@chitribfood

The beauty of Thanksgiving is its purity — no frills, no nonsense. It’s a holiday almost exclusively about the food.⁠ ⁠ Which also means the stakes are pretty high for a delicious meal pulled off without a hitch. Rather than risk a turkey fryer explosion (always remember to thaw!) or burned potatoes, Chicagoland restaurants will do all the hard work for you.⁠ ⁠ We sense a little extra burst of holiday spirit coursing through the city this year, as chefs have dreamed up every sort of Thanksgiving imaginable: vegan, Irish, Greek, French, Peruvian, Cajun, buffet, take-home, dine-in, turkey-free or even just free.⁠ ⁠ Whether you want to dine in the restaurant, host your own Friendsgiving, or take premade meal packages home, click the link in our bio and give thanks that you won’t be cooking with the help of these Chicagoland Turkey Day specials. (Photo by @bubcity)

The beauty of Thanksgiving is its purity — no frills, no nonsense. It’s a holiday almost exclusively about the food.⁠ ⁠ Which also means the stakes are pretty high for a delicious meal pulled off without a hitch. Rather than risk a turkey fryer explosion (always remember to thaw!) or burned potatoes, Chicagoland restaurants will do all the hard work for you.⁠ ⁠ We sense a little extra burst of holiday spirit coursing through the city this year, as chefs have dreamed up every sort of Thanksgiving imaginable: vegan, Irish, Greek, French, Peruvian, Cajun, buffet, take-home, dine-in, turkey-free or even just free.⁠ ⁠ Whether you want to dine in the restaurant, host your own Friendsgiving, or take premade meal packages home, click the link in our bio and give thanks that you won’t be cooking with the help of these Chicagoland Turkey Day specials. (Photo by @bubcity)

@chitribfood Nov 15

What do Swift & Sons, the swanky Fulton Market steakhouse, and Fixin’ Franks (@fixinfranks), the surprisingly great hot dog stand located inside select Home Depot locations, have in common?⁠ ⁠ Both serve the finest kind of beef from a new Michigan-based wagyu producer called Vander Farmers (@vanderfarmers).⁠ ⁠ Mario and Marjolein vanderHulst, who came to the United States in 2001 via Amsterdam, created the brand Vander Farmers in June with the idea of selling the wagyu, regarded as the finest type of beef for its rich flavor and intense marbling of fat, to Chicago restaurants. It went better than expected.⁠ ⁠ “We started sending our beef out, just to see if there was a need for our product,” Mario vanderHulst said. “Within 24 hours, we had chefs asking to put it on their menu. This is how it all started.”⁠ ⁠ You can find Vander Farmers’ wagyu clearly listed on the menus at both Swift & Sons and El Che. Flour Power, a pasta shop in West Town, is also a frequent customer.⁠ ⁠ But the cheapest way to try the Vander Farmers’ wagyu is to head to Fixin’ Franks inside a handful of Home Depots, which you can score for $8. Tap the link in our bio to learn more. (Nick Kindelsperger / @nkindelsperger)

What do Swift & Sons, the swanky Fulton Market steakhouse, and Fixin’ Franks (@fixinfranks), the surprisingly great hot dog stand located inside select Home Depot locations, have in common?⁠ ⁠ Both serve the finest kind of beef from a new Michigan-based wagyu producer called Vander Farmers (@vanderfarmers).⁠ ⁠ Mario and Marjolein vanderHulst, who came to the United States in 2001 via Amsterdam, created the brand Vander Farmers in June with the idea of selling the wagyu, regarded as the finest type of beef for its rich flavor and intense marbling of fat, to Chicago restaurants. It went better than expected.⁠ ⁠ “We started sending our beef out, just to see if there was a need for our product,” Mario vanderHulst said. “Within 24 hours, we had chefs asking to put it on their menu. This is how it all started.”⁠ ⁠ You can find Vander Farmers’ wagyu clearly listed on the menus at both Swift & Sons and El Che. Flour Power, a pasta shop in West Town, is also a frequent customer.⁠ ⁠ But the cheapest way to try the Vander Farmers’ wagyu is to head to Fixin’ Franks inside a handful of Home Depots, which you can score for $8. Tap the link in our bio to learn more. (Nick Kindelsperger / @nkindelsperger)

