Jewel-Osco – Kankakee, IL

20 12 2008
  • 446 S. Washington Ave
  • Kankakee, IL 60901
  • (815) 935-2040
  • Website
The Jewel-Osco store on Washington Avenue in Kankakee.

The Jewel-Osco store on Washington Avenue in Kankakee.

When you grow up in a small town, the closest supermarket isn’t always just around the corner.  In our case, the closest supermarket is a half hour away.  My family doesn’t have the luxury of deciding what they want for dinner then running to the store to get it.  I grew up in a time where there were no hypermarkets and supermarkets were a once a month trip.  The only one of those big chains that is still around today is Jewel-Osco.

Jewel-Osco started life and Jewel Food Stores and Osco Drugs.  Somewhere along the line, they merged to become Jewel-Osco.  The weird thing was, they were almost always in the same building and connected.  Osco was more like Walgreens with some items and Jewel did the food thing.  When other supermarkets started doing pharmacy’s along with some merchandise, Jewel and Osco just merged together.  I remember how this store used to be set up and it always seemed dumb.  There were two separate entrances and a hallway connecting the two stores, but you had to pay for each stores merchandise in their store.  Now, pretty much all Jewel-Osco stores are in the same building even though both brands usually have their own management teams and marketing identity. 

Jewel is pretty unique to Illinois although you can find stores in eastern Iowa and Northwest Indiana.  The homebase is in Melrose Park. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Illinois, Kankakee, Reviews

Jensen’s IGA – Clifton, IL

19 12 2008
  • 150 E. 4th St.
  • Clifton, IL 60927
  • (815) 694-2342
  • No Known Website
Jensens IGA just off the main highway in Clifton, IL

Jensen's IGA just off the main highway in Clifton, IL

I’m sure those of you stuck in Mid-Michigan right now aren’t going to feel too sorry for me.  I’m stuck in a small town in Iroquois County, Illinois with no power after a pretty good ice storm.  While we didn’t get the inches upon inches of snow, we got a heavy coating of ice which did a pretty destructive job of tearing down tree limbs and power lines.  My parents house is one of the unlucky few without power.  My brother, however, has power and, more importantly, heat, so I took a little drive five miles north to crash at my brother’s this afternoon.

Last night, my brother was raving about this new treat he had at his office the other day.  This area isn’t really known for it’s ethnic cuisines.  In fact, if you’re not looking for a burger and fries or pizza, you might have a hard time finding a place to eat.  So, when he had baklava for the first time this week, he thought it was a treat that the rest of the country had never heard of. 

After he got done telling us how great it was, he turned to me and asked if I could make it.  I hate phyllodough almost as much as I hate working with chocolate.  I told him it was a huge pain in the butt and it was going to cost him.  When I ended up at his house by myself all day, I thought I would be nice and try to make him something.  Obviously, he doesn’t have most of the stuff to make baklava, so I headed up to the local grocery store to see if they had it.

The only grocery store in Clifton is Jensen’s IGA.  It sits just off the main highway that runs through town and for a town of 1300 people, the store has much more than you would expect.  IGA is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket chain.  Almost any grocery store can apply to be a member of the IGA.  I can remember when the store in Clifton used to be a Red Fox which was a regional chain of supermarkets.  When Red Fox went out, the new owners signed on with IGA which gives them access to store brand products as well as marketing and brand recognition with customers. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Clifton, Grocery, Illinois, Reviews

Chicken-N-Spice – Joliet, IL

18 12 2008
  • 251 N. Chicago St.
  • Joliet, IL 60432
  • (815) 727-1100
  • No Known Website
  • No Online Menu
Chicken-N-Spice in downtown Joliet, IL

Chicken-N-Spice in downtown Joliet, IL

The biggest chicken breasts you’ll ever see.  That’s how I used to describe the chicken from my favorite chicken joint.  I went to school at the University of St. Francis in Joliet.  I wasn’t quite the foodie then that I am now.  When I ordered out, it was usually to Papa Johns or one of the other national chains.  I wish I knew then what I know now about food in the Chicago area.  I’m sure there are hundreds of places I missed out on.

