Illinois

Just outside Peoria, a quiet village holds a story most people drive right past. Behind ordinary streets and…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 22

On the far South Side of Chicago, there is a small counter where people happily wait in line…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 22

Some tacos are a quick snack, and some tacos come with a side of broth and a to-go…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 22

On the Southwest Side of Chicago, a line forms on Sunday mornings before most people have even hit…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 21

Fries get most of the attention, but a good onion ring tells you a lot about a drive-in.…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 21

Some road trip stops last ten minutes and leave no trace. Others turn into the story you tell…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 21

Springfield gave the world Abraham Lincoln’s law office, and it also gave the world a sandwich that hides…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 20

On the Northwest Side of Chicago, two giant hot dog characters stand on a rooftop and keep watch…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 20

Some of the best dinners in Illinois are not found on busy city streets. They sit out on…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 20

Some highway signs are easy to ignore. Then there are the ones promising pies a foot high, and…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 19

Some meals get eaten in the car at a red light, and some meals make people plan their…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 19

Some Chicago nights call for a stage, a pool table, and a plate of smoked brisket all under…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 19

Some Chicago restaurants chase trends, and one River North steakhouse has spent more than eight decades ignoring them…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 18

Some dinners feel like a quick meal, and some feel like a night out from another era. In…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 18

Ask a South Side regular where to find rib tips after dark, and the answer usually comes fast.…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 18

Some Chicago breakfast spots chase trends, and some just keep the coffee coming. This one has a sign…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 17

Some diners open a can and call it soup. The seven places on this list do it the…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 17

Plenty of sandwich shops claim to make a real Philly cheesesteak, but very few can win over people…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 17

Some Bloomington mornings start with an alarm clock, and some start with a mission. On the east side…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 16

Chicago winters can be rough, but they also give us the best excuse to hunt down a big…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 16

Chicago has deep dish and Italian beef, but the jibarito is the sandwich many visitors never hear about.…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 16

Some retirees chase beaches and high rents. Others are packing up for a river city in western Illinois…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 15

Some restaurants feel new every year. Others feel like they have quietly kept the same promise for generations,…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 15

Belleville, Illinois, has deep German roots, so a headline about sauerkraut and bratwurst tends to make local stomachs…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 15

Every winter, a quiet stretch of the Illinois River near Ottawa turns into one of the best places…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 14

Some towns grow up fast, with new roads and shopping centers. Others seem to stop the clock and…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 14

Some meals call for a plan, and an all-you-can-eat buffet with crab legs on the line is one…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 14

Some meals never go out of style, and the hot beef sandwich is one of them. Picture slices…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 13

Some places feel like they were built to keep people around a little longer, and this one in…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 13

Some chili gets cooked in one big pot and ladled out the same way for everyone. In Springfield,…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 13

Some small towns are remembered for a courthouse or a parade, but Arcola, Illinois, has long had another…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 12

Some road trips start with a map, and some start with a craving for fresh bread and a…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 12

Retirement money stretches further when your morning view is a wide river instead of a highway. Across Illinois,…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 12

Some barbecue fans plan their whole afternoon around one tray of brisket, and in Champaign, that habit makes…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 11

Some Illinois inns have been feeding travelers since before your great-grandparents were born. A few come with ghost…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 11

Some Chicago spots chase trends every season. Others stay put, hang a few more paintings on the wall,…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 11

Some houses keep their front doors shut and still manage to draw a steady crowd. In Alton, Illinois,…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 10

Some dinners are just meals, and some dinners feel like a trip back to a time when going…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 10

Some restaurants chase trends, and some restaurants simply outlast them. On a busy stretch of road in Rockford,…

By Lincoln Avery · Oct 10