@chitribfood Nov 14

No need to panic, but the Billy Goat Tavern (@cheezborger) changed its hamburger bun.⁠ ⁠ For most restaurants, this wouldn’t matter in the slightest. But few places in Chicago have changed less over the past 40 years than the Billy Goat Tavern. Save for a bathroom renovation and a private event room added in 2018, the subterranean hangout, famously located a floor below the glitz of Michigan Avenue and the inspiration behind a 1978 “Saturday Night Live” sketch, still has the lovably disheveled feel of a neighborhood dive.⁠ ⁠ Considering the surrounding area is now flooded with upscale lounges, this is part of the appeal. The food still comes out on a flimsy sheet of wax paper. Nearly all the tables and chairs wobble. The lighting does no one favors. It’s just an unpretentious place to grab a drink and order a “cheezborger.”⁠ ⁠ Which makes the recent bun news, first reported by Axios Chicago, all the more surprising.⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in our bio to find out the surprising reason for the change and for a bit more history on the Billy Goat’s classic burger. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune / @ejwamb)

No need to panic, but the Billy Goat Tavern (@cheezborger) changed its hamburger bun.⁠ ⁠ For most restaurants, this wouldn’t matter in the slightest. But few places in Chicago have changed less over the past 40 years than the Billy Goat Tavern. Save for a bathroom renovation and a private event room added in 2018, the subterranean hangout, famously located a floor below the glitz of Michigan Avenue and the inspiration behind a 1978 “Saturday Night Live” sketch, still has the lovably disheveled feel of a neighborhood dive.⁠ ⁠ Considering the surrounding area is now flooded with upscale lounges, this is part of the appeal. The food still comes out on a flimsy sheet of wax paper. Nearly all the tables and chairs wobble. The lighting does no one favors. It’s just an unpretentious place to grab a drink and order a “cheezborger.”⁠ ⁠ Which makes the recent bun news, first reported by Axios Chicago, all the more surprising.⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in our bio to find out the surprising reason for the change and for a bit more history on the Billy Goat’s classic burger. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune / @ejwamb)

@chitribfood Nov 10

This has been the year of “The Bear.” Not as in a Chinese zodiac animal, but the critically acclaimed kitchen drama about a young chef who leaves the fine dining world to reluctantly run his family's sandwich shop.⁠ ⁠ In the case of Loaf Lounge, art imitates life.⁠ ⁠ Chefs Ben Lustbader and Sarah Mispagel also left fine dining restaurants to run their own sandwich shop with intention. They opened Loaf Lounge (@loaf_lounge) in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago this summer. To further blur life and art, Mispagel worked as a pastry consultant on the show. You can now taste what’s called The Bear chocolate cake at Loaf Lounge.⁠ ⁠ While the cake has become famous, Lustbader’s breakfast sandwiches have quietly become just as popular in their own right. “There are days when we’re neck and neck,” Mispagel said about her husband. “He’ll sell 120 sausage muffins, and I’ll sell 119 slices of the cake.”⁠ ⁠ “But it’s their stunning salmon breakfast sandwich that hints at past and future stories,” writes Tribune food critic Louisa Chu (@louisachu1). “I felt thoroughly underdressed for the open-faced canvas arranged extravagantly with cured curls and glistening roe.”⁠ ⁠ And then there’s a whole other collection of lunch sandwiches, bread and baked goods. Tap the link in our bio to read the full review by Chu. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune / @malarchy)

This has been the year of “The Bear.” Not as in a Chinese zodiac animal, but the critically acclaimed kitchen drama about a young chef who leaves the fine dining world to reluctantly run his family's sandwich shop.⁠ ⁠ In the case of Loaf Lounge, art imitates life.⁠ ⁠ Chefs Ben Lustbader and Sarah Mispagel also left fine dining restaurants to run their own sandwich shop with intention. They opened Loaf Lounge (@loaf_lounge) in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago this summer. To further blur life and art, Mispagel worked as a pastry consultant on the show. You can now taste what’s called The Bear chocolate cake at Loaf Lounge.⁠ ⁠ While the cake has become famous, Lustbader’s breakfast sandwiches have quietly become just as popular in their own right. “There are days when we’re neck and neck,” Mispagel said about her husband. “He’ll sell 120 sausage muffins, and I’ll sell 119 slices of the cake.”⁠ ⁠ “But it’s their stunning salmon breakfast sandwich that hints at past and future stories,” writes Tribune food critic Louisa Chu (@louisachu1). “I felt thoroughly underdressed for the open-faced canvas arranged extravagantly with cured curls and glistening roe.”⁠ ⁠ And then there’s a whole other collection of lunch sandwiches, bread and baked goods. Tap the link in our bio to read the full review by Chu. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune / @malarchy)

