The Chicago Traveler

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

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If you want a hot dog that packs a punch, head to Wiener and Still Champion in Evanston, where the cartoon wiener over the door is sporting a pair of boxing gloves. Anyone who’s been here will be sure to tell you that these franks are champs indeed.
Inside this simple storefront, patrons of all ages come to enjoy the Chicago-style dogs, along with fresh-cut fries that have been raved about since the place opened in 1975. Wiener also offers honest-to-goodness corndogs. It’s amazing how something so simple can hit the spot so perfectly. And they’re only a buck with any …read more

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It’s time to say good-bye to 2007. The year has treated me very well. I moved to a new apartment, did some traveling, and, best of all, began writing The Chicago Traveler! Many thanks to Mary Jo and everyone at b5media who has been so welcoming and helpful.
Even though The Chicago Traveler is only a few months old, let’s take a look back at the ten most popular articles of this year.
10. Abegweit. Resting peacefully on Lake Michigan, this beautiful ship was once the most powerful icebreaker in the world.
9. Let’s Boogie Records & Tapes. This music store on the …read more

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• Join the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement at Shikago Restaurant for their 2007 Holiday Party. Enjoy cocktails and modern Asian cuisine, all while taking in the beautiful city views. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. A $5 discount will be given at the door to those who donate professional apparel. (Dec 7)
• Want to support a Democratic candidate? RSVP for Change Rocks, a concert for Senator Barack Obama at the Riviera Theatre. Performers include Jeff Tweedy, Stephan Jenkins, and Jill Sobule. (Dec 7)
• The fifth annual Winter Arts and Crafts Expo at the Evanston Art …read more

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You can find a Mexican restaurant in Chicago on almost every other block. Tiny storefront taquerias with brightly-colored walls and a loud jukebox almost always make me happy. But no matter how good the food is, even I can admit it’s not unique. Most taquerias’ cuisines taste like any other. The excellent Latin restaurants downtown offer exceptional flavors, but their meals’ costs may be outside the average person’s daily budget. What to do? Meet the happy medium: Wholly Frijoles.
If you take anything away from this article, it must be this: call ahead. I’m not kidding. I tried just dropping in …read more

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Back to our International Tour, it’s time for Asia. While many may be familiar with Chicago’s Chinatown down on the South Side, there is also a New Chinatown developing and growing near the intersection of Argyle St and Broadway Ave. It’s a mix of Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian, and Thai shops and restaurants. Because Asia is the largest continent, there are plenty of cuisines to choose from. Sushi places and Chinese food are so common though, so let’s focus on some of the lesser-known tastes of Asia.
Zen Noodles in Wicker Park (around the corner from People Lounge) does offer sushi, …read more

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Chicago is inhabited by people from around the world, which you can see in its neighborhoods, shops, and restaurants. Take for example the neighborhood just a couple blocks from my apartment: Andersonville. It started as a Swedish community, but if you look around, Middle Eastern spots are popping up too. So let’s begin our International Tour of Chicago by looking at the Middle East.
Our first destination: Afghanistan. Tucked away in a mini-mall on Dempster Street in Skokie is Kabul House. This authentic Afghan eatery is the only one of its kind in town, and its name comes from the …read more

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The Fountain Square Building in Evanston may not be very big, but it still makes a visual impact. The building takes its name from the plaza in front, which has a war memorial and three fountains, and it provided a temporary home to the Evanston Public Library while the library’s new building was being constructed.

April 27, 1951. Douglas MacArthur,
General of the Army, placed a
wreath on this site, honoring
Evanston’s war casualties with
these words:
I do not know the dignity of these
men’s births but I do know the glory of
their death. They died that this nation
and all the things it stands for
shall not …read more

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