Fortunately, one of the places I didn’t miss out on was a little chicken joint in downtown Joliet.  Chicken-N-Spice sits on Chicago Street near the ballpark, theater, and casino.  There’s not a lot of food options in downtown Joliet but as far as I’m concerned, there only needs to be one.

I was on my way to my parents how from DeKalb when I got the idea to detour to Joliet.  I was tired of paying tolls anyway and I was running out of cash.  I now owe the Illinois Toll Authority some money since they still have the change baskets on I-88.  Seriously, who carries $1.10 in change?   I thought they were doing away with all of those and didn’t bring enough home with me.  Instead of dealing with that, I got off  I-88 and made my way to Route 30 which would eventually take me into Joliet.

Chicken-N-Spice is the kind of place you look at and think twice about before going in.  It’s not a very inviting building.  It’s a small store that needs some work down to it.  The thing I always notice is that it’s constantly surrounded by Joliet PD, Will County Sheriff and a number of prisoner transport vehicles from surrounding counties.  For once, that’s not a bad thing.  Chicken-N-Spice is a gathering spot and if the cops eat there, it must be a good place. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chicken, Downtown, Illinois, Joliet, Local Flavor, Restaurant, Reviews

Convocation Center – DeKalb, IL

18 12 2008
  • 1525 W. Lincoln Highway
  • DeKalb, IL 60115
  • (815) 752-6831
  • Website
The Convocation Center on the campus of Northern Illinois University

The Convocation Center on the campus of Northern Illinois University

Here’s another Illinois school’s basketball arena I can cross off my list.  Northern Illinois University doesn’t get a whole lot of their basketball games televised.  They’re awfully close to Chicago, but not close enough to get a lot of attention from Comcast Sports Net.  The MAC doesn’t have a TV package with anyone, so televised games are few and far between in DeKalb. 

Southern Illinois University, on the other hand, has a good number of their games televised by Mediacomm (Comcast for Southern Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa).  They even do away games which is why I ended up in the rafters at the Convocation Center.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Convocation Center is that it’s not a huge arena.  All parking is on site and there’s only one way in where you’re directed to the nearest spot.  Once inside, it’s hard to realize NIU is not a Big Ten school.  The arena is a scaled down version of a major basketball arena.  You walk in on the concourse level between the upper and lower decks.  The walkways around the arena are actually an indoor track.  The whole area is carpeted and the bleachers push in and out like most high schools use.    Hell, there’s even a few luxury suites that open up into the arena with their own private seating section. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : DeKalb, Entertainment Venues, Illinois, Live Entertainment, Reviews

Fatty’s Pub & Grille – DeKalb, IL

18 12 2008
  • 1312 W. Lincoln Highway
  • DeKalb, IL 60115
  • (815) 758-7737
  • Website
  • Menu
Fattys Pub & Grille near the campus of Northern Illinois University

Fatty's Pub & Grille near the campus of Northern Illinois University

I have never been so happy to be in DeKalb, IL.  I got up early because of the snow storm last night, but I never thought it would be as bad as it was.  The roads were awful between Lansing and Kalamazoo.  I didn’t think I’d ever make it to where I needed to go.

It was slow going, but I did finally make it.  My four and a half hour trip took closer to six.  By the time I got to DeKalb, I was exhausted and my day was just starting.  I was working at Northern Illinois University where the NIU Huskies were taking on the Southern Illinois University Salukis in  men’s basketball.  Just before four o’clock, we were released for lunch.  No one knew where to go or what was even around.  Lucky I did some research before leaving Mid-Michigan.

Fatty’s Pub is located on Lincoln Highway not far from the Convocation Center and Huskie Stadium.  We piled into a couple cars and set out looking.  I put the address in my GPS, but by the time it found the satellites, we were turning into the parking lot.  The building sits pretty close to the road, so you have to go down a little alley to the back.  The parking lot and main entrance are located behind the building.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, DeKalb, Illinois, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews

Giddy…

9 12 2008

Sorry, not a food related post, but many of you know that I have commented from time to time on Illinois politics.  Today’s news that Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested on federal corruptions charges has made me giddy.  I’ve hated the man from day one.  I was at his Whistle Stop Tour of the state the weekend before he was inaugurated in 2003 and the theme of the weekend was “End Pay to Play in Illinois.”  I knew then it was a joke.  I was amazed in 2006 when Blago was elected to another term, but in Illinois, votes really don’t count.  The AP declared Blagojevich the winner a mere 30 seconds after the polls closed based on exit polling in Chicago.  The rest of the state didn’t even matter. 