@chitribfood Nov 9

What’s different at Hop Butcher for the World’s taproom (@hopbutcher), which opens Thursday, are three major artistic flourishes and, of course, the beer pouring from the taps.⁠ ⁠ Otherwise, the bones of the room on a busy stretch of Lincoln Avenue in the North Center neighborhood largely echo its eight years as one of Chicago’s most venerable taprooms in the hands of Half Acre Beer Co.⁠ ⁠ The key, said Hop Butcher co-founders Jeremiah Zimmer and Jude La Rose, shown here, was maintaining what made the space special while also making it their own. It’s a room as meaningful to them as any beer drinker; after opening their first business checking account in 2014, they headed there to celebrate. They never imagined it would one day be theirs.⁠ ⁠ “Half Acre built a beautiful place to drink beer,” Zimmer said. “We stayed true to what we felt was already magical about that space and tried to breathe our own magic into it.”⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in our bio to read more about Thursday’s opening. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune / @briancassella)⁠

What’s different at Hop Butcher for the World’s taproom (@hopbutcher), which opens Thursday, are three major artistic flourishes and, of course, the beer pouring from the taps.⁠ ⁠ Otherwise, the bones of the room on a busy stretch of Lincoln Avenue in the North Center neighborhood largely echo its eight years as one of Chicago’s most venerable taprooms in the hands of Half Acre Beer Co.⁠ ⁠ The key, said Hop Butcher co-founders Jeremiah Zimmer and Jude La Rose, shown here, was maintaining what made the space special while also making it their own. It’s a room as meaningful to them as any beer drinker; after opening their first business checking account in 2014, they headed there to celebrate. They never imagined it would one day be theirs.⁠ ⁠ “Half Acre built a beautiful place to drink beer,” Zimmer said. “We stayed true to what we felt was already magical about that space and tried to breathe our own magic into it.”⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in our bio to read more about Thursday’s opening. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune / @briancassella)⁠

@chitribfood Nov 8

Among an absolutely delectable-sounding array of cookies, one winner awaits its crown — but it’ll be up to you to help us decide.⁠ ⁠ Going strong since 1986 (except for a blip in 1999), The Chicago Tribune’s 36th annual Holiday Cookie Contest seeks out the best, the most scrumptious, and the most deliciously creative cookies in the Chicago area. This year, there are 35 entries to choose from.⁠ ⁠ Readers can vote once a day until 11:59 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28 for the recipes they want to compete for three cash prizes: first ($250), second ($150) and third ($50) place. After voting ends, the top 12 recipes will be baked and judged by Tribune journalists and dedicated cookie lovers. We’ll announce the winners online and in print Nov. 30. ⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in our bio to view the cookie recipes and to vote. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune / @ejwamb)⁠

Among an absolutely delectable-sounding array of cookies, one winner awaits its crown — but it’ll be up to you to help us decide.⁠ ⁠ Going strong since 1986 (except for a blip in 1999), The Chicago Tribune’s 36th annual Holiday Cookie Contest seeks out the best, the most scrumptious, and the most deliciously creative cookies in the Chicago area. This year, there are 35 entries to choose from.⁠ ⁠ Readers can vote once a day until 11:59 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28 for the recipes they want to compete for three cash prizes: first ($250), second ($150) and third ($50) place. After voting ends, the top 12 recipes will be baked and judged by Tribune journalists and dedicated cookie lovers. We’ll announce the winners online and in print Nov. 30. ⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in our bio to view the cookie recipes and to vote. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune / @ejwamb)⁠

@chitribfood Oct 22

Finch Beer Co. is out and Old Irving Brewing (@oldirvingbrewing) is in at a West Town facility that will soon be home to its fourth brewery in the last decade.⁠ ⁠ The move underscores the tenuous moment in the craft beer industry, where brands such as Finch struggle to compete amid intense competition and the rising cost of doing business — yet others, such as Old Irving, see a narrow path for growth.⁠ ⁠ The move will mark a major expansion for Old Irving, which has built a steady fan base and won several high-profile awards since launching as a brewpub on Montrose Avenue in 2016.⁠ ⁠ Co-owner and head brewer Trevor Rose-Hamblin, on left, said one of those awards, a gold medal in the highly competitive juicy or hazy India pale ale category at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival, helped Old Irving surge past the production limits at its brewpub. The new space will allow Old Irving to bring all production in-house.⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in our bio to read about the plans for a taproom in its West Town space. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Finch Beer Co. is out and Old Irving Brewing (@oldirvingbrewing) is in at a West Town facility that will soon be home to its fourth brewery in the last decade.⁠ ⁠ The move underscores the tenuous moment in the craft beer industry, where brands such as Finch struggle to compete amid intense competition and the rising cost of doing business — yet others, such as Old Irving, see a narrow path for growth.⁠ ⁠ The move will mark a major expansion for Old Irving, which has built a steady fan base and won several high-profile awards since launching as a brewpub on Montrose Avenue in 2016.⁠ ⁠ Co-owner and head brewer Trevor Rose-Hamblin, on left, said one of those awards, a gold medal in the highly competitive juicy or hazy India pale ale category at the 2019 Great American Beer Festival, helped Old Irving surge past the production limits at its brewpub. The new space will allow Old Irving to bring all production in-house.⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in our bio to read about the plans for a taproom in its West Town space. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

