Rolling Meadows, IL Lifestyle and More

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Camerata Chicago Brings Handel's Messiah to Oak Park, Wheaton, Hinsdale

Camerata Chicago is bringing Handel's Messiah to three western suburbs this month, pairing Part I of the beloved oratorio with the triumphant Hallelujah Chorus and the coronation anthem Zadok the Priest. The orchestra and chorus plan to perform the Hallelujah Chorus twice during each concert, with the second pass turned into an audience sing-along.

Hinsdale, IL · 1d

nickscookingclub

user · 12.0K followers

Chicago Bakeries Knew Apple Pie Needed More Corners

Chicago-style bakery apple slices take everything comforting about apple pie and reshape it into generous squares made for sharing. Instead of a traditional round pie with only a few coveted edge pieces, this Midwestern favorite spreads tender apple filling between broad pastry layers and finishes the top with a sweet glaze. The result delivers soft cinnamon-spiced fruit, flaky crust, and sugary icing in nearly every bite. It feels nostalgic even if you did not grow up visiting a Chicago neighborhood bakery because the combination resembles the sort of dessert that might have appeared at a family gathering decades ago. The rectangular format also makes the treat practical: it can be cut into tidy portions, packed for an event, or served straight from the pan without worrying about perfect pie wedges. Familiar apple flavor remains at the center, but the bakery-style presentation gives it a personality all its own.

Chicago, IL · 5d

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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CBS News

Newly opened NW café vandalized with racial slurs, owner says

Chicago, IL · 8h

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.

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.

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...

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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 · 8h

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 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....

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

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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 · 5d

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

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...

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.

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NBC Chicago

Home Run Inn unveils brand new pan pizza

Chicago’s iconic Home Run Inn pizza chain is well-known for its signature tavern-style pizza, but now they’re offering up pan pizzas in the freezers of area grocery stores. According to a press release, the pan pizza will be available at all Chicago-area Jewel stores and Tony’s Fresh Market...

Chicago, IL · 4d

CBS Chicago

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Soul Train Awards held in Chicago for the first time

Thursday night was a homecoming for one of Chicago's cultural treasures, as the Soul Train Awards arrived in the city where the iconic show originated. The taping of the awards show brought stars to the Loop.

partner publisher · 230.8K followers

CBS Chicago

Chicago rat birth control pilot program now in Albany Park

A Chicago pilot program that feeds rat birth control to curb the city's rodent problem is now expanding into Albany Park.

fastfoodclub.com

Long Before Brunch Was Trendy, Smoque BBQ Was Already Selling Out Of Brisket In Chicago

Chicago gets plenty of credit for deep dish, hot dogs, and Italian beef. Barbecue usually lands lower on the list, and that is exactly the problem one small Northwest Side kitchen set out to fix back in 2006. Its founders were so serious about the mission that they wrote a...

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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: