig head hands out your number at the door. That’s how your visit starts at one of the most beloved butcher counters in Illinois. The kitchen behind the counter turns out more than 80 kinds of sausages and brats. A smokehouse adds more than 10 kinds of homemade bacon to the lineup.

Chicago, IL · 15h
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fastfoodclub.com

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Since 1938, Russell’s Barbecue In Elmwood Park Has Served Beef Sandwiches From The Same Pit

Some families pass down recipes, and some pass down a favorite booth. Just west of Chicago, there is a barbecue counter where grandparents, parents, and kids have all ordered the same beef sandwich across many decades. The place opened in 1938, long before drive-thrus and self-serve soda machines were common,...

Elmwood Park, IL · 3d
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takemetotn.com

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This Unassuming Illinois Pizzeria Serves Sausage Pizza So Good It Should Almost Be Illegal

Anthony Bourdain called one pan pizza the only deep dish he ever loved. That pie still comes out of a small, homey pizzeria on a quiet suburban street in Illinois. The crust edge gets so dark and caramelized that it looks almost burnt. It isn’t. That crunchy, cheesy rim is the whole point, and the sausage on top is a house blend.

Illinois · 5d
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everafterinthewoods.com

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This Family-Run Illinois Seafood Counter Has Guarded Its Secret Red Batter Since 1951

A secret red batter coats the fried scallops at one Illinois seafood counter, and the family still won’t share the recipe. That alone made me curious. The same family has run this place since 1951. Their roots in the fish business go back even further, to Great Lakes commercial fishing in the 1930s.

Des Plaines, IL · 6d
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The Independent

partner publisher · 2.6M followers

Popular Chicago chain known for its hot dogs set to close locations

The Chicago-based fast-casual chain, known for its hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, has 109 locations nationwide Getty/iStock To be frank, fans of a popular Chicago -style hot dog chain may not relish this news. Portillo’s plans to close a “mid-to-high single-digit number” of underperforming restaurants outside the Chicago area, mostly by the end of the year, CEO Brett Patterson announced Thursday. The Chicago-based fast-casual chain, known for its hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, has 109 locations nationwide. It said it looked at each restaurant’s sales, operating costs and expected future performance before deciding which ones to close. The company has not yet announced the affected locations. “This will improve portfolio quality, strengthen returns on invested capital and reflect our commitment to disciplined growth,” Patterson said. The move comes as Portillo’s looks to get back on track after struggling to find the same success in markets outside Chicago. The move comes as Portillo’s looks to get back on track after struggling to find the same success in markets outside Chicago (Getty/iStock) Portillo’s plans to put more focus on its existing restaurants and take a more careful approach to opening new locations, particularly in unfamiliar markets. Patterson said the chain

Chicago, IL · 1d

CBS Chicago

partner publisher · 230.8K followers

Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie reopens Nov. 11

The Skokie museum has been closed since July 2025. Veterans, active-duty and retired military personnel and up to four family members get in free on opening day.

Skokie, IL · 1d

takingthekids.com

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The Subs At This Old-School Illinois Deli Have Been Worth The Drive Since 1960

Sixty-plus years of slicing deli meat to order. That’s the quiet flex behind one sandwich counter just outside Chicago, where the Italian sub still comes stacked with mortadella, capicola, and Genoa salami. The menu reads like a deli lover’s wish list. There’s mile-high corned beef, pastrami, a sandwich called...

Chicago, IL · 1d

familydestinationsguide.com

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Drive Across Illinois Just To Try The Gloriously Overstuffed Sandwiches At This Legendary Deli

There are places you eat at, and then there are places you make a pilgrimage to, and Kaufman’s Bagel & Delicatessen in Skokie, Illinois, falls firmly and unapologetically into the second category. Pack a bag if you have to. The drive is worth it. When you arrive at Kaufman’s,...

Skokie, IL · 5d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Illinois Donut Shop Still Fries Its Huge Apple Fritters Fresh In The Window, Just Like Always

An apple fritter roughly the size of your face comes out of a fryer in a shop window, and the man flipping it opened the place in 1972. He was 85 in 2024. He still works six days a week. The fritters get stuffed with apple chunks and cinnamon. Then...

Chicago, IL · 6d

familydestinationsguide.com

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This Classic Illinois Diner Serves Up Breakfast So Good It Deserves Its Own Fan Club

There’s a diner in River Grove, Illinois, where the window literally tells you the rules before you even walk in, and honestly, that’s the most refreshing thing you’ll see all week. Blondie’s Diner isn’t playing games, and it isn’t pretending to be something it’s not....

River Grove, IL · 6d

unearththevoyage.com

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This Low-Key Illinois Supper Club Still Grills Steaks The Old-Fashioned Way For Loyal Regulars

Some of the best meals in Illinois happen in rooms that look like they have not changed in decades, and that is exactly the point. You walk in expecting a simple steak dinner and walk out talking about the piano, the white jackets, and a slice of cake the size of a hatbox.

Chicago, IL · 6d

Daily Northwestern

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Open Tab: The good, the bad and all the coffee in Evanston

There is something quintessentially collegiate about grabbing a drink at a local coffee shop and sitting down to do work. Evanston is home to dozens of coffee shops, and The Daily traveled to a few of the most popular among Northwestern students to see whether they were favorites for their coffee or their convenience.

Evanston, IL · 1d

hoodline.com

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Evanston's Café Au Lake Nearly Doubles Profit, City Eyes More Lagoon-Style Cafes

A cafe that almost never opened is now one of Evanston's better municipal bets. Café au Lake, the city-run coffee and wine spot tucked into the Arrington Lagoon picnic shelter, saw its profit nearly double in its second year, and city officials say that success is fueling plans to bring food service to more public spaces, including a new cafe set to soft-open on Nov. 16 at the Prieto Community Center.

Evanston, IL · 2d

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...

Chicago, IL · 3d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Illinois Restaurant Transforms Into A Magical Christmas Wonderland For The Holiday Season

Ornaments cover one Illinois dining room so completely each December that it feels like eating inside a snow globe. Add wreaths, snowflakes, glowing lights, and a whole crowd of Christmas trees, and the place turns into pure holiday magic. The building has served as a public house since the 1890s....

Chicago, IL · 2d

everafterinthewoods.com

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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 · 2d

hoodline.com

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Ringling Bros. Circus Returns to Rosemont With Daredevil Bello Nock, Seven Shows

The Greatest Show on Earth is pitching its tent in Rosemont this weekend, as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey brings its animal-free reboot to Allstate Arena for seven performances running Friday through Sunday. The production leans on acrobats, trapeze artists and a live DJ rather than elephants or lions, and it's bringing along a seventh-generation daredevil who's made a name for himself well beyond the big top.

Rosemont, IL · 1d

evanstonroundtable.com

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Why Brothers K outlasted the Starbucks across the street

Brothers K Coffee owner John Kim can set his watch just by looking out from behind the counter of his coffee shop and seeing who’s there. “To the hour, I can predict who’s coming in and when,” Kim said, estimating that between 70% and 80% of his customers are regulars.

Evanston, IL · 8h

everafterinthewoods.com

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8 Old-School Illinois Bowling Alleys Where Shoes, Lanes And Food Still Cost Like 1985

A bowling alley in Illinois started out as a 1911 garage, and it later became a filming location for Groundhog Day. Yes, the Bill Murray one, and I can’t stop smiling at that detail. Another spot rolls on 12 wood lanes beneath a historic theater. A third still keeps...

Illinois · 1d