Today's Sun-Times has an interesting article on restaurateur and Chicago native LaVan Hawkins, who's opening Nancy's Pizza and Al's Italian Beef franchises even as he's set to go to prison on corruption charges. The biography of Hawkins is a true rags-to-riches, rise-and-fall-and-rise-again story starting with his early years running in a gang and battling drug addiction, then from working his way up from the lowest rung at a McDonald's to commanding a fast-food franchise empire...
With all the commentary from Elizabeth's Uncle Julio's post still fresh in mind, we gleaned this little tidbit from today's Sun-Times. Zagat released the results of its first-ever fast food survey. Using the same three criteria that they use for every other restaurant they rate (food, service, and atmosphere) Panera Bread came out on top as the best overall fast food chain. Raters praised the quality of Panera's "fresh-baked breads" and "top-notch sandwiches." Wendy's was...
McDonald's recently added a Third Pounder Burger to their menu here in Chicago. The new burger is a third of pound (duh) of Angus beef topped with restaurant-choice toppings such as bacon or mushrooms and, as always, cheese. Southern California was the first test market for the burgers, and Chicago is serving as the second. Should they catch on, expect an increase in arterial clogs throughout the country. McDonald's joins Burger King with the Angus...
We are in the midst of Lent right now. Though Chicagoist isn't entirely Catholic, we do know that part of Lent involves not eating meat. Which means, if you believe a part of your meal should be accessible via the drive-thru window, you may be feeling a little bit peckish these days. Chicagoist decided to take the proverbial bull by its horns and determine once and for all, which fast food fish sandwich is the...
As Jennifer Hudson's 15 minutes of fame approach the 14:30 mark, at least she doesn't have to worry about going hungry. Yesterday, Burger King gave the Chicago native free burgers (and anything else she would like) for life. What is the connection? American Idol judge Simon Cowell was miffed that Hudson didn't thank the show in her Oscar acceptance speech. Hudson allegedly responded by saying, "If I'd been any better at my job when I...
Fon is a community WiFi provider whose goal is to create a worldwide network of wireless users who agree to share their broadband connections with others who do the same. This might sound like a pipe dream, but they've gained enough traction to score backing from Google and Skype. Their latest project is to bribe people who live near Starbucks (or any other cafe, they say) to join their network and offer a cheap WiFi...
"Your Friday Food Buffet" is a new feature where we combine business-related news concerning food and drink with tastings and fixed-price dinners happening around town this weekend. Pretty cut-and-dried, don'cha think? Anyway, we hope you like it. Starbucks finally drops act, admits inspiration for business model: After test-marketing in Chicago and other markets throughout the country, Starbucks rolled out their breakfast sandwiches and drive-thru service in Boston and select Los Angeles locations. No information...
Chicagoist admits that we're salivating over the announcement of the Apple iPhone as much as anyone, but as we discussed last week, we have some doubts about it too. After playing that guessing game once, however, we've decided to reserve further judgment until it's released to the public in June, when people not named Jobs have actually held an iPhone in their hands and put it through its paces. This hasn't stopped the hype machine...
After taking time out to witness the Bears' crushing defeat intense victory, we bring you this weekend's blotter: Two more workers were slain at a Burger King downstate. Pam Branka, 46, and Paul "P.J." Jones, 50, were found dead early Saturday morning in Momence, IL, both victims of an apparent armed robbery. No cash was taken from the registers, but blood was found near the safe. The murders call to mind Mary Hutchison's homicide in...
In one of mankind’s greatest wars — the battle of the breakfast bulge — McDonald's is stepping it up a notch. To keep competitive with Burger King and its frightening (and un-fun Xbox gaming) mascot, McDonald’s will start offering a $1 breakfast menu in limited markets. We figured this might be a yogurt parfait of only one color or a stick of trans-fat; but the new dollar menu includes a sausage biscuit with cheese but...
Chicagoist hates to admit it, but we’ve always been one of those irrational people who orders a Diet Coke with whatever else we order at McDonald’s. It just makes us feel slightly better about eating food that we are positive will one day kill us. Trans fats, greasy meat, fries with beef powder — we know about it all, and yet, every once in a while (when we are on an interstate or in an...
"Christmas tree among giants" via [clint].
Who needs the cold? We're basking in our radiators and skimming the events of the past weekend:
Organizers of the annual Christkindlmarket have dropped New Line Cinema as a sponsor after a talking-to from the city, which expressed concerns of religious favoritism over plans to run an ad for the upcoming film The Nativity Story during the event at Daley Plaza. Wow … where to begin? We’re all for religious tolerance, especially this time of year. In fact, now’s the best time to get to know a religion other than your own...
It appears that McDonald's is trying to get back into the coffee game. We're not sure why they are trying so hard, but after they were raked over the coals by Morgan Spurlock, it's seemed to us that they've been doing nothing but fix, manage and damage control ever since. The salad brigade. The dollar menu. The fry scandal. Now it's coffee. The business story in the Trib says that McDonald's is going to be...
We hope you'll forgive us but just this once we're going to cut to the chase and present what we think is the most important element to this entire story: The dumbest, most asinine, most trite thing ever to drip from the lips of any corporate drone and show up in print: In response to criticism that the food they market to children is unhealthy and therefore a contributing factor to childhood obesity, McDonald's, according...
Chicagoist likes a good fight. No, scratch that. Chicagoist likes a great fight. We like bruises, blood, beatings, and, if the mood is right, a little bitch slapping. What we abhor, however, is petulant whining, hair pulling, or name-calling. If you're going to fight, at least have a little dignity while doing it, and for God's sake, make sure you have a leg to stand on. This leads us to one of the quirkiest...
An alert reader notified Chicagoist about some new signs, or lack thereof, for our favorite restaurant, Burger Delights, nee-Burger King. It seems that over the past couple of weeks Burger Delights began to undergo a second identity crisis, where being associated with burgers wasn't enough -- or maybe too much. So signs at stores around the city have been coming down, and new ones going up. Sometimes, in the case of the Foster and...
Former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson allegedly beat his wife in a South Bend, Indiana hotel room this weekend. According to police, he was charged after he "physically tossed his wife, Alicia, against the wall in a fit of rage." In South Bend at the time of the incident to attend a Notre Dame Board of Trustees meeting, he was forced to resign from the board on Monday following the incident. After playing collge football...
Like reading the Sun-Times to make fun of headlines, rip on Sneed* & poke fun at Paige Wiser but don't want to actually pay any of your hard-earned dough to do so? Head over to SunTimesWatch for your daily dose of Sun-Times mockery. They read the Sun-Times so you don't have to. * "Sneed" is quickly becoming the new term for someone who's behind the times. For example, if your friend who obvs lives...
Yesterday when loyal Chicagoist reader Tim said he was going to head over to Burger Delights and do some investigating, we told him if he reported back that we'd buy him a beer at our next happy hour. And that if he reported back with photos, we'd buy him two beers. Well, Tim must be really thirsty because yesterday after lunch he went to Burger Delights, ate the food, tried to talk to a manager,...
The big buzz around the Chicagoist office has been about Burger Delights. Why are our Burger King restaurants morphing into them? Why are they just throwing those poly signs over the top of the Burger King signs? Isn't their special, 2 Delights for $3, the same as the Whopper special? Can I get it my way? Shouldn't the owner be getting in big-ass trouble by Burger King? Do you think they'll get a Rick...
Sox Shuffle Continues
Friday Afternoon Diversion
Jay-Z Announces 2010 Tour Dates. Chicago Not On List.
Around Town
I Fight Dragon$
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