"Middle Illinois beef" had me making up Tolkien jokes, as though there's a rabbit hole to Middle Earth somewhere between Peoria and Springfield where hobbits live peacefully raising grass-fed cattle without having to travel to Mordor. more ›

It's that time. The time when you want to curl up with something warm, maybe something spicy to clear out your sinuses, and eat everything in sight. Well, this dish is perfect for just that. Chili is incredibly seasonally appropriate, but we didn't think it could hurt to add some butternut squash and make it even more so. Dipping the grilled cheese in the chili is highly encouraged. more ›

Nestled in the crook of Western, Diversey and Elston in Logan Square is the Cornerstone Café. While out of the way for many Chicagoans, the Cornerstone impressed us as worth the trip with its unassuming food, friendly atmosphere, and reasonable prices. With a cozy interior populated with booths, wooden tables, and an old-fashioned lunch counter that mimics the shape of the intersection, the Cornerstone is frequented largely by Logan Square and Bucktown locals. Upon entry, we were greeted by a few older fellows who appeared to have set up shop for the entire morning with endless cups of coffee and newspapers spread across the countertop. In a local cafe, that’s a good sign. more ›

Last year Chicagoist was a sponsor of The Arts of Life and Half Acre Beer Company's Chili Cookoff. Proceeds from the event benefited Arts of Life's mission of using art as a therapeutic method for adults with mental illness or intellectual disabilities. We even posted the winning recipe on the site. more ›

Last Saturday, when the wind was howling and blasting rain against our windows, we could think of nothing better than staying in and cooking a big pot of chili in our cast iron dutch oven. Until we met Ted Allen, current Food Network mega-star and former Chicago Magazine editor, and read his cookbook “The Food You Want to Eat”, we had thought of chili as a ground meat-driven recipe. Since then, we've always gone back to his Killer Chili recipe, longing for the way the chunks of beef chuck roast fall apart at first bite. And, when we have it on hand, we’ll add a few heavy dashes of local Co-op Sauce for another layer of flavor. We like to serve this chili on top of white rice and top it with both sharp cheddar cheese and creamy, melty colby jack. Feel free to serve as you wish - we assume if you are a Cincinnati-native it would be a natural to top noodles with this chili recipe. more ›

There are separate chili cookoffs tomorrow and Thursday that are very budget conscious. Tomorrow Rock Bottom Brewery (1 W. Grand Ave.) hosts a firefighter chili cookoff from 6-8 p.m. 25 firefighters will be serving up their best chili recipes and vying for top honors from a judges panel that includes Audarshia "312 Dining Diva" Townsend, former Chicagoista Lisa Shames and me. Bottomless cups of chili are $5; $10 gets you the bottomless chili and a Rock Bottom beer of your choice in a souvenir glass; we recommend Fire Chief Ale. Proceeds from this cookoff will benefit the Chicago Fire Department's charitable endeavors. more ›

In lieu of our regular Wine Wednesday post, we found it much more fitting to focus on the colossal eating and drinking occasion that is the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for Chicago, we can't say 'we almost made it' or even whisper a word of smack talking to our buddies, but we will find a way to chest-bump and guzzle booze with the best of them. Here are some of the drinks and eats the Chicagoist Staff plan to indulge in...and some are just indulging in drinking (guess, Monday will be a slow one at Chicagoist). more ›

Lots of money was raised for Arts of Life and a great time was had by all last Saturday at Half Acre Brewery's Charitable Chili Cook-Off. Over 200 people attended, 20 chili entries were judged, and almost $2,500 was raised. And in the end, a winner was chosen by the members of the jury (which included yours truly): the Tomatillo Chili cooked up by the team of Erin and Elena from The Kids' Table. Possessing a healthy amount of heat and a glowing green color, it was definitely one of the most individualistic entries in the competition. They've graciously passed the recipe on to us (after the jump), so now you can make it yourself. Enjoy! more ›

