Yep, Portillo’s is where it’s at for spreading Chicago food across the nation. It’s not an A+, but it’s probably in the B+ to A- range. I am going to be a Chicago expat someday, and I hope that there will be a Portillo’s wherever I move so I can get my taste of home.

IDK, it seems to me like this is an indication that the GOP maybe wants to try to Jedi-mind-trick their way out of the abortion issue this November. Like if they keep repeating “voters don’t care about abortion” over and over again for months, voters might stop caring about abortion?

Oh yeah - I understand.  That’s what I was talking about with the “snobbishness” comment.  I’m saying I understand why “no ketchup” is a thing, but the attitude that it’s the only “right” way is stupid.

Conspicuously missing from this list is Fight Milk, the first alcoholic, dairy-based protein drink for bodyguards by bodyguards!  Crow eggs, milk, and vodka - sounds delicious.

IMO, cheesesteaks need something to cut the grease a little bit. I could see a vinegary ketchup doing that pretty well, but I’ve never tried it. I usually use banana peppers, but I don’t live anywhere near Philly and I don’t know if that’s an option there.

One of my cousins would only eat vegetables if they were stirred into mashed potatoes with ketchup. Corn, peas, beans, anything. It was disgusting. He is grown up now and doesn’t do it any more, thankfully.

Chicago dogs have tomatoes on them already, and the relish on a true Chicago-style dog is super sweet. So putting additional tomato and sweetness on them is gross. This is where the “no ketchup” thing came from.

Yeah, I’m kinda guilty of that. Not because I’m apathetic, but because I was a little bit cynical. I always thought the “culture war” Republicans are waging was just for show, and they weren’t dumb enough to actually go ahead and overturn Roe. Doing that would put abortion bans on the ballot, and that’s a losing issue…

I tried foie gras poutine in Montreal once, and it was insanely good.  

I thought liver dumpling soup was usually beef liver, but some may prepare it differently.

I think the review is spot-on: It doesn’t try to be Heinz, it goes its own way and tries to create its own flavor.  I haven’t had it in a while, but I seem to remember it having a little bit of a green pepper flavor too.  I really enjoy it, but Heinz is better.

Hunt’s is too sweet for me, I like the extra vinegar taste Heinz has. But if you like it really sweet, I could understand liking Hunt’s better.

Ugh, the meatballs and mayo.  I knew a guy who ordered a meatball sub with mayo and mustard because he lost a bet, and he ended up loving it and ordered it every time he went to Subway.

It’s an OLD menu item that hasn’t been there for years (maybe a decade or more). I haven’t eaten at Subway with any regularity in at least 15 years, so I don’t know when it was discontinued.  It was imitation crab meat doused in mayo, as far as I could tell. It was fine if you liked Krab and mayo I guess.

Yes, you definitely want to do something to make sure the crust crisps. Directly on the oven rack is probably best, but I use a pizza pan with holes because it’s cleaner, and then lower the oven rack a notch or two from the center.

Home Run Inn has freaking outstanding frozen pizzas. By far the best overall frozen pizza I’ve ever had, and better than some big chain pizzas are fresh.  The crust is amazing.  They are probably relatively local to Chicago though.

• Cream of tartar is a chemical, not an herb. It will literally keep forever.

LOL, I was going to mention Gene & Jude’s because it’s right there, but I decided against it because I thought I would be going off track.  Hope you get a chance to check it out sometime!

Overall, this is spot-on. Krakus is “fine,” but not the best.  A couple of things though:

For those of you in the Chicago area, I would also strongly recommend Hala Kahiki in River Grove. The drinks are more classic tiki drinks, not as creative as somewhere like Three Dots and a Dash or Lost Lake, and they go a little heavier on the fruit and lighter on the spice. But they have a huge menu, a freaking…