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Top 5 Italian Beefs in Chicago (City)

1. Bob-O’s Hot Dogs 8258 W. Irving Park Rd.; 773-625-9840 $4.95 for sandwich + .50 for sweet peppers + .50 for hot peppers (pictured, above) Bread: Gonnella Don’t let the title fool you. Yes, Bob-O’s started as a literal hot dog cart/trailer (like Portillo’s) in the Northwest suburbs. But they also make their beef in-house, and they … Continued

Top 5 Italian Beefs in Chicago (Suburbs)

1. Johnnie’s 7500 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park; 708-452-6000 (second location at 1935 S. Arlington Heights Rd, Arlington Heights; 847-357-8100) $4.32 for sandwich + .37 for sweet peppers + .37 for hot peppers Total: $5.06 Bread: Gonnella Opened in 1961, the legendary store in Elmwood Park typically has a line snaking out the side, especially in the summertime. … Continued

What’s an Italian Beef?

At the risk of becoming persona non grata at both Vienna Beef headquarters as well as every Giordano’s in the state, I’m going to just lay it out on the line: the Chicago hot dog and the deep dish pizza have nothing on an Italian beef sandwich. What is this “Italian beef” of which I … Continued

Tiki Renaissance in Chicago

For years, you had to venture into the basement of the Palmer House to get those fun rum drinks and crab Rangoon with a side of bamboo, but a pair of expertly curated tiki bars call Chicago home: one in trendy River North, the other in laid-back Logan Square.

So Pei Char Siu Bao at Phoenix

I’ve been spending a lot of time in Chinatown recently, looking for stories for Chinese New Year. Frankly, I hadn’t even thought to stop by Phoenix, the venerable 19 year-old restaurant hidden up on the 2nd floor of a dingy building across the street from the more dynamic Chinatown Square Mall. But the restaurant underwent … Continued

The Feed Podcast (Episode 11)

On this show, Steve, Rick & Lindsey discuss the cost/benefits of pay-for-reservation services, then Steve reports on Lima’s burgeoning food scene. Rick invites chef Todd Stein to a Blood Orange Challenge, to see if they can come up with some delicious in 15 minutes or less. Steve tries to convince Rick that cynar is great … Continued