It’s always amazed me how much people seem hate Jennifer Granholm.  Whatever your grievances are with her, they are nothing compared to what’s unfolding in Illinois right now.   Do you realize that in Illinois, the Democrats controlled the House, had a veto proof majority in the Senate, and all the Constitutional Offices yet they haven’t passed a Capitol Construction bill since George Ryan was governor?  They had a record setting overtime session in 2007 (Illinois is a part time legislature usually wrapping up in May with a veto session in October) in which a state budget wasn’t passed until the last minute in December and that was only temporary until they could get back to a regular session where they didn’t need a super-majority to pass.

Governor Blagojevich is a cancer on Illinois politics.  He is the stereotypical Chicago-Machine politician (his Father-in-Law is on the Chicago City Council and even they’ve feuded over some of Blagojevich’s decisions) and the best thing that could happen to the state happened today.  Hopefully, House Speaker and the Governor’s main rival, Mike Madigan (who is also a Democrat, but his daughter is Attorney General and will probably run for Governor in 2010, so he’s made Blagojevich look bad every chance he gets) will convene the House of Representatives and start impeachment proceedings.  The only thing that has held up impeachment in the past is Senate President Emil Jones who is now on the verge of retiring (at the end of current term).  Jones is rumored to be Senate Candidate 5 (along with Jesse Jackson, Jr.) named in the indictment as the candidate willing to grease the wheels to get Obama’s seat.  As Senate President, he was the Governor’s only ally and held up impeachment by refusing to bring the Governor to trial should the House find cause.  With Jones on his way out and Blagojevich in jail, there should be nothing stopping an impeachment.

…and that’s you’re primer on dirty Illinois politics.  Anything you’ve heard about the way things are done in Illinois is probably true.  Sorry for the distraction, and now back to all things food….

If you’re at all interested in following along, I’d suggest checking out Illinois’ premier statehouse newsman, Rich Miller’s blog.  Think MIRS, but better and the blog is free.

http://thecapitolfaxblog.com/


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Categories : Illinois, Politics

Jack Breslin Student Events Center

7 12 2008
  • 1 Birch Road
  • East Lansing, MI 48824
  • (517) 432-1989
  • Website
The view from our seats for a Michigan State basketball game at the Breslin Center

The view from our seats for a Michigan State basketball game at the Breslin Center

A year ago, when I stood in the Peoria Civic Center and watched Bradley University almost upset Michigan State, I never imagined that I would see this year’s Bradley/MSU from a seat in the Breslin Center.  Earlier in the week, J and I made sugar cookies like we do every year from my grandma’s recipe.  She took a few to work and one of her co-workers said he’d like some more.  He’s got access to MSU basketball tickets and I offered up a trade.  Two dozen home made sugar cookies for two tickets to the Michigan State vs. Bradley basketball game.  I lived up to my end of the bargain and two days later, J came home with a pair of tickets.

I have been to a number of college basketball games, but surprisingly, never as a spectator.  I do a lot of work for sports networks that broadcast these games and that’s how I usually go…including last year’s MSU/Bradley game that was aired on ESPNU.  I had been to the Breslin Center one other time, but that was for a volleyball game earlier in the year, so I was really looking forward to getting to go to a game.  J had never been to a college basketball game either, so it was a treat for both of us.

Before we ever got inside the Breslin Center, I already had a sour taste in my mouth.  Parking sucks.  Really sucks.  I tried looking online for a parking map before we left, but couldn’t find anything.  There were no signs directing you to a public lot and everything near the arena had a temporary sign out front that said those lots were for passes only.  I finally found a paid lot on Kalamazoo heading back towards Lansing and by the time we got there, it was almost full.  We were one of the last cars they let in and one of the parking attendants had to move their car to create more parking spaces.  The spaces were really tight and my mid-size truck didn’t want to fit very well.  Had we not left the game five minutes early, leaving would have been a mess. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Big Ten Tour, East Lansing, Live Entertainment, Michigan, Reviews

Illinois Casino Revenue Down…

4 12 2008

….and they’re blaming it on the smoking ban.  When you look at the numbers, it’s pretty hard to argue with that assumption.  Overall, casino revenue is down 7 percent while Illinois’ numbers are down 20.3 percent.  It’s not that attendance is down.  There’s another reason.