@chitribfood Oct 13

Two-and-a-half years into a pandemic that’s turning endemic, bars and restaurants are finding they need to do healthy business earlier in the day for a simple reason: Late-night eating and drinking just isn’t what it was. And it may never be again.⁠ ⁠ “Happy hour and early evenings are much more robust than pre-pandemic,” said Long Room co-owner Jason Burrell. “People are going out earlier and getting home earlier — myself included.”⁠ ⁠ Even as business climbs back to pre-pandemic levels for many bars and restaurants, owners say the late-night crowd has remained stubbornly elusive, leading countless establishments to close earlier or even open fewer days during the week. Many bar and restaurant operators are mostly left to guess why.⁠ ⁠ Most obvious are pandemic restrictions, which bred new habits that haven’t gone away with a return to normal operations. Also, countless people continue working from home or in a hybrid model that has them out earlier, even in the middle of the day with a laptop while working.⁠ ⁠ There are other factors, too, like the expense of ride-sharing services spiking late at night. Either way, many bars and restaurants are recalibrating how late they’re open as they adjust to shifting consumer habits. ⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in our bio to learn more. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Two-and-a-half years into a pandemic that’s turning endemic, bars and restaurants are finding they need to do healthy business earlier in the day for a simple reason: Late-night eating and drinking just isn’t what it was. And it may never be again.⁠ ⁠ “Happy hour and early evenings are much more robust than pre-pandemic,” said Long Room co-owner Jason Burrell. “People are going out earlier and getting home earlier — myself included.”⁠ ⁠ Even as business climbs back to pre-pandemic levels for many bars and restaurants, owners say the late-night crowd has remained stubbornly elusive, leading countless establishments to close earlier or even open fewer days during the week. Many bar and restaurant operators are mostly left to guess why.⁠ ⁠ Most obvious are pandemic restrictions, which bred new habits that haven’t gone away with a return to normal operations. Also, countless people continue working from home or in a hybrid model that has them out earlier, even in the middle of the day with a laptop while working.⁠ ⁠ There are other factors, too, like the expense of ride-sharing services spiking late at night. Either way, many bars and restaurants are recalibrating how late they’re open as they adjust to shifting consumer habits. ⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in our bio to learn more. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

@chitribfood Oct 12

“National food holidays are inherently silly,” writes Tribune food critic Nick Kindelsperger, “but I’ll never pass up a reasonable excuse to chat about tacos. Even though I wouldn’t think too hard about why National Taco Day is Oct. 4, why not use this as an excuse to look back on the past year?” It was his good fortune over the past 12 months to eat even more tacos than usual. That research culminated in his list of the 31 best tacos in the city, which is still a helpful overview of the taco scene around Chicagoland. But as is always the case, great taco spots continued to open even after that feature was published. Plus, @nkindelsperger wanted to highlight a couple new spots that almost made the cut. While the hottest filling of 2020, quesabirria, continued to expand around the city, this past year saw a remarkable proliferation of real al pastor. That means that chefs are marinating thick slices of pork and cooking them on a trompo, or a vertical rotisserie. “Considering it’s my favorite taco style, I followed this development with a fair bit of enthusiasm. But that’s just the beginning,” writes Kindelsperger. Click the link in our bio for his favorite tacos from places that have opened in the past 12 months. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)

“National food holidays are inherently silly,” writes Tribune food critic Nick Kindelsperger, “but I’ll never pass up a reasonable excuse to chat about tacos. Even though I wouldn’t think too hard about why National Taco Day is Oct. 4, why not use this as an excuse to look back on the past year?” It was his good fortune over the past 12 months to eat even more tacos than usual. That research culminated in his list of the 31 best tacos in the city, which is still a helpful overview of the taco scene around Chicagoland. But as is always the case, great taco spots continued to open even after that feature was published. Plus, @nkindelsperger wanted to highlight a couple new spots that almost made the cut. While the hottest filling of 2020, quesabirria, continued to expand around the city, this past year saw a remarkable proliferation of real al pastor. That means that chefs are marinating thick slices of pork and cooking them on a trompo, or a vertical rotisserie. “Considering it’s my favorite taco style, I followed this development with a fair bit of enthusiasm. But that’s just the beginning,” writes Kindelsperger. Click the link in our bio for his favorite tacos from places that have opened in the past 12 months. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)

