Oct 20, 2021

A commoner lands at the Little Island, Evanston, Ill.

As I’ve blogged about numerous times, whenever work takes me to the Chicagoland area, I like to resume my ongoing quest for the best Chicago-style hot dog I can find.  My “research” has taken me to places like Weiner’s Circle, the now-defunct Hot Doug’s, Nicky’s and Windy City Hot Dogs.  But a work assignment in the northern suburbs opened a whole new series of opportunities to go to the “dogs.”  And the first place I landed upon was an odd-shaped shack on an odd triangular lot on the western edge of Evanston.  It’s appropriately called the Little Island


Oct 1, 2021

A brief return to LD’s BBQ, East Troy, Wis.

If there’s one thing this commoner has learned in my never-ending quest to find the best possible barbecue, it’s that you can find top quality ‘que practically anywhere and in any place.  So, I was not surprised when I discovered what may be Wisconsin’s best barbecue several years ago being run out of a deli counter in a gas station convenience store in East Troy, Wisconsin. 


A commoner dines at Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern, Monroe, Wis.

I wasn’t sure a place existed that could be the perfect representation of Wisconsin life, but then I traveled through Monroe, Wis., one week...