Chicago has plenty of upscale restaurants, but let’s face it, the Windy City is best known for its greasy comfort foods: Italian beefs, hot dogs, burgers, gyros, etc. Grease Freak is a website full of photographs of Chicago-style food—“edible and not”—rated on their taste, presentation, and restaurant ambience.
Start stocking up on napkins now.
Photo credit: GreaseFreak.com
http://www.greasefreak.com/
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I know nothing about racing wagers. The last time I visited a dog track, my companion was trying to explain to me terms like trifecta, exacta, and place, but all I could think was, “I like the black dog!” But whether you’re a gambling novice or an old pro, you’re bound to have a good time at Stretch Run.
Stretch Run is a bi-level sports bar (around the corner from Cyrano’s) with over 200 television monitors, so you can be sure that every broadcast game, race, and event you can think of is on display here. The club has an OTB …read more
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Can you name the seven key ingredients for a Chicago-style hot dog? Here are ten great places to conduct your research (courtesy of Citysearch and Yelp).
10. The Wiener’s Circle. Love it or hate it, this greasy spoon has got a “charm” all its own.
9. Gold Coast Dogs. All ten locations follow the Chicago-style recipe to the ‘T’.
8. Superdawg Drive-In. The winking hot dogs on the roof will be a sight you won’t soon forget.
7. Huey’s Hot Dogs. While serving up great dogs and burgers, this eatery is also well-known for its vegetarian-friendly dishes.
6. Portillo’s Hot Dogs. Both the nostalgia and …read more
Do I sound like a broken record yet? From one of my earlier articles:
The Chicago-style hot dog has seven essential toppings: a boiled or steamed all-beef dog on a poppy-seed bun with (1) mustard, (2) relish, (3) chopped onions, (4) tomato wedges, (5) a pickle spear, (6) sport peppers, and (7) celery salt. I’ve seen a few varieties on this (including lettuce, sliced pickles, cucumbers, and/or green peppers) but the “lucky seven” mentioned above are the components of a classic Chicago-style dog. And yes, the exclusion of ketchup is just as important as the ingredients that are included. Why? …read more
Anyone who enjoys a good hot dog in Chicago has heard of Hot Doug’s. But Doug is not the only friendly guy in the Chicago area that serves up great and unusual fast food.
Meet Fred, owner of fRedhots and Fries in Glenview. He’s not too hard to identify. When you step inside the restaurant, you’ll notice his face is just about everywhere: the sign, the menus, the t-shirts. Most likely, you’ll find Fred either behind the counter taking your order or talking with diners looking for feedback.
Fred’s menu offers items you’d expect to see in any Chicago hot-dog joint: jumbo …read more
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As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I make a monthly trip to visit family in southwestern Michigan. The trip usually takes about three hours, and I pass through several small towns along the way. In fact, in that rural area, it is not uncommon for us to visit one town to go grocery shopping, another town for dining out, and yet another to go see a movie! Of course, all the towns are within a few minutes of each other, so driving from town to town is much like driving to different neighborhoods here in Chicago.
One road that we …read more
So, remember how I said that we don’t have Sonic here in Chicago? Well, I have to take that back now.
For years, Chicagoans have had to suffer through commercials for Sonic Drive-In, despite the fact that there aren’t any restaurants of the chain within 70 miles of here. Sonic operates more than 3,000 restaurants, but most of them are in Oklahoma and Texas. (Chicagoist) However, one has finally opened here in the Chicago area last Tuesday. Now Windy City residents can get the Chili Cheese Tots and Cherry Limeade they’ve been craving. Weeks before the grand opening however, flocks of …read more
There are a number of regional fast-food chains that aren’t found here in Chicago: In-N-Out, Sonic, Chick-fil-A, to name a few. But soon, California-based burger chain Fatburger won’t be one of them. The first restaurant is set to open next month in Orland Park.
KW Foods LLC, owned by Chicagoan Kanye West, has the rights to develop ten Fatburgers in the Chicago area. The second eatery is planned for January on the south side at Western Avenue and 95th Street. While a third location has been chosen, the lease has not yet been finalized.
Music, clothing, fast food… all Kanye needs now …read more
The Italian Beef is a simple sandwich that is unique to Chicago, and there are several places in the city to find this great dish. Of course, just as is the case with pizza and hot dogs, Chicagoans can debate for hours on who has the best. I’ve tried to be as fair as possible with this ranking order, but I’m sure there will still be contention. Be sure to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail, and let me know what you think!
8. Roma’s Italian Beef & Sausage. For decades, generations of loyal customers have been enjoying this …read more
Jay Leno, host of The Tonight Show, often hits up Mr. Beef on Orleans Street whenever he’s in town. And the folks at Mr. Beef won’t let you forget it either, as there are over a dozen pictures of him on the wall. If you’re not one to take stock in celebrity endorsements, Leno isn’t the only one who comes back to this establishment time and time again. Locals and tourists alike sing the praises of the Italian beef here, declaring it among the best served anywhere.
If you didn’t gather from the name, this place is not veggie-friendly. The menu …read more
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