@chitribfood Oct 4

Revolution Brewing (@revbrewchicago) and Garrett Popcorn (@garrettpopcorn) have been neighbors under the same roof for nine years, and that has led to the inevitable: a Revolution beer made with Garrett popcorn.⁠ ⁠ When the process began in January, the idea of what to do — brown ale made with Garrett’s renowned CaramelCrisp — came quickly. But how to do it took some time.⁠ ⁠ Revolution added different sorts of popcorn to the brewing process. It considered different ingredients used in Garrett’s caramel corn. It tried sweetening the beer with various caramel flavors. It tinkered with about a dozen trials, but landed in a simple place: including Garrett’s caramel corn in the earliest step of the brewing process and adding a dose of brown sugar — and that’s it. No further caramel flavoring required.⁠ ⁠ The result, also called CaramelCrisp, begins to roll out today, with a broad release across Illinois by Oct. 1. Tap the link in our bio for more on how it tastes. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune / @malarchy)

Revolution Brewing (@revbrewchicago) and Garrett Popcorn (@garrettpopcorn) have been neighbors under the same roof for nine years, and that has led to the inevitable: a Revolution beer made with Garrett popcorn.⁠ ⁠ When the process began in January, the idea of what to do — brown ale made with Garrett’s renowned CaramelCrisp — came quickly. But how to do it took some time.⁠ ⁠ Revolution added different sorts of popcorn to the brewing process. It considered different ingredients used in Garrett’s caramel corn. It tried sweetening the beer with various caramel flavors. It tinkered with about a dozen trials, but landed in a simple place: including Garrett’s caramel corn in the earliest step of the brewing process and adding a dose of brown sugar — and that’s it. No further caramel flavoring required.⁠ ⁠ The result, also called CaramelCrisp, begins to roll out today, with a broad release across Illinois by Oct. 1. Tap the link in our bio for more on how it tastes. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune / @malarchy)

@chitribfood Sep 14

While gyros were undoubtedly invented in Greece, enterprising Chicagoans played a surprisingly important role in popularizing the meaty sandwich across the United States.⁠ ⁠ Starting in the 1970s, local companies like Grecian Delight, Kronos Foods and Olympia Gyros were able to mass produce the meat cones that restaurants could then cook on vertical rotisseries. Decades later, you can still find gyros in nearly every Chicago neighborhood.⁠ ⁠ “Fortunately, a growing number of restaurants are taking the time to make gyros from scratch,” writes the Tribune’s Nick Kindelsperger (@nkindelsperger). “In fact, since my last list, scoring great gyros in Chicago has gotten even easier.” ⁠ ⁠ Click the link in our bio for five incredible gyros in the city and suburbs, including the one shown here at Andros Taverna (@eatatandros). (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)⁠

While gyros were undoubtedly invented in Greece, enterprising Chicagoans played a surprisingly important role in popularizing the meaty sandwich across the United States.⁠ ⁠ Starting in the 1970s, local companies like Grecian Delight, Kronos Foods and Olympia Gyros were able to mass produce the meat cones that restaurants could then cook on vertical rotisseries. Decades later, you can still find gyros in nearly every Chicago neighborhood.⁠ ⁠ “Fortunately, a growing number of restaurants are taking the time to make gyros from scratch,” writes the Tribune’s Nick Kindelsperger (@nkindelsperger). “In fact, since my last list, scoring great gyros in Chicago has gotten even easier.” ⁠ ⁠ Click the link in our bio for five incredible gyros in the city and suburbs, including the one shown here at Andros Taverna (@eatatandros). (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)⁠

@chitribfood Sep 1

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer with a three-day weekend offering a last chance to make the most of the nice weather with grilled food, refreshing drinks and music. Restaurants and bars throughout the Chicago area extend their weekend brunches to Monday, offer patriotic specials and host parties to provide a little late-season fun in the sun. Click the link in our bio for 14 specials you can enjoy this weekend. (Great American Lobster Fest)

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer with a three-day weekend offering a last chance to make the most of the nice weather with grilled food, refreshing drinks and music. Restaurants and bars throughout the Chicago area extend their weekend brunches to Monday, offer patriotic specials and host parties to provide a little late-season fun in the sun. Click the link in our bio for 14 specials you can enjoy this weekend. (Great American Lobster Fest)

@chitribfood Sep 1

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