Dining
-
Hot dog! 10 local joints to get a Chicago-style dog with everythingApr 08, 2026 2:00 pm - Here are 10 suburban hot dog spots where you can get a classic Chicago-style dog.
-
Dining out: Tax day specials, chef collab dinners and moreApr 08, 2026 12:56 pm - Tax day is around the corner and several restaurants are offering some relief. Plus, The Greggory and Prairie Grass Cafe will be hosting chef collaboration dinners and Puttshack recently added more than 50 food and beverage items to its menu.
-
Restaurant with cricket simulators gets go-ahead in WheelingApr 06, 2026 7:30 pm - Plans for a restaurant featuring cricket simulators got the Wheeling village board’s OK Monday night.
-
Distorted soda and sub shop debuts in Crystal Lake for local take on ‘dirty soda’ trend
Apr 02, 2026 3:05 pm - A new soda and sub shop has opened in downtown Crystal Lake, complete with a theme that transports customers back to the 1990s with an emphasis on grunge, rock and rap music that defined the era.
-
McDonald’s tries a simpler approach with its new McValue menu
Apr 02, 2026 2:56 pm - After two years of tweaks to its value menu, McDonald’s has a new strategy: Keep it simple. The fast-food giant’s budget-focused McValue menu will have 10 items that each cost under $3 starting April 21. The breakfast items include hash browns or a Sausage McMuffin. A small order of fries or a McDouble burger are among the options the rest of the day.
-
‘Going to be crazy for this coffee’: 7 Brew continues resurgence of former mall area in St. Charles
Apr 02, 2026 11:36 am - With lines of customers frequently wrapping around their buildings, a proposed 7 Brew coffee and energy drink hotspot should continue the revitalization of the former mall property in St. Charles.
-
How oil and gas prices affect your restaurant billApr 01, 2026 9:54 am - The price of gas and oil can change almost hourly and, unfortunately, this affects more than just how much we pay at the pump.
-
Dining out: Still time to make Easter reservations, new spring specials and moreMar 31, 2026 8:12 pm - Easter is Sunday, but there’s still time to find reservations for brunch or dinner. Also, STK and Kona Grill have new spring specials, Burl in Evanston is hosting a dinner focused on sustainability, and there are a couple of new eateries in the north suburbs.
-
Takeout-focused Buffalo Wild Wings GO to open in Lake ZurichMar 31, 2026 2:57 pm - Buffalo Wild Wings GO will be opening in Lake Zurich Thursday with a promotion promising free wings for a year for the first 50 guests in line 18 and older. All other guests who visit on opening day will receive a voucher for $5 off any order of $25 or more redeemable through June 30.
-
Nonalcoholic stouts and porters have come a long way. Here are 6 of the best.
Mar 31, 2026 11:20 am - A decade ago, if you wanted a nonalcoholic stout or porter, you needed to lower your expectations. But the overall quality of nonalcoholic beer has improved dramatically over the past few years. One of the more distinctive beers in a blind tasting came from Go Brewing, based in Naperville.