Hebron, IL Food & Drink and More

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 · 1d

hoodline.com

Evanston's New Ryan Field Turns Into Winter Food Market With Bayless, Izard Pop-Ups

New Ryan Field is trading football tailgates for tamales and twinkling lights this winter. Ryan Sports Development announced that The Village at New Ryan Field will transform into a seasonal food market, with holiday menus from Chicago chefs, a 24-artisan gift market and a stadium-side light garden running through the holiday season.

Evanston, IL · 19h

gotodestinations.com

partner publisher · 2.6M followers

How This Cozy Breakfast Spot Won Hearts With Its UNEXPECTED French Toast and Hearty Skillets in Wheeling, IL

Breakfast gets a little more interesting at Rise n Dine in Wheeling, where cinnamon rolls become French toast and a skillet can arrive loaded with skirt steak. This Milwaukee Avenue restaurant gives morning appetites plenty to discuss, from pancakes dressed for dessert to savory plates built around eggs, potatoes, and sausage gravy.

Wheeling, IL · 2d

The Independent

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

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NBC Chicago

Portillo's to close up to 9 ‘underperforming restaurants,' company announces

Iconic Chicago hot dog and Italian beef chain Portillo's will close a "select group of underperforming locations," the company announced during a third-quarter earnings call Thursday. The update came as the company said its results were "ahead" of expectations. “Our strategy is centered on running great restaurants, leveraging integrated marketing...

Chicago, IL · 1d

familydestinationsguide.com

This Illinois Seafood Restaurant Is Known Far And Wide For Its Incredibly Fresh Fried Fish

Some restaurants earn their reputation quietly, one perfectly fried piece of fish at a time, and The Fish Keg in Chicago has been doing exactly that for longer than most food trends have existed. If you haven’t heard of The Fish Keg yet, that’s about to change. The...

everafterinthewoods.com

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.

everafterinthewoods.com

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....

unearththevoyage.com

This Tiny Illinois Bakery Serves Flaky Danish Pastries So Authentic You’ll Swear You’re In Copenhagen

Some of the best bites in Illinois hide in places you would drive right past without a second look. I walked into a small, quiet bakery expecting a quick donut and walked out with a box of buttery Danish treats and a new weekend habit. The kind of flaky layers...

Burr Ridge, IL · 2d

gotodestinations.com

Why Locals ADORE This Hot Dog Drive-In That’s Older Than McDonald’s in Chicago, Illinois

Open Sun–Thu, 11 AM–1 AM; Fri–Sat, 11 AM–2 AM. In May 1948, two newlyweds opened a summer hot dog drive-in in Chicago to help pay for college. 🌭. At Superdawg Drive-In, Chicago diners still pull into a carport, order through a speaker box and wait for a carhop’s tray on the car window.

Chicago, IL · 8h

everafterinthewoods.com

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 · 6d

everafterinthewoods.com

Swedish Pancakes With Lingonberries Still Anchor Breakfast At This Andersonville Diner In Chicago, Illinois

A Viking breakfast in Illinois comes with falukorv sausage, eggs, potatoes, and thin Swedish pancakes topped with lingonberries. That combination alone made me sit up straight. The room matches the plate. Swedish folk art fills the walls, and whimsical tablecloths cover small tables in a cozy blue and yellow space.

partner publisher · 230.8K followers

CBS Chicago

NW Side café vandalized with racial slurs month after opening

Mi Gente Café on Harlem and Farragut opened its doors to the public a month ago.

Chicago, IL · 1d

Yahoo!

2 IL pizzerias serve some of the best pies in US, report finds. Where to go

Two Illinois pizzerias earned spots on The Infatuation's recent analysis of the best pizza places in America. Both are in Chicago and serve distinctly different styles. FULL STORY: These 2 Illinois pizza shops serve some of the best pies in America, report says Here are key takeaways:. The Sept. 22...

everafterinthewoods.com

This Illinois Farmers Market Moves Indoors For Winter, So Your Sunday Produce Run Never Stops

Snow on the boulevard doesn’t cancel this Sunday market. When winter hits, the whole thing simply heads indoors and keeps going. I love that idea. Your weekly bread, eggs, and cheese haul doesn’t have to pause just because Illinois decided to freeze solid for a few months. In...

thebloomingtonstar.com

6 Chicago beef stands where the Italian beef comes dipped, juicy and topped with giardiniera

Chicago, Illinois – There is a particular way to eat an Italian beef sandwich in Chicago. You lean forward, keep a few napkins close, and accept that the bread may have absorbed enough rich meat juice to make your usual sandwich technique completely useless. The beef is thin, the...

Chicago, IL · 6d

unearththevoyage.com

This Family-Run, Cash-Only Illinois Bakery Still Draws Fans For Its Famous Cheese Sticks

Some of the best food in Illinois hides behind plain storefronts you could drive past a hundred times. I almost did, until the smell of warm bread and the line at the door made me pull over. Inside, there were trays of pastries, towering cakes, and a buttery, cheesy treat...

Chicago, IL · 5d

fastfoodclub.com

publisher · 7.1K followers

Since 1946, Shoup’s Country Foods Has Fed Hungry Hoosiers… Wait, It’s Teibel’s In Schererville

Some Northwest Indiana restaurants come and go faster than rush hour on US-41, but one Schererville dining room has kept its doors open since long before the interstate era. Families have marked birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and ordinary Thursday lunches inside its many rooms for close to a century. The headline...

Schererville, IN · 5d

Secret Chicago

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:

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NBC Chicago

These twelve Chicago restaurants made OpenTable's 2026 list of top 100 in the US

Twelve Chicago restaurants made a new list of the top 100 spots to dine in the country. The list, created by restaurant reservation platform OpenTable, was "generated from over 11 million reviews from verified OpenTable diners and dining metrics," its introduction states. Only restaurants in "good standing" with OpenTable and...