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The Independent

partner publisher · 2.6M followers
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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

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 · 6d
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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 · 7d
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familydestinationsguide.com

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This Massive Wisconsin Flea Market Is So Enormous You’ll Need An Entire Day To Explore

There are places in Wisconsin that make you feel like you’ve discovered a secret, and the Wilmot Flea Market in Wilmot is absolutely one of them, except the secret is out and apparently everyone already knows. The parking lot is your first clue that something serious is happening here.

Kenosha County, WI · 3d
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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 · 4d

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 · 7d

takingthekids.com

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We Ranked The Best Italian Beef In Illinois And These 7 Spots Made The Cut

A sandwich stand on a busy Chicago street became the filming spot for a hit TV show, and its business reportedly more than doubled. That is the kind of pull an Italian beef sandwich has in Illinois. The idea goes back about a century. Thin-sliced roast beef gets soaked in...

Illinois · 3d

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 · 7d

unearththevoyage.com

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Steaming Trays of Crab Legs Keep Coming Out at This All-You-Can-Eat Wisconsin Seafood Buffet

Some of the best meals in Wisconsin hide inside buildings that look completely ordinary from the parking lot. This one used to be a Greek family restaurant, and nothing about the outside hints at the parade of crab legs waiting inside. Staff carry out fresh trays again and again, and...

Greenfield, WI · 8d

everafterinthewoods.com

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Wisconsin Diners Can Enjoy An Endless Meat Feast At This All-You-Can-Eat Steakhouse

Grilled pineapple shows up on a skewer, gets carved right at your table, and somehow counts as part of a steakhouse dinner. That alone should tell you this meal plays by different rules. Carvers in gaucho style keep circling the dining room with rotisserie-grilled meats. They slice each cut onto...

Milwaukee, WI · 12h

allamericanatlas.com

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5 Best Restaurants in Racine, Wisconsin You Need to Try Before Everyone Else Finds Them

Racine, Wisconsin — a city where Lake Michigan’s blue sweep meets the red-brick bones of industry, where Polish bakeries and Mexican taquerias stand shoulder to shoulder, and the laughter of families mingles with the dreams of newcomers. Here, the architecture is a patchwork: Victorian homes, weathered taverns, and the steady hum of factories softened by the scent of fresh bread and barbecue smoke. Racine is a crossroads — of old-timers and artists, of Hmong, Black, and Latino families, of those who remember the glory days of manufacturing and those who see possibility in every sunrise.

Racine, WI · 4d

unearththevoyage.com

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Three Generations Have Lined Up For The Same Grilled-Onion Polish At This Tiny Illinois Street-Corner Stand

Some of the best meals in Illinois come from places you would drive right past without a second look. A plain little counter, a short menu, and a line of hungry people can turn out to be a memory you carry for decades. I went looking for a quick lunch...

Chicago, IL · 9d

takingthekids.com

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Massive Apple Fritters Share The Counter With Real Strawberry Donuts At This Illinois Shop

A donut big enough to stand in for a wedding cake is a real thing in Illinois. At least one couple served giant ones at their reception instead of a tiered cake, and that tells you plenty about the size here. The shop behind them fries up apple fritters with...

Chicago, IL · 9d

allamericanatlas.com

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5 Best Restaurants in Schaumburg, Illinois You Need to Try Before Everyone Else Finds Them

Schaumburg, Illinois — a place where the prairie wind still whispers through the maples, where glass towers rise beside old farmhouses, and where every block hums with the stories of families who’ve called this place home for generations and newcomers drawn by the promise of something better. Here, the laughter of children echoes from sprawling parks, the scent of barbecue and biryani drifts through neighborhoods, and the city’s heart beats in the rhythm of festivals, shopping sprees, and the quiet pride of those who built something from nothing.

Schaumburg, IL · 5d

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 · 1d

unearththevoyage.com

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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 · 2d

tmj4.com

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Wendy’s breakfast could disappear at some restaurants

Amid slumping sales, Wendy’s leaders told investors that franchisees will no longer be required to serve breakfast. The announcement comes as the Columbus, Ohio-based fast-food chain rejected a bid to buy the company. Company leaders said some locations could improve profitability by dropping breakfast. “This option directly supports stronger...

Kenosha, WI · 2d

thelansingjournal.org

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Lansing History: More than a bakery, Calumet Bakery brings old-fashioned sweetness to Lansing

LANSING, Ill. — When Matthew (Matt) G. Pocernich opened his small bakery in Chicago’s South Deering neighborhood, Franklin D. Roosevelt was president of the United States. Pocernich had arrived in America from Croatia in the 1920s, and he faced the Depression with hard work and basic baking skills that he turned into a thriving family business that has lasted for three generations.

Lansing, IL · 7d

everafterinthewoods.com

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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 · 2h