Woodson
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...
Hemp-derived THC beverages containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container will be pulled from liquor stores and other traditional retail outlets in Illinois beginning Nov. 12, following the passage of a new state law that places tighter restrictions on intoxicating hemp products. The Illinois Hemp Act, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in […]
Somewhere in Massachusetts, people put chow mein noodles and gravy on hamburger buns. In Illinois, a sandwich comes buried under French fries and cheese sauce. And in Mississippi, pig ears are a longtime sandwich filling. These aren’t novelty foods created for social media. They’re regional traditions with histories stretching back...
A French bakery fills an entire Italianate mansion in Illinois, and the garden entry even has swings built into it. That detail alone made me smile. The house once stood on a stretch of town nicknamed Aristocrat Hill. Today it serves croissants, quiche, and a flourless chocolate cake that helped make the bakery famous.
Tavern-style pizza has its own official holiday now. It lands every October 22, and I love that a thin, crunchy pie earned a spot on the calendar. The squares came first for a practical reason. Early tavern pizza was handed out as a free snack, cut small so folks could eat with one hand.
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...
When the Illinois wind starts biting, a long dinner beside a real fireplace starts sounding like a smart plan. Supper clubs have always been about slowing down, with steaks, seafood, relish-tray nostalgia, and the kind of service that makes a Tuesday feel like an occasion. This list rounds up seven...
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...
A Boeing 367-80 tanker, a relative of the famous 707 prototype, sits on a grassy lawn in Illinois, and you can walk right under it. No ticket booth. No turnstile. No base badge required. The neighbors are just as impressive. A C-141 Starlifter and a C-130 share the same neat...
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...
One Illinois joint made a list of the 50 best burgers on Earth, rubbing elbows with Tokyo and Dublin.
Free Greek donuts are not something you expect with breakfast, but one Illinois cafe has been known to hand them out on select weekdays. That small surprise is enough to make any morning feel brighter. The kitchen leans on Greek roots and classic diner comfort. Lemon rice soup shares a...
Illinois has some seriously good barbecue tucked away in small towns and Chicago neighborhoods, but most people don't realize it's even there.
Chicago's first vinyl pressing plant in three decades just opened in Hermosa, bringing record production back to a city that lost the capability years ago.
Some of the best stops in Illinois are the ones you almost walk right past. I went looking for a quick souvenir and left with a story, a handful of postcards, and a real urge to come back. The little shop I found felt less like a store and more...
Those leaf piles look harmless, but Illinois experts say ticks can shelter in them well into fall. Rake, bag, and check yourself and the pets after yardwork.
A 65-foot glass ceiling in Illinois keeps palm trees happy while snow piles up outside. Yes, palms. More than 70 of them grow in one enormous room on the West Side of the state’s biggest city. The building opened in 1908, and its outline was shaped to echo a...
Illinois Extension's Emily Swihart profiles the Kentucky coffeetree: about 75 feet tall, leaves up to 36 inches long and 5- to 10-inch pods that last through winter.
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...
While most gardens look tired by November, one grass is still standing tall. Karl Foerster feather reed grass keeps its upright shape and golden plumes through frost, wind, and snow, which is why it has become a staple in Illinois yards. It grows well in clay soil, handles the region’s...
