La Grange Park, IL Lifestyle and More

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.

publisher · 127.3K followers

NBC Chicago

One of Chicago's most beloved spots for burgers, hot dogs opens in southwest suburb

One of Chicago's most beloved spots to snag a burger or hot dog opened a new location in a southwest suburb this week. Redhot Ranch opened at 60 Ogden Ave. in Downers Grove on Tuesday, bringing a new late-night food option to the area. Open daily from 10:30 a.m. until...

Chicago, IL · 4d

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

hoodline.com

Brookfield Zoo's Holiday Magic Returns With 3.5 Million Lights for 45th Year

More than 3.5 million lights are set to blanket Brookfield Zoo Chicago starting Nov. 21, as the beloved Holiday Magic festival returns for its 45th year and will run on select nights through Jan. 3, 2027. The zoo says this year's run stretches an extended 32 nights, with three additional dates added to the calendar beyond the usual schedule.

Brookfield, IL · 1d

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...

Chicago, IL · 5d

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

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.

fastfoodclub.com

partner publisher · 230.8K followers

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 · 4d

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 · 4h

everafterinthewoods.com

Chicago’s Legendary Blues And Music Landmarks Are Getting A Big New Chapter Illinois Fans Will Love

Billy Branch was the very first act to play a certain Chicago blues club on its opening day in 1984. Four decades later, his new music became the first release on that same club’s brand-new record label. I love that kind of full-circle story. It isn’t the only fresh...

everafterinthewoods.com

partner publisher · 40.4K followers

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 · 3d

KICK AM 1530

Someone in Illinois Won $7.4 Million and Nobody Knows Who

The Illinois Lottery looking for the mystery winner of more than $7.4 million dollars who identity remains unknown.

Illinois · 4d

mariajackson27magazine.com

Christmas at the Oasis Brings a Night of Gospel Music to Chicago

Greenwood Oasis and the Black Promoters Collective will present Christmas at the Oasis, a night of joy, music, and holiday wonder, on Friday, December 11, at 7:00 PM. The event takes place at 7621 S. Greenwood Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The lineup features Tye Tribbett, Donald Lawrence & Company, Bishop...

everafterinthewoods.com

This Illinois Bakery Still Makes Italian Pastries The Traditional Way, From Cannoli To Warm Focaccia

A coal-burning oven has been baking bread in one Illinois building since 1912. It still fires up every single day. That oven belongs to a corner bakery run by the same family since 1970. The founders came over from Italy in 1961, and their old-world recipes came with them. Around...

hoodline.com

Chicago Dog Licenses Plummet to 4,100 as 650,000 Pups Go Unregistered

Chicago's dog owners are skipping out on city licenses in droves, with just 4,100 issued so far this year in a city estimated to have more than 650,000 dogs. City Clerk Anna Valencia says her office simply does not have the staff, money, or public awareness campaign needed to turn that number around.

unearththevoyage.com

Craving Real Paczki? These 8 Illinois Polish Bakeries Fill Them Fresh Every Morning

You might walk past a plain little storefront a hundred times before the smell of warm, sugared dough finally pulls you inside. Then you bite into a pillowy paczki stuffed with jam or cream, and suddenly that ordinary corner feels like a secret you need to protect. Illinois has a...

Illinois · 3d

everafterinthewoods.com

partner publisher · 5.3K followers

This Illinois Restaurant Serves Holiday Meals Beneath A Giant Christmas Tree

A Christmas tree stands right in the middle of a department store dining room, rising so high it nearly brushes the ceiling. People book tables months ahead just to eat lunch under it. The room itself dates back to 1907. The walls are covered in walnut paneling, and crystal chandeliers...

Chicago, IL · 11h

Axios Chicago

Chicago dining scene sees healing foods and new Chinese spots

The Chicago food scene is cooking up fresh developments in food as medicine, new Chinese eateries, a Fulton Market Gibson's and some changes at LeTour and Sifr. Let's dig in. Herbal medicine: Award-winning Edgewater Thai restaurant Herb is launching new dishes designed to heal and delight. Chef Patty Neumson tells Axios that recent health challenges inspired her to infuse fresh menu items with healing ingredients from traditional food cultures including ginger, turmeric and cassia leaves. Winter squash chicken curry at Herb in Edgewater. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios Eat up: I recently sampled a velvety winter squash and chicken curry, zingy ginger pork, refreshing pomelo salad and pleasingly (for me) bitter cassia leaf curry that can be served with tofu or beef. All intense but delicious. Fresh Chinese spots Dungeness crabs at Marina Bay in the 88 Market. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios Last month saw the opening of perhaps the city's biggest Hong Kong-style dim sum and seafood spot with Marina Bay in Chinatown's 88 Market Place. The enormous main dining room offers dim sum until 3pm, when it becomes a Hong Kong-style seafood restaurant and banquet facility. What I'm eyeing: All the traditional Cantonese fare, of course, but also matcha Phoenix buns