“Although the number of people coming to the casinos is about the same, the time they spend inside is down. They’re outside smoking. And in this business, if you’re not putting money in the machine or on the table—time is money.” (Tom Swoik, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association)

Illinois is different from Michigan in that all casino’s are effected.  There are no tribal lands in Illinois.  The problem is there are also no land based casino’s right now.  All the casino’s are old riverboats that are permanently docked, so they’re all on rivers.  The rivers are all close to the border states of Iowa, Indiana, and Missouri so in most cases, you can literally go a mile and a half across a bridge and be in a casino that allows smoking.   What the article doesn’t say is how Peoria is doing.  The Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria is at least an hour and a half to two hours from a smoking casino.  I’d be surprised if they saw a 20 percent drop, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Moline riverboat dropped much higher due to another boat in Davenport, IA less than a mile away.

My opinion is still that Illinois is not the problem.  The problem is the surrounding states being pansy’s and giving into the casino lobby.   They need to create a level playing field.  It’s always tough to be the first to do something.  Illinois is going to take some hits, but in the long run, they are making the right decision.  Delaware did the same thing and while their revenues dropped at first, they have recovered and are now above the pre-ban level.  It can be done.  It just takes lawmakers with some guts to make the right move.


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Categories : Food News, Illinois, Michigan, Politics

Circle K – Oak Lawn, IL

1 12 2008
  • 10601 S. Cicero Ave.
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60435
  • (708) 422-2449
  • Website
The Circle K on South Cicero Street in Oak Lawn, IL

The Circle K on South Cicero Street in Oak Lawn, IL

I don’t know what it is about Polar Pops that I crave, but fortunately, there’s a Circle K on the way from J’s parents to the Interstate back to Michigan.  After almost a week in Chicago, it was time to pack my truck back up and head north….but not before a stop at the Circle K.

If you read this blog, you know I’ve blogged in the past about there not being a Circle K in Lansing.  I don’t know why I have an affinity for the Polar Pop.  It’s not like the Pepsi that comes out of their machine is any different than the Pepsi that comes out of the machine at the Speedway down on the corner.  I think it has more to do with my daily routine when I Iived in Peoria. 

At least once during the day, I would stop at one of the many Circle K’s in the area to grab a pop.  Some days it was more than once.  On days when I had to be to work at 3 AM, I always stopped.  Some people need coffee.  I need Pepsi…at least I did then.  The point is, I need caffeine. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Champaign, Illinois, Oak Lawn

Weber Grill Restaurant – Chicago

30 11 2008
  • 539 N. State St.
  • Chicago, IL 60654
  • (312) 467-9696
  • Website
  • Menu
The Weber Grill Restaurant on State Street in downtown Chicago.

The Weber Grill Restaurant on State Street in downtown Chicago.

It isn’t very often that J and I eat at the same restaurant twice, so when I tell you this is the third time we’ve eaten at Weber Grill, you should know that it’s a good restaurant.  After spending all day walking around Chicago, it was finally time for dinner.  We had a reservation for 7:30 and we left The Gap at about 7:00 to start walking towards our dinner destination.

Weber Grill Restaurant is located at State and Ohio in the bottom floor of the Hilton Garden Inn.  The downtown restaurant is one of four locations with two others in the Chicago suburbs (Schaumburg and Lombard) and the third in Indianapolis.  Weber Grill is like no other restaurant you will ever go to.

Yes, Weber Grill Restaurant is owned by the same comapny that produces those kettle grills you should have on your patio or in your garage.  There are no stoves here.  Just grills.  Giant ranch grills.  Everything is cooked over live fire and charcoal.  It’s a grill lovers paradise.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : BBQ, Burgers, Chicago, Illinois, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Steak House

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