We're getting closer to tomorrow's Half Acre Brewery's Charitable Chili Cook-Off this Saturday benefiting The Arts of Life and if you haven't gotten your tickets yet, get a move on! They're still only $5 through 5 p.m. today; you'll pay $10 at the door tomorrow. And if you think your chili has what it takes to win it all, $20 will get your entry in (besides other prizes, we'll also be featuring the winner right here). Last we heard, there are almost 20 different chili entries so you'll be able to stuff your face with some quality food. There will also be six different raffle prizes handed out, there'll be Half Acre beer, and the folks from Nice Cream will have samples at the ready. So what are you waiting for? Grab some tickets and swing by. I'll be there as will Rob, who gets to taste all of the entries as one of the cook-off's judges, so be sure to come say hi if you can make it. more ›

Just a little wink wink, nudge nudge to remind you about Half Acre Brewery's Charitable Chili Cook-Off this Saturday. It benefits The Arts of Life, a non-profit community that uses art to assist developmentally disabled adults discover personal growth, and is being co-presented by Nice Cream and Chicagoist. Yours truly (this is Rob typing) will be among the panel of judges selecting a winner, who will receive a trophy and a signed and framed drawing of the original picture that inspired the cook-off by Arts of Life artist Kris Shenkel. (Oh--and the winner also gets a coveted spot in one of our gallery posts.) more ›

Maureen Barrett, 52, of Willow Springs created just the right blend of beans, meat and sweet heat to win the International Chili Society’s 43rd World's Championship Chili Cookoff in Charleston, W. Va. this past weekend. Barrett won $25,000 in the red chili category beating out 160 chiliheads, people who travel the country competing in events that serve as qualifiers for the world's championship. She’s been competing for 13 years but is still considered a newbie to most chiliheads. She said that she added a little more jalapeno sauce from a green bottle to clinch the victory. As chili lovers, we hope that she will post her award winning recipe here soon. [NBC 5] more ›

The Arts of Life is a non-profit community that uses art to assist developmentally disabled adults discover personal growth. On November 7 at 5 p.m. Arts of Life, Half Acre Beer Company, Nice Cream and Chicagoist will host a chili cookoff to benefit Arts of Life's programming. more ›

In case you haven't heard (and as we mentioned in our inaugural podcast earlier today), the long-awaited Chicago episode of "No Reservations" airs 9 p.m. tonight on Travel Channel. This means that, in addition to seeing the already obnoxious lines at Hot Doug's grow even longer by lunchtime tomorrow, the BOURDAIN Midas touch could also convince some folk to get off their duffs and actually head out south for a mother-in-law at Fat Johnnie's, smoked chub at Calumet Fisheries, or the best chili in the city at Ramova Grill (the full rundown of what made the cut during filming is here). more ›

While the weather when the puck drops Thursday at Wrigley field will be nowhere near the extremes of the Bears' last three home games, it'll still be cold. While we know some of you attending the game will be sneaking flasks, beer and soda will also be served in plastic bottles only. Hot chocolate will be served in a commemorative Winter Classic cup, as well. more ›

There seem to be two camps of Chicagoist Foodies this month: the National Vegan Month camp, and the pro-chili-dog opposition. We're meat-sauce insurgents in the face of the Global War on Carnivores (GWOC). And Chuck's post yesterday about the glories of chili-dogs elicited this post from Tower 18: "Any former Detroiters on here? This post makes me want a Coney." more ›

While we love our Chicago-style dogs, we don't shy away from a real good chili dog. Depending on which "wacky food holiday" calendar you're referencing, either last month was or this month is National Chili Month. But far too many hot dog stands , using the "stack 'em high" approach of building a Chicago Dog, try to do the same when making a chili dog, leading to a mess of a meal. In the case of a chili dog — with a couple exceptions — less is more. Simple is the order: chili, some shredded cheddar and raw onions is all you need. more ›