Out beyond the hoity-toity Chicago suburb where we raised our family, there’s the outpost of the town of Wauconda, IL, a nice little lake, some shops, quiet neighborhoods. We used to go there pretty often for an ‘all you can eat’ Friday nite fish fry, quite common in Northern Illinois, Southern Wisconsin. But today it… Continue reading Wauconda, IL – Scooter’s Hot Dogs
Category: Sausage
Connie’s “Naturals” – Another Chicago Frozen Pizza
Connie’s “Natural” is another frozen pie spawned from a Chicago pizzeria. Their hook is the product is “all natural”, which isn’t a selling point for me, personally, but it appears to make some people happy. In 1963, Jim Stolfe traded his 1962 Oldsmobile for a small pizza shop on Chicago’s south side. Over the past… Continue reading Connie’s “Naturals” – Another Chicago Frozen Pizza
Usinger’s Meats – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
I wrote a bit about Usinger’s the other day. Here’s the rest of the story, as I prepare to dig into their natural casing “Old World Recipe” wieners. Pretty straightforward ingredients with these pups, beef and pork, water, spices, sugar, salt, paprika, and a couple of the sodiums as a preservative, in a natural lamb… Continue reading Usinger’s Meats – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Algonquin, IL – Nero’s Pizza and Pub Review
(2nd contribution from our Chicagoland reporter, thanks!) In the far Northwestern suburbs of Chicago, Algonquin is a sleepy burg, with its share of housing divisions and strip malls. In one such mall, on Algonquin Road, you’ll find Nero’s Pizza and Pub, a full menu restaurant and bar, open from 11AM daily. On the Monday nite… Continue reading Algonquin, IL – Nero’s Pizza and Pub Review
Milwaukee – Sausage Town
Milwaukee is a great meat town, and an even better sausage town. Two of my favorite companies are there, Klement’s, and Usingers, with the latter dating back well over one hundred years, and the former, the upstart, being only about 70 years old. Both companies offer a wide variety of smoked and fresh sausages, deli… Continue reading Milwaukee – Sausage Town
Algonquin, IL – East Side Joey’s Pizza
(From our new Chicago reporter) East Side Joey’s Pizza, the brainchild of Mark Drozek, opened in Algonquin in mid 2011. Drozek brought 30 years of restaurant experience to the new venture, including previously owning Little Joey’s Pizza. The “East Side” moniker is due to the location on the east side of the river, before you… Continue reading Algonquin, IL – East Side Joey’s Pizza
Coming Soon – We Do The Famous NC BBQ Trail
Been wanting to hit this for a few years, we’ll be winding our way from West to East, North to South across the state, sampling all the ‘Cue we can handle. Stay tuned for reports and pix.
Frozen Pie Smackdown – Home Run Inn vs Reggio’s
Years ago, when I lived in Chicago, Home Run Inn or Reggio’s was my choice of frozen pizzas. Which one I picked up just depended on what the store I was visiting, was carrying. I always considered them equals, and among the best of the best in frozen pies. The taste and appearance are similar,… Continue reading Frozen Pie Smackdown – Home Run Inn vs Reggio’s
Gino’s East of Chicago – Frozen Classic Sausage Patty Deep Dish Pizza
(From our archives) True “Chicago Deep Dish” pizza was ‘invented’ in the 1940s by Pizzeria Uno. Some folks claim the Malnati family deserves the credit too. But in 1966, two cabbies and a friend started Gino’s East in downtown Chicago, and for me, that’s the epitome of Chicago deep dish. Chicago deep dish should not… Continue reading Gino’s East of Chicago – Frozen Classic Sausage Patty Deep Dish Pizza
Marios Pizza and Restaurant Review, Albuquerque, NM –
(Editor note – I am currently traveling and will be mostly posting reviews that I left unfinished for one reason or another, while building up a repertoire of the new places I hit! There will also be reviews from some new reporters we have signed up). Local favorite, going on 50 years, I was delighted… Continue reading Marios Pizza and Restaurant Review, Albuquerque, NM –